Hi, I’m Julian

▣ Oct 23, 2026 • Hima de boyatto iroiro na koto o kangaete iru toki ni, shizen to ukande kuru n desu yo. • 2 min read

They come to me naturally when I'm idly letting my mind wander over different things. ヒマ (hima) is idle time; ボヤッと (boyatto) is vaguely or absent-mindedly; 浮かんでくる (うかんでくる / ukande kuru) means to come to mind.

▣ Oct 22, 2026 • Jidai Matsuri. • 2 min read

Festival of the Ages 時代 (じだい / jidai) means historical era; 祭 (まつり / matsuri) means festival. The procession presents successive periods of Kyoto history.

▣ Oct 21, 2026 • Akari. • 2 min read

light; illumination あかり (akari) means light or illumination, especially light as experienced in a place. The all-hiragana form feels warm and accessible.

▣ Oct 20, 2026 • Motto ii kuruma o tsukurō yo. • 2 min read

Let's make ever-better cars. もっといい (motto ii) means better or even better; つくろう (tsukurō) is the volitional 'let's make'. よ (yo) adds direct emphasis.

▣ Oct 19, 2026 • Kaze ga fukeba okeya ga mōkaru • 2 min read

When the wind blows, the tub maker profits. 風が吹けば (kaze ga fukeba): when the wind blows. 桶屋 (okeya): a wooden-tub maker. 儲かる (mōkaru): to profit. The proverb points to indirect consequences, sometimes with a skeptical tone.

▣ Oct 18, 2026 • Tōkei • 2 min read

Statistics 統計 (tōkei) means statistics: collected data organized to show patterns. 数字 (sūji) means numbers; 傾向 (keikō), a trend.

▣ Oct 17, 2026 • Kannamesai • 2 min read

Kannamesai, the new-grain offering rite 神嘗祭 (かんなめさい / Kannamesai) is the Ise Jingu rite in which the year's new grain is first offered to Amaterasu Ōmikami in gratitude.

▣ Oct 16, 2026 • Sekai Shokuryō Dē • 2 min read

World Food Day 世界 (sekai) means “world”; 食料 (shokuryō), food or food supplies; デー (dē) is the borrowed word “day.”

▣ Oct 15, 2026 • Ichiyō ochite tenka no aki o shiru • 2 min read

One falling leaf tells of autumn across the land. 一葉 (ichiyō) means one leaf; 落ちて (ochite), falling; 天下 (tenka), the world under heaven; 秋 (aki), autumn; 知る (shiru), to know. The proverb describes recognizing a wider trend from a small early sign.

▣ Oct 14, 2026 • Shasei • 2 min read

Sketching from life; faithful observation 写生 (shasei) means sketching from life. Start with what you can observe, then put it into words.

▣ Oct 13, 2026 • Satsumaimo. • 2 min read

sweet potato さつまいも (satsumaimo) means sweet potato. 焼きいも (やきいも / yakiimo) is baked sweet potato, a familiar autumn snack.

▣ Oct 12, 2026 • Akogareru no o yamemashō. • 2 min read

Let’s stop putting them on a pedestal. 憧れる (あこがれる / akogareru) means to admire or look up to someone. 尊敬する (そんけいする / sonkei suru) means to respect. やめましょう (yamemashō) means “let’s stop.” Here, he asks the team to set aside awe for this game and compete as equals.

▣ Oct 11, 2026 • Ten takaku, uma koyuru aki. • 2 min read

The sky is high, and horses grow stout in autumn. 天 (てん / ten) is the sky; 肥ゆる (こゆる / koyuru) is a literary form meaning to grow fat. In present Japanese the saying evokes autumn's clear sky and comfortable season.

▣ Oct 10, 2026 • Boku wa dejitaru ni yotte, āto no gainen o kakuchō dekiru to shinjite imasu. • 2 min read

I believe digital technology can expand the concept of art. 概念 (がいねん / gainen) means concept; 拡張する (かくちょうする / kakuchō suru) means to expand. ～と信じています (...to shinjite imasu) states a considered belief.

