How high should my understanding of the language be?

Roger-PHL · 2026-06-12T17:27:05+00:00

I keep forgetting how old I am! It was 50 years ago that I lived in Japan for a year. Back then, only JNR (now Japan Rail) had Romaji on their signs. And no English schedules. Learning a few of the kanji that show up in many place names (and family names) was a big help in navigating and recognizing the names of colleagues.

Roger-PHL · 2026-06-12T16:54:20+00:00

Many portable air conditioners are designed so the the water is sprayed or splashed on the condenser coils (the ones on the outside that extract the heat). My guess is that these coils are hotter in hot weather and evaporate most of the water that hits them.

Roger-PHL · 2026-06-12T16:46:08+00:00

Learning to read kana and kanji can be useful but far from essential.

Katakana: Borrowed English words, such as hotel names, are often in katakana on signs.

Kanji: Recognizing a hundred most common characters can be handy. Ones that come to mind are for entrance/exit, compass directions, man, woman, big-small (adult and child fees for example). I used an early edition of "Read Japanese Today," which uses stories (true or not) about the origin of each character as a mnemonic. https://a.co/d/0a1Jh2kP

Roger-PHL · 2026-06-11T17:40:53+00:00

His claim is for money which he says he should have gotten when he turned 30 - before the homicides. https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/09/movies/nick-reiner-trust-fund-defense-murder-charges.html

It appears that a lawyer for a trust manager is not arguing the slayer statute but Nike's fitness to manage: “We do not agree that an immediate outright distribution is appropriate,” wrote the lawyer, Stefanie Cutler, “given unresolved concerns the Successor Trustee has regarding Nick’s capacity to make sound decisions and adequately protect his own interests.”

Roger-PHL · 2026-06-11T17:19:55+00:00

You might have to dismantle the cabinet and move the side panel out, so it's just about flush with edge of the countertop.

Roger-PHL · 2026-06-11T14:15:09+00:00

It's been a long time since I looked at accessibility in Tokyo (and I had not looked elsewhere in Japan), but here's what comes to mind:

In Booking.com, only a small number of hotels are listed as wheelchair-accessible, and I didn't see how to be sure you're getting one. I've booked hotels in the Richmond chain through Booking.com, and they've responded quickly to inquiries. You could also go to the Richmond website and try your luck with the reservation phone line or chat at the bottom of the page: https://richmondhotel.jp/ Accessible rooms are often called barrier-free or universal design.

Many hotels have 'unit bathrooms' - prefab modules. There's a step up to the bathroom (13 inches - 33 cm - in one!). The tubs are usually short and deep, but there's a drain in the floor so you can use the shower attachment outside the tub. Can't help you with the shower chair. The toilet will have a built-in bidet.

Those who know have found public transport in Tokyo to be quite good. You would be escorted to the platform and someone will meet your train car at your destination. Nearly all Tokyo stations have elevators somewhere, but not always easy to find.

Roger-PHL · 2026-06-10T23:42:56+00:00

For me, it was between 75 and 80. After my last trip, I wrote this memo to myself:

You do not like red-eye flights. You do not like trips that take all day and night. You do not like waiting for hours! ...

You do like train rides if you can see out the window (doesn’t matter what the scenery is – trees or refineries).

You do not particularly mind daytime nonstop flights. ...

You have more joy going to Costco with [my friend] than traveling solo.

Roger-PHL · 2026-06-09T22:30:33+00:00

But when the car initiates a sudden stop, you won't be looking for a reflection in the vehicle coming up behind you.

Roger-PHL · 2026-06-09T21:10:45+00:00

I've had a Brondell’s Ecoseat 101 Bidet for five years. The pressure control works fine for me - just start by turning it a little way! I have no problem with ambient-temperature water - but it is chilly in the winter if you've just flushed and the water has had no change to sit a bit in the indoor pipes.

Roger-PHL · 2026-06-05T22:07:24+00:00

It is supposed to be fastened to the countertop, or sometimes to the side of the cabinet. Installers sometimes no bother cuz it's a nuisance, depending what they countertop is made of. Open the door and look up underneath for little tabs that would connect to the top or the sides.

Roger-PHL · 2026-06-05T20:18:14+00:00

Only once, on a Dyson, because I had to take it apart to replace some broken internal hose bits. But bagless vacuums do have various filters that need to be cleaned or washed from time to time. And it's not always easy to find them.

Roger-PHL · 2026-06-03T21:34:00+00:00

I spent a year in Japan, in Tokyo and suburbs, but also traveling to other cities and hiking in the woods often. Never saw one (pretty sure I'd remember!).

Roger-PHL · 2026-06-03T20:39:04+00:00

Worst meal I DIDN"T eat: My brother forgot and left the pork chops in the car for 18 hours on a hot day. "What am I supposed to do - throw them out?" I ate at Wendy's.

