The distinguished novelist Yumie Hiraiwa, known for her “Kawasemi hotel” novel series, passed away earlier this month aged 91. Communities around Mt. Fuji are calling for a limit to the number of hikers ahead of this summer’s predicted climbing boom. The Japan branch of the International Association for Impact Assessment (IAIA) has heavily criticized the Tokyo metropolitan government for its plan to redevelop the Meiji Jingu Gaien district. And Kagoshima Prefecture held its first Spider Battle in four years, an event where two spiders battle it out on the end of a long thin stick. Tokyo's Okubo is a rich mix of Korean and Southeast Asian culture. Inexpensive areas during the early 80s, it's now regarded as Korean Town that is also home to a vibrant Muslim community. We walk along Ikemen Street towards Shin-Okubo Station on the Yamanote line. — Substack: notebookpodcast.substack.com Instagram: @notebook_pod Twitter: @notebook_pod — Get in touch: notebook.podcast@gmail.com Leave a message: speakpipe.com/notebook — Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices