In 1928, a group of officers in the Kwantung Army attempted to frame the KMT for their own assassination of Zhang Zuolin. The failed attempts to enforce accountability and discipline which followed set the stage for similar incidents in the future.

Support the show

 My latest novel, "Califia's Crusade," is now available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple Books, Bookshop.org, and many other online platforms! 

Two years prior to the much larger Great Depression, Japan experienced its own financial crisis thanks to the Great Kanto Earthquake, government bonds, and a panicky populace.

Support the show

 My latest novel, "Califia's Crusade," is now available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple Books, Bookshop.org, and many other online platforms! 

The elevation of Emperor Showa was accompanied by a wave of reactionary backlash against Taisho Democracy.

Support the show

 My latest novel, "Califia's Crusade," is now available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple Books, Bookshop.org, and many other online platforms! 

Quin Cho's latest book "The Rise of the Kwantung Army" is coming out on September 18. In this special interview episode, we discuss his upcoming book and the role that gekokujo played in Japan's invasion of northeast China.

Support the show

 My latest novel, "Califia's Crusade," is now available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple Books, Bookshop.org, and many other online platforms! 

Kaila Yu's memoir "Fetishized: A Reckoning with Yellow Fever, Feminism, and Beauty" is coming out on August 19. In this special interview episode, we discuss her upcoming book as well as one chapter which specifically highlights the inaccuracies and falsehoods found in the popular novel "Memoirs of a Geisha."

Purchase Kaila Yu's Memoir from Bookshop.org by clicking here. It will also available wherever books are sold. (Not an affiliate link)

Support the show

 My latest novel, "Califia's Crusade," is now available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple Books, Bookshop.org, and many other online platforms! 

China's difficulties continued throughout the Taisho Period as Yuan Shikai died in the midst of a civil war between China's north and south. The Warlord Era saw many colorful characters rise to power, many of whom were betrayed by underlings or defeated by enemies with only slight advantages.

Support the show

 My latest novel, "Califia's Crusade," is now available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple Books, Bookshop.org, and many other online platforms! 

The question of equal rights for women was extremely divisive in Japan during the Taisho Period. A determined group of feminists would try to punch through the controversy through fiction, editorials, debates, and rhetoric. Some would successfully lobby for change; others would pay the ultimate price for challenging the patriarchy.

Support the show

 My latest novel, "Califia's Crusade," is now available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple Books, Bookshop.org, and many other online platforms! 

The Taisho Period witnessed the coming-of-age for many political parties and movements. This episode focuses on the fringe left during the Taisho Period, who grew and organized in spite of government repression and social stigma.

Support the show

 My latest novel, "Califia's Crusade," is now available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple Books, Bookshop.org, and many other online platforms! 

Japan saw its fair share of progress during the Taisho Period but it also saw an increase in the raw cruelty which its armed forces were willing to use in order to preserve their empire.

Support the show

 My latest novel, "Califia's Crusade," is now available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple Books, Bookshop.org, and many other online platforms! 

Toward the end of the Taisho Period, the Imperial Diet finally passed a law which established universal suffrage for men 25 and older regardless of tax assessment. Shortly before, however, they also passed a law which would allow law enforcement entities far greater powers of surveillance, harassment, and repression.

Support the show

 My latest novel, "Califia's Crusade," is now available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple Books, Bookshop.org, and many other online platforms!