This podcast, assembled by a former PhD student in History at the University of Washington, covers the entire span of Japanese history. Each week we'll tackle a...
What even is religion, when you get down to it? Why do we treat religion the way that we do? And when our modern notions of religion came up against an empire whose very legitimacy was based on a religious myth, how did those tensions play out? Show notes here.
--------
39:16
Episode 554 - Laying on Hands, Part 2
This week is a continuation of our exploration of the history of reiki. How did Takata Hawayo, a poor woman from Hawaii's Nikkei community, become the foundational figure of one of the most popular New Age practices in the world? And in the end, what sense can we make of the history of a practice founded on pseudoscientific medical claims? Show notes here.
--------
40:33
Episode 553 - Laying on Hands, Part 1
This week: the origins of one of the most popular pseudo-medical traditions out there. Where does reiki, the notion that one can manipulate energy in the human body using their hands to heal people, come from? And why does studying the history of practices like this matter? Show notes here.
--------
36:30
Episode 552 - The Road Less Traveled
This week: what can we learn about the past if we look not at elite literature, but at the lowbrow faire of the masses? We'll explore this question using one of the most popular works of its day: Tokaidochu Hizakurige. Show notes here.
--------
35:18
Episode 551 - Dog Days, Part 3
This week, we conclude our look at canine history in Japan with the nation's most famous dog: Hachiko. You might know the story, but you probably don't know how tied up it is in the establishment of Japan's first dog breeding programs, or in the militarist rhetoric of the war years. Show notes here.
This podcast, assembled by a former PhD student in History at the University of Washington, covers the entire span of Japanese history. Each week we'll tackle a new topic, ranging from prehistoric Japan to the modern day.
UK