9:38 p.m. Another sweltering day which I spent reading Casual Vacancy.

It was about a small country town called Pagford, how the world rotated in its small closed community of neighbors, friends and families. The story started out with gossips passed around the town and I was getting worried that I might be reading a tabloid, when I realized that J. K. Rowling has subtly drawn me in to this small town as one of the bystanders. Once again, she was very good at reflecting life through each characters as she had done so in the Harry Potter series, and I was amazed.

I had secretly expected a crime novel, though. I'll try The Cuckoo's Calling some time.

The End

Caterpillar

4:45 p.m. Since I've finished reading Casual Vacancy, think I can start reading The Willpower Instinct that I've bought at the English books sale two weeks ago, after being torn between Dan Brown, Jeffery Deaver, Sheena Iyengar, and of course, Robert Galbraith.

Unfortunately though, it's in hard cover which is quite daunting, especially when I'm relieved to return the heavy, hard-covered Casual Vacancy. Usually, I only buy paperbacks because they're easy to carry around and also much cheaper. Thus my torment between other paperback novels. But I was almost desperate to find out what tips and advice Kelly Mcgonigal had laid out for us in that book.

Perhaps I should've bought The Art of Choosing by Sheena Iyengar first.

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Caterpillar

1:33 p.m. Finished reading the first chapter of The Willpower Instinct. Very interesting so far, and it offers a lot of insights. It explains which parts of your brain is working and how they work, when you're making a decision to put something off till tomorrow, or resisting a temptation to grab another doughnut.

I am willing and determined to spend ten weeks to challenge and exercise my willpower in order to improve my lifestyle, following the instructions that Kelly Mcgonigal has kindly suggested in the book. Two and a half months later, I'll emerge as a new "me" purged of nocturnal life and completely reborn as an early riser.

I'm simply curious though, about what Bridget Jones might have said reading this book.

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Caterpillar

5:01 p.m. My first step to rebirth is to follow through the first "Willpower Experiment." There are two tasks. Task one; track your willpower choices for at least one day, and try to notice every decision you make related to your willpower challenge. Task two is a five-minute brain-training meditation.

My goal is to stop staying up late and get up at 7 o'clock or earlier every morning. So am trying to track my willpower choices and decisions related to that for the past day, however, the only thing I could remember is that I watched TV. That must mean that I'd made a decision to watch TV, I guess.

How many times have I used the word "willpower" by the way?

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Caterpillar

2:21 p.m. The train I use for commuting has been hugely delayed due to power outage caused by lightning strike.

I knew the weather had been turbulent since last night, since I was awoken several times by the battering rain against the window, and occasional thunder claps which all sounded pretty close to the place where I live.

Still, a 50-minute delay was something I hadn't expected. Especially when I was running late from lack of sleep.

I came in ten minutes late as a consequence.

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Caterpillar

3:40 p.m. There was a story in today's news about a male 25-year-old company worker, who has walked 1400km (870 miles) from Kita Kyushu to his home in Sendai in 11 days. He's been been robbed of his wallet and cell phone, after having attended a national card game event in Kita Kyushu.

Cow and I have been surprised by this news, because according to our calculation, one needed to walk 120km (74.6 miles) in order to cover 1400km in 11 days. The walking speed of a person is generally known to be 3 to 4 kilometers per hour, so even if he pushed hard and walked 15 hours a day (which is very unlikely to happen), the total distance would merely be 60km (37 miles) per day. That would take him at least 23 days.

Sounds so phony. Surely, he must have used some sort of transport to get home in 11 days, but what was he doing? I mean, why isn't he telling the truth?

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Caterpillar

1:58 p.m. It was quite big. Cow noticed a dead crow on the edge of the sidewalk, less than ten yards away from the office entrance.

Before long, a man appeared on a scooter, in a jumpsuit wearing a vest with day-glo V patterns on his back and front. So someone must have called the ward office. He got off the scooter, carefully wrapped the crow with newspapers, then put it in a black plastic bag, and carried it away in the back rack of his scooter.

I've been watching the whole process through the window, and I hope that these people are paid enough. At least better than an average office worker. After all, they're taking care of things most of uas are not inclined to apply for.

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Caterpillar

3:57 a.m. The runoff election has been closed. How much longer do I have to wait to see the results?

4:12 a.m. I can't stay up any longer, am exhausted.

1:32 p.m. Oh my God! Tokyo has won the bid! Why couldn't I have stayed up just a little bit longer to witness the historic event? Why? Why?

