Oleg Benesch
@olegb.bsky.social
Historian of East Asia at the University of York in the UK. Recently working on samurai, castles, masculinity, drugs, sport, emotions, comics, medievalism, and public history. Needs fewer hobbies.
www.olegbenesch.com
www.olegbenesch.com
Pinned
Oleg Benesch
@olegb.bsky.social
· May 18
For anyone interested in castles, emperors, and theme parks, Ran Zwigenberg and my article on the modern history of Fushimi Momoyama Castle in Kyoto has just come out from Japan Review. www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/japa...
Reposted by Oleg Benesch
Finally out now 🥳🎉 -- and in OA! 🙏
Katja Triplett / Yoshimi Orii / Pia Jolliffe (eds.) (2025): Japan in the Early Modern World: Religion, Translation, and Transnational Relations @ doi.org/10.1007/978-...
Includes two contributions by yours truly on Jesuit prints from Japan. 1/
Katja Triplett / Yoshimi Orii / Pia Jolliffe (eds.) (2025): Japan in the Early Modern World: Religion, Translation, and Transnational Relations @ doi.org/10.1007/978-...
Includes two contributions by yours truly on Jesuit prints from Japan. 1/
Japan in the Early Modern World
This open access contributed volume examines the transnational relations between Japan and (Counter) Reformation Europe through the lens of translation.
doi.org
September 3, 2025 at 6:39 PM
Finally out now 🥳🎉 -- and in OA! 🙏
Katja Triplett / Yoshimi Orii / Pia Jolliffe (eds.) (2025): Japan in the Early Modern World: Religion, Translation, and Transnational Relations @ doi.org/10.1007/978-...
Includes two contributions by yours truly on Jesuit prints from Japan. 1/
Katja Triplett / Yoshimi Orii / Pia Jolliffe (eds.) (2025): Japan in the Early Modern World: Religion, Translation, and Transnational Relations @ doi.org/10.1007/978-...
Includes two contributions by yours truly on Jesuit prints from Japan. 1/
Fascinating footage.
Timelapse footage of the transformation of Norwich Castle's Great Hall www.youtube.com/watch?v=nqxQ... #castles #medievalsky
The transformation of Norwich Castle's Great Hall
Norwich Castle has reopened after a £27.5 million redevelopment, where experts restored its medieval features and added modern upgrades for accessibility and comfort. Watch this timelapse footage to…
www.youtube.com
September 3, 2025 at 7:44 PM
Fascinating footage.
Reposted by Oleg Benesch
As people have their heads in syllabi and classes, I’d like to highlight how ‘In the Land of the Lacandón: A Graphic History of Adventure and Imperialism’ (MQUP 2025) can be used in teaching. (Please repost and push this thread along.)
August 9, 2025 at 1:56 PM
As people have their heads in syllabi and classes, I’d like to highlight how ‘In the Land of the Lacandón: A Graphic History of Adventure and Imperialism’ (MQUP 2025) can be used in teaching. (Please repost and push this thread along.)
Reposted by Oleg Benesch
Unpacking. It’s finally here. Best of all: you can share the excitement for free, as the book is open access. Follow the link in the post below to download a PDF or EPUB version.
Happy reading and happy strolling through Japanese garden history!
Happy reading and happy strolling through Japanese garden history!
July 12, 2025 at 2:01 PM
Unpacking. It’s finally here. Best of all: you can share the excitement for free, as the book is open access. Follow the link in the post below to download a PDF or EPUB version.
Happy reading and happy strolling through Japanese garden history!
Happy reading and happy strolling through Japanese garden history!
Reposted by Oleg Benesch
Having spent a bit of time trying to pin down what "medieval" means in Indian historiography, I sympathise with the guy who just put "(though no one agrees)" after his proposed date range
June 24, 2025 at 6:58 AM
Having spent a bit of time trying to pin down what "medieval" means in Indian historiography, I sympathise with the guy who just put "(though no one agrees)" after his proposed date range
Reposted by Oleg Benesch
🧵 of my favourite sixteenth-century bronze statues flanking the empty tomb of Maximilian I in the Innsbruck Hofkirche
June 15, 2025 at 10:05 AM
🧵 of my favourite sixteenth-century bronze statues flanking the empty tomb of Maximilian I in the Innsbruck Hofkirche
Reposted by Oleg Benesch
Hurrah!! Brilliant new book from my wonderful department colleague!
