A.K.A. bakagaijin, 馬鹿外人 — (a stupid, foolish, dull, or ridiculous foreigner, especially one of European descent). — I was born in Texas, moved to Japan when I was six months old, and lived mostly there for the next sixteen years. I say mostly because we spent a year in the U.S. every 4–5 years. For me, these were for First Grade / the First year of Primary…

Table of Contents and Links to Stories/Chapters — The School at the Top of the Hill Daydreaming A Kick in the Seat of the Pants Old Bones and Ghosts The Shrine at the Bottom of the Hill The House On the Canal A Game of Codes Lost in Transit We Build the Berlin Wall The Jizo Guarding the Caves (new links will be added as they are published) If you are enjoying my stories, I’d like to encourage you to sign-up for a Medium membership, for unlimited access to these and a world of wonderful stories by many talented writers. It’s likely much less than you think! Take a look, here: https://bartemanuel.medium.com/membership

Descriptive stories of fleeting experiences that left a lasting impression on me. — (New stories will be linked here as they are published) They Wondered if Mom was The Queen of England (Published in The Memoirist) [setting: 1960s and 1970s] Slow Train to Matsue (Published in The Memoirist) [setting: early 1960s] Rest in Peace, Cedric Doggory (Published in The Memoirist) [setting: 2002] They…

Exploring Japan's Iconic Train Station Bento Boxes — As the long Shinkansen train pulls into Tokyo station, I wait with a sense of high anticipation. …

Thanks! Maybe the next step in AI (I am in the business) will be fact-checking and truthiness. Imagine a truthiness slider in your preferences. :-)

Thanks for the story, and really interested in (and waiting to know about) what you and your colleagues are doing with Akiya!! When I first started to read about the akiya "problem," my thought was, "Great! I can go to japan and pick up a second house really cheaply," but I understand many of them are not in great shape and typical programs require new owners to be younger (I'm approaching 65 and 'retirement.)... looking forward to reading your stories.

I have 3-4 full sized bookshelves full of books I started but never finished. I keep thinking "one of these days," then chuckle under my breath, because I know deep inside that it'll never happen.

I actually use cruises to screen places I think I'd like to go. The "daytrip" from the cruise ship gives me a feel and helps me to decide if it is worth a longer visit.

This happens to me every time I've been to visit the land where I grew up (Japan). For a long time, I called it "home," and I refused to acknowledge that maybe it was time to call my current residence "home." But eventually, after living here longer than any other place I've lived, I reluctantly decided it was time. I still do get homesick though, and sometimes imagine that my whole family has disappeared and that I am free to return "home." Sigh...