Exploring the English Articles on This Site
This site covers a wide range of subjects, including cars, boating, sailing, fishing, photography, technology, human behavior, history, society, and the ways we choose to live.
I write about things that interest me, questions that puzzle me, and experiences that make me want to understand something more deeply.
Many of these interests have developed into collections of related articles.
This page provides an overview of those collections, organized by subject. Each section introduces the topics covered and links to a dedicated article guide or selected English-language articles.
The English collection is still growing, drawn from a much larger Japanese-language site.
I hope this guide helps you discover something worth exploring.
1. Cars, Driving Techniques & Automotive Engineering
Cars are one of the largest subjects on this site, particularly the Toyota GR Yaris.
I own both a 2020 GR Yaris with a six-speed manual transmission and a 2024 model equipped with the eight-speed GR-DAT automatic. Driving both on circuits has provided opportunities to examine the relationship between vehicle engineering, driver inputs, and actual performance.
The articles explore several connected areas:
- Driving techniques: Braking, cornering, throttle control, racing lines, heel-and-toe downshifting, and circuit practice.
- Vehicle dynamics: Tire grip, friction circles, load transfer, suspension geometry, roll stiffness, and handling.
- Mechanical engineering: Transmissions, differentials, drivetrain layouts, four-wheel-drive systems, and suspension design.
- Ownership and track experience: GR Yaris 6MT versus GR-DAT, lap times, brake behavior, equipment, and the different pleasures of driving.
Explore the complete topic guide:
Cars, Driving & Automotive Engineering ｜ English Article Guide
Representative articles
- How Suspension Affects Load Transfer ★ Understanding Tire Load and Grip
- How Torque-Converter Automatic Transmissions Work ★ Torque Converters and Planetary Gears Explained
- Does the GR Yaris GR-DAT Change What a Manual Is For? ★ What I Learned Owning Both the 6MT and 8-Speed Automatic
The focus extends beyond a particular model of car to the engineering principles and driving decisions that determine how a vehicle behaves.
2. Boating, Sailing & Marine Engineering
I began operating my own powerboat shortly before turning 60 and subsequently took up sailing. Much of my boating knowledge has developed through independent learning, equipment selection, practical experience, and occasional mistakes.
The articles cover:
- Choosing and owning a boat: Hull types, propulsion systems, boat comparisons, ownership costs, and choosing a first boat.
- Marine engineering and design: Hull geometry, deadrise, planing, fuel efficiency, steering, and onboard equipment.
- Boat handling and seamanship: Waves, broaching, navigation, solo operation, and learning to sail.
- Equipment and long-term experience: Jeanneau Merry Fisher 895 Sport, Seakeeper Ride, and practical evaluations of marine equipment.
Explore the complete topic guide:
Boating, Sailing & Marine Engineering ｜ English Article Guide
Representative articles
- What Makes a Good Boat for Beginners? ★ Choosing One That Keeps Up with Your Changing Interests
- Reading a Pleasure Boat’s Design Intent from Hull Shape ★ Deadrise at Three Locations, Speed, and Running Attitude
- Does Seakeeper Ride Really Work? ★ What I Learned After 16 Months
- Can You Teach Yourself to Sail Later in Life? ★ My Experience Starting Just Before 60
These articles combine questions about boat design and technology with the practical decisions involved in operating a vessel at sea.
3. Fishing ｜ Ethics, Uncertainty & Enjoyment
I began fishing around the age of 60, after spending considerable time thinking about whether I could reconcile the desire to catch fish with my reluctance to kill them.
That question eventually led me to catch-and-release fishing.
My fishing articles explore:
- The ethics of recreational fishing and catch and release.
- The relationship between predation, fish behavior, and human responsibility.
- The balance between chance, skill, imagination, and experimentation.
- The pleasure of fishing, even when nothing is caught.
- The practical and economic aspects of fishing from a privately owned boat.
Explore the complete topic guide:
Fishing ｜ Ethics, Uncertainty & the Pleasure of Learning — English Article Guide
Representative articles
- I Want to Try Fishing. But Maybe It Is Cruel ★ What I Needed to Think Through Before I Started
- Is Catch and Release Cruel? ★ Rethinking It Through Predation in Nature and the Chance of Survival
- There Is No Single Right Answer in Fishing ★ Why Fishing Feels So Much Like Life
Fishing has become an interesting way for me to think about the relationship between human intentions, the natural world, and outcomes that remain uncertain.
4. Photography ｜Cameras, Optics & Practical Use
Photography is an activity I often combine with boating, sailing, driving, and other outdoor interests.
I use an OM SYSTEM OM-1 with Micro Four Thirds lenses, placing particular value on compact equipment, weather resistance, image stabilization, and the ability to respond to unexpected photographic opportunities.
The articles cover:
- Camera fundamentals: Sensor size, megapixels, focal length, and lens specifications.
- Exposure: Aperture, shutter speed, ISO, and their relationships.
- Equipment selection: Camera and lens characteristics in relation to actual shooting conditions.
- Photography arising from activity: Taking photographs as opportunities emerge while doing something else.
Explore the complete topic guide:
Photography ｜ Camera Fundamentals, Exposure & Practical Equipment — English Article Guide
Representative articles
- Camera Basics for Beginners ★ Aperture, Shutter Speed, and ISO Explained
- Understanding Exposure ★ How Aperture, Shutter Speed, and ISO Work Together
- Why I Chose the OM-1 for Photography at Sea ★ Compact Size, Light Weight, and Weather Sealing
5. Tools, Technology, Programming & Simulation
I enjoy understanding how tools work and what makes them useful in practice.
