Cassette Tapes on Our Wedding Anniversary

A rainy weekend kept us at home, and an old audio system unexpectedly brought back a sound we had not heard in decades. On our 35th wedding anniversary, a cassette tape from the days before we were married opened the door to a flood of memories.

Rain from early morning.

They say that by tomorrow, a linear rainband may finally develop over southern Kanto, including Kanagawa Prefecture.

Up until now, whenever I heard about heavy rain in Kyushu, Hokuriku, or Tohoku, it somehow felt like something happening somewhere else. But this time, it may be where I live that gets hit.

I have work tomorrow, so naturally my first thought is, this could be a problem.

Then again, perhaps this is exactly the sort of situation where assuming, “I’ll probably be fine even if I push things a little,” is not such a good idea.

In any case, what really matters is whether the Yokosuka Line will be running tomorrow. I’ll think about it when the time comes.

 So, once again this weekend, the rain left me stuck at home wondering what to do. I decided to start by connecting the speakers to that audio system I wrote about before.

I still haven’t bought a stylus for the record player, but since I had nothing else to do, I thought I might at least get the speakers hooked up.

Then I went online to look for a stylus and discovered that they are actually rather expensive.

That made me stop and think. Before spending that much, I figured I should first make sure the system could produce any sound at all.

Fortunately, there is also a cassette deck, so I thought I would start with that. My wife, who has always been good at keeping things, dug out one of those upbeat cassette tapes we used to play on our drives when we were dating nearly forty years ago.

Naturally, I rewound it all the way to the beginning.

The way the rewind slows down gently near the end reminded me that this had once been considered a high-end cassette deck.

Then I pressed the PLAY button, and there it was again—the same slightly muffled sound we had listened to all those years ago.

“Ah, analog sound!”

My wife and I were both struck by the nostalgia.

And by the sound coming out of the speakers as well.

To a serious audiophile, this may sound utterly ridiculous, but it had been a very long time since I had heard music this loud coming from something other than a television—from a machine built for the sole purpose of producing sound.

Ever since the Walkman appeared, most of my listening has been through headphones or earphones.

And how many years has it been since cassette players disappeared from car stereos?

So perhaps it really has been that long.

Listening to it again reminded me how good analog sound can be.

Today is our 35th wedding anniversary.

Quite unexpectedly, we found ourselves remembering all sorts of things from before we were married.

And so, with a clear conscience, I decided it was time to buy that record-player stylus and clicked “Buy.”

An old cassette tape brought back not only an old sound, but also the days before we became husband and wife.

・・・ 

Vocabulary 

Linear rainband
A narrow, elongated zone of repeatedly developing rain clouds that can bring extremely heavy rainfall to the same area for several hours. The term is commonly used in Japanese weather reporting.

Yokosuka Line
A major JR commuter railway line running through Tokyo and Kanagawa, including Yokohama and Kamakura.

Stylus
The small needle that traces the grooves of a vinyl record and converts the vibrations into sound.

Cassette deck
A home audio component designed specifically for recording and playing cassette tapes.

Upbeat
Lively, energetic, and cheerful. Here, it is used to convey the sense of the Japanese expression “ノリノリ.”

With a clear conscience
Used here somewhat humorously for “心置きなく”—meaning that after confirming the system still worked, there was no longer any reason to hesitate about buying the stylus.

#weddinganniversary #cassettetape #analog #cassettedeck #vinyl #nostalgia #music #Walkman #Japan #dailyessay #memories

Being Asked to Do Things — and the Smell of HORAI

I spent the past two days at a conference in Osaka. The presentation went well, but just when I thought I could quietly coast toward retirement, another job was handed to me. Then came the familiar smell of Osaka’s famous pork buns on the Shinkansen home.

Yesterday and today, I was in Osaka for a conference.

To get to the venue, I had to walk through the underground passages of Umeda, one of Osaka’s busiest downtown districts, so I used my cane just to be safe.

In both Tokyo and Osaka, people seemed equally considerate toward someone walking with a cane, and I was able to get around fairly smoothly.

Still, Osaka was incredibly crowded.

Looking at all those people, it is hard to believe that Japan is heading into population decline. But of course, this is Tokyo and Osaka. The crowds in Japan’s two great metropolitan areas are hardly representative of the country as a whole.

It was only a small academic meeting, but I had prepared seriously and managed to give my presentation without trouble.

