On this episode of the Japan Station podcast, we’re talking about the history and layout of Edo with one of the world’s foremost experts on the subject: Dr. Timon Screech. About Dr. Timon Screech Dr. Timon Screech is a professor of the history of art at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London. He is …

On This Episode On this episode of the Japan Station podcast we’re digging deep into the world of Japanese Buddhist statues and iconography. About Michael VanHartingsveldt Michael VanHartingsveldt is an expert on Buddhist art and iconography. In 2016, Michael obtained a Master’s degree in East Asian Art Business through a joint program offered by the Sotheby’s Institute of Art and …

Episode six of the Japan Station podcast is here and this time we’re talking about Zen. Gesshin Claire Greenwood is a Zen priest and the author of the book Bow First, Ask Questions Later: Ordination, Love, and Monastic Zen in Japan. Funny, intense, and thought-provoking, the book chronicles the more than five years Gesshin spent in Japan training in …

Trance inducing electronic beats and psychedelic lights, two things that people wouldn’t normally associate with Buddhist temples. However, thanks to a former DJ turned Buddhist priest, that may be about to change. In an effort to attract more visitors and have people take an interest in Buddhism Shō-onji (照恩寺), a Pure Land Buddhism temple in Fukui City, Fukui Prefecture, has …