Deep Japan

No one knows exactly when it was decided, or who first taught it.But it exists. In Japan, there are many understandings shared without being explained. They are often described as unspoken rules or implicit agreements, but they are not limited to special situations.They are part of everyday life. Whether they come from common sense or […]

This past fall, I assigned students in my university course about life in Japan to read a chapter by Victoria Yoshimura, a senior ordained Buddhist priest from the UK based in Takachiho, Miyazaki Prefecture. Yoshimura’s account of her intriguing journey was written for my edited volume A Passion for Japan: A Collection of Personal Narratives. […]

When you think of Japanese food, what comes to mind? Probably a colorful tapestry of sushi, a big bowl of ramen topped with decadent slabs of char siu (Cantonese roast meat), deep-fried tonkatsu pork cutlets, smoky yakitori skewers lightly charred at the edges…the list goes on! If you’re an everything-eater, you would probably feel both […]