I finished almost exactly on time, although the discussion became rather lively afterward. Whether that was a good thing or a bad thing, I am not entirely sure.

At a small specialist meeting, most of the audience already knows the subject fairly well.

Even so, I try to make my presentations educational enough for younger colleagues while leaving some room for experienced specialists to join the discussion.

So when one of the senior people asks a question that is slightly off the mark, I cannot help feeling a little disappointed.

At my age, giving a presentation is increasingly like looking back over what I have learned through the years.

That was more or less how I approached this one, so I was fairly relaxed about it.

For an old pathologist nearing retirement, I thought that should be enough.

I had already served as the society’s executive secretary, and I had been hoping to keep a low profile from here on and somehow coast quietly to the finish line.

Then someone told me I should chair the meeting once again.

I declined as gently as I could.

Nevertheless, I somehow ended up being assigned to host the conference the year after next.

If someone senior tells you to do something, there is only so much you can do about it.

But being told to do it by people younger than you feels rather different.

I am not quite sure how to describe the feeling.

So, feeling slightly depressed about my newly assigned responsibility, I once again found myself in the crowded basement food halls of Hankyu Department Store in Umeda, buying souvenirs.

HORAI shop 

An Osaka colleague had warned me:

“Be careful if you buy HORAI pork buns. They smell.”

HORAI is a famous Osaka chain best known for its butaman—large, steamed buns filled with seasoned pork.

I had been warned.

And yet, once again, I bought some.

Now, on the Shinkansen back home, the smell is drifting down from the luggage rack above my head.

Fortunately, so far, nobody seems to mind.

At least this is one thing I may still manage to get away with.

I failed to escape the next conference assignment, but I may yet escape responsibility for the smell of HORAI.

・・・

Vocabulary for Learners

coast to the finish line
To continue with as little extra effort or trouble as possible until something ends.
できるだけ余計な苦労をせずに最後まで乗り切ること。

keep a low profile
To avoid attracting attention or taking on a prominent role.
目立たず控えめにしていること。

off the mark
Not quite correct or relevant.
的外れな、少しずれている。

chair a meeting
To be responsible for organizing or leading a meeting or conference.
会議や学会を主催・運営する。

food hall
A department-store area where many kinds of prepared foods and specialties are sold.
デパートなどの食品売り場、デパ地下。

pork bun
A steamed bun filled with seasoned pork. In Osaka, these are often called butaman.
豚肉の餡を入れた蒸しパン。大阪では「豚まん」と呼ばれることが多い。

get away with something
To do something questionable or troublesome without suffering any consequences.
問題になりそうなことを、咎められずに切り抜ける。

What I Learned from Walking with a Cane

Using a cane for the first time since my student days made me realize how differently the world appears when one small, inconvenient object becomes necessary. It also made me think about disability, visibility, and the limits of my own empathy.

Walking with a cane for the first time since my student days made me realize something.

The world looks completely different depending on whether or not you are carrying one extra, troublesome, yet very useful stick.

It is not easy to say simply what is good and what is bad.

But in any case, a cane is basically nothing but a nuisance.

And yet, although it is a nuisance, I need it.

I find myself unsure how to describe such a thing.

When I thanked my mother on LINE for the cane, she replied:

“Take care of yourself. Your father will protect you.”

When she put it that way, I felt I could not treat the cane merely as an inconvenience. So I have been using it carefully.

Yesterday was my first day walking with a cane.

It helped that many people immediately recognized that I was using one.

I could sit in the priority seats without hesitation.

Yesterday, at the hospital, a laboratory technician was surprised to see me walking with a cane. When I explained that I was using it as a precaution—“a cane before a fall,” so to speak—she seemed relieved.

She said,

“It’s good, isn’t it? People around you can understand.”

Only now have I realized the importance of letting others know that one has some kind of physical difficulty.

Every morning, I take a bus to the hospital where I work.

There are many people on that bus who have disabilities—or perhaps it would be more accurate to say, people who are not feeling well.

I asked myself whether I had really shown enough consideration for such people.

As a pathologist, I naturally understand that people in hospital rooms and operating rooms are patients, and that they are unwell.

But what about when I step outside that world?

What have I actually been doing?

At most, I have helped people get baby strollers on and off the bus.

The other day, before I injured my foot, I gave up my seat to someone wearing a Help Mark. But it was a priority seat, so that was only natural.

To think that I had been living day to day with only this level of awareness and action makes me feel rather ashamed as a medical professional.

