You probably recognize the face of Dante Basco from his role as Rufio in the 1991 Spielberg movie, Hook, and those who love Avatar: The Last Airbender will recognize his voice as that of Prince Zuko. But while Dante’s had a successful career in Hollywood spanning several decades, his story is more the exception than…
法è¯å±±ä¸€ä¹—寺 If the leaves are still holding on, our next temple (number 26 on the pilgrimage list) is another great place to see them. Ichijo-ji, located in Kasai City, was built in 650. Its three-storied pagoda, completed in 1171, is a Japanese National Treasure and is also the oldest pagoda in Hyogo prefecture. Access to…
西国三å三観音巡礼 When I first moved to Japan, I had to google the difference between “shrines†and “temples.†If anyone had told me I would end up on a pilgrimage dedicated to Kannon, the bodhisattva of compassion, I would have said, what[the hell]’s a bodhisattva? Actually, they’re called bosatsu in Japanese, and they are traditionally those…
書写山ã®åœ“教寺 Mt. Shosha, or Shoshazan is home to the temple known as Engyo-ji, recently famous for being the on-location film site of the 2003 film The Last Samurai. It is also number 27 of the Saigoku 33 Kannon Temple Pilgrimage, and is the farthest west of those 33. Established in 966, it is one of…
JETs are a varied and interesting group mostly characterized by their relative intelligence (usually anyway) and their flexibility and willingness to try new things. Hey y’all – I’ve got a hell of a thing for you to try! I first heard about Vipassana from a tour guide in Cambodia, but it seemed like a thing…
Things are heating up in Hyogo, and it’s getting rainy. With umbrella in hand, there are plenty of things to enjoy outdoors; flower gardens are a particular specialty. If you can’t make it to Mimuroto-ji in Kyoto, there are some nice flowery places closer to home. We’ve already mentioned the Shiso Iris Garden before (just…
Our cherry blossoms may have been here in an instant, gone with a flash, but if you missed out on Yabu’s thousand-year-old sakura blooms, you can still get your ancient (but still going strong) flora on in the Yamasaki (Shiso) area early in May. Shiso’s thousand-year-old wisteria is a beautiful sight to behold. Typically, the…
Those of you who teach in elementary school have probably already gotten your first taste of “Hi, Friends!†– the book they’re using to replace good ol’英語ノート(EIGO NOTO). Hi, Friends!, which in no way lends itself to funny mock-titles, is dragging my elementary school kicking and fighting into the 21st century. Because while the book…
The book’s title is a bit surprising, first of all, but don’t be put off!
I downloaded Hi! My Name is Loco and I Am a Racist to my kindle midway through a spring-break workday, partly because it was something I wanted to read, and partly because I thought I “should,†for various reasons, most of them being I’m not sure I understand racism. Having read a bit of Loco’s blog, I expected to laugh and to be challenged, but I never expected to cry…