Women and Power in Japanese History

An Interview with Novelist and Historian Lesley Downer

I visited novelist and historian Lesley Downer at her home, to talk about how she became interested in Japan and about an array of fascinating women who have helped to shape Japanese history.

You’ll find a transcript of our conversation below, in case you’d like to skip ahead to something. And you can always listen to these interviews as a podcast if you prefer. You’ll find all the links you need HERE.

Lesley will be giving a talk about the impact of women on Japanese history at the Daiwa Anglo-Japanese Foundation in London on 8th September. You can book your place HERE.

Last thing before we get to the interview. If you haven’t yet taken my short poll about the kind of content that you most value in this newsletter, I’d really appreciate it if you could click HERE. It’s 3 questions, with no sign-in required.