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irapley.bsky.social
Historian of modern Japan, part time shepherd, clueless beekeeper, cricketer reborn.
707 posts 875 followers 510 following
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Posts 17 Comments 33

First match of the season tomorrow, it's currently belting weather, got dragged out of my happy place in the development team to play for the 2nds, broke my bat in the nets on Wednesday.

submitted 4 days ago • 1 comment

The weak yen, I suppose, has driven a dramatic change in conversations from: "oh Japan, I'd love to go there" to "oh Japan, I'm going/have just been/am actually there right now". Weird feeling.

submitted 6 days ago • 1 comment

I've been banging on about The Pillow Book being a genuine world classic for so long (love it so much I wrote a bot: @thepillowbot.bsky.social !) but it's really interesting to see @therestishistory.bsky.social come to it fresh and how struck by it they were: podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/t...

submitted 6 days ago • 0 comments

If you've been funded my JFEC and want to be featured on our website,email: [email protected] #japanesestudies #UK #academia

submitted 17 days ago • 0 comments

Very much enjoying Wheel Of Time, but Moiraine in the desert looks like she should be in A Room With A View to such an extent that it kinda breaks the suspension of disbelief.

submitted 19 days ago • 0 comments

I heard the first cuckoo of the year this morning.

submitted 24 days ago • 1 comment

One morning, after Yasunari left, he sent me a letter bound with rough cord It read: Had I not travelled to see you When should I have heard the ring of the temple bell at Owari

submitted 24 days ago • 0 comments

When crossing a river in bright moonlight, I love to see the water scatter in showers of crystal under the oxen’s feet.

submitted 33 days ago • 0 comments

Here's my interview for @newbooksnetwork.bsky.social. It was edited really quickly, and it looks like it's been picked as the book of the day (for April 1st, make of that what you will). newbooksnetwork.com/category/spe...

submitted 36 days ago • 2 comments

They are digging up 59th street by the park. I always love the ability to peek under the sidewalk. The ancient system of old tangled pipes that keep NYC alive is both fascinating and terrifying. What is that one crooked decrepit one? I sure hope it's not vital.

submitted 35 days ago • 18 comments

Here's my interview for @newbooksnetwork.bsky.social. It was edited really quickly, and it looks like it's been picked as the book of the day (for April 1st, make of that what you will). newbooksnetwork.com/category/spe...

submitted 36 days ago • 2 comments

At this time of year we often get grass fires on the hills. There's not been much rain for weeks, and the bracken especially is very dry. The other side of the hill burned last week, and tonight there's a fire at the top. Two fire engines are there, and it looks like the animals were all moved ok.

submitted 37 days ago • 0 comments

I'm really enjoying the 10 minute march madness game highlights. All the buckets and practically no misses. It's a throwback to the 90s when the only NBA footage you could get in the UK was a weekly half hour digest with the top ten plays of the week and the last 2 minutes of a big game.

submitted 38 days ago • 0 comments

I had an absolutely amazing net last night, was seeing the ball perfectly and it was absolutely flying off the bat. Then this morning I discovered that at some point the bat developed a massive crack in the shoulder. Think it's a write off.

submitted 39 days ago • 2 comments

Public Enemy would be so disappointed to see me believe the hype.

submitted 39 days ago • 0 comments

I had a blast this afternoon talking to Nathan Hopson on the @newbooksnetwork.bsky.social about Green Star Japan. The episode should be out in about a fortnight, apparently.

submitted 40 days ago • 0 comments

Post a warning.

submitted 45 days ago • 0 comments