It’s that gorgeous time of year again in Tokyo when nature's paintbrush
adds a lot of colorful cheer to our lives.
This kind of beautiful scenery warms my heart and puts a lot more
spring in my step. Even after more than 3 decades here, this much
welcomed boost to our spirit never grows old. Japan is indeed one
beautiful
country...
Fall Colors Tokyo 2022
(click here
to view full album)
Nov. 21,
2022 - Japanese train station postal dropbox
Yes, it's real! You can actually mail letters in it.
Japanese postal dropbox, JR Shinagawa Station, Tokyo
(photo courtesy: Jim
Tittsler)
Nov. 17,
2022 - Happy Birthday to.....ME!
I'm in heaven after being treated to a gorgeous multi-course dinner to
celebrate my landmark birthday... from a wonderful friend I've known
for over 3 decades after my first arriving in Japan.
landmark birthday dinner
Another dear friend awarded me a Happy Birthday Gold Medal for being
the "best guy in the world," ha ha.
Happy Birthday Gold Medal
Nov. 12,
2022 - Today's words of wisdom
"The surest sign of wisdom is constant cheerfulness."
—Michel de Montaigne, French Renaissance philosopher—
Nov. 7,
2022 - Houston Astros 2022 World Series Champions!
This year my hometown team went to the World Series for the 4th time in
6 seasons, and I'm so pleased that for the 2nd time since 2017, the
Houston Astros are 2022 World Series Champions! YAY!
2022 Houston Astros World Series Champions
(photo credit: mlb.com)
Call me old-fashioned, but I still think early November is TOO early to
start displaying Xmas decorations. Nonetheless,
I was touched by a very beautiful triple tree Xmas tree display I saw
yesterday outside a Tokyo train station. Especially impressive was the
village of cute little internally-illuminated houses in the foreground.
Oct.
25, 2022 - What's the difference between an alligator and a crocodile?
I believe the main difference is that one will see you later and the
other will see you in a while. I could be wrong. I'm not a zoologist.
Sept.
16, 2022 - Sunrise over the Edo River in Tokyo, Japan
Friday, Sept. 16, 2022, 5:48 am
Sept. 14,
2022 - Engineering Student Leadership Service Award
In 1970 the Student Engineering Council of the University of Texas at
Austin established the Student Leadership Award in Engineering. Each
year 6 awards are presented and each recipient receives a framed
certificate and a $200 check, which is presented at a luncheon ceremony
during Engineering Week.
Their names are recorded on a permanent plaque displayed in the
Engineering Student Services office in the Engineering Education and
Research Center on the UT Austin campus.
Aug. 11,
2022 - Peak season for Obanazawa Suika watermelons in Yamagata
In this photo, watermelons in the Japan Agricultural Cooperatives
facility in Obanazawa, Yamagata Prefecture, are being inspected for
quality before being shipped out across the country. This is the
busiest time of the year when up to 40,000
Obanazawa Suika watermelons are being shipped every day. WOW!! This
city is one of the largest watermelon growing regions in Japan.
July 31,
2022 - Big Bear's
new CD released July 10th!
Congrats to my musician friend Mr. Hidekazu Okuma (大熊秀和), whom we
affectionately refer to as Big Bear (the English translation of his
family name Okuma), on the release of his band's latest CD on July
10th.
I’ve been following and supporting Big Bear's music for the past 15
years and his "Big Bears" group is without question one of the hottest
rock bands in Katsushika, Tokyo.
He is the lead singer and guitarist of his band and wrote 5 of the 7
songs on their new CD. He also sings 4 of the CD's songs in English,
including an excellent rendition of “Crossroads," the classic hit from
the 60s by Eric Clapton and his band Cream.
Way to go, Big Bear! I hope you sell lots of CDs…
"The Freedom" CD by
Big Bears, released July 10, 2022
(If player above is not visible, you can view Big
Bear's entire YouTube playlist here.)
0:00 I Love Southbay
5:41 We're The Child of God
9:16 Freedom
12:57 Working Man
19:05 Crossroads
23:30 Everyday I Have The Blues
28:01 I Love Southbay (Bossa Nova)
July 17,
2022 - Ruy Ueda sets new world record for running up and down Mt.
Fuji’s 4 trails in less than 10 hours
"28-year-old Japanese athlete Ruy Ueda has set a new Fastest Known
Time (FKT)
for running all of Mount Fuji’s four trails non-stop, a total distance
of 57.06km with 6,772m of ascent. He completed the feat in nine hours,
55 minutes and 41 seconds, a world record when ratified....
....He finished third in the 2021 Skyrunning World Championships. That
same year he became the first Asian Skyrunning World Champion after
winning the Men’s Vertical Kilometer in Lleida, Spain. To prepare his
body for this challenge, Ueda travelled to the Alps and trained with
ultrarunner Florian Neuschwander, competing in Austria’s Hochkönigman,
where he won the downhill race, and France’s Mont Blanc marathon, where
he came in third."
