tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23906933Tue, 15 May 2012 05:05:52 +0000blogs on japanadventures in japanforeigners in japanteaching english in japanliving in Kagoshimajapan photo of the weekinsurance in japanworking in japanmedical care in japanAEONwriststrongvisa issuespolitics in japancherry blossomsonsencrime in Japantraveling in Japanlegal issuesracial discrimination in japanstudying japaneserunning in Japanliving in Hiroshimabooks on japanhttp://www.keepingpaceinjapan.com/noreply@blogger.com (Turner)Blogger613125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23906933.post-1504214588842850005Mon, 23 Apr 2012 16:29:00 +00002012-04-23T11:31:08.501-05:00I finally have my performance from Hostelling International's Travel Tavern: Stories from the Road, hosted in San Francisco. This is more or less the same story I posted on volunteering in Ofunato a while back, but with a few added details. My thanks to All Hands for the opportunity. http://www.keepingpaceinjapan.com/2012/04/volunteering-in-ofunato-japan.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Turner)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23906933.post-3871684412853002734Sun, 11 Mar 2012 05:54:00 +00002012-03-10T23:54:59.812-06:00blogs on japanExactly one year since the earthquake struck, causing the tsunami that killed so many thousands of Japanese in the Tohoku region. I've finally finished the story on volunteering in Ofunato over at Once A Traveler. If you want to share your story, use the tag #311memory on Twitter.http://www.keepingpaceinjapan.com/2012/03/volunteering-in-tohoku.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Turner)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23906933.post-6215890801109264830Wed, 01 Feb 2012 19:19:00 +00002012-02-01T13:20:15.111-06:00adventures in japan Four years ago I was doing pretty much the same thing I am now: staring at my computer screen and contemplating life abroad. The difference is, I was fresh from wrist surgery at Imakiire Hospital in Kagoshima, having shattered my distal radius in December 2007. How could I possibly feel nostalgic for such a time, when I was facing my own mortality for the first time ever...? That cycling http://www.keepingpaceinjapan.com/2012/02/i-do-miss-japan.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Turner)3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23906933.post-2674037251074804699Mon, 23 Jan 2012 18:59:00 +00002012-01-23T12:59:08.560-06:00foreigners in japanblogs on japanI've stumbled upon another Japanese blogs my readers might enjoy. This guy started blogging a few months after I had left Kagoshima, so I'm sorry to say I missed out on his first entries. Nevertheless, he now has a book out on his experiences in Japan and NYC. I'm about halfway through it but so far it speaks to me. Loco in Yokohamahttp://www.keepingpaceinjapan.com/2012/01/loco-in-yokohama.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Turner)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23906933.post-5413430648253056667Fri, 20 Jan 2012 19:08:00 +00002012-01-20T13:08:37.998-06:00racial discrimination in japanforeigners in japanOk, I lied. I just had to spread the word of this story about a Canadian resident of Japan who was detained, cheated, and deported once I read it. I wonder if I could have faced this situation when I volunteered in the Tohoku. Check it out. “Do you see this gun?” he said in Japanese, turning around to show me a weapon in its holster. “I have the legal authority to use this if you refuse to get http://www.keepingpaceinjapan.com/2012/01/japanese-immigration-gulag-for-gaijin.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Turner)5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23906933.post-926467100083451234Mon, 09 Jan 2012 09:45:00 +00002012-01-09T03:45:50.239-06:00I know, I haven't updated in quite a while. I hesitate to say this blog may be dying. I can only promise I'll post ideas as I get them. Currently in San Francisco eating sushi and looking for jobs.http://www.keepingpaceinjapan.com/2012/01/never-say-never.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Turner)3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23906933.post-5708767607495576220Thu, 26 May 2011 02:58:00 +00002011-05-25T21:58:55.035-05:00Pictures of my time in Ofunato with All Hands Volunteers. Story to follow: http://www.keepingpaceinjapan.com/2011/05/tsunami-cleanup-in-tohoku-japan.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Turner)5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23906933.post-7568004515415568727Sat, 23 Apr 2011 14:48:00 +00002011-04-23T09:59:56.619-05:00I had just finalized my ferry schedule from Korea to Japan when I got word that I had been accepted to volunteer with cleanup and rebuilding efforts in the Tohoku region with All Hands Volunteers. There are few volunteer organizations operating in Japan right now, and I feel fortunate they accepted me for only a week. Where will I be? Ofunato, Iwate Prefecture What will I be doing? Cleanup http://www.keepingpaceinjapan.com/2011/04/volunteering-in-tohoku.