The Way of Kami: 8 Million Ways to Happiness Through Japanese Ritual, Nature, & Renewal with Hiroko Yoda – Episode 436

About this episode

The episode explores Japanese spirituality and the concept of kami with Hiroko Yoda, emphasizing the importance of noticing joy through nature and small rituals.

Joy isn't something you chase. It's something you notice, when you finally stop, put down your phone, and look around. In this episode, Peter Fenger sits down with Hiroko Yoda, a Tokyo-born cultural historian, writer, and journalist who has spent decades making Japanese spirituality, folklore, and tradition feel alive and accessible for Western audiences. A certified Shinto cultural historian and former Miko shrine dancer, Hiroko has authored and co-authored numerous books exploring Japan's rich spiritual heritage, and co-founded AltJapan Co., Ltd., a creative bridge helping Japanese storytellers in video games, anime, manga, and film share their work with the world. Her latest book, “Eight Million Ways to Happiness: Wisdom for Inspiration and Healing from the Heart of Japan”, is at once a memoir, a travel log, and a cultural deep dive. Drawing on the Shinto concept of kami, the countless unseen presences said to inhabit everything from mountains and oceans to the words we speak, Hiroko invites readers to loosen their grip on rigid ideas of belief and discover spirituality as something far more flexible, practical, and personal. Part grief journey, part cultural history, the book…

People in this episode

Host: Peter Fenger

Guest: Hiroko Yoda

Topics covered

• Japanese spirituality
• cultural history
• nature
• happiness
• rituals
• Shinto

Keywords

• happiness
• Japanese culture
• spirituality
• Shinto
• nature
• rituals
• cultural history
• Hiroko Yoda

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: AltJapan Co., Ltd.

Books & works: Eight Million Ways to Happiness: Wisdom for Inspiration and Healing from the Heart of Japan

Places: Japan, Tokyo

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