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Small steps
This past week saw a lot of detail work at 555 as the carpenters finish up. I am going to miss Mr. Sasaki and Yoshida-san who are always so kind to me and have used their skill and care with the house these past months. While these guys did their thing, I put the third…
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Kakishibu Party
Yesterday, 555 received two coats of kakishibu in 2 hours! When Jo and I painted the east, west, and north sides in May, it took a while. We were methodical and figuring it out as we went along. With 7 people helping yesterday, it was a lot faster to do the south side. It was…
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Equalising Gender in Japan
Let me lead with the obvious; there isn’t much gender equality here. But I have an idea that might help. The situation Japan ranked 125th out of 146 countries in the 2023 Global Gender Gap report by the World Economic Forum. It will take 131 years for Japan to close the gender gap according to…
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Kitchen counter hybrid
One of the features that we have saved until the end of the project is the giant counter island between the kitchen and dining room. It’s been a concept in my head for quite a long time, but a big question mark about how we’d have it done. This week, Sasaki-san and I sat down…
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Fishing shed treasure
One of the outbuildings on the property, just at the end of the driveway, has been falling down since we first saw the place. I call it the Fishing Shed because it’s been full of fishing nets, mostly. I want to move the Tile Mines into this space and decided to take the wooden structure…
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Color palette
One fun but challenging decision has hung over me since May – the selection of tile and wallpaper. Last night, we finally got it all decided. Here it is, the final color palette for the walls and tiles: We have mostly grey-leaning earth tones with pops of color and texture for interest. No strong patterns…
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This summer’s fav drink
Japan ‘s beverage & snack industry is known for its seasonal and limited time products. It’s a manufacturer’s nod to the seasonality of produce and fish, I suppose. Nothing sticks around forever. I appreciate it now, but I still remember the juniper-flavored soda I encountered on our first trip to Japan in 1995. It was…
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In the cracks
The other day while we were sitting around 555 on a break, Sasaki-san asked if I had started packing for the move yet. “A little bit,” I replied. But mostly I am thinking about what I want (and don’t want) to take with me. Right now, I am decluttering my “fantasy selves”. For example, I…
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Hidden messages
I have been adding magic to the house by writing messages on the framing of the rooms. I have imbued the house with guiding words and affirmations. They will all be covered over by walls and floors. Invisible to the eye, the energy of my intention and incantations will seep through gently. When you look…
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Green & more green
I have been neglecting my grass cutting, as Shimizu-san reminded me when he stopped by 555 on Friday. He isn’t wrong. It’s been a couple of weeks and the weeds grow wildly fast. The sugina (pictured above) has taken over a lot of the spaces. So today I made an effort to tidy things up,…
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