Unfortunately, I do not seem to have had much of what one might call “consideration for the vulnerable.”

To care for such people means, first of all, to be aware that they are there.

And then, it means trying to imagine how they feel.

Sooner or later, I myself will become truly “vulnerable.”

Until then, how I choose to act may determine the state of mind I will have when that time comes.

In that sense, this injury has made me think about something important.

Perhaps it has not been entirely bad after all.

A cane may be inconvenient, but it has shown me a part of the world I had not properly seen.

・・・

Vocabulary for Learners

cane
A stick used to support someone while walking.
杖。

nuisance
Something annoying, troublesome, or inconvenient.
邪魔なもの、厄介なもの。

inconvenience
A situation or object that causes trouble or difficulty.
不便、不都合。

Take care of yourself
A common phrase used to tell someone to look after their health.
お大事に。

priority seat
A seat reserved for elderly people, pregnant women, people with disabilities, or others who need it.
優先席。

without hesitation
Without feeling unsure or embarrassed.
ためらわずに。

as a precaution
Done in advance to prevent something bad from happening.
念のため、予防的に。

physical difficulty
A condition that makes moving or walking difficult.
身体的な不自由。

show consideration for
To think about another person’s needs or feelings and act accordingly.
〜に配慮する。

Help Mark
A Japanese sign showing that a person may need assistance or consideration, even if their difficulty is not visible.
ヘルプマーク。

the vulnerable
People who are in a weaker or more difficult position and may need support.
弱い立場にある人、支援を必要とする人。

be aware that they are there
To notice the existence of people one had not really seen before.
その人たちの存在に気づく。

state of mind
One’s mental or emotional condition.
心持ち、心の状態。

#Cane #Empathy #DisabilityAwareness #Aging #DailyEssay #JapaneseEssay #ColoKen

Four Legs at Birth...

An injured ankle, an old walking stick that once belonged to my father, and a small joke from my mother made me think about aging, dependence, and the strange way we notice other people’s pain only after experiencing our own.

The rainy season front, now pushed northward and stimulated by the typhoon, has brought heavy rain to the Tohoku region.

I am worried about my relatives who live there.

It seems that we, too, will have rain toward the weekend, so the situation still requires caution.

The pain in my injured right ankle is gradually subsiding, thankfully, but the swelling has not yet gone down.

Yesterday, my wife, worried about the way I was limping, went all the way to my family home in Tokyo to pick up one of my late father’s walking sticks.

Apparently, my mother was worried about me, too, but she also joked:

“Imagine Koroken needing a cane before I do. That makes me feel happy—as if I am still young.”

Well, in this case, it is only because of an injury. Sooner or later, I will probably be able to walk without a cane again.

But someday, even without any injury, a cane will become something I can no longer do without.

Today, if I had forced myself, I probably could have walked while dragging my foot.

But, as the Japanese saying goes, “A cane before a fall.”

Since my wife had gone to the trouble of bringing several canes back for me, I chose one.

It looked familiar.

Then I realized that it was probably the cane I had once given to my father, either for Father’s Day or for his birthday.

A quiet little act of SDGs, I muttered to myself.

The last time I used any kind of cane was when I sprained my ankle playing basketball as a student.

That was about forty years ago.

Back then, it was crutches.

The day before yesterday and yesterday, I happened to see people on crutches in several different places.

A man who looked like an office worker on the train home.

A student on a school trip who was standing in front of me in the station restroom.

And on the bus, someone who appeared to be a hospital staff member was also using crutches.

I realized that there are more people like this than I had imagined.

But perhaps I noticed them only because I myself was experiencing the inconvenience of foot pain.

Only after feeling pain ourselves do we notice the pain of others.

Human beings are, in that sense, thoroughly self-interested creatures.

Still, using a cane makes walking remarkably easier.

I am not exactly limping anymore.

At least, I feel as though I am walking normally.

Of course, I cannot run. And in the first place, I am walking with a cane.

For the time being, I may eventually return to life without one.

But just as in the riddle of the Sphinx, the day will come when I, too, can no longer walk without a cane.

I will think of this episode as a kind of rehearsal for that day.

A cane in my hand today may be only temporary, but someday it will become part of the answer to the Sphinx’s old riddle.

