"Well, well! I thought I spotted a beautiful woman, but it's my wife!" I said this to my partner, who was doing the dishes in the kitchen as I went to make coffee. She responded, "I'm pleased, even if it's flattery," with a not entirely di…

In the realm of studying, a more effective approach to tracking progress is not merely noting "Today, I completed this portion of the textbook or workbook," but rather specifying, "Next, I intend to tackle this particular topic in such a m…

Yesterday, my family of three (my eldest son was absent due to some errands) dined at Royal Host, one of the premier family restaurant chains in Japan. It had been a decade since we last had a family meal at a family restaurant, or specifi…

June 16, 2023I have been using ChatGPT3.5, partly as an experiment, but it was so busy yesterday that the results were slow to be output, so I obtained my wife's permission and decided to join the paid version of ChatGPT (GPT-4). June 17, …

This morning, as I crossed paths with my wife in the bathroom(washroom), she greeted me with "Good morning," then casually added, "Thank you for everything, dear." It was at that moment that I remembered it was Father's Day. To maintain ha…

生成AIの登場で英語の相対的優位性が加速度的に高まり、日本語がますます不利になる時代に突入したのかも。 チャットGPTが出たことで翻訳者（通訳者）不要論が出ています。 そういう面も確かにあるのですが、今後は、たとえばこれまではせっかく日本語で立派…

（The following essay is a translation, with the assistance of ChatGPT, of the Japanese blog linked below on this page, following the process outlined below, into English.） Yesterday, the need arose for me to compose an assertive email in…

While on a walk just moments ago, I was passed by a mother and child riding a bicycle. The mother, a sturdy woman evoking images of a sumo wrestler, had her young son, who appeared to be of kindergarten age, sitting brightly behind her. "S…

Yesterday evening, as I was meandering down my usual walking path, I noticed a couple proceeding ahead of me, strolling side by side. Their back figures made it impossible to discern their exact ages, yet I ventured a guess - they might no…

This morning, I visited the general hospital nearby, armed with a referral from my usual doctor. Upon arrival, I was called in by a doctor I hadn't met before. My first impression of him was one thing above all: Youthful. He strikingly res…

「ねえ、お父さん、東京オリンピックの理念の1つって『多様性と調和』だったっけ？」「そうだったかなー」「でもさ、そもそもオリンピックって、あとパラリンピックも、金メダルを目指して参加者が競争するんだよね」「そうだなー」「つまり、1つの基準に沿…

Recently, I've noticed a surge in high-end English language schools boasting luxurious classrooms and meticulous care by Japanese coaches (perhaps because I clicked out of curiosity). These courses charge between 300,000 to 500,000 yen, wi…

An often overlooked aspect of translation from Japanese to English (or other foreign languages) is the intent behind the content. There are two primary approaches to consider: 1. Literal Translation: This involves translating the exact, li…

The other day, while having drinks with an executive from a major corporation, the conversation turned to politics. Knowing he was someone who could speak freely, I casually asked him, "Don't you think there's something off about the Abe a…

My wife shares: 1. Every night before sleep, she reflects, "What good happened today?" aiming to identify three things. If something clearly joyful occurred, she cherishes it. If nothing obvious comes to mind, she reinterprets any event as…

Yesterday at 7 a.m., during my usual walk, I saw elderly Chinese doing Tai Chi in Wakakusa Park, as my son, who jogs there thrice a week, had mentioned. By 5 p.m., the park becomes a meeting spot for the Indian community, full of cricket g…

This is a story from around 40 years ago. On the final day of the Kyoto-Nara school trip for Saitama Prefectural U High School, the chosen ryokan (traditional Japanese inn) felt like a grand banquet hall. The first and second days were rel…