John Rucynski’s A Passion for Japan brings together the stories of thirty long-term residents of Japan who have, among other things, gained behind-the-scenes access to one of Japan’s most famous festivals; worked as an interpreter and commentator in professional and amateur sumo; been ordained as a female Buddhist priest at a 440-year-old temple in the mountains of Kyushu; become a Master in one of Japan’s oldest schools of tea ceremony; climbed the Nihon Hyakumeizan (“Japan’s top 100 mountains”); represented Japan in the world chess championships; and translated Japanese novels, short stories, film and TV subtitles, manga, and video games.

A captivating tapestry woven by people whose passion for something they have discovered in Japan has enriched their lives, A Passion for Japan overflows with struggles and joy, wisdom, warmth, and glimpses into worlds that few people have experienced.

A Passion for Japan is available from Amazon USA, Amazon Japan, and all other Amazon stores.

Contents

Acknowledgments
Introduction – John Rucynski

  1. Shodō: Finding My Way in The Way of Writing
    Karen Hill Anton
  2. One Year with the Guardians of the Phoenix
    Carmen Săpunaru Tămaș
  3. Matsuri Madness
    David M. Weber
  4. Wadaiko: Drumming to Our Own Beat
    Daniel Lilley
  5. Follow the Sound of the Drums: My Passion for Eisa
    Judy Kambara
  6. A Love of Indie Music and a Seat behind the Goal
    Adrianne Verla Uchida
  7. Sumo and Me
    Tim Craig
  8. A Pushover for Sumo
    Katrina Watts
  9. Baseball, Blogging, and Belonging
    Trevor Raichura
  10. Coming Home: The Search for Belonging in Rural Japan
    Victoria Yoshimura
  11. Looking for the Good Life: Living as a Local In a Zero Waste Village
    Linda Mengxi Ding
  12. Gaijin in the Garden: Where Ganbaru is Golden
    Robert McLaughlin
  13. From Bruce Lee to The Way of Tea
    Randy Channell Soei
  14. From the Land of the Indomitable Lions to the Land of the Blue Samurai: A Personal Story
    Samuel Nfor
  15. The Long Road from Clay to Pot, and What I Learned along the Way
    Irina Holca
  16. The Man Who Stepped into Yesterday
    Edward J. Taylor
  17. Kumano Leap – Local Heritage Adopts a Wandering Soul: Q&A with Mike Rhodes
    Mike Rhodes
  18. Life Lessons Learned in Japan’s Mountains
    Wes Lang
  19. “Banzai!” on a Spanish Island: Playing Chess in Japan’s Colors
    Simon Bibby
  20. Who, Me?! Volleyball Refereeing in Japan
    Greg Rouault
  21. Passion in a Community: Finding My Japan through JALT
    Wayne Malcolm
  22. Come Sail Away: Finding My Passion on the Ship for World Youth
    John Rucynski
  23. The Inner Game of the Japanese: Going Back Home with Tennis
    Haru Yamada
  24. Who Am I? In Search of My Identity
    Margaret C. Kim
  25. My Love for Traditional Rituals and Customs of Japan
    Hiya Mukherjee
  26. Discovering Japanese Fusion of Religions on the Pilgrimage Island of Shikoku
    Steve McCarty
  27. Feeling at Home with the Great Literary Masters
    Vicky Ann Richings
  28. Too Many Novels I Want to Translate: Q&A With Emily Balistrieri
    Emily Balistrieri
  29. Literature and Legacy: Stories of Hansen’s Disease in Japan
    Kathryn M. Tanaka
  30. Roof Spotting in Japan
    Wendy Bigler
  31. A Passion for the Place: Swept Off My Feet by a Japanese Farmhouse
    Rebecca Otowa