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OMG, Mould
This September was the rainiest one on record, which was really bad for our house and all the stuff in it. When we returned after visiting family in the US for a month, our home was completely coated in mould. The kitchen counter was green. The bedframe was sprouting three dimensional orange mould. The futons…
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8 Streetlights, 12 Spiderwebs
I love walking in the night. Tokyo made me forget the beauty of darkness, but the countryside has awakened my enjoyment of evening calmness. It isn’t pitch black, even on a cloudy, new moon night, but photos don’t capture the dull glow of sky, the faint reflections in the rice fields, or the shy blinking…
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Changes of Season
Before we left Tokyo seven months ago, I had a concern about the seasons, of all things. After almost 18 years in the city, I was tuned to the nature there and the procession of plants and weather created a visceral annual timeline for me. If I moved somewhere else, I’d lose my sense of…
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New Year’s Walking
At midnight, we visited Fudoson temple with Chris and Elli. We rang the big bell – nobody was counting the tolls, I wonder if we got to 108 – had some amazake, listened to the monks chanting Sanskrit and Japanese blessings, then stepped into the temple to greet the gods there. That was pretty special,…
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Corner Cow
This is my friend and neighbor, Corner Cow. She lives at the dairy next door and watches over the intersection from her hilltop stall. From the road below, I greet her, talk to her about the weather, and sing her songs. She knows my voice and turns to watch me pass. She sniffs the air…
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Courtesy Call
Our local policeman, Matsuda-san, dropped by this afternoon. He spoke in gloriously slow and clear Japanese to welcome us to the neighborhood and make sure that he had our details for his emergency book. We’ve had these courtesy calls in Tokyo,too, but this one was a little special. “If you ever have any trouble, like…
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Takezawa Demystified
Our questions about the mysterious Takezawa of the abandoned house were answered yesterday by Kawakami-san, who runs the gas station and LP gas business in the village. Takezawa moved down into town and lives in a nice, new house near the barber shop. He truly did abandon the house with no further thought of it.…
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Bus Tickets
Without a car in the countryside, we ride the bus pretty frequently. In fact, I have the schedule memorised now but it is pretty easy because there are only four busses a day that leave from our stop. Tod has invested in “kaisuken” discount bus tickets. They come in different denominations so you can pay…
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Adventure Hiking
A view from the heights above Kozuka According to Open Street Map, up behind the Hackerfarm, past the Kamado no Hi bakery and the site of the Kozuka Art Festival, and there’s a hiking trail. Google Maps doesn’t show it. Akiba said there was nothing but his friend’s house at the end of that road.…
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Unexpected body work
Yesterday in Yoyogi Park I was hula hooping while waiting for a friend when an older man holding some attractive red tasselled ropes walked over to watch. He looked interested, so I stopped and offered him a hoop, “Wanna try?” He shook his head and pointed at his back. “Oh, but it can be…
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