Joel Auterson

Joel Auterson

Hello! My name's Joel and I'm a software developer. No, not that one.

I run a tiny indie game studio called Bearwaves. I'm also a published poet.

I'm part of the Rare Mammals collective, and am an alumnus of Southbank New Poets and Barbican Young Poets. I work in carbon emission reduction at a company called Emitwise.

Everything tagged with '日本'

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Apr 20, 2024 · 23:06:57 ·
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Our last day yesterday so we went to Asakusa, had wonderful food including some incredible wagyu, and did a bit of shopping.

Japan has been a revelation I’ll want to write about separately but suffice to say I’m deeply sad to be leaving this place.

The temple and pagoda at Asakusa A bowl of ramen we had in Ginza Lucy crouching under a state of a One Piece character putting a straw hat on her head A piece of wagyu beef on a rice base, rather like sushi

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Apr 20, 2024 · 03:33:10 ·
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Yesterday we went to Kamakura to see the Great Buddha, also saw a Great Butterfly, and went to the beach.

Lucy walking along the road on a lovely sunny day An enormous butterfly on a leaf. It was bigger than my hand. The great Buddha, with trees and a blue sky in the background The beach at Kamakura

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Apr 19, 2024 · 14:41:18 ·
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Spent Wednesday evening in Kabukicho - def worth a visit, especially if you’ve played the Like A Dragon games as it’s the inspiration for Kamurocho. Had drinks in the Golden Gai, met some lovely people, had far too much shochu.

The neon lit gate that forms the entrance to Kabukicho A view of the street with lots of illuminated signs Many tiny pubs in the Golden Gai Us in the Golden Gai bar with the people we met there

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Apr 19, 2024 · 02:01:34 ·
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There’s a Pokémon Center in the mall below it too which made me very happy

The front of the Pokémon Center A big statue of Pikachu riding a Rayquaza Lots of plushies

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Apr 19, 2024 · 01:34:55 ·
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Had a very busy day on Wednesday. Went up the Tokyo Sky Tree which is just incredible views. You can book it online in advance. Tokyo: real big.

The sky tree tower seen from the ground A view of Tokyo out the window of the sky tree. You can see a long way Another view of Tokyo from the sky tree Another view, out towards the sea

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Apr 17, 2024 · 06:59:37 ·
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Some wandering around Tokyo yesterday - Nishiki fish market, Ginza and the crossing at Shibuya!

An image of Nishiki fish market, with lots of people. Lucy is in the foreground A street in Ginza with lots of signs. Lucy is, again, in the foreground. A sushi bowl The crossing at Shibuya with loads and loads of people

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Apr 17, 2024 · 02:42:01 ·

Had started taking for granted how quiet everyone is in Japan until I went in a cafe with a load of Americans

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Apr 16, 2024 · 04:22:24 ·
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Last afternoon in Kyoto so we did the Philosopher’s Walk, then got the train up to Tokyo. Saw Mt Fuji out the window! Tokyo is really something else

The Philosophers Walk in Kyoto. A green path by a river, with cherry blossoms A view of Kyoto station’s high ceiling Mt Fuji in the distance seen from a train window. The sign for Tokyo at the train station. It says Tokyo in kanji, hiragana and Latin script

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Apr 15, 2024 · 02:41:48 ·
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Did the usual touristy bits in Kyoto yesterday - Nishiki Market, Kiomizu-dera, Fushimi Inari.

A view along Nishiki market with lots of people Kiomizu-dera on the edge of the hill with a blue sky in the background Another view of Kiomizu-dera, from lower down among the trees The view along the ‘thousand torii gates’ at Fushimi Inari

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Apr 14, 2024 · 07:44:59 ·
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We’re staying in a ryokan (traditional inn) in Ohara outside Kyoto. It’s got an onsen (natural hot spring) which I love.