Ruy Ueda sets new world record for running up and down Mt. Fuji’s 4
trails in less than 10 hours
(photo credit: Suguru
Saito/Red Bull Content Pool)
July 9,
2022 - Rest in peace, former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (安倍晋三首相)
As we come to grips with yesterday's appalling tragedy here in Japan
and reflect back on former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's many
accolades, including becoming the youngest post-war Prime Minister and
being the longest serving Japanese Prime Minister in history, I was
reminded of his tireless efforts thru the years to promote and
solidify the special friendship between Japan and the U.S., including
his address 7 years ago to a joint meeting of the U.S. Congress in
nearly flawless English. R.I.P, Abe-san…
Prime Minister
Abe's Address to the U.S. Congress in May 2015
(If player above is not visible, you can view video
at YouTube here.)
July
2, 2022 - Mt. Fuji's 2022 climbing season opens on July 1!
SHOW TIME! The Yoshida trail on the Yamanashi Prefecture side of Mount
Fuji opened yesterday on July 1, a day known as Yamabiraki (山開き),
marking the beginning of the summer Mt. Fuji mountain climbing season
that will continue through Sept. 10.
Mt. Fuji climbers enjoyed sunrise from its summit on July 1, 2022.
(photo credit: The Mainichi
Newspaper)
Ever thought about making your own paper soccer ball? Follow these quick, easy steps to create your own colorful design. A free, fun activity for kids!
It’s that gorgeous time of year again in Tokyo when nature's paintbrush adds a lot of colorful cheer to our lives.
This kind of beautiful scenery warms my heart and puts a lot more spring in my step. Even after more than 3 decades here, this much welcomed boost to our spirit never grows old. Japan is indeed one beautiful country...
(click link to view photo collage and link to full Flickr album)
I'm in heaven after being treated to a gorgeous multi-course dinner to celebrate my landmark birthday... from a wonderful friend I've known for over 3 decades after my first arriving in Japan.
(click link to view beautiful birthday decoration)
The most frequently asked questions about climbing Mt. Fuji, including info on routes, maps, videos, transport access, traffic stats, weather, and climber stories.
Posts include ‘Why are you still in Japan?’, Keisei Rose Garden, Burger King’s Salsa & Avocado Whopper, and Kane Tanaka, who was the world’s oldest person.
In 1970 the Student Engineering Council of the University of Texas at Austin established the Student Leadership Award in Engineering. Each year 6 awards are presented and each recipient receives a framed certificate and a $200 check, which is presented at a luncheon ceremony during Engineering Week.
Their names are recorded on a permanent plaque displayed in the Engineering Student Services office in the Engineering Education and Research Center on the UT Austin campus.
Gary, I just wanted to reach out and say thank you as I have recently completed my own personal journey of climbing all of Japan's 100 tallest peaks, which
Page 2 of the most frequently asked questions about climbing Mt. Fuji, including info on routes, maps, videos, transport access, weather, and climber stories.
Gary J. Wolff's Blog Archives, January-March, 2015
Posts include winter hiking tips by Wes Lang, Danish archer Lars Andersen, Super Bowl XLIX from the New Sanno Hotel, and an awesome Diamond Fuji seen from Tokyo.
Listing of Mt. Fuji Yoshida Trail mountain huts, including website URLs, phone numbers, elevations, and sleeping capacities, as well as links to the Fujinomiya trail hut sites.
This article identifies a few of the most useful iPad tools for EFL teachers and describes how they are actually being used in and out of the classroom.
I climbed Mt. Fuji Aug. 13, 2022 during a typhoon!
I climbed Mt. Fuji 2 times. One time was August 3, 2019. In that time, we started from 5th station of Subashiri trail to summit and it took about 11 hours.
Peak season for Obanazawa Suika watermelons in Yamagata
In this photo, watermelons in the Japan Agricultural Cooperatives facility in Obanazawa, Yamagata Prefecture, are being inspected for quality before being shipped out across the country. This is the busiest time of the year when up to 40,000 Obanazawa Suika watermelons are being shipped every day. WOW!! This city is one of the largest watermelon growing regions in Japan.
I am planning to do bullet climbing, but I don't want to get cold by remaining still at the top. Therefore, is it possible to do the climbing at 10 pm?
Ever thought about making your own paper soccer ball? Follow these quick, easy steps to create your own colorful design. A free, fun activity for kids!
It’s that gorgeous time of year again in Tokyo when nature's paintbrush adds a lot of colorful cheer to our lives. This kind of beautiful scenery warms my heart and puts a lot more spring in my step…
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