"I don't believe people are looking for the meaning of life as much as they are looking for the experience of being alive." - Joseph Campbell When I was a theatre major at the University of Colorado at Boulder there was an Asian professor whose specialty was Noh Theatre. I was 18 and couldn't understand … Continue reading Getting To Noh The Present Moment with Noh Theatre at Yamamoto Nohgakudo
It's plum-blossom time in Japan. My history-buff, Classics major son is visiting us for Spring break, so we wandered around to view some late blooming sites, including Osaka Castle Park. A big secret to view some gorgeous plum blossoms without the massive crowds is to head to the Open-Air Museum of Old Japanese Farmhouses in … Continue reading Open-Air Museum of Old Japanese Farmhouses in Osaka
The NHK World Radio Piece that I was interviewed for Peace Through Kamishibai work and about my family's history with World War II at the hands of the Japanese has aired and is available for your peace-making listening pleasure! Please share and have a listen! Links are listed below! Never again Hiroshima! Never Again Nagasaki! … Continue reading Peace Through Kamishibai On NHK World Radio in 17 Languages
Osaka's historical roots is as a port city of trade, fishermen and merchants. One of the biggest festivals in honor of the patron deity of commerce, luck and fishing, Ebisu, is held annually on January 10 in the streets of Osaka with a giant parade and ritual activity as the locals wish for business success and prosperity in the New Year.
A few weeks ago I was in Tokyo again for the First World Kamishibai Day for peace. I told the story Nidoto by Eiko Matsui about the atomic bombings and the need for peace. In English it's titled Never Again. The day before Eiko Matsui and her sister, Asako and I had visited with the … Continue reading Healing the Ancestors With Story and Kamishibai To Prevent Another War and Japan’s Re-Militarization
By chance last year I read in the Japan Times about the World War II reconciliation work of Taeko Sasamoto and Yoshiko Tamura, founders of the POW Research Network Japan, I contacted them, and they graciously asked if I'd like to see the sites where my grandfather died as a prisoner of war. Amor fati! These … Continue reading Mythic Yoga Journey to POW Sites in Tokyo
The First World Kamishibai Day for world peace is December 7. Raise your voice for world peace! It is urgently needed! Share stories for peace. Peace, for the children!
It's nothing short of a miracle. I can speak Japanese. At least broken Japanese, spewing out a lot of basic verbs and nouns to get the message across (mostly) or ask directions, put a friend in a cab to the Kansai Airport, direct a cab driver to my apartment or tell him when he's at … Continue reading I’m Speaking Japanese! I Really Think So!
Halloween in Japan has been growing a lot. This year I noticed far more Jack'o'lanterns and Western style Halloween decorations than last year. As if it were a orchestrated event, as just about every store or restaurant had some kind of Halloween theme or promotion. Fun! I was excited to take a friend who is … Continue reading Halloween at Universal Studios Japan – Good Kawaii Fun! In Photographs
A good friend of mine I met when I lived in St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands introduced me by email to a friend of hers. Joan D. Stamm is the author of the new book, A Pilgrimage in Japan - The 33 Temples of Kannon. It's a fabulous read for those of us … Continue reading Heaven and Earth Really Are Flowers – Ikebana in Japan for World Peace
