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Fukuyama Masaharu mentioned on Music Station that his hit ‘Sakurazaka’ was inspired by a slope in Ota Ward — so I got on my bike and went looking for it.

Komeda means Nagoya. Common knowledge for anyone from there. They expanded to Tokyo around 2006.

A flyer in the mailbox insists digital terrestrial TV ‘requires specialist expertise’ — signal checks, antenna hookups, channel scans. A little time capsule of the analog-to-digital switchover.

I’ve set up MT4i, which lets me post to the blog from my phone. Testing it out with this post. The world really is convenient now.

Returning from Obon via the JR Chuo Line: Kasugai to Kamata in 8 hours through mountain scenery completely unlike the Tokaido — all on a Seishun 18 ticket.

Obon trip from Tokyo to Aichi by local trains: dawn departure from Kamata, six and a half hours, ¥3,250 — basically selling four hours of my morning for the ¥6,000 Shinkansen difference.

Doyo no Ushi eel day, single-living edition: one eel equals one serving. Plus the shocking discovery that the supermarket one station over sells the same eel for ¥600 less.

The Railway Museum in Omiya: a steam locomotive on a turntable, older visitors reminiscing in front of the Blue Train, and bento eaten inside a real train car.

Writing this on August 3… Quite a gap since the last post. And the photo itself is from July 13.

I went to Akihabara to buy a scale and walked into the aftermath of the June 8 stabbing — police cordons, CPR on the street. A frightening day to remember.

Cycling trip No. 4: Haneda again, across the bridge from the drama GOOD LUCK!! — filming locations hiding in plain sight, even if the planes stayed out of reach.

A 600 km Shinkansen trip to Hyogo, with a free Sunday in Osaka — saying a proper goodbye to Kuidaore Taro before the restaurant’s July closing.

This year’s Golden Week (yes, it’s already June) — I did something unusual and had my parents come visit Tokyo.

Work has been taking me to Shibuya more often lately. The view is great — I couldn’t help pulling out the camera.

Six months in the new apartment, I finally braved deep-frying at home. Karaage with potato starch at 160°C — possibly the best thing I’ve cooked here.

I had business in Shinjuku and with some time to spare, wandered up to the top floor of a high-rise for no particular reason. 50th floor, apparently.

A colleague tipped me off that JR routes over 601 km qualify for a round-trip discount. Tokyo → Nagoya → Nishi-Akashi → Tokyo: how I saved ¥6,500 with two JR rules and Express Reservation.

Two years after graduating, I discovered my alma mater has its own community board — ‘Meijo Channel’ — with lab-level intel I could have really used as a student.

Cycling trip no. 2 under a cloudless sky: 38 km to Minato Mirai and Chinatown, photos of Landmark Tower and the Red Brick Warehouse, nikuman for the road.