hmmn

Naturally there are a lot of things I worry about with respect to the upcoming birth of Naoko and I’s first child. Probably nos. 1 and 2 on this list (they’re really tied for number 1) are the worrisome state of the Japanese education system, and how Naoko and I are going to financially provide [...]

The other night I watched Hirokazu Kore-eda’s 1998 film Wandafuru Raifu (US title: After Life) on DVD. The film is based around the fanciful but intriguing premise of a way-station between death and the after life, where those recently departed have a chance to select the happiest memory from their life, have that moment reenacted [...]

Are you feeling 100%? We think it can be difficult to stay healthy in Japan. In what ways is your lifestyle healthy or unhealthy? Hmmn, is anyone anywhere ever feeling 100%? I don’t think it’s very difficult to stay healthy in Japan, although I do worry about what might happen should I get really sick. [...]

What`s the best thing you`ve done here, what are your best memories so far? (anything outside work – adventure, a great night out, joining a club etc..) Well, I haven’t really done or experienced anything here yet that has knocked my socks off, but I think I would have to say that the time my [...]

Recently there was a call in a local English newspaper for male foreigners living in Japan to share their experiences with the authors of an upcoming guide to living in Japan, to be written from a male perspective. In part because I thought it would make good blog fodder, I decided to participate. (As you [...]

Tokyo is often touted as the most expensive city in the world. A survey released a few months ago confirmed this, though what got lost in the headlines was that this particular survey was based on the cost of living of “a business executive and family sent overseas”. Hmmn, can we say “expense account”? At [...]