Perhaps you’ve been so lucky never to have prayed into a horse’s ear (uma no mimi ni nenbutsu), but I bet someone has once looked at you with white eyes (shiroi me de miru) until you felt like your stomach was boiling (hara ga nie-kurikaeru yō). Yes, those are Japanese Idioms. I’ve had a class…
How a Man was Bewitched and had His Head Shaved by the Foxes
In the village of Iwahara, in the province of Shinshiu, there dwelt a family which had acquired considerable wealth in the wine trade. On some auspicious occasion it happened that a number of guests were gathered together at their house, feasting on wine and fish; and as the wine-cup went round, the conversation turned upon…
Naruto: Kakashi’s Story
One of the perks of being an anime blogger, especially as a librarian, is the opportunity to review new books. Viz Media sent me Naruto: Kakashi’s Story, a novel that takes place after the events of the original manga series. I was surprised to see the novel. I wasn’t aware of Naruto novels. Akira Higashiyama…
Anime Blogging Tools
Blogging requires many different considerations. First, you have to keep track of what is going on in the communities you are a part of. You have to be careful of copyright issues. This is particularly problematic for images since it is very easy to just do a fast image search, right click, and snatch the…
Dharma Delight: a Visionary Post Pop Comic Guide to Buddhism and Zen
Dharma Delight reveals the key tenets of Buddhism with bright, vibrant illustrations. I received a review copy from Tuttle Publishing. The author’s illustrations leap from the page with cute monstrosities and humor. Each drawing contains layer of meaning. Unfortunately, Dharma Delight assumes you know Zen and Buddhist philosophy. Many of the illustrations contain multiple layers of meaning…
Lolita: Style, Sin, and Soul
Lolita, light of my life, fire of my loins. My sin, my soul. Lo-lee-ta: the tip of the tongue taking a trip of three steps down the palate to tap, at three, on the teeth. Lo. Lee. Ta. -from the book Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov America and Japan give the word lolita different meanings. Most…