History of Japan

Isaac Meyer started this podcast as a PhD student in History at the University of Washington, and over a decade later it stands as one of the most comprehensive English-language resources on Japanese history available anywhere. With more than 620 episodes and counting, the show tackles everything from the mythological origins of the Japanese islands to postwar politics and contemporary pop culture. Each week Meyer picks a new topic and digs into it for around 35 minutes, striking a balance between scholarly rigor and genuine accessibility. He has covered the Heian court, the rise and fall of the samurai class, the Meiji Restoration, wartime Japan, and the country's economic miracle with equal care. Multi-part series on figures like Tokugawa Ieyasu or events like the Russo-Japanese War give listeners room to really understand the context rather than just skimming the surface. Meyer is careful about citing sources and presenting multiple historical interpretations, which gives the show a university-lecture quality without the stuffiness. The episodes on Japanese literature and poetry offer a nice change of pace from the political and military history. Rated 4.7 stars with nearly 700 reviews on Apple Podcasts, this is the show most people recommend first when someone asks where to start learning about Japan's past. Weekly releases have been consistent since 2013, making the back catalog alone worth months of listening.