The best laid plans of mice and men – and even Wilhelmina Penn – often go astray.

Due to unforeseen circumstances, the blog will not be able to return until June.

Until then, cheers!

Wilhelmina

It’s hard to believe a month has passed already since I parted ways with the Daily Yomiuri. (See: “Penn sans Paper” below for details). During that time, I took my first vacation outside Japan in ten years.  I’m still dreaming of those lovely Dutch daffodils here in Sapporo, where it’s cold and grey even in April. Yet, I have had to come to grips with the facts: I’m back, the Televiews column is gone, and the big question looms–so now what?  What do I do next? Continue reading →

PENN sans PAPER

I’ve written the weekly “Televiews” column for the Daily Yomiuri since March 1987. This week, I decided to bring it to a close. It’s always hard to know when to bow out and when to carry on. Then, sometimes, something unexpected happens to hasten the decision and make the choice obvious. Late on the evening of March 1, Continue reading →

This past week, Japanese television has been full of programs marking the six month anniversary of the triple disasters of March 11, 2011–the megaquake, tsunami and Fukushima meltdowns.  On the September 11 edition of the variety show “Tetsuwan DASH,”TOKIO’s Tatsuya Yamaguchi made a nostalgic journey back to the DASH Mura farm (See: Ostriches of Fukushima, April 28) located in Namie-machi, Fukushima Prefecture. Continue reading →