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Oleg Benesch @olegb.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

I'm thrilled that Michele Monserrati's excellent article on uses of samurai symbolism by the Italian far-right in the early twentieth century has been featured on JSTOR Daily: daily.jstor.org/why-italian-...

daily.jstor.org

Why Italian Fascists Loved Samurai - JSTOR Daily

Japan offered Italian Fascists a powerful example of how ancient traditions could serve modern nationalism.

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Oleg Benesch @olegb.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

Looking forward to talking samurai and global medievalism in Durham next month at the Centre for Nineteenth Century Studies Annual Welcome Event, co-hosted with the Institute of Medieval and Early Modern Studies www.durham.ac.uk/research/ins...

durham.ac.uk

Samurai Nation - Durham University

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Oleg Benesch @olegb.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

The Japan Foundation London has recently launched a new series of short essays introducing UK academics working on Japan. I enjoyed putting together a contribution on "The Enigma of Concrete Castles", about this phenomenon and how I came to research it. lo.jpf.go.jp/japanese-stu...

lo.jpf.go.jp

Japan Up Close Essay Series | Japan Foundation

Essays by researchers offering fresh perspectives on Japanese society, culture and everyday life. Read the full series, free online.

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Oleg Benesch @olegb.bsky.social · 30/07/2026

I really enjoyed this episode - I'm fascinated by the dynamics through which nunchaku, samurai swords, and other East Asian martial arts weapons have been popularized, portrayed, and then often regulated in Western countries, especially the US and UK.

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Oleg Benesch @olegb.bsky.social · 27/07/2026

The fantastic "Making Waves: Art of Japanese Woodblock Print" exhibition at York Art Gallery is on until the end of August. Curator Eleanor Jackson, @helenacoxcurator.bsky.social, and I recently looked at some highlights as part of the @yorkfestofideas.bsky.social www.youtube.com/watch?v=qOl6...

youtube.com

Making Waves: The art of Japanese woodblock print - Oleg Benesch, Helena Cox and Eleanor Jackson

YouTube video by York Ideas

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Oleg Benesch @olegb.bsky.social · 19/07/2026

A little while back, alongside the Samurai exhibition at the British Museum, Rosina Buckland and I were involved with this 4-part series of @theresthistory.bsky.social called "Dawn of the Samurai", which has just become available on BBC Sounds: www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

bbc.co.uk

The Rest Is History - Dawn of the Samurai: The Shadow of the Sword (Part 1) - BBC Sounds

Join Tom and Dominic as they discuss the rise of history's most formidable warriors.

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Royal Historical Society @royalhistsoc.org · 04/06/2026

Ten years on from the Brexit vote: a new @yougov.co.uk poll finds that 77% of the British public have trust in the expertise of historians bit.ly/49I9NV7 It's heartening to hear that so many value, and certainly haven't had enough of, the historian as expert. #Skystorians 1/4

Screen shot of YouGov ranking of experts showing 'historians' and a Royal Historical Society 'Trust me, I'm a historian' badge.

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Jon Howlett @jonhowlett.bsky.social · 02/06/2026

With the World Cup approaching, I thought I’d share a topical story about an underwhelming England performance: In May 1958 England were preparing for the tournament with a friendly against Portugal. Beware, warned Roy Peskett in the Daily Mail, of Augusto Rocha, ‘o Pequeno Tigre’ from Macao

On the left is a yellow and blue advert for the 1958 Sweden World Cup and on the right is a black and white picture of Augusto Rocha.

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Modern Japan History Association @modernjapanhist.bsky.social · 21/05/2026

For anyone interested, MJHA's recent roundtable on the history behind myths about the ninja and the samurai is now available on the MJHA YouTube Channel! Featuring Ran Zwigenberg (Penn State), Polina Barducci (Cambridge), Rob Tuck (ASU), and Oleg Benesch (York University). Link in the replies!

