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 20, 2024 · 23:06:57 ·

Our last day yesterday so we went to Asakusa, had wonderful food including some incredible wagyu, and did a bit of shopping.

Japan has been a revelation I’ll want to write about separately but suffice to say I’m deeply sad to be leaving this place.

The temple and pagoda at Asakusa A bowl of ramen we had in Ginza Lucy crouching under a state of a One Piece character putting a straw hat on her head A piece of wagyu beef on a rice base, rather like sushi
Apr 20, 2024 · 03:33:10 ·

Yesterday we went to Kamakura to see the Great Buddha, also saw a Great Butterfly, and went to the beach.

Lucy walking along the road on a lovely sunny day An enormous butterfly on a leaf. It was bigger than my hand. The great Buddha, with trees and a blue sky in the background The beach at Kamakura
Apr 19, 2024 · 14:41:18 ·

Spent Wednesday evening in Kabukicho - def worth a visit, especially if you’ve played the Like A Dragon games as it’s the inspiration for Kamurocho. Had drinks in the Golden Gai, met some lovely people, had far too much shochu.

The neon lit gate that forms the entrance to Kabukicho A view of the street with lots of illuminated signs Many tiny pubs in the Golden Gai Us in the Golden Gai bar with the people we met there
Apr 19, 2024 · 02:01:34 ·

There’s a Pokémon Center in the mall below it too which made me very happy

The front of the Pokémon Center A big statue of Pikachu riding a Rayquaza Lots of plushies
Apr 19, 2024 · 01:34:55 ·

Had a very busy day on Wednesday. Went up the Tokyo Sky Tree which is just incredible views. You can book it online in advance. Tokyo: real big.

The sky tree tower seen from the ground A view of Tokyo out the window of the sky tree. You can see a long way Another view of Tokyo from the sky tree Another view, out towards the sea
Apr 17, 2024 · 06:59:37 ·

Some wandering around Tokyo yesterday - Nishiki fish market, Ginza and the crossing at Shibuya!

An image of Nishiki fish market, with lots of people. Lucy is in the foreground A street in Ginza with lots of signs. Lucy is, again, in the foreground. A sushi bowl The crossing at Shibuya with loads and loads of people
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