Typhoon Hinnamnor threatens Japan and has buffeted islands southeast of Okinawa with sustained winds of 120 miles per hour and gusts of up to 172 miles per hour.

The Japan Meteorological Agency forecasts that Hinnamnor would most likely head north toward the Korean Peninsula, warning that the storm could drop more than seven inches of rain on the islands and potentially bring enough force to destroy homes. It is not certain how this storm will impact the Tokyo area.

Typhoon Hinnamnor provides further evidence that climate change increases the frequency of major storms because a warmer ocean provides more of the energy that fuels them.

I have been taking a “summer break”, a very rewarding time to simply relax and enjoy life. I spent time on my health and fitness that included a detailed annual physical, committed to some diet and lifestyle modifications, and dedicated time for moments of reflection on my life since relocating to Tokyo Japan.

I don’t like or use social media, particularly Facebook and Instagram, finding I am more comfortable when I sit alone with my thoughts. I never really gave much thought to this tendency to “daydream” until I read an interesting commentary by Melinda Wenner Moyer in the New York Times (“In Defense of Daydreaming”, 8/4/22) that says researchers believe letting your mind wander can benefit the brain.

The thought-provoking piece cited two studies. In one, adults “were given the option of either entertaining themselves with their own thoughts for 15 minutes or giving themselves painful electric shocks. Sixty-seven percent of men and 25 percent of women chose the shocks.” Another study’s results however suggested “that our tendency to avoid being alone with our thoughts is in part because ‘we tend to underestimate the value of thinking’ according to one of the study’s authors.’” That study “asked adults to first predict how much they would like sitting in a quiet room alone, and then actually had them do it for 20 minutes. To their surprise, the participants enjoyed the experience more than they had expected to.”

I was pleased to learn that other “daydreaming” research “shows that letting our minds wander and engaging in certain kinds of daydreaming can give us joy, serenity and even make us more creative.”

I am relaxing in Tokyo, reading a book, glad to be alive.

I am not merely glad to be alive; I am jubilant.

For this old man, this IS home.

And, I am pleased to announce that the Japan Ministry of Immigration has just granted me a five year resident Visa extension!

Thank you for visiting my website. I will resume regular blog posts in the fall.

Since my 2019 relocation to Japan I have experienced two unexpected and extraordinary events: the COVID pandemic and Japan’s worst heat wave on record.

In Tokyo on Saturday, temperatures exceeded 35 Celsius (about 95 degrees Fahrenheit) for the eighth straight day. According to Japan’s Meteorological Agency, the capital has only seen such a streak once before since 1875.

Heat stroke and exhaustion are a major concern and Japan’s aging population is especially vulnerable. Over 4,500 people with symptoms were taken to hospitals in recent days; a number more than four times greater from the same period a year ago.

Since we walk or ride bikes for all our local activities, we have been very careful to avoid exposure. We have kept air-conditioners running and I have halted my daily 5K fitness walks to avoid heat stroke; even very early morning and evening attempts were dangerous. Toma has been particularly affected by the heat.

Typhoon season, the next expected weather events, could also be troubling.

What is objectionable, what is dangerous about extremists is not that they are extreme, but that they are intolerant.
–– Robert F. Kennedy

The Japanese yen continued its fall relative to the U.S. dollar, trading at 126.3 yesterday, its lowest level against the U.S. dollar in nearly 20 years. Expert commentary suggests the yen could trade in the 130 yen range.

While there are several conditions that have led to the rise of the dollar, such as the geopolitical turmoil of the Russia-Ukraine war roiling global markets, it primarily reflects different monetary policy approaches between Japan’s central bank and the U.S. Federal Reserve.

For me, the stronger dollar means I receive more yen when transferring funds from U.S. bank accounts to Japan as well as lower prices for credit card purchases.