▣ Oct 9, 2026 • Ato no matsuri. • 2 min read

Too late to be of use. 後 (あと / ato) means after; 祭り (まつり / matsuri) means festival. As an idiom, 後の祭り describes action taken only after it can help.

▣ Oct 8, 2026 • Kanro. • 2 min read

Cold Dew 寒 (かん / kan) means cold; 露 (ろ / ro) means dew. 寒露 (かんろ / kanro) is one of the twenty-four solar terms.

▣ Oct 7, 2026 • Niwasaki mawari. • 2 min read

neighborhood courtyard rounds 庭先 (にわさき / niwasaki) is the area in front of a home; 回り (まわり / mawari) means making rounds. In Nagasaki Kunchi, performance groups carry the festival into town through these rounds.

▣ Oct 6, 2026 • Tabi wa michizure, yo wa nasake. • 2 min read

On the road, a companion; in life, compassion. 道連れ (みちづれ / michizure) is a travelling companion; 情け (なさけ / nasake) is compassion. The proverb links practical companionship with humane treatment through life.

▣ Oct 5, 2026 • Mamotte kureru basho mo aru kedo jiyū mo aru • 2 min read

There is somewhere that protects you, and freedom too. ～てくれる frames protection as something received. Repeated も means both qualities are present; けど gives a conversational contrast. Readings: ～てくれる (-te kureru) も (mo) けど (kedo)

▣ Oct 4, 2026 • Benkyō mo kenkyū mo omoshiroi no desu • 2 min read

Both learning and research are fascinating. 勉強 means learning or study; 研究 investigates a question. Repeated も means both, while のです adds an explanatory tone. Readings: 勉強 (べんきょう / benkyō) 研究 (けんきゅう / kenkyū) も (mo) のです (no desu)

▣ Oct 3, 2026 • Jiyū kattatsu • 2 min read

Free and open-minded. On the anniversary of Sony co-founder Akio Morita’s death, this expression recalls how his official biography describes his spirit even through difficulties. Good ideas need enough room to be voiced and examined.

▣ Oct 2, 2026 • Tōfu • 2 min read

Tofu 豆 (mame) means bean when used on its own; in 豆腐 (tōfu), it is read tō. October 2 plays on tō for ten and fu for two. This is 語呂合わせ (goroawase): matching numbers with sounds.

▣ Oct 1, 2026 • Kamosu • 2 min read

To brew; to create an atmosphere 醸す (kamosu) means to brew through fermentation. It also means to create a mood or atmosphere: 雰囲気を醸す (fun'iki o kamosu). The same verb connects making something in a brewery with shaping how a room feels.

▣ Sep 30, 2026 • Me no mae no kekka ga shinjitsu • 2 min read

The result in front of you is the truth. 目の前 (me no mae) means right before your eyes; 結果 (kekka) means result; 真実 (shinjitsu) means truth. Yamanaka pairs openness to an unexpected result with repeated experiments to check whether it holds up.

▣ Sep 29, 2026 • Kuru fuku • 2 min read

Good fortune coming your way 来る (kuru) means to come; 福 (fuku) means good fortune. Together, 来る福 (kuru fuku) suggests good fortune arriving. 招き猫 (maneki-neko) is the beckoning cat associated with this playful reading of September 29.

▣ Sep 28, 2026 • Toranu tanuki no kawazan'yō • 2 min read

Don't count your chickens before they hatch. 捕らぬ (toranu) means not caught. 狸 (tanuki) is a raccoon dog. 皮算用 (kawazan'yō) pictures gains before they are secured.

▣ Sep 27, 2026 • Senshūraku • 2 min read

The final day of a tournament or run 千秋楽 (senshūraku) names the last day of a sumo tournament or the closing day of a performance run.