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In this episode, I speak with Brian Daizen Victoria—Sōtō Zen priest, historian, and author of Zen Terror in Prewar Japan—to uncover a disturbing and often deliberately forgotten chapter in Buddhist history. We explore how Zen, far from being the purely peaceful tradition many imagine, became entangled with ultranationalism and domestic terrorism in 1930s Japan. Along the way, we dive headfirst into one of the most controversial questions in modern Japanese history: Was Emperor Hirohito responsible for Japan’s war crimes?
Listen and judge for yourself.
Got something to say? Drop me a line on Twitter at @DeepinJapanPod or shoot an email to [email protected]. That said… I’m far more likely to respond to one of MY GLORIOUS, SUPPORTIVE, AND MYSTICALLY ENLIGHTENED PATRONS.
Which reminds me—if you enjoy the show, please consider supporting us. 🙏 It helps keep the podcast alive, the audio crisp, and my kids mildly fed.
And hey, if your ears liked what they heard, you can find the outro—and the full Deep in Japan Soundtrack™—on my SUNO page, where waveforms wobble and basslines whisper like ancient melodic sutras. 🎧
Thanks for listening, traveler of the ear.
Yoroshiku. And rockets. 🚀
By Jeff Krueger4.6
3030 ratings
In this episode, I speak with Brian Daizen Victoria—Sōtō Zen priest, historian, and author of Zen Terror in Prewar Japan—to uncover a disturbing and often deliberately forgotten chapter in Buddhist history. We explore how Zen, far from being the purely peaceful tradition many imagine, became entangled with ultranationalism and domestic terrorism in 1930s Japan. Along the way, we dive headfirst into one of the most controversial questions in modern Japanese history: Was Emperor Hirohito responsible for Japan’s war crimes?
Listen and judge for yourself.
Got something to say? Drop me a line on Twitter at @DeepinJapanPod or shoot an email to [email protected]. That said… I’m far more likely to respond to one of MY GLORIOUS, SUPPORTIVE, AND MYSTICALLY ENLIGHTENED PATRONS.
Which reminds me—if you enjoy the show, please consider supporting us. 🙏 It helps keep the podcast alive, the audio crisp, and my kids mildly fed.
And hey, if your ears liked what they heard, you can find the outro—and the full Deep in Japan Soundtrack™—on my SUNO page, where waveforms wobble and basslines whisper like ancient melodic sutras. 🎧
Thanks for listening, traveler of the ear.
Yoroshiku. And rockets. 🚀

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