Why Were the Japanese So Short? | The True Story

For 1,200 years, an entire nation slowly grew shorter. This is the true story of how a single ban changed the bodies of millions, and what finally gave those stolen inches back. In 675, Emperor Tenmu banned the meat of cattle, horses, dogs, monkeys and chickens. What began as a seasonal rule to protect farm animals grew into a sacred taboo that lasted until 1872. Along the way, rabbits were counted as birds, wild boar was renamed "mountain whale," a shogun built shelters for tens of thousands of dogs, and ten mountain ascetics stormed the Imperial Palace. By the Edo period, Japanese men averaged around 155–158 cm, the shortest in their recorded history. But when the ban was finally lifted, the story took a turn no one expected. I'm Dede, and I tell true stories from history the way they deserve to be told: with drama, mystery and a twist at the end. CHAPTERS 0:00 The Ending Comes First 1:05 An Emperor's Decree 2:23 The Ban Grows 4:18 The Mountain Whale 5:25 The Dog Shogun 6:47 The Shrinking Bones 9:21 Lord Pork 11:10 Ten Men at the Palace Gate 13:43 The Beef Pot Craze 15:08 The Height That Waited 16:46 Meat Through a Wound 18:43 The Turning Point 20:45 The Rules We Still Carry SOURCES Edo-Tokyo Museum, reference library notes on Edo-period height and diet Nippon.com feature on the history of meat eating in Japan Gendai Business (Kodansha) article on meat and Japanese height National Museum of Nature and Science, Japan (skeletal height research) Brooklyn Museum, notes on Hiroshige's "Bikuni Bridge in Snow" Japanese government data on school lunches and children's growth IMAGE CREDITS Utagawa Hiroshige, "Bikuni Bridge in Snow" (1858), public domain In memory of the Ontake ascetics who lost their lives in 1872, and of everyone who lived through Japan's years of hunger. This video was produced with AI-assisted visuals and code-rendered animations. Narration: Dede, voiced with a digital clone of the narrator's own voice. If you enjoy true stories from history, subscribe and let's uncover the next one together. #history #japanhistory #DedeWhispers #HistoryDocumentary #HiddenHistory #StolenInches #UntoldHistory