Week 35

Traditional Japanese forecasting says that the summer heat will break on or about August 23rd. It's full week later and daytime highs are still in the upper 90's (35c+) with lows around 80 (27c), not to mention 90% humidity. Modern forecasters say this will last at least another week, something that hasn't happened since the Edo era when they started keeping records.

Week 34

After a year and a half free of them I finally found a cockroach in my kitchen. I wonder if its being there has to do with the food that I bought since I decided to cook for myself and not eat out all the time?

Week 33

What I learned (realized) over summer vacation: That big/cool/interesting temple is never at the bottom of the hill.

Week 32

I'm up in the north woods (in Nagano prefecture) by the lake (Lake Nojiri) getting attacked by every bug in the forest, except the mosquitoes... which is almost kinda nice (though I now realize what an insectaphobe I am.)

Week 31

I forgot to post this week.

Week 30

Contemplate the fact that at the Tenjin Matsuri (Osaka's largest summer festival) every barge that goes up and down the river (as part of the main event) is covered with advertisements. Again showing that in Japan, while 'everything' is sacred, nothing is truly...

Week 29

I think I may have posted this some previous summer but it"s relevant again:

Hot town, summer in the city
Back of my neck getting dirty and gritty
Been down, isn't it a pity
Doesn't seem to be a shadow in the city

All around, people looking half dead
Walking on the sidewalk, hotter than a match head..

(Summer in the city - The Lovin Spoonful)