January 17
I was going to balance BU$TAFELLOWS and ใฆใผใธใใข today but then the former got really intense and I just had to finish the chapter. I ended up playing BU$TAFELLOWS ~2h so I only did a tiny ใฆใผใธใใข read (55% โ 56%). Iโm now caught up with the VN club so I think I can go back to normal.
January 17 
ใใฅใใญใผใบใงๅพ ใฃใฆใ AGE32 , start-14%
January 18 
ใใฐใกใใใใกใฎใใใจใใ , 70-78%
Iโm still in a very unmotivated mood for some reason. Yesterday I started the second book of ใใฅใใญใผใบใงๅพ ใฃใฆใ, just because other people in the club had already started and I wanted to read the spoilers. At first I read it without much interest, but it very quickly managed to reel me back in, so I read three chapters in a row and would probably have continued if I had the time.
Then today I caught up with the Wild Ladies book club. Not sure if itโs my mood or the book, but it feels less interesting than it did in the beginning, and quite hard. Iโm sure part of it is the short story format, but also some stories feel harder, and with less reward, than others. From todayโs two stories, one I liked, but the other one, I didnโt get the point of it at all.
If I have time/energy I may read some more ใใฅใใญใผใบใงๅพ ใฃใฆใ today, or I may not.
Still not managed to read much.
18/1 6 pages ใทใฃใใผใใฆใน
I leave Japan tomorrow 
So Iโll probably read on the plane, though I suspect Iโll need a nap too!
I have a suitcase full of manga - I did buy the 10 volume pack I was looking at, plus volumes 13 and 14 - planning to go to the nearby Mandarake and buy 11-12 in the morning.
18th jan
continuing with ่ฒๅธซ vol 2, chapter 4 flew by! of the stories in this volume this is definitely the one iโve liked the most so far, it has the same vibes as the stories that drew me in in the first one. itโs about a guy whoโs been trying to capture a strange rainbow to show to his ailing father, but also about purpose in life (seems to be running theme in the volume actuallyโฆ). like a lot of these stories the ending is a little bittersweet. probably the easiest chapter to follow too!
words that stood out: ๆถใใ (ใใใ, just when i think iโve seen all the ใใใs, thereโs another one for specifically for bridges (or in this case rainbows)), ใใ (despair), ้้ฒ (reckless, haphazard, abrupt. initially thought this had a similar meaning to ้ป้ฒ, which would have made sense in context, but no!), and ่ฟใใ (intimate, close. related to ่ฆชใใ, which can be read the same way)
Day 16
Today I only read 13 pages of a manga magazine.
But at least I managed to pass the reading part of my japanese test. Should some miracle happen and I somehow manage to pass the writing and speaking part I will again have much more time for reading.
1422 pages read 18578 to go
Jan 18, Wed of Week 4 of Winter Q1 2023 
The answer is in author note of the last volume.
ๆพ (ๆฝ)
ๅผ
่ด
The Tanuki Kotatsu Reading Den
January 18th
ๆฐๆธๅคช้ฃ่จ progress: 02.61% // Volume I: 30.29% 
How is it the 18th already??
Anyway, started and finished the next chapter:
่ฒง่ฆใใฒใใใใผ the hardships of poverty; serious poverty
ๅซๅ
ฅใใใใใใใใผ Marriage; wedding
้ๅใใใณใใใชใใผ Rusty sword; useless sword
้ฝใใใพใใใใใผ To bring (news; knowledge etc.); to introduce; to bring out; to cause; to produce
ๅๅใใใฟใใใใผ Razor
ๅคๆจ็ซใใชใคใใ ใกใใผ Grove in summer
้ฌฑ่ผใใใฃใใใใผ Thick; dense; luxuriant
Forms
็นใ ๏ผ ๅทกใใใฌใใใ(to go around; to surround; to circle)
Probably some spoilers, but this is a historic novel, so can spoilers really exist for things that have (for the most part) actually happened 
Main
Hideyoshi: ่ฑ่ฃ็งๅใใจใใจใฟ ใฒใงใใใ
โ โ โ Childhood name: ๆฅๅใใฒใใใ
โ โ โ Childhood nickname: ็ฟใใใใ
Volume I: 1535 - 15??
