Joel Auterson

Joel Auterson

Hello! My name's Joel and I'm a software developer. No, not that one.

I run a tiny indie game studio called Bearwaves. I'm also a published poet.

I'm part of the Rare Mammals collective, and am an alumnus of Southbank New Poets and Barbican Young Poets. I work in the games industry.

All notes

Notes are for small posts, links, anything I don't feel merits a full post.

Apr 17, 2024 · 02:42:01 ·

Had started taking for granted how quiet everyone is in Japan until I went in a cafe with a load of Americans

Apr 16, 2024 · 04:22:24 ·

Last afternoon in Kyoto so we did the Philosopher’s Walk, then got the train up to Tokyo. Saw Mt Fuji out the window! Tokyo is really something else

The Philosophers Walk in Kyoto. A green path by a river, with cherry blossoms A view of Kyoto station’s high ceiling Mt Fuji in the distance seen from a train window. The sign for Tokyo at the train station. It says Tokyo in kanji, hiragana and Latin script
Apr 15, 2024 · 02:41:48 ·

Did the usual touristy bits in Kyoto yesterday - Nishiki Market, Kiomizu-dera, Fushimi Inari.

A view along Nishiki market with lots of people Kiomizu-dera on the edge of the hill with a blue sky in the background Another view of Kiomizu-dera, from lower down among the trees The view along the ‘thousand torii gates’ at Fushimi Inari
Apr 14, 2024 · 07:44:59 ·

We’re staying in a ryokan (traditional inn) in Ohara outside Kyoto. It’s got an onsen (natural hot spring) which I love.

The view from our room in the ryokan. It’s a woodland with a little pond Myself, Lucy and her parents sitting round a low table having dinner which is the hot pot in the middle Lucy and me grinning in our grey and white yukata Lucy in the sunshine in the ryokan looking radiant as usual
Apr 14, 2024 · 07:34:14 ·

A brief stop-over in Kyoto yesterday on the way to our ryōkan! We saw Higashi Honganji temple and had the best ramen of my life

The front of the temple The temple courtyard The inside of the temple showing the wooden ceiling and hanging lights The aforementioned best ever ramen, from Honke Daiichi-Asahi
Apr 13, 2024 · 04:52:24 ·

Yesterday we went to Nara and saw the bowing deer. They were very polite. It’s a gorgeous place. One of my favourite days so far.

A pagoda in the sunshine Lucy feeding a friendly deer Me and my new friend (also a deer) Kasugataisha shrine
Apr 12, 2024 · 08:47:20 ·

Last night we went to Round One, a massive arcade (eight floors?) in Osaka. I was bad at the games I understood and worse at the rest. I regret to inform I did not, in fact, win the cuddly Piplup.

Loads of UFO machines Lucy and her mum trying to win things on the claw machine Lucy playing Taiko no Tatsujin Me and Lucy playing MaiMai I think it’s called
Apr 11, 2024 · 09:19:51 ·

A few rare shots of Osaka that aren’t of food. This city has really grown on me.

We went to the castle today and that was lovely.

Lucy in Dotenbori. You can see the canal and the big signs Me and Lucy at the top of the tower with a view of the city behind us Lucy and her parents, with the castle moat behind and the castle in the distance Osaka Castle, close up
Apr 10, 2024 · 05:57:26 ·

And now for my favourite part of the trip so far - retro game store Super Potato in Osaka

Loads of Famicom games A view of one of the aisles in the store Lucy looking at Game & Watch Game Boy carts! I bought, err, five
Apr 10, 2024 · 01:47:56 ·

Yesterday we went to Ōkunoshima, an island off the Hiroshima coast famous for hundreds of very friendly wild rabbits. Definitely Lucy’s highlight of the trip so far. A stunning place.

We made it to Osaka last night - very excited to explore!

Lucy with lots of rabbits, looking delighted. Some rabbits munching on the food we gave them. A friendly rabbit being polite It’s a really beautiful place