Hello there! 👋
We found a new apartment in Osaka. We will be moving in about three weeks and putting our Kyoto apartment up for sale.
September has been somewhat ironic: I guided two parties from Canada around “my home” of Kyoto, visiting treasures like the Kyoto State Guest House (taking a few new photos). At the same time we were interviewing real estate agents and preparing to leave.
Only a few weeks remain, and I am feeling a bit melancholy. Jiji and Baba bought this apartment 19 years ago. It has been in our lives for a very long time, and now it is time to say goodbye. We are really pulling up our roots here in Japan as we prepare to move back to Canada next summer.
(The reason we decided to get a rental in Osaka while we sell the house in Kyoto is because it is much closer to my kids’ schools. They will no longer have to get up at 6 and spend an hour on the train every morning to commute. It’s now within biking distance!)
But as one door closes, another opens. I have never lived in Osaka before, so I look forward to exploring the mega-city’s warren of streets, checking out all the different neighbourhoods, and experiencing the wacky personality of Osaka (just look at the mascot for Expo 2025!) . The metro population is about 19 million, so it is by far the biggest city I’ve lived in. That’s pretty exciting! Unfortunately my temple photography output is going to nose dive, which is a little sad (for the past year and a half I have been micro-blogging my experiences in the old capital under the hashtag #EverydayKyoto).
Well, I shouldn’t wallow in it. Next time I write, it will be from our apartment in the big O! 🏙
Chad
🖋 From the Blog
The Santiago Boys — a podcast series by Evgeny Morozov
On the 50th anniversary of the coup overthrowing Allende, I wrote a quick overview of a fascinating podcast series and the creator behind it.
Why Kyoto is the way it is – A review of “Kyoto: An Urban History of Japan’s Premodern Capital”
Enjoyed this book, especially all the little tidbits I can still see around the city, AND the maps! So many useful illustrations.
🧭 Elsewhere
“The digital industry is now responsible for between 2-5% of global emissions, more than that of the aviation industry” Link →
Canada’s housing problems in one chart (and possibly another) Link →
Excellent interview with Kohei Saito on degrowth communism Link →
Economics is a joke and GDP is shit Link →
David Wengrow, one of the authours of my fav book of 2022 gave a rousing memorial lecture for the other authour, David Graeber, who died 3 years this month Video →
Wise advice Link →
📖 What I’m Reading
The Internet Con: How to Seize the Means of Computation by Cory Doctorow
(70% Complete)
Big Doctorow fan. I backed this book and another of his (Red Team Blues) on Kickstarter. This one is about how we defeat Big Tech through interoperability. It is written in his regular jaunty style, so it is as sharp as it is smart. You can follow along with my chapter updates here on Goodreads or watch his keynote at DEF CON 31 this year which covers many of the highlights.
Connect with me on GoodReads → or on Bookwyrm →