Tag Archives: haafu

Ten Years of Taking Leave

Posted on December 6, 2019 by MThomas

Looking back, it’s amazing to me now that I dared to even apply for a year of paternity leave while living in a foreign country. But I’ve never regretted the decision. As I told an audience of university students and … Continue reading →

Posted in book, day care, education, gender roles, Japan, Japanese, Japanese culture, Japanese society, parenting, Paternity leave, school | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Joy of Reading

Posted on February 25, 2015 by MThomas

We were eager to have books readily available for our kids…and not just available, but in a location where the kids could choose the books they wanted, when they wanted. So we arranged for the cubbyhole built into the staircase in the living room, and we had two small bookcases put into the kids’ play room.

It was up to us to provide the materials… Continue reading →

Posted in education, Japan, Japanese, reading | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

On the Pond

Posted on November 15, 2010 by MThomas

This past Sunday, my wife, daughter, and I joined in an outdoor barbecue at a prefectural park originally built for a Japanese emperor. Sounds impressive, I guess…Taisho Tenno wasn’t a particularly long-lived emperor by modern standards, and was in poor … Continue reading →

Posted in family outings, hobbies, parenting, trips | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment