*“Yesterday, I Went to Mars ♡”*

I came across Sonic Fire Tech, a company developing a system that extinguishes fire using sound rather than water or chemicals. By using low-frequency sound waves to disrupt the oxygen supply around a flame, the system can put out fires without damaging surrounding equipment or spaces. What makes this approach interesting is its tolerance for false positives—it can be activated early, even if ther...

After dropping my daughter off for an exam, I stopped by a Komeda Coffee for the first time. What stood out wasn’t the menu, but the attitude: “Please take your time.” Customers are rarely rushed, and even the morning set remains available with each coffee until late morning. Rather than focusing on quick turnover, the café seems designed to let people stay. In this episode, I reflect on how comfo...

On a flight back from Europe, I watched a documentary about Nobu Matsuhisa. Rather than focusing on success or expansion, the film quietly traces his original motivation: not money, but the desire to make good food and see customers enjoy it. His career was far from smooth, marked by failures, debt, and setbacks, yet he continued cooking with the same intention. In this episode, I reflect on the d...

After returning from Abu Dhabi, I reflect on travel as a way of staying mentally flexible. Even in a short journey, moving through unfamiliar cities reminds me how much there is still to learn, regardless of age. Travel naturally places us in situations where we become beginners again, which stimulates the brain and challenges habitual thinking. Neuroscience suggests that learning new skills activ...

During a long layover on my way back from Munich, I stepped briefly into Abu Dhabi. Running on little sleep, the city appeared distant and muted, its silence shaped by structure and scale. From Yas Island to the Louvre Abu Dhabi, the day unfolded slowly. The architecture impressed me, but exhaustion limited my ability to engage, leaving me simply sitting beneath the museum’s dome, watching light m...

On my last morning in Munich, I ran to the famous Eisbach river-surfing spot—only to find it empty, and the wave itself gone. After reading about a tragic accident and the ongoing effort to rebuild a safer wave, I found myself thinking about risk, responsibility, and what we lose when the answer is simply “ban it.” It’s a quiet reflection on freedom, safety, and the complicated space in between.

On a train ride back to Munich, I watched Wick Is Pain , a documentary about how John Wick was made. I used to think of the film as pure entertainment, but learning about the discipline, risk, and behind-the-scenes effort—especially Keanu Reeves’ persistence and the project’s near collapse—changed how I saw it. This episode is a quiet reflection on what we miss when we only judge what’s on the sur...

Today’s episode is a quiet note from Füssen, a small town in southern Germany that suddenly turned into a snowy, almost silent world. I talk about why “nothing-happening” places—ordinary streets, closed cafés, a single turn at an intersection—can stay with us more than famous landmarks. It’s a gentle reminder that travel isn’t only about destinations, but about the small moments we’ll probably nev...

In this episode, I share a simple habit I’ve started in Prague: early morning runs before the city wakes up. Running isn’t about pace for me—it’s a way to learn a new place through its streets, hills, and quiet river paths along the Vltava. It’s a small, calm way of turning travel into something that feels a bit closer to everyday life.

Wandering through Prague early in the morning, I visited St. Vitus Cathedral before the crowds arrived and was struck by how stained glass can transform a space when light and shadow line up just right. I’m not an expert—just someone who works with light every day through eyewear—so the experience made me think about why we sometimes choose “experience” over pure efficiency. In this episode, I sha...

In Prague, I stumbled into a crowd gathered beneath the Astronomical Clock (the Orloj) and ended up thinking about why we still keep old, inconvenient things alive in a world of perfect accuracy. This episode is a quiet reflection on the clock’s “maintenance as culture”—and how that idea made me understand the romance of vintage a little more, even as someone who usually prefers practicality. I’m...

I arrived in Munich early in the morning and headed straight to opti 2026, my first eyewear trade fair in Germany. Even within the same industry, the atmosphere felt subtly different—how people spoke, how booths were arranged, the overall rhythm. It quietly reminded me that place matters. After the exhibition, I walked through the city for the first time. Winter Munich felt calm and restrained—unt...

On the way to Munich, an unexpected train stoppage led me to arrive at the airport far earlier than planned—leaving five quiet hours to wait. Sitting with a coffee, slightly tired but calm, I started thinking about the relationship between fatigue and fulfillment. Being efficient and avoiding waste doesn’t always lead to a sense of satisfaction. At the same time, simply being exhausted doesn’t mea...

In this episode, we explore the idea of “selective ignorance”—the choice to step back from information that adds stress without offering anything we can change. In a world where news, opinions, and comparisons are always within reach, knowing more doesn’t always lead to feeling better. The conversation reflects on how the human mind processes information, why constant exposure can quietly wear us...

In this episode, a simple comment during a weekly morning run leads to a quiet reflection on alcohol and choice. An athlete’s phrase—“I don’t drink, not on purpose”—opens up a way of thinking about habits, priorities, and intention. Rather than arguing for or against drinking, the conversation looks at how many things we do out of routine, and how pausing to ask whether we’re choosing them deliber...

In this episode, we look at BOXABL, an American company developing foldable homes that are built in factories, transported by truck, and unfolded on site. What once felt like science fiction—something close to the Hoi-Poi Capsule from Dragon Ball —is quietly becoming part of reality. With housing costs rising sharply in the U.S. and elsewhere, BOXABL’s approach offers a different way of thinking a...

In this episode, we reflect on a recent move in the UK to ban boiling lobsters alive, following the recognition that animals can feel pain. Rather than focusing on policy alone, the conversation turns to how shifts in perspective can quietly change the way we see food, tradition, and responsibility. From everyday meals to cultural practices, we explore the uncomfortable space between what feels no...

In this episode, I reflect on a recent Financial Times article that describes our current moment as a “mask-off” era — a time when people are becoming more direct and less willing to maintain polite façades. Rather than focusing on politics, this conversation looks at what that shift means in everyday life: work, relationships, and the quiet pressure to always say “yes.” Through personal observati...

I stopped sending Japanese-style New Year’s cards years ago. The routine started to feel more formal than meaningful. Still, there is one paper letter that continues. Every December, a Christmas card arrives from a couple in Canada — people I met years ago while participating in the Ultraman Triathlon in Hawaii. They supported me through that race, and since then, we’ve exchanged handwritten cards...

When booking airline tickets for international travel, we’re often faced with many options — airline official websites, Booking.com, Trip.com, and various online agencies. At first glance, they may all seem the same. But after experiencing several real-world problems — from minor name spelling issues to missed flights due to closed support desks — I began to notice that where you buy a ticket can...

In this episode, I share a small New Year’s moment—visiting my parents with my family—and how it led me to think about “healthy life expectancy,” not just how long we live. I’m not an expert, but doing the rough math made me realize how quickly the “years we can freely do what we love” can pass. It’s a gentle reminder to start the things we care about sooner, while also taking care of our bodies s...

While traveling, I received an unexpected toll charge weeks after returning home—from a road in France I didn’t even realize was a highway. This episode reflects on how cashless, gate-free toll systems are becoming common worldwide, and how travelers often stand just outside the logic of local rules. A quiet reminder that small frictions and misunderstandings are still part of what makes travel in...

Each year, I buy the same simple notebook: Shinchosha’s My Book . After 26 years of filling its blank pages, I started wondering what it means that this quiet ritual can still exist—and whether it will still be around decades from now. This episode is a small reflection on routine, time, and how ordinary objects can quietly tell us something about peace and stability in the world.

In this episode, I reflect on the election of New York’s new mayor, Zohran Mamdani, while rewatching House of Cards . I’m not a political expert or reporting from the ground—just thinking out loud about what it might mean to lead a powerful city without deep elite connections. It’s a quiet look at expectations, reality, and what public support can (and can’t) change.

This episode looks at FC Barcelona’s financial struggles and the unique socio system behind the club. Rather than focusing on headlines or blame, it explores how Barcelona’s member-owned structure shapes its decisions, values, and risks. A quiet reflection on efficiency, ideals, and what it means to choose principles over profit.