Don’t remember such a warm November before
It’s been a gorgous November. In fact, it was 21 degrees this Sunday afternoon, which is pretty wild for November 17th.
I am hoping to go skiing this year, so hopefully temperatures will come down a bit and we’ll get some snow.
But I don’t hate this. I’m still wearing shorts, a t-shirt, and sandals!
New interview
With Paul from the exjapter channel. Check it out here.
RetireJapan TV Season 3 Epidode 1
I had a blast talking with Daniel and our live audience on last week’s RJTV. You can find it on your favourite podcast platform (just search for RetireJapan TV and let me know if you can’t find it) or on YouTube.
RetireJapan on tour
I’ll be giving a presentation in Nara on December 1st. Details below.
I think I am on last, from 15:00-16:00. Maybe see you there?
YouTube
Thank you for your support of the RetireJapan YouTube channel. New videos coming soon!
The Forum
Speaking of which, the Forum is doing well (38,507 posts so far). The forum rules are here. In essence, they are:
- Be nice
- Ask any question you like
- Only answer questions when you have relevant knowledge or experience
Here are the latest active threads:
This week’s books
Really enjoying Perdido Street Station, by China Mieville. It’s visceral, kind of like Clive Barker, but not as scary/gory. Great worldbuilding. Looking forward to seeing where he takes it in the next couple of books.
This week’s game
I got this game after Daniel recommended it when we were doing RetireJapan TV last week. Got the Japanese version from Amazon (much cheaper than the English language import). You can get the rules in English online so no real reason not to use the Japanese version, the cards are all numbers and symbols anyway.
It’s a really clever idea, basically you play with 2-4 people and have a bunch of cards with numbers on. The goal of the game is to work together to put the cards down in order, from smaller numbers to bigger ones, without communicating explicitly. So you can’t speak or make gestures, but rather try to feel how the other person is feeling toward their hand. Really recommend it!
My granddaughter and I got to level 7 on our first go, but I suspect it will be harder with more than two people.
This week’s links
- No bueno: How Trump’s Victory Will Impact Japan
- We’ll see: The AI Revolution
- This was great. I hope I’m like that when I’m older (YouTube): Life Advice from a 94 Year Old You Didn’t Know You Needed
- Are things too good? New All-Time Highs in Everything
- Might be changing soon? We can hope! Cryptocurrency taxation in Japan and Japan crypto review may open door to lower taxes and dedicated ETFs
- With the continuing weak yen, is investing in Japan a good idea? Fund Managers on Japan: New Dawn or Same Old Story?
- Pretty grim prospect: 1 in 5 people in Japan age 65 and older will be living alone in 2050
- This all seems very familiar: Japan’s Medical System: Lessons Learned and Insights Gained
- Really interesting project: Two systems of architecture
- Great point: To question is to consider, not refute
- Nice to see Chris enjoying it a bit more this time round: Walking Japan (again): From Fukuoka to Nagasaki
- The big question! Bitcoin – when do I sell?
- Loved this article. I have the same feelings about Dubai but I haven’t learned about it yet: I hated Dubai until I learned about it
- I contributed to this article: Saving and Preparing for Your Future Self
- Not particularly nightmarish, to be honest! (YouTube) My Car Was Hit in Japan: The Nightmare That Followed
What do you think? Anything interesting in there?
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“The Mind” exploded onto the board/card game scene when it came out. A great game and such a simple idea. “Ito (糸)” is a newer game based on the same principal that adds an interesting communication element. If you like “The Mind” then I think you’ll love “Ito”.
Fantastic. Will check it out 😃
Hi,
The mind game was a great recommendation. Our family is addicted!
Big thanks!
Fantastic! How many people did you play with? Is it harder with more as I suspect?
Yes, it is more difficult but much more thrilling when you conquer a level. Funny thing is, for a game that deters communication we are talking a lot about it. Happy playing;) I will have a look at Ito too.
This game naturally descends to Ito!! With a little bit of booze, you start to hint very subtly what your number is – especially if you play this with 5 or 6 (even though it says 4 on the box). Ito gives you the permission to be naughty within the rules!! If you want another game like Mind, which is cooperative, Hanabi is an interesting option. It’s an older game but it uses an interesting mechanic not used in normal gaming.