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Michifumi Isoda

いそだ みちふみ

Isoda Michifumi

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1970-12-24 （Okayama, Okayama Prefecture, Japan）
Nationality
Japan
Languages
Japanese
Residence History
Okayama (birthplace) → Kyoto (student) → Tokyo (research/writing)

Career

Occupations
Historian, Author, University professor, TV commentator
Active Years
2003-
Affiliations
International Research Center for Japanese Studies (Nichibunken) (Associate Professor → Professor), Ibaraki University, Faculty of Humanities (Associate Professor, Associate Professor, Professor), Shizuoka University of Art and Culture, Faculty of Cultural Policy (Associate Professor), Tokyo Dental College (Visiting Associate Professor)
Influenced By
Tohru Hayami, Kazuo Tashiro

Education

Kyoto Prefectural University, Faculty of Letters, Department of History
Faculty of Letters / Department of History
Degree: 学士（文学）
Period: 1990s
Year of Graduation: 1993
Country: Japan
Studied classical documents during undergraduate years
Keio University, Graduate School of Letters
Graduate School of Letters / Department of History (Japanese history)
Degree: 博士（史学）
Period: 1990s–2002
Year of Graduation: 2002
Country: Japan
PhD in History; supervised by Kazuo Tashiro and influenced by Tohru Hayami

Awards

Shincho Documentary Prize
2003
Work: The Samurai Household Ledger: The End of the Tokugawa and the Kaga Domain Accountants
Organization: Shinchosha
Result: Winner
NHK Kanto-Koshinetsu Regional Broadcast Culture Award
2010
Organization: NHK
Result: Winner
Japan Essayists' Club Award
2015
Work: Re-reading Japanese History from Natural Disasters
Organization: Japan Essayists' Club
Result: Winner
Japan Miscellany (Trivia) Grand Prize
2018
Organization: Japan Miscellany Grand Prize Committee
Result: Winner
Itami Juzo Award
2018
Organization: Itami Juzo Memorial Museum
Result: Winner
Best Father Award in Kansai (Academic category)
2025
Category: 学術部門
Organization: Best Father Award Committee
Result: Winner

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

The Samurai Household Ledger: The End of the Tokugawa and the Kaga Domain Accountants

2003 History / Non-fiction

Using the household ledgers of Kaga Domain accountants, the book reconstructs everyday life and domain finances during the end of the Tokugawa period and the Meiji Restoration.

Historical documentsEconomic historyEveryday life
Adaptations
  • [Film] The Samurai's Ledger / 森田芳光 (2010)

Social Structure of Early Modern Daimyo Retainers

2003 Academic (Japanese history)

A research book based on his doctoral work analyzing the composition and social roles of daimyo retainers in the early modern period using primary sources.

RetainersFeudal structuresSocial structure

Re-reading Japanese History from Natural Disasters

2015 History / Shinsho (compact nonfiction)

Essays re-evaluating events and social structures in Japanese history through the lens of natural disasters such as earthquakes and epidemics.

Disaster historyCrisis managementSocial change

The History of Epidemics in Japan

2020 History / Shinsho

A historical overview of epidemics and societal responses in Japan, drawing lessons relevant to contemporary times.

Epidemic historyPublic healthSocial response

Bibliography

  • The Samurai Household Ledger: The End of the Tokugawa and the Kaga Domain Accountants
  • Social Structure of Early Modern Daimyo Retainers
  • The Lord's Report Card
  • Memoirs of Edo
  • History of Ryoma
  • Wisdom of the Japanese
  • How to Enjoy History: Learning from Ninjas, Battles and Bakumatsu
  • The Selfless Japanese (commentary)
  • How to Read History: Learning Crisis Management from Early Modern Japan
  • Re-reading Japanese History from Natural Disasters
  • Learning Japanese History through Shiba Ryotaro
  • Behind Japanese History: From Faces of Sengoku Women to Mysteries of Bakumatsu and Modern Times
  • The True Face of Saigo Takamori
  • Detective Notebook of Japanese History
  • History Is Like Shoes: A Special Class for 17-Year-Olds
  • The History of Epidemics in Japan
  • Exposing Japanese History: From Sengoku Monsters to Bakumatsu Darkness
  • Tokugawa Ieyasu: Strategy of the Weak

Adaptations

  • The Samurai's Ledger (film adaptation, 2010, dir. Yoshimitsu Morita)
  • Tono, It's Interest! (short story adapted into film)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
Accessible narrative popular historyEmpirical approach using primary documents and statistics
Recurring Motifs
Use of historical documentsInteraction between disasters and societyHistory of everyday people

Legacy

Known as a public historian influential in both academia and the general public; he popularized Japanese early modern and modern history through the use of primary documents and clear explanations across books and media.

Archives

  • International Research Center for Japanese Studies - Researcher profile and archival materials

In Popular Culture

  • Appeared as guide for NHK's 'Buratamori' (Okayama episode)
  • Frequently appears as historical consultant and commentator in films and TV programs

Trivia

  • He once said on TV that as a child he made rubbings of stone Buddhas for a summer research project.
  • 'The Samurai's Ledger' was adapted into a film; parts of his work have been adapted for screen.
  • Reportedly has a relative (by marriage) who is Hiroyuki Ishi.