Many congratulations to Dr Catriona Kennedy @trionakennedy.bsky.social on her new book, Women, Politics, and the Irish Public Sphere in the Age of Revolution, from Oxford University Press. A beautiful and insightful book! 📚💫🎉
Find out more @oxfordunipress.bsky.social: global.oup.com/academic/pro...
Find out more @oxfordunipress.bsky.social: global.oup.com/academic/pro...
June 12, 2025 at 3:45 PM
Hurrah!! Brilliant new book from my wonderful department colleague!
Reposted by Oleg Benesch
Inventing the Way of the Samurai by @olegb.bsky.social explores the concept of “Bushido” from genesis in 19th C Japan as an “invented tradition” in response to European concepts to its postwar rehabilitation.
June 11, 2025 at 11:57 AM
Inventing the Way of the Samurai by @olegb.bsky.social explores the concept of “Bushido” from genesis in 19th C Japan as an “invented tradition” in response to European concepts to its postwar rehabilitation.
Reposted by Oleg Benesch
This is wonderful 👇
I'm sick & feeling sorry for myself, so to cheer myself up here's my favourite story about film & TV censorship
James Ferman was the Director of the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) from 1975 to 1999.
And he was terrified of ninjas 1/9
James Ferman was the Director of the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) from 1975 to 1999.
And he was terrified of ninjas 1/9
May 28, 2025 at 7:40 AM
This is wonderful 👇
Reposted by Oleg Benesch
Teachers/Profs, etc. who use video games as part of your course materials: how do you do it? You can't require everyone to own a gaming system, and lord knows your school isn't providing them to students. I see lots written about how to integrate game content, but not much on the logistics.
May 22, 2025 at 2:22 PM
Teachers/Profs, etc. who use video games as part of your course materials: how do you do it? You can't require everyone to own a gaming system, and lord knows your school isn't providing them to students. I see lots written about how to integrate game content, but not much on the logistics.
For anyone interested in castles, emperors, and theme parks, Ran Zwigenberg and my article on the modern history of Fushimi Momoyama Castle in Kyoto has just come out from Japan Review. www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/japa...
May 18, 2025 at 4:04 PM
For anyone interested in castles, emperors, and theme parks, Ran Zwigenberg and my article on the modern history of Fushimi Momoyama Castle in Kyoto has just come out from Japan Review. www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/japa...
Reposted by Oleg Benesch
On the anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic, we thought we'd answer a question that's often asked,
"If they raised the Mary Rose, why not raise the Titanic?"
Allow our scaled diagram to explain...
"If they raised the Mary Rose, why not raise the Titanic?"
Allow our scaled diagram to explain...
April 15, 2025 at 8:21 AM
On the anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic, we thought we'd answer a question that's often asked,
"If they raised the Mary Rose, why not raise the Titanic?"
Allow our scaled diagram to explain...
"If they raised the Mary Rose, why not raise the Titanic?"
Allow our scaled diagram to explain...
This looks great!
Alice Conklin, historian & author of 'In the Museum of Man' & 'A Mission to Civilize' says
“This captivating graphic history is a wonderful teaching tool, showing how historians today can work with unpalatable materials inherited from colonialism.”
Preorders help! 🗃️
bookshop.org/p/books/in-t...
“This captivating graphic history is a wonderful teaching tool, showing how historians today can work with unpalatable materials inherited from colonialism.”
Preorders help! 🗃️
bookshop.org/p/books/in-t...
In the Land of the Lacandón: A Graphic History of Adventure and Imperialism
A Graphic History of Adventure and Imperialism
bookshop.org
March 27, 2025 at 7:41 PM
This looks great!
Reposted by Oleg Benesch
Listening now to @olegb.bsky.social's interview with Matt Lewis of Echoes of History about Azuchi Castle, and unsurprisingly it's great!
Give it a listen on your podcast platform of choice!
Give it a listen on your podcast platform of choice!
Azuchi Castle: The Ultimate Fortress
Podcast Episode · Echoes of History · 03/17/2025 · 46m
podcasts.apple.com
March 20, 2025 at 12:40 PM
Listening now to @olegb.bsky.social's interview with Matt Lewis of Echoes of History about Azuchi Castle, and unsurprisingly it's great!