 

・・・

Vocabulary for Learners

rainy season front
A weather front associated with the rainy season, especially in East Asia.
秋雨前線。

be stimulated by
To become more active because of another force or influence.
〜に刺激される。

subside
To become weaker, smaller, or less severe.
痛み・腫れなどが収まる。

swelling
A part of the body becoming larger because of injury or inflammation.
腫れ。

limp
To walk with difficulty because one leg or foot hurts.
足を引きずって歩く。

late father
A polite way to refer to one’s father who has passed away.
亡父。

walking stick / cane
A stick used to support someone while walking.
杖。

A cane before a fall
A translated version of the Japanese proverb “korobanu-saki-no-tsue” meaning it is wise to prepare before trouble happens.
転ばぬ先の杖。

crutches
Two supports used under the arms or at the forearms when someone cannot walk normally.
松葉杖。

self-interested
Thinking first about oneself or noticing things mainly when they affect oneself.
現金な、自己中心的な。

the riddle of the Sphinx
The ancient riddle in which a human being walks on four legs as a baby, two legs as an adult, and three legs in old age with a cane.
スフィンクスの謎かけ。

rehearsal
Practice before the real event happens.
予行演習。

#Aging #WalkingStick #Sphinx #JapaneseEssay #DailyLife #ColoKen

Achilles Tendon and Haruki Murakami: My Reading Record for August 2026

On the second day of every month, I look back on my reading from the previous month. In August 2026, I read only one book: Haruki Murakami’s long-awaited The Tale of KAHO. But the month also made me think about aging, physical decline, and the way even great writers may lose some of their former momentum.

There are still humid days, but the sky is becoming more and more autumnal. As the old Japanese saying goes, autumn evenings fall as quickly as a bucket dropping into a well. By the time I leave the hospital, it is already dark.

When autumn arrives, I gradually begin to feel a little lonely. Yesterday, something happened that only deepened that feeling.

I ran so as not to miss my train, and ended up injuring my right Achilles tendon. As a result, I spent the entire day limping on my right leg.

It still hurts this morning, but it does not seem to have ruptured. For the moment, I am managing with a compress and a supporter.

Just because I work at a hospital does not mean I can easily see a doctor. Work is packed tightly, and I cannot simply step away.

A troublesome situation.

Recently, Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers has not been in good form.

Apparently, various parts of his body are hurting. Perhaps this, too, is a matter of aging. The body is no longer the same as it was when one was young.

Last month, I read only one book. It was the long-awaited new book by Haruki Murakami. But to me, it felt abruptly unfinished.

Murakami is now seventy-seven years old. Perhaps it is his age, but it seemed to me that he had lost quite a bit of his former drive.

These days, I hear more and more news of famous people passing away. Each time I hear such news, I feel regret, but at the same time I find myself thinking deeply that every human being, without exception, eventually declines.

In the end, I read only one book last month. Please note that the following review contains possible spoilers.

Reading Meter: August 2026

My August Reading Meter Summary
Books read: 1
Pages read: 352
Likes: 34

夏帆　The Tale of KAHO

My review of 夏帆　The Tale of KAHO

Is this really the end? No, surely not.

For the first time, I felt let down by Haruki Murakami.

When fewer than twenty pages remained, I began to worry about how he was going to bring this enormous story to a close. But then the Sahara Desert, the former playboy uncle, the married couple, and even the queen were all wrapped up together.

What on earth was that?

Given Murakami’s usual scale, this story could easily have been long enough for two volumes.

Did he simply become tired of dealing with it?

I had taken my time reading it, so the ending felt all the more disappointing.

I wish he would write spin-offs for each of the characters. Or perhaps I, as a reader, am supposed to imagine each of their endings for myself.

Date finished: August 8
Author: Haruki Murakami

Source: Bookmeter

A strained Achilles tendon and an unfinished Murakami novel both reminded me that decline comes for everyone.

・・・

Vocabulary for Learners

Achilles tendon
The strong tendon at the back of the ankle that connects the calf muscle to the heel.
アキレス腱。

limp
To walk with difficulty because one leg or foot hurts.
足を引きずって歩く。

rupture
To tear or break suddenly, especially inside the body.
断裂する。

compress
A cloth or pad used on an injured part of the body, often with medicine or cooling material.
湿布、冷湿布。

not be in good form
To be performing worse than usual, especially in sports or work.
調子がよくない。

former momentum
The energy, force, or drive that someone used to have.
かつての勢い。

abruptly unfinished
Ending too suddenly, without enough resolution.
尻切れ蜻蛉の、急に終わってしまった。

feel let down
To feel disappointed because something did not meet one’s expectations.
拍子抜けする、がっかりする。

wrap up
To bring a story or situation to an end.
話をまとめる、終わらせる。

without exception
For everyone or everything, with no one left out.
例外なく。

#ReadingRecord #HarukiMurakami #TheTaleOfKAHO #Bookmeter #JapaneseEssay #ColoKen

People I Want to Apologize to Before I Die

After more than sixty years of life, there are people I still wish I could apologize to. But some mistakes cannot be undone, some people cannot be found again, and even an apology may not make things right.

