About the Author
Hello, this blog is about my life as a father, Buddhist and Japanophile / Koreaphile. Any useful information I can pass along will hopefully make the Internets a better place. Thanks for reading!
Monthly Archives: March 2010
Japan’s most dangerous monastery
Since I am doing a double-post today, I wanted to post an article that talks about Japan’s most dangerous monastery. This seems related to the Shugendo mountain ascetics found in Japanese religion, who combine an eclectic mix of Taoism, tantric … Continue reading
Posted in Buddhism, Japan, Shinto, Taoism
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JLPT Roundup, March 2010
Doing a double-post today (second one coming later), as I have no real updates from the previous month’s JLPT check-in. Still reading a lot of manga and listening to Japanese lessons. My Anki vocabulary list is also swelling into the … Continue reading
Posted in Japanese, JLPT
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Buddhist Yojijukugo: beyond words?
I wanted to post a little something I found interesting, today. As readers know, the subject of Buddhist vocab in everyday Japanese use interests me quite a bit. I never really appreciated Buddhism until I went to Japan in 2005 … Continue reading
What is “Cool Japan”?
This phrase is something I’ve seen more and more in recent years, and I have to admit I’ve given it a lot of thought, because of my own interests in this culture. Since my childhood in the 3rd grade, when … Continue reading
Posted in Japan
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Reading Japanese Manga in 5 Easy Steps
Coincidentally, as I tried to improve my Japanese through reading manga, I found this helpful link in Twitter by a fellow writer named “Rainbowhill” on how to read manga for fun and for education. For anyone who’s tried to read … Continue reading
Posted in Japanese
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Buddhist vocab in Japanese everyday use, part 2
As long-time readers may have noticed, I like tracking examples of Buddhist terms in common Japanese-vernacular, and recently I stumbled upon another while reading the little manga book on keigo. In one example scene, Chibi Marukochan’s mom is talking to … Continue reading
Posted in Japanese
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Worst. Shogun. Ever.
No, not this guy: I am talking about the famous (or infamous) Shogun named Ashikaga Yoshimasa: You see, recently, using a little store credit I got at Amazon.com,1 I picked up a book by Professor Donald Keene about the life … Continue reading
Posted in Buddhism, Japan, Jodo Shinshu, Jodo Shu, Zen
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Hidden Buddhas in Japan
This post is made possible by a nice article sent to me by “Robert” over at Shiawase.co.uk, from the Mainichi Shimbun newspaper. The topic is on “hidden Buddhas”, and the frequent practice in Japan of keeping the central Buddhist figure … Continue reading
Posted in Buddhism, Japan, Travel
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Here comes the Bonsai Rider!
I found yet another intriguing little article on the Asahi Shimbun newspaper recently about an enterprising fellow who has become a local celebrity in Tokyo: the Bonsai Rider. The Bonsai Rider is a local gardener who wasn’t selling many bonsai … Continue reading
Posted in Ireland, Japan
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Happy Saint Patrick’s Day 2010
This year, I can’t be in Ireland for Saint Patrick’s Day as I was last year, but I thought I would share a couple pictures from my time there: This was taken during the big parade in downtown Dublin, which … Continue reading
Posted in Ireland, Travel
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