Sept. 2,
2026 - Tomu "Tom" Yamamoto (山本十夢), live at Kento's Shinjuku, Aug. 30,
2026
Once again 13-yr-old wonder
child Tom knocked it outta the park impersonating Elvis Presley in
Tokyo, Japan!
Tomu "Tom" Yamamoto (山本十夢),
live at Kento's Shinjuku, Aug. 30,
2026
(If player above is not visible, you can view video
at YouTube.)
0:00 Jailhouse Rock
2:33 Let It Be Me
5:26 Can't Help Falling in Love You
8:21 Love Me Tender
11:07 Unchained Melody
14:22 I Just Can't Help Believing
17:39 All Shook Up (abbreviated unexpectedly by Paddington Bear!)
(backing vocals: Yoichi Tsubusaki)
Aug. 31,
2026 - Elvis tribute
artist Yasumasa Mori (森泰正), live at Kento's Shinjuku, Aug. 30, 2026
In 1992 a young Japanese man became the first and only Asian Elvis
tribute artist ever to win the International Elvis Impersonator Contest
in Memphis, Tennessee. That's right.... he beat out all American
contestants!
Since then Mr. Yasumasa Mori (森泰正) has continued to actively perform
live on stages both in Japan and abroad and has appeared in all major
TV & print media in both Japan & America, including all 3 major
television networks in the U.S.
So yesterday in Kento's Live House in Shinjuku, I was honored to see
the amazing Mori-san, along with other accomplished pro musicians,
perform in celebration of the 44th anniversary of his debut as an Elvis
tribute artist. Now in his 60s, as you will see in this video, this
remarkable Japanese entertainer hasn't skipped a beat!
Thanks to
wonderful folks like Yasumasa, the King of Rock and Roll's legend lives
on in the Land of the Rising Sun....
[By all means, don't miss all the wild dancing Mori-san fans in the
Johnny B. Goode song who absolutely adore this man! Nor will you want
to miss his spectacular finale to the Suspicious Minds song (beginning
around 19:20)!]
Elvis tribute artist Yasumasa Mori (森泰正), live at Kento's Shinjuku,
Aug. 30, 2026
(If player above is not visible, you can view video
at YouTube.)
0:00 Sweet Caroline
3:06 Polk Salad Annie
6:03 You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'
10:14 Johnny B. Goode
13:55 Suspicious Minds
Aug. 8,
2026 - Surgical Team Clings to Patient While Earthquake Rocks Japan
If you've ever wondered what might happen if a major quake struck while
you're undergoing surgery, here's how it looked last week in a hospital
operating room during the M7.1 Kumamoto, Japan quake. Scary stuff! 😲😱
Surgical Team Clings to Patient While Earthquake Rocks Japan
(If player above is not visible, you can view video
at YouTube.)
Aug. 6,
2026 - YOU KNOW YOU ARE IN TEXAS IN AUGUST WHEN…
- Trees are whistling for dogs.
- The best parking place is determined by shade instead of distance.
- Hot water now comes out of both taps.
- You learn that a seat belt buckle makes a pretty good branding iron.
- You discover that it only takes 2 fingers to steer your car.
- You break into a sweat the instant you step outside at 7:30 am.
- The temperature drops below 95 (35 C) and you feel a little chilly.
- You discover that you can get sunburned through your car window.
- You actually burn your hand opening the car door.
- Your biggest bicycle wreck fear is, 'What if I get knocked out and
end up lying on the pavement and cook to death?'
- You realize that asphalt has a liquid state.
- The potatoes cook underground, so all you have to do is pull one out
and add butter, salt, and pepper.
- Farmers are feeding their chickens crushed ice to keep them from
laying boiled eggs.
- The cows are producing only evaporated milk.
Ah, what a great place to call home.
God Bless the Great State of Texas!
July
25, 2026 - Bumper crop season for Japanese mini-tomatoes
It's a bumper crop season for Japanese mini-tomatoes on my veranda this
year. Yay! 🤙👌👏🙏
July 13,
2026 - Automatic pancake making machine in Japan
I guess I’ve been living in a cave, but last week was my first time to
ever see an automatic pancake making machine. Just wave your hand over
the sensor and in just about a minute later out pops a cute little
golden brown ready-to-eat, pancake. Wow!
At first I was thinking, hey, this is a pretty cool new Japanese
invention, but according to Wikipedia, the earliest known pancake
machine was invented in the US in 1928. The Popcake-brand machine that
I saw was invented by an Australian man and now over 7000 of his
machines are used worldwide…
Automatic pancake making machine in Japan
(If player above is not visible, you can view video
at YouTube.)