Give it a listen on your podcast platform of choice!
Give it a listen on your podcast platform of choice!
As a lifelong comics fan, I'm excited that our discussion of "Graphic Narratives and History in the Americas" has just appeared Open Access in the latest issue of the American Historical Review from @historians.org. It's been a lot of fun with some incredible people!
academic.oup.com/ahr/article/...
academic.oup.com/ahr/article/...
Graphic Narratives and History in the Americas
In recent years, graphic narratives have gained greater recognition within the historical profession. University presses publish series of graphic historie
academic.oup.com
March 13, 2025 at 8:41 PM
As a lifelong comics fan, I'm excited that our discussion of "Graphic Narratives and History in the Americas" has just appeared Open Access in the latest issue of the American Historical Review from @historians.org. It's been a lot of fun with some incredible people!
academic.oup.com/ahr/article/...
academic.oup.com/ahr/article/...
Reposted by Oleg Benesch
This table has the January 2025 foreign population breakdown by Tokyo wards. There's data for the 10 largest national groups, then all other nationalities are lumped together. Those ten groups are much changed from 25 years ago. www.toukei.metro.tokyo.lg.jp/gaikoku/2025...
February 10, 2025 at 7:48 AM
This table has the January 2025 foreign population breakdown by Tokyo wards. There's data for the 10 largest national groups, then all other nationalities are lumped together. Those ten groups are much changed from 25 years ago. www.toukei.metro.tokyo.lg.jp/gaikoku/2025...
Reposted by Oleg Benesch
East Asian Studies at Sheffield is also home to historians who contribute to joint programmes and teach for colleagues in the History department.
Sheffield's is one of the largest interdisciplinary groupings of East Asia specialists in the UK and one of the most important globally.
Sheffield's is one of the largest interdisciplinary groupings of East Asia specialists in the UK and one of the most important globally.
Students and staff are fighting to preserve language degrees in one of the UK’s largest East Asian studies departments, after university cuts put them at risk, reports @julietterowsell.bsky.social
Thousands back call to save Sheffield East Asian studies degrees
Petition opposes merging of Japanese, Chinese and Korean into combined programme amid fears of ‘significant’ staff cuts
www.timeshighereducation.com
January 16, 2025 at 10:26 AM
East Asian Studies at Sheffield is also home to historians who contribute to joint programmes and teach for colleagues in the History department.
Sheffield's is one of the largest interdisciplinary groupings of East Asia specialists in the UK and one of the most important globally.
Sheffield's is one of the largest interdisciplinary groupings of East Asia specialists in the UK and one of the most important globally.
I just came across this samurai armour that seems to have been produced in the 19th century by modifying and decorating a recent French armour. The cuirass seems to be the same type as in the colour image. The armour is held by the Royal Armouries in Leeds. royalarmouries.org/collection/o...
January 12, 2025 at 11:26 AM
I just came across this samurai armour that seems to have been produced in the 19th century by modifying and decorating a recent French armour. The cuirass seems to be the same type as in the colour image. The armour is held by the Royal Armouries in Leeds. royalarmouries.org/collection/o...
Reposted by Oleg Benesch
East Asian Studies at Sheffield University is an amazing school. We held our 2023 Martial Arts Studies Conference there - for precisely that reason. Please add your voice to fight for East Asian Studies at Sheffield Uni. The UK needs MORE schools like this!
www.megaphone.org.uk/petitions/sh...
www.megaphone.org.uk/petitions/sh...
Sheffield Uni Needs East Asian Studies!
The University of Sheffield has been a global leader in East Asian Studies since its inception as the national centre for modern Japanese Studies in 1963. Korean Studies was introduced in 1979 and mai...
www.megaphone.org.uk
January 10, 2025 at 6:18 AM
East Asian Studies at Sheffield University is an amazing school. We held our 2023 Martial Arts Studies Conference there - for precisely that reason. Please add your voice to fight for East Asian Studies at Sheffield Uni. The UK needs MORE schools like this!
www.megaphone.org.uk/petitions/sh...
www.megaphone.org.uk/petitions/sh...
I'm thrilled about this!
