Dan and Japan

Dan In Japan (“.eggy.cc”, my friend’s sub-domain name) started back in November of 2007 when I embarked on my first trip to Japan. The site began as my personal study/travel journal, and then morphed into a public blog so my friends, family, and curious visitors can learn more about the country through my trips and my working there.

My interest in Japan was sparked from my study of Buddhism for a class I took in my third year of college. While the class focused on many types of Buddhism, I was personally intrigued by Zen (the main form of Buddhism in Japan) and the strict emphasis that it placed on meditation and the mind. I apparently put too much emphasis on my mind and not enough emphasis on doing well in the class (“c+”).  Fortunately, sticks and stones may break your bones, but letters will never hurt you. Curious to learn more about asian culture, I enrolled in an asian art class that placed heavy emphasis on the Chinese and Korean inspired-architecture of the temples and shrines in Japan. Within a couple weeks of enrolling in the class, I “just happened” to receive an e-mail saying that a plane ticket to Tokyo was confirmed, departing in late November. And so began my love of 日本。

The first eight entries or so in my blog were accounts from that trip. About a year later, I returned to Japan for another two weeks, this time with a bit more of an informed mind of the culture, language, and other things that come from an increased year in age.

About Me and Not Related to Japan…

I was born grew up in the suburbs of Chicago, enjoying a quality, well-funded public school system (minus the awfully unhealthy school lunches). In elementary school I was just as normal and/or unique as my peers were. In 4th grade, I decided to join the school band. Of course to play in the band, you had (and of course, still have to) choose an instrument. I had already been playing a little bit of piano at that point, but piano was not an option in the school band. While walking to school one day, my mother told me that my uncle played percussion, so I thought, “Ok, percussion sounds cool – you get to hit things. I’ll choose percussion.” And so began the “big bang” of my life in music. I continued playing in the band (and starting in junior high, orchestra, too)

also a pianist too, but it doesn’t say that on the official piece of 100% recycled paper. Aside from music and Japan, I enjoy running, astronomy, and basically anything that can challenge the way I perceive the world around me. I believe the more flexible we allow are minds to be, the more content we can become with our lives and the people in them.

I’m taking took a break from going to graduate school and hope to work for the JET program starting this coming July began working for the JET Program in 2009 and finished up in 2011. I went there with curiosity and a bit of aching to get a more accurate perspective of the people and their fascinating culture.