Diego’s day on the Naruto train

A couple of weeks ago, after a day trip to Tsuyama for a spot of hanami – more on that in this post on my travel blog – I headed for the station to catch the first available rapid service back to Okayama.

Imagine my surprise when the sight of this train greeted me on the platform.

I like travelling alone. That way, I’ve only got one idiot to worry about.

Thus runs the tagline of my new travel blog, Within Striking Distance, also hosted by the friendly servers of wordpress.com.

Given that the present site is – at least nominally – an anime-themed blog, I’ve decided to give my increasingly numerous travelogues a home of their own. All previous travel posts will remain here, and I may even add a few more if it’s to do with trips taken before 01 April 2013. However, anything related to travel done after that date (including my upcoming return visit to Japan, due to commence this evening) will eventually find a place in the new blog.

Just to be clear, the present site will remain active – or at any rate, as active as work, time and energy will permit – except that it will become a bit more focused on its original reason for being. For example, this April’s trip to Japan will be described in detail on the other blog, but if I feel like writing about any anime artbooks or Blu-rays I might acquire during my visit, those posts will end up right here.

Cheerio, and safe journeys everyone.

Deus, qui hodiérna die . . .

. . . per Unigénitum tuum æternitátis nobis áditum, devícta morte, reserásti: vota nostra, quæ præveniéndo aspíras, étiam adiuvándo proséquere. Per eúndem Dóminum nostrum Iesum Christum Fílium tuum, qui tecum vivit et regnat in unitáte Spíritus Sancti, Deus, per ómnia saecula sæculórum. Amen.

- Collect of the Mass of Easter Sunday

Diego wishes you, your family, and all your loved ones a very happy Easter.

Chasing after cherries

Flowering cherries, that is.

Whilst a decent figurative title under other circumstances, it now reflects the literal truth for many a prospective traveller to Japan this spring (myself included). Unseasonably warm temperatures sweeping across large parts of the country have triggered a much earlier start to 2013′s hanami season than originally anticipated, with places such as Tokyo seeing their trees break out into clouds of white and pink as early as mid-March. This will likely scupper the travel plans of quite a few visitors who have planned and booked their holidays around older forecasts, sending them – yes, as titled – chasing after wherever the blooming might still be in progress within striking distance of their original destinations.

Counting down . . .

. . . to my next, long-overdue – but hopefully not final – dose of K-ON.

Amazon’s got a date now, so it’s only a matter of time.

Cheerio.

Gentle reader, if you’re on the hunt for a birthday present . . .

. . . or, to be precise, a birthday present for me . . .

. . . I’d like to reward you with a hint.

Probably won’t be out in time, but I’m quite willing to wait.

Cheerio.

新年明けましておめでとうございます

As we kick the doors of 2013 wide open, Diego happily wishes you all the best in the year ahead.