ๆฅๅใใฒใใใ- Hideyoshi (as child)
Nickname: ็ฟใใใใ
Family
ๆจไธๅผฅๅณ่ก้ใใใฎใใ ใใใใใ- Father
็ญ้ฟๅผฅใใกใใใฟใใผ Step-father
ๅคงๆฟๆใใใใพใใฉใใใ// also ใๅฅๅ ใใใชใใใผ Mother
ใใคใฟ - Older sister
ๅฐ็ซนใใใกใใ- Baby brother
ๅ ่คๆธ
ๆญฃใใใจใ ใใใพใใ// also ๅผพๆญฃใใ ใใใใใ- Ojisan (only distantly related (before marriage))
โ Married to: ใใใค (sister of ใๅฅๅ )
Friends & Acquaintances
ไป็ใใซใใใ- Big kid friend
ๆผ็ฆใใใตใใ(Nickname - full name: ็ฆๅคช้ใใตใใใใ) // ๆฅๆฏ็ฆใใใใใใตใใ(Chinese name/birth name) - Timid kid friend (older than Hideyoshi)
โ ไบ้ๅคงๅคซ ใใใ ใ ใใใ// ็ฅฅ็ใใใใใใใ(Chinese name) - Father
โ ๆขจ็ดใใใใใ- Mother
ๆจๆฌก้ใใใฆใใใใ- Previous servant to ไบ้, later the adoptive father of ๆผ็ฆ, and owner of a tea ware shop - and employer of, and master to, Hideyoshi
Others
็น็ฐไฟก็งใใใ ใฎใถใฒใงใ- Daimyo
โ ็น็ฐไธไธ้ใใใ ใใใถใใใ- Younger brother
ไปๅท็พฉๅ
ใใใพใใ ใใใใจใ- Daimyo
ๆฏๆณข็พฉ็ตฑใใใฐ ใใใใญใ- Daimyo (head of the Shiba clan) at Kiyosu castle
ๆธก่พบๅคฉ่ตใใใใชใน ใฆใใใใ- Nobushi
่้ ่ณๅฐๅ
ญใใฏใกใใ ใใใใ(also ๆญฃๅ ใใพใใใคใ) - Daimyo
้ฟๅไปฒ้บปๅใใใน ใฎ ใชใใพใใใผ Japanese scholar & poet (around 700AD)
็ฝๆฅฝๅคฉใใฏใ ใใใใใผ Late 700s Chinese poet (Bai Juyi / Bo Juyi) also known as: ็ฝๆฅฝๅคฉใใฏใ ใใใฆใใin Japan.
้ๅ ใใฉใใใใ(or ้ๅ ็ฆ ๅธซใใฉใใใ ใใใใใผ Japanese Buddhist Priest, writer & poet (Early to mid 1200s) (also known as ๆ ่ฅฟ็ฆ ๅธซใใใใใ ใใใใ)
็ฉบๆตทใใใใใใใผ The one and only Kukai or Kobo Daishi - a Buddhist monk. Posthumously given the title of: ๅผๆณๅคงๅธซใใใใผใ ใ ใใใborn as: ไฝไผฏ ็้ญใใใใ ใฎ ใพใใ(late 700s to early 800s)
January 18th
Card Captor Sakura volume 6 & volume 7 โ progress report
Yesterday: Continued up to page 175
Today: Continued up to page 189, finished chapter 26 and volume 6. 
Began reading volume 7, read up to page 20.
Iโm done with volume 6 and started the next one.
The latter started with another introduction of all characters โ yet again. That would be 3rd time? Are these introductions supposed to initiate the coming arc? Are they there because Card Captor Sakura used to be serialised in magazines or something and people needed a refresher after so many weeks? Frankly, I donโt quite care but it always confuses me a little (though I donโt hate them when it comes to reading them because they arenโt too hard to understand).
I hope you get well soon without getting sick in the first place! 
โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ
Word or expression of the day:
่ฟทๆ - (ใใใใ) - trouble, bother, annoyance, nuisance
Day 17 Progress:
ใ้ฃใฎๅคฉไฝฟๆง 5.5 SSๅๅญ - 13.47% โ 16.54%
Eughโฆ didnโt get to do any of my manga chapters yesterday because the manga hit a technical part (describing how to make lures) and it became too much of a hassle to read. Curse you, slice-of-life manga with a focus on a particular subjectโฆ
Word of the Day:
Middle/high school was a different timeโฆ the sheer amount of awful shoujo manga I would devour without batting an eye, sometimes I wish I could go back to those days of simple gratification lmao.
Day 18, 18th of January
Only one story today, got distracted. 
However, what a pleasant surprise: the new friend I saw yesterday in the preview has another appearance, and itโs even animated! Heโs making equipment that is a sold in shop together with magic potions.
โณ January 18th.
What: NHK Easy news
Pages: One article.
Time: 5 minutes.
I think Iโve decided Wednesdays are the worst! Youโd think it would be Monday, but Iโm all charged up and okay again after the weekend. On Wednesdays I run out of steam and get home feeling like Iโve aged 5 years. Today I read one NHK news article and fell asleep on the couch 
In better news, I went to Japanese class again. Today was the day I realized this course will mostly revolve around speakingโฆ Which isโฆ I have not been doing any speaking whatsoever since I started studying. We were doing basic introductions and the teacher told me to embellish my job title a little. Apparently university employees who are not researchers or teachers have low status in Japan? So she told me to call myself a ็ ็ฉถใขใใใคใถใผ to sound more important lol. Speaking was fun and I think Iโm finally mature enough to not be embarrassed when being corrected. Also I was complimented on my pronunciation. Maybe she was being polite but Iโll take it. Itโs Wednesday, I deserve this
Thank you! 
