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!
Author Archives: Doug
Radio Taiso
One of those time-honored traditions you see in Japanese television is a small TV show on NHK,1 the national TV station, called rajio taisō (ラジオ体操). The word taisō means exercise or calisthenics, and that’s basically what it is. Aired in … Continue reading
Posted in Health, Japan
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Romance in Ancient Japan
I’ve always been something of a hopeless romantic-type, even as far back as the toddler-age (so says my mother). Like that one Michael Jackson song goes: I’m a lover, not a fighter. So I admit, I have enjoyed reading the … Continue reading
Posted in Buddhism, Japan, Japanese, Poetry
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One Day at a Time: wise words from my wife the bodhisattva, part 3
Every once in a while my wife will give simple but sagely advice on Buddhism. She grew up Buddhist; I converted as an adult. Our approaches are very different as a result. So one night recently I was feeling flustered … Continue reading
Posted in Buddhism, Japanese, Language, Religion
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Instant Tsukemono
Having mentioned the subject of Tsukemono before, I wanted to show a quick and easy recipe you can do at home. This probably isn’t Tsukemono proper, but my wife and her friends make it often to accompany other dishes. The … Continue reading
Posted in Cooking, Japan
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Solving a Chinese restaurant mystery
This is something that’s frequently piqued my interest, but I had nowhere to turn to solve this little mystery. In Chinese and Vietnamese restaurants here in the US, and certainly elsewhere, you’re likely to see an altar like this one: … Continue reading
Halloween fun at the JLR
Halloween is fast approaching and we have been having fun here at the JLR preparing for it. Fall has always been my favorite season and Halloween has always been part of the reason why. This year, now that “Baby” is … Continue reading
Posted in Family, General, Japan, Literature, Technology, Zelazny
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Mommy’s Bento Art
Our little one is nearly 4 years old now and growing up so fast. This year we enrolled her in a nice Japanese preschool for a couple days a week, and my wife makes bento lunches for her each of … Continue reading
Posted in Cooking, Japan
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AnkiMobile: an iPhone app review
Having been an avid student of Japanese and the JLPT now for two years I have developed a highly structured daily routine that took a lot of trial and error to develop. Of course, each person’s situation is different so … Continue reading
Posted in Japanese, JLPT, Language
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Am I Buddhist Anymore? A Brief Socratic Dialogue
(Because Socratic Dialogues are more fun, and otherwise this post would sound too whiny. Plus this was inspired by a funny sign someone at work made a few months back which I took a photo of. Enjoy! ) Hiero: Hey … Continue reading
Zelda, the Triforce and the Hojo Clan
This post is inspired by this recent post and also a recent visitor who delved into the same subject. Credit goes to “Sam” for this one. Back in spring 2010, I was treated to a nice tour of Ueno Park … Continue reading
Posted in Japan, Nintendo, Photography, Technology
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