2020/09/30,
On the left the original G-Shock DW-5000 bought by my father when it was released. I remember the lady from the shop threw the watch a few times in the shop to demonstrate the resistance! We were very impressed. Don’t forget you would not do that with any watch at that time. She even wanted to drive on it with a car. lol. I guess she really wanted to sell it! On the right I bought the surfer edition a few years ago. I actually had a bike crash with it, the shell sufferered a bit but that was it.

2020/10/03,
Snapshots quickly taken during my first morning jog in Obi. I think I am going to like it :-)

2020/10/03 , 🏃, 5.37km, 29m7s, 5m25s/km, 11.1km/h
1st jog around our new place, Obi. not humid anymore but still hot!

2020/10/04,
Can you guess what this object is ? A piece of early Showa I think. Hard to imagine using it nowadays. この物、ご存知ですか？日本人はみんな知ってるかな？違う？今の時代は使いたい人がいないかもしれない。

2020/10/05,
Until now I was using my iPhone as a webcam as I am using a macmini. But each time I needed to connect the phone and the macmini during a visio call in order to be able to see clearly shared screens on the desktop. Finally I bought a super cheap hdmi interface (700¥!) that I plugged between my Sony actioncam and the macmini. The OBS software does a good job at grabbing the stream. Maybe a bit overkill but that works fine it seems.

2020/10/05,
When we moved in, we inherited the audio system from the previous owner. Otherwise it was going to be put it in the trash! I will detail the different elements in other posts, there are some unique design choices from the seventies (I found out the system is from 1977). Coming with it I found 2 pochettes from a record shop containing few 45 and 33rpm vinyls! The small collection is rather diverse in genres! I am not familiar with these artists though. Anything you know? 飫肥に引越した時に、前に住んだ方のオディオシステムを貰った！超嬉しかった！ そして、数枚のレコードももらった。ジャンルは色々ですけどこんなのはよく分からない。知ってるアーティストはいますか？

2020/10/06,
Typical showa era style living corner. Not empty for long I am feeling though... This is our only room with tatami, the owner put some new flooring instead in the other rooms.

2020/10/07,
We have Koi fishes in the streets of Obi and I think that is pretty cool!

2020/10/09,
I have a weak spot for ... old wooden Japanese boxes. But I also don’t want to own too many things. So I have this one for many years now, that have been sitting on my desk. It is simple but I like its style. It was a box for drugs originally probably early Showa or even older. I am not sure. it is written “luxury box for drugs” on it which is a bit weird. like if you need to state luxury on an item (?). Anyway I like this box 😅

2020/10/10,
I don’t know what is or was this house in Obi but each time I pass it I am thinking it would be a perfect fit for the Addams family if they’d decide to stay in Japan.

2020/10/13,
I have been using my standing desk for about a month now. I thought in fact I would hate it and give up soon but it turns out I don’t mind it at all. Most of the time I forget I am standing being focused on my work. And when I get tired I use my wood/chair/thingy for few minutes to relax my muscles. I am always barefoot though and I definitely need a mat for a bit of cushion. Otherwise I am good with it!

2020/10/15,
Good morning! How’s your week so far? Morning light in our typical showa style livingroom. おはようございます！ 今週はこれまでどうですか？ 朝日の光はいいね。

2020/10/16,
Not a Showa era thing but an Heisei one, a vestige of the bubble era in Japan (around 1985) is the expression Hanakin (花金、flower friday but the kanji for friday means also Gold). That basically means TGIF and people were spending more money than they should have on futile things, at least I hope they had some good fun, because after the bubble not so much I guess. Still a bit early for a drink but I have my Hanakin reward on view 😅 No extravaganza for me though. Just a quiet evening. Have a good one!

2020/10/16 , 🏃, 4.37km, 23m14s, 5m19s/km, 11.3km/h
Managed to squeeze a short jog during lunchtime. Picture : do you think the owner of this snack is trolling us?

2020/10/18,
I must apologize to this plant that for some reasons I had abandoned for almost a year and left for dead outside for a while too. A month ago when we moved I found it was still alive at my surprise and it now gets better and better! 🌱 Also on the desk tonight : like someone said in my feed 所ジョージ, 遊び天才、Tokoro George is “a genius to have fun”. I think that he is a good inspiration whatever you are into. I named this account in an hommage to Setagaya Base his hobby garage. It is maybe the first time I actually buy one of “his magazine” though.

2020/10/20,
Let’s start this weekly serie: Showa Record Day. Starting with the Gods among us, aka Led Zeppelin or as written in Japanese レッドツェッペリン。 I would have written it レッドゼッペリンmyself but what do I know... This is the Japanese 45rpm with Black Dog/ Misty Mountain Hop from 1972 or Showa 47. It was sold for ¥400. Stereo / Atlantic/ P-1101A I have few records from Japan as most of them were acquired in France. But it felt appropriate to start with a local pressing.

2020/10/22,
A glorious piece of technology on my desk today, the @sony Hi-MD MZ-RH10. Maybe the best portable MD machine. I acquired it in 2005 during my first trip to Japan. I even negotiated its price in a small shop of Den Den Town in Osaka as I was buying also an other MD player, a simpler but beautiful red aluminum Victor model MD-LP. I just plugged my MZ-RH10 in my mac mini and it works! I am currently transferring old photos and videos from one of the 1G disc I have. 1G was huge at the time and it was probably one the cheapest way to store 1G of data. Of course speed is slow, it is taking 1h for 300Mb :-) But again don’t forget that the thing is from 2005! Check its specs, they were amazing. I still have the functional accessories. Unfortunately the beautiful oled screen is not working anymore, but the remote controller does the job. It seems I can fix the screen too... I tested the player also with my Joey Roth desk speakers and the sound produced is amazing. Anyway one of my favorite objects I bought, ever! Bonus it brings back so many good memories of my first random walks in Osaka.

2020/10/23,
Today I introduce you to a place to have a great burger or quesadillas. This is @cafesavoten149 ! It just re-opened recently. A cosy and cool place, it is also family and baby friendly! You need to make a reservation.

2020/10/24 , 🏃, 6.12km, 30m32s, 4m59s/km, 12.0km/h
splendid weather. even warm in fact with just a cool breeze. really a perfect time to run or just be outside.

2020/10/25,
We have a visitor this morning! Check @canae_nakayama post to see it if it made it to the wall, I was out of storage 😅 Also if you are bored, check my newly created account @obi_base where I am sharing a mix bag of things like my home office, some japanese houses interior, discoveries of Obi, all in a Tokoro George spirit if that makes sense. I am using these hashtags overthere :

2020/10/26 , 🚴, 11.1km, 25m59s, 2m20s/km, 25.6km/h
shot ride to pick my k-van...