The Monday Read: Fleeting Beauty
Cherry blossoms are in full bloom but it’s due to rain tomorrow I don’t think I have enjoyed the cherry blossoms for about fifteen years now. I see them, of course, and sometimes I stop and look at them. But I haven’t attended or hosted any hanami parties for a long time. My wife’s school, […]
Property Tax 2025
Not too bad, really Just got our bill for property tax for this year. It is pretty much the same as last year, so not particularly interesting unless you don’t own a property and are interested in how much tax might be. I’ve done a few of these, you can see the most recent 2021 […]
The Monday Read: Indifferent Jest
I didn’t mean to upset anyone I was a bit surprised at quite how many upset, disappointed, and congratulatory messages I received following our April 1st blog post. Sadly I have not found a wealthy corporate buyer for the site and community, and will have to keep inflicting my scribblings on you for another year. […]
English service in Japan
Please don’t serve me in English This weekend I ordered takeout from Sushiro. They have a decent online order system where you can order and pay online and then walk into the store and get your food from an automated locker. No need to queue or talk to a staff member. But they got my […]
An important announcement about RetireJapan
Securing a brighter future for the site and community Just a quick announcement that I have concluded negotiations and signed a contract to transfer the RetireJapan site, including the forum and all social media accounts, to Bridgestone. It’s a bit sad (end of an era!), but I’m sure they will do a great job and […]
The Monday Read: Spring is in the air
Would be great if it weren’t for the pollen Super nice weather these last few days here in Sendai once that wind died down. We’re in the last few days of the year now. New hires will be starting work, kids will be going into the next year in school, some people will be retiring. […]
Boiling frog syndrome
Are you in danger? The parable of the boiling frog goes as follows (it isn’t true apparently, but makes for a good story): if you throw a frog into boiling water it will jump out immediately, saving its life, but if you put the frog in water and heat it up slowly it won’t notice […]
The Monday Read: An Unexpected Pardon
Life is suddenly much much better Accompanied my wife on her latest hospital visit to get the results of some tests this week, and… it seems like she is going to be okay. I can’t describe how much my life changed in just a few minutes. 2025, all is forgiven. RetireJapan TV RetireJapan TV will […]
How much is enough?
Might be less than you think One way to guarantee that you will be unhappy is to be unsatisfied with what you have. Needing a bit more money, a ‘better’ car, more free time, to live somewhere else, to be thinner, have a new partner, a new bag, or the bigger house. Buddhism teaches that […]
The Monday Read: New Challenges
Goals give you something to look forward to I’ve always enjoyed having goals. Something to work towards, something to look forward to, a way to push myself to do a little bit more than I might have otherwise. So of course I have set, not one, but three new goals after coming back from the […]