One era’s eccentrics are another’s model citizens
Would an outcast from the Heian Period feel more at home in the Edo Period? Or are there general characteristics that unites any society’s eccentrics?
‘Three Japanese Buddhist Monks’ explores the merits of reclusion
Penguin's latest addition to its “Great Ideas” series features three texts that delve into the evolving revelations of Japanese medieval Buddhist thought.
‘Hojoki’: The paradox of desire and detachment in recluse literature
Kamo no Chomei's "Hojoki" taps into the universal appeal and cognitive dissonance of a fundamental question of Buddhism: Can humans ever eliminate desire and attachment?
I hate the phrase "restore the public's trust." It is too much over-cooked gobbledygook and I'd rather eat nails than hear it one more time. Lamenting the threat to, or decline in, the public's trust in politics is one of those stock phrases that ...
One of Japan's most thriving holidays is Coming of Age Day, when those who turn 20 that year dress in bright kimono or formal hakama and take photos at shrines. The celebration of adulthood, however, is not without controversy. Recent debates by the Legislative ...
