A little while ago Brad asked Did Japan Change YOU?  This got me to thinking.  My initial reaction on Japansoc was to say that “I think that I’ve become more patient and more understanding of the fact that there is not one right way to do things”. I elaborated a bit further but that response […]

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Today I have a very special announcement to make that is the culmination of some work that has been going on behind the scenes for a couple of months now.  It is with great pride that I am announcing my debut as a paid blogger!  I have joined b5media and will be writing The Tokyo […]

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Today Sports Illustrated announced the retirement of Masumi Kuwata, one of the top pitchers in Japanese baseball history and a major leaguer for the first time last season at age 39.  As a baseball fan living in Japan the story caught my eye but as I read through the article what touched me the most […]

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In Japan it’s spring break right now and the parks are full of kids playing and families having picnics under the Hanami (Cherry Blossom) trees that are just starting to bloom.
Today I had to run some errands so I hopped on my bike for the ride to the Mihama Ward Office (city hall) to pick […]

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Yesterday was the opening day for the Eastern League (one of two minor leagues in Japan). The Chiba Lotte Marines faced the Nippon Ham Fighters in Kamagaya and the Marines got off to a good start only to be beaten by a final score of 11-7. The game was good but the Marines […]

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In the Japanese blogosphere there is a discussion that comes up fairly often about discrimination against foreigners in Japan.  Today I ran across an article on CNN about English Only Signs at a cheese steak store in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  The sign in question reads “This is AMERICA: WHEN ORDERING ‘PLEASE SPEAK ENGLISH.’” and the city’s […]

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This weeks quote evokes a feeling of tranquility and mystery that I have been experiencing lately and is very appropriate given the misty/hazy mornings that we have been having in Tokyo. This morning I awoke and stepped outside only to be reminded of camping trips where you wake up in the morning and step […]

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On Monday a new statue of Colonel Sanders was unveiled at the Koshien Stadium branch of Kentucky Fried Chicken and the Hanshin Tigers are hoping that this will eradicate a curse that started back in 1985. “What!”, you say. How does Colonel Sanders have anything to do with baseball and how could erecting […]

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Japan is supposed to be the land of the rising sun but the other day this was the view of the sun setting from our apartment in Chiba. We are looking towards Tokyo and I believe that the body of water in the photo is the Tokyo Bay. We have had this […]

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Yesterday I had the privilege of attending my first baseball game of the year in Japan (or anywhere for that matter).  The Chiba Lotte Marines beat the Orix Kintetsu Buffaloes by a score of 4-1.   All of the scoring was the result of three home runs.  Koichi Hori, and Naotaka Takehara each hit  solo blasts, […]

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