George (J.) Tanabe (Jr.) is an academic specialist in Japanese religions (esp. Buddhism) and taught in the Department of Religion at the University of Hawaii. His authored, co-authored and edited books include MYOE THE DREAMKEEPER: FANTASY AND KNOWLEDGE IN EARLY KAMAKURA BUDDHISM (Harvard), RELIGIONS OF JAPAN IN PRACTICE (Princeton), SOURCES OF JAPANESE TRADITION (Columbia), PRACTICALLY RELIGIOUS: WORLDLY BENEFITS AND THE COMMON RELIGION OF JAPAN (Hawaii), and JAPANESE BUDDHIST TEMPLES IN HAWAII: AN ILLUSTRATED GUIDE (Hawaii). In 2007, he was awarded the Japanese Foreign Minister's Award for promoting mutual cultural understanding between Japan and the United States. Since his retirement in 2006, he has written three novels, all of which remain unpublished. For more about his nonfiction and fiction, go to his website: tanabebooks.com.