The Gaslight

Justin Aukema
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The Gaslight, with Justin Aukema, explores Japanese history, philosophy, religion, culture, and so much more! This is not just another introduction to Japan. Rather, Justin goes way beneath the surface, doing deep dives into popular and scholarly books on Japan, both new and old. The podcast also touches on topics with universal significance well beyond Japan. Thanks for listening!

Episodes

  1. The Gaslight Ep.5: Postwar democracy in Japan (book pt.2, series pt.3)

    05/01/2025

    The Gaslight Ep.5: Postwar democracy in Japan (book pt.2, series pt.3)

    This episode continues to highlight Yamamoto Akihiro's 2021 book Postwar Democracy: The Thought and Culture that Made Modern Japan, looking at the second half of the book. Branching out from the book, I discuss especially the meanings and fate of "democracy," the role of the New Left, and the Left/Right political dichotomy in general. What is the future of democracy in Japan?

    1h 22m
  2. The Gaslight Ep.4: Postwar Democracy in Japan (book pt.1)

    04/21/2025

    The Gaslight Ep.4: Postwar Democracy in Japan (book pt.1)

    In this episode we look at the first half of a 2021 book by Yamamoto Akihiro called Postwar Democracy: The Ideas and Culture that Made Modern Japan (Japanese). Yamamoto looks at Japan's entire postwar history through the lens of "democracy," discussing how it was debated among academics, politicians, and the general public. It's an amazing book, untranslated as of yet in English, and covered here first on the Gaslight.

    1h 21m
  3. The Gaslight Ep. 3: Postwar Democracy in Japan (John Dower, Embracing Defeat)

    04/06/2025

    The Gaslight Ep. 3: Postwar Democracy in Japan (John Dower, Embracing Defeat)

    In Episode 3, we delve into postwar democracy in Japan, looking especially at the writing of the 1946 Constitution of Japan. Was this "democracy from above" or a truly popular effort? As our main guide, we'll consult a few chapters of John Dower's classic text, Embracing Defeat.

    1h 19m
  4. The Gaslight Ep.2: Irokawa Daikichi, Culture of the Meiji Period

    04/03/2025

    The Gaslight Ep.2: Irokawa Daikichi, Culture of the Meiji Period

    In part 2 of our lecture series on the "public sphere" in Japan, we look at the Meiji Era Freedom and Popular Rights Movement, the popular embrace of democracy, and the grassroots push for a liberal constitution. Our study is guided by Japanese historian Irokawa Daikichi -- the E.P. Thompson of Japan -- and his pioneering study of popular consciousness in Meiji.

    1h 33m
  5. The Gaslight Ep.1: Habermas and the Public Sphere

    04/02/2025

    The Gaslight Ep.1: Habermas and the Public Sphere

    This is part 1 of a university lecture series called "Postwar Japan and the Public Sphere." To introduce the topic, Episode 1 examines Jürgen Habermas' idea of the "public sphere" and discusses how we might apply it to modern and postwar Japan in later episodes.

    1h 17m
  • 5 Episodes

About

The Gaslight, with Justin Aukema, explores Japanese history, philosophy, religion, culture, and so much more! This is not just another introduction to Japan. Rather, Justin goes way beneath the surface, doing deep dives into popular and scholarly books on Japan, both new and old. The podcast also touches on topics with universal significance well beyond Japan. Thanks for listening!

Information

  • Creator
    Justin Aukema
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    5
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Justin Aukema
  • Show Website
    The Gaslight