I appreciate that.
Oh, totally. I could read for hours, days and weeks and never think about whether something was โgoodโ or not. Iโm getting picky in my old age and find myself dropping things immediately if they annoy me now, haha.
January 18th
Home Post
Reading ๅใ ใใใใชใ่ก Vol. 1
page 39 โ page 49
Finally got to read a bit today even though this week is pure chaos 
Prepping for the defense of my thesis but trying to make room for a bit of reading still. 
Also learned the best expression ever from todayโs reading session: ๆฐ็ ใใใใผใ = To sleep all day; to idle away oneโs time
Today I reread the whole chapter 8 of Harry Potter 1 while listening to the audio book. I donโt do this for each chapter, but sometimes I feel like it. There are alot of words that I can get the meaning but have no idea how to pronounce them. So the audio can help immensely and I donโt need to look everything up in a dictionary. Unfortunately however, the audio book does not use the exact same text as the print version.
Anyways, phrase of the day: ใใใใใใ - itching to do something / being impatient to do something
Happy reading!
Day 17
I read some more Bakemonogatari Vol.3. It seems I am slowly getting used to the difficulty. Reading the manga was pretty tiring until now. Now itโs hard to put the manga down I want to know what happens next.
1475 pages read 18525 to go
Home post // Jan 18
ใป ๆฌๅฅฝใใฎไธๅ ไธ 16 (75% โ 80%)
My shoulders donโt know what โrelaxโ is anymore.
Iโd say go for it! 
Iโve only read the novels. In fact, I got into the series after seeing Naphthalene posting about the first book and giving it high reviews. I was intrigued, especially after seeing the gorgeous cover (It was also on sale on bookwalker, but I couldnโt stop after finishing the first book, so I ended up getting the rest of the books, one by one, hehe.)
January 18
Home Post
BU$TAFELLOWS 
This first chapter never ends, guys. I just keep reading and keep reading and there is more. Like it is totally enjoyable but Iโm trying to catch up with the club and at this stage, Iโll be lucky to finish chapter 2 before chapter 4 starts next weekโฆ โฆ โฆ โฆ
Favorite phrase/word from today: ใฑใผในใใคใฑใผใน
I might be close to the end of the chapter but it is almost midnight here and I just had another very large speech bubble/text box again with probably multiple words I need to look up, so I quit for the day.
I also had to shovel a lot of heavy snow today because when it snows at around the freezing point (0C), it is so wetโฆ
And here I hoped Iโd turn my schedule around after getting back from the US where I had a very different schedule, and yet I find myself pushing towards midnight like alwaysโฆ 
I read the second half of Tuberose (sorry, I never remember how to type that word and Iโm on mobile so itโs even worse). I thought it would take the whole flight but instead I had 45 min leftover to stew on that ending.
What a ride. The second book is longer so I probably wonโt do the whole thing in one go, but Iโll see how far I get with it on my return flight in a few days.
I also need to go finally catch up to the thread!
๏ผๆ๏ผ๏ผๆฅ (Home Post Link)
Read:
ๅคใซใใง
ไบ่จไธ่จใใตใใใจใฟใใจใใผ a few words
ใใชใใค
็ทๅผตใใใใกใใใใผ tension, strain
ๅฏๅใใญใผใใใผ sleeping in late
ๅใพใใใใใใพใใใใผ terrible, dreadful
ๆฒ้ป ใใกใใใใใผ silence, hush
ๆฒนๆญใใใ ใใใผ negligence
้ฑๅใใใ
ใใใใใผ weekly publication
้ญใใใใใฉใใใผ sharp, pointed
้ฅใใใใกใใใใผ to fall (into)
ๅใใใคใใใผ to tell (a lie)
ๅๆง็ใใใใใฆใใใผ individual, idiosyncratic
่ฃๆใใใใใใใผ secret trick
ใขใใขใ ใผ sexy, popular, well-liked
ใคใพใ ใผ to pinch, to hold between oneโs fingers (here, oneโs nose)
January 18th!
I didnt read as much as Iโd have liked to today.
I got half way though a chapter of Shadowโs House but I kept falling asleep 
Iโll read the second half of the chapter tomorrow I suppose!
While I like Steel Ball Run, I am finding that I want to read Re:Zero moreโฆ I was anticipating I would be in watching โanime-modeโ but apparently I am still in reading modeโฆ Iโll finish volume 2 and take a break and maybe come back to it when I get my new Kindle (since mine is over 12 years old and its harder to read small text).