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Caterpillar

2:56 p.m. Cow seemed rather against the idea of having the Olympic and Paralympic games here in Tokyo. "It'll only make the streets more crowded. We might be forced to go through inconveniences that we ususally don't experience in daily life. Besides, we won't be able to afford the tickets." That's what Cow said. Until the day before yesterday.

Typical. As an older type of Japanese, Cow must have been taught and brought up not to show his feelings to other people, because it could hurt people's feelings and definitely not polite. So, I thought Japanese like Cow aren't used to expressing their true feelings. Sometimes they may not even realize such feelings do exist inside themselves.

As we talked about Tokyo winning the bid to become the host city of the 2020 Olympic yesterday, he couldn't hide the excitement and joy in his voice. I deduced that he must be happy and excited as myself.

It's always nice to know when someone is happy. Thanks, to the world, for the congrats you've sent us. I'm sure Tokyo would do the best to live up to your expectations.

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Caterpillar

2:51 p.m. Speaking of Olympics, I've found an interesiting article about one of the first two Japanese Olympians, so I'll put a link to it. Better late than never for Japan's first, "slowest" Olympian.

I take his invitation as part of Sweden's local TV's ambitions to gain attraction, however, I admire the generousity of the Swedish NOC to approve this. Was also amused by the announcement of the official record, as well as Kanakuri's response full of wit.

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Caterpillar

2:53 p.m. Cow has suggested wthat we should do a special feature on this web page about the 2020 Olympics.

Well, yes, that might be a good idea. So I'm waiting for the chance to start a meeting and he says it will be on Friday. Suppose that means I should hold my excitement down till then, though I'm afraid it's going to wane out by Friday. Daily life seems to get back to normal before seeing the weekend.

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Caterpillar

3:59 p.m. "A chilly Arctic summer has left nearly a million more square miles of ocean covered with ice than at the same time last year ? an increase of 60 per cent," reports a news site called Mail Online.

Let the researchers and media say what they want to. I wouldn't believe anything before I see it or feel it myself. Today's high in Tokyo was 90 degrees, you know? Who'd believe the earth is entering a cooling period?

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Caterpillar

2:27 p.m. A short while ago, I heard voices of kids from a nearby elementary school, fussing over a water tap belonging to our next door neighbor. Apparently, they were playing with the tap water.

As I was straining my ears to pick up what they were saying, a woman's voice gently chided in saying, "hey, boys, that tap is someone else's, isn't it?" She was speaking in a soft voice, but there was an accusing tone in her voice. Without hesitation, one of the boys answered, "I didn't do it." Then who? I felt an impulse to budge in, but thought the better of it and refrained. Eventually, the boys moved on home yelling something inaudible, and the woman who I couldn't see but only hear also seemed to move away.

Somehow, my mind didn't clear up. Could this have been a chance to teach these children a lesson, rather than accusing of their wrong behavior? Maybe, if that woman had talked to them in question form, the boys might have thought for themselves, what it was that they did wrong and how they should behave the next time they encounter a similar situation.

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Caterpillar

3:03 p.m. Orfevre and Kizuna, the two Japanese horses running in Prix de L'Arc de Triomphe, are going to be appearing in their respective prep-races tomorrow (Japan time).

Although Orfevre has experienced a slight change in his training schedule, due to the accidental cut on his nose caused by his partner horse Brownie, bothe horses have been told to be in good condition so far. The Orfevre crew has chosen Prix Foy which he'd won last year, while Kizuna is going to run in Prix Maurice de Gheest for his first race in France.

Both races would be interesting to watch considering the coming Arc. I wish they'd broadcast it on TV. Thanks to the typhoon, we'd all be staying indoors for the holidays. That measn we'd be hungry for a little entertainment.

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Caterpillar

9:27 p.m. JAXA's (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) new rocket, Epsilon, has lifted off successfully yesterday afternoon, following the last minute cancell on August 27th. The remarkable thing is that Epsilon has been designed to save energy and reduce the cost drastically, including the launching. With the success of the rocket's lift off, JAXA has also succeeded in cutting down the cost to 38 billion yen, equivalent to only half the money spent on the former M5 rocket.

Epsilon has been loaded with the world's first telsescope specialized in observing planets, so perhaps we can expect new discoveries in the near future. Sounds exciting!

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Caterpillar

0:14 a.m. Very excited. Wladmir Balentien of Yakult Swallows has hit his 56th and 57th home run to break the single-season home run record set by Sadaharu Oh. And Kizuna has won the Prix Niel! (Sorry I had the name of the race wrong the other day.) Orfevre would be next.