I have lived a fairly long life—though sixty-odd years is not really that long—and over those years, I have caused trouble for quite a few people.

Whenever we deal with someone other than ourselves—in other words, with other people—some degree of friction is almost inevitable.

That friction comes in many forms. There are people I troubled in my private life, people I troubled through work, and people for whom the personal and professional somehow overlapped.

Even within my own family, there are things I look back on and think, I should apologize for what I did back then.

When I think about it that way, the number of such things is probably beyond counting.

At the very least, I would like to settle some of those particularly unpleasant memories that have stayed with me. But once I dealt with one, I am sure another would immediately come to mind, and then another after that.

I wish I could go back to that moment and undo what I did.

But I cannot.

So sometimes I think that perhaps I could find the person now and at least apologize.

In most cases, though, even that would probably be impossible.

And even if I somehow managed to meet that person again, talk about what happened, and apologize, there is no guarantee that anything would actually be resolved.

It might even make things worse.

Perhaps this is why so many novels have been written about regret, guilt, and reconciliation.

And perhaps it is also why I am able to sit here now and keep writing down these thoughts.

Maybe this is what confession really is.

Some people believe they can confess their sins to God and ask for forgiveness. I do not have such a presence in my own life, so perhaps these feelings are simply things I will have to carry with me for the rest of it.

I sometimes wonder how overwhelming such feelings must be for someone who has committed a serious crime.

Even then, does paying one’s debt to society ever bring any relief from the suffering of guilt?

Every day, the news reports on people who have caused harm to others—from theft, workplace bullying, and fraud all the way to war.

I sometimes wonder how those people manage to bear it psychologically.

But then again, their lives are theirs.

The sense of guilt each person carries—or does not carry—is ultimately an individual matter.

If I was going to end up needing to apologize to someone, perhaps I should have lived in such a way that there would never have been anything to apologize for in the first place.

But even in small ways that I never noticed at the time, I may have made someone uncomfortable or hurt someone’s feelings.

Living among other people is difficult.

And there is no system that warns us in advance about the things we will one day regret.

It is too late now to simply go back and apologize.

There is no system that warns us in advance about the things we will one day regret.

・・・

Vocabulary for Learners

friction
Conflict or tension that happens between people because of different feelings, ideas, or interests.
人間関係の摩擦、軋轢

settle something
To deal with a problem or unfinished matter so that it no longer remains unresolved.
問題や未解決のことに決着をつける

undo
To make something return to the way it was before, as if an action had never happened.
元に戻す、取り消す

reconciliation
The process of restoring a peaceful or friendly relationship after conflict.
和解、仲直り

confession
The act of admitting something wrong that you have done, especially something that causes guilt.
告白、懺悔

ask for forgiveness
To ask someone to pardon you for something wrong you have done.
許しを請う

pay one’s debt to society
To accept punishment for a crime and complete what society requires as punishment.
罪を償う、社会に対する責任を果たす

bear it psychologically
To endure something emotionally or mentally difficult.
精神的に耐える

sense of guilt
The feeling that you have done something wrong and are responsible for it.
罪悪感

in the first place
From the beginning; before the problem happened.
そもそも、最初から

#Regret #Apology #Guilt #Forgiveness #HumanRelationships #LifeReflections #LivingWithRegret

How Can We Stop Japan from Becoming More Fragile?

As climate disasters become more frequent and aging infrastructure becomes harder to maintain, Japan seems increasingly vulnerable. But perhaps this is not only Japan’s problem. Many developed countries may be facing the same question: how do we rebuild societies that are slowly becoming more fragile?

This summer is finally nearing its end.

I worked reasonably hard and became quite exhausted, but I was able to relax a little last weekend, and I feel considerably refreshed.

The temperature is not particularly high today either, making the day relatively comfortable.

