Minimalism - Online Income - ESL - Japan
My general observations from living in Japan.
In the cabbage fields of Tsumagoi in Gunma prefecture, about 20 loving hubbies gathered to scream out messages of love to their wives. It was an event called “Kyabetsu Batake no Chushin de Ai O Sakebu” (“Shouting love in the center of a cabbage field.”), a pun on Kyoichi Katayama’s best-selling novel, “Sekai no Chushin de Ai O Sakebu” (“Shouting love in the center of the world”). From the Mainichi […]
There was a shocking piece of news today about a woman who threw her 2-year-old child from the 11th floor of an apartment building, but I thought I’d spare you from that horrifying story and instead tell you about a woman who lost four fingers after walking her dog. Here’s a snippet of what the Mainichi News reported: A 95-year-old woman lost four fingers when a dog leash she was holding got caught […]
I honestly don’t know what to add to the article you’re about to read. I was shocked to see it on TV today, and teaching regularly at Japanese kindergartens myself, I just felt sick to the stomach. From the Mainichi News: At about 9:55 a.m., a white van rammed into a line of 33 children and five teachers from a local nursery school at an intersection along a municipal road […]
So imagine you’re at a pharmacy and you see this cute little dog tied up outside. What do you do? Most of us would assume the dog’s owner is in the pharmacy and think nothing of it. Maybe we would pat its head, scratch its belly, or even give it a hug. I don’t think any sane person would do what this woman did though… A Mainichi News report: A 39-year-old woman from Sapporo’s Chuo-ku […]
In the post Policeman arrested for copping a feel, I told you about a Japanese police officer who groped a woman on a train. Today’s story is even better! The Mainichi News reported that a police sergeant was fired for driving to work drunk. Here are the main parts of the story: Okayama Prefectural Police fired the 60-year-old officer on disciplinary grounds and sent an investigation report to prosecutors on Tuesday, accusing him […]
It’s quite common in Japan to see news reports about chikan, people who grope others on crowded commuter trains. In today’s Mainichi News, there’s a story about a policeman doing just that. Here’s the gist of it: Koji Yamano, 50, the policeman, was arrested for breaking an Osaka Prefectural Government ordinance outlawing people from creating a public nuisance. Yamano admits to the allegations. “I just couldn’t help myself. I’m so […]
Over the last few months, Mami and I have been seriously saving for a house. We’ve visited a few but have yet to find one we’re happy with. While I knew that I might encounter problems getting a mortgage, I figured that because she is Japanese we would be okay… but it looks like it won’t be that easy. Firstly, most banks won’t loan money to foreigners unless they have permanent […]
After I graduated back in 1997, I boarded a JAL flight from London to Tokyo as I set out to experience a country which would later become my home. I was 21 years old and had no idea of what to expect, in fact I wasn’t even sure that the family I hoped to stay with for the summer even knew I was coming! These were the days before the internet and […]