Monthly Archives: August 2011

Housekeeping

Posted on August 16, 2011 by Eryk Salvaggio

Hey! I’ve just finished a two-week jaunt on an international scale – including a hike up Mt. Aso, (pictured above) – so here’s some blog housekeeping. 1. The Bridges podcast, which features a different J-blogger every week, turned his smooth … Continue reading →

Posted in Photography, Travel | 1 Comment

On Obon: Japan’s Homecoming Game, with Ghosts.

Posted on August 10, 2011 by Eryk Salvaggio

There’s an old Buddhist story about a monk named Mahamaudgalyayana – let’s call him Mokuren, for short – who was doing alright, as monks go, and had finally developed the skill of peering into the world of the dead.

Posted in Fun, Shrines, Thinking, Tradition, Uncategorized, Zen | Tagged ancestor worship, buddha, buddhism, holidays, hungry ghosts, japan, japanese holidays, obon, world holidays | 8 Comments

On Bowling in Japan

Posted on August 3, 2011 by Eryk Salvaggio

If you don’t play a sport, you’ve run out of possible conversations with about 90 percent of Japanese men. So I started lying: “I’m a bowler.” At first it was a genius move. I would never be asked to talk … Continue reading →