Buddhist lucky and unlucky days in Japan, a funeral for a great anime character, and do you have a “good head”?
If you want to get married on the cheap in Japan, I suggest you do it on Butsumetsu ("Buddha's Death"), ...
Tag: Buddhism
Shinto funerals vs. Buddhist ones, what to wear to a funeral, and the three ages of anime
I attended a Japanese funeral over the weekend, after when the father of a friend passed away at the age ...
A magic Japanese phrase for you, home ownership Japan-style, and Japan as “producer heaven”
Last time I mentioned the magic words that may be responsible for much of the wa or harmony that Japan ...
The man who created the Yamato theme song, all about the traditional game Karuta, and thoughts on corn soup
I've written before about how the meinichi (命日), the anniversary of a person's death, is very important in a Buddhist ...
The art of faux pas in Japan, Internet-influenced advertising trends, and 100 “geniuses” the Japanese respect
I'll never forget the moment. In my first year of SDSU, my family got a Japanese homestay student who stayed ...
All about New Year’s Eve and Oshogasu in Japan, the big Kohaku TV event, and a New Year’s Card from us!
Hello again from J-List, where the country is preparing to say goodbye to the current year and ring in the ...
Thoughts on raising bilingual kids, comparing of names between Japan and the West, and what Carl Sagan has taught me
It's hard raising bilingual children in a country where English isn't used on a daily basis, except on signs that ...
Looking up when you walk, the Japanese custom of name stamps, and the J-List Year-End Party
I recently talked about how many Japanese professionals from businessmen to musicians to athletes seem to consider succeeding in the ...
Thoughts on my father and Buddhism, the Mac-PC connection with being bilingual, and our cute American, Japanese daughter
Sunday was my father's meinichi, the anniversary of the day he died nine years ago (although Japanese are always puzzled ...
A very Buddhist way of looking at your house pets, how to beat the Chinese at kanji, and thoughts on Japan’s future
Pets are a part of our household in Japan, and currently we've got a dog (faithful old Sakura) and two ...
Things that can always freak a gaijin out, the Japanese penchant for talking over songs on the radio and what is a “real house”?
No matter how long a person lives in Japan, there are always things that can bring on what expats here ...
Checking one’s cultural preconceptions at the door, all about Tokyo and surrounding areas, and J-Drama update
When you come to a place like Japan, it's always best to check your cultural preconceptions at the door and ...
Japanese tricks to memorize anything, fun with “companions” in Tokyo, and thoughts on evangelical Buddhism
Hello again from Japan, where it's believed that only good things happen on Friday the 13th. There was a lot ...
Typhoons and destruction in Japan, Respect for the Aged Day, and a death sentence for Japan’s scariest cult leader
Typhoon season has arrived in Japan, with Typhoon No. 13 (named "Shanshan" by the American weather service, although no one ...
More ways we foreigners can save Japan, all about “Nihonjinron” and superstitions about death
Last time I put forth the idea that perhaps one solution to Japan's birth rate woes might lie in international ...
August and Yasukuni Shrine, a very Buddhist holiday, and small drinks and Japanese girls’ butts
Well, I've made my little hop across the Pacific, and am once again in hot, humid, kawaii Japan. When people ...
Understanding Japan through job resumes, reflections on the word “otaku” and Obi-Wan on our “point of view”
One way to compare Japan's more structured society with the U.S. and Europe is to look at the standardized Japanese ...
Buddhism and Japan’s identity, an air-raid siren at noon, and
Japan is a Buddhist nation, and despite many other influences such as the indigenous animistic Japanese religion of Shinto, Confucianism ...
Looking back on 15 years of anime fandom, Japan’s culture of flowers, and pouring your own drink
Hello from beautiful San Jose. We've been enjoying the vibrant anime fans here at Fanime Con, and if you're in ...
The subject of patriotism in Japan, bilingualism and the mystery of translation, and J-Culture in H-Games
One debate going on in Japan right now is what role patriotism should play in society. Currently, Japanese are perhaps ...
Japan’s train culture, all about rice and the Japanese, and the Japanese word “ne”
Japan is a very rail-centric place, and trains are a big part of life here. In big cities like Tokyo, ...
The new Tokyo Tower, an experiment in conformity, and classics of Japanese literature
There's a perception that the Japanese are more conformist than people in Europe or the States. Leaving aside the question ...
Earthquakes and Japan’s islands, a parable about the sexes in Japan, and an update on the Imperial Family’s problems
Japan is an atoll of more than 3000 large and small islands, with the major ones being the main island ...
Japanese Buddhist attitudes about land, and ruminations on when I first arrived in Japan
One big difference between Japan and America is the attitude people have towards land and personal mobility. In the U.S. ...
