The rainy season has started. It’s been raining in Nagoya since Tuesday. Before I go outside, I have to be careful to choose the right shoes. Most of my shoes are not waterproof, so if I step in a puddle, my feet get wet. That’s why I wear rain boots when I take the dog for a walk. However, I don’t like to wear rain boots all the time. They don’t look good, and they are not very good for driving. I live in the city, and I want to look a little more fashionable. When I go shopping or go out with my friends on a rainy day, I choose my most waterproof shoes, and I try not to step in puddles.  (123 words) You can send me a comment or your own story at jaremaga@gmail.com

I got a call on Monday afternoon from a friend who lives in Kagoshima Prefecture. He was in Nagoya and wanted to stop by to see me! I knew that he was planning to come to Nagoya this year, but this was very sudden. Luckily, my wife and I didn’t have any plans. We invited him over for dinner and spent the evening talking. We had a lot to talk about! The last time he came to Nagoya was 14 years ago. We have known him for 40 years, and he hasn’t changed. He is still a great person and a wonderful friend. There is one big difference, however. The last time I saw him, he had black hair, and my hair was brown. Now, our hair is white.    (129 words) You can send me a comment or your own story at jaremaga@gmail.com

Japanese Princess Kako, the second daughter of Crown Prince Fumihito, is in Brazil to celebrate 130 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries. She is also traveling to many different cities to meet groups of Japanese-Brazilians. Although Brazil is on the other side of the world from Japan, more than 2.5 million Brazilians of Japanese descent live there. The first Japanese moved to Brazil in the early 1900s. At that time, Japan was poor, and Brazil needed people to work on coffee farms. Many more Japanese followed them. They hoped to make enough money to come back to Japan, but most couldn’t. They stayed in Brazil, and today, Brazil has the largest group of people of Japanese descent of any country in the world.  (125 words) You can send me a comment or your own story at jaremaga@gmail.com

I started to watch wheelchair tennis when Kunieda Shingo was the number one player in the world. I love how the players turn their wheelchairs and go after the ball. At first, it was strange to see the ball bounce twice and stay in play, but now I’m used to it. The French Open was held last week, and two Japanese players won. First, Kamiji Yui got two titles. She won the women’s doubles with the South African ace Kgothatso Montjane, and then she beat her Dutch rival Aniek van Koot and won the women’s singles title. After that, Oda Tokito beat his British rival Alfie Hewett to win his third French Open title in a row. What a pair of winners!   (122 words) You can send me a comment or your own story at jaremaga@gmail.com

Fujimae Tidal Flat is a special place for migratory birds. Every spring, many birds stop by at Fujimae on their way north. They eat small fish, crabs, and shellfish. In the autumn, the birds come back to Fujimae. They rest and eat before going further south. In winter, ducks and other birds come to Fujimae and stay until spring. There were many tidal flats in and near Nagoya before the 1960s, but people filled them in to make land. Fujimae was the only tidal flat in Nagoya, so it was more important than ever for migratory birds. Nagoya planned to fill in Fujimae Tidal Flat too, but many people were against the plan. In 1999, the city decided to save Fujimae Tidal Flat.  (123 words) You can send me a comment or your own story at jaremaga@gmail.com