As the last 2 pandas leave Japan, panda enclosures actoss the country are no longer パンパンだ。 mainichi.jp/english/arti...

Moving to Japan has particularly taught me the importance of eating enough fibre.... www.bbc.com/future/artic...

Happy Burns Night to those who celebrate it.

Don't suppose Keir Starmer could stop off in Nagoya on his trip in Japan and bring me some hobnobs?

UK PM is off to Japan at the end of the month to meet Japan's PM. news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/9c2...

youtube.com/watch?v=HmRJ... Excellent analysis by Christopher Harding on the current issues in Japan and comparisons with UK. Enjoyed listening to this.

www.chunichi.co.jp/article/1193... Construction of the tunnels for the Nagoya section of the new maglev Chuo Shinkansen line have begun after a 3 and a half year delay.

Today's #beer is a saison made by Isekado brewery in Mie prefecture. Sweet and very easy to drink even with tea leaves as an ingredient. Reminds me a bit of a belgian white. #Abeerfromeveryprefecture

Although its cold, miserable, and the days are short, as a Brit I appreciate the fact that overcast skies are the exception for January in Japan (at least in Nagoya) and not the norm.

I’m petrified about today’s science news. Genetically modifying crabs to have cheetah genes? This could go sideways fast.

令和7/7月/7日 7:07

Saw this on my way to work today. Someone please tell me that the "L" in Peel on the side of the drink can being in shadow is intentional... 🤣

To anyone living in Japan right now: Now would be a good time to check your air conditioner is working and not full of dust. If broken, it might want to it fixed now than wait until the summer and its too hot. Maintenance guys get really busy in the summer so you might have wait to get it repaired.

YYYEEAAAAHHHH!!

Looks like season 2 of Shogun is going ahead. Although I would have much rather they had given is a more devloped, less rushed season 1 spread over a few seasons, it will be interesting seeing what is come up with given we no longer have the original book to rely on.

Cafe lunch date with the wife and daughter at Cafe Sukko

A bit late, but it was really interesting visiting the Yoshonogari Historical Park in Saga prefecture on Thursday. It is the location of a massive archeological site from the Yayoi period in Japan. Also visited my 46th prefecture by going there, only prefecture left now to visit is Okinawa.

駅駅駅おいおいおい

In Fukuoka Prefecture, JR Kyushu are gathering suggestions from the public on a new name for station being opened in 2027. Suggestions are open until 30th June and the winner will be decided by JR Kyushu. ....What's Japanese for "Eki McEkiface"? news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/69c...

No thanks, I like wearing clothes.

Off to Fukuoka and Saga prefectures tomorrow! Since 2012 I have made it an aim to visit every prefecture in Japan, and Saga pretecture will be my 46th prefecture. After Saga, I will have only Okinawa left to visit.

I think I need to go to Tokyo.

Been studying Japanese for over 20 years and even now whenever I watch Japanese comedy with the in-laws, for some reason I end up laughing at the bits that aren't supposed to be laughed that. youtu.be/pkXc3OkHc9M?...

Got this from 7/11 today. Enjoyed it so much I want another.

Today's lunch: Lamb and vegetable rogan josh curry

Also I lost a fight today.

My commute to work everyday is rough.

Just finished work! Now off for 13 days for Golden Week!

I often complain about the weather in Japan when it is too hot or too cold, but this time of the year from April to the first week of June is absolutely gorgeous! Very grateful that Japan decided to put golden week at this time of year.

Now that we know that the next pope is chosen from a number of cardinals, I hope that the next pope has the ability to sing, has beautiful plumage, and doesn't fly into windows.

Cherry blossom season has finished but now it is azalea season :)

Pretty sure there is an unwritten law of nature where if you wear a white shirt, you are 100% going to spill something down it.

Indeed XD

Life finds a way.

Sand from the gobi desert and the sunset making the sky a lot yellower than usual.

22c today here in Kasugai and in Nagoya. No blooms of soumei yoshino cherry blossom (going to bloom probably next weekend) but the Kawazu variety of cherry blossom is in bloom right now.

Today's #beer is called Mocchi and it is brewed by the Y market brewery in Nagoya. A delicious stout with added molasses and roasted soybean powder. Flavour is like a sweet stout.

Lovely weather today. The plum blossom season in Japan is almost over, but the ones near where I work still have a lovely fragrance. Not surprised the bees love them.

Some welcome news :) www.carbonbrief.org/analysis-uk-...

Why you should learn Japanese: some supermarkets will let you have an extra bag of ice.

Went to the studio ghibli park in Aichi prefecture yesterday with the family!

Could absolutely be a pokemon. Water/rock type, with a name that fuses the words crab and coral or something like that.

XD

One thing that brings the UK and Japan together is their shared hot drink culture. The UK has tea whilst Japan has green tea. it's a matcha made in heaven.

My article on Mock Foreigner speech is now available open access at Language and Communication! In it, I build on the mock language framework to explain what's up with the linguistic features used to invoke (white) foreignness in a Japanese media context. www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Some photos from a shrine I visited today.

In a sentence never before uttered by humans, I am delighted to share that an alligator stole my conservation instructor’s hat by jauntily walking into the water while wearing it 🐊