A long time ago, Japan had a housing problem. There were not enough houses for everyone because the population was growing fast. Now, Japan has a different housing problem. The population is getting smaller, and there are many vacant houses around the country. It can be difficult to sell these houses, but I found a website in English with information about buying them. The name of the company is Koryoya, and it has information about three kinds of houses. The “akiya” (vacant houses) are the cheapest. The “machiya” are townhouses in old post towns and port towns. The “kominkan” are traditional large houses in the countryside. I hope that people will buy these beautiful houses so that we can continue to see them when we travel around Japan.    (128 words) You can send me a comment or your own story at jaremaga@gmail.com

This is a story about my visit to my grandparents’ house with my younger sister. She was still in elementary school. Every time we went there, we went for a walk with my grandfather. Once, grandfather said, “When we get home, you can eat fresh persimmons. This morning, Karasu brought them for us.” People of his generation often referred to relatives by the name of the place they lived in, and he meant my uncle in Karasu Town in Mie Prefecture. However, my sister thought he meant a crow, which is “karasu” in Japanese, and asked seriously, “But… how?” My grandfather, unaware of her confusion, was a little puzzled. He replied, “By car, of course!” Since then, I think of them with a smile whenever I eat persimmons.   (128 words) You can send me a comment or your own story at jaremaga@gmail.com

Snoopy is one of the best-loved cartoon characters in the world. He first appeared in the Peanuts comic strip on October 4, 1950, so this is his 75th anniversary. He is a beagle with a great imagination. He wants to be a writer, and he imagines himself as a war pilot. But he is a dog, and he loves to eat and take naps on top of his doghouse. Snoopy belongs to Charlie Brown, the main character in Peanuts. Charlie Brown is an 8-year-old boy who is a “lovable loser.” He has a lot of unique friends like bossy Lucy and musical Schroeder. Peanuts is one of the most popular comic strips in the world. I think that’s because everybody can see something of themselves in the characters.   (128 words) You can send me a comment or your own story at jaremaga@gmail.com

There is a house without windows in my neighborhood. It is a two-story house, and it was built about a year ago. I know that people are using the house because I have seen a man and a woman go in and out. They park their car in front of the house. Why did they build a house with no windows? I’m not sure, but I think they want privacy and quiet. If the house doesn’t have any windows, the neighbors can’t look inside. It’s also quieter than other houses because the walls stop the noise from the street. Is the house dark inside? It’s probably dark on the first floor, but they may have skylights in the ceiling on the second floor. (123 words) You can send me a comment or your own story at jaremaga@gmail.com

Today is a very important day for PC owners. Microsoft will stop supporting Windows 10. If you already have Windows 11, you don’t need to worry, but if you don’t, you should upgrade to Windows 11 or get a new computer. Without support, your Windows 10 computer could get a virus and die. It could also send bad viruses to all your friends in your address book. A friend of mine had a Windows 10 PC and needed to get a new computer, but she didn’t have much money. She went to several used computer stores and found a cheap machine. Now she can keep using the Internet without worrying. I just hope that her used computer is good and doesn’t break down!   (123 words) You can send me a comment or your own story at jaremaga@gmail.com

I went to the supermarket in my neighborhood yesterday. After paying at the cashier, the remaining balance of my prepaid card was 1111 yen. On the way back home from the store, I saw a car with the license plate number 1111. Then, when I got home, I looked at my phone, and the time said 11:11 a.m. I remember somebody talking about “angel numbers.” When you see the same numbers again and again, you will be lucky. The angel will bring you something special. Just then, I got a message from a friend saying that she came to see an event around here. I thought, “This is it!” I thought she was going to bring me something lucky, fun, and special. But she just told me that she had passed near my place.  (134 words) You can send me a comment or your own story at jaremaga@gmail.com