About
stranger in a strange land.Welcome to
Land Of The Rising Son
Decades ago a stranger came to Japan from the Occidental anglophone world.
Quickly, one was entreated by this unique society, the people, and their exceptional way of life.
Thinking of the Japanese language as merely a verbal communication tool, is folly.
Inside this ancient language lies a plethora of unspoken social conventions and protocols, profoundly different from the other worlds.
Over decades living in the countryside of Japan, there has evolved a unique perspective into this ancient culture and the society of Japan.
What is the “Land Of The Rising Son?”
Japan is known as the “Land Of The Rising Sun.”
Using the homonym son, I find myself like the sun, getting up with a fresh outlook each and every day, facing the way of life.
This concept is embodied in one of my favorite Japanese proverbs nana korobi ya oki (knock down 7 times, get up 8)
Life is a series of random events, don’t you think so? Who would have thought to have the opportunity to do so many interesting things in life would come by virtue of living in Japan.
Not having done well at traditional indoctrination education, the industrial skool complex (ITA Program 1969), proved early to be extraordinarily uninspiring along with mental crulty mixed in.
Indeed, the opposite of happiness is not sadness; it is boredom.
Never a dull moment, living in Japan has presented many opportunities; from various business ventures, meeting people from all walks of life from all over the world, into the deep learning of Japanese, while living among the Japanese adopting their cultural and Way of life.
Experience is the true teacher.
Understanding some of the perplexing aspects of Japan society has posed certain challenges.
These experiences and the accompanying lesson become revealed over time.
Land Of The Rising Son is about experiences and observations after coming to Japan from a small town in central British Columbia in 1987.
Here one has continued to live in the countryside-outskirts of Tokyo, known as “Chibaraki”, with my extraordinary wife, and our 5 children; Pancakes, Twinkle, Cinnamon, Grace, and Jasmine.
Join me as we explore the nooks and crannies of this unique society, the roots of Japan, and the ancient Japanese language that embodies the heart mind and soul of the Japanese.
Journey
- Composing songs and writing lyrics
- Importing “Functional Food” to support the health and well being of the Japanese
- Creating an “Art Rental” business to bring joy and beauty of Canadian art to the Japanese
- Importing a 2 x 4 house to Japan and inviting three Canadian carpenters to build it
- Graphic designing starting from PhotoShop 1.0
- Localizing and selling software and sound effect
- Consulting to bring an American network marketing company to Japan
- Proofreading documents for publication in highly regarded scientific journals
- Setting up and running a language school
- Export manager at a small construction rental firm (even these stupid people were “successful” in the bubble!)
- Passing Level 2 of the JLPT (Japanese Language Proficiency Test)
- Narrating training videos for the largest super auto centre in Japan
- Exporting used luxury cars from Japan to my hometown in Canada
- Massaging random strangers hands while humouring them about life in general
- Making a video of the joy of eating abalone
- Going on a fast for two week eating only supplemental minerals, vitamins, and protein
- Making a presentation about a functional food at the Canadian embassy in Japan
This blog and podcast will introduce you to the nooks and crannies of Japan. Here one can now begin to understand Japan, brought to you with heartfelt appreciation for stopping by the Land Of The Rising Son.
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