Modern Japan History Association Roundtable #4: Ninja vs. Samurai - Warrior Icons in History, Popular Culture, and the Martial Arts

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Jon Howlett @jonhowlett.bsky.social · 12/05/2026

Last week I posted Song Qingling on a fun dove-shaped jet, so today I thought I’d stay on the theme of rocket-power in Mao-era Chinese propaganda. The most famous example of which is ‘rocket Mao’ from this Great Leap Forward poster from 1958. (1/7) #China #Skystorians #propaganda #Communism

Chinese workers and peasants stride across large waves out at sea. One drives a tractor. In the back there is a man who looks like Mao on a rocket reading a Little Red Book.

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Asian Review of Books @asianreviewofbooks.bsky.social · 19/04/2026

New Book Announcement: “Samurai” by Rosina Buckland and Oleg Benesch @uwapress.uw.edu @britishmuseum.bsky.social asianreviewofbooks.com/samurai-by-r...

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Jon Howlett @jonhowlett.bsky.social · 07/05/2026

I happened across this cover for the January 1957 edition of China Reconstructs, an ‘external propaganda’ publication for overseas readers. Featuring a flyover from Song Qingling (宋庆龄) in a dove-shaped jet(!), it captures many of the key features of 'external propaganda' (1/8) 🧵 #skystorians #china

A magazine cover in cartoon style with newspaper workers busily producing their next edition.

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Oleg Benesch @olegb.bsky.social · 26/04/2026

I recently had a fun conversation with @mattalt.bsky.social and Satona Suzuki about samurai and popular culture as part of the British Museum events programme for the Samurai exhibition. www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lHj...

youtube.com

Samurai: the making of a global icon

YouTube video by British Museum Events

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Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 23/04/2026

In Our Time this morning is on Indian Indentured Labour, with (among others) the excellent Dr Purba Hossein. One for the #Skystorians. www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b...

bbc.co.uk

BBC Radio 4 - In Our Time

Misha Glenny and guests discuss the ideas, people and events that have shaped our world.

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Oleg Benesch @olegb.bsky.social · 22/04/2026

I'm thrilled to announce "Global Samurai I" - a special issue of Japan Review, featuring 11 open-access articles and with a wonderful cover by Tetsuya Noguchi. This research feeds into and builds upon the "Samurai" exhibition now on at the British Museum 1/12 nichibun.repo.nii.ac.jp/search?searc...

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Venus Bivar @vbivar.bsky.social · 22/04/2026

Went to London today to see the spectacular Samurai exhibit that @olegb.bsky.social co-curated and to do some research at the BL, forgetting that it's April and the plane trees are out in full force. Lord help me. How do Londoners survive Spring??? HOW???

media.tenor.com

a man in a suit is blowing his nose with a napkin .

ALT: a man in a suit is blowing his nose with a napkin .

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Oleg Benesch @olegb.bsky.social · 08/04/2026

This Friday and Saturday (UK time) we'll be hosting a public symposium on "Global Samurai" at SOAS University of London, as part of the programme of the British Museum exhibition "Samurai" Event page, including programme and registration information: www.britishmuseum.org/events/globa...

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Aidan Horner @aidanhorner.bsky.social · 11/03/2026

Exciting news! The @yorkpsychology.bsky.social are recruiting 3 new ART (research and teaching) lecturers! One role will be prioritised for cognitive, affective and/or social neuroscience. #neuroskyence #cognition #psychscisky #neurojobs

jobs.york.ac.uk

Jobs - The University of York

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Oleg Benesch @olegb.bsky.social · 21/03/2026

This is a fantastic video about using AI for analysis of historical materials, in this case a Japanese postcard from the early twentieth century.

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Oleg Benesch @olegb.bsky.social · 12/03/2026

There's a week to go until the 19 March application deadline for these four history positions at York!

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Nick Kapur @nickkapur.bsky.social · 09/03/2026

Thrilled to have been awarded a Vandervort prize for my recent article "The Invention of the Kamikaze: Dissent and Resistance in the Japanese Military" by the Society for Military History, as one of the two best articles last year in the Journal of Military History!

