Welcome aboard my blog, Solo Yet Never Alone.
Before we get under way, allow me to briefly introduce myself:
What is your name?
Hyoe Nakagiri – in Japanese, 中桐 兵衛（なかぎり ひょうえ）
My first name is actually a historical term for a member of the Imperial guards in 8th-century Japan.
If you are tongue-tied trying to pronounce it, you are far from being alone – at least 80% of my teachers and classmates in South Carolina had the same experience.
Their workaround? They borrowed from rock legend Huey Lewis.
My university classmates in Japan got a kick out of it, and “reverse-imported” it as my nickname.
When and where were you born?
May 15, 1971 in the city of Kobe, Japan. A beautiful harbor town located right on Osaka Bay with mountains as a backdrop.
What is your nationality?
Proudly Japanese. No plan to give up my passport anytime in the future.
Where have you lived?
1971-1979: Kobe – 5 minute walk from Sannomiya (central business district) train station
1979-1980: Amagasaki (right in between Osaka and Kobe, closer to the former)
1980-1985: Hartsville, South Carolina – small town in the Deep (American) South where my dad was on an expatriate assignment
1985-1996: Kawasaki – northern suburb surrounded by rice paddies, at least 30 minutes’ walk from nearest train station
1996-2000: Higashi-Osaka (blue collar town east of Osaka)
2000-2002: Kawasaki – this time, 3 minute walk from train station in north central part of city
2002-2004: Kawasaki – northern suburb, 5 minute walk from train station, with steep gradients on every side
2004-2015: Yokohama – far northern suburb, 4 minutes from nearest train station
2015-2020: Penang, Malaysia – right on the Strait of Malacca, with a view of the Bridge
2020-present: Back in Yokohama
What languages do you speak/write?
Japanese as my mother tongue, English as a close second.
Plus…just enough Malay to order food and drinks and drive without getting lost.
What have you studied so far? What have you been doing?
In my childhood I thought being a meteorologist was pretty cool.
My university degree is in law. In my late twenties I spent a number of years cramming for the Japanese bar exam. Although I did not end up as an attorney, I am grateful for being able to appreciate the fine art of legal language.
Then, another door opened unexpectedly – and I ended up working in audit (mainly internal, plus a little bit of external) for twenty years. I earned my Certified Internal Auditor certification in 2004.
Now that I’ve had enough of corporate auditing (at least for now), I am in search of a new path to follow – which is part of what motivated me to start this blog.
What are your favorite kinds of food?
Breakfast – Roti canai (aka roti prata), croissant, dim sum, grilled fatty fish (esp. salmon and saba) with steaming white rice
Lunch – Curry (Japanese, Indian, Thai, Malay – bring it on), char kway teow, Malaysian economy rice, nasi kandar
Dinner – Sashimi, Sushi, Nabe (Japanese equivalent of hot pot – except it’s typically not spicy), lamb chop
Any Time of Day – Pasta, pizza, soba
Must Have Every Day – Yogurt!
What are your favorite drinks?
Juice – Mango, apple, guava, pineapple
Coffee – Anything bitter and bold (e.g. Mandheling). Usually black, but I like cappuccinos and lattes too.
Tea – Breakfast tea from Malaysia’s Cameron Highlands with milk, Japanese green tea (especially of the Gyokuro variety) served straight and piping hot
Beer – Lagunitas IPA (Petaluma, California) and Tribute Cornish Pale Ale (St Austell in Cornwall, UK)
Wine – Full-bodied Cabernet from the US West Coast, Oceania, or South America
Spirits – Bombay Sapphire gin and tonic, Suntory Kakubin highball or on the rocks, Jameson straight
What kinds of music do you typically listen to?
Mainly Classical, although I also enjoy listening to contemporary Christian music and quiet instrumental jazz.
These days I tend to favor music created without using electronic instruments – they seem to be more beneficial to my health, in mind and body.
What are your favorite colors?
I tend to wear grays, whites, and navy blues, but also love to wear pink shirts.
What are your hobbies?
Travel
I love to fly and drive, but still prefer to go by train wherever I can in a safe and reasonable manner. That’s why my profile photo was taken on board a train.
Hiking
I consider extended walking to be the best way to explore – and become one with – the world around me. Plus, it’s cheap and I get physical training in the process. Killing three birds with one stone.
Running
This is a relatively new pursuit, an outgrowth of my years of long-distance, higher-speed walking. See my post “Saturday Morning Harbor Run” (October 29, 2021).
Photography
I started out with trains, and have since broadened my range to all kinds of scenery. Mainly outdoors.
History
I enjoyed American history classes in junior high school. As my teenage years progressed I developed quite an interest in World War II – especially how/why the Imperial Japanese Navy (built with technical and cultural influence from Britain’s Royal Navy) failed to prevent my nation’s entry into that war. These days, I have started to develop an interest in comparing how different parts of Asia embraced Western influence and modernization (hope to share more in the days to come).
Music
I’ve been singing in school and church choirs since the age of 12. Always in the bottom section (bass or baritone, depending on your preference). Sorry, I am not much of a karaoke singer because songs these days are too high-pitched.
Do you have any religious affiliation?
I used to be a believer in myself during my youthful days, but the Lord showed me over the years that was not the way to go.
Thus I was baptized on October 3, 1993 at a Reformed Presbyterian church in a western suburb of Tokyo.
I have been part of God’s family ever since, serving Him through church membership in Japan and Malaysia.
An atheist friend once told me: “I don’t like the idea of religion, but I am glad you became a Christian. Otherwise, you would have got yourself in some deep, deep trouble.”
I wholeheartedly agree!
What do you look like?
After years of trial and error, I have become a huge fan of the Number One haircut.
I have bigger fish to fry than the decreasing amount of hair on my head – so “Keep It Simple, Stupid!
