Category Archives: Uncategorized

On Being Anxious in The Japan Times

Posted on May 24, 2012 by

I had a nice interview with Mads Berthelsen of The Japan Times, which ran today. He asked me about expat anxiety and we discussed whether or not This Japanese Life is a self-help guide to Japan. God help you if it’s … Continue reading →

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On Always Having an Empty Train Seat Beside You in Japan

Posted on May 23, 2012 by

On a recent trip to the near-abandoned coal mining town of Tagawa, I took the wrong train three times, taking me into the true inaka – Japan’s rural backwater.

Posted in Culture Shock, Thinking, Uncategorized, Zen | Tagged , , | 18 Comments

On Going and Coming Back in Japan

Posted on May 17, 2012 by

I carry my Japaneseness in my shoulders.

Posted in Culture Shock, Homesickness, Travel, Uncategorized | Tagged | 2 Comments

On Drinking Too Much in Japan

Posted on May 9, 2012 by

When someone assures me, with profound sincerity, that they don’t have a drinking problem, I assume they have a sincerely profound drinking problem.

Posted in Culture Shock, Food, Fun, Uncategorized | Tagged | 12 Comments

On Selling “Latin Biorhythms” in Japan

Posted on March 28, 2012 by

When I stopped by the konbini for lunch at the start of Spring, I made my cursory glance through the constantly rotating stock of temporary soft drinks to see if anything caught my eye. Something did.

Posted in Food, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

On Going to a Gay Bar in Japan

Posted on February 29, 2012 by

The night starts by asking a cab driver to take you to a school. It’s 11 p.m. and you have no business going to a school at 11 p.m. on a Saturday night, so the driver heads toward the school … Continue reading →

Posted in Fun, Shinto, Tradition, Uncategorized, Zen | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment