Have you heard of #PechaKucha #presentation meetings? Wikipedia: "a #storytelling format in which a presenter shows 20 slides for 20 seconds of commentary each," from the #Japanese word for chatter. Notice also the #narrative #genre of the following book.
NEW PechaKucha Presentation: A Passion for Japan: A Collection of Personal Narratives (a slide and brief description for each chapter, by the editor) at https://www.pechakucha.com/presentations/a-passion-for-japan-a-collection-of-personal-narratives
Search "A Passion for Japan" to order the #book on Amazon.
My chapter is a #research #memoir but it also tells the #story of my life in relation to #Japan. "Discovering Japanese Fusion of #Religions on the #Pilgrimage Island of #Shikoku is free at research repositories https://www.academia.edu/82383623 or https://www.researchgate.net/publication/361566172

#Religion #Buddhism #syncretism @religion

Fun fact: quand la plupart des gens pensent au #Japon, ils n'incluent pas vraiment Shikoku dans leur pensées. Pour la plupart, le Japon, c'est Honshu (avec à la limite un peu de Hokkaido ou de Kyushu pour la forme).

Personnellement ? Quand je quitte #Shikoku pour Honshu, j'ai l'impression de quitter le Japon pour un autre pays. Un pays étrange qui ressemble au Japon, mais qui n'est pas exactement le Japon que je connais et que j'aime. Un peu comme une sorte de Japon dans la quatrième dimension ou quelque chose comme ça.

A #BBC #Travel article by Louise George Kittaka surveys the scenic Setouchi region - seven prefectures that border the Seto Inland Sea (and its many islets):
https://www.bbc.com/storyworks/travel/reintroducing-japan-ten-regions-endless-discovery/discover-the-eclectic-delights-of-setouchi
My interpretation of ancient #history from in situ research is that the Seto Inland Sea was part of the cradle of #Japanese #civilization in #Yamato (now #Nara), with a major settlement in what is now #Kagawa Prefecture on the nearby island of #Shikoku. Boats later headed for the T'ang Dynasty through the Seto Inland Sea from in front of Sumiyoshi Grand Shrine in #Osaka, now far inland. For those interested, see the encyclopedia article "#Buddhist #Syncretism in #Japan" at https://www.researchgate.net/publication/323239561 or https://www.academia.edu/31602407
For would-be travelers, there is a chapter on the Seto Inland Sea (瀬戸内海) in the free Shikoku Bilingual Guidebook at https://www.researchgate.net/publication/349683547 or https://www.academia.edu/39949830
@japodons @religidons @histodons #Religion #Buddhism

CuriosityStream has a documentary about the #瀬戸大橋 / #GreatSetoBridge, the first and largest bridge to connect #本州 #Honshu and #四国 #Shikoku over the #瀬戸内海 / #SetoInlandSea, with stacked road and rail lines.

Shikoku - the 4th major Japanese island - was only accessible via ferry until the 90s. This bridge’s impact was tremendous.

A direct train from my town took me across it, giving me direct access to Okayama and its shinkansen/bullet-train station. It was amazing.

#Introduction to my #university classes, lectures for the #Japanese government, and surprisingly successful Japanese family:

I teach #InterculturalCommunication and #Bilingualism classes (ask about them if you like) in #Osaka. When I was headhunted as a full professor on the #pilgrimage island of #Shikoku in 2004, I was surprisingly also recommended to lecture for the Japan International Cooperation Agency, introducing Japanese People and Society to visiting official delegations from developing countries.

Our house is near #Kyoto, and our sons in their early 30s work full-time in #Tokyo. My wife works for one of Japan's top department stores. One son is a sound director in the entertainment industry, & has blessed us with a 3/4 Japanese granddaughter. Our other son is in management already for one of Japan's most innovative global companies, in #digital transformation. He just got back from Seattle, NYC, & #Boston, my home town!

Academic works: https://japanned.hcommons.org

@angela @japodon Noticing your interest in Japanese #folklore, see https://www.academia.edu/36072919/Legend_of_the_Woman_Diver
There are also many amazing #folktales from the #pilgrimage island of #Shikoku in our free books https://www.researchgate.net/publication/349683547_Shikoku_Bilingual_Guidebook and https://www.researchgate.net/publication/334586970_Kagawa_A_Guide_to_Sanuki_Gateway_to_Shikoku
I originally specialized in #Japan, and most publications (except ones in #Japanese) are linked under https://wilmina.academia.edu/SteveMcCarty/Japan or https://japanned.hcommons.org/japanology

The popular new book A Passion for Japan: A Collection of Personal Narratives is listed on Amazon sites such as https://www.amazon.com/Passion-Japan-Collection-Personal-Narratives/dp/4991150736
30 authors provide inside perspectives on living in Japan.
My chapter "Discovering Japanese Fusion of Religions on the Pilgrimage Island of Shikoku" is free at the research repositories https://www.academia.edu/82383623 or https://www.researchgate.net/publication/361566172
My translation of the chapter into Japanese (和訳): 「巡礼の島・四国で発見した日本の宗教融合」 (corrected by a native speaking university teacher in Kyoto) is free to download from https://hcommons.org/deposits/download/hc:48212/CONTENT/discovering_ja.pdf
#Japan #Japanese #Religion #Religions #syncretism #AsianStudies #AsianReligions
#Pilgrimage, #Shikoku #Kompira #Zentsuji #Kukai #JapaneseBuddhism, #Shinto
@konrad @dangillmor
@hello @zwh