I was working at an environmental center yesterday afternoon when we got a heavy rain warning. We closed the center and went home. I had to borrow boots because the water was about 5 centimeters deep in the parking lot. I remembered the news about the flooding in Chiba Prefecture. Now, it was happening in Nagoya. I was worried that my car would stop and wouldn’t be able to start again. Some of the roads looked like rivers, and there was one place where the water was about 15 cm deep. As I passed a school near my house, the water came rushing out onto the road. I didn’t know if my car would make it, but I managed to get home safely. It was a scary ride home!   (129 words) Jaremaga now comes out online on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. To become a paid subscriber and read it 5 days a week,

Corn is one of my favorite foods, and I especially like corn on the cob. When you buy corn in a can, the yellow kernels have been cut off the cob. That kind of corn is okay, but I think fresh corn on the cob is much better. I just boil the corn and eat it on the cob while it’s still hot. When I was young, I used to eat it with melted butter. These days, however, I prefer the natural sweet taste of the corn, so I don’t put anything on it. I have eaten a lot of corn on the cob this summer, and I hope I can have it a few more times before it goes out of season.   (123 words) Jaremaga now comes out online on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. To become a paid subscriber and read it 5 days a week, go to “Support Jaremaga” below for

It’s Monday morning, and I am in the mountains with my wife. We come here every summer. It’s 1,600 meters above sea level, so it’s much cooler than Nagoya. As my wife said, it’s great to wear long sleeves and feel cool! When we got here yesterday afternoon, the mountain hut was in the clouds. We weren’t sure that we would be able to cook our dinner on the barbecue because we couldn’t start the fire. The newspaper was damp, and the charcoal wouldn’t start. After 30 minutes, we finally started the fire and grilled meat and vegetables. The food was even better than we had expected! I got up in the middle of the night, and the moon and stars were out! The next morning, I walked up the mountain. What a surprise! There was a sea of clouds below me.   (142 words) Jaremaga now comes out online on Mondays, Wednesdays, and

Children are going back to school in Japan and in the U.S., but it’s a little different in each country. In Japan, children are in the middle of the school year. They are going back to the same class in the same school. They already have everything they need. In the U.S., children are starting a new school year. They are going back to school, but they may be in different schools, and they will be in different classes. There are no uniforms in most American schools, so the children need new clothes. Many also need new schoolbags. They usually use backpacks, but most backpacks only last a couple of years. Of course, they will need school supplies like pencils and notebooks, and some will buy new lunchboxes. It’s the time of year for back-to-school sales!   (136 words) Jaremaga now comes out online on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. To become a paid subscriber