Originally from England, I have spent many years in Japan studying and training in its traditional arts, dance, and religious practices. I since taught these subjects at universities in North America and Japan, and today I use my understanding of them to assist with museum and private collections and cultural consultation. I bring my knowledge and experiences to help visitors to Nara and its surroundings enjoy and appreciate its sophisticated culture on a deeper level.
Nara was once the imperial capital of Japan as well as a terminal point of the Silk Road, making it both a place of international confluence and a major center of domestic power. It has long been an important locus of Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines, and these birthed philosophies and forms of art that still inform Japanese culture as a whole.
Nara and its environs have a very special beauty that is imbued with the religious values that Japan embraced and developed. This can be found everywhere - not only in its architecture and fine art but also its mountain trails and sacred deer, and its sake production, graphic design, literature, and everyday customs. I am honored to be able to invite fellow travelers to experience this very special place, its history, and its many wonderful secrets.
