Gary Kirkpatrick comments

Ono city in Fukui prefecture. Small and comfortable. Lots of history and local culture. Surrounded by mountains. It is far from the maddening crowd.

My uni tried to ban smoking on campus so now all the smokers quit and lived healthily ever after. Nah. They smoke right in front of the building, drop their cigarette butts all over, and on rainy days stand undercover in front of the two entrance ways gifting their smoke to the whole building. And these kids are the future at least until the cancer takes them.

Yes, but not as much as the UN's SDGs.

Not in the next 5 years. After that, I'll be retired. 65 ~ 75 - I'm confident there will still be plenty of students who would rather speak face-to-face with a real person rather than a screen. By then I'll be strictly part-time.

I've gone from a 3 hour commute to a 30 minute commute in near on 30 years of working here. The 3 hour commute time was spent napping and studying. It helped get me through my Masters program. Now, my 30 minute commute is strictly for napping and listening to my podcasts. I don't expect that commuting tine will ever be paid but at least they pay for my commuter pass that I can use to save money on weekends and holidays. Works for me.

who we used to send them to

We've long since given up. The ridiculous costs of the cards and postage put us off. As well as the lack of cards from overseas. Most of my elderly family who used to send them to have all passed away. The younger generation doesn't seem to bother. Now we send a lucky Japanese New Year's card with Seasonal Greetings. Just add ¥80 or so in stamps and you are set to go.

Back in the 70s, the elementary school age me was educated about the world ending threat of litter which we were urged to pick up and from US CMs - give a hoot and not pollute.

My friends and I sort of complied by collecting soda bottles which we cashed in to buy candy. The wrappers of which I hope we discarded in the trash and not along the bush trails and riversides where we hung out.

Abe and Kishida. The Tweedlee and Tweedledumb of Japanese politics. Unfortunately, the opposition is the Tweedledumber. Oh, for some competent leaders who aren't tainted by and mired in scandals from the get-go.

Not Japan but rather his political party is martyring him to solidify their strangle hold on power. The death of democracy?

No shirt, no shoes, no mask.

No service.

Simple.

When you get to your room, take it off.

Stop whining.

Your sense of exceptionalism stops at your country's border.

Who goes to TikTok or other SNS sites for medical information or anything other than dumb dance videos?

So the none to subtle pressure to leave worked well. Like companies sidelining workers so they will quit. If being lousy at the local language was the real reason I would have packed it in decades ago. But despite that, I have thrived all the same here.

I limit my exposure by not listening to news pods, and watching serious news programs - morning news shows here are mostly variety shows with weather news, so they don't upset me much.

My wife's company briefly flirted with the idea of producing halal and/or kosher products but made no real effort to understand the rigours of application and production. Also, once they realised the cost, they abandoned it. Short sighted to say the least.

Ah, this takes me back to the days when I worked at both Buddhist and later Catholic girls' high schools. The religions were nothing other than cosmetic mind you. (Excuse the attempt at humour.) I remember one young lady at the former school being hauled into the office for coming to school with coloured hair and watching in amazement as a male staffer forced her to bend over a sink while he sprained on black hair colouring. In latter the school, a compromise was met in that it was agreed that the young lady would leave the school permanently, hair intact. More recently, both my bicultural kids had to file paperwork that proved their hair colour was naturally not jet black. I offered to show up and show them why but my wife just gave me the look.

Just another manic Monday and my phone still doesn't work. Have they forgotten those of us living outside of Tokyo and other more populous locals? Voters here don't matter?

Yes, of course. My family doesn't live in a barn. Houses are typically carpeted. I can't imagine the mess if outdoor shoes were worn inside. Not to mention all the pain and suffering that would be inflicted on anyone foolish enough to try. Mom would kick their butts faster than greased lightning.

When I first arrived back in '94 to work for a now defunct Eikaiwa, the talk was that anywhere was better than there. More through connections than anything at first, I moved on to work at several private high schools before landing at a university. I managed to get tenure this year by getting a MSc and working my ass off. Sure the money is much better but there is the constant demand to publish and connect with the community and that can get tiring. As for months off, not sure where those people work but we have events during most breaks to attract new students. Despite all that, I can't complain. My colleagues are very supportive. My students are for the most part interested and focused provided I do my job. You can be happy or unhappy anywhere. I guess it is all about your attitude. Make the best of it or move on.

She should be offered asylum somewhere. I can't imagine the fundamentalist terrorists who are now in charge in Afghanistan will praise her competing in the Olympics.

I have never had any interest in sports of any kind all my life. I go out of my way to avoid them on television. The Olympics have always been a great time to catch up on reading or movies.

Good news. Sensible, if true.

That's all well and good for companies. Those of us working in the education field won't be taking longer holidays. We've got regularly scheduled classes and a yearly schedule to adhere to. Enjoy your extra holidays if you get them.

I cannot fathom why someone would reject something so clearly beneficial to humanity. The bestowing of Darwin awards to these unfortunate individuals seems sadly appropriate. I only wish their children could be protected.

A very sad tragedy, one I remember to this day when I commute to work. Our local train line has enough of a monopoly to not be in competition. I hope that holds.

They are a fundamentalist cultish organization/church that holds very regressive attitudes towards abortion, drugs, alcohol, gambling, and LGBTQ rights. Don't give them your hard earned cash if you are in anyway a modern, open minded type.

We've given up on Xmas cards altogether. Now we just slap a ¥7 stamp our Japanese New Years cards and send them overseas. Most people I know back home are giving up on sending cards. It is only my elderly family who have kept up that tradition.

The really stupid animals are humans because they should know better.

Given the obvious effects of global warming, the Olympic committee needs to rethink the best season/months for the games. Why even use the terms Summer of Winter games?

Candy bars that aren't Kit Kats or Snickers

Bulk licorice

Stick deodorant

Clothes in my size

and headache medicine that works