Japan Mountain

There is an ancient Chinese proverb that states, "Two tigers cannot share the same mountain." However, in East Asia, there are three tigers on that mountain: China, Japan, and Korea, and they have a long history of turmoil and tension with each other. In his latest entertaining and thought-provoking narrative travelogue, Michael Booth sets out to discover how deep, really, the enmity is between these three "tiger" nations and what prevents them from making peace.

An immersive journey through the culture and cuisine of one Japanese town, its forest, and its watershed - where ducks are hunted by net, saké is brewed from the purest mountain water, and charcoal is fired in stone kilns - by an American writer and food stylist who spent years working alongside artisans.

In the snow country of Japan during World War II, we meet Morie Sawataishi, a fierce individualist who has chosen to break the law by keeping an Akita dog hidden in a shed on his property. By the time of the Japanese surrender in 1945, there are only sixteen Akitas left in the country. The survival of the breed becomes Morie's passion and life. Devoted to the dogs, Morie is forever changed.

In beautiful prose that is a joy to read, Sherrill opens up the world of the Dog Man and his wife, providing a profound look at what it is to be an individualist in a culture that reveres conformity, and what it means to live.

Marriage in Japan I went out for lunch with my partner at a cafe the other day that stood across the train station in a Japanese desolate rural town where I live. To call it a cafe is a bit too fancy. It’s not the likes of Starbucks but rather a small old mom-and-pop diner that was built well over 30 years ago and remained as it was, which perfectly matched this old town itself. We sat at the table and overheard a conversation from the table next to us. Three old women in their eighties sat around the table by the window. “She has passed away, too.” “This could be the last time we ...

God's Mountain is set in a poor Samurai-era village in ancient Japan. Severe food shortages often forced older people to go to God's Mountain to die so their children would not starve. By sacrificing themselves in this way, the aged ones showed their sincere love for their families and believed that the mountain was the gateway to a fertile and beautiful world.

In this volume of poetry, I have taken the traditional haiku form of three lines of five, seven and five syllables and have added my own unique sensibilities to it. I invite you to place yourself in the words to spawn your own interpretation and meaning that brings you joy or wisdom. I hope these poems convey wabi—the beauty of the ordinary—and sabi—a keen feeling of one’s own existence and impermanence. I believe the value of poetry, be it in haiku or any other form, is that it intensifies an experience and awakens you. Poetry is to be loved because it can bring momentary bliss, ...

A Book of Photos taken in eastern and northern Japan through the four seasons of the year. Daniel has been living in Japan for over 10 years and he and Kazuya have known each other for about 9 of those years. They have been traveling around together and doing photography in northern and eastern Japan and exhibiting their work on their respective websites. Friends have been encouraging them to prepare a book of their photos so that the world can see them. They have finally gotten around to doing just that. This book highlights approximately 430 of their photos. The photos range from ...

When I woke up in the morning, it had stopped snowing for the first time in several days and it was a clear day with the blue sky. I decided to go to a city a little far from the town. But it had started snowing heavily again by the time I left. I scurried to the station in the snow and heard the delay of the train announced there. That meant I would miss my connection of the train to the city. Because only a few trains run in this line, having another connection is hard. I gave up going there and had lunch at a local restaurant. This town is situated in the mountains and the weather is ...

Marriage in Japan I went out for lunch with my partner at a cafe the other day that stood across the train station in a Japanese desolate rural town where I live. To call it a cafe is a bit too fancy. It’s not the likes of Starbucks but rather a small old mom-and-pop diner that was built well over 30 years ago and remained as it was, which perfectly matched this old town itself. We sat at the table and overheard a conversation from the table next to us. Three old women in their eighties sat around the table by the window. “She has passed away, too.” “This could be the last time we ...

A Woman with An Iron Heart! The nearest train station from my home that I usually use has no station attendants on site. All it has are a ticket vending machine and an emergency phone. There’s no ticket gate either. A passenger gets a ticket from the machine and goes directly onto the platform. Upon arrival, they put the used tickets into a box on the wall. There are several no-attendant stations like that along this local line. That means it’s possible to ride free if you get on and off the train both at those stations. It’s kind of an honorable system that whether you pay for the ...

It is a gentle and poetic story by beloved children’s author Nankichi Niimi. Spring had arrived in the countryside—cherry blossoms and birds were singing. But deep in the mountains, winter still lingered, with snow remaining on the peaks. There, a deer family lived quietly. The fawn, not yet a year old, had never seen spring. “Father, what is spring-like?” the little deer asked. It is a tender, thoughtful tale about the changing seasons and a child’s curiosity. Perfect for bedtime reading and sharing with young children.

With Mountain Madness, Clinton Crockett Peters chronicles his travels and personal transformation from a West Texas evangelical to mountain guide to humbled humanist after a near-fatal injury in Japan's Chichibu Mountains. From 2007 to 2010, Peters lived in Kosuge Village, nestled in central Japan's peaks, where he was the only foreigner in town. This essay collection profiles who he was before Japan, why he became obsessed with mountains, and his fallout from mountain obsession. Ultimately, the collection asks, how can landscape create and end identities?

In his latest entertaining and thought provoking narrative travelogue, Michael Booth sets out to discover how deep, really, is the enmity between these three 'tiger' nations and what prevents them from making peace. Currently China's economic power continues to grow, Japan is becoming more militaristic and Korea struggles to reconcile its westernized south with the dictatorial Communist north. Booth, long fascinated with the region, travels by car, ferry, train and foot, experiencing the people and culture of these nations up close.

The Kii mountain range has long been seen as a sacred meeting place of the gods.It is also an important place for ascetic Buddhism.