Pleased to share that our ESRC project on living at home with advanced progressive illness has started! Based in @cendeathsociety.bsky.social we are working across the universities of Bath, Hull, York, Durham & Cardiff to understand reaching the end of life at home www.bath.ac.uk/projects/liv...

Our special @ddd17-2025.bsky.social episode is out now! Including lots of soundbites from attendees, a short interview with organiser Mariske Westendorp & some words from keynote Enny Das! open.spotify.com/episode/2AX2...

On this day in 1964, Japan launched the Shinkansen (bullet train) and showed the world high speed rail had a future. #Japan #Shinkansen #HighSpeedRail #新幹線 #夢の超特急 #BulletTrain #OnThisDay #OTD hoodcp.wordpress.com/2021/10/01/m...

A final photo from the WEC race at Fuji Speedway. It's of one of the Aston Martins, a company whose cars James Bond has often driven. The car number is 007. 👏👏👏 (A little bit confusing when Toyota also has a number 7 car - I imagine this causes chaos on some people's Excel sheets 😂)

After the racing ended, the clouds cleared and Mount Fuji made an appearance. #WEC #FujiSpeedway #MtFuji #MountFuji #Japan

Was great to see one of the cars that Toyota raced at Le Mans this year. And I spotted a budding new Japanese F1 driver 😂 #WEC #FujiSpeedway

These videos don't do justice to just how loud the engines were. #WEC #FujiSpeedway

On Sunday I went to the WEC 6 hour race at Fuji Speedway. Was absolutely amazing. Toyota managed to get the lead for a while, but in the end Alpine got their first ever win.

On Saturday evening I went to a gig by REBECCA cover band EmmaJane. They were absolutely fabulous. It was so great hearing so many of the band's songs in a small venue. It was like hearing the Beatles at their best, but back in the Cavern club. I also went and had dinner with the band afterwards.

Had an enjoyable afternoon discussing Japanese railways with Michael Portillo. Will be in a forthcoming BBC programme.

Glad it got a two page spread, but it still plays out better in the movie. #Zom100 #Yatta #HellYeah #やった

‘Zom 100’ Contents Tourism in Gunma #Zom100 #ContentsTourism #Gunma #KusatsuOnsen #Tsukiyono #LakeAkaya #ゾン100 #ゾン100ゾンビになるまでにしたい100のこと #Zom100BucketListOfTheDead #BucketList hoodcp.wordpress.com/2025/09/26/z...

Was wonderful to get to see and photograph Lufthansa's B747 yesterday as it approached Haneda Airport. The Queen of the Skies is such a rare sight now. One day soon I need to sort a trip so I can go on this one. #B747 #Boeing747 #JumboJet #Lufthansa #Jonanjima #Haneda #HanedaAirport #Japan

On this day in 1954, the Toya-maru sank with the loss of over 1100 lives during a typhoon. Other ships were also sunk during the typhoon. #洞爺丸 #Toyamaru #Hakodate #Japan #Typhoon #Memorialisation #DarkTourism #OTD #OnThisDay hoodcp.wordpress.com/2020/03/18/t...

I bought some light reading. 20 volumes of Zom 100. Well, not that light... it's going to take up a lot of my weight allowance when it's time to return to the UK. #Zom100

RJL Season Five is here! In this episode, we look at bullying in Japanese literature. -Bullying in Japanese schools + the Japanese workplace -Examples in Japanese novels. -Mizuki Tsujimura and her novel Lonely Castle in the Mirror, trans Philip Gabriel Transcript on the episode page.

Did you know that the katakana for Kirin (キリン) appears, in order, in the Kirin logo? #Kirin #SuperDry #Japan #Japanese #キリン

This is a new vending machine to me. Apparently they like Sriracha in Mitaka 😂 #Sriracha #Mitaka #VendingMachine #Tokyo #Japan

Three lines, four trains.

It was a very interesting talk.

Bridging Different Worlds: Academic Experiences and Writing Novels #Writing #AcademicExperiences #AcademicWriting #WritingNovels #Novels #Japan #JapanWritersConference #WritingCommunity #FOUR #HijackingJapan #Tokyo2020Vision hoodcp.wordpress.com/2025/09/23/b...

Ahead of doing some more Contents Tourism related to the movie next month, thought I'd rewatch "Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead". For research purposes, of course 😂 Who am I kidding? It's just a great way to spend 2 hours. #Zom100 #ContentsTourism

Got lots of work done today, so can now watch the sumo on TV (well, streaming on my PC). Great to see Mainoumi looking so well. He was always my favourite. After Mainoumi retired, I've supported Chiyotaikai, who is a friend of a friend, and now Wakatakakage. #Mainoumi #Osumo #Sumo #舞の海 #大相撲 #相撲

Some shots of Tokyo University of Foreign Studies (TUFS or Tokyo Gaidai) before the bulk of the international students arrive, and classes start. #TokyoUniversityOfForeignStudies #TUFS #TokyoGaidai

Today is the anniversary of the opening of the Nishi-Kyushu Shinkansen (aka Nagasaki Shinkansen) #Japan #NishiKyushuShinkansen #NagasakiShinkansen #TakeoOnsen #Nagasaki #Shinkansen #Kamome #N700S #西九州新幹線 #長崎新幹線 #長崎 #武雄温泉 #新幹線 #かもめ hoodcp.wordpress.com/2025/09/23/n...