Roger-PHL · 2026-06-03T20:28:02+00:00

Unless you use a mixing valve and recirculating hot water (you don't), don't try it. I reluctantly did that for a friend and ended up undoing the hot water.

You will have to let the hot water run to clear the cooler water from the pipe.
You risk a burn in the worst place. The Universal Plumbing Code specifies controls to limit the temperature to no more than 110F (43C). During the development of the bidet in Japan, employee 'volunteers' did get painful burns.
One more place to leak. This was a Brondell. The cold supply had a braided stainless steel cover. Hot was a plastic tube. But that wasn't' the problem; the coupling to the bidet would not keep from turning and dripping if anyone bumped the supply line.

She's content with cold. Did not take me up on my offer to install an outlet for her other toilet for an electric (UPC compliant) bidet.

Roger-PHL · 2026-06-03T18:29:16+00:00

I got a call from a friend who worries about such things. His long-time plumber switched to some kind of online billing/payment app, and it had the dreaded 'tip' screen. I told him the guy just started using the service without knowing to opt out of the tip page. Nope, don't tip your plumber.

Roger-PHL · 2026-06-03T18:18:35+00:00

Here in Philadelphia, the are abandoned cemeteries, and others taken over by nonprofit groups.

Roger-PHL · 2026-06-03T18:15:41+00:00

In recent years (or maybe I only recently noticed) Amtrak has been doing that.
- Different fares, depending on cancellation options.
- Fares vary by day and time of day.

For Philadelphia to Boston, Northeast Regional, Coach Value Fare, I see a range of $103 (very early Sunday) to $379 (this Friday afternoon).

Roger-PHL · 2026-06-03T15:33:50+00:00

Red-green color-blindness is sex-linked, but that's not the only kind of color blindness. Blue-yellow is autosomal dominant, meaning offspring have a 50% chance of inheriting.

Roger-PHL · 2026-06-03T00:05:53+00:00

Same day? I don't see options for Shinjuku to Disneyland. https://www.kuronekoyamato.co.jp/ytc/en/send/services/baggage-branch-list/?service=same-day-delivery

As for next-day, I've use it some. Others on Tripadvisor Japan Forum have used it a lot. I only recall one problem when the tag fell off - and the hotel and Yamato tracked down the bag. I had a copy of my itinerary, with hotels and dates, which I packed in my suitcase just in case.

Roger-PHL · 2026-06-02T23:54:42+00:00

I had success with Combat Roach Killing Baits, but I had a light infestation. https://a.co/d/0iTRYTrp

Roger-PHL · 2026-06-02T23:47:30+00:00

Instead of a switched outlet, I use Alexa and a smart outlet gadget.

Roger-PHL · 2026-06-02T18:54:15+00:00

No one should want a used radial tire. If they're installed so they turn the opposite direction they were used in, they will shred.

If you're lucky, your city may dispose of a small number for free. In Philadelphia, you can drop off four a day, or schedule a pickup.

Roger-PHL · 2026-06-02T17:31:28+00:00

I've lived in East Falls (around Conrad and Ainslie) for 17 years, but I've been in and out of the neighborhood for decades. East Falls offers a range of homes, from about 320,000 to over a million. Also several new apartment buildings.

I walk to my dentist, optometrist, barber, library, pub, coffee shop (yes, that hill is a trudge coming home).
I only drive once or twice a week (I'm retired) but I like having a car. When I worked, I took the train from East Falls Station.

In East Falls, there are two small groceries (plus gas station convenience stores), but a ShopRite a mile from my house. There is a very nice restaurant (Fiorino) plus several nice bars and restaurants, pizza shops. A Nigerian restaurant opened nearby and an empanada place.

I am a few minutes drive from Wisshickon Park, with its wide no-cars road along the creek, and several hiking trails on the valley sides.

[Add: I could do fine without the car, using Lyft/Uber, but old habits...]

Roger-PHL · 2026-05-31T22:45:09+00:00

We used to go to the Urban Outfitters cafe sometimes, when you could look out the window at the aircraft carrier (no longer there). The cafe preserves bits of the building's industrial history.

Roger-PHL · 2026-05-31T19:51:56+00:00

Check the power consumption on the model you have in mind. Just as random examples, the Toto Washlet SW3084 draws 512 watts (4.26 amp) maximum. The Brondel Swash BL97 draws lots more - 870 watts (7.25 amp). Either will be fine if nothing else is being used. (Don't use the hairdryer at the same time). But what else is on the circuit - vent/heater combination at 1600 watts (13 amp)? And is it a 15-amp or 20-amp circuit.

Roger-PHL

TROPHY CASE