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Turner)3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23906933.post-7153422531402962940Sun, 10 Apr 2011 06:34:00 +00002011-04-10T01:34:19.573-05:00traveling in Japanforeigners in japanI'm not afraid, and I'm not ignorant. I know I'm not going to get lethally irradiated and die from spending a week in Japan. By the same token, I know there are still risks involved being in close proximity to a damaged nuclear reactor. I know the country has not completely recovered, economically or emotionally. I know there are some people who haven't had their livelihood affected in the http://www.keepingpaceinjapan.com/2011/04/why-im-going-to-japan-and-why-i-might.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Turner)5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23906933.post-8455971839955878567Thu, 31 Mar 2011 15:09:00 +00002011-03-31T10:09:23.837-05:00blogs on japanwww.Tripbase.com I don't know exactly why this blog was nominated for another Tripbase award, as I haven't been updating it often at all... perhaps for my previous work? In any case, I received this email recently: I am pleased to inform you that your site has been chosen to receive a Tripbase 2011 Blog Award. This year our panel of judges reviewed hundreds of sites from across the Internet http://www.keepingpaceinjapan.com/2011/03/tripbase-awards-2011.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Turner)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23906933.post-7804294095496087370Sun, 13 Mar 2011 15:54:00 +00002011-03-13T10:54:47.534-05:00Obviously there's very little I can add to what you've already seen and heard. My thoughts are with everyone in the Tōhoku region.http://www.keepingpaceinjapan.com/2011/03/earthquake-tsunami.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Turner)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23906933.post-3246661303510803320Sun, 05 Dec 2010 14:30:00 +00002010-12-05T08:30:39.785-06:00I need a break from blogging for a while. I have wanted to post the Japanese reactions to the attack on South Korea and its relations with China, but there's been so much information coming in I just can't keep up. I'll still be around, but don't expect too much.http://www.keepingpaceinjapan.com/2010/12/if-it-wasnt-obvious-before.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Turner)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23906933.post-5476297538803467688Sun, 07 Nov 2010 14:18:00 +00002010-11-07T11:35:31.705-06:00teaching english in japanMy own contribution to the xtranormal universe (prompted by this one on being a travel writer). I didn't make one on Japan because I honestly couldn't think of as many harsh things to say about the ESL system - if anyone comes up with a good one, send it my way.http://www.keepingpaceinjapan.com/2010/11/i-want-to-teach-english-in-south-korea.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Turner)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23906933.post-2891672208968801919Sun, 07 Nov 2010 03:29:00 +00002010-11-06T22:33:01.205-05:00traveling in JapanA friend just forwarded this to me and I thought it was pretty funny. A cheap laugh, but still.1. Go to Google Maps 2. Click on "get directions" 3. Put Japan as the starting location .4. Put China as the destination 5. Scroll down to line #43 6. Laugh at the absurdity of it allhttp://www.keepingpaceinjapan.com/2010/11/best-method-of-transportation-between.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Turner)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23906933.post-8638566559410850619Wed, 13 Oct 2010 15:26:00 +00002010-10-13T11:17:04.368-05:00foreigners in japanAn interesting lecture on the science of choice. Opens with an anecdote on Japan. http://www.keepingpaceinjapan.com/2010/10/green-tea-with-sugar.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Turner)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23906933.post-5628964370034704183Tue, 12 Oct 2010 13:14:00 +00002010-10-12T08:50:08.594-05:00racial discrimination in japanI'm exploring this topic the best way I know how, which is simply to sit and type until I reach some kind of revelation... or just leave a series of questions in my wake. Recently, a friend of mine told me she found my travel writing incredibly offensive, if not downright racist. I couldn't understand where she was coming from, and kept prying until she said she thought I generalized an entire http://www.keepingpaceinjapan.com/2010/10/do-i-generalize-japanese.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Turner)9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23906933.post-3485978963541227267Wed, 06 Oct 2010 19:05:00 +00002010-10-08T01:45:57.936-05:00I'm sitting at one of Fukuoka city's famous yatai: a food stall lining the river, usually stocking fresh ramen or sushi. This time, as I perch myself on one of the red stools and start slurping loud enough to attract the attention of Japanese, it's as though I'm settling into a warm bath. With Japanese signs around me, Japanese speakers chattering away, and the local food settling in my stomachhttp://www.keepingpaceinjapan.com/2010/10/noticing-immediate-differences-japan.