The Constitution of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and the Weimar Constitution of the Nazi regime guaranteed these freedoms as well. The passage of history has revealed to us what these declarations were – simply words on paper. Therefore, how does one actually ensure the protection of these famous provisions? Continue reading Letter to a Fellow Citizen

Glimpse into a scene of my childhood under a Christian-Buddhist household. Continue reading Under One Roof

We have less than 24 months to produce a powerful thesis dissertation. The following five ideas have forced me to take that mission seriously. If you find this list helpful, you may even join me in zoning out of Qualitative Methods each Tuesday, unapologetically browsing WhatsApp, reading a book you want to read, or retaking ownership over your precious time in any way you see fit.  Continue reading Use Your Privilege: Five Social Inquiries from a Fellow Classmate

The Japanese people are sick at heart with what a minority of bureaucrats – unaccountable to any voting constituency – has done to their archipelago. Continue reading The Devaluing of Japan

The click-clack of wooden sandals ring through the bamboo grove, an elder Buddhist monk leads me to the remains of a Meiji Era (1868-1912) elementary school. Continue reading Why All Japanese Public Schools Look the Same

Once I step onto the mat, my heart starts to race. My opponent and I are squaring off at my Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gym in Kyoto. The timer begins, we fistbump, and we’re off sparring. Continue reading Shuhari: Into the Mind of a Japanese Black Belt

The first time I traveled to Japan I was eighteen.  I had been obsessed with the culture for years, and like many people my image of Japan consisted chiefly of big cities, sushi, and anime. Continue reading 7 Things You Didn’t Know About Japan