Some articles consider physical equipment: how to choose it, maintain it, replace it, and judge its value over time.
Others explore computing, particularly Excel VBA, probability, and mathematical simulation.
The subjects include:
- Gear and equipment: Fitness for purpose, durability, maintenance, redundancy, and practical value.
- Programming: Learning to write programs in a familiar Excel environment.
- Probability and simulation: Random numbers, Markov chains, Monte Carlo methods, and mathematical modeling.
- Decision support: Using models and calculations to examine uncertain outcomes.
Explore the complete topic guide:
Tools, Technology & Programming ｜ Gear, Excel VBA & Simulation — English Article Guide
Representative articles
- What Makes Good Gear? ★ Between “Buy It for Life” and Disposable Gear
- Why I Still Recommend Excel VBA as a First Programming Environment ★ From Simple Code to Better Decisions
- Experience the Power of Excel ★ Exploring Markov Chains and Monte Carlo Methods with Random Numbers and VBA
6. Human Nature, Loneliness & Relationships
Human beings experience the world through their own perspectives while living among others whose experiences, expectations, and values may differ.
This creates fascinating questions about individuality, relationships, self-understanding, and social behavior.
The articles explore:
- Loneliness and individuality: The different forms of loneliness, the limits of mutual understanding, and the development of an independent self.
- Relationships: Expectations, gratitude, communication, and how relationships change.
- Self-perception: The differences between how people see themselves and their positions in the wider world.
- Human behavior: Habit, motivation, self-regulation, and the relationship between individual conduct and social surroundings.
Explore the complete topic guide:
Human Nature, Loneliness & Relationships ｜ English Essay Guide
Representative articles
- Rikutsu Konetaro on Loneliness ★ How Learning to Live with Loneliness Helps Us Grow
- The Loneliness of Seeing the World Differently ★ How the Core of Individuality Gives Rise to the Third Layer of Loneliness
- Why Some Relationships Don’t Last ★ When “I’d Be Happy If They Did” Turns Into “Of Course They Should”
- Is Everyone the Protagonist of Their Own Life? ★ The Absurdity and Tragedy of Refusing to Be One of Many
7. Life, Freedom, Work & Decision-Making
After many years of professional life, I retired from medicine around the age of 60.
That transition gave me more time to explore questions about independence, freedom, responsibility, and how to make good use of the years ahead.
These articles consider:
- Life after retirement: Independent hobbies, learning new skills, and making meaningful use of personal time.
- Financial independence: Wealth as a foundation for freedom of choice and the ability to live according to one’s values.
- Work and human motivation: How incentives, willingness, ability, and working conditions affect the quality of results.
- Risk and decision-making: Uncertainty, timing, safety margins, and preserving future options.
Explore the complete topic guide:
Life, Freedom, Work & Decision-Making ｜ English Essay Guide
Representative articles
- Why Building Wealth Matters ★ Creating the Freedom to Live by Your Values
- A Key to a Richer Life After Retirement ★ Have Hobbies You Can Enjoy on Your Own
- Lessons from a Self-Taught Sailor ★ Why Is the Afternoon Too Late to Try Something New?
- Why “I’m Paying You, So Do the Job Properly” Is a Risky Assumption ★ Want To, Willing To, Don’t Want To and the Quality of Work
8. Japan, East Asia, History & Culture
Living in Japan has made me curious about the historical conditions that shaped its society, institutions, values, and everyday behavior.
These articles attempt to understand familiar features of Japanese life within broader historical and civilizational contexts.
The subjects include:
- Japanese social history: Wet-rice agriculture, cooperation, community organization, and institutional development.
- Japanese cultural traditions: Shinto, craftsmanship, ritual, architecture, and traditional ways of life.
- The imperial institution: Historical continuity, genealogy, ritual, and the Japanese imperial tradition.
- East Asian societies: How geography, historical experience, and institutions may help explain differences between Japan, China, and Korea.
Explore the complete topic guide:
Japan, East Asia, History & Culture ｜ English Article Guide
Representative articles
- Why Rice Paddies Matter in Japan ★ How Wet-Rice Farming Helped Shape Japanese Society
- What Yaoyorozu no Kami Reveals About Shinto and Japanese Craftsmanship
- Japan’s Imperial Line in Civilizational History ★ What If Jesus Had a Living Patrilineal Line?
- Why Do Japanese, Chinese, and Koreans Behave So Differently? ★ Geography, History, and Institutions
9. Film, Fiction & Storytelling
Stories provide another opportunity to explore human behavior, values, institutions, and the choices people make.
I enjoy science fiction and other narratives that present complicated characters, moral conflicts, and imaginary worlds governed by their own internal rules.
My English-language articles in this area currently focus on Star Wars, particularly its characters, philosophical themes, and narrative structure.
Explore the complete topic guide:
Film, Fiction & Storytelling ｜ Star Wars Essays and Narrative Analysis
Representative articles
- Darth Vader Behind the Mask ★ 23 Years of Silence and Anakin Skywalker’s Return
- The Last Jedi Critique ★ Fan Debate vs. Box Office
A Place for Intellectual Wandering
These are the main subjects currently covered by my English-language articles.
Some collections are already extensive, while others are only beginning to develop. As more articles become available in English, I will continue organizing them into related groups and expanding the reading guides.
You may have arrived here through a particular interest, perhaps a car, a boat, or a question about human behavior.
From here, you can explore whichever subject attracts your attention next.
For me, one of the pleasures of having many interests is discovering unexpected connections between them.
I hope you find a few of those connections here, too.
Want to know more about the author and the thinking behind this site?
→ About Rikutsu-Kone-Taro
