Splash & Dash: Aquathon in Onoura
The first time was three years ago. It was ten o’clock in the morning when Chad, Andrew, and I arrived but the sky was dark. Thigh-high waves battered the shore under gray skies that hung... more
Where Runners Go
We love to fill our lungs with deep breaths of fresh air... but not when the air is laced with car and truck exhaust. We love to lose ourselves in the simple mantra we repeat... more
Charity rider
Before becoming America’s cancer crusader, Lance Armstrong dealt with testicular cancer that metastasized to his brain. Brad Deacon maneuvers around wild boar. “I came around a bend and right there, in front of me, in the... more
Slow food and sex
I’ve just been on my annual visit to Tokyo. I still have some friends there and a few clients, which gives me the excuse to make the trip tax-deductible. But the real reason this time... more
Wall Street Associates
Having recently returned to Nagoya after an 8-year absence, I have developed the impression that the economy is doing fairly well (except, perhaps, in the language school market!). Nagoya towers, Midland Square, major new outlet... more
FEW Japan: taking care of business
There are these moments where you as a foreign women feel stuck in the Chubu region. Nagoya may be booming, but language barriers, homesickness, living outside of Nagoya in a more rural area, a job... more
Politics? Anyone?
“Nani sore?”…”Kowai!”…”Kawaii!”…”Shiro mo aru!” From Sakae to Nagoya Station, from Minato Matsuri to Nakata Matsuri, wherever the Mosshi-mosshi Troop made its mysterious appearances, those were the sure sequence of reactions. But what exactly is it that... more
The Otokichi post-postscript
At the conclusion of the three-part “Otokichi Saga” which documented the amazing story of Otokichi Yamamoto, the presumed first Japanese visitor to North America (see previous three Avenues issues), I put a note asking for... more
In praise of furin
Just in case there are people out there that think they are going to read about those cute little wind bells people hang outside their houses in summer, sorry to disappoint you. This is going... more
