Nanso Satomi Hakkenden or Eight Dog Warriors of the Satomi Clan is a masterpiece of Edo period literature. The book was not only hugely popular in its own time but has gone on to become one of the most influential Japanese novels ever written. And today, together with scholar and translator of Hakkenden Glynne Walley we'll try to find out how that happened.

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Cover design: @justlavi

This time, let's take a look at what Saigo did, aspired to and dreamed of in the new era. And what he regretted or was angry about. And, most importantly, what earned him the title of the last samurai, which still inspires not only the Japanese but people all over the world.

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More info on https://japanexplained.com/saigo-takamori-en/

Instagram: @japanexplained

Cover design: @justlavi

Saigo has returned from exile, and in Kyoto his lord, Hisamistu, fights daily with Hitoshubashi Keiki. How did Japan get into this mess, and how can it be saved? Let's take a step-by-step look at the Forbiden Gate incident, the SatCho alliance, the abdication of the last Shogun, the Battle of Toba-Fushimi and finally the arrival of the Meiji era.

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More info on https://japanexplained.com/saigo-takamori/

Instagram: @japanexplained

Cover design: @justlavi

Saigo Takamori, the Great Saigo or the Last Samurai is the ideal Japanese man and one of Japan's most beloved historical characters. In popular imagination, Saigo is THE perfect samurai. His image is so heavily embellished that it is sometimes hard to see where reality meets fiction. But let's try to separate them anyway. 

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Cover art: @justlavi

Happy Halloween everyone!

We started this October with kitsune, and I thought it would be great to finish it with tanuki. So let's see how tanuki and kitsune influenced each other, what tanuki has to do with the 150th anniversary of Japan Railways and how this powerful yokai ended up as a chubby sake-loving goody of today.

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More info on https://japanexplained.com/tanuki/

Cover art: @justlavi

Kitsune – Japanese foxes, who are they? Multi-tailed shapeshifters, companions of the god Inari, animals that bring good luck or beasts that inflict madness? Let's find out!

Bonus episode: https://www.patreon.com/posts/72879450

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More info on https://japanexplained.com/kitsune-en/

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Cover art: @justlavi

This time let's have a look at the Japanese art of flower arrangement also known as Ikebana. When did the first flower compositions appear in Japan? How did it evolve into complex art with sets of rules and artistic competitions? And which styles of ikebana are there to try your hands on? Let's figure it out.

More info on https://japanexplained.com/ikebana/

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Cover art: @justlavi

To help me break down the many myths about sake, this time I am joined by Dick Stegewerns, the founder of Yoigokochi Sake Importers. We talked about how sake came to Europe and America, how to choose and drink sake, what are the similarities between sake and other alcoholic beverages, how come sake is still mostly produced in tiny breweries, and which sake can be rightfully called the most unusual.

More info on https://japanexplained.com/sake/

Yoigokochi Sake Importers: https://yoigokochi.eu/

Bonus episode: https://www.patreon.com/posts/66208266

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Instagram: @japanexplained

Cover design: @justlavi

Just a quick update: I'm taking a break from releasing new episodes. I hate that I can't stick to the uploading schedule, so during the summer, I plan to make a backlog of episodes to release. I'll be back in August and after that, a new episode will be waiting for you every other Monday.

Thank you for your patience and support. Talk to you soon, and have a good summer!

Continuing to uncover the truth about sake, let's see how this beverage is made, which types of sake you can find in the shop and how to drink it properly. Or maybe there are no rules at all?

More info on https://japanexplained.com/sake/

Bonus episode: https://www.patreon.com/posts/66208266

Support the show: https://japanexplained.com/#support

Instagram: @japanexplained

Cover design: @justlavi