What is this website mainly about?

History, Media & Communication

"History illuminates reality, vitalizes memory, and provides guidance in daily life", the Roman philosopher Cicero wrote. Having studied history, media and communication, I write essays dealing with these fields of expertise, often combining them.

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Japan

A long time interest in Japan, especially its history and cinema, and several study visits in the last few years have made the land of the rising sun one of the more prominent and interesting topics to write about in the form of essays and (travel) stories.

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Reggae

The music from Jamaica that came from the slums of Kingston as the musical voice of the poor and oppressed and eventually conquered the world. As a uplifting, inspiring and motivating soundtrack to life, reggae and especially Bob Marley and the Wailers are favorite topics to write about.

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Babylon By Bus now also on Reggaeville.com & Issuu.com

I am happy to announce that from today, in cooperation with reggaeville.com, the English version of the Babylon By Bus document about the visits of Bob Marley and The Wailers to the Netherlands can also be viewed on issuu.com. Issuu is currently the leading digital publishing platform for magazines, catalogs, newspapers, and other documents, and as such provides a nice platform to reach more people interested in Bob Marley’s life and music. To see Babylon … Continue reading

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A trip through memory lane: Japan 1977 & Japan 2010 (Part XII: Nikko)

The twelfth and last episode of A trip through memory lane: Japan 1977 & Japan 2010 once again takes us to Nikko, the famous tourist attraction about two hours north of Tokyo. Nikko and its surroundings are home to an impressive amount of cultural heritage and tourist attractions such as Lake Chuzenji and the nearby Kegon waterfall. The main attractions however are temples, such as Futarasan Shrine and Rinno-ji, and the mausoleums of the founder … Continue reading

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Bob Marley & The Wailers in Japan and the Netherlands

In April 1979, Bob Marley and the Wailers visited Japan for eight concerts in Tokyo and Osaka as part of their Babylon By Bus-tour through Asia and Oceania. The tour proved a great success, as reggae music became increasingly popular in the land of the rising sun in the years thereafter. 1979 was also the first time in three years that Marley and his Wailers did not visit the Netherlands. In 1976, 1977, 1978 and … Continue reading

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A trip through memory lane: Japan 1977 & Japan 2010 (Part XI: Higashi Honganji, Kyoto)

Higashi Honganji (West Honganji) is a large Buddhist temple complex in the center of Kyoto, a few minutes away from the central train station. Higashi Honganji was established in 1602 by the first Tokugawa Shogun, Ieyasu, when he split the so-called Shin sect in two in order to weaken its power. The main hall of Higashi Honganji, the Goeido, is Kyoto’s largest wooden structure. Next to it and almost of the same size is the … Continue reading

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Lost in Tokyo : commerciële wanstaltigheid

In september 2007 zond RTL5 het programma Lost in Tokyo uit, een reality serie waarin twaalf onervaren reizigers werden gedropt in Tokio en zich moesten zien te redden zonder hulp van buitenaf. De kandidaten, zes mannen en zes vrouwen, allen onbekend met de Japanse taal en cultuur, moesten samenwerken en tegelijk de strijd met elkaar aangaan middels allerlei opdrachten. Het doel: kijken wie het best bestand bleek tegen de cultuurschok en zich zodoende in Tokio … Continue reading

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A trip through memory lane: Japan 1977 & Japan 2010 (Part X: Shibamata)

Shibamata is one of the few remaining traditional neighborhoods in Tokyo (also called shitamachi) where skyscrapers have not (yet?) arisen and where one can still enjoy more ‘traditional’ types of buildings and styles of living. Perhaps this is also the reason I did not see many young people in Shibamata when I visited the place myself in early spring 2010. The neighborhood is perfect for a relaxing stroll, especially if you want to escape from … Continue reading

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A trip through memory lane: Japan 1977 & Japan 2010 (Part IX: Nikko)

In this ninth part of A trip through memory lane: Japan 1977 & Japan 2010 we once more return to Nikko, the famous tourist attraction and resting place of the first Tokugawa shogun Ieyasu, about two hours north of Japan’s capital Tokyo. The two photo’s below show the heavily decorated Yomeimon, the entrance gate to the Toshogu mausoleum of Tokugawa Ieyasu.

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‘Met handboeien om weggevoerd’

Handboeien om en worden weggevoerd naar een cel door een strenge Japanse in uniform. In aanraking gekomen met de Japanse politie en justitie? Opgenomen in een (psychiatrisch) ziekenhuis in Tokio? Neen, niets van dat alles. Recentelijk bezocht ik in Shibuya, een populair uitgaansgebied in Tokio, The Lockup, een op zijn zachtst gezegd nogal aparte izakaya (restaurant in Japanse stijl). De entree van The Lockup is een soort doolhof, gelijk aan een spookhuis op een kermis, … Continue reading