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The long hiatus

Good bye Japan

Please go forgive the extremely long time since my last post. Trying to find any sort of time in recent months has been extremely challenging, especially when you consider more recent circumstances e.g. COVID-19.

For those of you who have just discovered this blog, welcome! I hope you enjoy all that there is on this site and also a quick note. I am extremely supportive of the…

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Bike ride: 比奈知ダム or Hinachi Dam

Bike ride: 比奈知ダム or Hinachi Dam

Hinachi lake at Hinachi Dam

Quite a while ago, I posted a bike ride on my journey to Shorenji-dam in Nabari and I called it “Nabari Dam” despite there being more than one…never mind. The argument for Shorenji-dam being called Nabari dam is a weak one for one simple reason- it doesn’t feed Nabari river- unlike Hinachi-dam (no more names now I swear)!

The journey to the second dam started…

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Awareness: a changing climate

Awareness: a changing climate

I have been thinking about the best way to go into detail about Japan’s changing climate. I do realize that this is a global issue, but sometimes an abstract idea like a global environment is a bit too hard to understand. So instead, please look at the picture below: it says more than I ever could.

The headline simply reads “there’s no snow”.

From the Asahi-Shinbun dated 22/01/2020

Japa…

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Awareness: Chinese coronavirus outbreak

Awareness: Chinese coronavirus outbreak

Worries are spreading across not just East-Asia but globally

Photo by Suzy Hazelwood on Pexels.com

There are increasing worries spreading across Japan regarding the new Chinese coronavirus (names nCoV-2019) and its ability to infect both animals and humans. Specifically, the worry is about the virus’s ability to become a pandemic.

To highlight the seriousness of this issue, Japanese…

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Resolution: preparing to leave Japan

Resolution: preparing to leave Japan

Sorry for my long hiatus, when uprooting your life (after taking quite a while to establish it), it is quite a stressful time and writing and blogging (even though I do love doing it) did fall be the wayside. But I’m Back!

Anyway, when preparing to leave Japan, one does need a checklist or an escape list that one needs to go through and I thought that for people in a similar situation, it may…

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Lucky Maruda or Daruma

A lucky Maruda on a Kintetsu train

Daruma or Maruda are a classic symbol of luck and they are simply Japanese. But have you ever wondered how they came to be or even what they are?

These delightful charms are initially designed on Bodhidhama or the founder of Zen Buddhism, the Japanese sect of Buddhism. With regards to what the Maruda looks like, each artist can do as much or as little as…

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Resolution: not a sprint...

Resolution: not a sprint…

Photo by Breakingpic on Pexels.com

Japan, it seems, does lend its self to the concept of New Year’s resolutions due to the fact it is an obsession here. There are many products which promise to help with one’s health, or elixirs that “are a ground breaking innovation that well help with X and Y and you won’t believe that you have live without it before”- like every other country!

But no…

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Review: cycle pro shop reco

Review: cycle pro shop reco

When I say the bike I have is not designed for what strain I regularly put it under, I am unfortunately not joking. The bike I own is referred to as a ママチャリ or mothers chariot and it is extreamly common in Japan.

The bike has only 6 gears, front and rear brake pads, a basket on the front handle bars and a place to strap something down behind the rider. The bike is designed in such a way that…

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Resolution and awareness: vaccination

Resolution and awareness: vaccination

While scrolling through social media, there have been several posts suggesting that a pandemic is to occur this decade. There have been major epidemics and thus pandemics in the 1720s, 1820s, 1920s with the 2020s to possibly follow. But what disease if any would be the probable cause?

Firstly: terminology. An epidemic is when a disease affects a great number of people in an area or country. A…

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初詣: First shrine visit of the new year

初詣: First shrine visit of the new year

While living in Japan, it is inevitable that you will pick up some good and some bad habits- it’s just how it goes. One habit that I adore, and will miss, is Hatsumoude or visiting a shrine at the beginning of January.

A Shrine worker stoking the fire

Hatsumoude is held at most if not all shrines across Japan and each shrine offers a different benefit such as business success,…

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Resolution: drinking water just after waking up

Resolution: drinking water just after waking up

Photo by Breakingpic on Pexels.com

Today is January second and if you are already hard at work on your New Year’s resolution: congratulations. If you are yet to start of are struggling, don’t worry. A New year’s resolution is a promise to change your life style- it is a marathon NOT a sprint.

After starting to establish a sleep schedule, another small habit to add is drinking water in the…

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The month ahead: resolutions

The month ahead: resolutions and the first resolution

Photo by Breakingpic on Pexels.com

It’s been quite a month- even if you disregard the 2 weeks when I was unable to post.

I hope awareness month did prove to be useful and don’t worry- I’ll continue to post topics that I believe need more attention but this will also include global topics- not just Japan.

Now January, and as said in the “goodbye Japan” post, I will be leaving Japan this…

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New year plans

Planning to say good bye to Japan

Before I give my review of Japan, it is important to say that the 3 strike rule has been exceeded in 2019. If I ignore the numerous times one of my family was hospitalized, my Uncle died, my Grandmother died and finally my Nana has been given a life limiting diagnosis. This is the final nail in the coffin to my life in Japan, and I am sad to see it go.

Howe…

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What's on: World Masters Games

What's on: World Masters Games Kansai 2021

Image from https://wmg2021.jp/en/faq

If you have been looking at your available vaction time in 2020 and have come to realise that attending the Tokyo Olympics will remain a dream, don’t worry Japan still has your back!

In 2021, the World Masters Games will take place in the Kansai region. This event will start on the 14th of May 2021 and will finish on the 30th of May 2021.

What is it?

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Japanese and UK helpline numbers

Japanese and UK helpline numbers

Photo by lalesh aldarwish on Pexels.com

As the year draws to a close, many people feel like they are unable to cope or have severe difficulties at the dawn of a new year. Below is a list of helpline numbers in the UK and in Japan.

UK helpline numbers

Please note, some of these helpline numbers are for Lancashire only. For more local helplines, please google your county along with what…

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Awareness: Parkinson's disease in Japan

Awareness: Parkinson's disease in Japan

Parkinson’s disease is quite a common NCD in Japan with over 150,000 people who suffer from the disease in Japan. But what exactly is it?

Parkinson’s disease is a progressive nervous system disorder is caused by the loss of dopamine production in the part of the brain called the substantia nigra- part of the midbrain.

Parkinson’s disease is not a life shortening disease alone but many…

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2019: Japanese news highlights

2019: Japanese news highlights

There are many articles and posts that look at the year just (or almost) gone and this article is no different. 2019 has been an extremely busy year for Japan and I have picked out the 12 main news stories of this year- but don’t worry it’ll be kept short.

There are many more important news stories that did occur across Japan, but the stories I have chosen are ones that seemed to make Japan…