Category Archives: Uncategorized

On Kappa

Posted on June 8, 2011 by Eryk Salvaggio

It takes time for new places to seep into my dreams. When I’ve left a place, my dreams take me back instead of forward. Places go first – the familiar coffee shops, restaurants and bookstores stop serving as backdrops. People … Continue reading →

Posted in Tradition, Uncategorized, Video, Weird | 5 Comments

On Walking On Fire in Japan

Posted on June 1, 2011 by Eryk Salvaggio

The most difficult part of walking on burning coals during a typhoon was finding the right train.

Posted in Shinto, Shrines, Thinking, Tradition, Uncategorized, Video, Zen | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

On Watching a Baseball Game in Japan

Posted on May 25, 2011 by Eryk Salvaggio

American baseball spills beyond pastime and into national ritual, with more performances of the national anthem than the most fervent political race. But baseball in Japan strips the bleachers of their red, white and blue flare and keeps it firmly in … Continue reading →

Posted in Fun, Uncategorized | 9 Comments

J-Cin Sundays: “Air Doll.”

Posted on May 22, 2011 by Eryk Salvaggio

Title: Air Doll Director:  Hirokazu Koreeda Year: 2009 Notes: Based on the comic “Kuuki Ningyo,” by Yoshiie Gōda. TLDR: Amelie, if Amelie was an inflatable sex doll that magically came to life, and if Amelie made you really, really sad.

Posted in Movies, Uncategorized | 1 Comment

On Being Homeless in Japan

Posted on May 18, 2011 by Eryk Salvaggio

I mistook her for a hump of discarded flannel until I saw her face, the unmistakable color of braised meat. She’s sleeping, sprawled across a cardboard box in front of a taxi stand. Her head rests on a plastic shopping … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 4 Comments

How to Bow in Japan

Posted on May 10, 2011 by Eryk Salvaggio

On the first day in the office I met an intern I had mistaken for a teacher. I had taken a default position of addressing everyone with safe formalities and bowing at an angle just short of tying my shoes. The … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture Shock, Tradition, Uncategorized | 7 Comments