June 14,
2026 - "A Prayer for Ted, from your twin brother David" video
A wonderful man reflects back on many heartfelt memories
of his twin brother who passed away 18 years ago, in the form of a
beautiful, prayerful song.
A Prayer for Ted, from your twin brother David
(If player above is not visible, you can view video
at YouTube.)
June 1,
2026 - Tomu "Tom" Yamamoto (山本十夢), live at Kento's Shinjuku, May 31,
2026
13-yr-old wonder
child Tom knocked it outta the park impersonating Elvis Presley in
Tokyo, Japan!
Tomu "Tom" Yamamoto (山本十夢),
live at Kento's Shinjuku, May 31,
2026
(If player above is not visible, you can view video
at YouTube.)
0:00 Tom on TV
1:17 That's All Right, Mama
4:50 Can't Help Falling in Love with You
7:37 C'mon Everybody
10:21 Blue Suede Shoes
12:50 Hey Elvis
(with Mr. Yasumasa Mori & Ms. Maiko Uegaki)
May 25,
2026 - Upcoming, super-spectacular Venus-Jupiter conjunction!
To all my fellow
passionate stargazers in the northern hemisphere... as
you know, Venus is our brightest planet and Jupiter is 2nd-brightest.
You can’t miss them... they outshine ALL the stars! About every 3-5
years, these 2 blazing worlds come together in a way that’s truly
spectacular. They’re gearing up to do that RIGHT now. Their conjunction
will be around June 8 and 9.
In Tokyo our 2 brightest planets are now already clearly visible every
night in the western sky after dark (Venus the brighter one on the
lower right) & on May 12, they were about 30 degrees apart.
And when closest, their distance apart will be just 3-moon-widths
(roughly 1.5 degrees, or the width of your pinky finger held at arm’s
length). It'll be fun to watch them edge closer & closer day by day.
For my Tokyo friends, I recommend doing your stargazing before 8:30, as
Venus sets around 9:30 pm. Let's enjoy watching every night the sky is
clear! Check out Venus & Jupiter rise and set times for your
location here: https://www.almanac.com/astronomy/planets-rise-and-set
A police officer discovered the lower half of a human body near Sengen
Toge pass in the Nippara district of Western Tokyo’s Okutama on Tuesday.
...The droppings and footprints of a large animal were found in the
vicinity, and police are working to identify the body. They believe it
is possible the person died as the result of a bear attack or a
mountain accident.
...Starting on Tuesday morning, a team of about 30 people — including
police officers and members of a local hunting club — searched the
area, as a result of which they found the body at the bottom of a cliff
about 100 meters from the hiking trail... (click link above to read
more)
May 13,
2026 - Mizuki Shinagawa’s Aerial Silks Act Flows Like a Brushstroke -
WOW!
Amazing! I don't recall ever seeing anything like this before...
Mizuki Shinagawa’s Aerial Silks Act Flows Like a Brushstroke |
Britain's Got Talent 2026
(If player above is not visible, you can view video
at YouTube.)
[Aerial silks is a performance art where artists perform acrobatics
while hanging from suspended fabric, using their strength and skill to
create impressive poses and movements without safety lines.]
April 29,
2026 - Golden Week begins TODAY!
Today, Showa Day (昭和の日,
Shōwa no Hi), is a national holiday in Japan reflecting back on the
Shōwa Era (1926–1989) and kicks off the week-long holiday period known
as Golden Week, often abbreviated simply as GW.
Well, GW has another meaning in my life.... not only my initials but
also my nickname, courtesy of my most beloved family and friends since
my childhood days. [Actually, most of my old college buddies just call
me Gee Dub. 😊]
Needless to say, GW is one of my favorite times of the year in Japan
because everywhere you look, my nickname is plastered on countless
advertising signs all over the city. It's nice to be so famous, ha ha.
😃
The sign below I spotted a few years ago at the local KFC. Yee hah, let
the fun begin! 😆
April 6,
2026 - The Freedom
CD #2 by Big Bears
This amazing group, one of the hottest rock bands in Katsushika, Tokyo,
just released their latest album on March 27, 2026. Band leader and
lead guitarist/soloist Hidekazu Okuma is nicknamed "Big Bear" because
Okuma means "big bear" in Japanese.
Lyrics & music, guitar, & vocals: Hidekazu Okuma
Bass guitar: Yukio Sato
Drums: Yoji Tanabe
Production & mixing: Yoji Tanabe
The Freedom CD #2 by Big Bears
(If player above is not visible, you can view video
at YouTube.)
0:00 抱きしめたい (I
Want to Hold You)
5:11 鎮魂歌
(Requiem)
9:44 サラリーマンブルース
(Salaryman Blues)
Mt. Fuji's climbing season ends; foreigners accounted for 32% of climbers
Mt. Fuji's climbing season ended on Thursday, with foreigners accounting for 32 percent of climbers during the season that began about 2 months ago.