And yet, perhaps because of climate change, floods and other water-related disasters are occurring repeatedly across the country. They are beginning to feel almost routine.

Whenever I watch footage of these disasters on the news, I find myself wondering what will happen to Japan if things continue this way.

Recovery from the latest disasters will probably take a long time. Even then, I suspect it may be impossible for the affected communities to return completely to what they once were.

People often say that they will “start again from scratch,” but things that have been built up over many years cannot simply be restored overnight.

It is painful to think that people may have known what was coming and yet had little choice but to stand by and watch because there was no realistic way to prevent the disaster.

Japan’s budget for the next fiscal year is reportedly expected to reach a record 140 trillion yen.

But what exactly will all that money be used for?

There was once a Japanese politician who advocated making the Japanese archipelago more resilient.

And yet, rather than becoming more resilient, the country sometimes seems to be growing increasingly fragile, especially as infrastructure continues to age.

There are probably countless reasons why Japan has reached this point.

Even if we identify one particular cause, there will always be others. And perhaps, in some cases, we should even be grateful that things did not deteriorate further.

Still, I doubt that human beings alone can restore Japan to what it once was.

If we truly reach the point where rebuilding the country by ourselves is no longer possible, perhaps I would like to see something like “Plan A” become reality: a future in which humans and AI coexist, and society is managed more rationally with the help of AI.

And perhaps Japan is not unique in this respect.

Many countries are facing aging infrastructure, climate-related disasters, demographic pressures, rising public spending, and political systems that struggle to make long-term decisions.

Japan may simply be one of the places where these problems have become easier to see.

If, by the time my life comes to an end, AI has begun helping human societies overcome some of these problems, I think I could leave this world with considerably fewer worries about what comes next.

Perhaps the real challenge is not how to restore the world we once had, but how to build a society strong enough for the world that is coming.

・・・ 

Vocabulary for Learners

fragile
Easily damaged, weakened, or broken.
壊れやすい、脆弱な

resilient
Able to recover from difficulties, disasters, or major changes.
困難や災害から立ち直る力のある、強靭な

infrastructure
The basic systems a society needs, such as roads, bridges, water supplies, and electricity.
道路、橋、水道、電力などの社会基盤、インフラ

restore
To return something to its previous condition.
元の状態に戻す、復旧する

from scratch
From the very beginning, without relying on what existed before.
ゼロから、一から

deteriorate
To become gradually worse.
徐々に悪化する

demographic pressures
Social or economic problems caused by changes in population, such as aging or population decline.
高齢化や人口減少など人口構造の変化による社会的・経済的圧力

long-term decisions
Decisions made with future consequences in mind rather than only immediate benefits.
目先だけでなく将来を考えた長期的な意思決定

#Japan #ClimateChange #NaturalDisasters #Infrastructure #AgingSociety #ArtificialIntelligence #AI #SocialResilience #FutureOfSociety #Sustainability

In the End, Another Day of Dense Fog

 Our short trip to the Yatsugatake area ended much as it had continued—in dense fog and rain. Yet on the other side of the same weather front, people were facing something far more serious.

 

We left the hotel before noon because I had a haircut appointment later in the afternoon.

From early morning, the television was filled with reports of heavy rain warnings.

Today, it was Fukui.

With this, all three prefectures of Japan’s Hokuriku region had been hit by severe torrential rain.

The highland pastures were still buried in thick fog.

It looked as though sightseeing would be impossible again today.

There was little point even trying to enjoy a scenic drive, so we headed for the Chuo Expressway.

Without ever getting a proper view of the Yatsugatake mountains, we returned to Kamakura.

Apparently, it had been relatively cool in Kamakura today. That made me feel slightly disappointed, wondering whether we might actually have been better off staying home than spending our time in the foggy mountains.

On the news, scenes of flood damage in Fukui were being shown.

On our side of the weather front, we had experienced little more than fog and rain. But farther along that same front, people were going through something like this.

The thought filled me with sadness.

And apparently, the heat will return again tomorrow.

Sometimes the same stretch of weather brings nothing more than an inconvenient fog to one place—and disaster to another. 

