Hey All!
This has been a pretty busy week, to say the least. Please find below a brief list of updates!
1) I registered my address at the local city office and set up my phone, bank account, and health insurance. I also started the process of applying for disability insurance and welfare.
2) I secured a hospital bed, raised toilet commode, and other assistive technologies that will make my life easier for the remainder of my stay in Japan.
3) I moved into my apartment with assistance from my dad and fiancee and began to buy the amenities necessary for daily life (soap, towels, etc.).
4) I attended an orientation session for my research grant hosted by the Japan Foundation and stayed for a lecture about the legal constraints on automated financial advisors in China, Japan, and the United States.
5) I had lunch with the director of Fulbright Japan and the president of the Fulbright Japan Alumni Association.
6) I traveled the route from my apartment to the University of Tokyo to make sure that I wouldn’t encounter any signifiant complications.
7) I cleared my research with the Penn IRB (Institutional Review Board), ensuring that my work does not violate any ethical standards.
8) I learned of my acceptance to the 2019 Association for Asian Studies Conference in Denver, CO, where I’ll present about the relationship between accessibility and violence in Japan over the last twenty years.
9) I saw that my podcast interview for “Have Disability, Will Travel” was posted. You can access it here.
10) I had a fair bit of fun this week as well. I visited a movie theater in Ikebukuro, did a bit of shopping in Odaiba, and spent some time at Senso-ji Temple in Asakusa.
All-in-all, it was an incredibly rewarding week.
Mark Bookman 