In mourning for my Zen teacher, Ryogen (良元老師), I won’t send New Year’s cards this year. He gave me a room when I came to #Japan in 1988. I became his disciple in 2017 I try to follow his path, still a bumbling monk He was blunt, but kind and quick to laugh Thank you and may you have a good year🐴

今年は、禅の師匠である良元方丈様を見送ったため、喪中につき年賀状（新年のご挨拶）を控えさせていただきます。 私が1988年に初めて日本に来たとき、良元方丈様はお寺の一室を用意してくださり、私はそこで長い間お世話になりました。2017年には正式に弟子入りし、私は方丈様の遺弟です。方丈様の歩まれた道を少しでも辿れるよう努めておりますが、まだまだ未熟な愚僧です。 方丈様は裏表がなくてぶっきらぼう。でも本当はとても優しくて、よく笑う人でした。 いつも気にかけてくださる皆さまに感謝しつつ、どうか良い一年をお迎えください。

If you’ve ever been kind when others were cruel, stood up to a bully when others cowered, gave what you could to those in need rather than take more, or told the truth when others lied—then you have what they never will: honor, decency, courage. May the universe grant you a very Merry Christmas 🎄

Thank you. 🙏 This has been a year where I have been thinking about a lot of things and the meaning of the Zen Buddhist Priest vows I took. And try to uphold.

If you’ve ever been kind when others were cruel, stood up to a bully when others cowered, gave what you could to those in need rather than take more, or told the truth when others lied—then you have what they never will: honor, decency, courage. May the universe grant you a very Merry Christmas 🎄

Merry KFC Christmas from the entire Nakamura Family! It’s so nice to have everyone home for the holidays! #KFC #Japan

It’s Christmas Eve In Japan—time to be naughty Once upon a time, XXXmas was celebrated in Japan by young couples going to a love hotel on Christmas Eve and families indulging in Kentucky Fried Chicken on Christmas Day Jessy and I are keeping the tradition alive open.substack.com/pub/tokyopal...

The next time a stranger asks me why I came to Japan I’m gonna try saying “Because over here my alcoholism is* not only accepted but celebrated,” and it will be a far more real explanation than anything else I usually contrive 😂 *was!

The Evaporated by @tokyovice.bsky.social is the first podcast that I listened to and I became interested in other podcasts because of it!

Xmas or XXXmas ? There was a time when hotels across #Japan were packed on Christmas Eve. Love was in the air, couples were tucked under the bed covers, and snow was on the ground. What happened to Japan's naughty but nice tradition? tokyopaladin.substack.com/p/put-the-x-... #Xmas

It’s that time of year, when people in Japan, like to disappear #TheEvaporated #

It’s that time of year, when people in Japan, like to disappear #TheEvaporated #

Spending some quality time with the world’s largest crab.

BREAKING: The House of Representatives just passed a bill that would subject immigrant children to invasive bodily searches and keep them in detention instead of releasing them to their families. The Senate must vote no on this horrific bill.

Radio Canada (fr) is talking about it, and quoting you... ici.radio-canada.ca/nouvelle/221...

Rob Reiner’s films celebrate friendship, love, justice. Trump brings none of that—only hatred, division, betrayal, cruelty. The outrage at his post, even from MAGA, is a dawning recognition: they’ve been rooting for the villains. #RobReiner

“All who live must die; all who meet must part.” 生者必滅、会者定離 —The Tale of Heike (平家物語) We all know this is true. And even a goofy low-ranking Zen Buddhist priest (愚僧) like myself should know it better than most. But it doesn’t always make saying goodbye any easier. Taking a short funeral break. ✌️

Did you know that the Tao Te Ching and the Bible share a fair number of principles? We’ve keyed bible verses to Tao verses at yourdayyourtao.org/tao-in-the-b... #TaoTeChing #Daodejing #LaoTsu #LaoTzu #Laozi

Fixed the Netflix Japan advertising campaign. This is much better. 😏

Here's a list of great non-fiction books from 2024 and 2025 curated by Bianca @booknotions.bsky.social

@tokyovice.bsky.social & @emilyzfeng.bsky.social I mentioned you both in this list of great nonfiction books that came out in 2024 and 2025! booknotions.com/great-nonfic...

NORAD won’t be “tracking” #Santa this year, but intercepting him From Mar-a-Lago, President Trump says Santa and his “filthy reindeer” will enter U.S. airspace illegally w/ “mystery substances” in candy canes. “Bad man. We will locate, identify, destroy the sleigh. It’s for the kids. I love 👧 kids.”

Fixed the Netflix Japan advertising campaign. This is much better. 😏

Very helpful for anyone who's new to doing research in Japan and feels a bit overwhelmed (I've been here a while and the whole systems of libraries and archives and permissions is still pretty overwhelming):

The president is insane, the Secretary of Defense is a war criminal, the Epstein Files are still buried and the United States is now on the side of Russia but the US media still brings us the news that matters. But---wow, 15,000 times. You could buy an actual car with that amount of ticket money.🚗

We Gaijin ❤️ #cicada 🤤 Cicada Poachers Invade Tokyo Park: ‘Please don’t grab the babies!’ staff beg, only to get a breezy ‘No understand, soorry’ as PET bottles fill with squirming larvae Experts shrug: In China, 蝉 (semi) are hometown soul food—and a crunchy symbol of noble purity #蝉喰い外人

Not that I want to discourage anyone from visiting, but there was 7.6 magnitude earthquake in #Japan just a few minutes ago and we could feel it all the way in Tokyo. We are long overdue for a big quake and when it comes, watch out Because the gov will reopen the nuclear reactor closest to Tokyo

Not that I want to discourage anyone from visiting, but there was 7.6 magnitude earthquake in #Japan just a few minutes ago and we could feel it all the way in Tokyo. We are long overdue for a big quake and when it comes, watch out Because the gov will reopen the nuclear reactor closest to Tokyo

@gloriachao.bsky.social @tokyovice.bsky.social & @swierczy.bsky.social I mentioned your books as being great gifts for the holiday season! booknotions.com/books-of-202...

