Episode 623 - The Great Peace, Part 2

·35 min·3 clips

A samurai's love for his wife betrays Emperor Godaigo's secret plot to overthrow warrior rule in medieval Japan.

The episode is part two of a series on the Taiheiki, a 14th-century Japanese warrior epic. It opens with the story of Toki Yorikazu, whose emotional confession to his wife about Emperor Godaigo's conspiracy leads to its betrayal, as she informs her father, who reveals the plot to the Hojo. The Hojo's Rokuhara Tandai attacks the conspirators, leading to the dramatic death of Ogasawara Magaroku, who shoots 24 warriors with large arrows before committing suicide by leaping from a tower with his sword in his mouth. The host uses this to illustrate the over-the-top action of the Taiheiki, comparing it to the Heike Monogatari. He then explains how the Taiheiki's narrative reflects Confucian historiography, where history is driven by individual virtue or lack thereof, rather than structural factors. This is shown through the blame placed on Yorikazu and his wife for the plot's failure. Divine intervention is highlighted, such as when a retainer reading Godaigo's letter dies from a nosebleed and swelling, akin to Raiders of the Lost Ark. Emperor Godaigo, after fleeing Kyoto, has a dream interpreted to reveal Kusunoki Masashige, who becomes a central figure in the rebellion. Masashige employs clever tactics at Akasaka Castle, using ambushes and divine aid, like a sutra deflecting an arrow. The episode covers the fall of the Hojo, involving defectors like Nitta Yoshisada, who burns Kamakura, and Ashikaga Takauji, who initially supports Godaigo but later rebels. Takauji's characterization is ambiguous, driven by personal ambition and disillusionment with Godaigo's rule, which included unpopular spending and failure to reward samurai. The conflict leads to the War of the Northern and Southern Courts. The host notes that later chapters of the Taiheiki, written by different authors, offer a more nuanced portrayal of events. He concludes by discussing the lack of English translations and scholarship on the Taiheiki compared to the Heike Monogatari, arguing for its historical and literary value despite its derivative aspects.

As heard by us

Failed revolt, strange blame, and a legend in the making.

The episode traces Emperor Godaigo’s failed bid to break warrior rule and restore imperial power, while also lingering on the curious moral blame Taiheiki places on Toki Yorikazu for loving his wife too much.

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Why you'd press play

You get a Taiheiki episode where Godaigo's coup plot, a tearful warning to a wife, and Kusunoki Masashige's legend all collide.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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