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G M Thomas FRSA FRAS
24.3K posts
G M Thomas FRSA FRAS
@japanauthor
Fellow Royal Society of Arts. Fellow Royal Asiatic Society. Royal Society for Asia Affairs. Mainly Japanese culture and subcultures. (Mainly.)
- Tokyo is losing green space on a macro-scale but sadly this also happens on a micro-level. Often when old houses are demolished - and a new build replaces them - the garden goes too. One example: an old family home; its pretty garden destroyed and replaced by a car park.
- It took 7 days to fly this Air France route to Hong Kong in 1939 when it first opened - the aircraft was Le Dewoitine 338. Only one flight per week. Of course it only operated for a few months before the intervention of WW2.
- Japan is one of the world's worse countries for greenhouse admissions and while others have reduced their output, the OECD number for 2020 is 1, 148 122,080 which even shows a slight increase from 1998. Why? The production of cement is a major factor …1/
- Wondering where to visit in Japan? In 1917, this map was published in An Illustrated Magazine of Oriental Travel, a magazine from Nippon Yusen Kaisha.
- An introduction to the Ainu by filmmaker Takeshi Fukunaga, creator of what is said to be the first film about, and starring, this long overlooked population – plus how to experience Ainu culture theguardian.com/japan-untold/2…
- Replying to @jakeadelstein @Mulboyne and @Nevin_ThompsonThe list is long. Poor old Japan thought that like 1964 this would put Japan back in the spotlight. Instead all it has done is to highlighted how ossified the country is, institutionally corrupt and, as highlighted by the vaccine issue, just useless.
- Exquisite photograph of a Japanese family dating from the 1920s. The husband has adopted a western style of dress whereas the mother is wearing a light summer kimono. Note the rising sun flag on the child's tricycle.
- This reminds me of an incident some 20 years ago; annoyingly I’ve forgotten the name of the politician. I was at a social event. He was there handing out Meishi - he turned to me and said something along the lines ‘you’re a gaijin. You can’t vote for me so I won’t waste my cards’I don’t have a vote but if I did, it would go to Eri Arfiya. The first politician to send a campaign postcard to my husband AND a postcard addressed to me, by my official title. Me. A foreigner, a woman, a person without a vote. That simple act of recognition is so powerful.
- Replying to @provaxtexan and @chrischirpI went through KB’s timeline and then the timelines off ppl she retweets. It starts off being amusing but quickly it becomes frustrating when you realise there is no way these ppl can have their positioned change. There is not a shred of rationality in their arguments.
- In 1933, the Prince of Wales purchased a Vickers Viastra that enabled him to carry out his public duties more efficiently, and also would allow him to work while flying between engagements. The plane could cruise at 130mph and had a range of 700 miles.
- There is much controversry at the moment about various highrise developments in Tokyo. Time to unpack a piece I wrote in 2003 on how this all came about. It was written after I had a heated a discussion with a Mori Corporation MD about their vision. 1/10
