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
26 episodes
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
Jewels and Duels: Part 1
The young Genji general Yoshitsune receives a command from the Retired Emperor: Protect the imperial line and retrieve the Three Sacred Treasures! But to achieve his mission, Yoshitsune must first face the might of the Heike army, which is now ...
Jewels and Duels: Part 2
Yoshitsune rides into battle—and into legend—while the Heike scramble to save the Emperor and the imperial treasures, before the Genji can capture them. The momentous clash on the beach between two samurai clans will go down in history as one o...
The Captured Samurai
After their victory at the battle of Ichi-no-Tani, the Genji present their trophies - and a valuable captive - in a parade through the streets of the Japanese capital. Meanwhile the surviving Heike clansmen recover their strength in a fortress ...
Yashima
It is late winter in the year 1185, and the Genji general Yoshitsune is leading a group of samurai through a raging storm at sea. Yoshitsune has been given an imperial command to seek out and destroy the Heike - the powerful samurai clan that h...
The Final Battle
The great samurai clash between the Genji and the Heike reaches its dramatic conclusion off the southern coast of Japan, at the great sea battle of Dan-no-ura! The Heike are confident of victory, but can the Genji general Yoshitsune ride his lu...
Dannoura
The fate of the nation hangs in the balance as two great samurai clans face each other in the seas of Dannoura. Heike and Genji fight for their existence in one of the greatest battles of medieval Japan. Only one clan will survive...Writ...
First Shogun S2 Extra - In Search of the Last Heike
In this special episode recorded in the ancient capital of Kyoto, we'll go in search of the last survivor of the Heike clan - the Empress Kenreimon-in. Visiting the key sites in her life, we'll trace what happened to this remarkable woman who w...
Shogun
In this final episode of the podcast series, we see how Minamoto Yoritomo finally achieves his dream of becoming overall ruler - or Shogun - of Japan. But first he must deal with the last remaining threats to his authority - starting with...
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 ...
Samurai Spirits
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...
The Rumbling Giant
The first Shogun - Yoritomo of the Genji - was born more than 800 years ago. In this episode we explore the amazing background of Yoritomo's Genji clan - a real-life medieval mix of Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones. And then we see how his...
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’...
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...
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...
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...
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 ...
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...