 ・・・

Vocabulary for Learners

dense fog
Very thick fog that makes it difficult to see far ahead.
濃霧

torrential rain
Extremely heavy rain that falls in large amounts.
豪雨、猛烈な雨

highland pasture
Grassland in a high, mountainous area where animals may graze.
高原の牧草地、牧場

scenic drive
A drive taken mainly to enjoy beautiful views and landscapes.
景色を楽しむためのドライブ

weather front
A boundary between two different masses of air, often bringing changes in weather.
前線

flood damage
Damage to homes, roads, land, or other property caused by flooding.
水害、洪水による被害

be better off
To be in a better or more favorable situation.
〜した方がよい、〜の方がましである

#Japan #Yatsugatake #Kamakura #Hokuriku #Fukui #HeavyRain #Flooding #DenseFog #Weather #Climate

 

Driving Through the Fog from Morning to Night

The Yatsugatake area was wrapped in thick fog from early morning. Rain changed most of our plans, but between a dog-friendly aquarium, a roadside stop, and a hot spring, the day turned out to be enjoyable in its own way.

Today, the Yatsugatake area was covered in thick fog from early morning because of a weather front.

I woke up around six, as usual, and found only a light drizzle.

Taking advantage of it, I went for a walk through the deep green surroundings.

But within thirty minutes, the rain became much heavier.

After taking our time over breakfast with Anne beside us, we headed to an aquarium that allows dogs.

It turned out to be a much more substantial aquarium than I had expected.

It was not only enjoyable for children, but interesting enough for adults as well.

The weather made it seem unlikely that we would be able to take a proper walk anywhere, but we drove through the dense fog toward Kiyosato anyway.

By the time we arrived, the rain had eased a little.

We stopped for a break at a roadside station, but before long the rain started again, so we cut the visit short.

After that, we relaxed at a nearby hot spring and then returned to our cottage.

The rain had been forecast for several days, and yesterday we had at least managed to do something that felt a little more like sightseeing.

So I suppose this was fine.

And driving through fog this thick was, in its own way, rather interesting.

Not every travel day needs clear skies to become a good memory.

 

・・・ 

Vocabulary for Learners

thick fog
Fog that is very dense and makes it difficult to see far ahead.
濃霧

weather front
A boundary between two different air masses that often brings changes in weather.
前線

drizzle
Very light rain made up of small drops.
霧雨、小雨

take advantage of
To make good use of a situation or opportunity.
〜をうまく利用する

substantial
Larger, better, or more impressive than expected.
しっかりした、本格的な

ease
To become weaker or less intense.
弱まる、和らぐ

roadside station
A rest area in Japan with parking, shops, local products, and other facilities.
道の駅

cut something short
To stop something earlier than planned.
予定より早く切り上げる

hot spring
Naturally heated water used for bathing and relaxation.
温泉

in its own way
In a particular manner that may be different from what was expected.
それはそれで、そのなりに

#Yatsugatake #Kiyosato #FoggyDrive #RainyDay #JapanTravel #DogFriendlyTravel #FlatCoatedRetriever #HotSpring #RoadTrip #TravelDiary

Escaping the Heat

I took a summer day off and headed to Kiyosato with Anne. I wanted a break from both the heat and my growing list of work, but even in the mountains, thoughts of extreme weather were difficult to leave behind.

Today, I took a summer vacation day and went to Kiyosato with Anne.

With the autumn conference season approaching, there is a mountain of work I need to get through.

But perhaps because of the heat, or perhaps because I had been pushing myself too hard, I started to develop a headache.

So I decided to stop everything for the moment.

Watching the recent disasters caused by torrential rain, I have realized how quickly even a small depression in the ground can become flooded.

“Even at a high elevation, water will still collect wherever the terrain allows it,” we said as I drove, paying more attention than usual to every rise and dip in the road.

Even after coming all the way here, extreme weather does not quite allow my mind to rest.

Last night, I saw footage for the first time of a debris flow that had occurred in Nepal.

It was reportedly related to part of a Himalayan glacier melting and collapsing.

It is not only the ice of the Arctic Ocean that is melting.

It is happening all over the world.

Wasn’t it cooler in the old days?

I found myself wondering that as we walked.

Still, once night came, the air became properly cool.

And somehow, that was a relief.

For one night, at least, the mountain air reminded me what summer used to feel like.

