Glimpses of Japan Local - in JEnglish

  Two Fresh Candles: When you light two pristine candles at the same time, they each burn in their own subtle way. The flame flickers in the wind, melting the wax, which drips down, sticks, and hardens again, sometimes reshaping the candle’s appearance. Wax may pool at the base of the candlestick, too. Even if their lengths and shapes end up different, all the wax burns out at nearly the same time. ＊ A chilly Morning with the Candle: One chilly morning, I tried to relight a candle that had gone out halfway, but it wouldn’t stay lit. It seemed the wax around the wick hadn’t melted enough. I checked the instructions on the candle box: “In cold weather, warm the wax around the wick before relighting.” Lesson learned. ＊ A Sudden Burn: After a winter in Japan, I returned to the scorching summer of Perth. On 13 January 2003, at night during a drive, I felt an intense discomfort in my upper back—like a heavy, hot metal plate pressing against me. Out of nowhere, I remembered a chain email ...

  Season's Greetings Cultural differences, customs, and religions... Despite all the variety, I think it’s important to cherish beautiful traditions, like sending a kind word to reconnect. In Australia, around Christmas time, friends often send "Season's Greetings" along with New Year's wishes. It's becoming less common to get messages celebrating Christmas itself, though. Since many of my friends come from different backgrounds, it makes sense that the holidays and celebrations vary. Some even celebrate the Lunar New Year. I appreciate the updates on recent events or how people are doing, especially during these times. Late Autumn at the Beach and the Ashiya Sand Sculpture Exhibition The beach gets lively during the " Ashiya  Sand Sculpture Exhibition," where incredible sand sculptures by famous artists from around the world are displayed outdoors. Fine Detail in Sand Sculpting It turns out that the finer the sand, the better it is for creating sand...

Oyster Grills at  Funakoshi  and the Majestic Maple of  Raizan Sennyoji Itoshima has been getting some buzz as the setting for a recent morning drama, and for me, this season in Itoshima means one thing: grilled oysters! During a recent TV program, I learned about a new variety of oyster called Sunbaider. While I always look forward to the plump, juicy flavour of freshly grilled oysters, sometimes you spot little bumps on the flesh—apparently, a sign they’re gearing up for spawning. The  Sunbaider , however, doesn’t spawn this time of year. That means its pure white flesh is plump, creamy, and worry-free. It’s even said to taste three times better than regular oysters—hence the name  Sunbaider  (literally "three times better")! Intrigued, I decided to order 2 kg to try. And wow—so good! Walk It Off: Exploring Raizan Sennyoji 's Great Maple After indulging, a walk was definitely in order.  Flipping through the Fukuoka Cultural Guide: Scenic Spots Edi...

  At the end of March, I had a small bike accident. It messed up my balance due to some inner ear issues, which not only put biking on hold but also impacted my day-to-day life in ways I didn’t expect. Time does heal, though, and without realizing it, I found myself returning to normal. While I was laying low, I picked up some new hobbies. I practiced traditional chanting solo, read through my stack of books that had been sitting around, and got lost in  Sudoku  puzzles. Basically, I embraced a lazy lifestyle again. Even those unbearable, air-conditioner-dependent summer days have finally given way to a hint of fall. The potted plants in my tiny garden are showing their seasonal colors as well. Toward the end of summer, some pests took over my  Fujibakama  plant, so I trimmed it all the way down. But in true wildflower spirit, it started growing fresh shoots and even budding again. I’m not holding my breath for the butterflies to come, but it’s nice to see it bo...