1:40 a.m. Have just seen the video of the Prix Foy. My, oh my, oh my! Had heard that his condition was better than last year, but he seems to be in better condition than I'd thought. You just wait, Longchamp! This year, we're coming to win.

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Caterpillar

2:54 p.m. I found some outside comments on the launching of Epsilon, JAXA's (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) rocket I wrote about a couple of days ago. Japan launches new, cheaper rocket.

It seems Japan is considered as the leading country of science technology. I'm very flattered as a Japanese. Though, this whole project wouldn't have suceeded, unless there was continuous effort and hard work of not only the project staff, but also the people who supported them including, of course, space enthusiasts.

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Caterpillar

2:18 p.m. Recently, I've learned from a psychologist that in order to reduce stress experienced in relationships with your bosses, colleagues and friends (social stress), it's good to do sports, sing, read, or watch comical movies and laugh yourself out. For stress experienced through family relationship (private stress), watching a tear-jerker movie would help to vent out your stress. Here's a TV commercial from Thailand, that will surely reduce your private stress considerably. TrueMove H: Giving

It reminds me of all the help and support we received at the time of the 2011 earthquake. Thank you, World. Just hoping I could play a role in at least spreading this feeling of "Giving.".

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Caterpillar

4:20 p.m. It's Ju-goya (a custom to admire the beauty of the moon on the 15th day of the 8th month, based on the lunisolar calendar). Thanks to the fine weather, we're bound for a great condition for moon viewing.

As I've written in our seasonal events page, we're usually met with typhoons and autumn rain around this time of season, that it's pretty rare to be able to see the full moon shine on the night of Jugoya. Some old writing even say that we couldn't see the moon nine year out of ten.

Why not take advantage of this occasion, put whatever you have to do aside, to look up at the sky tonight?

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Caterpillar

2:39 p.m. It's still fresh in our memory that wrestling has been on the brink of being ejected from the Rio de Janeiro Olympic games, but has been approved of at the last minute, winning the bid against squash and baseball/sofyball.

Saori Yoshida, who is a three-times-gold medalist, and also the one who broke Alexandrovich Kalerin's record of 13 consecutive international wins, has stretched the new record to 14 in the 2013 Wrestling World Championships, now being held in Budapest, Hungary.

Don't know how she managed to achieve this while working for FILA to save the sport to stay in the Olympic games, but she's kept her words and won the championship. It's a pitty that she would be 37 by the time of 2020 Tokyo Olympics, though who knows? She might still be winning.

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Caterpillar

3:07 p.m. Someone had ordered an Asus lap-top to find something quite unusual. "Opened my ‘brand new’ Asus lap-top, found this when I went to empty my recycle bin," says the owner of this computer. And here's what he found. Computer Quality Control.

Oh, my. I never had such experience before. The submitter probably wasn't sure what to make of it, and there were comments saying that some would be offended if they were to be in the same situation, but it made me laugh. It's what every boy their age might have done. From the way they scramble back to their positions when their boss comes down the aisle, they must have been in such a hurry that they forgot to re-image the computer.

I'm rather worried that they might be too young to be working.

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Caterpillar

10:04 p.m. My Sunday has somehow flew past.

After I visited the family grave early in the afternoon, I watched the trial races for the coming up grade one races, then watched Sumo wrestling, though I nodded off before towards the end, then I watched Nadeshiko Japan play against the Nigerian girls. Meantime, Yomiuri Giants has won the season with the loss of Hanshin Tigers' day game. So much going on that I can't keep up. And what have I been doing all day? Nothing done apart from the grave visit.

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Caterpillar

4:37 p.m. The channel was somehow on NHK, and the screen focused on a robot as I automatically turned on the TV this afternoon. It was the Robo-con (now world-famous robot contest). I wasn't an enthusiastic fan but I've seen it several times before, and I sat down to watch the international contest.

The Japanese champion team representing Kanazawa Institute of Technology, was met with trouble after trouble while they squirmed their way up to the finals with close wins. They were struggling hard to adjust their robots to the performing space that had a drastically different condition from the one they'd experienced in the Japan tournament. However, time was running out on them, and they had to face the Vietnam team in the final, uncertain of what the slight changes they'd made in their programming to move the robots would cause, success or doom. The Vietnamese team was more than confident with their robots. As a home team from the hosting country, they had to win. They were well-prepared. The tension reached a climax with the starting count down of the final match.

And I just couldn't stand the building up tension, I guess. I suddenly felt the urge to run to the bathroom.

