Japan Talks
Japan is an island country in East Asia. It is in the northwest Pacific Ocean and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north toward the East China Sea, Philippine Sea, and Taiwan in the south. Japan is a part of the Ring of Fire, and spans an archipelago of 14,125 islands, with the four main islands being Hokkaido, Honshu (the "mainland"), Shikoku, and Kyushu. Tokyo is the country's capital and largest city, followed by Yokohama, Osaka, Nagoya, Sapporo, Fukuoka, Kobe, and Kyoto.
The Japanese archipelago has been inhabited since the Upper Paleolithic (30,000 BC). Between the fourth and ninth centuries AD, the kingdoms of the region became unified under an emperor and the imperial court based in Heian-kyō. Beginning in the 12th century, political power was held by a series of military dictators (shōgun) and feudal lords (daimyō), and enforced by a class of warrior nobility (samurai). After a century-long period of civil war, the country was reunified in 1603 under the Tokugawa shogunate, which enacted an isolationist foreign policy. In 1854, a United States fleet forced Japan to open trade to the West, which led to the end of the shogunate and the restoration of imperial power in 1868. In the Meiji period, the Empire of Japan adopted a Western-modeled constitution, and pursued a program of industrialization and modernization. Amidst a rise in militarism and overseas colonization, Japan invaded China in 1937 and entered World War II as an Axis power in 1941. After suffering defeat in the Pacific War and two atomic bombings, Japan surrendered in 1945 and came under a seven-year Allied occupation, during which it adopted a new constitution.
Under the 1947 constitution, Japan has maintained a constitutional monarchy with a bicameral legislature, the National Diet. Japan is a developed country and a great power, with one of the largest economies by nominal GDP. Japan has renounced its right to declare war, though it maintains a self-defense force that ranks as one of the world's strongest militaries. A global leader in the automotive, robotics, and electronics industries, the country has made significant contributions to science and technology, and is one of the world's largest exporters and importers. It is part of multiple major international and intergovernmental institutions. Japan has over 125 million inhabitants and is the 11th most populous country in the world, as well as one of the most densely populated. About three-fourths of the country's terrain is mountainous, concentrating its highly urbanized population on narrow coastal plains. Japan is divided into 47 administrative prefectures and eight traditional regions. The Greater Tokyo Area is the most populous metropolitan area in the world. Japan has one of the world's longest life expectancies but has a population decline due to its very low birth rate.
Japan is a cultural superpower as the culture of Japan is well known around the world, including its art, cuisine, film, music, and popular culture, which encompasses prominent manga, anime, and video game industries.
Title | Speaker | |
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Unknown year, April talk, Serial 00619Serial: NC-00619 Year Talks 1/2 OSB Cam, Ego, Forgiveness, Japan, Buddha, Concentration |
Apr 06 |
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Unknown year, August talk, Serial 00641Serial: NC-00641 Year Talk 2/2 OSB Cam, Offering, Buddhism, Delusion, Japan, Ego |
Aug 15 |
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Deshung Rinpoche's Life, Serial 00061 Teacher-and-Student, Nirvana, Silence, Japan, Ceremony, Bell |
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Unknown Date, Serial 00211, Side BSerial: NC-00211B Archival Photo Zazen, japanese, zen, Japan |
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Unknown Date, Serial 00231Serial: NC-00231 Archival Photo Ego, Suzuki Roshi, Buddhism, Commitment, Japan |
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Unknown Date, Serial 00679Serial: NC-00679 New Testament Books Japan, Offering, Compassion, Ego, Buddhism |
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Sophia/WisdomSerial: NC-00792 Sophia/Wisdom discussion OSB Cam, Daily Life, japanese, Ego, Intuition, Japan |
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2 of 3 |
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Unknown Date, Serial 00210Serial: NC-00210 Archival Photo japanese, zen, Japan, Zazen, Discrimination |
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Unknown Date, Serial 00220Serial: NC-00220 Archival Photo Emptiness, Suzuki Roshi, Pain, Delusion, Japan |
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Unknown Date, Serial 00224Serial: NC-00224 Archival Photo Conversation, Buddhism, Happiness, Japan |
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At The End Of The Year We Clean Up Our HouseSerial: SF-05970-B Dec 1968 New Year Lecture Beginner’s Mind, Dogen, Japan, New Year, Beginners, Transmission, Instruction, Priest... |
Dec 29 1968 Sokoji |
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Our Way To Attain LiberationSerial: SF-05087-B Monday Evening, August 18, 1969 Story of the Sixth Patriarch. Practice with everyone else at the monastery, without self-centered ideas. Answering... Sixth Patriarch, Monastic Practice, Japan, Aspects of Practice, Discrimination, Faith... |
Aug 18 1969 Tassajara |
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Why I Came to AmericaSerial: SR-00157 "Why I became a priest" Memories of his father as a temple priest. Wanting to be an unusual priest himself, to teach people. Training at a temple with Oka... Priest, Meiji, Japan, Dogen, Priest, training, New Year, Ceremony, Obstacles, Enemies... |
Sep 16 1969 Sokoji |
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Miss Ransom Was A Teacher Of ConversationSerial: SR-00242 [Not an interview I think, but a question Peter asks at the beginning of the lecture, possibly pre-arranged with Suzuki. Got labeled as an interview because I had it grouped... Japan, Komazawa University, Buddhism, Shobogenzo, Obon, Conversation, Building,... |
Nov 09 1969 |
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What Is Self? What Is Our Practice?Japan, Kosho Uchiyama, Building, Precepts, Observe, Greed, Ego |
Dec 20 1970 City Center |
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Ngon Dro Nyam Len, Lecture 1: Refuge, Serial 00046 Monks, Japan, Lineage, Separation, Commitment, Intention, Hate, American, Nirvana,... |
Mar 02 1980 Session 1, Tape 1 |
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Ngon Dro: Vajrasattva, copy, Serial 00056 Japan, Intention, Passions, Evil, Precepts, Breath, Hindrances, Commitment, Non-... |
Mar 15 1980 |
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Ngon Dro con't, mandala offering, Serial 00091 japanese, Culture, Japan, Commitment, Hate, Building, Beginners, Sutra, Mahayana,... |
Mar 30 1980 New York City |
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Ngon Dro, Serial 00087 Lineage, Japan, Bell, Nirvana, Sangha, Monks |
Apr 06 1980 1 and 2? New York City |
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Monastic Life and the Interreligious DialogueSerial: NC-00467 Monastic Life and Interreligious Dialogue: What does our life as monks mean to the non-Christian world? OSB Cam, Interreligious dialogue, Buddha, Buddhism, Renunciation, Attachment, Japan... |
Sep 1980 2 of 3 New Camaldoli Hermitage |
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Japanese Practice/American Practice: DifferencesSerial: BZ-00039A Saturday Lecture Japan, American, Lay Practice, Family Practice, American, Lay, Lotus Sutra, Tassajara... |
Sep 04 1982 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Trip to JapanSerial: BZ-00393B Saturday Lecture Japan, Dharma Transmission, Transmission, Priest, Building, training, Sanctuary, Lay... |
Oct 27 1984 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Gospel of John and the Christian Wisdom TraditionSerial: NC-00558 Retreat on the Gospel of John OSB Cam, Oneness, Breath, Intimacy, Pain, Japan |
Dec 13 1984 4 of 5 Utah |
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Vajrayogini Q&A, Serial 00093 Japan |
Oct 24 1985 A |
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Parting from the 4 Attachments Serial 00037 true dharma, Six Realms, Manjushri, Monks, Lineage, Precepts, Avalokiteshvara,... |
Nov 08 1988 Part 1 |
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The Fire, Suffering, and Relationship With JapanSerial: BZ-00702B Saturday Lecture Japan, Current Events, Practice Period, Tassajara, Demons, Birth-and-Death, Dharma... |
Oct 26 1991 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Contemplation and Inner ExperienceSerial: NC-00711 Class on contemplative prayer using Thomas Merton's The Inner Experience. Class IV Contemplative Prayer Set 1 of 2 OSB Cam, Breath, zen, Oneness, Japan, japanese |
1994 4 of 10 New Camaldoli Hermitage |
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Contemplative PrayerSerial: NC-00879 Contemplative Prayer Class OSB Cam, Breath, zen, Oneness, Japan, japanese |
Jun 08 1994 New Camaldoli Hermitage |
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Contemplative PrayerSerial: NC-00880 Contemplative Prayer Class OSB Cam, Breath, zen, Oneness, Japan, japanese |