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Turner)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23906933.post-650893132570036725Sun, 03 Oct 2010 17:21:00 +00002010-10-03T12:32:42.269-05:00traveling in Japanforeigners in japanonsenI began my morning at the same time one would expect a Tokyo salaryman to rise. But he would gaze upon grey buildings and the same morning commuters ambling to Shinjuku Station, whereas I was surrounded by mist and fog. Far from Tokyo. From any large group of Japanese. There had been only one option to sleep as I stumbled down Subashiri Trail, using only the moonlight to guide me, and that http://www.keepingpaceinjapan.com/2010/10/try-hakone-there-is-more-to-japan-than.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Turner)5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23906933.post-2771697039466219415Fri, 01 Oct 2010 18:20:00 +00002012-01-22T00:33:15.170-06:00adventures in japanI'm walking down the Subashiri Trail on the east face well after the sun has set. Unlike knowledgeable hikers, I hold no rain gear, nor a decent flashlight; fortunately, I planned my ascent around the full moon, and, being a clear night, this light is more than enough to guide me. My feet slide across the loose volcanic surface. For some reason, I imagine a fall to be nothing worse than a http://www.keepingpaceinjapan.com/2010/10/climbing-mt-fuji-in-off-season.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Turner)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23906933.post-1733142054679340906Fri, 01 Oct 2010 04:34:00 +00002010-09-30T23:46:39.404-05:00living in Kagoshimaliving in Hiroshimaforeigners in japanMy apologies for not having the writeup of my Mt. Fuji climb (in the off season, no less) up by now. I've been very sick this week and haven't felt like doing much besides eating and sleeping... sometimes not even eating. I certainly can't focus my thoughts without a good run.This last trip, I fell back into my Japan habits as easily as slipping on an old shoe: slurping ramen noodles as loudly http://www.keepingpaceinjapan.com/2010/09/why-japan.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Turner)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23906933.post-5243249131028073127Sat, 25 Sep 2010 23:32:00 +00002010-09-25T18:35:08.294-05:00teaching english in japanIf you're considering teaching English abroad, or are already there and have fallen into a nice routine, I'd recommend my latest Vagabondish article:...the first selling points are travel and “no experience required”. Well, guess what, Asia? You get what you ask for. Travelers. I doubt more than 5% of the native speakers who go abroad are committed to teaching, in that they have a reasonable http://www.keepingpaceinjapan.com/2010/09/jaded-with-system.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Turner)3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23906933.post-3819581146049035585Sun, 12 Sep 2010 16:48:00 +00002010-09-12T11:55:38.833-05:00racial discrimination in japanforeigners in japanBobby Judo over in Saga-ken posted this video a while back. I wish I could say it was something new, but I found myself empathizing with most of what he had to say:This response came from Hikosaemon, who has quite a few good Japan videos on his YouTube channel:http://www.keepingpaceinjapan.com/2010/09/living-as-foreigner-in-japan-issue.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Turner)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23906933.post-944016076186841404Tue, 07 Sep 2010 13:46:00 +00002010-09-07T08:54:41.089-05:00adventures in japanI had no clue there was a place to bungy jump in Gunma-ken. I had heard of skydiving jump zones, but this definitely tops. Best of all, a Kiwi runs the operation. I'd be tempted to add this to my Japan bucket list if the jump weren't a measly 42 meters... I'll just have to wait for a Nevis to open in Nippon. Bungy Japanhttp://www.keepingpaceinjapan.com/2010/09/bungy-jumping-in-japan.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Turner)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23906933.post-4727897256789674645Tue, 31 Aug 2010 06:01:00 +00002010-08-30T12:15:26.579-05:00politics in japanThat's the title I'm going with, but this is more a forum on cultural sensitivity. As many Americans know, there's a raging debate going on in New York City right now, being enflamed by upcoming elections. An Islamic Community Center is being proposed, located two blocks from the World Trade Center attacks. As it stands, people are arguing:A. America is a country built on the value of freedom http://www.keepingpaceinjapan.com/2010/08/shinto-shrine-near-pearl-harbor.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Turner)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23906933.post-4170164233010007877Thu, 26 Aug 2010 15:37:00 +00002010-08-26T10:38:41.364-05:00My plans to visit Japan over Chuseok holiday are underway. Best of all, thanks to my quick response to a ryokan owner, I will be able to stay in Nikko and Hakone with all expenses paid for two days. So what's the plan?September 18thLeave Bugu by bus and head to Busan (부산), the second largest city in Korea. Should take about five hours and 21,900 Won. Stay in the city for two days enjoying thehttp://www.keepingpaceinjapan.com/2010/08/ferry-to-busan.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Turner)0