Tag: politics

The Battlefield of Ideas

December 2, 2024 justin-david-hebert Meiji, Season 13 0 Comments

With its new constitutional structure in place, the Japanese government began to take on a more permanent political shape. However, war with China over the future of Korea lurked on the horizon.

The View From Below

November 4, 2024 justin-david-hebert Meiji, Season 13 Comments Off on The View From Below

As the new Meiji government continued to develop and expand, so did the participation of Japanese commoners in the political process. The 1870s witnessed the Iwakura Mission and the birth of Japan’s first newspapers which were quickly followed by censorship laws.

Taira Triumph

November 22, 2021 justin-david-hebert Heian, Season 6 Comments Off on Taira Triumph
Season 6, Episode 17: Taira Triumph
The Taira Clan Crest (Mon) – a stylized butterfly. Source: Júlio Reis and Misogi, CC BY-SA 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/, via Wikimedia Commons
A painting of Taira Kiyomori completed long after his lifetime. In this image, he is attempting to command the sun to stay in the sky so that construction can continue at Itsukushima Shrine. Source: Public Domain
Itsukushima Shrine, shown at high tide when the temple complex appears to float upon the water. Source: JohnnyOneSpeed, CC BY-SA 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The Honden (Main Hall) of the Itsukushima Shrine, which displays the double-roofed style of Shinden-Zukuri. Source: scarletgreen from Japan, CC BY 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The bridge which connects the shrine to Miyajima, shown here at low tide. Source: David Ooms from Belgium, CC BY 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Itsukushima Shrine at low tide. Source: Bernard Gagnon, CC BY-SA 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
A drawing depicting Taira Kiyomori in his old age. Source: Public Domain