The figures were compiled for the first time using an online trail reservation system introduced this year, which collected hikers' information including their nationalities.
The number of hikers on the Yoshida Trail on the Yamanashi Prefecture side of Mount Fuji in central Japan, the most popular of the 4 trails, rose 17 percent from the previous year to around 170,000, according to the prefectural government...
On September 9, two solo climbers were found in cardiac arrest along the Fujinomiya route. One, a man in his 50s, was discovered near the summit; the other, a Thai man in his 60s, was found near the New 7th Station. Both were later confirmed dead. Neither showed obvious external injuries, according to police, and their causes of death have not yet been reported...
...On September 6, a 62-year-old man from Tokyo was found dead around the 8th station of the Gotemba route after another climber reported that he was unwell. He was believed to have been climbing alone.
Reckless Mt. Fuji climbers may be charged for rescue helicopters used in mountaineering accidents
It has been learned on the 8th, through interviews with multiple sources, that Yamanashi Prefecture is in the final stages of negotiations to charge for rescue operations by disaster relief helicopters following accidents caused by reckless climbing on Mt. Fuji.
Following a series of accidents on Mt. Fuji during its closed season, the prefecture is considering charging for rescue operations by disaster relief helicopters...
...The prefecture plans to announce details about charging for rescue services on Mt. Fuji soon.
13-yr-old Elvis impersonator Tom Yamamoto (山本十夢) thrills his fans in Tokyo
Once again 13-yr-old wonder child Tom knocked it outta the park impersonating Elvis Presley at Kento's Shinjuku on Aug. 30, 2026.
0:00 Jailhouse Rock2:33 Let It Be Me5:26 Can't Help Falling in Love You8:21 Love Me Tender11:07 Unchained Melody14:22 I Just Can't Help Believing17:39 All Shook Up (abbreviated unexpectedly by Paddington Bear!) :-)
Elvis tribute artist Yasumasa Mori (森泰正), live at Kento's Shinjuku
In 1992 a young Japanese man became the first and only Asian Elvis tribute artist ever to win the International Elvis Impersonator Contest in Memphis, Tennessee. That's right.... he beat out all American contestants!
Since then Mr. Yasumasa Mori (森泰正) has continued to actively perform live on stages both in Japan and abroad and has appeared in all major TV & print media in both Japan & America, including all 3 major television networks in the U.S.
So yesterday in Kento's Live House in Shinjuku, I was honored to see the amazing Mori-san, along with other accomplished pro musicians, perform in celebration of the 44th anniversary of his debut as an Elvis tribute artist. Now in his 60s, as you will see in this video, this remarkable Japanese entertainer hasn't skipped a beat!...
German woman rescued from Mt. Fuji after suffering altitude sickness and then hiking to peak anyway
On the morning of August 19, a 33-year-old German woman began hiking the Fujinomiya Trail, beginning at the trail’s 5th station. In the afternoon, the woman reached the 8th station, when she was suffering from altitude sickness symptoms. After undergoing a medical examination at the 8th station’s medical center, the woman secured accommodations in a mountain hut and rested through the night.
The next morning before dawn, the woman got back on the trail and pressed on to the summit. She eventually made it to the peak, but at some point, the woman began to once again suffer from altitude sickness. She was able to make her way back down to the 8th station, but felt so unwell, she had to be transported in a bulldozer back down to the 5th station, after which she was then transferred to the hospital for examination and treatment.
Father abandons 7-year-old on Mount Fuji to reach summit
A 48-year-old father from Nagoya, Japan, was reprimanded by police after leaving his 7-year-old son alone on Mount Fuji while continuing a climb toward the summit with his older child.
The father was climbing Mount Fuji’s Fujinomiya Trail on Aug. 20 with his 2 sons, ages 7 and about 12 or 13. The younger boy became tired around the 6th station, roughly 2,500 meters (8,000 feet) above sea level. The father told the child to “wait here” and continued climbing with the older son...
...A mountain hut worker found the 7-year-old sitting alone on a bench around 7:40 a.m., brought him inside and contacted police. By the time police reached the father, he had already climbed near the 8th station. Police ordered him to return for his son...
Surgical Team Clings to Patient While Earthquake Rocks Japan
If you've ever wondered what might happen if a major quake struck while you're undergoing surgery, here's how it looked last week in a hospital operating room during the M7.1 Kumamoto, Japan quake. Scary stuff! 😲😱
Foreign hiker on Mt. Fuji loses consciousness and dies, becoming climbing season’s 2nd fatality
On July 17, a 65-year-old man from Nara was making the Fujinomiya Trail ascent as part of a tour group. At around 6:30 in the morning, as the group was continuing upward between the 8th and 9th of the 10 stations along the trail, the man fell and struck his head against a hard surface. Emergency rescue and medical services were called for, but the blunt impact resulted in the man’s death.
