Notes from the 'Nog

We had three days ahead of us and blue skies overhead. At an early hour, we found ourselves yet again walking away from Ishiyama - dera St...

    http://www.deepkyoto.com/introducing-ted-taylor-other-news/ "Now to today’s main point. I am happy to welcome a new guest contribu...

On the train this week, was a mentally handicapped guy who looked just like Kodo's Oda Yosuke. He was sitting there in the priority sea...

At the bus stop, a group of maybe 50 people was milling around, waiting for the bus.  I thought that there was no way we'd be able t...

It was Monday, and we were driving above a fast river, wheels pointed north. High mountains loomed at the head of the valley, looking quite...

It was a beautiful day, very clear, very warm. We biked along a gradual slope, which led us between and around the small bamboo laden hills...

“We fall down by the ground, and we also stand up by the ground.” On the turntable: Art Pepper, "Lost Life" On the nighttable: S...

Saturday was one of those days that was unique, yet typical in many ways. I woke early to catch a 7am train for Osaka. I was subbing at a ...

There is no history; there are only historians. On the turntable: T Bone Burnett, "Tooth of Crime" On the nighttable: David Chad...

Mapmaking is Empire's way of taking inventory. Reading a bad book can feel like sitting in traffic. Spy a "Duck!" moving ...

Awoke Valentine's Day to the warmth of April.  More specifically, the muggy tropical warmth of the April of Hong Kong.  We biked down th...

"As a culture have started to drift back towards spirituality in the hopes that it might solve our troubles and bring us the fulfillmen...

There's a certain voyeuristic delight in watching Nick Cave sing. The way the veins in his head swell with every enunciation you half e...

Soul Flower Mononoke Summit was in town again, with Ainu musician Oki as the opening act.  I've long been wanting catch him live, after ...

"If your freedom hurts others, you are not free." On the turntable: Psychobaba, "Liveep"

"Against the disk of the full moon, even white birds are black." -A Walk Through ...

Tuesday night, Barna Ghita was in town, playing a gig up at Ei-U-In. The room looked different with the shoji shut, fortified against the ...

Awoke Saturday to snow gently falling. If there's snow, it must be a day for tramping. We had intended to walk from Yagyu into Nara i...

Maybe it's an American trait, or perhaps everyone below a certain age does it , that attempt at self-perfection. I single out Americans...

Missed the inauguration completely.  I figure that history will still happen even if I sleep.  Our correspondent was on hand with this accou...