the qualia journal

Gino Yu came to visit Tokyo. Currently Gino is a professor at Hong Kong Polytechnic University. He was kind enough to accept our invitation,...

When I made my pilgrimage to Bayreuth this last summer, there were several things besides Wagner that I captured my imagination. I remember ...

As the year comes near to the end, I remember things that have passed me. One of the highlights of my sojourn this round of the earth's ...

The Meiji Shrine is one of my favorite places. I would like to stroll this haven in the heart of Tokyo. The lights are never the same, as th...

I visited a couple primary schools on Uku island, an small island off Kyushu with a population of 3200. In the school play ground, I found a...

I am in Hakata right now, writing this entry. In the afternoon I am going off to Uku island, where an internet connection is not likely avai...

A few days ago I wrote about the Kaki (persimmon fruit). The sight of a tree standing against the blue sky, with its boughs full of kaki fru...

When I was going to the Kindergarten there was only one drink that a kid loved. Fanta. In the children's gatherings, the adults would br...

In Japanese, some words have double meanings. "kaki", for example, can indicate a persimmon fruit. It can also mean the "oyst...

I came to a Haiku meeting ("Kukai") at Yugawara, a famous Onsen (hot spring) retreat, about one hour from Tokyo. The meeting was o...

De Prufundis , an essay in the form of a letter written during imprisonment by Oscar Wilde, has such a beautiful ending. Wild imagines how h...

Close to midnight I had a phone call from Shinya Shirasu. He was drinking with his friends, and wondered if I could join them. I had my work...

I don't know what is happening, but I seem to be less interested in the physical testimonies of life such as photos, and sound recording...

Right now I am in Kochi city, where the ENJIN 01 conferences are being held. In the evening, after a long day of strenuous and yet enjoyable...

On a recent visit to an elementary school, I remembered one thing which has been cherished in my bosom for so many years. I don't quite ...

I was reading Oscar Wilde's De Profundis, and came across this sentence, where Wilde refers to Jesus Christ. "He was the first pers...

On the Shinkansen train back from Kyoto, I was returning to my seat after going to the deck. Passing by, I saw a traveler with his girlfrien...

I have several masters whom I respect very much. The writer Makoto Shiina is one of them. Makoto Shiina is known for his poignant novels bas...

I was going to a theatre for a practice, when the car passed by the Tokyo Sky Tree. I stopped typing on my laptop computer and looked up at ...

In Japan, the Meiji era is known as a great time of change. Under Western influences, Japan tried to catch up, importing many ideas and tech...