This is how I felt when we were going up inside Himeji Castle. Except there were no signs saying how many flights of stairs were left…

裏口 = rear entrance
ガンバレ!! = GO FOR IT!!
もう一息 = just a little more effort

Not only is it rather difficult to hold a katana in this position, what would you actually do with it from there? You can’t swing, you can’t block, you can’t thrust, and if you hold the position for very long, you’ll get a cramp. About the best outcome you can hope for is shaving your own cheekbones.

Get two, so you can cosplay Doc Ock in bed:

Delivery is slower than the one with windows, but it’s more secure.

Mocha is a relatively prolific creator of detailed non-cheesecake scenes, often set in places that have been abandoned or reclaimed by nature.

But not always…

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This is the crest of my samurai clan.

(via)

The cats at Cat Café Nekokaigi are a bit less organized about their cuddling, but they provided a pleasant, calming experience during our vacation, and we learned about the seductive powers of bonito flakes. Pics later.

In the middle of my vacation, this song got stuck in my head somehow. I’m pretty sure it wasn’t the usual problem of a muzak version playing somewhere, although I suppose it could have been a reaction to two completely different retail chains abusing “The Battle Hymn of the Republic” (Yodobashi Camera, which I already knew about, and Daikoku Drug Store, which I discovered while stocking up on Felbinac).

Someone should really remake this with vocaloids…