Christopher Harding on the history of Japan
How do you capture two and a half thousand years in a couple hundred pages?
Today’s guest managed to hit the highs and lows of Japan’s long history while peppering his account with literature, culture, religion and those subtle ways of seeing the world that are distinctly Japanese.
It’s the perfect introduction for anyone visiting the country, and an entertaining reminder for those of us whose Japanese history reading was mostly confined to university courses.
But don’t expect this episode to provide a chronological overview of the history of Japan. Why rehash that here when you can read it?
I’m getting the answers to my own questions about the past of the country that I’ve made my home.
Christopher Harding is the author of A Short History of Japan, Japan Story: In Search of a Nation 1850 to the Present, The Light of Asia, and other books. He teaches at the University of Edinburgh and is a regular contributor to The Sunday Times, The London Review of Books, and UnHerd.
We spoke about the central drama of Japanese history, everyday life during a century and a half of civil war, and how a new form of Buddhism helped reshape the arts.
Personal Landscapes relies on the support of listeners like you to keep going. Please consider joining my Member's Club on Substack, where you'll find show notes for each episode, book reviews, reading-related videos, and more.
You’ll be supporting an independent ad-free podcast that publishes carefully curated conversations like this one, backed by decades of reading. Go to https://www.personallandscapespodcast.com/p/start-here
Follow my travels — and buy my books — on https://ryanmurdock.com/
This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.personallandscapespodcast.com/subscribe
Today’s guest managed to hit the highs and lows of Japan’s long history while peppering his account with literature, culture, religion and those subtle ways of seeing the world that are distinctly Japanese.
It’s the perfect introduction for anyone visiting the country, and an entertaining reminder for those of us whose Japanese history reading was mostly confined to university courses.
But don’t expect this episode to provide a chronological overview of the history of Japan. Why rehash that here when you can read it?
I’m getting the answers to my own questions about the past of the country that I’ve made my home.
Christopher Harding is the author of A Short History of Japan, Japan Story: In Search of a Nation 1850 to the Present, The Light of Asia, and other books. He teaches at the University of Edinburgh and is a regular contributor to The Sunday Times, The London Review of Books, and UnHerd.
We spoke about the central drama of Japanese history, everyday life during a century and a half of civil war, and how a new form of Buddhism helped reshape the arts.
Personal Landscapes relies on the support of listeners like you to keep going. Please consider joining my Member's Club on Substack, where you'll find show notes for each episode, book reviews, reading-related videos, and more.
You’ll be supporting an independent ad-free podcast that publishes carefully curated conversations like this one, backed by decades of reading. Go to https://www.personallandscapespodcast.com/p/start-here
Follow my travels — and buy my books — on https://ryanmurdock.com/
This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.personallandscapespodcast.com/subscribe