New open access handbook including my chapter “Homing in on societal changes in meanings around place of death” www.elgaronline.com/edcollbook-o...

Japan’s Visual Packaging Culture – Developing a Hierarchy of Symbols #Japan #VisualPackagingCulture #Symbols #Symbolism #WrappingCulture #Kamon #Sumo #Pictograms #Emoji #Shogun hoodcp.wordpress.com/2025/09/22/j...

Don't do it 😉😂

Time to head back to Tokyo after two long days of conferencing. Very enjoyable and successful conference. Now looking forward to being able to chill out on the shinkansen with my ekiben, snacks, and some beer. One day I may bore of photographing the shinkansen. Today's not that day 😂

3 flasks of Earl Grey today at the conference. It's served me well. #MakeLoveYourGoal #HollyJohnson @mrhollyjohnson.bsky.social

Glad that my paper on 'Visual Packaging Culture', discussing the research I'm doing during my 4 month Japan Foundation Fellowship (based at Tokyo University of Foreign Studies) seemed to go well. #EAJS #Symbolism #Emoji #Pictograms #Kamon #Sumo #Maps #Flags #JapanFoundation #TUFS wp.me/p70bQg-4Bw

Looking forward to giving my paper on 'Visual Packaging Culture', discussing the research I'm doing during my 4 month Japan Foundation Fellowship (based at Tokyo University of Foreign Studies). #EAJS #Symbolism #Emoji #Pictograms #Kamon #Sumo #Maps #Flags

I'm only part way through this episode and am having a ball (😉). It's an absolute banger For anyone not following @jawsforaminute.bsky.social on Patreon yet, this is a taste of what 10 out of 12 episodes each year are like.

Close to the earlier sign is this one. I think the boar may be responsible for putting it up 😂

I wonder if they have to pay the conference fee. And, yes, I really want to see one. I may just skip giving my paper and go and try to track one down 😂🐗

The website crashed on me a few times, but unlike for the September Tournament, I've managed to get tickets for two days of the Fukuoka Tournament. Will be my first time to go to the Fukuoka Tournament. And on the way back to Tokyo, I can stop off in Osaka for the Hanshin Tigers Victory Parade.

Podcast Appearance Discussing ‘Happy Flight’ (2008) #HappyFlight #Podcast #Japan #Movie #Films #JapanOnFilm #ANA #ShinobuYaguchi #MovieReview @japanonfilm.com hoodcp.wordpress.com/2025/09/20/p...

Day One of the EAJS Conference at Tohoku University in Sendai. #EAJS

A story from the other day. I'd been at Fuchu City Hall for around 90 minutes. Been to 4 different sections. Seen about 6 different staff for the various things. Last up was tax. The guy was wearing a Yomiuri Rabbits strap for his ID lanyard...

Other than Izushi (soba), I can't think of many places that lean into their local speciality as much as Sendai with its gyutan.

Visit to Zuihōden (Grave of Masamune Date). Very impressive. There was also an impressively sized toad... and a bug which lasted about 5 seconds after the photo. Also signs not to go along certain paths due to bear(s). The latter part was only in Japanese. Seems a harsh way to deal with immigration😂

On my way to Sendai for the EAJS Conference at Tohoku University. A perfect excuse for a shinkansen photograph. #EAJS #TohokuUniversity #Shinkansen #Yamabiko

Oh lovely, getting down to a low of only 26 (real feet 30), before it starts firing up again. Can't hide inside tomorrow either.

First karaoke 🎤 of the trip. Some of the songs I attempted... but as emoji... Which will probably go as well as the singing... 🪖 😊🚫💦 ⚫⚪🧒 🔴⚪⚔️🔴⚪ 🗻💨🐅 ♥️&🩸 👀⬆️🚶 🤔🌅 (some are Japanese)

Been here 6 days & only just discovered that I don't have a window in my room😂 And as safe as Japan generally is, having said to students for so many years not to do anything in Japan in terms of safety that they wouldn't do in the UK, leaving one of the 6 sliding doors open at night is an option.

The closest drinks machines to my accommodation (the building behind the trees). It's like they knew I was coming 😂

I don't know why, but it really tickles me when I get a notification from my bank saying I've spent money at my local 'Ro-son', the romanisation of ローソン, otherwise known as Lawson, as you can see from the sign on the shop.

I can't remember the last time I wrote my middle name in katakana (I assume I've done it at some point in the last 38 years or so)... but I got to do it about 12 times today thanks to all forms that needed filling in at Fuchu City Hall 😂

With my 4-year-old laptop giving up (4 years is like 3 decades in laptop years😉😂), and my primary purpose for being in Japan being to be writing, it was time to get a new machine. Didn't imagine getting something like this at the start of the weekend. Very happy with it so far. #ASUS #Zenbook

I'm living very close to Chofu Airfield, which I took a walk around today (nearly getting caught up in the crowds going to the nearby stadium for a FC Tokyo match). As it's so close I'm thinking of taking a flight to one of Tokyo's islands in the coming weeks. Not sure which to do yet. Tips welcome.