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A somewhat enigmatic society, the Japanese are often viewed by the casual observer as cold, distant, and even unfriendly. Why is this so?
Viewing the world through the lens of curated Japanese media, the Japanese now look upon the United States with its multiracial and multiethnic society, as having been infected by a nefarious mind-virus leading to the current state of dystopia in the Dis-United States of ‘Merica.
The sakoku 1.0 era occurred between 1603 and 1867. The peace and stability of the Tokugawa period, and the economic development it fostered, set the stage for the rapid modernization that took place after the Meiji Restoration.
This incredible Japanese woman was responsible for some of the most important yet difficult work as one of the first advocates of women rights in the early 20th century, especially coming from the samurai roots of a male dominated Japanese culture.
The initial indoctrination from birth, combined with experiences thereafter, construct each individual’s hard drive, and contain many preconceived notions and fabricated prejudices. Not proactively recognizing the existence of one’s own preconceived notions, which morph into blatant prejudice, is disingenuous and indicative of a meaningless life.
Having grandson use the word “grandfather” will act as a permanent pronunciation exercise to haunt him throughout his life. Along with the extreme vexing “r” pronunciation at the beginning of “grandfather” it is also part of the double-consonant “gr.”
This remarkable meeting of these two culinary culture touchstones fuses these staples into a flavour unlike any other. Indeed one’s beloved father in the French Canadian tradition was deeply fond of porcine and the versatility of this staple.
From centuries past, the Japanese were acutely aware of the aesthetics of design, not only of craftsmanship, but extending into the conceptual and sublime societal protocol of form, order, and process, which are critical for a successful life in Japanese society.
The attitude and behaviour of the Japanese in most practical matters including those of a sexual nature are in fundamental alignment with nature, as is indicative of an agrarian island nation.
In Christian mythology the number 666 is know as “the mark of the beast, and indeed some Americans actually think world governments are possessed by Satan. One could even say that large swaths of humanity have actually been brainwashed into the ridiculous notion of evil existing outside of oneself.
He made his way out of the darkness of poverty through the sheer force of his will and settled down in 1963, in a pristine paradise, which is referred to by the locals as “gods country.” Anyone who has had the joy of fly-fishing for rainbow trout, on a pristine mountain lake nestle in the alpine mountains of British Columbia, can understand the significance of such deep and meaningful childhood experiences.
Here is something that is universally applicable to ponder, no religion necessary: Do not judge a book by its cover.
The chasm between “East” and “West” has never been as volatile since the enslavement of the Chinese nation with massive opioid addiction in the early 20th century. Let us refresh our collective memories as to why this historical inflection points has now set up a showdown between these two civilizations, and why the nation of Japan has always represents the third pillar of modern civilization.
Think of the class fee of life in the following way: A needle on a vinyl album of the symphony of life. It skips back over and over while play the same old tired phrase until a lights turn on.
Hey hey mama said the way your move it's gonna make you sweat it's going to make you groove. Nothing can replace a memory of an eccentric older cousin passing through our small rural town in British Columbia, and stopping by to take me to a record store to buy Led Zeppelin IV.
Like so many that come to understand and respect the Japanese people for their culture and unique way of life, Bonner Feller also understood the true nature of the Japanese when he befriended Aya Shimada in 1932, a Japanese exchange student in America before the outbreak of World War II. Moreover, this level-headed soldier character was formulated by the Religious Society of Friends Family (Quakers), to which he was an adherent.
Your sensei is not merely a teacher, but also a mentor for life, fortifying disciple with knowledge and wisdom to forge a unique path in the world. Here one can internalize the concept of sensei, by erasing the Occidental notion of what it means to be a teacher.
minoru hodo kōbe wo tareru inaho kana The sake flowed and the party at the counter got underway in earnest, and during this party, each individual character was laid bare for all to see.
A delightful arrow in the linguistic quiver is to sprinkle one’s Japanese with onomatopoeia. These most flavourful sounds and phrases always add special sauce to the esoteric Japanese language.
There are 2,136 ideograms that must be studied by all students attending compulsory education in Japan. One could say Master Ferriss’s first steps to Meta-Mastery is when he encountered his first major Meta-Cognition Event when memorizing the Japanese Education Ministry’s Jōyō Kanji Hyō during his stay in Japan.
The importance of trust of each other, and trust in one’s own community is embodied in the spirit of this magnificent ideogram. 互
Using the philosophy of ichi go ichi e, it is always best to take each encounter as an extraordinary moment in time, regardless of the tone, timbre, or hue contained within the encounter.
All cultures have meaningful symbolism strewn throughout the spectrum of their respective religions and cultures. Many of these old stories remain very much alive, continuing to influence countless masses of adherents, immersing generational obedience to deep dogma of long gone but not forgotten distant times.
In this historic work, Japan, An Attempt At Interpretation, Patrick Hearn (Koizumi Yakumo) endeavoured to suggest a general idea of the social history of Japan, and a general idea of the nature of those forces which shaped and tempered the character of the Japanese people. But the fact that Japan can be understood only through the study of her religious and social evolution has been sufficiently indicated.
