Time and Tide

Feb 1, 2025 · 28m

Japan's capital moved some 20 times before settling in Kyoto for over 1,000 years. Religion, natural disaster and power struggle compel an emperor's agonizing decision. Kyoto's origins, uncovered!

Feb 8, 2025 · 28m

Odawara Castle was built to protect the capital of the Edo shogunate. But its history stretches even further back. Learn the fateful story of Odawara Castle from the remains of stone walls and a moat.

Feb 15, 2025 · 28m

Painted as a foolish ruler in works of fiction, fifth Tokugawa shogun, Tsunayoshi. But is this depiction justified? Even he has wisdom to share.

Feb 22, 2025 · 28m

The fox, or KITSUNE also holds an identity as a supernatural creature commonly depicted at shrines, known for its ability to masquerade as humans to deceive them, or to provide divine messages.

Mar 8, 2025 · 49m

The title role in the TV series "Shogun," based on James Clavell's eponymous novel, was modeled on Tokugawa Ieyasu. We reveal his secret strategy for building Edo, Nagoya, Osaka and Nijo-jo Castles.

Mar 29, 2025 · 28m

From the 3rd to the early 7th century, Japan produced terracotta figures known as haniwa in many forms. These mysterious objects hold the key to Japan's birth as a unified nation.

Apr 26, 2025 · 28m

Yoshimune, the shogun who saved the city of Edo. Through disaster and economic strife, alongside its people, his wisdom shaped the future of the place now called Tokyo.

Jul 12, 2025 · 28m

With flashy armor and cunning tactics, samurai Maeda Toshiie struck fear in the heart of Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu and left a lasting cultural influence.

Aug 2, 2025 · 28m

This castle, 200 km north of Tokyo, was a battleground in Japan's last civil war in the mid-19th C. Modern warfare did not bring it down. We look at the secrets to the its strengths and its lords.

Aug 9, 2025 · 28m

Okayama Castle is unique and puzzles visitors. The keep shows a different face, depending on the direction, and each floor is a different shape. We look at how this mysterious castle was built.

Aug 30, 2025 · 28m

Influential ukiyo-e artist Utagawa Hiroshige's "100 Famous Views of Edo", a series of prints encoding his view of the changing face of Japan.

Oct 4, 2025 · 28m

Whether outnumbered or laying siege to a seemingly impenetrable fortress, master strategist Kuroda Kanbei used his wits to win on the battlefield.

Oct 11, 2025 · 28m

KIJIMUNA of Okinawa, a red-haired child spirit in banyan trees, brings fortune to fishermen but punishes betrayal, embodying nature in local life.

Oct 18, 2025 · 28m

In this episode, we search for the Yarokamizu, told of in the Kiso River region of Aichi as a yokai that raises awareness of environmental disasters, and also recognized as a local deity.

Oct 25, 2025 · 28m

Japanese fireworks have long enchanted people with their spherical shape and range of colors. We trace the rise of fireworks in Japan and also examine the 400-year-old mystery of the senko hanabi.

Dec 20, 2025 · 28m

Sake is gaining attention worldwide for its rich and complex flavors. We explore various aspects of Japan's national drink, from the koji that determines the flavor to medieval innovations that laid the foundation for sake-making today. We also shine a light on heated sake, or kanzake, and examine the science behind how heat affects its flavor profile.

Dec 27, 2025 · 28m

Starting with Ieyasu, the Tokugawa Shoguns made clever use of falconry beyond mere hunting. Uncover their deep connection with these majestic birds.