Category: Literature
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E81 A Troubled Stomach
E81 A Troubled Stomach
Show Notes for episode 81 of our Podcast – A Troubled Stomach. Story Notes Now this is a tale which can be found in the konjaku monogatari shū, a tale revolving around a man known as Fujiwara no Tamemori from the Province of Echizen. A Province he was made Governor[...]
E77 To Live Forever
E77 To Live Forever
Show Notes for episode 77 of our Podcast – To Live Forever. Show Notes This is another story by Yei Theodora Ozaki, a woman who sorely deserves her own episode on our show some time soon! Long, long ago there lived a man called Sentaro. His surname meant “Millionaire,” but[...]
E76 A Cautionary Buddhist Tale
E76 A Cautionary Buddhist Tale
Show Notes for episode 76 of our Podcast – A Cautionary Buddhist Tale. Story Notes This particular tale comes from the Uji shui monogatari and centers around the character of Fujiwara no Toshiyuki. A man who died in either 901 or 907AD. Toshiyuki was a celebrated caligrapher and many people[...]
E73C The Road to being Geisha
E73C The Road to being Geisha
Show Notes for episode 73C of our Podcast – The Road to being Geisha. Story Notes When life began as a maiko all of Mineko’s time disappeared. Her schedule seemed a little grueling. And don’t forget she is only 15 still at this time. Her days would begin at 6[...]
E72 Higuchi Ichiyo
E72 Higuchi Ichiyo
Show Notes for episode 72 of our Podcast – Higuchi Ichiyo. Story Notes Today we finally delve into the life of Higuchi Ichiyo, the woman you can see on the 5000円 note. Ichiyo was born on May 2, 1872. Her name at birth was Natsu, although she also called herself[...]
E71 Hidden Names
E71 Hidden Names
Show Notes for episode 71 of our Podcast – Hidden Names. Story Notes Our first episode during Womens History Month, so I wanted to do an episode on 3 women I have come across in my time making the website and they are women we do not know the names[...]
E70 Making Withered Trees Bloom
E70 Making Withered Trees Bloom
Show Notes for episode 70 of our Podcast – Making Withered Trees Bloom. Story Notes Long, long ago there lived an old man and his wife who supported themselves by cultivating a small plot of land. Their life had been a very happy and peaceful one save for one great[...]
B17 Frolicking Animals (Chōjū-giga)
B17 Frolicking Animals (Chōjū-giga)
Show Notes for bonus 17 of our Podcast – Frolicking Animals. (Chōjū-giga) Story Notes We return to Kyoto as we often do on our show, this time to a temple known as Kōzan-ji. It is not really a centralised temple in Kyoto, located in the north-west outskirts of the city.[...]
E66C Tattooing – The Suikoden
E66C Tattooing – The Suikoden
Show Notes for episode 66C of our Podcast – Tattooing – The Suikoden. Story Notes So lets us bring to a close our episodes on the history of tattoos. We have mentioned throughout the popularity of the heroes from the Suikoden so I feel it makes sense to bring it[...]
E65 Urashima Taro
E65 Urashima Taro
Show Notes for episode 65 of our Podcast – Urashima Taro the Fisher Lad. Story Notes Long, long ago in the province of Tango there lived on the shore of Japan in the little fishing village of Mizu-no-ye a young fisherman named Urashima Taro. His father had been a fisherman[...]
E64 To Hell and Back
E64 To Hell and Back
Show Notes for episode 64 of our Podcast – To Hell and Back. Story Notes Listeners discretion advised for this episode. It is gory, and graphic, and due to the age of the document translated, sexist. Now you may recall this from Yasuke, but I mentioned a tale known as[...]
E63 Turtle Folkore
E63 Turtle Folkore
Show Notes for episode 63 of our Podcast – Turtle Folklore. Story Notes There are four divine beasts in Chinese culture, and it’s from this that Japanese culture derives some of the basis for its own turtle folklore The four divine beasts are the dragon, bird, and tiger. Each of[...]
E62 The Exploits of Okuninushi
E62 The Exploits of Okuninushi
Show Notes for episode 62 of our Podcast – The Exploits of Okuninushi. Story Notes Now we haven’t been here since Episode 44, a long time ago now, but we will be continuing on with the story of Shinto. And so we left it off last time with Susano-o having[...]
B13 – Jimmu’s Successors
B13 – Jimmu’s Successors
Show Notes for bonus 13 of our Podcast – Jimmu’s Successors. Story Notes Here follows the events, as detailed in the nihongi, of Jimmu’s Successors. These are the reigns of the 2nd to 9th Emperors of Japan. There are a few extra pieces of information from other sources as well.[...]
E56 The Tongue Cut Sparrow
E56 The Tongue Cut Sparrow
Show Notes for episode 56 of our Podcast – The Tongue Cut Sparrow. Today we read the translation from 1901 by Yei Theodora Ozaki. As it is now in the public domain here is the story in full for you. Story Notes Long, long ago in Japan there lived an[...]
E55 The Life and Poems of Manzei
E55 The Life and Poems of Manzei
Show Notes for episode 55 of our Podcast – The Life and Poems of Manzei. Story Notes Now the poems we will talk of today come from the man’yōshū, a large poetry collection of 20 volumes and more than 4,500 waka poems. The document in question was divided into three[...]