#4 Yaku-doshi, Your unlucky year!

#8 Sugiura Keiko, a gold medalist of para-cycling

Hi, everyone. Welcome back to JapanByBike.fm. In this podcast, I would like to introduce some eye-opening Japanese customs or heartwarming incidents that I noticed when I ride on a bike in Tokyo or other cities. Today, I would like to talk about aging. We are getting older every day. To tell you why I chose this topic, I must introduce a superwoman. Her name is Sugiura Yoshiko. She is a Japanese cyclist. And, she is a Paralympian. And, she is a gold medalist in the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics. Amazingly, she is 50 years old. Let me briefly explain her career. In 2016, she got injured in a cycling road race and fainted for one week. In spite of this serious accident, she barely survived, but she had higher brain dysfunction. During the rehabilitation, an acquaintance recommended para-cycling, and she started her career as a para-cyclist. I know she doesn't like to be discussed in the context of her age of 50. Actually, when she got an interview just after winning the gold medal at the women's road time trial, she jokingly said to the reporter; "Hey, you said my age again, I forgot about my age today. The chance to set a record for being the youngest will never come again, but the opportunity to set a new record for being the oldest will always be there. Oh my god, I added a bigger pressure to me just now. It's awesome." Hmmm,... I have to apologize to her, but what I am most impressed is the contrast between her performance and her age. Of course, it is really great to be a gold medalist, but I can't stay away from her age when I talk. What if I became a 50-year-old man? Can I still pedal on my road bike? Can I still challenge myself? Can I still try something and achieve a goal? And can I make as big a smile as she did? She gave me a hint to think more about my life at the age of 50. Sugiura Keiko will bid for her second Paralympic gold in the road race on Friday, September 3rd in the morning, so stay tuned. That's all for today. Thanks for listening to JapanByBike.fm and see you at the next episode.

#7 Disaster Prevention Day in Japan

Hi, everyone. Welcome back to JapanByBike.fm. In this podcast, I would like to introduce some eye-opening Japanese customs or heartwarming incidents that I noticed when I ride on a bike in Tokyo or other cities. Today I want to talk about one of the biggest earthquakes in Japan, which is called the Great Kanto Earthquake in 1923. Why? Because it occurred on September 1st, so today is the 98th anniversary of the earthquake. That earthquake had a magnitude of 7.9 on the moment magnitude scale, which is capitalized in Japanese history. It is said that more than 100,000 people died or were missing because of that earthquake or the aftermath. Actually, that earthquake occurred at lunchtime, when many people used fire at that time. To make matters worse, that day was windy at the effect of the typhoon. For these two reasons, there were fire tornados around Tokyo, and many Japanese wooden houses were burned down. that's why lots of people became the victim. That happened 98 years ago. Of course I was not born yet. But when I was a boy, many people who experienced that earthquake talked about it. In addition, September 1st is designated to be the day for Disaster Prevention Day. Almost every year in the 20th century, we had a fire drill to evacuate from such disasters. That's why September 1st is engraved in my heart. Unfortunately, Japan had to experience lots of other tragic earthquakes in the Kansai region, Niigata, Kumamoto, and the Great East Japan Earthquake. Since Japan has lots of natural disasters, you might experience one of them when you stay in Japan. But don't worry; we are ready for it and we will not get panicked. maybe. Here is one thing that I want to say; when you are in Japan do as Japanese people do, especially when you face natural disasters. That's all for today. Thanks for listening to JapanByBike.fm and see you at the next episode.

#6 Ohtani Shohei's best quotes that I like

Hi, everyone. Welcome back to JapanByBike.fm. In this podcast, I would like to introduce some eye-opening Japanese customs or heartwarming incidents that I noticed when I ride on a bike in Tokyo or other cities. Did you watch Ohtani Shohei at the 2021 homerun derby today? He failed to Soto at the first round but he seemed to enjoy the event a lot. So, today I would like to talk about his impressive remarks that I like. Before that let me introduce him very briefly. Ohtani Shohei is one of the most outstanding Japanese Major League Baseball player now, and I am proud that he has been chosen to be the starting pitcher and designated hitter in 2021 MLB All-Star Game. It's quite rare to find a two-way player, so there are lots of controversies before he succeeds. Here, I would like to quote five of his impressive remarks that I like by translating them into English. #1 No one has done it before, only I am doing it, and there may be "a thing that only I can do", so I am playing as a pitcher and a fielder. That's fascinating in any genre. #2 I think it's wasteful to limit myself without any reason by saying, 'it's my limit'. #3 Befor the first year at Major League Baseball, I visited Ichiro's home. Of course, He gave me some technical advice, but he also said, "you should believe your talents, what you have done, and your potential." That words became the start for me to change. #4 There are many people who say my baseball, but I don't care to anyone who wants to say something to me. I do my best and that is most important. #5 I have negative thoughts. I remember the bad things more vividly than the good ones. Therefore, when I see my weakness, I strongly feel that I want to fix it up. Is there anything you like? That's all for today. Thanks for listening to JapanByBike.fm and see you at the next episode.

