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Category: Travel

Why is Shinto so fascinating to me?

Why is Shinto so fascinating to me?

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I never considered myself a religious person. I don’t typically find the idea of religion very interesting. As someone with an undergraduate degree in history that might be somewhat surprising, as religion tends to find itself at the center of history all the time. So it is interesting now that I find myself exploring Shinto (one of Japan’s most popular religions) for the final research project of my History of Japan class.  What piqued my interest in Shinto? It wasn’t until 2018…

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Japan Trip 2.019 (Part 2)

Japan Trip 2.019 (Part 2)

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While the Shyla and Ryan Japan Adventure 2018/19 has come to a close, the next adventure is right around the corner, Japan 2.019! I’m going to (un)feature the first collection of posts and replace it with this one. Below you will find a new collection of blog posts about my upcoming trip to Japan this May/June! Don’t worry! The first collection of posts are still accessible here! Announcement Post 2.0 (Two Point Oh)– Originally posted on March 21, 2019 Update…

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T-minus under 2 weeks until Japan trip #2

T-minus under 2 weeks until Japan trip #2

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Twice in one year? Inconceivable!? But alas, I am heading back to Tokyo in May/June of this year. Unlike the last trip which saw Shyla and I travel to Kyoto, Hiroshima, Osaka, Fukui, and Kanazawa, this time we are going to be a little bit more stationary. That means no Shinkansen trips, at least not that we currently have planned. Instead, this trip will mostly be situated in Tokyo with visits to Disney (both Tokyo Disney and Disney Sea), a…

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2.0 (Two Point Oh)

2.0 (Two Point Oh)

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2.0 …an adjective used to denote a superior or more advanced version of an original concept, product, service, etc. We live in an age where software updates and newer software versions are coming out all the times. We are constantly shifting, re-evaluating and redesigning. When software is updated or undergoes significant changes you developers update the version numbers with each significant software update, for example, version 1.0 will become 2.0 will become 3.0, and so on and so on. On…

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Shyla and Ryan’s Japan Tour 2018/2019 (Presentation)

Shyla and Ryan’s Japan Tour 2018/2019 (Presentation)

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So, yesterday I was finally able to share Shyla and I’s Japan Tour with my colleagues at Carleton University Library. Over an hour “Lunch and Learn” presentation we looked at over 200 photos on an absolutely massive 107 slide Google Slideshow (featured below). The session was well received with over 40 library staff, and even external university staff in attendance. You often hear the saying that “less is more”, but in this case, I didn’t feel comfortable cutting anything from…

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Things don’t change that much in 29 years…

Things don’t change that much in 29 years…

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…except maybe the hair… and the clothes… and the shoes… and the technology… and the way we take photos… You know what? Plenty of things change! Not Kinkaku-Ji Temple and its grounds though. On December 18th, Shyla and I visited Kinkaku-Ji Temple (also sometimes referred to as the Golden Pavillion). On December 26th, I got an Instagram message from my dad. You know the picture of you in front of the pond and gold temple in Kyoto? I have a picture of me and a…

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My Favourite Photos from Japan

My Favourite Photos from Japan

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When I set out to write this post, I was determined to narrow down my thousands of Japan photos down to my top 10.  Yes, you read that correctly, thousands. I honestly didn’t think it would be that difficult. As I sat down and flipped through my photos, however, I knew it would be impossible for me to narrow it down to only 10. As many people have, I watched Marie Kondo’s Netflix show, Tidying Up With Marie Kondo. Yes, I too have…

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The Journal of Japanese Gardening’s Shiosai Rankings

The Journal of Japanese Gardening’s Shiosai Rankings

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If you followed along with Shyla and I’s Japan trip, you will have noticed we made a stop at Nomura Samurai House and Garden. Gardens were an aspect of Japan that wasn’t really on my radar when I was planning my trip to Japan. The trip was in December so I was not thinking of the wonderful gardens available around Japan. In Japan, gardens are an important art form and have been refined for more than 1000 years. While researching this…

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Kanazawa: A Place Well Preserved (December 29 to 30)

Kanazawa: A Place Well Preserved (December 29 to 30)

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Kanazawa was spared from the air raids during World War 2 which allowed many of the old structures and areas of the city to remain well preserved (source). Hence the title of this post. Day 1: December 29 Arrival Day Unfortunately for me, our last day in Fukui was wet. We walked around for about an hour before heading to the Shinkansen and my shoes became drenched. When we arrived in Kanazawa it was cold. Wet and cold are an…

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Fukui: The Dinosaur Capital of Japan? (December 26 to 29)

Fukui: The Dinosaur Capital of Japan? (December 26 to 29)

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Day 1: December 26 (Arrival Day) So we left Osaka behind us and began our trip home. Well, not quite home, but in that general direction, East. To a small little city called Fukui. Some of Shyla’s coworkers asked why we were going there? One word, dinosaurs. We weren’t disappointed either. There were other reasons to go to Fukui but you’ll see those on day 2! Immediately getting off the train you could tell things were slower paced here, and…

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