Every year I decide to do this “next year”. And this year is now exception. It is a *cool* happening and worth dropping by to give the swimmers some encouragement if you are near the A-bomb Dome today.

Latest Ridgeline newsletter from @craigmod.com is awesome. An ode to Denny's as a window into the soul of Real Japan™ humorously captures some of the frustration I currently feel as a Japan lifer. Thank you and Happy New Year to Mr Mod :)

Gorgeous views of the Scottish lowlands on a frosty return from a Hogmanay family break. I wonder when we will all be back together again. And whether I will manage to procure a driving license and explore the hills of Scotland and the Lake District before I leave this earth.

Seems like a no-brainer Denmark to tackle deepfakes by giving people copyright to their own features www.theguardian.com/technology/2...

Tune of my day Don't listen, by corto.alto cortoalto.bandcamp.com/album/dont-l...

I may have found my sound of the summer... razandafla.bandcamp.com/track/window...

I pride myself on having my finger on the pulse, so with the Emperor and Empress in town, naturally, I decided to dig into Hirohito’s 1947 visit to Hiroshima.

More. from Pulp yesterday and Little Simz Lotus today Great weekend for new music🎶 youtu.be/Z2BplWSCZpY?...

Gave "More." by Pulp a proper listen—a strong record, best judged on half-decent speakers rather than straight out of the phone. I am digging the Subculture vibe on Grown Ups. pulpmusic.bandcamp.com/album/more @welovepulp.bsky.social

15 mph or thereabouts is the legal limit for battery-assist here in Japan. Then again, much of that use is on shared sidewalks.

“We are already living inside the architecture of totalitarianism.” An important, powerful, and brave speech by @carolecadwalla.bsky.social A must-watch. www.ted.com/talks/carole...

"Whatever the bold claims made twenty years ago, at the dawn of the internet age, about the “weightless economy” to come or how we would all be “living on thin air”, data in reality has a hard physical presence."

A woman in her 70s was rushed to the hospital on May 24th, but died later the same day due to the tick-borne disease Japanese Spotted Fever. gethiroshima.com/news/first-l...

NEWSLETTER: The best way to understand how society will value GenAI is to look at polyester's rise and fall: from a high-tech miracle fiber to a one-word symbol for tastelessness culture.ghost.io/genai-is-our...

Well worth dropping by this photo exhibition if you are in Hiroshima over the next few days.

This week's classic tale, performed by Hatsukaichi's Yoshiwa Kagura Troupe at the Wednesday Night Kagura show, is Jinrin, the winged demon. Details and ticket links here: gethiroshima.com/event/wednes...

Iwata Mokkou, based in Hatsukaichi, the self-proclaimed birthplace of the traditional wooden toy, the Kendama, has released a beautiful new addition to its Hiroshima Like line.

I'll be spinning an eclectic selection at Friendz in Hiroshima tonight with Ante of The Waiting Room. Drop by if you fancy extending your weekend a smidge.

Mt Daisen over Yonago

Singularly unprepared for the Setoda Lemon Half Marathon today. Enjoying the crisp fine weather and 11am start though.

TEPCO is tearing down contaminatedwater holidng tanks at #Fukushima because they have built a pipeline to drain the water to the sea. They need space to store contaminated equipment & debris. Removing corium will take ~100 years, all at taxpayer expense. #SkyNuke #nuclear #EnvHist

Clean Hearts Yonago :: 米子市

This morning's listening Thievery Corporation - The Mirror Conspiracy youtube.com/playlist?lis...

I'm not particularly surprised at this or believe it is especially the fault of the people of the US. It does show, however, how hard it is to break through and highlights the strength and resilience of Hiroshima and Nagasaki's A-bomb survivors #Hiroshima80 #HiroshimaNagasaki80

So caring... "The wild ducks are captured using hand-held nets that do not injure the birds. The foreign guests were treated to duck dishes at lunch." www.asahi.com/ajw/articles...

