A Question of Influence

Season 12, Episode 2: A Question of Influence
A map with Satsuma han highlighted in red. This was the domain of the Shimazu Clan. Source: Alvin Lee, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The Nobi Plain, where three rivers meet, as seen from a nearby mountain in modern times. Source: Public Domain
A statue of Hirata Yukie, who was given the impossible task of improving the Nobi Plain and ultimately committed seppuku when the improvement failed. Source: T/Y, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
A portrait of Hiraga Gennai, who popularized Rangaku (Western Studies) and inspired further scholarship of foreign sources in his lifetime. Source: Public Domain
A replica of the “Erekiteru” electrostatic generator which Hiraga Gennai would have experimented with. Source: Momotarou2012, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
A sake bottle attributed to Hiraga Gennai. Source: Public Domain