This week I talk with Ian Beattie, a self-employed carpenter and long-time resident of the Matsumoto area. Ian shares his thoughts on a variety of topics related to housing and the construction business in Japan.

This installment of The Japanofiles Podcast explores two aspects of traditional Japanese culture. The first segment presents a visit to a Japanese harvest festival, the Taimatsu Matsuri (Torch Festival), which is held every autumn in Asama Onsen. The second segment is a discussion about kyudo, Japanese traditional archery.

After presenting a few of the autumn sounds from my neighborhood, I talk with Karen Ricks about her reasons for coming to Japan, and about the many activities she's involved in here in Matsumoto.