EARLY EPISODE: The Anglo-Satsuma War ft. The Worst of All Possible Worlds
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Joe is joined by AJ, Brian, and Josh from the Worst of All Possible Worlds to talk about the time a British trader got murdered by Samurai for being an asshole and sparked a war between the British and the Satsuma Domain.
SOURCES:
De Lange, William. The Namamugi Incident: The Murder that Sparked a War
Totman, Conrad. The collapse of the Tokugawa Bakufu, 1862–1868
Satow, Ernest. A Diplomat in Japan
Rennie, David Field. The British Arms in North China and Japan
Comments (30)
School lunch has a military history connection. During WWII a significant number of draftees could not be inducted due to the gift that keeps on giving--childhood malnutrition. Post war, the school lunch program was created to ensure there would be a good supply of cannon fodder for future wars.
I can't believe it wasn't until today that I realized the Armstrong Cyclone Cannon in Gintama was a historical reference
I'm not ashamed to admit that I only learned as much as I did about this era of history because I wanted to better understand the plot of Rurouni Kenshin.
43:15 straight up how cops use of force cases are handled in the US lol- samurai are straight up cops ASAB
Samurai Home Invasion is my new post-punk indie band name
"Another nail in the growing coffin of..." Joe, that's _nothing_. You out here trying to grow coffins?
As a Patron of both shows, I really would love a Pacific Overtures episode with Joe.
For the Worst of all possible Lions, look up the Lion of Gripsholm Castle
Obra Dinn shoutout !!
Samurai Union Local 47: new LLBD shirt?
The Satsuma are Samurai Chuds, or like modern Militia guys. Privileged conservatives who are allowed to have their weapons and do their violence who really like the idea of the establishment, but not "certain members" of that establishment.
Yes but none of them were or are conservatives. They're revolutionaries. So said the Conquistadors, 'We came here for God and The King. And to get rich' I think that given how little if at all they served their lord or liege, and how much if not exclusively their efforts were dedicated to plunder of gold and women, I think they proved what this eternal kind of person actually wants. And it is not to conserve
I'm still waiting for the TWOAPW episode on Pacific Overtures episode, boys. "If it happens, I'll be there. I'll be part of the event."
Somehow an episode with no Nate or Tom had fifty percent more silly accents.
Okay but showtunes Joe is sending me
When I taught Japanese history, this was one of my favorite episodes to lecture on. I spent an entire lecture on the Richardson Affair, how it led to the British Navy bombarding Kagoshima, and how Satsuma's acquisition of modern weapons gave it a leg up that eventually led it to take a leadership role in the Boshin war. So when exam time came around and not one but at least 3 (!!!) students described the fruit to identify Satsuma in the ID section, you can imagine my sorrow!
I completely love the combo of Joe with TWOAPW. It's magical. I support both of your shows and will do so for as long as they're around. Now we just need to get a third layer of collaboration with Robert Evans. Also, Joe, I'm looking forward to your book. Will it be available in audiobook format? And thank you for turning me on to Clair Obscur. I started it a few weeks ago after hearing you praise it so much and then raced to the endgame so I could listen to part two of the collab. It's a truly beautiful game, and I think it's helped me let go of some weight I've been carrying.
The congressman shooting someone comment is just gonna be Josh Hawley testing that Trump quote.
Just go around lickin' stuff.
Not gonna lie, the satsuam domain calling Britain an violent imperialist empire is kind of like when King Von said to end gun violence.
Do yourself a favor and get you some satsuma oranges. It is the superior orange. Less acid, easy to peel. No mess. I’m eating one right now. Every chance I get when they’re in season.
It's so good when Joe lets his inner theatre kid out!
One of the cities that got burned to the ground during this little kerfuffle was Shimonoseki, also known as Bakan. Also famous for the last battle of the Genpei War, the place where the Qing Dynasty signed the treaty that ended the first Sino Japanese War, and the dueling spot between Miyamoto Musashi and Sasaki Kojiro.
Everyone always forgets the Dutch when it comes to colonialism. They didn't steal as much stuff as the British or the French, and they weren't as bad as the Belgians (no one was as bad as the Belgians) but they left behind the most successful students of colonialism.
The Dutch really nailed the formula of Value Extracted vs Reputation Damaged. I was reading a bunch of stuff from back in the day and oh boy, people were hopping mad. Seething with rage, and yet now their grandchildren just think of the Dutch as the chill windmill and weed people. I'd say they basically got away Scot Free but the Scots are arguably an even better example of getting away with profiting from a disproportionate share of global imperialism. If Belgium and England didn't exist, the Dutch and Scots would have to invent them
The Worst Of All Possible Donkeys
The Curse of The Colonel
“Til I took an arrow to the knee” joke in 2026 really highlights the sound of the guests of this podcasts joints cracking
The thing that gets me is that Britain *has* sword guys, and they had them back then. You know, men looking for the slightest excuse to visit violence upon someone (ideally foreign) who offends their tender sensibilities. I kind of feel like when The Fates were weaving the tapestry of this man's life he was destined to die to *a* sword guy, they just didn't expect him to make it that far Edit: nevermind Shanghai, it's a minor miracle he made it as far as Southampton. Some people just have whatever the opposite of a survival instinct is. Thanatos? Him living to a ripe old age seems like it was never really on the cards
Ah yes, the war commemorated every year in Britain by putting satsumas in each child's Christmas stocking... and I can only assume its commemorated in Japan by putting roast beef in each Japanese child's Shinto glove.