Author’s translation, corrected by a Japanese university lecturer, of the chapter “Discovering Japanese Fusion of Religions on the Pilgrimage Island of Shikoku” in A Passion for Japan: A Collection of Personal Narratives. この章…[Read more]

Slideshow containing information about the new book, links, and mostly illustrations supplementing the autobiographical chapter “Discovering Japanese Fusion of Religions on the Pilgrimage Island of Shikoku.”

Long-term residents share their stories of acculturation or thriving in Japan, from enjoyable activities to serious research. Readers contemplating a stay in Japan can see typical entry points and occupations, decide whether or not to study the language, and prepare accordingly. Editor John Rucynski describes the collection as a “captivating…[Read more]

Since 2004 the author has lectured for the Japanese government foreign aid agency to visiting officials, mostly from developing countries. The 70th 2-hour presentation will be to long-term grantees entering graduate schools in the Kansai region (Osaka, Kobe, Kyoto, Nara, and surroundings) by Zoom. This illustrated slideshow gives an idea of the…[Read more]

Slideshow for a forthcoming invited presentation. ABSTRACT: Podcasting originated as a new form of audio broadcasting, but by 2006, issues of ease of use, proprietary technology, and finances slowed its momentum. Now podcasting is more popular than ever. This presentation therefore traces the author’s initial and current CALL podcasting p…[Read more]

Whether citizens, sojourners, or immigrants, most employed residents of Japan will be unable or unwilling to retire. The natural desire to choose the terms of transitions, however, runs into customary age limits, around 65 for full-time and 70 to 75 for part-time employment in the case of higher education. Combined with stereotypical…[Read more]

Fun quiz with a presentation and worksheet for students to answer the questions while the teacher projects the presentation. It upends preconceptions of most Japanese university students and provides a lesson on phenomena such as international marriage, language shift, and the levels of bilingualism formulated by the author.

A previous Deep in Japan podcast explored how ancient Japanese viewed their environment and sacred sites, culminating in the author’s discovery of a mountain range that was formerly viewed as a mandala that practitioners could traverse. This 2022 podcast is more autobiographical, describing encounters with Reischauer, Keene, Alan Watts, and…[Read more]

Two sections of a book comparing creation myths from ancient Greece and Rome with their Japanese counterparts from the early 8th Century Kojiki (古事記, “Records of Ancient Matters”). These fusion essays are summations of previous book sections by Greek and Japanese authors on the elements of fire and air, respectively, and, drawing from Plato and J…[Read more]