 

・・・

get through
To finish or complete something that requires effort.
仕事などをやり遂げる、片付ける

push oneself too hard
To work or try harder than is healthy or reasonable.
無理をして頑張りすぎる

for the moment
For now, but not necessarily permanently.
ひとまず、当面の間

torrential rain
Extremely heavy rain falling in a short period of time.
豪雨、土砂降り

depression in the ground
A low area in the surface of the land where water can collect.
地面のくぼみ

elevation
The height of a place above sea level.
標高

terrain
The shape and physical features of the land.
地形

debris flow
A fast-moving mixture of water, mud, rocks, and other material flowing down a slope.
土石流

glacier
A large mass of ice that moves slowly over land.
氷河

a relief
Something that makes worry, discomfort, or tension disappear or become less severe.
ほっとすること、安堵

#Kiyosato #SummerEscape #ExtremeWeather #ClimateChange #Heatwave #MountainAir #JapanTravel #FlatCoatedRetriever #SummerVacation #EverydayThoughts

As Witnesses to a Breaking Natural World

Extreme rainfall, oppressive heat, melting Arctic ice, and changing oceans are no longer distant warnings. They are becoming part of everyday life. Living through this rapid transformation, I find myself wondering what responsibility belongs to those of us who are here to witness it.

Today, an emergency warning for heavy rain was issued in Ishikawa Prefecture, and television screens showed cars submerged in floodwater.

In the foreground was another car. Perhaps it had almost made it to safety. It had stopped on slightly higher ground with its hazard lights flashing.

Not only the recent torrential rain in Chiba Prefecture—these days, when it rains, it really pours.

“When it rains, it pours.”

I learned this short expression when I was a student. At the time, I thought that surely rain could never literally fall like that in the real world.

But now it feels as though the bottom has fallen out of the bucket.

And once again, it has been hot since early this morning.

Last night was the thirteenth night of the lunar cycle, and I stepped outside hoping to take a photograph of the slightly rounded moon.

Even then, the temperature was still above 30°C.

I thought the next morning would probably be hot as well.

Sure enough, it was.

The temperature was 26°C, but the humidity was high, making the air heavy and uncomfortable.

I had a slight headache, and when my wife came back from walking Anne, our Flat-Coated Retriever, she said she had one too.

I asked why she had returned so early.

Apparently, even one of our neighbors, a particularly strong walker, had said she felt unwell and had turned back after reaching Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine.

It feels as though everyone is hovering just one step away from heatstroke.

On top of that, repeatedly moving between air-conditioned rooms and the hot, humid outdoors makes this a season when it is particularly easy to feel unwell.

The scenery through the train window does not look dramatically different.

And yet the climate itself seems to be changing more and more.

After experiencing so many episodes of extreme weather this summer, I finally feel that I am beginning to understand—not simply as knowledge, but through my own body—what it means to live through the extreme weather associated with global warming.

The Arctic ice, often called the planet’s refrigerator, continues to shrink.

As ocean temperatures rise, the habitats of fish are shifting dramatically, and even what we eat is beginning to change.

The Earth itself will probably continue to exist for hundreds of millions of years.

Humanity, however, may disappear after having existed on this planet for only a tiny fraction of that time.

Meanwhile, scientific progress over the past several years has followed something close to an exponential curve.

In a sense, its speed is abnormal.

We are living on the steep tangent of that curve, witnessing these changes as they happen.

So what should those of us who are here to witness them actually do?

Perhaps the question of our time is not whether the world is changing, but what those who recognize the change choose to do about it.

 

・・・ 

Vocabulary for Learners

torrential rain
Extremely heavy rain that falls in a short period of time.
集中豪雨、土砂降りの雨

submerged
Completely or partly covered by water.
水没した、水に浸かった

hazard lights
Flashing lights on a vehicle used to warn other drivers of danger or trouble.
ハザードランプ、非常点滅表示灯

oppressive heat
Heat that feels extremely uncomfortable and difficult to tolerate.
耐えがたい暑さ、うだるような暑さ

hover just one step away from
To be very close to entering a particular state or situation.
〜の一歩手前にいる

global warming
The long-term rise in the Earth’s average temperature, mainly caused by greenhouse gases.
地球温暖化

habitat
The natural environment where an animal or plant lives.
生息地、すみか

exponential curve
A curve showing something increasing faster and faster over time.
指数曲線

tangent
A straight line that touches a curve at one point; here, used metaphorically for being located on a rapidly rising trend.
接線。ここでは、急激に上昇する流れのただ中にいることの比喩

witness
A person who sees an event happen; also, to observe something as it happens.
目撃者、または目撃すること

#ClimateChange #ExtremeWeather #GlobalWarming #HeavyRain #Heatwave #ArcticIce #ChangingClimate #Japan #Ishikawa #EverydayThoughts