Exploring Japanese history, literature, and pop culture, mostly through ninjas.
| Platform |  | Pricing | Only free issues | Publishes | Twice weekly |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Issues | 197 | Founded | 2 years ago | Last Issue | 5 days ago |
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criticalninjatheory.substack.comLatest Issues
The First “Shōgun” TV Show Was Huge
Richard Chamberlain as Blackthorne and Shimada Yoko as Mariko in Shogun (NBC, 1980). Image source
NBC’s TV miniseries adaptation of James Clavell’s novel Shōgun aired in the US on five consecutive nights between the 15th and 19th of Septem...
The “Amida Tong” Was Not A Thing
Two warriors plan an attack on Amida Temple in a wintery scene from the sequence Eight Views of Shiranui by Utagawa Kunisada (1861). Source
Early on in James Clavell’s novel Shōgun, someone tries to kill the main character John Blackthorne...
Does Shōgun Deserve The Hate?
Disclaimer from the historical anime Hyōge mono, set during the late Warring States period (dir. Mashimo Kōichi, Bee Train Animations, 2011).
[A scheduling note: since my teaching this semester is heavily loaded on a Monday, I’ll be publi...
Of “Shogun” and Shuriken
Cover of first edition of James Clavell, Shōgun: A Novel of Japan (Atheneum, NY, 1975). Image source.
And so we’re back, after a bit of a hiatus. Travel, the approaching semester, and a new administrative appointment have conspired to kee...
Critical Ninja Theory: Year 3
Merch seen at Legoland California, Carlsbad, CA, July 2026. 2026, it seems, is Lego Ninjago’s 15th anniversary.
The end of July marks two full years of running this Substack newsletter, so perhaps this is a good moment to look back on wha...
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The writers behind this newsletter.
I'm an academic specializing in Japanese literature and history from the 19th to the 21st centuries.
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