Akiko

Akiko's avatar'

speaks: Japanese

learns: English

likes: reading, travel, cooking, language learning, health, art, cinema, language exchanges, philosophy, music, history, tv shows, programming, movies

Akiko's avatar'

Hi! I'm living in Tokyo, Japan. I raised my son as a single mom, and now that he's grown and independent, I've started focusing on myself. During the Covid lockdown, I decided to relearn English and picked up the guitar. I work remotely as a web engineer for a company in Nagoya. I can't always read all the Japanese posts, but feel free to mention me if you want me to check or correct yours.

Recent Posts
Stats
headline image

I Wanted To Be A Millionaire — Part 1

Today, I want to share a story from over twenty years ago. Back then, there was a TV show titled Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? that aired in a lot of countries worldwide. In Japan, it was called
5
36
Oct 10 - 1 min. read

Read post

headline image

My First Lesson with Isao Tsukamoto

Yesterday I took my first lesson with Isao Tsukamoto, and it was really exciting. He's a top-notch guitarist, so I thought I would be nervous in front of him, but for some reason I felt relaxed from
9
13
Sep 29 - 1 min. read

Read post

headline image

Jaw-Breaking Crunchy Senbei

Sometimes I crave something crunchy. My dentist warned me not to eat too many crunchy foods, but when I feel stressed, I can't help it. Today was such a day; I went to the nearest supermarket and
6
14
Sep 21 - 1 min. read

Read post

headline image

Tomoko Shimasaki

Even in Japan, very few music lovers know Tomoko Shimasaki. She couldn't afford a hotel, so when she came to Toyama, I put her up and drove her to her venues in Kanazawa, Takaoka, and Toyama. I'm a
3
22
Sep 14 - 2 min. read

Read post

headline image

#013 Map of a Blue City Listening Party

I've recorded one of my posts for the first time in a while! It seems that the cold I caught just before moving was apparently COVID, and I had been suffering from Long COVID for almost two months,
2
1
Sep 7 - 1 min. read

Read post

headline image

Work, Life, Art

I live in a danchi in a rather inconvenient area, and there's no library nearby. However, a bookmobile visits our danchi every other week and brings an excellent selection of books. The person in
4
9
Sep 7 - 1 min. read

Read post

headline image

My Friend, Yoko

Today, I want to write about a friend of mine, Yoko. I met her at the butoh workshop I've mentioned several times in my posts. Our workshop and rehearsals were really intense, so at that time we saw
8
62
Aug 15 - 3 min. read

Read post

headline image

A Kind Older Lady

Although I mentioned I'd found an apartment in this post, the place I'm currently living in isn't the one with the view of the crape myrtle that I talked about before. On the first weekend after
10
25
Jul 31 - 2 min. read

Read post

headline image

日本の浴室について

前回の投稿では日本の一般的な入浴方法と、私の一風変わった入浴方法について紹介した。そこで私が shower holder と書いたのがウーリーに通じなくて、結局は写真を見せてやっと通じたんだ。見せた写真はこれ。通じなかった理由は、私はシャワーはホースの先についてるのが当たり前だと思っていたし、ウーリーは壁にくっついているのが当たり前だと思っていたからだと判明した
4
14
Jul 25 - 1 min. read

Read post

headline image

I'm the Ultimate Minimalist in the Bathroom

Although I used this move as an opportunity to get rid of a lot of my stuff, I wouldn't call myself a minimalist. However, I've unintentionally become the ultimate minimalist when it comes to my
6
43
Jul 23 - 2 min. read

Read post

headline image

A New Career In A New Town

In the comments on this post, via-chan worried about the heat when I moved, and I didn't expect it to be that bad. Actually, via-chan was right—Japan was incredibly hot from late June to early July,
4
27
Jul 16 - 1 min. read

Read post

headline image

The Hardest Part Of The Move Is Over

In June, I suffered from heatstroke, then went to Nagoya on a business trip and caught a cold there just before my move. I've been so exhausted and sick that I haven't been able to think in English
8
12
Jul 7 - 1 min. read

Read post

headline image

#012 The Old Photographs

https://listen.style/p/paperandguitar/doh3hyv4 I wonder what color the morning glory was.
6
11
Jun 4 - 1 min. read

Read post

headline image

I Found an Apartment!

An apartment that meets all my requirements has become available, so I’ve decided to take it. My main condition was that it had to be a corner unit—the most difficult type to find. That's what I have
9
42
May 25 - 1 min. read

Read post

headline image

I Gave It My All, But My Son Seemed Unimpressed

My daughter-in-law had always wanted to visit Toyama before I moved, so at the beginning of May, she and my son came and stayed at my apartment during Golden Week, which is a holiday period in Japan.
7
18
May 22 - 1 min. read

Read post

headline image

Map of a Blue City Listening Party

Today at 2 a.m. Japan Standard Time, I attended the listening party for my guitar hero Marc Ribot's new album on Bandcamp. The album is titled Map of a Blue City. Marc Ribot himself, along with
6
17
May 19 - 1 min. read

Read post

headline image

"Friends" by KOHH

Writing about danchi made me reflect on danchi culture. There’s a rich tradition of anime and manga set in danchi, and countless artists from danchi backgrounds have created amazing works. One of the
4
13
May 16 - 2 min. read

Read post

headline image

How I Started Drinking Matcha Regularly

I think almost everyone in Japan has tried matcha-flavored desserts or drinks, but I guess that about half of us have never actually tasted proper matcha. I was one of those people until about ten
8
12
May 16 - 1 min. read

Read post

headline image

Going Back To Danchi (Apartment Complex)

Are there massive apartment complexes in your country? In Japan, especially around large cities like Tokyo, there are a lot and they're called danchi. I'd been apartment-hunting in danchi and have
5
31
May 13 - 1 min. read

Read post

headline image

#011 Apartment-Hunting

That cherry tree was perfect — like something out of a Japanese painting, swaying in the wind. I wish I could watch it change with the seasons. https://listen.style/p/paperandguitar/cy1lno58
3
10
May 11 - 1 min. read

Read post