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Oleg Benesch @olegb.bsky.social · 08/03/2026

The Portland Timbers tifo yesterday went full samurai (with an axe instead of a sword): www.reddit.com/r/MLS/commen...

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Merchant Adventurers’ Hall @merchantshallyork.org · 08/03/2026

Happy #InternationalWomensDay! It won't come as a surprise to you, that the Merchant Adventurers were mostly male, however women did play an active role in the Company. In other words; they kicked ass. Here below is a shorter than it should be thread of these very cool women:

We are looking at a black and white photo of a woman in a long skirt, waist length jacket with a big hat and fur stole around her neck. She is standing on a set of stairs to the Hall.

We are looking at a woman with white bobbed hair wearing a red robe with faux fur lining. She is wearing a jewel of office around her neck. She is sitting in an old oak chair in the Great Hall.

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Ian Kikuchi @curatorian.bsky.social · 21/01/2026

Recently digitised - at Ramree Town in Burma's Arakan region, two Indian soldiers (prob from the 1st Tripura Rifles) stage a mock duel with captured Japanese swords. Filmed by cameraman John Sprague in April 1945 #filmcataloguing #ww2 #history Full film: IWM JIN 40 / www.iwm.org.uk/collections/...

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The Japan Society @thejapansociety.bsky.social · 24/02/2026

Join us in March for our lecture with Rosina Buckland who will explore the British Museum’s major new exhibition (on now until 4 May) which examines the centuries-long trajectory of a Japanese icon, the samurai 🎌 Monday 16 March 2026. Find out more 👉 loom.ly/XA6T5dw

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Oleg Benesch @olegb.bsky.social · 22/02/2026

Chris Harding kindly hosted a conversation with Rosina Buckland and I on BBC 3 about the Samurai exhibition at the British Museum. www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...

bbc.co.uk

BBC Radio 3 - Sunday Feature, Samurai culture

Samurai: warrior or poet and musician? Chris Harding visits a British Museum exhibition.

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Morgan Pitelka @mpitelka.bsky.social · 22/02/2026

I'm a bit late to this announcement but wanted to share that the newest issue of the JJS is now out! Very proud of the essays and book reviews inside. My coeditor Sabine Frühstück, the book review editor Jessamyn Abel, and our managing editors David and now Athena all did incredible work.

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Will Tullett @willtullett.bsky.social · 20/02/2026

We are advertising 4 jobs at York for historians (1 year medieval, 2 years modern Britain and public history, 3 years modern China, and open ended modern Middle Eastern) features.york.ac.uk/history-jobs/

features.york.ac.uk

York History Department - Academic Jobs

Uncover the past to define the future. We are seeking research-led historians to join our world-class, collaborative community. Discover career-defining opportunities within one of the UK’s most disti...

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Fox Lane Books 🦊 @foxlanebooks.bsky.social · 18/02/2026

We attended a brilliant talk @york.ac.uk on Monday, all about the Samurai exhibition at the British Museum We’ve got copies of the accompanying book #SIGNED by authors Rosina Buckland @olegb.bsky.social … but only 2 left! Grab yours! www.foxlanebooks.co.uk/product-page... #Samurai #BookSky📚💙

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Jon Howlett @jonhowlett.bsky.social · 13/02/2026

With the Year of the Horse approaching at a canter (sorry…), I was delighted to stumble on this excellent 1983 series of paintings of the Nine Marshals of the People's Republic of China at the brilliant Chineseposters.net. chineseposters.net/themes/nine-... #China #History #Chinesenewyear #horses

Marshal Nie Rongzhen in a blue military uniform on a large brown horse. There are flowers in the foreground and a rainbow in the background.