“All who live must die; all who meet must part.” 生者必滅、会者定離 —The Tale of Heike (平家物語) We all know this is true. And even a goofy low-ranking Zen Buddhist priest (愚僧) like myself should know it better than most. But it doesn’t always make saying goodbye any easier. Taking a short funeral break. ✌️

🚨 Dec 15, 13:00–16:00: FCCJ screening & press conference for “Black Box Diaries,” the documentary effectively banned in Japan. Journalist-director Shiori Ito traces her seven-year fight to pursue her own rape case and expose a justice system stacked against victims www.fccj.or.jp/event/screen...

NORAD won’t be “tracking” #Santa this year, but intercepting him From Mar-a-Lago, President Trump says Santa and his “filthy reindeer” will enter U.S. airspace illegally w/ “mystery substances” in candy canes. “Bad man. We will locate, identify, destroy the sleigh. It’s for the kids. I love 👧 kids.”

It's an incredible film that needs to be seen more widely here in Japan to raise these necessary discussions of journalistic freedom, rape, inequality & justice

"One man was their best, last hope." Today's book pick from Damn History, a free monthly newsletter for readers/writers of #popularhistory. Congrats to author @rorylaverty.bsky.social! Read/subscribe to Damn History: http//damn-histor...

Resurrecting “Japanese Junk Food Gourmet” on my long-dormant TikTok. This week’s lineup: KFC potato chips (with actual KFC for science), oyster & butter chips, and NETFLIX Midnight Boost soda. Testing at midnight. Pray for my arteries and my sanity. Tried them yet?

🚨 Dec 15, 13:00–16:00: FCCJ screening & press conference for “Black Box Diaries,” the documentary effectively banned in Japan. Journalist-director Shiori Ito traces her seven-year fight to pursue her own rape case and expose a justice system stacked against victims www.fccj.or.jp/event/screen...

The cult took his home, his money, and killed his brother. More would suffer. He knew they prospered because of a powerful politician protecting them: ex-PM Shinzo Abe. Target locked. 🚨 Yamagami trial reveals the path from failed suicide to homemade shotgun open.substack.com/pub/tokyopal...

The cult took his home, his money, and killed his brother. More would suffer. He knew they prospered because of a powerful politician protecting them: ex-PM Shinzo Abe. Target locked. 🚨 Yamagami trial reveals the path from failed suicide to homemade shotgun open.substack.com/pub/tokyopal...

“Thank you for your painful hard-work!” ご苦労様 (Go-kurosama) is a phrase commonly used by superiors to show a modicum of appreciation for those working under them. But if you’re going to know that word, you should know it’s social cousin: 過労死 (Karoshi)—death by overwork #Gokurosama bit.ly/48vJBNg

80,000 people disappear in Japan every year The reasons include crippling debt, failed marriages, stalkers, and toxic workplaces. They are sometimes called “The Evaporated”(蒸発者). Spend nine episodes with us and learn about the #Japan that’s not government propaganda. open.spotify.com/show/6haxSH3...

🚨BREAKING: Judge Cameron McGowan Currie has dismissed the criminal indictments against James Comey and Letitia James, ruling that the prosecutor behind both cases was illegally appointed and lacked any lawful authority. A rare moment of the law actually holding the line.🙌🏽🙌🏽

“Thank you for your painful hard-work!” ご苦労様 (Go-kurosama) is a phrase commonly used by superiors to show a modicum of appreciation for those working under them. But if you’re going to know that word, you should know it’s social cousin: 過労死 (Karoshi)—death by overwork #Gokurosama bit.ly/48vJBNg

It’s 2025. The Japanese government, the ruling party and Sanseito want to take Japan back to 1925. And the foreigners living here and the muggles—we are just collateral damage. #JapaneseFirst open.substack.com/pub/tokyopal...

“Japanese First”—in devalued currency. Abenomics and an incompetent ruling party are behind the falling yen but hey,  let’s blame foreigners for everything because it’s a nice distraction.

It’s 2025. The Japanese government, the ruling party and Sanseito want to take Japan back to 1925. And the foreigners living here and the muggles—we are just collateral damage. #JapaneseFirst open.substack.com/pub/tokyopal...

Guilty, But a Hero? Inside the Trial of Shinzo Abe’s Assassin The case has become a lightning rod for public fury over the ruling party’s entanglement with a predatory religious group. There’s no question that the accused is guilty. #Japan open.substack.com/pub/tokyopal...

Guilty, But a Hero? Inside the Trial of Shinzo Abe’s Assassin The case has become a lightning rod for public fury over the ruling party’s entanglement with a predatory religious group. There’s no question that the accused is guilty. #Japan open.substack.com/pub/tokyopal...

Rental Family was the best film I’ve seen in years! I am so happy for everyone who made it. I laughed. I cried and I am so proud of Mari Yamamoto, my best friend, my co-writer at the @thedailybeast —the person who helped make #TokyoVice an authentic series! おめでとう🎊 #RentalFamily

Maybe 85% of solid journalism is asking powerful people tough questions they don’t want to answer. The other 15% is writing down the actual truth and not just whatever boldfaced lie they tell you. 99% of the US media can’t or won’t even ask the questions. #journalism

Maybe 85% of solid journalism is asking powerful people tough questions they don’t want to answer. The other 15% is writing down the actual truth and not just whatever boldfaced lie they tell you. 99% of the US media can’t or won’t even ask the questions. #journalism