What you do is who you are I went to six jiu-jitsu classes this week. That is more than I went to in the whole of 2023! I’m feeling pretty good mentally. Physically, I am very tired and very sore. But in a good way. No injuries, nothing that is going to last more than […]
The humidity was unreal Took this photo while cycling home this week. It was a really humid evening, to the point that the moisture was condensing out of the air to become 霧雨 kirisame -not quite drizzle, a bit more than mist. I’ve been walking/cycling a bit more recently. This means I take more photos, […]
The weird and wonderful world of Japanese rice fish My granddaughter has a somewhat unusual hobby for a 14-year old girl: she’s really into medaka (Japanese rice fish). To be honest, I am quite pleased that she chose this hobby instead of hanging out with juvenile delinquents or oversharing on TikTok. So when she asked […]
I have a bad feeling about this year It’s 30 degrees in Morioka today, 29 in Yamagata. Sendai a bit cooler. Apparently this year might end up being a super El Nino, which sounds… bad. I’m guessing 2026 will once again end up being one of the hottest years on record. One thing we can […]
Still not possible (for me) Today I saw the Red Cross were soliciting blood donations at our local supermarket, so I went and had a chat with them. I am (still!) not allowed to donate blood in Japan. This worries me slightly because I have a fairly rare blood type (A-) and I fear there […]
But what to do with it? My mother in law was cleaning up last week and decided to give these old bottles of alcoholic beverages to my wife. They were presents given to my father in law when he was still working, so likely at least 30 years ago if not longer. My wife likes […]
What are you planning to do? We usually relax during the Golden Week holidays. Travel (either domestic or international) really doesn’t seem worth it, and I am not a fan of crowds (or traffic jams!). On the other hand it is usually a good time to go to parks, have a barbecue at the in-laws’ […]
So much better than on Zoom I had a great time at the Japan Real Estate Summit today. Learned a lot, met so many nice people, and even got through my presentation without too many issues. It is so good to meet and talk to people in person. Zoom is a lifesaver and makes it […]
Preparing for disaster There have been a lot of disaster preparation programs and news segments on TV recently. From the predicted Nankai megatrough earthquake to a strong earthquake under Tokyo and even a Mt. Fuji eruption, it’s starting to feel a bit real. We were in Sendai for the 3-11 earthquake, so my wife and […]
A surprisingly good stay This photo was taken on April 2nd in Zao Onsen Town in Yamagata. Went to stay at the surprisingly excellent Zao International Hotel for one night (we had been planning to get a final ski day in after checking out, but sadly was not to be due to the freak accident […]
Finding joy in the everyday A few times a year we head down to visit the family grave. It’s outside of Sendai in a little town to the south. Takes about half an hour from our place ’cause we live next to the highway exit. Over the years we have made this into a little […]
Not your average Thursday On Thursday I had my first ride in a Japanese ambulance. The day started off fairly normally. Woke up. Got up. Said good morning to my wife. Made some coffee. Did a light weights workout (I have adjustable barbells and an adjustable incline bench at home). Got halfway through the workout […]
They always get you somehow I had to go to the immigration office last Friday. Now, depending on where you live in Japan and the reason for the visit this may elicit more or less sympathy. In my case, it was the Sendai immigration office (not too bad) and I was there to help someone […]
Consequences are coming What a month already. I thought we left the crazy times behind in 2025, but apparently not. Looks like we’re due for even more inflation, maybe some more stock market wobbles, possibly even more geopolitics (the US using up all their ammunition on Iran seems like a great time for China to […]
Too much routine makes Jack a dull boy Been a bit busy recently, and driving too much so no new photos this week. Here’s an old one from East London instead. Which reminds me, maybe it is time to move again. I’ve been very static recently. I like the comfort of routine, but too much […]
And waits for no one (that’s me… in 2002) I just realised that the junior high school students I taught when I first arrived in Japan are now 41 years old. Which makes perfect sense, because I am now 48 years old. This seems both longer and shorter than it should be. Time is a […]
A well made negitoro don might be as close as you can get It was my granddaughter’s birthday the other day, and she decided she wanted to go to a little sushi place near us for her party. Well, first she said she wanted to go to a fancy French place, but we wouldn’t have […]
Influenza B is not fun this year This week I had the ‘flu, which was not fun. Starting to recover now, thankfully, but that is why this is a slightly shorter Monday Read than usual! I think the main reason I got it this time was due to being sleep deprived. Take care of yourselves […]