Having departed for Japan, my adopted homeland, on October 1-2, 2019, I feel so fortunate to have left the United States before the pandemic and all the social and political chaos took hold. 

Admittedly, for the past 27 months life in the pandemic era has been somewhat lonely.  However despite some moments of fear and worry, I have found ways to build social relationships, be intellectually engaged and physically active.  The response allowed me to improve my health, amuse myself and be productive.

That said, as I now reach the autumn of my years living far away from family and friends, the emotional intensity of the experience seemed far greater this past year. Perhaps it is accepting that the way things were will never return.

The New Normal ––

The Economist said it best “… it is time to face the world’s predictable unpredictability. The pattern for the rest of the 2020s is not the familiar routine of the pre-covid years, but the turmoil and bewilderment of the pandemic era. The new normal is already here.  Just get used to it!”

Feeling somewhat lonely and leading a life complicated by the pandemic and a sense of anxiety due to an uncertain future has tested my resolve to look forward and enjoy the adventure of a new and challenging life experience –– growing old in a distant land.  Under the circumstances it was natural to become nostalgic, a tendency some regard as unhealthy. Actually, I discovered the contrary; that spending some time thinking about the past can be rewarding.  Nostalgia made me feel that my life had roots. It made me feel good about myself, what I have accomplished and my relationships with family and friends. It reinforced my positive outlook and renewed my strength to move forward.

Moving Forward ––

And, moving forward while living in Japan promises to be a most fascinating and challenging experience.

A recent special report in The Economist on Japan provides an interesting perspective on what to expect:

“Two tales are often told about Japan. The first is of a nation in decline, with a shrinking and aging population, sapped of its vitality. The second is of an alluring, hyper-functional, somewhat eccentric society—a nice place to eat sushi or explore strange subcultures, but of little wider relevance to the outside world. Both tales lead people to dismiss Japan. That is a mistake.”

“As our special report this week argues, Japan is not an outlier—it is a harbinger. Many of the challenges it faces already affect other countries, or soon will, including rapid aging, secular stagnation, the risk of natural disasters, and the peril of being caught between China and America. The fact that some of these problems hit Japan early makes it a useful laboratory for observing their effects and working out how to respond.”

One specific example from the above cited report describes Japan as a “department store of natural hazards. … Few countries have been shaped so much by hazards and disasters. Besides earthquakes and tsunamis, there are typhoons, floods, landslides and volcanic eruptions. Japan has had to learn to live with risks, making it a laboratory for resilient societies.” (A potential massive earthquake and tsunami impacting Tokyo at some point in the future is accepted as a given by experts and the general public alike.)

So, stay tuned for more of my observations on what is like to live on the front line of history.

2022 is the year of the Tiger, the zodiac sign that is a symbol of strength, exorcising evils, and braveness.

Hope smiles from the threshold of the year to come,
Whispering “it will be happier”.
~ Alfred Lord Tennyson

May the New Year bring you happiness, peace, and prosperity.

Winter weather in Tokyo can be chilly but it’s quite enjoyable.

The winter season lasts for 3.5 months, officially from December 4 to March 20, with an average daily high temperature of 12°C (about 54°F). Mornings and evenings can be chilly. The coldest month is January, with an average low of about 5ºC (37°F) and high of around 10ºC (49°F).

Generally, Tokyo winter days are sunny with little rain or snow. On Thursday, I was golfing under a clear blue sky with moderate temperatures!

The Pulaski Skyway is a much-travelled antiquated roadway to get from northeastern New Jersey to New York City. Along with visions of TV news reports with the voice over “meanwhile in the Garden State” showing yet another local politician being arrested for alleged corruption, countless trips on the Skyway are among my memories of growing up in New Jersey.

This random post was prompted by a recent comment by Bret Stephens in The NY Times saying that when he occasionally drives the Pulaski Skyway he grips “the wheel with both hands while idly wondering if a bridge that was built in the Hoover administration will hold for another five minutes or collapse into the Hackensack River.” It reminded me of many daring journeys across the dangerous expanse of the legendary Pulaski Skyway on trips from New Jersey to New York City in my youth.

The 3.5mile bridge-causeway between Newark and Jersey City crosses the Passaic and Hackensack rivers to provide a connection to New York City via the Holland Tunnel. On the way, one is treated to views and odors of the scenic New Jersey Meadowlands, an ecological nightmare of toxic waste dumps, chemical factories, oil refineries, and a sadly blighted and deteriorated swamp-like landscape.

(Note: It is part of New Jersey lore that Teamster boss Jimmy Hoffa’s body was disposed of by The Mob somewhere in the Meadowlands.)

Although the viaduct is listed in the New Jersey register of historic places (along with countless places proclaiming “George Washington slept here”), it is best known for its traffic congestion and functionally obsolete and unsafe design. There are no shoulder lanes on the Skyway so it is a life-threatening experience for anyone with a car break down on the Pulaski.

Despite various “fixes” since 1934 there has been little that could be done to improve the condition of the infamous Skyway. I wonder if or how the new U.S. infrastructure initiative will impact this iconic landmark.

The difference with Japan’s infrastructure that ranks among the world’s best is striking. The country has a highly developed and well-maintained physical infrastructure of roads, highways, railways, subways, airports, harbors, warehouses and telecommunications that undergoes regular upgrading and expansion.

However, there is one problem area with infrastructure implications – bicycles. Few people think of bikes as dangerous, but a marked increase in bicycle accidents, many quite serious, involve pedestrians and are caused by cyclists.

The trouble with bicycles – convenient, environment-friendly and excellent exercise – is that anyone can ride one. You don’t need a license and there’s no mandatory instruction on rules of the road that based on personal experience many Japanese cyclists apparently don’t know or choose to ignore.

Japan is far behind other countries, notably Holland and Scandinavia, in creating exclusive bicycle lanes, an infrastructure initiative that would make both walking and cycling in Tokyo a safer and more enjoyable experience.