Samurai Spirits

The First Shogun

The TV series "Shogun" brings Japanese history to life, but who was the first Shogun?
In the first episode of this new podcast series, Sean Bermingham explores Minamoto no Yoritomo's extraordinary rise to power in medieval Japan, amidst the dramatic backdrop of the Gempei War - an epic clash between two rival samurai clans, the Genji and the Heike. We'll see how the Tale of the Heike was passed down over generations by traveling storytellers - and in a secluded temple cemetery, we'll accompany a brave musician who has an unearthly encounter with samurai spirits from a vanished age...
Places mentioned in this episode:
Kitano Tenmangu Treasure House, Kyoto - the shrine preserves an ancient sword believed to be the Genji heirloom 'higekiri' : https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20220826/p2a/00m/0et/037000c
Akama Shrine, Shimonoseki - shrine dedicated to the boy-Emperor Antoku and the Heike who died at Dan-no-Ura; the setting for the tale of Hoichi the Earless:
https://en.japantravel.com/yamaguchi/akama-shrine/17401
Music and sound effects from Pond 5: www.pond5.com

The First Shogun podcast website: https://firstshogun.buzzsprout.com

Chapter

1. A Boy Alone (00:00:00)

2. Yoritomo Captured (00:02:58)

3. Origins of the Story (00:07:28)

4. The Tale of Hoichi the Earless (00:09:37)

5. The Iliad of Japan (00:16:17)

6. Traces of the Gempei War (00:19:35)

7. Preview of Future Episodes (00:21:04)