Author Archives: Michael Gakuran

We Close Our Eyes

By Michael Gakuran | Published October 15, 2023
^…Oingo Boingo reference. Just ignore that if you have no idea who they are. Right, that’s still all of you then ^_^;. In any case, I figured I’d better start this, lest the world turns around again ^_^;. I don’t know how long it’ll be until my next post as I’ve not been great at […]
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Space Oddity: Japan’s Lost Futuro House

By Michael Gakuran | Published May 21, 2019
I’m sleep-deprived, caffeine-fuelled and alone in the car, but I just can’t hold back the grin as it spreads itself across my face. I’m almost trembling with an-ti-ci-pa-tion! It’s been less than twelve hours since I pinpointed the location to my latest haikyo crush, but I just couldn’t wait to explore this one.
Posted in Adventure, Haikyo / Ruins | 4 Comments

The Dark Night of the Soul

By Michael Gakuran | Published January 1, 2019
Last year was a difficult year, filled with new complexities the younger me never dreamt I would face. On a positive note I achieved my 2018 resolution of being proactive in decision making (new job for one). But in 2019 personal difficulties are set to continue for the foreseeable future. Perhaps at some point I […]
Posted in Journal | 7 Comments

Dare to be Vulnerable

By Michael Gakuran | Published November 16, 2018
I’ve ruminated on this idea for some time now. It’s one of those aphorisms that makes me uncomfortable, because it flies against so much of modern humanity. And for that reason, it feels like it contains an especially powerful truth. I can’t recall where I first came across it, but like all great thoughts, they’ve […]
Posted in Journal | 1 Comment

Ye Olde Curiosity Clinic

By Michael Gakuran | Published March 24, 2018
My god. It’s been over three years since I last wrote a haikyo post. Three years… What on earth happened? Perhaps I’ve been trying far too hard to improve on each entry? Did perfectionism finally suck the writing marrow right out of my soul? It’s certainly not through lack of exploration. No way. If anything […]
Posted in Haikyo / Ruins | 5 Comments

Battleship Island Becomes a UNESCO World Heritage Site

By Michael Gakuran | Published July 5, 2015
It’s official! Sometime after 10pm JST on 5th July, the UNESCO committee decided that the 23 ‘Sites of the Meiji Industrial Revolution’ submitted by Japan for registration as a World Cultural Heritage Site were worthy of inclusion.
Posted in Japan | 1 Comment

Finally! New English Road Signs in Japan!

By Michael Gakuran | Published February 3, 2015
It’s been a long time coming, but it seems Tokyo winning the 2020 bid for the Olympics and the surge in visits from foreign tourists in recent years has kicked some bigwigs into action. The old practice of showing ‘Romaji’ – Japanese words written using English characters – on signs is ending since its inception […]
Posted in Japan | 10 Comments

The Tower of Skulls

By Michael Gakuran | Published January 2, 2015
Lurking in the darkness of some haikyo are sights that are so chilling that they seem almost unreal. Scenes that make me stop and wonder if perhaps I’m the target of a sick, practical joke. Or perhaps I’m twelve years old again and have somehow been sucked inside one of my beloved adventure video games. […]
Posted in Haikyo / Ruins | 7 Comments