Loco in Yokohama

I've stumbled upon another Japanese blogs my readers might enjoy. This guy started blogging a few months after I had left Kagoshima, so I'm sorry to say I missed out on his first entries. Nevertheless, he now has a book out on his experiences in Japan and NYC. I'm about halfway through it but so far it speaks to me.

Loco in Yokohama

Japanese Immigration: Gulag for Gaijin

Ok, I lied. I just had to spread the word of this story about a Canadian resident of Japan who was detained, cheated, and deported once I read it. I wonder if I could have faced this situation when I volunteered in the Tohoku. Check it out.

“Do you see this gun?” he said in Japanese, turning around to show me a weapon in its holster. “I have the legal authority to use this if you refuse to get on that flight. Now are you going to buy that ticket?”

I was angry now. They are forcing me at gunpoint to buy an overpriced ticket.

Never Say Never

I know, I haven't updated in quite a while. I hesitate to say this blog may be dying. I can only promise I'll post ideas as I get them. Currently in San Francisco eating sushi and looking for jobs.

Tsunami Cleanup in the Tohoku, Japan

Pictures of my time in Ofunato with All Hands Volunteers. Story to follow:

Volunteering in the Tohoku

I had just finalized my ferry schedule from Korea to Japan when I got word that I had been accepted to volunteer with cleanup and rebuilding efforts in the Tohoku region with All Hands Volunteers. There are few volunteer organizations operating in Japan right now, and I feel fortunate they accepted me for only a week.

Where will I be?

Ofunato, Iwate Prefecture


What will I be doing?

Cleanup and rebuilding. I'm not too sure of the details yet.


Any risks?

Ofunato is over 200 km from Fukushima, but yes, there are still aftershocks and risks involved. Nevertheless, this will certainly be one of my more interesting trips to Japan.


What do I need?

If any readers would be willing to donate to help with MY (not All Hands') travel expenses, please send to me via PayPal (see below). All extra funds will be handed over in person to All Hands' officials at the site, unless they tell me otherwise. Ideally, I'd like to raise enough to cover the $15/day expenses for volunteers for six days, bus fare from Tokyo to Ofunato, and return airfare to South Korea.