Yakuza Comix 3: The complicated world of Japanese suicide, which is sometimes homicide
Japan has a fascination with death and suicide. But sometimes suicide here isn't simply motivated by "honor" nor is it actually suicide.
Explore “Possibilities”: A dark play on our primal needs & impulses Tokyo・March 21-24th
In a series of ten satirical vignettes, The Possibilities delves into the murky shadows of our past and questions our most primal needs and impulses. Traversing cultures and eras, The…
Corporal Punishment Getting Punished in Japan; Don’t throw pens at the kids!
The Japanese language is rich with expressions and words that extol the virtues of corporal punishment aka taibatsu (体罰) but the penchant some older Japanese have for slapping their younger…
Sometimes death is a matter of inches; a meditation on tsunami, guns & loss
I feel funny writing about personal things, but the anniversary of the tsunami in Japan had me thinking a lot about loss, and the unexpected events that change our lives…
Reconstructing 3/11: Sometimes The Yakuza Live Up To Their Ideals
There was a brief time after the earthquake when Japan welcomed the yakuza and they welcomed the victims with whatever aid they could provide. As time passes most of them…
Bad News: Mysterious Smog (煙霧) Eats Tokyo ★ Good News: It’s Summer?!
According to the Meteorological Agency, Tokyo temperatures today reached 25.3 degrees Celsius making it the earliest “summer day” since readings began in 1876. At the same time, a strong wind…
“Saving 10,000:Winning A War On Suicide” Screened at the National Diet, Publicly Released
“A complete sense of desperation about the apparent hopelessness of the suicide situation pushed me to buy a movie camera and ask a 22 year old former student of mine…
Japan, Mother of the World’s First Novel Hosts Its First International Literary Festival
Japan, the Mother of World’s First Novel to Hosted its First International Literary Festival, this year.