Cop A Gander At These Rippers Too...

  • Neighborhood Stroll

    After a warmer than usual winter (despite initially showing signs of being a cold one), spring is suddenly upon us and cherry blossoms have bloomed at one of the earliest times ever, though the covid pandemic prevents them from being widely enjoyed. On the weekend of higan, the vernal or spring equinox, when the day has roughly the same amount of daylight and dark, Tokyo got hit with a horrible spring storm. One benefit of the rain was bringing the opportunity to go for a stroll around the local neighborhood and catching a glimpse of sights like this one.

  • Tour de Kagoshima-Kyoto Day 2: Hinagu to Ozu

    The tour’s drive into Kyushu moved northward on its second day of riding, and first when inclement weather came into play. Rain fell about halfway through the 72-km leg, drenching riders, but fortunately not resulting in any injuries or accidents. The trip was largely along the plains of Kyushu, following rivers and train tracks through to the industrial city of Yatsushiro. From there, it was a trip along similar terrain through the areas hit by the 2016 Kumamoto Earthquakes and onto Ozu. The tour next moves into the mountains with the long-awaited assault on Mount Aso. Brommie performed superbly, but will face bigger demands hitting the hills.

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    Why Do Over 100 Aussie Communities Have Japanese Sister Cities?

    なぜ100を超えるオーストラリアの自治体が日本の姉妹都市を持っているのでしょうか？ From school exchanges to sporting visits and lifelong friendships, sister-city relationships have quietly connected Australians and Japanese for decades. Today, more than 100 Australian communities have an official partnership with a Japanese city. 学校交流やスポーツ交流、市民同士の友情まで――姉妹都市交流は長年にわたり日豪の人々を結び続けてきました。現在、100を超えるオーストラリアの自治体が日本の都市と正式な姉妹都市関係を結んでいます。 Friendship begins between communities 友情は町と町から始まる National treaties are signed by governments, but sister-city relationships are built by ordinary people. Students, teachers, musicians, athletes and volunteers have travelled between Australia and Japan for decades, creating friendships that often last a lifetime. 国同士の条約は政府が結びますが、姉妹都市交流を支えているのは市民です。学生や教師、音楽家、スポーツ選手、ボランティアなど、多くの人々が長年にわたり日豪を行き来し、生涯続く友情を育んできました。 More than 100 partnerships Australia and Japan currently have 107 sister-city and sister-state relationships. Together they also support more than 550 sister-school partnerships, making this one of the world’s most extensive local-government exchange networks….

  • Do Little

    Blessed with a bit of time and being in close proximity, I used the beautiful weather to visit Tama Zoological Park, testing a new Nikon Z 50 camera. I first visited this zoo in 1993, at a time when the memory of the 1984 arrival of koalas was still fresh. Koalas were flavor of the month in Japan at the time, literally so in the case of Koala no March–a confectionary that remains popular to this day–and the zoo’s Australian Habitat was something of a showcase area. Now, it’s just one of many habitats in what is a delightful little zoo nestled into the Tama hills. KOALA-IFIED TO SELL Though…

  • Tour de Kagoshima-Kyoto Day 9: Koyasan to Nara

    Glorious weather almost a complete turnaround from the previous day was the hallmark of the penultimate day of the 2019 Kagoshima to Kyoto cycling tour. Sunny skies greeted the riders as they roused from their sleep in a chilly Koyasan temple. Riding remained cold and rugging up was the order of the day with the first 20 kilometers of the ride a rousing descent from Koyasan onto the plains of Wakayama Prefecture. Riders maintained a steady pace following the outstanding bicycle tracks along the Kinokawa River joining Wakayama and Nara prefectures. Riders passed through some wonderfully quaint mountain villages, rustic farming neighborhoods and winding roads, many barely traversed by other…