I can share here...
So since returning from Japan last year I've been trying to figure out... how can I leverage the passion I feel towards Japanese culture into a business model? I'm not a weeaboo or otaku, I simply find the place and people fascinating. I have since I was a kid. A few years back I found a journal from when I was 8 and I said I wanted to live in Japan.
(The only thing I can think of is that, growing up, my grandfather fought in the Pacific Rim during WWII and was, as a result, a belligerent racist against the Japanese. I still have vivid memories of some of the horrible things he said. Then I discovered Nintendo and learned about Japan in a world culture series in 2nd grade. Perhaps the contrast against what I was learning and my grandfather's leanings made me dig deeper and recognize the right and wrong of reality?)
Regardless, it's not even the neon eternal nightglow of Tokyo and Osaka that appeals to me; it's the quiet mountain villages, the fading visage of ancient tea farmers, the wa of the society that is such a double-edged sword.
For years I wanted to go to Japan. In college I was planning on joining JET and doing a few years doing ESL. But I met my now-wife my senior year and my plans changed. About six years ago I said fuck it and stared saving, slowly but surely, for a trip to Japan. One of my old college buddies and I were hiking one day and I told him my intent to go backpacking in Japan, alone if necessary, and it turns out he was doing the exact same planning.
So we ended up going together and have been toying with business venture ideas since we've come back. Import/export, healthcare translating services, some kind of consulting, etc. Then it dawned on me... I fucking love shinto shrines. There's something about the harmony in nature and the fact that they're hidden everywhere. Sanctuaries. In the middle of isolated mountains or in the middle of a major city like Tokyo. When I was in Japan, I hit up every shinto shrine I came across and loved performing the shinto ceremonies, despite my lack of belief in shinto deities.
There are three shinto shrines in the United States. Two in Hawaii and one in Washington. Obviously, I'm not a shinto priest, nor do I abide by shinto tradition. But how cool would it be to have a shinto shrine somewhere on the east coast - literally on the opposite side of the world from Japan? I mean, there's enough of a legitimate Japanese population in Nashville to justify a weekend festival, perhaps there's enough to justify a shinto shrine that can act as both a legit place of worship as well as a regional attraction?
This is totally a long shot and highly unrealistic. Nor do I have any sort of long-term plan on how I would even be involved outside of the initial kickoff. But my thoughts are a shinto shrine in Nashville or somewhere else on the east coast.
Obviously, it would be handled as a non-profit and would need to be maintained by a legit shinto priest. There are likely cultural grants that could help acquire the necessary land and building efforts, as well as fundraising efforts. The shrine, once up and running, could be self-maintaining just like those in Japan; the sell of trinkets, fortunes, and blessings could help with the shrine costs and the priest would likely live on the premises and help with operations.
This could provide a backbone of the Japanese regional community, act as a tourist destination, and provide a venue for ceremonies, festivals, and even weddings.
I'm starting a little research now to see if it would even be feasible. Not looking good, but it's worth looking into if it's something I'm passionate about. Like I said, I'm not even sure how I would fit in outside of kicking off the efforts and helping coordinate, but it's a thought I'm currently trying to wrap my mind around.
