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Recent Posts: M Thomas Apple Author Page
Dear Diary — June 12, 2001
The Blood of Dunbar: The Forgotten Holocaust of the Scottish Covenanters
This is the first of a series of posts introducing the five-part historical fiction novel Unbowed, which will be published in November 2026. All five parts are based on true events and real people – my ancestors. Most students of American history are familiar with the standard narrative of New England’s early settlers: the Mayflower, the […]
“Blood Moon” lunar eclipse across the Americas
Lunar eclipses occur when Earth moves between the sun and the moon and its shadow is cast on to the lunar surface. In Thursday night’s event 96% of the moon will be darkened by the Earth’s shadow at its peak moment. https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/aug/27/lunar-eclipse-north-south-america WordPress has gotten really wonky with the “quotation” formatting, so I hope this […]
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Category Archives: Japanese
The end is the beginning
Our daughter is now leaving nursery school. From her birth to my wife’s maternity leave to my paternity leave, from building a new house to finishing a doctorate to switching jobs, from one daughter to another (who’s a completely different … Continue reading
Posted in coming of age, education, Japan, Japanese, parenting, school
Tagged ceremonies, child-raising, farewells, friendship, Japan, Japanese, spring
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Come out, damned spot!
One aspect of bathrooms in Japan that surprised me at first was the water everywhere around the sink. I mean, everywhere. Not having a habit of waiting for people to wash their hands in public lavatories, I found it a … Continue reading
Posted in Japan, Japanese, Japanese culture, parenting, sickness, Uncategorized
Tagged child care, child-raising, health care, Japan, Japanese, sickness
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The Ugly Duckling in Japan
Tomorrow is “Coming of Age Day” in Japan, when 20 year olds celebrate officially becoming “adults” in Japanese society. Today, my family went to a performance by a local civic group of The Ugly Duckling, billed as “a moving story … Continue reading
Posted in entertainment, family outings, Japan, Japanese, Japanese culture, kids shows, parenting
Tagged child-raising, cultural differences, folk tales, half-Japanese, Japan, Japanese, racism
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