My company, JizoHat, has been working with some great places on Miyajima and in Hatsukaichi to develop and expand vegan menu options over the past few months. Thanks to their open mindedness, vegan visitors arriving this spring will enjoy their time on the island even more.

NEW: A moment in Munich. Zelenskyy says Russia is creating 15 new divisions of 150,000 soldiers: "Maybe these soldiers are for Ukraine. Maybe they are for you.” He ends hoping for peace. A long, standing ovation. What a contrast to Vance, met with silence as he torched transatlantic relations.

Great news for hungry vegans! More and more eateries in Miyajima and the surrounding area are becoming vegan-friendly🌱

Surprised that BBC Radio 4's "The World Tonight" gave Weidel so much time last night. Was it to give her long enough to devolve into a predictable diatribe towards the end?

Time for Europe to get woke and accept that the U.S.A. presents a clear and present threat to democracy and peace worldwide. www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...

I am fascinated (and terrified) by real-life tales of being adrift at sea. This is another good one. Does anyone who shares this morbid fascination have any others they can recommend? www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...

Catch of the day, Imabari

The Riviera of the Middle East. Now, there's an idea... Here's What Tourists Might See If They Were Allowed To Visit Gaza (2019) www.npr.org/2019/08/08/7... | @npr.org

“Now that there is a suspension in Israel’s war on Palestinians in Gaza, it feels like the Israeli military is starting a war on us in the West Bank.” Aseel Baidoun, Medical Aid for Palestinians

Restrictions on entry to Hiroshima Peace Ceremony are excessive and violate freedom of expression guaranteed by the constitution, says the Hiroshima Bar Association.

Seeking participants to join a test monitor tour of Ponyo's hometown; picturesque Tomonoura on February 10. Click here for more details: https://buff.ly/4jHpNtJ

Hiroshima Crime Report: On February 2nd, a 74-year-old woman was arrested for stealing radishes from a field in Kozaki, Mihara City.

The Internet Archive has to date downloaded 500 terabytes of US government websites, which it crawls at the end of every presidential term. The whole archive is fully searchable. This effort's housed by a donation-funded nonprofit, not a branch of the US government. blog.archive.org/2024/05/08/e...

Great fun doing an in-person interview today on location in Kyoto with a fabulous film, light & sound crew - it will be shown at the upcoming Kyotography event this April-May featuring the wonderful insights of Kyoto Journal founder John Einarsen

At what point does engagement turn into collaboration?

Is the name Achilles a cunning ploy to occupy the UK's adversaries in a resource-expending wild goose chase in search of a tiny weak spot?

Huge Holocaust archive goes online - finding new ways of bearing witness is a pertinent topic here in Hiroshima too. www.theguardian.com/world/2025/j...

"...the prime minister is convinced that there are untapped sources of high-valued-added growth in rural Japan that are waiting to be activated by public and private investment."

The FACTZ X label made me smile. An excellent system, but not automatic. This photo is from one of the annual training/test events Shirakawago. The primary purpose of the 59 hydrant water canons is to prevent the spread of a fire to nearby thatched homes.

I pulled the trigger and entered this today. Better get some hard hills in! ⛩🦌🌸🏃

Things ain't hopeful, but the News Quiz shows from Scotland always replace your fear with cheer for 30 minutes. This one is no exception. Includes a lovely tribute to the late @janeygodley.bsky.social and *that* sign. www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...

Edinburgh to introduce a tourist tax on all overnight stays up to 5 nights with the money to be earmarked to improve public services for residents rather than reduce number of visitors or channel back into tourism infrastructure.

Sad, but true. I would like to think that this is something that the recent influx of visitors from overseas can help with... www.theguardian.com/world/2025/j...

I would like to think that this is a positive sign, but... But I am sure it is a thrill for those in the UK who get to see these magnificent beasts (from an appropriate distance). www.theguardian.com/environment/...