The view from our room in the ryokan. It’s a woodland with a little pond Myself, Lucy and her parents sitting round a low table having dinner which is the hot pot in the middle Lucy and me grinning in our grey and white yukata Lucy in the sunshine in the ryokan looking radiant as usual

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Apr 14, 2024 · 07:34:14 ·
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A brief stop-over in Kyoto yesterday on the way to our ryōkan! We saw Higashi Honganji temple and had the best ramen of my life

The front of the temple The temple courtyard The inside of the temple showing the wooden ceiling and hanging lights The aforementioned best ever ramen, from Honke Daiichi-Asahi

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Apr 13, 2024 · 04:52:24 ·
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Yesterday we went to Nara and saw the bowing deer. They were very polite. It’s a gorgeous place. One of my favourite days so far.

A pagoda in the sunshine Lucy feeding a friendly deer Me and my new friend (also a deer) Kasugataisha shrine

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Apr 12, 2024 · 08:47:20 ·
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Last night we went to Round One, a massive arcade (eight floors?) in Osaka. I was bad at the games I understood and worse at the rest. I regret to inform I did not, in fact, win the cuddly Piplup.

Loads of UFO machines Lucy and her mum trying to win things on the claw machine Lucy playing Taiko no Tatsujin Me and Lucy playing MaiMai I think it’s called

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Apr 11, 2024 · 09:19:51 ·
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A few rare shots of Osaka that aren’t of food. This city has really grown on me.

We went to the castle today and that was lovely.

Lucy in Dotenbori. You can see the canal and the big signs Me and Lucy at the top of the tower with a view of the city behind us Lucy and her parents, with the castle moat behind and the castle in the distance Osaka Castle, close up

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Apr 10, 2024 · 05:57:26 ·
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And now for my favourite part of the trip so far - retro game store Super Potato in Osaka

Loads of Famicom games A view of one of the aisles in the store Lucy looking at Game & Watch Game Boy carts! I bought, err, five

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Apr 10, 2024 · 01:47:56 ·
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Yesterday we went to Ōkunoshima, an island off the Hiroshima coast famous for hundreds of very friendly wild rabbits. Definitely Lucy’s highlight of the trip so far. A stunning place.

We made it to Osaka last night - very excited to explore!

Lucy with lots of rabbits, looking delighted. Some rabbits munching on the food we gave them. A friendly rabbit being polite It’s a really beautiful place

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Apr 8, 2024 · 23:48:43 ·
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Arrived in Tadanoumi, did some exploring, ate okonomiyaki in a tiny restaurant and had a lovely chat with some locals. Definitely the hardest my Japanese has been worked since we got here, but we got there.

Today: rabbit island.

A photo of the shrine in Tadanoumi, from a little distance At the harbour. Lucy is in a bright yellow coat. Okonomiyaki being made on the hot plate. The chef/owner was really lovely Lucy, her parents, and one of the locals we met, in the restaurant

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Apr 8, 2024 · 10:40:55 ·
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Left Nagoya today and heading towards Hiroshima - my first time on the Shinkansen!

A green light at a crosswalk in Nagoya, with sakura in the background The window of the Shinkansen, with an urban view

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Apr 8, 2024 · 03:18:06 ·
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Managed to get miso katsu on our last night in Nagoya and it did not disappoint

Lucy fighting with the pig man. This is the mascot for the miso katsu chain we went to, Yabaton Miso katsu

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Apr 7, 2024 · 04:24:41 ·
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Things I ate in Japan, part one of many

Mojaiyaki Karaage Hitsumibushi Big takoyaki

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Apr 6, 2024 · 09:27:02 ·
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We saw him also

Me and Lucy in the cat bus looking very pleased
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Apr 5, 2024 · 23:52:25 ·
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I SAW HIM

Me and a big Totoro
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Apr 5, 2024 · 13:51:35 ·
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Happy to report the Guinness in Japan is better than it is in England

A poster for Guinness in Japan.
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Apr 5, 2024 · 03:17:39 ·
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We made it to Japan! First night mostly spent recovering from jetlag but we did have some wonderful monjayaki. Off to the F1 the next few days!

A picture of the cherry blossoms on a street in Nagoya.

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