If you want to see a Komodo dragon in Japan, come to Nagoya. Higashiyama Zoo has one. It’s a male Komodo dragon, and Nagoya got it from the Singapore Zoo last year. The Komodo dragon is the world’s largest lizard. It grows up to 3 meters long and weighs up to 150 kilograms. It only lives in the wild on a few islands in eastern Indonesia. It has sharp claws and a strong mouth. It hunts living animals such as deer, pigs, and even water buffalo. It uses its long, forked tongue to smell, and it can smell dead animals almost 10 kilometers away! The Higashiyama Zoo gave their Komodo dragon the name “Taro.” They are hoping to get a female Kodomo dragon from Indonesia soon. I wonder if they are going to call it “Hanako.”   (136 words) You can send me a comment or your own story at jaremaga@gmail.com

You can see a lot of orange and black decorations around these days. Halloween is coming soon, and it’s time for pumpkins and scary black spiders. People made jack-o’-lanterns and put them outside. Some people spend a lot of money and time decorating their houses and yards with skeletons and other scary things. Children dress up in costumes and go from house to house saying, “Trick or Treat!” When these little monsters, witches, and superheroes come to your house, you have to give them a treat, usually candy. If you don’t, they may play a trick on you. However, some adults play tricks on the children! You can watch their tricks on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sHEEozN7nM4    (114 words) You can send me a comment or your own story at jaremaga@gmail.com

This year, the baseball season is exciting until the end. Who will win the World Series? Who will win the Nippon Series? Right now, nobody knows. In the World Series, the Blue Jays have won one game, and the Dodgers have won one. In the Nippon Series, the Tigers have won one game, and the Hawks have won one. The next game in each series is on Tuesday, Oct 28. That’s today in Japan, but we can’t see the World Series game until tomorrow morning because of the time difference. My favorite teams, the Boston Red Sox and the Chunichi Dragons, are not playing, so I’m not rooting for any team. I’m just enjoying the games.  (116 words) You can send me a comment or your own story at jaremaga@gmail.com

If something is connected to the Internet, it is called “smart.” There are smartphones, smart speakers, and smart watches. Now they are selling smart beds. Some smart beds can track how well you sleep. They make changes to give you a better sleep. For example, they can change the temperature of the mattress so that you can sleep comfortably in any weather. They can also change how the mattress feels. Do you want a soft mattress or a firm one? The position of the mattress is also important. Do you want your head or your legs to be higher? I sleep well anywhere, so I don’t need a smart bed, but I think they can be very helpful for people who don’t sleep well.  (124 words)

I have been wearing short-sleeved shirts almost every day since May. I was still wearing a T-shirt last week when the temperature in Nagoya went up to 31 degrees. Then, yesterday, the temperature only got up to 16 degrees. It was raining, and that made me feel even colder. I wore a sweatshirt and a light jacket when I took the dog for a walk in the morning, and I kept the sweatshirt on inside all day long. As the weather reporter said, it’s the time of year to take out your warm clothes and put away your summer clothes. I think most junior high and high school students have already made the change and started wearing their winter uniforms.   (120 words) You can send me a comment or your own story at jaremaga@gmail.com