Four days later, on July 21, a 58-year-old Swiss man was hiking along the same trail with his son in the afternoon. They stopped to rest in a mountain hut near the Fujinomiya Trail’s new 7th station, but while they were there, the father lost consciousness. His son alerted the hut’s staff and they summoned the Shizuoka Prefectural Police’s mountain rescue team, who reached the hut shortly before 4 p.m.
99-year-old woman rescued after attempting to climb Mt. Fuji
The unemployed woman from Iwaki City, Fukushima Prefecture attempted to reach the summit over several days but fell on the 16th, injuring her waist and hips. After taking a break, she resumed climbing but became unable to move near the original 7th station on the Fujinomiya trail and called the police.
The woman was then rescued by the Shizuoka prefectural police's mountain rescue team on the 17th. The prefectural police are calling for "the promotion of reasonable climbing plans that take into account climbing experience, physical strength, etc."
Does the Mt. Fuji summit post office sell unique stamps?
I've researched this question and have been unable to find an answer. I'd like to avoid standing in line to buy stamps for my postcards and will buy the stamps before I climb unless there are stamps at the top that are unique to Mt Fuji and can only be purchased there. I assume it's just the cancellation that's unique.
Hiker needs to be rescued from Mt. Fuji twice in 2 days
On the morning of July 11, a 54-year-old man from Kobe arrived at the start of the Fujinomiya Trail... The man started hiking and, by around 2 p.m., was getting close to the trail’s 8th station... He’d become so exhausted during the hike, though that he now knew he didn’t have the stamina to make it the rest of the way to the peak, and so he called for an emergency rescue.
A team of Shizuoka Prefectural Police was dispatched and transported the man back down to a mountain hut near the trail’s 7th station, where they instructed him to rest, as he hadn’t suffered any injuries during his attempted ascent.
The man followed his rescuers’ directions and slept overnight in the hut, spending around 11 hours in the facility. The next morning, at around 6:45 a.m., he began walking back towards the bottom of the mountain, but after an hour or so on the trail, he once again called for a rescue, saying “I was worried this was going to happen” and “I’m too tired to walk any farther.”
Mt. Fuji sees surge in Climbers in Shizuoka Trails' Opening Day
On July 10, Shizuoka Prefecture recorded 1,487 climbers on Mount Fuji's opening day for the Fujinomiya and Gotemba trails. This figure represents an increase of over 550 people compared to the same day last year, which local officials attribute to calm weather and a favorable calendar date. ...International tourists accounted for approximately 28% of the total crowd, with 425 foreign climbers marking a slight increase from the previous year's numbers.
I guess I’ve been living in a cave, but last week was my first time to ever see an automatic pancake making machine. Just wave your hand over the sensor and in just about a minute later out pops a cute little golden brown ready-to-eat, pancake. Wow!
At first I was thinking, hey, this is a pretty cool new Japanese invention, but according to Wikipedia, the earliest known pancake machine was invented in the US in 1928. The Popcake-brand machine that I saw was invented by an Australian man and now over 7000 of his machines are used worldwide…
New Mt. Fuji midnight bus takes hikers from Tokyo straight to the Yoshida Trail's 5th station
As of July 3 bus operator Fujikyu Bus now runs a nightly bus that leaves from Busta Shinjuku, the bus terminal adjacent to Tokyo’s Shinjuku Station, and arrives at Mt. Fuji’s Fifth Station the following morning... The bus departs at 11:25 p.m. and goes directly to Mt. Fuji, arriving at 2 a.m. That gives you around one hour to acclimate and take care of any final pre-hike preparations before the Yoshida Trail opens at 3 a.m...
The bus fare is 5,800 yen (US$36) if purchased at a convenience store or the bus terminal, or 5,500 yen for those making an online reservation through the highway-buses.jp website... The overnight bus is scheduled to be offered through to the September 9 departure/September 10 arrival, ending on the final day of the 2026 Yoshida Trail hiking season.
Mt. Fuji's climbing season ended on Thursday, with foreigners accounting for 32 percent of climbers during the season that began about 2 months ago. The figures were compiled for the first time using…
On September 9, two solo climbers were found in cardiac arrest along the Fujinomiya route. One, a man in his 50s, was discovered near the summit; the other, a Thai man in his 60s, was found near the N…
It has been learned on the 8th, through interviews with multiple sources, that Yamanashi Prefecture is in the final stages of negotiations to charge for rescue operations by disaster relief helicopter…
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