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Caterpillar

Why is it that you somehow feel the urge to run to the bathroom, whenever an important scene comes up, such as seconds before a penalty kick in a FIFA World Cup match, or when the batter is hanging on at the last inning 2 outs, runner on the 2nd and 3rd? I desperately wanted to see the final match of ABU Robocon, Japan versus Vietnum, but my bladder wouldn't let me.

This is the time to appreciate the human intelligence and make use of hi-tech gadgets. I pressed the red "record" button, then ran to the bathroom.

The Kanazawa Institute of Technology team members were jumping and hugging each other by the time I came back, but I kept my cool. Thanks to great engineers like the students who competed in this ABU Robocon, I had it all on my hard disk drive.

I went to sleep happy and content after watching the recorded final match, hoping that NHK would release the program for free for the whole world to see, the strives and struggles of the young talents who would surely lead the developments of the next technologies.

The End

Caterpillar

2:44 p.m. The first season of the Anime, Gin-no Saji (Silver Spoon) has finished last Thursday, and I've been thinking seince then, about raising livestock to eventually slaughter them and eat them. Would I name pigs if I were in Hachiken's place? Would I be able to eat them?

I've contemplated the question over and over, and have come to a conclusion. If I were to raise pigs knowing that I'll have to slaughter them in a couple of months, I'd still name them as Hachiken did. Why? Because I always want to keep in mind, that I owe my life to the pigs'. I'm able to breathe, move, eat, sleep and feel, because of them. My life is paid with their lives.

I'll probably forget about that from time to time, so I want to be reminded time and again. So that I will fully appreciate when eating whatever food that keeps me living. I feel that I finally undesrtood what Itadakimasu and Gochisousama really meant.

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Caterpillar

3:54 p.m. Am waiting for the barrier draw for the Sprinters' Stakes to be announced.

Have checked out and studied the results of the past ten years, and noticed something interesting. There isn't any horse that has won this race 2 years in a row. Sure there were great sprinters like Durandal that won the Sprinters' Stakes, the Takamtsu-no-miya Kinen, and the Mile Chamionship, or Karen Chang that won both Sprinters' Stakes and the Takamatsu-no-miya. But even they couldn't win this race twice.

What this means is that there might be some possibility in Lord Kanaloa's coming in second place.

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Caterpillar

2:13 p.m. It's about time. The barrier draw for the Sprinters' Stakes has finally been announced this afternoon.

According to netkeiba.com, Lord Kanaloa drew post number 9, while Hakusan Moon regarded as his rival, drew 7. Majin Prosper, Admire Cozzene's son, has drawn 15 which is much better for him than drawing inner post numbers. He might perform well, depending on his condition (he's been away from races for 3 months).

My current interest is on Grand Prix Boss who drew post number 1. If Lord Kanaloa is to be beaten by any chance, I have a hunch Grand Prix Boss is going to be the one to defeat him.

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Caterpillar

2:36 p.m. Already exhausted, after two sessions in the morning. Had to stay up late to prepare for these sessions, while fighting my brain orders to go to sleep NOW. My willpower challenge had been to go to sleep early (so as can get up early), but I found it surprisingly hard to go against it last night.

I haven't had the time nor energy to go over the race form yet, and I doubt whether I can do a good job on it if I did, with my sleep deprived brain that is more than ready to nodd off the second I let it.

Is it my groggy state that's making me see the odds of Majin Prosper as 37.5 to 1? I'm game if what I'm seeing is really what I'm seeing. Maybe I should forget Grand Prix Boss after all, and put it all on Majin Prosper?

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Caterpillar

9:13 p.m. I've bought trifectas with Grand Prix Boss and Majin Prosper on the first place, Lord Kanaloa on second, Hakusan Moon and a couple of others on the third place and look what happened. Lord Kanaloa won, tagging Hakusan Moon behind, and what's that horse in the third place?

Okay, okay, you're the king, Kanaloa, althugh you probably won't run another race in Japan.

The End

Caterpillar

3:23 p.m. Have been trying all morning to remember the name of the horse, that came in third place in the Sprinters' Stakes yesterday. And I've finally recovered my memory. It was Myano Ryujin.

I'd cut him out at an early stage of my calling the race without much consideration. Must adjust that before the consecutive G1 races start.

It's not a time to be bickering about the past race, though. We're having the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe coming up this weekend. Don't believe that they heard my feeble protest, but they're broadcasting the race live from Longchamp on Fuji TV. Great!

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Caterpillar