Once again, the year has ended in the blink of an eye lol

This year also had its good and bad moments, so I thought I'd reflect on them in this article.

I'll be writing this article while reminiscing by looking back at photos and journals (← I write almost daily in a Traveler's Notebook).

Went to Kingnu's Live Concert

Attended "Inclusive Design for a Connected Future" Event

As a designer myself and with my mother working in the welfare sector(in the past), I wanted to learn more about the lives of people with physical disabilities and was interested in creating products that allow everyone to live better lives. That's why I attended this event.

I realized that I knew so little, and personally, rather than winning awards or being recognized by the public, I want to create designs that enrich and improve people's lives. (Of course, I still want to win awards lol)

I also dabbled a bit in sign language, but it's too difficult, so I stopped... I wonder if Duolingo has sign language courses...

Feeling Like Starting DJ

Some of my junior artists started DJing, and some acquaintances began DJing too, with multiple people involved.

Seeing this made me think, "DJing looks fun," and "There’s a lot of music I haven't heard, so I might want to DJ and explore various genres." So, I bought a basic DJ setup lol

Created a Music Discovery Service

Spotify recommends songs based on what I’ve listened to, but sometimes I want to hear tracks I've never heard before. So, I created this.

It's not just about my preferences; it helps me expand my musical horizons. I want to create a better UI and officially launch it. Currently, it uses the Spotify API, so only I use it personally.

A Monkey Appeared on My Balcony

Visited NEORT Exhibition

I love digital art and personally want to create various things. I'm not good at programming, though...

It was so beautiful that I could gaze at it forever...

Visited the Fender Shop

I’ve watched it on YouTube a few times and really wanted to visit.

I want a Telecaster...

Went Hiking at Takao Mountain with My Wife & Visited 599 Museum

Both of us were out of shape and out of breath lol

Bought a Fujifilm X-Pro3

I bought a quirky one after much deliberation.

It's so cool and beautiful...

Went on a Short Trip to Okutama with My Wife

Went on a relaxing trip to a guest house in Okutama with my wife and her friends.

I love nature and the countryside, so I want to visit regularly.

Visited the Featured Project Event

I was able to watch a performance by Denon Ken.

I want to create audio-synced visuals using TouchDesigner!

I have so many things I want to do, one lifetime isn't enough.

Went Car Camping and Participated in a Gymkhana-Style Driving Event with GR86

This car is actually capable of car camping. It can be fully flat, so I can lie diagonally (I'm 175cm tall).

There was a gymkhana-style driving event in Kumamoto, so I participated for the first time. I was so focused on memorizing the course that I couldn't even concentrate on driving lol

Finally Visited Senrigan

I loved it!!

Created a Logo for the Tennis Group "JEU Tennis Collective"

I created the logo for a tennis group run by my sempai in Tokyo! They have wonderful members from various backgrounds, and I'm always inspired by them ^ ^

Went on a Day Camp with Company Members

I went on a day camp with everyone from the company I'm contracted with! The location was amazing, and I hope to camp there together someday!

Stayed in Australia from September to October

My face was scary in the photo taken when I entered the country lol

My stay was scheduled as follows: "5 days in Cairns → 1.5 months in Adelaide → 6 days in Sydney → 5 days in Cairns → Tokyo."

The main reason for the trip was to meet people who helped me during my language study abroad in Australia nine years ago.

These people are an Australian couple in their mid-60s.

I heard that the wife was ill and diagnosed with cancer this year.

When I arrived, she had already been discharged and was staying at home.

We cooked salads together and talked about various things, having a great time.

I hadn't been back to Australia for nine years despite planning to go, so...

You should meet people when you can.

Adelaide is a small city with hardly any Japanese people, making it a great place to practice English.

I didn't have much to do, so I mostly stayed at home and talked with the couple. They were very happy and treated me like family, which I really appreciated.

I will definitely go again!!

I stayed in Sydney for six days with a colleague (or friend lol), and it was amazing.

There were so many things to do, the beaches were beautiful, it's convenient, and the city is close to the airport.

A friend's friend was on a working holiday in Sydney and gave us an amazing tour, so every day was fulfilling.

I stayed at an Airbnb that was fantastic, so I'll share it here.

Funky Surry Hills Warehouse by Sydney Dreams

The location and the cleanliness of the place were perfect. Definitely a repeat stay.

I’ve uploaded snapshots on Instagram, but I might write a separate photo article.

Attended a Supercar Gathering Event

I was invited to an event where amazing cars gather at an awesome location.

Since I was in the Kanto region, I didn't bring my own car, but seeing various cars was super fun!

All the cars were insanely expensive, which made me feel a bit motivated to earn more lol

Returned to Tokyo After Staying in Australia & Attended a Wedding in Korea

Since my wife is attending graduate school in Tokyo, I stay in Tokyo about once every two months.

Then, a mutual Korean friend of my wife and me had a wedding in Seoul, so we went to Korea to attend.

It was a traditional Korean wedding with drama-like attire and decorations. (No photos since people are in them)

On the last day, it snowed heavily, causing flight delays and cancellations. But when our flight time came, the snow stopped, and we flew on time lol thanks

My Beloved Cat, Kanpei, Passed Away

Another dark topic this year, sorry.

Kanpei, a cat from my parents' house, was truly a wonderful cat. While I was in Korea, Kanpei passed away, and I couldn't say goodbye, which was really tough.

Due to an accident, he had to get his tail removed, and afterwards, he had aftereffects and had to wear diapers. My wife loved him so much too so I was really worried how she would react about it.

Thinking about what I couldn't do makes me sad, so I try to focus on what I was able to do and what I was able to give him. See you again Kanpei. We love you.

Second Time at Auto Polis Driving Event

I participated in a driving event at Auto Polis with my father and brother.

The first time was scary, and I couldn't speed or remember the course, so I drove slowly. But this time, I was less scared and managed to shave off about 30 seconds from my time.

Went on a Short Trip to Kawaguchiko and Yamanakako

Went on a short trip to Kawaguchiko and Yamanakako with my wife and her friends. One of our friends was leaving Japan, so we decided to go somewhere together and visited Mt. Fuji.

We had clear skies both days and could see Mt. Fuji beautifully, so we were lucky ^ ^

Summary

This year, staying in Australia was a significant experience for me. For nine years, I kept saying I would go, but never did, and I also wanted to do a working holiday but didn't make it.

I will become a person who can demonstrate my intentions through actions, not just words.

I was happy to reunite with the Australian couple and their family who took care of me.

Regarding work, I'm still contemplating it, and my environment will likely change significantly in 2025 depending on my wife's path, so I hope to decide accordingly.

Anyway, I'll do what I want to do. It's my life after all ^ ^