Category Archives: Stories

According to my childhood friend Will, an accomplished publisher, 2020 was a banner year for book sales.  He is not alone in his view, given both the New York Times and Wall Street Journal ran long form articles noting that the 8.2% CAGR was the “. . . best year in a very long time.”Continue reading “Hostage Situation by Adam Brownstein”

The list of Nazi villains in motion pictures is long and dubiously distinguished. In the Honorable Mention category there is Henry Gibson (of Laugh-in fame) and his cheeky turn as the leader of the Illinois Branch of the Nazi party in The Blues Brothers.  You have, also, the Ronald Lacey who’s scorched hand will foreverContinue reading “Is it safe? My trip to the dentist”

http://www.economist.com/leaders/2021/01/02/few-reforms-would-benefit-japan-as-much-as-digitising-government

The sages teach us that bearing the wrath of your father is easy but seeing him afraid is pain defined.  These days my dad is resigned to the role of amazing cheerful (and generous) grandfather.  He harbours neither spite nor anxiety about nothing in particular, so I need to reach deep into my memory toContinue reading “One for the Money: Why cash is (still) king in Japan”

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qfy-d.tlnk.io/serve

“Ew! EEEEEWWWWWWWW!!!!” My wife’s exclamation on our afternoon walk declared imminent danger ahead. As I glanced down the leaf-lined road in our sleepy West Tokyo neighborhood I spied the subject of her concern.  It was a middle-aged man, slight, scruffy and harboring the look that only an aloof Westerner admonishes in these parts.  It madeContinue reading “Porsche’s Wrong Turn”

I always wanted a small wedding. Learning to smile with my eyes.

Not so long ago I complained to my wise friend, Joy Kellman, that my role as a father was perilously close to being a big failure.  The issue afoot was my inability to ingratiate two out of my three kids with a common skill.  The skill being the wu-shu of the tidy backpack.   Without muchContinue reading “Uncle Bern – Sweet Prince of the Verboten”

I moved to Tokyo (for the first time) 19 years ago this week.  It was not until I secured a proper watering hole and bistro that I felt at home.   The search-and-find procedure did not take long given that a middle class 15 million souls has money in pocket and little time to eat atContinue reading “Sally Kiester, The Patron Saint of My Kitchen”