The First Shogun
The TV series "Shogun" brings Japanese history to life, but who was the first Shogun?
In this series of podcasts, Sean Bermingham explores the rise to power of Yoritomo Minamoto, the first military leader of Japan. We'll follow Yoritomo's life and adventures as a young man as he leads his Genji clan to victory against the odds in the greatest samurai civil war in Japan's history, and eventually claims the title as Japan's First Shogun.
Written and presented by Sean Bermingham.
Music by EdRecords/Pond5: www.pond5.com
https://x.com/sbermingham121/status/1809814992990138598
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Episodes
18 episodes
First Shogun S2 - Extra!
In this episode we recap the story so far: Which key characters remain? Who is in control of the capital - and of the Emperor? And how will Yoritomo achieve his dream of becoming Japan's first Shogun? We'll explore the balance of power in medie...
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Season 2
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Episode 7
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12:24
The Emperor Strikes Back
An envoy from the capital brings shocking news: The Emperor has been attacked! Yoritomo learns that his reckless cousin Kiso Yoshinaka - the Asahi Shogun - has burned down the Emperor's residence and is threatening to make a truce with the Heik...
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Season 2
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Episode 6
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27:38
The Asahi Shogun
A samurai rider charges through the streets of the Japanese capital, carrying urgent news: After his triumph at the Battle of Kurikawa Pass, the Genji general Kiso Yoshinaka is approaching the capital with 50,000 troops. But lying in wait for K...
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Season 2
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Episode 5
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25:50
The Battle of Kurikawa Pass
Two massive samurai armies clash in a battle that will decide the future of Japan.Genji vs Heike - for the first time, the two samurai clans are about to clash.In a mountain valley, the first great battle of the Gempei War will take pla...
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Season 2
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Episode 4
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22:33
The Gathering Storm
Shocking news reaches Kamakura from Japan's capital: an unexpected turn of events that has thrown the nation into chaos. Meanwhile, in the highlands of central Japan a new force is rising, and there are tales of a female samurai who cuts down e...
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Season 2
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Episode 3
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25:23
The Demon Carriage
The Lord of the Heike, Kiyomori, has a disturbing vision that sets in motion a shift in the balance of power between the two great samurai families of Heike and Genji. In a fit of anger he then orders an attack on Japan's greatest Buddhist temp...
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Season 2
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Episode 2
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17:26
The Samurai Assassin
The TV series "Shogun" brings Japanese history to life, but who was the first Shogun? In this season of The First Shogun, Sean Bermingham explores the dramatic rise of the Genji, Japan's most famous samurai clan. We begin the story...
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Season 2
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Episode 1
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22:10
First Shogun - Extra!
As we've reached the halfway point in the rise to power of Yoritomo, in this episode we take a break from the main story to look at some of the main books, films, TV shows, and podcasts that deal with this period of early Japanese history. The ...
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Season 1
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12:20
The Fires of Mount Fuji
Lord Kiyomori has sent a massive army to suppress the Genji uprising in the east led by Minamoto no Yoritomo. But for now Yoritomo has a more immediate threat: outnumbered ten to one, he prepares to confront a force of 3,000 samurai on the slop...
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Season 1
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Episode 10
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23:58
Assassins in the Night
Japan, 1180: The samurai warlord Kiyomori is at the height of his power - he has exiled or executed his opponents, imprisoned the retired Emperor, and has begun his grandest project - the creation of a new capital city in his image. But ...
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Season 1
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Episode 9
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17:26
The Battle of Uji Bridge
An imperial decree urges rebellion against the Heike clan. As the Genji heir Yoritomo considers his response, a veteran Genji living in the capital - Minamoto no Yorimasa - takes matters into his own hands, and leads the first serious challenge...
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Season 1
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Episode 8
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28:50
Exiles and Lovers (part 2)
In this episode Yoritomo - the future First Shogun of Japan - falls in love with Hojo Masako - one of the most famous women in Japan's history. As they celebrate a secret wedding, Yoritomo hears of a strange dream that may be a prophesy of his ...
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Season 1
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Episode 7
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19:47
Exiles and Lovers (part 1)
In this episode we follow the teenager Yoritomo - the future First Shogun of Japan - as he begins his exile on Leech Island in Izu province, where he experiences both love and tragedy in the household of his captor. Meanwhile, back in the Capit...
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Season 1
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Episode 6
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15:13
Of Gods and Goblins
In this episode we follow the early life of Yoshitsune, the Luke Skywalker of medieval Japan! Saved from execution by his mother's courage, Yoshitsune was exiled at an early age to a remote temple, where, according to legend, he learned swordsm...
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Season 1
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Episode 5
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25:07
The Red and The White
It is now the year 1160 and Yoshitomo, the head of the Genji samurai clan, is preparing an audacious plot to topple the Emperor's chief advisor Shinzei, the man who ordered the deaths of his father and brothers. But can he carry out his plan in...
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Season 1
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Episode 4
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28:12
The Hour of the Tiger
It is the year 1156 in the Japanese imperial capital. Two rival Emperors face each other across the Kamo river, each supported by warriors of the Heike and Genji clans.Watching is the nine-year-old Yoritomo. One day he will become Japan’...
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Season 1
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Episode 3
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29:51
