Best Genji Podcasts (2026)

Before we bring all this to a close, why not catch a show with us? This is commentary track for Episode 1 of Shingidan Yumenoichi Classics' production of Stage of the Golden Witch. We'll give you instructions on how to sync this up with the play in the episode. So grab some dubious green liquor (and maybe a dubious copy of the play) and enjoy the s…

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Shogun 33:55

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4M ago33:55

33:55

Send feedback on the podcast! 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 his own brother, the legendary samurai general: Yoshitsune! Written and presented…

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First Shogun S2 Extra - In Search of the Last Heike 28:24

6M ago28:24

28:24

Send feedback on the podcast! 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 witnessed the tragic death of her son - the boy Emperor Antoku - at the great…

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Dannoura 17:55

6M ago17:55

17:55

Send feedback on the podcast! 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... Written and presented by Sean Bermingham Music and sound effects from Pond 5: www.pond…

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The Final Battle 28:48

7M ago28:48

28:48

Send feedback on the podcast! 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 luck one more time, and change the course of Japanese history? Written and pre…

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Yashima 21:55

8M ago21:55

21:55

Send feedback on the podcast! 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 has taken charge of the infant Emperor and the Three Imperial Treasures. But …

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The Captured Samurai 24:33

9M ago24:33

24:33

Send feedback on the podcast! 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 on the island of Yashima, where they are given an ultimatum by the Emperor: …

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Jewels and Duels: Part 2 17:47

10M ago17:47

17:47

Send feedback on the podcast! 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 of the great turning points of the Gempei War: The Battle of Ichi-no-Tani! Wr…

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Jewels and Duels: Part 1 22:26

10M ago22:26

22:26

Send feedback on the podcast! 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 just one day from the capital... Written and presented by Sean Bermingham Mu…

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First Shogun S2 - Extra! 12:24

10M ago12:24

12:24

Send feedback on the podcast! 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 medieval Japan as two great samurai clans - Genji and Heike - prepare to face eac…

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The Emperor Strikes Back 27:38

11M ago27:38

27:38

Send feedback on the podcast! 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 Heike. So he accepts the Emperor's summons and sends his half-brother Yoshitsune…

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The Asahi Shogun 25:50

11M ago25:50

25:50

Send feedback on the podcast! 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 Kiso is a new challenge: a wily and scheming Retired Emperor who is not prepa…

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The Battle of Kurikawa Pass 22:33

11M ago22:33

22:33

Send feedback on the podcast! 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 place. Who will emerge as victor? Written and presented by Sean Bermingham Music and …

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The Gathering Storm 25:23

12M ago25:23

25:23

Send feedback on the podcast! 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 everyone in her path. Yoritomo sets out from Kamakura to meet this new challe…

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The Demon Carriage 17:26

12M ago17:26

17:26

Send feedback on the podcast! 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 temple. The reason? The temple monks had dared to play a game of football with "…

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The Samurai Assassin 22:10

12M ago22:10

22:10

Send feedback on the podcast! 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 in 1180, at the start of the Gempei War, an epic 5-year clash between two samurai famili…

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Episode 8: Thank You for Showing Restraint 3:03:58

1y ago3:03:58

3:03:58

Like pepper, the difficulty comes in tiny yet spicy grains. Why not participate yourself, now at the very end? And so it ends. Not with a bang, but with a sequence of extremely loud and kind of off-putting bangs that drown out the subtle storytelling that you've come to expect from this series. Ange needs to make a choice but so do we: do we think …

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First Shogun - Extra! 12:20

1+ y ago12:20

12:20

Send feedback on the podcast! 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 episode includes tips and suggestions for anyone who's interested to know mo…

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The Fires of Mount Fuji 23:58

1+ y ago23:58

23:58

Send feedback on the podcast! 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 slopes of Mount Ishibashi. Yoritomo's response to this attack will pass into leg…

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Assassins in the Night 17:26

1+ y ago17:26

17:26

Send feedback on the podcast! 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 hundreds of miles to the east, the exiled Yoritomo is planning to strike back again…

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The Battle of Uji Bridge 28:50

1+ y ago28:50

28:50

Send feedback on the podcast! 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 to Lord Kiyomori's authority. The uprising will lead to the first pivotal m…

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Exiles and Lovers (part 2) 19:47

1+ y ago19:47

19:47

Send feedback on the podcast! 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 future. Meanwhile, Kiyomori executes a conspirator with a brutality that sho…

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Exiles and Lovers (part 1) 15:13

1+ y ago15:13

15:13

Send feedback on the podcast! 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 Capital, Lord Kiyomori of the Heike continues to secure his position as the count…

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Of Gods and Goblins 25:07

1+ y ago25:07

25:07

Send feedback on the podcast! 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 swordsmanship and battle strategy from the great Goblin King Sojobo. It was the sta…

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The Red and The White 28:12

1+ y ago28:12

28:12

Send feedback on the podcast! 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 time before his deadliest rival, Lord Kiyomori of the Heike Clan, returns t…

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The Hour of the Tiger 29:51

1+ y ago29:51

29:51

Send feedback on the podcast! 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’s first Shogun. But for now, all he can do is hope that his father has chosen the …

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The Rumbling Giant 24:19

1+ y ago24:19

24:19

Send feedback on the podcast! 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 father Yoshitomo prepared to protect the samurai honor, by standing against…

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Samurai Spirits 23:07

1+ y ago23:07

23:07

Send feedback on the podcast! 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 dramatic backdrop of the Gempei War - an epic clash between two rival samurai c…

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Episode 7.2: The Specter of Gender Hangs Over Us All 2:13:33

2y ago2:13:33

2:13:33

You can't neglect the heart. Show Notes Genius Brain Kyrie That Liveblog Caelum Mentioned (Beware of Paywall!) Hosted by Jennifer Booher (@kebbbbs) Featuring Annabelle Barsky, Caelum O'Leary-Coderre (@hivehum), Isabelle Valant (@IzzyTimeStream), and Matthew Winter (@ImYourPaperPal) Produced by Annabelle Barsky and Jennifer Booher Cover art by Grace…

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Episode 7.1: Whydunnit 2:01:39

2y ago2:01:39

2:01:39

There is...a bit of difficulty to this one. After a not un-unlengthier... okay, look this is Golden Truths: An Umineko Podcast, a podcast about Umineko. Do you remember us? We remember you, and hey, we recorded this episode like, over a year ago! We're putting it out! You heard about this culprit thing? Well, there's actually a lot to talk about be…

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Episode 6: I've Solved Your Cheese Puzzle 3:15:04

3+ y ago3:15:04

3:15:04

There is no longer a difficulty level. This is no longer a hint, but a confession. After a not-unlengthier hiatus, Golden Truths is back, again, to watch the sun rise on Dawn of the Golden Witch. The cast engages in a mystery fight of their own, Jenn brings her horse to roost, and Anna, like you, screams and begs for more golden truths. Show Notes …