This journalistic essay can give Western readers insight into non-Western logic that the author has found in a long career in Japan. It is also informed by research on intercultural communication, bilingualism and biculturalism. The author teaches those subjects and has a Japanese family. This 2023 update includes the author’s photo taken in Osaka…[Read more]

Three consecutive patriarchs of Esoteric Buddhism were Amoghavajra of India, Huiguo of China, and Kūkai of Japan. This paper foregrounds the usually taken-for-granted but vital historical role of language education and translation in the international spread of religion and culture. There had to be sufficiently educated bilingual or multilingual…[Read more]

Three consecutive patriarchs of Esoteric Buddhism were Amoghavajra of India, Huiguo of China, and Kūkai of Japan. This paper foregrounds the usually taken-for-granted but vital historical role of language education and translation in the international spread of religion and culture. There had to be sufficiently educated bilingual or multilingual…[Read more]

Through the book Kūkai the Universal, the podcast guest discusses the life and times of Japan’s great saint Kūkai, Esoteric Buddhism, and Zen, in terms of East Asian history, language education, and translation issues including voice.

Highlights recent research on the cognitive-social media and big data analytics Presents transdisciplinary research on big data analytics Provides a comprehensive overview of the theory and praxis of big data analytics

Within this chapter I evaluate the still unfolding evolution of digital resources in the case of museum and archive practice related to Nagasaki and their suitability in assisting in the task of teaching the difficult history of the atomic bombing. Memorial museums do exist to convince, and to assist the public in recalling public and collective…[Read more]

Within this chapter I evaluate the still unfolding evolution of digital resources in the case of museum and archive practice related to Nagasaki and their suitability in assisting in the task of teaching the difficult history of the atomic bombing. Memorial museums do exist to convince, and to assist the public in recalling public and collective…[Read more]

The formalization of sound changes as finite state transducers is implicit already in the Neogrammarians. For at least six decades scholars have recognized the potential of transducers for improving the speed and rigor of research in historical linguists, but almost no historical linguists actually use them. This article identifies the obstacles…[Read more]

This paper explores interpretations of the Japanese parliament by governmental actors in the Qing empire, most importantly the commissioners for constitutional research Li Jiaju 李家駒 (1871–1938) and Dashou 達壽 (1870–1939). It shows that, within a theoretical framework formed in dialogue with their Japanese constitutionalist colleagues, these actors…[Read more]

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]

For a long time, metaphors have played an important role in depicting language history. In this study, we contrast early metaphors on language history, such as the family tree or the wave model, with recent metaphors that were popularized after the quantitative turn, such as forests of trees or phylogenetic networks. Speculating about metaphors…[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]

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]