Some very lovely news from me
www.york.ac.uk/news-and-eve...
www.york.ac.uk/news-and-eve...
Greg Jenner appointed an Honorary Fellow in the Department of History
The public historian, author and broadcaster Greg Jenner has been appointed as a Fellow of the Institute for the Public Understanding of the Past (IPUP) in the University of York’s Department of Histo...
www.york.ac.uk
January 8, 2025 at 4:21 PM
I'm thrilled about this!
Reposted by Oleg Benesch
A new entry alert!! Dr. Ruselle Meade has kindly contributed this translation of a Japanese scientist describing indigenous people and life in Nan'yo. I can think of many ways of using this resource in class already!
japaneseempire.info/the-scientis...
japaneseempire.info/the-scientis...
The Scientist and the South Seas: Micronesians in the Japanese Imperial Gaze - Grassroots Operations of the Japanese Empire
Introduction by Ruselle Meade, Cardiff University In 1914, shortly after the outbreak of World War I, Japan seized Germany’s territories in the North Pacific, having invoked its formal alliance with t...
japaneseempire.info
January 8, 2025 at 1:50 AM
A new entry alert!! Dr. Ruselle Meade has kindly contributed this translation of a Japanese scientist describing indigenous people and life in Nan'yo. I can think of many ways of using this resource in class already!
japaneseempire.info/the-scientis...
japaneseempire.info/the-scientis...
I'll be back in Vancouver for the first time in far too long on Jan 30 give a talk on how samurai became a global icon and how societies around the world also searched their own supposedly medieval pasts to find similar symbols and ideals (livestream also available)
asia.ubc.ca/events/event...
asia.ubc.ca/events/event...
2024/25 John Howes Lecture in Japanese Studies: Samurai, Knights, and Nationalisms: Japan and the Medievalization of the Modern World - Department of Asian Studies
With Professor Oleg Benesch (University of York)
asia.ubc.ca
January 4, 2025 at 11:23 PM
I'll be back in Vancouver for the first time in far too long on Jan 30 give a talk on how samurai became a global icon and how societies around the world also searched their own supposedly medieval pasts to find similar symbols and ideals (livestream also available)
asia.ubc.ca/events/event...
asia.ubc.ca/events/event...
Reposted by Oleg Benesch
A Baker's Dozen of Books Wot I Liked in 2024.
Honourable mentions: the Slow Horses books, Butter by Asako Yuzuki, Osamu Dazai's No Longer Human, Seichi Matsumoto's various crime fictions, Alasdair Gray's Poor Things, Times Echo, A History of the World in 47 Borders, Kim Wagner's book on Bud Daro.
Honourable mentions: the Slow Horses books, Butter by Asako Yuzuki, Osamu Dazai's No Longer Human, Seichi Matsumoto's various crime fictions, Alasdair Gray's Poor Things, Times Echo, A History of the World in 47 Borders, Kim Wagner's book on Bud Daro.
January 2, 2025 at 10:58 AM
A Baker's Dozen of Books Wot I Liked in 2024.
Honourable mentions: the Slow Horses books, Butter by Asako Yuzuki, Osamu Dazai's No Longer Human, Seichi Matsumoto's various crime fictions, Alasdair Gray's Poor Things, Times Echo, A History of the World in 47 Borders, Kim Wagner's book on Bud Daro.
Honourable mentions: the Slow Horses books, Butter by Asako Yuzuki, Osamu Dazai's No Longer Human, Seichi Matsumoto's various crime fictions, Alasdair Gray's Poor Things, Times Echo, A History of the World in 47 Borders, Kim Wagner's book on Bud Daro.
Reposted by Oleg Benesch
This data work is a labor of love! If you want to support it you can do so starting at $2 a month on Patreon. They also recently created "gift subscription" options, in case you have students you think may want some weekly insights into the data in progress! ✌️ www.patreon.com/prcurtis
Get more from Paula R. Curtis on Patreon
creating job market data, public writing on academia, & digital
www.patreon.com
December 27, 2024 at 4:08 PM
This data work is a labor of love! If you want to support it you can do so starting at $2 a month on Patreon. They also recently created "gift subscription" options, in case you have students you think may want some weekly insights into the data in progress! ✌️ www.patreon.com/prcurtis