Category: Japan
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They DON’T all look the same!
You know how some ignorant people will say that ‘all Oriental people look the same’? Well I am not and have never been one of those. I Have been aware of the differences between Chinese and Japanese for as long as I have understood there was Karate and Kung Fu. So how is it, will…
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Iye Sumo!
I have been joking for a month that people here were going to mistake me for a sumo wrestler, but it was really supposed to be just a joke. I couldn’t believe it when this evening three elderly (mid-50s) couples were passing me in the street, and one of them stared at me and said…
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Pictures from Day 2…
I have been in Japan since Wednesday evening, and it is now Saturday morning. For my readers in North America the time shift is simple… this morning in Japan is yesterday evening for you, and this evening in Japan will be this morning for you. I think… I have been promising that I would start…
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My (Second) First Full Day…
Today (Friday) was my first full day of work at Rakuten… or at least it was supposed to be. I went to bed at a reasonable hour in order to be well rested for my morning presentation to many of the stakeholders of my upcoming project. Things do not always go according to plans, and…
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A Stranger in a Strange Land…
Have you ever walked through a grocery store and not known what anything was? I had that experience this evening. Although there are pictures on a lot of things, the only items (aside from fresh fruits and vegetables) that I could clearly identify were Frosted Flakes, Coke Zero, and Cote de Rhone. It might have…
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Japan: Day 1
I arrived at the hotel thoroughly exhausted yesterday, which I suppose is to be expected. Fortunately the check-in process was smooth and simple, and I got into my room within five minutes. If I had to pick a single word to describe Japan so far it would be Efficient. Certainly it is clean and everyone…
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The Adventure Begins…
In the words of Adrian Cronauer (Look it up, kids) It is Oh-Six-Hundred Hours… What does the Oh stand for? ‘Oh my G-d it’s early!’ I am now sitting comfortably in the Maple Leaf Lounge at Toronto Pearson International Airport, and there is plenty of time to sit and wait before boarding the plane for…
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It’s about to begin…
There comes a time in the time leading to a journey when there are simply not enough hours left to do much else. With regard to my trip to Tokyo I think we are there. As I write this it is a very rainy Saturday afternoon in Oakville. I am reviewing my mental checklist for…
The World According to Mitch 