Episode 8 - The Three Unifiers

In episode 8 of the History of Japan podcast, Isaac Meyer discusses the end of the Sengoku period and the three figures credited with unifying Japan: Oda Nobunaga, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and Tokugawa Ieyasu. The episode details Nobunaga's rise to power, his ruthless tactics, and his eventual assassination. It then covers Hideyoshi's ascent from peasant to regent, his policies, and his disastrous invasion of Korea. Finally, it examines Ieyasu's strategic maneuvering, his victory at Sekigahara, and his establishment of the Tokugawa shogunate, exploring their brutal and egomaniacal natures and raises the question of whether their actions were justified in bringing an end to the prolonged chaos of the era.