Trip Home 2026 (going).

The time had come to visit America, and I took two extra weeks this time so I could spend my mother’s birthday with her.

Acculturation, or “When in the Village…”

As of this writing, I’ve lived in Tokyo for nearly twelve years. I’ve picked up a number of local cultural norms over the years, but if I were new to the city and only based my behavior on observing others, then this would be how I’d have learned to exit the train.

Yes, I 図書館！

One problem I find when wanting to write — be it updating my blog(s), adding to my fantasy world database, or adding a new story to my lore — is that if I’m at home, there are far too many distractions. (I imagine this is true for those that work from home as well.)

So not long ago, I looked to see if there was a public library near me. As it turns out, there’s one only about ten minutes away. I scoped it out last week so I knew where it was, and this week, I grabbed my older laptop and trudged over.

Odds & Ends (part 59).

Has it really been eight months since I did one of these?

Locational Resonance.

Here’s something I found on my Facebook…

On this day
10 years ago
The thing about living in Tokyo is that when they talk about places, I know them. Ghouls in the 11th Ward? 大田区, where I live. The half-flooded ruin of 新橋 and the inactive 銀座線 in Psycho-Pass? I guessed both from context. It adds a little; makes it more personal. This must be how New Yorkers feel all the time.

Nintendobstacle.

Go, Kirby, Go!

I was on my way home through Shimbashi Station today, crossing it to my transfer. Ahead of me were some men dressed in construction outfits. As I got closer, I could see they were replacing the massive sign Nintendo always has up for new releases. In this case, it’s the new Kirby game, with the titular character displayed prominently. The men were calling out to people to be careful, since they were moving it across the corridor in such a way that it’d briefly interrupt the flow of traffic.

As I approached, I called out in my best Anime Character Voice:
「おい！カービィ君！邪魔だ！」(“Hey, Kirby! Outta the way!”)

At least one of the guys chuckled at that, and their leader apologized for the inconvenience with a smile. Sometimes, an opportunity presents itself, y’know?

Day Home Service.

On my walks, I often pass a place where little old people go for the day.

American Vacation 2025 (during).

Being back in the States allows me to do a few things I either don’t or can’t do here in Tokyo. Here’s a quick overview from this summer’s trip.

American Vacation 2025 (returning).

After a month in the States, it was finally time to go home.

I talk funny.

I’ve mentioned before that much of the Japanese I learned was from games, anime, and drama CDs. Because of that, a lot of the words and phrases I’ve learned both then and now have been delivered in character. As a result, when I speak, my pitch and modulation often change a fair amount.