tintinaujapon

I was just about to say, I remember the discussion in Japan in the 90s that unagi were endangered and becoming rare. I was quite surprised at the availability on my last trip up there. Didn’t they only work out where they spawn (near Mariana Trench) within only the last decade or so?

2026-05-30 04:02:18 UTC

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one of my favourite Brendan Gleeson and Don Cheadle movies.

2026-04-05 01:12:42 UTC

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if you want to start a fight between Australians and New Zealanders, ask them in joint company which country invented the Pavlova.

2026-03-06 22:50:35 UTC

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my town!!

2026-03-02 00:51:21 UTC

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I love your photos and commentary.

2026-02-20 05:43:24 UTC

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dude, do you ever sit still?

2025-12-14 05:25:38 UTC

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I love the way that all the Nazi bastards were being played by Jewish refugees from Nazism.

2025-12-05 04:35:43 UTC

A brilliant Japanese language teacher lady of my acquaintance, who’s been running her own teaching/cultural exchange business for a while and contributes soooo much to 豪日 relations has been told she needs to find a sponsor within 2 months or leave Australia. Long shot, but asking among the lovely Mastodon people of my acquaintance just in case if anybody knows of a company/org that may be interested in her, anywhere in Oz. Her English is also excellent, I believe she has a marketing degree that she left behind to do what she does now. Absolutely top notch lady - every positive characteristic of the Japanese with a wonderful outward looking, curious nature.
It’s a sad indictment on Japan that someone of her calibre has no interest in returning there.

2025-11-14 02:03:20 UTC

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my first day of actual work in Japan as an ALT in a senior high school, I had to address the entire staffroom.
I opened with, “私の犬の目が青いです。私の猫の足が短いです。　 [pause] ごめんなさい、それは私の日本語の宿題です。”
Crickets.
And then I carried on with my proper 自己紹介.
About a year later, when I had integrated into the school and had made friends, my closest Japanese teacher friend one day suddenly said to me.
“Hey, remember when you gave that initial speech and you talked about your dog and cat…? That was a joke, right?”

2025-11-12 23:42:47 UTC

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they were not sold locally in Japan when I was living there and in my town became an unofficial currency of trade among the gaijin, and prizes for the school kids we taught. I overdosed on them back then and, despite the rainbow of new flavours these days, still can’t look at them now without a tinge of diabetes.

2025-11-03 09:05:45 UTC

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giving strong Toby Ziegler vibes in that photo.

2025-08-06 19:51:41 UTC

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beautiful shot

2025-01-17 23:12:14 UTC

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I, for one, did not know this.

2024-12-02 14:45:19 UTC

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but he looks tired

2024-09-24 12:16:15 UTC

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I’m urchin you to stop.

2024-09-02 18:23:14 UTC

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the majesty! I think you might have photographed the very spot and the very sign (or its descendant) which alerted me to the existence of the Oga lotus a very long time ago.

2024-09-02 03:59:25 UTC

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standard 蓮. I don’t get out of bed for any less than 大賀蓮　　

2024-07-12 06:40:15 UTC

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the one thing I never worried about in Japan was my water use. You poke a stick in the ground and water comes out!