Coat, hat and gloves on, I scoop up his school bag / randoseru (?????) by the leather shoulder straps and heave it onto his back. He pushes the door open to leave for school he turns to me, sighs and says: “Another long day at school for me.” It can be hard to get the...
Two men in their 70s do Tai Chi at the park. Wearing matching sleeveless bomber jackets, warm jumpers and khaki cargo pants – their bicycles discarded by a nearby tree. As if lead by a conductor, they move effortlessly and gracefully in sync. I imagine a...
When I arrive at the park Taiga’s cheeks are red and he’s breathless but happy. He has his own agenda today and has been playing football for the last two hours with his schoolmates, proudly announcing he did 21 kickups, using both feet. A few months ago he was...
I’m sat on the opposite side of the glass this morning, as the coffee shop’s closed for New Year’s Day. Japan closes down for the first 3 days of January; pretty much the only time of year you’ll witness such a universal shut down of business. Last night was busy!...
It’s a sharp, cold morning down at the bay, 5 degrees and dark clouds hang low on the horizon, giving a ghostly feel to the pre-dawn. I’m pleased to see one of the sun worshippers back – we’d all been worried about him and it turns out he had indeed been in a...
The train is fast and efficient. This is the bullet train (Shinkansen), they built the first one back in 1964 and have continued to develop it over the years, the pride of the island. Leg room for days and seats that can spin around if you want to face the person...