Jun 08 1994 4 of 11 New Camaldoli Hermitage |
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Invite Difficulty InSerial: BZ-00106B Sesshin Day 5 Dogen, Japan, Manjushri, Intuition, Harmonizing, Daily Life, Building, Non-duality,... |
Jun 24 2001 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Trip to JapanSerial: BZ-00210B Saturday Lecture Japan, Bell, resistance, soto, American, Heart Sutra, Chanting, Practice Period,... |
Sep 28 2002 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Trip to Japan (last two weeks of Oct. 2003)Serial: BZ-01365 The Necessity of both Oneness and Diversity, Saturday Lecture Oneness, Japan, Fox, Priest, Lay, Soto Zen, Ordination, Diversity, Precepts, Lay... |
Nov 01 2003 Berkeley Zen Center |
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In Memorium to the Victims of the WW II BombingSerial: BZ-01279A How Something Good Can Come From Something Tragic, Saturday Lecture War, Japan, War, Peace, American, Building, Priest, Renewal, Karma |
Aug 07 2004 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Way Seeking MindSerial: SF-00044 The route to becoming a zen monk; growing up Jewish and hanging out with the beats; meeting Suzuki Roshi. Monastic Practice, Japan, Way-Seeking Mind, Suzuki Roshi, Monastic Practice, Priest,... |
Mar 13 2005 2 Tassajara |
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Entering and Embodying Truth Soto Zen, soto, Japan, Bodhisattva Precepts, Perfect Wisdom |
Jul 29 2008 The Yoga Room |
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Intimacy with Birth and Death: The 39th Yearly Memorial for Suzuki Roshi Tassajara, Commitment, Suzuki Roshi, Intimacy, Japan |
Dec 04 2010 Afternoon No Abode Hermitage |
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Japan CatastropheSerial: BZ-02165 Earthquake, Tsunami, Nuclear Fallout, One-Day Sitting Karma, Japan, Current Events, Karma, Repentance, Vows, Renewal, Composure, Interview... |
Mar 19 2011 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Facing Change and Realizing Peace practicing generosity, Commitment, difficulty, Japan, Funeral |
Aug 02 2012 The Yoga Room |
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The Good Friendship of Shitou, Matsu and Yaoshan Suzuki Roshi, Japan, Silence, Triple Treasure, Bodhisattva Way |
Feb 01 2014 Afternoon No Abode Hermitage |
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I always think of Hunan in SpringBodhisattva Vow, Koan, Perfection of Wisdom, Perfect Wisdom, japanese, Sangha,... |
Apr 12 2014 AM No Abode Hermitage |
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Silent Sitting & Social ActionZen students often ask how our practice of silence and stillness relates to injustice and our environmental crisis. In this class we explore this question and study the intimate interplay of... YRB-2018-Fall, Silence, Bodhidharma, cognitive process, Observe, Fundraising, Lay,... |
Nov 13 2018 5 of 7 The Yoga Room |
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A Conversation about Principle and Phenomena Heart Sutra, Perfect Wisdom, resistance, confusion, Letting Go, Don't Know Mind... |
May 18 2019 AM No Abode Hermitage |
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Stories of EnlightenmentIn our class this fall we will contemplate and converse about several stories of Zen practice and enlightenment. Our contemplation and conversations will naturally bring up questions and concerns... YRB-2019-Fall, Four Noble Truths, Book of Serenity, Daily Life, Suzuki Roshi,... |
Oct 10 2019 2/7 The Yoga Room |
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Stories of EnlightenmentIn our class this fall we will contemplate and converse about several stories of Zen practice and enlightenment. Our contemplation and conversations will naturally bring up questions and concerns... YRB-2019-Fall, Blue Cliff Record, Japan, true dharma, Book of Serenity, Patience,... |
Oct 17 2019 3/7 The Yoga Room |
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Reaching Home Again Without Realizing It Chanting, Suzuki Roshi, Practice Period, Priest, japanese, Faith, Impermanence, Lotus... |
Oct 19 2019 AM No Abode Hermitage |
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Ten Vows, Ten Practices, and Ten Cakes Discrimination, Bowing, Japan, Bell, Attachment, Priest, Dragons, Doubt, Bodhidharma... |
Mar 07 2020 PM No Abode Hermitage |
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Entering the Samadhi of Buddha’s RadianceA talk by Tenshin Roshi for a gathering of the No Abode community Flower Adornment Scripture, Avatamsaka Sutra, the interpenetration of principle and phenomena,... |
Aug 12 2023 No Abode Hermitage |