September 2021– date –

What would you do if the world ends tomorrow? An Italian would answer "I would spend the day with a lover." A Japanese would say "I have to finish my work quickly." This is a popular ethnic joke. The general images of the Italian and Japanese sharply contrast like this, but they have something in common, funnily enough.

【More choices make us less happy】 I can always make prompt decisions. This is one of the few things I'm proud of in my abilities. The trick is always trying to narrow down choices. Some people (who love fashion, for example) may say "W...

【Bears start to live in deserted villages in Hokkaido】 This year, riverbeds and big parks with forests were often closed in our hometown. It was not because of the COVID but because of bears. There are two kinds of bears in Japan: brow...

【We don't know what we really want】 A lot of times, people don't know what they want until you show it to them. This is what Steve Jobs said. As the old saying goes, people don't know themselves as well as they know others. Sometimes, ...

【Talent or hard work】 Do you believe in talent or hard work? This is the topic that has been debated since the beginning of history. I know I'm a little exaggerating, though. Making the topic even more complicated, some people say "Har...

【Trick-or-treating in Hokkaido】 Did you know that the history of trick-or-treating at Halloween in North America was not so long? It started about in 1930, while Halloween itself has a long history of more than 2000 years. As you may k...

【What are things other than basics of life?】 One of the biggest reasons why I was back to my hometown is a summer music festival held in Hokkaido. Nevertheless, this summer is ending without the fest due to the COVID, the same as last ...

【What is average?】 AI can create virtual humans that look realistic. It's sometimes difficult to tell the difference between real and virtual actors in movies, for example. As this is a well-known trick, to make the faces of virtual hu...