Today, South Korean K-pop and dramas are making waves across the world, while Japanese video games, anime and cuisine are mainstays of global culture. Yet this hypermodernity exists alongside deeply traditional societies, whose roots stretch back centuries.

In this award-winning series, historian Peter Lee is on a journey through East Asia’s edge — travelling back in time to uncover the fascinating story of four distinct peoples and kingdoms that rose and fell as the modern age dawned: Korea’s Joeson Dynasty, Japan’s Tokugawa (Edo) Shogunate, Ryuku Kingdom and Ainu People.

As history unfolded, these kingdoms traded with each other, exchanged ideas, and made war; interlinked stories of a natural symbiosis that have left their mark on history.  From epic events that altered history’s course, to cultural changes that marked the flow of progress, and the shifting relationship of different peoples living in geographic proximity — we see a picture of how the East Asian nations emerged into the modern age, and how the past still echoes in their modern society and identity.

Featuring regional and international experts and stunning dramatic animations which bring the rise and fall of these ancient civilisations to life.

Welcome to The World History Channel. With new uploads every week, we break down the biggest stories that have shaped human history. From the dawn of ancient civilisations up to the modern age, these are the stories from our past that matter the most.

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