Month: March 2025

March 2025 Updates

Hello Dear Readers,

Just a few small updates:

  1. I have been quietly doing a number of updates to existing blog content. This includes fixing some inconsistent formatting, and fixing broken or outdated links. Tags and categories were cleaned up and standardized as well. This was long overdue.
  2. In addition, all references to Amazon.com have been removed.
  3. Finally, it’s that time again: cherry blossom season. It is still a bit early where I live, but if you are planning to view cherry blossoms (ohanami, お花見), then feel free use my handy guide.

Thanks everyone and happy spring to readers in the Northern Hemisphere!

So Long Flashcards

In 2023, during a visit to Kyoto, I picked up some flashcards for memorizing the kimari-ji syllables of the Hyakunin Isshu poems (product link here). These flashcards were really helpful in those first few months of learning to play karuta, and although I don’t really use them anymore, I kept them around for nostalgia…

But… after I took my flashcards to the office one day recently to show some curious co-workers about the Hyakunin Isshu and Karuta, I forgot to take them out of my pants pocket. This is what happened after they got washed…

Initially, I tried to just let the ring dry out, but it’s pretty water-logged. Plus, I found that if was careful, I could peel the cards apart one by one, so they could dry much faster….

Sadly, a few cards ripped in the process, but I think I have salvaged about 80% of the cards. In reality, I will likely purchase it again anyway (preferably with extras to give out to others) since it is very cheap. However, shipping overseas is pretty expensive, so I have to wait until I am in Japan again.

And so, like cherry blossoms and moonlit nights, all things fade. Unlike cherry blossoms and moonlit nights, my flashcards faded in my pants pocket in the washing machine.