#5 Com-beni, amazing convenient stores in Japan

Hi, everyone. Welcome back to JapanByBike.fm. In this podcast, I would like to introduce some eye-opening Japanese customs or heartwarming incidents that I noticed when I ride on a bike in Tokyo or other cities. When you come to Japan as a tourist, you will be interested in how the daily life of Japanese people goes. Then you must explore a Com-beni. Com-beni is an abbreviation of the convenience store in Japanese, and there are three big brands; 7-eleven, Lawson, and FamilyMart. 7-eleven is the largest, and it has about 22,000 branches while the other two rivals have about 15,000 branches, which means you can find a Com-beni at every corner of Japan. Actually, its function is different from gas stations, local shops, or drug stores. You can do many more! So today, let me introduce three amazing things about Japanese Com-benies. Number One: The selection of the items. Although it depends on the size of each tenant, amazingly, each Com-beni sells about 2,500 items, and they change their items according to the trend. Japanese local delights are included in the 2,500 items. So if you want to quickly know the variety of Japanese daily food for breakfast or lunch, Com-beni will let you know. Or, if you want to have a break, they will serve you a cup of coffee for just 100 yen. You will also be able to add some sweets if you want. Sometimes, they will have some collaborative items with a famous Japanese anime like Demon Slayer. Of course, you can also buy daily necessities such as food, beverages, clothes, underwear, medicines, stationery, shampoos, mobile batteries, USB cables, sunscreens, or masks! Please tell me if you know the items you cannot get at the Com-beni. Number Two: ATM The ATM machines are available at each Com-beni. You can draw cash from the ATM machine with your credit card. When you travel in Japan, especially to a rural area, Japanese people like to use cash and they don't accept your credit card. So if you need the Japanese Yen urgently, go to Com-beni. Number Three: bathroom Usually, each Com-beni has a bathroom, and you can use it for free. When you cannot find any public bathroom on the street, dash to the nearest Com-beni. It will be your oasis. Today, I introduced Japanese convenience stores, Com-beni, but most amazingly, it is open 24 hours. If you have a chance to come to Japan, don't miss visiting a Com-beni. That's all for today. Thanks for listening to JapanByBike.fm and see you at the next episode.

#4 Yaku-doshi, Your unlucky year!

Hi, everyone. Welcome back to JapanByBike.fm. In this podcast, I would like to introduce some eye-opening Japanese customs or heartwarming incidents that I noticed when I ride on a bike in Tokyo or other cities. When I go by bike around a temple or shrine in Japan, sometimes, I can't help asking you the following question. How old are you? Of course, you don't have to answer this question. I know asking someone's age, especially to women, is not polite, but this question is very related to today's topic in Japan. If your age of 25, 42, or 61 for male, or 19, 33, 37, or 61 for female, that is your unlucky year. It is called Yakudoshi in Japanese. Why are these ages chosen for bad luck? I want to tell you the reason, but I don't know why. I have been looking for the reason up to now, but there is no clear explanation, or there is no scientific reason. Some people say it is from China, or others say it is from China and mixed with a Japanese belief. In any case, these ages are very unlucky for Japanese people. Let me tell you again if you are female, the age of 19, 33, 37, or 61 is very unlucky or if you are male, 25, 42, or 61 is very unlucky. You might be relieved because you are not at that age, but it's a little early to be relieved. If your age is 1 year younger or 1 year older, these years are also the unlucky years! If you hit on these ages and start to feel uncomfortable, don't worry. You can purify yourself by going to the temple or shrine. Lastly, there is one thing I would like to add. Don't ask someone's age. It is still very polite in Japan, too. That's all for today. Thanks for listening to JapanByBike.fm and see you at the next episode.