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Japan Update 2026

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My heartstrings to Japan are not easily severed. The grey in my beard bears witness to the passing seasons — a quiet metaphor for how both my adopted country and I continue to evolve. The early ’90s were very welcoming. Just like my ventures across Europe, locals found me a curious figure and many wanted to chat. My American passport once served as an instant credential, marking me as someone they could trust. Japan is different now — as am I — in ways both subtle and overt. Long known as a cash‑and‑go country, it now runs on plastic and QR codes, even at convenience stores. Not long ago, travelers routinely scrambled for ATMs, and only a fraction would accept foreign cards, landing me in a predictable bind too many times. This recent shift is a welcome relief. Speaking of convenience stores, many are now staffed by non‑Japanese workers, practically unheard of before the Covid shutdown. They appear to be Southeast Asian and wear a cultural uniform that doesn’t always fit. I am told t...
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Victorian home in Savannah

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                                                                     Managing a home share in Savannah feels like being the keeper of countless untold stories. The mahogany floors creak with history, and antique appointments whisper tales of yesteryear. While some might call it "just another Airbnb," I prefer to think of it as a stage where life's most fascinating dramas unfold, two or three days at a time. For seven years, I've welcomed travelers from across the globe to this slice of Southern history. They come to explore Savannah's infamous historic district, but sometimes they leave me with stories that could fill volumes. It's not always the loud or obvious moments that stick with you – sometimes it's the quiet ones that linger longest in memory. Just today, a striking couple checked in: sh...
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Sunday Best in Aisle Three

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One day, while on an overnight layover in San Francisco en route to Osaka, I stepped into a market not far from the hotel. Standing in the checkout line, I happened to overhear an elderly yet graceful gentleman who, for whatever reason, was sharing his résumé with the lady behind the counter. The thirty-something-year-old woman seemed genuinely interested in what he had to say—or at least pretended to be. "I used to be the Executive Vice President of XYZ company, had a zillion people working for me and my name is engraved here and engraved there blah blah blah," went the stately old man matter-of-factly. Shoot. Even I was impressed. Yet there he was, standing in the middle of the supermarket, draped in his Sunday best, trying to convince the lady at the register he was somebody important. I guess what he really wanted was for her to SNAP TO ATTENTION and SALUTE whenever his majesty graced the premises. I also got the distinct impression that, somewhere along the way, he had l...
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