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#34 Topple the Shogunate!
YouTube video of this episode is here! Japan in turmoil: In the 1860s, a force emerged to overthrow the Edo shogunate. Yokohama, with a population of about 3.7 million, is one of Japan’s leading international port cities. Once little more than a small fishing village, it was not until 1859 that it began its journey as a trading port with Europe and the United States. The main export was raw silk. Its export led to a shortage of domestic textiles, which led to a shortage of daily necessities. In addition, due to the difference in exchange rates, a large amount of domestic gold flowed out to Europe and the U.S.,…
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#32 The Kasei Culture
Click here to go to YouTube Video of this episode 🙂 “Having as much of this serenity as possible, even though one knows little – nothing – for certain, is perhaps a better remedy for all diseases than all the things that are sold at the chemist’s shop.” In a letter to his sister, Vincent Van Gogh described the Japanese paintings as such. “Portrait of Père Tanguy” is one of the masterpieces by Van Gogh. Beloved by the artists of Montmartre in Paris, this art dealer’s background is painted with colorful Japanese paintings. “Japonism” greatly influenced many Western artists of the 19th century. From the latter half of the 18th…