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Language woes again
Japan is getting more rigorous in their requirements for visas. They have increased visa fees to match global standards (but not wages; that’s another blog post), changed rules around applying for permanent residency, and added language requirements. Starting soon, new immigrants who use Japanese in their work and are applying for Engineer or Specialist in…
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Oyama Walking
Always on a quest to improve visitor experience at Oyama Senmaida, I recently created a walking map featuring three of my favorite routes around the area. The green route, 不動の道 (Fudou no Michi), leads to Oyama Fudouson, a 1300 year old temple and registered cultural property. It’s an uphill ramble along a forested road dotted…
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Serpentine Shores (and Hills)
Our local geology is fascinating. We live along a narrow belt of serpentine that crosses through the Chiba peninsula. Nobody has quite figured out how it got here. On Sunday, Tod & I joined Oyama Senmaida’s geotour – it’s a long-running program coming back after a six year hiatus. Geologists Naoki Takahashi and Nobuko Ushimura…
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Dual Pricing for Tourists
Japan is in the process of considering dual pricing for tourists. The government’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism is meeting now with a plan to make a report this summer. But in the Japanese way, if they have announced they are studying it, the plan’s already made and the report will merely provide…
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A lifetime of weaving
Morita Seki is retiring after 60 years of weaving. She is 92. I saw an article in the Bonichi about her “final exhibition” at a gallery in downtown Tateyama and I had to go to meet her and to see some of her work. By the time I got there on the 20th, day before…
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Teaching the Gaijin
From the Japan Times yesterday: “The 98-page policy package said the government will consider making it mandatory for foreign residents to take courses on Japanese language and societal systems when applying for or renewing visas.” Educating new residents is a good idea, but what makes sense to teach? These four topics seem to come up…
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Fireworks over the Sea
Last night I had an unexpected and very funny conversation with my Oyama Senmaida friends about death – in the middle of a party celebrating the new year. It makes me realise, yet again, that I have fallen into the right group of people Six of us were sitting around my dining room table while…
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Never Fully Enculturated
In a conversation with an older friend recently, I realised that no matter how long you live in Japan, an international resident can never be fully enculturated. You can speak fluently. You can have Japanese family. You can easily manage your daily life. You can even navigate natural disasters with grace. But if you grew…
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New Year Snow
Although it’s not much accumulation, enough snow fell in overnight to cap all of the trees on the mountain. It looks like a wonderland out there right now. I can even see it through my loft window. Last night, a red lunar halo indicated snow and I was delighted when it started fluffing down big…
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Happy 2026
Wishing you and yours a bright and energetic Year of the Horse!
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