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Baye McNeil
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / BLACK EYE
Nov 19, 2014
Jamaican sisters come bearing victuals and vibes
Baye McNeil profiles two Jamaican women who have built thriving careers for themselves in the Land of the Rising Sun, half a planet away from the Land of Wood and Water.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / BLACK EYE
Oct 22, 2014
Another island nation, idolized and imitated: Jamaica and I
Only in my 30s did I learn that I, too, had roots, or at least branches aside from my mother's, which only extended to some cotton plantation south of the Mason-Dixon line.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / BLACK EYE
Sep 17, 2014
Ex-NYC graffitist scratches the surface in Osaka and declares it 'dope'
Father of three Roler Miles, who grew up defacing walls and subways in New York, now runs a thriving spray-paint business, teaches Japanese students art and leads a team of artists at Universal Studios Japan in Osaka.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / BLACK EYE
Aug 20, 2014
A high price to pay for a little peace of mind
Sometimes it's hard to believe the American that emerged, naked and naive, from Narita International Airport back in 2004 and the person writing this column are one and the same. Life in Japan has made me, unmade me and remade me. I've unpacked and sorted through all sorts of koto (generally, things...
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / BLACK EYE
Jul 16, 2014
Unpacking koto: retain, discard and repeat as necessary
Unpacking koto — the intangible baggage — in Japan has proven to be the challenge of a lifetime, replete with enough drama and trauma to keep me knee deep in 'think pieces' till I keel over.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / BLACK EYE
Jun 25, 2014
The naked American at Narita airport
Leaving Narita, stripped of your African accoutrement and any other identifiers that speak to your nationality and sensibilities, you advance through an array of unfamiliar sights and sounds, just as brown and naked as the day you were born.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / LEARNING CURVE
Dec 15, 2013
The war on katakana starts at school
Eliminating katakana's use as a pronunciation aide would benefit Japanese students' ability to communicate, but that clearly can't be achieved overnight. However, it's still worth putting up a 'faito.'

Longform

Visitors walk past Sou Fujimoto's Grand Ring, which has been recognized as the largest wooden structure in the world.
Can a World Expo still matter? Japan is about to find out.