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Oleg Benesch @olegb.bsky.social · 08/02/2026

Rosina Buckland and I recently had an enjoyable chat about the Samurai book (and exhibition!) with the excellent @newbooksnetwork.bsky.social hosts Nathan Hopson and Ran Zwigenberg: newbooksnetwork.com/rosina-buckl...

newbooksnetwork.com

Rosina Buckland and Oleg Benesch, "Samurai" (British Museum, 2025) - New Books Network

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University of York Events @uoyevents.bsky.social · 02/02/2026

NEW! The British Museum’s Samurai exhibition explores historical reality behind the legend, featuring expert insights and a collection of stunning artifacts Join experts as they discuss how the exhibition interrogates the stereotype. Samurai - 16 Feb ow.ly/B7fM50Y7xFV

ow.ly

Samurai

Everyone recognises the figure of the samurai - a global icon of the fearless, virtuous warrior. But how much of the legend is true?

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NCC (北米日本研究資料調整協議会) @nccjapaninfo.bsky.social · 02/02/2026

The National Diet Library is exploring the possibility of extending its Digitized Transmission Service for Individuals (DCTI) to those residing outside of Japan. To understand potential demand, the NDL and CULCON have created a survey. Deadline for responses 3/31! forms.office.com/Pages/Respon...

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Oleg Benesch @olegb.bsky.social · 01/02/2026

It's interesting to see what different reviewers pick up from the exhibition, from women's firefighter robes to Noguchi Tetsuya's glorious sculpture of a samurai riding a rubber duck.

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Oleg Benesch @olegb.bsky.social · 30/01/2026

Come for the history, stay for the sexy, demonic glory. www.theguardian.com/artanddesign...

Guardian website with review of Samurai exhibition and woodblock print

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Sainsbury Institute for the Study of Japanese Arts and Cultures @sainsbury-institute.org · 26/01/2026

If you want to hear more from our January Third Thursday Lecture speaker Professor @olegb.bsky.social, he's a guest on the latest episode of The East Angle podcast, run by Dr Ra Mason and Dr Sherzod Muminov from @uniofeastanglia.bsky.social @politicsuea.bsky.social! youtu.be/29YY-7mQvls?...

youtu.be

Samurai, Castles, and the Making of Modern Japan - A Conversation with Professor Oleg Benesch

YouTube video by The East Angle

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Oleg Benesch @olegb.bsky.social · 24/01/2026

Who wore it better? The 47 Ronin or the HMS London? www.britishmuseum.org/collection/i... publicdomainreview.org/collection/d...

Woodblock print of 47 Ronin in striking black and white outfits

Photo of warship in black and white "dazzle" camouflage

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Oleg Benesch @olegb.bsky.social · 18/01/2026

I was very fortunate to have the chance to speak at @sainsbury-institute.org in Norwich last week, and the recording is now online. I really appreciate the invitation, and all of the great questions and comments following the talk. www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDGo...

youtube.com

Third Thursday Lecture - Samurai, Knights, and Nationalisms: The Middle Ages in Modern Japan

YouTube video by Sainsbury Institute for the Study of Japanese Arts and Cultures

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Oleg Benesch @olegb.bsky.social · 05/01/2026

Really looking forward to this, and to being back in Norwich!

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Oleg Benesch @olegb.bsky.social · 16/12/2025

I'll be giving a talk at The Japan Society in London next month on “Japan, Britain, and the Globalisation of the Samurai," which will also tie into some of themes of the upcoming British Museum special exhibition. www.japansociety.org.uk/event?event=...

japansociety.org.uk

The Japan Society - Japan, Britain, and the Globalisation of the Samurai - with Oleg Benesch

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Oleg Benesch @olegb.bsky.social · 07/12/2025

From 3 February 2026, the special exhibition "Samurai" will be at the British Museum. I've had a lot of fun working on this together with the brilliant Rosina Buckland. If you happen to be in London, and feel that you need more samurai in your life, do drop by! www.britishmuseum.org/exhibitions/...

britishmuseum.org

Samurai

This major exhibition reveals the real story of the samurai, from medieval battlefields to modern blockbusters.

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