Where the dead pause, and the Japanese say goodbye

Description:

Seeking consolation after the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant disaster of 2011, Mockett is guided by a colorful cast of Zen priests and ordinary Japanese who perform rituals that disturb, haunt, and finally uplift her. Her journey leads her into the radiation zone in an intricate white hazmat suit; to Eiheiji, a school for Zen Buddhist monks; on a visit to a Crab Lady and Fuzzy-Headed Priests temple on Mount Doom; and into the 'thick dark' of the subterranean labyrinth under Kiyomizu temple, among other twists and turns.

subjects: Social life and customs,  Family,  Zen Buddhism,  Fukushima Nuclear Disaster, Japan, 2011,  Grief,  Rituals,  Spiritual life,  Consolation,  Personal narratives,  Religious life,  Biography,  Death, religious aspects,  Japan, biography,  Nuclear reactor accidents,  Monastic and religious life,  Spiritual life, zen buddhism,  Travel,  Description and travel,  Religious life and customs,  Grandfathers,  Death,  Buddhist temples,  Funeral rites and ceremonies,  Social aspects,  Japanese Americans,  New York Times reviewed

People: Marie Mutsuki Mockett

Places: Japan,  Jpan,  Fukushima-ken (Japan)

Times: 21st century