About 15 years ago, I decided it was time for me to become a divemaster and scuba instructor. I loved the ocean and had grown up watching Jacques-Yves Cousteau roaming the oceans aboard the Calypso. After coming back from Nepal I was diagnosed with asthma. I went to see a doctor specialized in diving who […]
Vincent Fichot (Twitter: @FichotVincent) is on a hunger strike at Sendagaya JR station since July 10th after years of unsuccessful efforts to see his children who were kidnapped by his mother in Japan on August 10th 2018. I encourage you to read about Vincent and the many fathers who have been separated from their children […]
The Japan Meteorological Agency is the best source in various languages for local weather and for real-time risks evaluation. In addition to weather forecasts, its English Home Page offers weather warnings/advisories, real-time risk maps for landslides, inundations and floods, tropical cyclones information, tsunami warnings and advisory, earthquake information and volcanic warning/forecasts. As you can see […]
With the rainy season, or “tsuyu”, the risk of landslides, inundations and floods is growing. I am posting here some information in English. Other languages are available on the websites mentioned. • For general information about Disaster Management in Japan, the Cabinet Office offers valuable resources. You can download the latest Evacuation Information in 14 […]
Two of the cats I have so far met in Toride. This one is living in a box near the river and prefers, it seems, the company of dogs. I met the second one several times on my way to the river. Always perched on a wall and very friendly.
In a recent Axios article entitled Boring news cycle deals blow to partisan media, Neal Rothschild and Sara Fischer explain that news outlets that relied on “partisan, ideological warfare” had seen a sharp drop in readership since former US President Trump left office. If far-right media have suffered the most, what the charts show is […]
For almost 20 years, I have been a contributor to the World Community Grid and been involved in a number of projects. As mentioned in the WCG website: World Community Grid enables anyone with a computer, smartphone or tablet to donate their unused computing power to advance cutting-edge scientific research on topics related to health, […]
• What is Essential Tremor? I suffer from Essential Tremor, a common neurological condition that can affect various parts of the body . It triggers an involuntary action tremor that can have a severe impact on all kinds of activities such as writing, eating, etc. The cause is unknown and it should not be mistaken […]
I bought yesterday a speciality of Ibaraki. Modesty forbids the prefecture from boasting about the quality of its melons. Sometimes, however, an aptly named product appears such as the Ibaraking melon. Here is the melon page from the portal site of Ibaraki food and agriculture.
I always hesitate about buying new toys or equipment, but I am increasingly under the charm of Ibaraki’s many waterways and lakes. I took a lesson with the owner of Paddle Quest kayak and SUP school and store in Sumida-ku, Shinju Horikawa, a great teacher, and we went to the foot of Skytree! I felt […]
Disaster Mitigation in Japan-Weather Information
The Japan Meteorological Agency is the best source in various languages for local weather and for real-time risks evaluation. In addition to weather forecasts, its English Home Page offers weather warnings/advisories, real-time risk maps for landslides, inundations and floods, tropical cyclones information, tsunami warnings and advisory, earthquake information and volcanic warning/forecasts. As you can see […]
Disaster Mitigation in Japan- Evacuation Information and Resources (Apps…)
With the rainy season, or “tsuyu”, the risk of landslides, inundations and floods is growing. I am posting here some information in English. Other languages are available on the websites mentioned. • For general information about Disaster Management in Japan, the Cabinet Office offers valuable resources. You can download the latest Evacuation Information in 14 […]
Two of the cats I have so far met in Toride. This one is living in a box near the river and prefers, it seems, the company of dogs. I met the second one several times on my way to the river. Always perched on a wall and very friendly.
This plant is native to North America but is said to have arrived in Japan during Meiji period. I took those pictures today at sunset. The flowers can be found everywhere on the river banks.
Tonegawa river banks in Toride
Toride offers a quality of life that cannot be found in Tokyo. I would make an exception for those who enjoy most museums and theaters, but for nature lovers, nothing beats a peaceful evening walking close to the river.
Anoplophora malasiaca (White-spotted Longicorn Beetle) Cerambycidae
This species can be disastrous for trees.
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