My name is Lee and I'm sure many other members of now-defunct JG forums join me in thanking Michael for creating this new place for us to exchange information and ideas!
Hmmm, well, uh, self-introduction.... OK. My interest in Japan started when I was an exchange student there in 1974 (I grew up in very small towns and had never been on a plane before) and has progressed through many phases, including living in Japan, majoring in Chinese language and Asian History, and working as a technical Japanese translator. Later on, I started a garden design/build business and began to do Japanese gardens, traveling back to Japan many times to study and visit gardens. During the course of all this I'm sure I've committed almost every possible gaijin-related faux pas.
I'm very interested in Japanese garden history and read a lot about it. The most exciting thing I've learned during the past couple of years is how to Google stuff in Japanese.
I attended the Kyoto University of Art and Design Intensive Seminar in 2003 and I subscribe to Niwa, an excellent (if expensive) Japanese-language magazine about Japanese gardens (full of fabulous photos --- helpful even if you don't read Japanese). I love to buy Japanese gardening and history books and have stockpiled quite a few.
I'm interested in discussing JG history, techniques, design, etc., and I'm so glad there will finally be a place again where we can exchange this type of information.
Thanks, Michael!
Lee
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