Japan's 31 Passions, with John Rucynski

In 2021 John Rucynski--who has been living in Japan on and off since 1994--self-published A Passion for Japan through Blue Sky Publishing. In this anthology, which includes 31 writers, he asks not why the writers came to Japan but why they stayed. Here is a list of the essays and writers included, from the Table of ContentsShodō: Finding My Way in The Way of WritingKaren Hill AntonOne Year with the Guardians of the PhoenixCarmen Săpunaru TămașMatsuri MadnessDavid M. WeberWadaiko: Drumming to Our Own BeatDaniel LilleyFollow the Sound of the Drums: My Passion for EisaJudy KambaraA Love of Indie Music and a Seat behind the GoalAdrianne Verla UchidaSumo and MeTim CraigA Pushover for SumoKatrina WattsBaseball, Blogging, and BelongingTrevor RaichuraComing Home: The Search for Belonging in Rural JapanVictoria YoshimuraLooking for the Good Life: Living as a Local In a Zero Waste VillageLinda Mengxi DingGaijin in the Garden: Where Ganbaru is GoldenRobert McLaughlinFrom Bruce Lee to The Way of TeaRandy Channell SoeiFrom the Land of the Indomitable Lions to the Land of the Blue Samurai: A Personal StorySamuel NforThe Long Road from Clay to Pot, and What I Learned along the WayIrina HolcaThe Man Who Stepped into YesterdayEdward J. TaylorKumano Leap – Local Heritage Adopts a Wandering Soul: Q & A with Mike RhodesMike RhodesLife Lessons Learned in Japan’s MountainsWes Lang“Banzai!” on a Spanish Island: Playing Chess in Japan’s ColorsSimon BibbyWho, Me?! Volleyball Refereeing in JapanGreg RouaultPassion in a Community: Finding My Japan through JALTWayne MalcolmCome Sail Away: Finding My Passion on the Ship for World YouthJohn RucynskiThe Inner Game of the Japanese: Going Back Home with TennisHaru YamadaWho Am I? In Search of My IdentityMargaret C. KimMy Love for Traditional Rituals and Customs of JapanHiya MukherjeeDiscovering Japanese Fusion of Religions on the Pilgrimage Island of ShikokuSteve McCartyFeeling at Home with the Great Literary MastersVicky Ann RichingsToo Many Novels I Want to Translate: Q & A With Emily BalistrieriEmily BalistrieriLiterature and Legacy: Stories of Hansen’s Disease in JapanKathryn M. TanakaRoof Spotting in JapanWendy BiglerA Passion for the Place: Swept Off My Feet by a Japanese FarmhouseRebecca OtowaThe book is available exclusively onAmazon USA / Amazon JapanFollow the book on Instagram, Facebook, and Goodreads.At the end of the podcast, Amy asks John what his top 3 books on Japan are and why. He gives 4:You Gotta Have Wa, by Robert WhitingThe Roads to Sata, by Alan BoothCool Japan, by Tim CraigPure Invention, by Matt AltJohn Rucynski, editor of A Passion for Japan: A Collection of Personal Narratives, is originally from upstate New York and has been living in Japan on and off since 1994. He is currently associate professor in the Center for Language Education at Okayama University. His main research interest is the role of humor in language acquisition and intercultural communicative competence, and he has edited two volumes on this topic.The Books on Asia Podcast is sponsored by Stone Bridge Press, publisher of quality books on Japan and Asia for over 30 years. Go to their website at https://www.stonebridge.com/ The Books on Asia Podcast is co-produced with Plum Rain Press. Amy Chavez is author of Amy's Guide to Best Behavior in Japan and The Widow, the Priest, and the Octopus Hunter: Discovering a Lost Way of Life on a Secluded Japanese Island. Check out theBooks on Asia website for book reviews and podcast episodes. Subscribe to the BOA podcast from your favorite podcast service.

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