May 2022– date –

What defines art? I apply The Nello Test from A Dog of Flanders: Would you crave art over food and warmth? (I fail spectacularly.) I search for this artistic soul at a Vermeer exhibition but find it instead in a restoration video. I argue that the concentration and supernatural precision of the master repairers—scrapping paint with a tiny knife—is the purest form of art. In this sense, our master furniture craftspeople are artists, embodying art defined by the perfect, focused human movement.

A train track is more than just infrastructure; it’s a concrete promise. Join me as I explore the unique psychology of Japan’s rail enthusiasts, the "ghost stations" of the Hokkaido wilderness, and why you should experience the world’s most punctual rail system before the silent beauty of the ruins takes over.

I used to work in the "living hell" of the Ministry of Finance, where one mistake could end a career. Join me as I contrast the cutthroat world of Tokyo's elite bureaucrats with the miracle of Higashikawa—a tiny Hokkaido town that banned the word "no"—and why architect Kengo Kuma chose this rebellious community for his new satellite office.

【It's safe but boring just to praise classic things】 Do you like antiques or vintage stuff? There are many classic cars that I like, but I don't like motor journalists or car critics who excessively praise classic cars. That's because ...