Everyone wants to know the purchase price. That’s the wrong number. The right number is the total cost — purchase plus renovation — and in Japan, especially in Hokkaido, renovation is where the real spending happens. A house that costs ¥3 million ($20,000) might need another ¥3-8 million to bring it up to the standard …
Read more “Renovation Costs in Japan: What Things Actually Cost to Fix”
Before I go further, let me explain how this usually goes without AI. I leave the hotel, I walk around, I look for a place with lots of local people in it and if I don’t find one soon enough, I pick whatever turns up which every once in a while is a great meal, but mostly is a miss. I didn’t feel like missing in India. I know I’ll get Delhi Belly at some point, but I’m not trying to rush it. So, I asked Claude.
The best AI writing assistant depends on what you need — editing, brainstorming, drafting, or full generation. Here’s how to match the tool to your workflow.
The same basic questions are being asked in all these places and more: How do we build for eternity? What does sacred space owe to heaven, and what does it owe to earth?
I’ll be upfront about something: I did not get a professional inspection on my Otaru house. I walked through it once, in winter, with snow on the ground, and looked at the rooms, turned on a few faucets, checked that the lights worked. Brief. Cursory. The kind of walkthrough where you’re already emotionally committed and …
Read more “What to Look for When Inspecting a Japanese House”
I stepped off the plane in Delhi with zero expectations of how quickly India would win me over. The air was thick with heat, honking horns, and the distant scent of spices. Jet-lagged but buzzing with excitement. The screens on the Air India flight from South Korea had broken and I found myself sharing a …
Read more “My First Meal in India: Standing Tall at Prince Chaat”