During the recent heat wave in Tokyo, as a measure of sun-protection, I decided to wear a dark hat to complement the dark suit I was wearing. Apparently, my sartorial choices were peculiar enough to attract the attention of my traveling companion, who mentioned that...
At a time when the entire world is worried about coffee prices, certain coffee shops in the US have started the worrisome trend of serving coffee in a “bucket” size, which is approximately 34 ounces. Coffee bean prices have nearly tripled since 2019, and I’m...
Walking through the park the other day, I had the uneasy feeling I was being watched. Looking up, I noticed a flock of about 20 green parakeets (rose-ringed parakeets) huddled on the power lines above me. Since the native birds here don’t usually congregate in...
Are we on the brink of a new spiritual renaissance? Recently, on the podcast Switched On Pop the hosts noted how there are currently many religious-themed songs on the pop chart, including songs by Alex Warren, Myles Smith and Forrest Frank. There has also been...
Recently, certain art institutions and governments have been cutting back support for so-called “woke” art, or art that speaks to the interests of women and minorities. Adolph Hitler in Germany, Joseph Stalin in the Soviet Union and Mao Zedong in China all made similar attempts...
Writing about bomb shelters last month got me thinking about 9/11 and how it changed the definition of war forever. Looking back on the aftermath of that day, the pre-9/11 idea of having "rules" for when it's permissible to kill your fellow man may seem...
Who (what?) is the real enemy? In January I attended a disaster mitigation training session near my home. These sessions are run by a volunteer organization with the cooperation of various public utilities, and can be attended by anyone living in the specified area. We...
I don’t normally like to admit to having heroes, but I would have to consider Ichiro a hero of mine, but for reasons only remotely related to baseball. Ichiro represented a new image for Japanese men worldwide. Up until Ichiro’s Major League Baseball debut in...
I woke up early this morning to catch the first sunrise of the year. I made a short trip to an area with an expansive view of the sky. At the risk of sounding corny, I must say that watching the sun slowly inch its...
During a recent visit to Okinawa during the Christmas season, I noticed a scarcity of overt signs of Christmas. Moving through various areas of the main island, there were very few sales, product displays, or decorations dedicated to Christmas. There was, however, an abundance of...