Thinking religious-culturally A university professor in Tokyo has established a new research center, the Center for Education in Religious Culture, or CERC, in his school, offering a new certificate in Specialist in Religious Culture. It could be a first step for many Japanese in facing religious matters and realities. (29 December, 2011) Giving It Our Best Shot An Osaka native and medical doctor speaks out on the issue of Japanese immunization programs and positive changes in recent years. (18 October, 2011) Vibrato, Intimacy, Experience, and Space—Key Words Explaining the Appeal of the Wah-Wah Pedal (Seventh in a series) An audio engineering expert, Professor Iwamiya, and a neuropsychologist, Dr. Satoh, talk about the key words in their search for the secret to the wah-wah pedal. (25 July, 2011) Our Nature Awakened (Sixth in a series) Professor Yamada talks from a music psychology viewpoint about why the wah-wah pedal is attractive to many people. (25 July, 2011) Emotionally Connected (Fifth in a series) Strange stage outfit? No problem. Most of the audience will forget it once the performance starts because it is too impressive. (03 June, 2011) Expressing Himself with a Bass and a Pedal (Fourth in a series) The bass player in a former famous pop group, Nomaguchi plays his instrument like a magician of sound effects, once time is given for his solo performance. (05 April, 2011) When in Doubt, Step on the Wah-War Pedal (Third in a series) With his customized wah-wah pedal, a rock and fusion guitarist in Tokyo, Tsuyoshi. O, holds on to his belief in music. (24 Murch, 2011) A craftsman who cares about low-tech guitar equipment with individual character and a human touch (Second in a series) Nose, who works for a small guitar workshop in Kyoto, is another wah-wah pedal lover, working with and for local rock guitarists. (19 February, 2011) Straight-ahead Texas blues rock rolls out of Kyoto (First in a series) A Kyoto native blues rock guitarist, Sanda makes his guitar sing “wah-wah” in Kyoto, a US military base, Texas, Australia, and Tokyo. (05 January, 2011) Detour Korea: Kimchi for Koreans Yas Mamemachi, writer and editor of Detour Japan, took a weekend trip to Korea, where he asked three distinguished Koreans about Kimchi for Koreans today and in the future. (24 October, 2010) Aid for Afghanistan - First time at 57 and ever since With support from 600 members of her established association, a 65-year old Japanese woman is leading a volunteer group that helps orphans and women in Herat, Afghanistan. (17 August, 2010) “Donou” Finds A Way A Japanese NGO uses an old road-building method to extend by passes in developing countries (15 May, 2010) Second in Series Who Is Polite? The second story in the series is about politeness. Many of us easily point out who is polite and who is not. In many cases these judgments are based on personal experience and/or the cultural norms of the society we belong to. (03 May, 2010) Soccer Changes When Society Changes A person who knows the ins and outs of Japanese Soccer the most talks about the “new” soccer after 1994 and the Japanese professional soccer league that started in 1993, both of which have inevitably developed along with social changes. (25 August, 2009) (part 1) Amami Rabbit Although he studied wild rabbits since he was a university student, Fumio Yamada happened to get involved in research work on the Amami rabbit. In 1992, when he was asked by his friend, also a researcher, to help make a distribution map of the rabbits on Amami Oshima island of the Amami islands (Amami in what follows) by studying their dung. (12 August, 2009) Ice Plant: Last Resort against Desertification By studying a salt-loving plant in desert called ice plant, a professor and a researcher from Saga University, located in western Japan, have been working to discourage desertification in China and produce a new local agriculture product. (04 August, 2009) First in Series Your Courage to Step Out of Your Comfortable Ethnocentrism is Tested Nara, located in the western part of Japan, is the ancient capital of the country, which became prosperous before the central government body moved to Kyoto, located one-hour away by local train. (08 July, 2009) Depopulated Village’s Seven Million US Dollar Media Project for Hope An active village council member named Matsumoto, with international experience in the US and Kenya, is working on his home village’s independent media project in cooperation with the village mayor and other volunteer villagers, accounting for US$7.1 million for their hope for the future. (22 June, 2009) Reggae Spirit Fostered in a Tin House A legendary reggae MC, leaving the glamorous life in Tokyo a decade ago, is now working in community development in Kujukurihama, Chiba, using the spirit of reggae. (04 June, 2009) Changing Beauty Business A single Mongolian aesthetic instructor teaches her students Japanese beauty skills and professional manners that might lead to changes in her profession in Mongolia. (17 May, 2009) Appreciation at the Dinner Table --A Japanese farmer from the city of Tamana is promoting a natural and sustainable method of agriculture. His methods and ideas have been gradually adopted by international trainees. (02 May, 2009) Sushi and Home Runs The story of Shepherd, a young baseball player from Zimbabwe trained by Japanese back home and playing his third year in Japan as a professional. (25 Mar, 2008) A Baseball Missionary Goes with "Hitball" A former varsity baseball player promotes a simplified baseball game created in post-war Japan in Africa, as well as in Japan again. (22 Nov, 2007) Living Colors on Stage A Japanese live painter, Matsumoto, shares his time and emotions with a Tokyo audience under the spotlight (08 Oct, 2007) “Fish Rockers” on Stage A rock band named Gyoko (“fish port” in English) from Urayasu near Tokyo is gaining popularity with its hard punk beat and fish-related lyrics, as well as its performance, which involves cutting up the head of tuna on stage. The leader of the band talks about the band and its mission. (01 Aug, 2007) Children under the Shadow of Shining Gold People have been attracted to gold since ancient times. Today, the global demand for gold is equivalent to $15 billion. Makoto Kawamura reports on a small-scale gold mining enterprise in Ethiopia, where people work at the bottom of the shining world for Detour Japan. (10 july, 2007)