japan
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Dear friends, Have you ever seen or just felt a beauty so deep it was almost silent and indescibable? Have you ever noticed a sense of wonder that came not from a brilliant spectacle, but from a quiet suggestion of something vast and unseen? It is 幽玄-Yugen. I know how it feels whenever I go Read more
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Dear friends, Let’s go back to our normal theme, which is Buddhism. So, what do we have today? It’s 求道 – Gudou, a term, or concept, that deeply rooted in Buddhist philosophy. Gudou means “seeking after truth”, often refers to the pursuit of the path of enlightenment. It’s a journey of self-discovery, spiritual growth. Gudou Read more
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Dear friends, Allow me to borrow Murakami’s book title “What I talk about when I talk about running”. Because when it comes to 面目-Menboku, we have a lot to talk about. So, let’s talk about it. “Menboku” can be translated to “face” or “countenance”, but it’s far more than just reputation or appearance. “Menboku” means Read more
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Dear friends, I’ve been away for few days. Lately I think I need more time for myself so I turn on the hermit mode. Gotta say, the pain of being apart from Yosuke still aches sometimes. But I come back, surely stronger than the 90s trend. Let’s talk about the “Moral code” – Jingi 仁義 Read more
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Dear friendsI’m back to school. I have a lot to tell you today because we talked about kotowaza during class. My teacher asked me if I liked any Japanese idiom and I told her I like “Wabi-sabi”. Then suddenly I feel like I need to talk about the part “Sabi” itself in this article. What Read more
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Dear friends,If my cats Mikan and Azuki are still alive, I bet they think I’m crazy. Because…how can someone be so dumb and still can try to be cool at the same time? They must think I’m nuts. Am I? But today, let’s talk about my path to enlightenment. First, you need to listen to Read more
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Dear friends,To analyze the concept of Mono no Aware, I have to take a look back to review my 1st year in Japan. There are quiet, almost fragile moments that slowly seeping through my thoughts. Those feelings have made me come to understand もののあはれ. The friendship that ended too fast.The teacher I no longer have Read more
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Dear friends,Lately I’ve started my 50 days challenge: I will write 50 articles about 50 Japanese concepts that exist in both spirituality and religion. As you may know, today is my day 3. Let’s talk about “seiren” (清廉), or integrity. But before that, let me break down this kanji. Dear friends,Lately I’ve started my 50 Read more
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Dear friends,In my latest article, we have talked about Rinne and the meaning of reincarnation in Japanese culture. Today, do you want to talk about “あの世 – Ano Yo”, the after life in Japanese belief? Let’s do it with me. The concept of あの世 (anoyo), or the “other world,” is a deeply ingrained part of Read more
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Dear friends,I’ve been studying Japanese culture for a long time. The more I read, the more I start to think about how shallow I am. Japanese culture has so many condensed concepts that have been taken me so long to truly understand. In this article, let’s talk about Rinne – The concept of life and Read more
Letters from Hio 