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I admit: I am one of those queens who, on the first of each month, says something like, “How is it September already?” This year has been a blur for reasons both good — the writing life and married life — and bad —everything else in the United States right now.
I also admit that last Friday, after a night having drinks with three of my Williams classmates in Seattle, I came home and remained awake until two in the morning, taking part in the global Internet death watch. People might believe that a) we shouldn’t wish death on anyone and b) it’s inappropriate to speak ill of the dead, but I firmly believe that all niceties go by the wayside if the person in question is a convicted rapist and a pædophile.
Thank goodness today is a holiday because it’s taken a bit to get my sleep rhythm — in bed by nine or nine-thirty, awake eight hours later — back into the groove.
I finished some overdue updates to my website today. Nearly a year’s worth of book reviews have been added, not to mention some recent awards, as well as the translation credits that both Hiro and I earned for a new movie on Apple TV and Prime Video, One of One.
At the same time, I have been wanting to share the subscribers’ only content to see how my advice for travel to Japan resonates with my general readership. If I’ve configured everything correctly, non-subscribers should be able to see longform previews of all of the following.
Visiting Shrines
My original idea for this post included discussions of all the different types of shrine souvenirs as well as temple visits and at some point I realized that I needed to pause, and get something out to my subscribers. And I’m guessing that very few people have time to ready an epic email, thousands of words long.
Kyōto
A good friend is heading to Kyōto in the next few weeks, and I originally thought I would commit my recommendations for this city that remains a jewel among jewels.
The Golden Pavilion
Back in 1989, I visited 金閣寺 (kinkakuji), the Golden Pavilion, during my first visit to Kyōto. It was May and the city was awash with students who had traveled there as part of the annual multi-night field trips that occur at both the junior and senior high levels.
Tōkyō
Bureaucratically speaking, Tōkyō exists as a metropolitan district on par with all of the other 46 prefectures in Japan. Although the majority of prefectures are listed as 県 (ken), there are four outliers. Hokkaidō, the prefecture, is listed as a 道 (
Etiquette
Let me begin with a reminder from a dear friend. If October is National LGBTQ+ History Month, it is also National Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Domestic violence can occur in any kind of relationship, unfortunately, but people living on the rainbow, gay men in particular, are very reticent about reporting it. My friend asked me to remind my readers that the
Visiting Kyōto
As someone who lived in Tōkyō for ten years, that city will always feel like home, and I am happy to recommend that people visit it.
Just a Week in Tōkyō
Before I dive into the recommendations for my paid subscribers, I have some updates on my writing life. Although I still struggle a little with fatigue, post-COVID, I’ve recovered enough to return to my daily walks along the Soos Creek Trail. This morning, I convinced Hiro to join me. Bonus!
Regrets
I will share some travel recommendations for my subscribers later in this issue, but I did have some news and a link I wanted to share with everyone first.
It's a Myth! A Myth!
There’s a moment or two (including this incredible cameo moment) in the original Muppet Movie when Kermit, as exasperated as Kermit can get when confronted by a falsehood about frogs, shouts: “It’s a myth! Myth!”
Bored in Tōkyō
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Lodgings in Japan
During our 2023 trip to Japan, Hiro and I splurged and spent one night at the incredible Hotel New Otani in central Tōkyō.
