Japan's move southward into French Indo-China, including Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam, was seen as a major threat to the United States, as the raw materials Japan was securing were needed by the US. This prompted serious sanctions from the US, with demands for Japan to withdraw from China as well.
The Japanese Emperor's power structure is a unique mixture of ceremonial and constitutional authority, which is difficult for outsiders to comprehend. The Emperor is bound by tradition, court protocol, and a sense of restraint in using his power.
This episode discusses the concept of the ultimatum that the United States reportedly gave Japan, demanding that they leave China or the US would cut off their raw materials and oil, as well as the Japanese construct that created an artificial time deadline and the role it played in Japan's decision to go to war.
A discussion on Japan's rise to becoming a superpower and the influence of anti-imperialism in supporting their empire during this period.
This episode talks about the story of Hiro Onoda, a Japanese soldier who refused to surrender after the end of World War II and stayed on a Philippine island for nearly three decades. His actions reveal the peculiarities of the Japanese fighting spirit and its transformation after the war.