What about a Wolfenstein game in Japanese occupied Australia? What about an underground resistance movement on mainland Japan? You have Korea, China, Philippines, etc. i think there's some really good material to work with in a Japanese themed game.

IMO I like to think that Thailand is a critical ally. Already a designated major non-NATO US ally, in any potential new conflict with China, I think Thailand would/should play a key role in any U.S. strategy in the Indo-Pacific region.

• Southeast Asian/ASEAN geopolitics

Seeing as China has managed to develop warm relations with both Laos and Cambodia (and Myanmar too to an extent IIRC) and has a vested interest in controlling Southeast Asia, it only makes sense to harden our alliance with Thailand. To put it mildly, Thailand has always had historically rough relations with its neighbors, especially with Myanmar and Cambodia (e.g. Myanmar and Thailand historically fought several wars against one another, conquering each other’s territory and imprisoning/displacing each others populations. Doesn’t help that Burma burned down and looted Ayutthaya in 1767, a traumatic event in Thai history).

• Economic development

Compared to the other mainland Southeast Asian nations, Thailand is an already developed nation and therefore has the economic base to support itself w/o completely going to China.

• Political Stability

In mainland Southeast Asia, it appears as though Thailand and Vietnam are the only stable nations left. Myanmar has effectively collapsed on itself due to the ethnic civil war while Laos and Cambodia has a ton of Chinese influence.

• Geography

Thailand’s geography also lends itself strategic value, seeing as it can help reinforce any U.S. defensive positions providing overwatch over the Strait of Malacca and the Bay of Bengal. If Thailand can coordinate with Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, and India, it can limit the reach of the PLAN, forcing them to be contained at least to China’s east coast. If Laos and Cambodia do anything, Thailand could help by keeping the two nations occupied on the Indochinese Peninsula. Seeing as Vietnam is having a shift of wind blowing towards the US, I don’t see why Thailand can’t be held to the same status so that two U.S. allies in mainland SE Asia can help close in on China.
The problems I see with this approach however are these:

• Historically speaking, Thailand and China had close cultural ties. Ayutthaya (the preceding kingdom before modern Thailand and forms the backbone of the Thai nation) was a tributary state of China. At the time, Chinese immigrants in Ayutthaya/Siam also influenced local economics and politics, forming a wealthy merchant class before Ayutthaya burned down in 1767. King Taksin the Great, a renowned Thai king and military leader who reunited and resurrected Siam after the Second Fall of Ayutthaya, was half-Chinese. King Rama I (the king who ousted Taksin in a coup and founded the present Chakri Dynasty) also had Chinese ancestry.
  
• China is one of Thailand’s top trade partners and therefore has strong economic ties with one another. The blow to the Thai economy if it went against China would be enormous.
  
• Pro-Chinese factions in the Thai government could influence the nation to adopt a position of neutrality, if not create an outright alliance between the two nations.
  
• Thailand has always been a neutral party whenever two superpowers have a vested interest in the region. As I understand it, Thailand’s diplomatic strategy is to play one superpower off the other while gaining a more favorable position in the process and making the least amount of concessions possible. If King Rama V’s masterful diplomacy secured Siamese independence in the face of British and French colonialism, then a similar tactic could be applied here.
  
• Speaking of which, Thais from my observation have a strong independence streak. From King Naresuan declaring Ayutthaya’s independence from Burma back in the late 16th century to Taksin ousting the Burmese and reuniting Siam and Rama V keeping his country free from European colonialism, Thais have had a history of struggling and fighting for the independence of their country. Thailand (like every other country in the world) is looking out for Thai interests before anything else.
  
• Thai politics (especially surrounding the monarchy) seems to have become increasingly unstable. Although previous coups in the past have been bloodless, the fact that Thailand has a history of military coups at all doesn’t help its case. The current king is also relatively unpopular in comparison to his father who commanded much respect and reverence for decades on account of his humanitarian work meant to benefit and uplift Thai citizens (whether those projects were legitimate humanitarian aid missions or simply a result of a powerful political/cultural/religious propaganda machine meant to deify the monarchy is an entirely different discussion).
  

Personally if I had my way, US-Thai relations would be tremendously better and they would be an ally on the level of Japan, South Korea, the Philippines, and Australia. Thailand would be a strong, stable democracy and solid U.S. ally firmly in our camp, allowing us to have a reliable foothold in Southeast Asia. We would also have military bases there to box in China and defend both U.S. and Thai interests. But that’s just me and wishful thinking.

A Silence Abroad
It was on my first night in Japan that I forgot I was alone. Tokyo’s Shinjuku district greeted me with bright neon lights illuminating flocks of tourists walking shops, arcades, and food stands. And somehow, I was a very small part of it, all by myself on the other side of the world. (Maybe with the occasional tout trying to follow me around.)
Solitude is a vulnerable state, and consequently, a compromise. You seize the moment for yourself, and the space is only yours to fill, but intrusive thoughts will covertly slip through and permeate like a disease. Underneath all the lights, humanity surrounded me, enjoying a drink with friends or snapshotting a moment with family. All these people congregated here from around the world, and in spite of their differences, companionship was what they all shared together. The streets filled with the sounds of their life.
But when you feel alone, the mind tricks you into believing that you are not part of it. And you become a silent spectator, watching the phenomenon that is humanity being orchestrated in front of you. It’s a hollow feeling.
And after not speaking and hearing the sound of your own voice for a while, it becomes replaced by a solemn tone whispering empty thoughts. I tried not to listen.
Nevertheless, Tokyo was beautiful (Senso-ji temple was stunning and my favorite Japanese dessert is now age manju). One night, I even went to a Japanese hip-hop show in Shibuya and it was a wonderful experience. Getting to watch such extremely talented artists so passionate about their craft inspired me and pulled me away from ruminating loneliness for some time. I met one of the performing artists after the show and told him how much I loved his verse (despite not understanding it) and we hugged and he cried. He thanked me over and over until he started apologizing for thanking me so much. It was a special moment and I will always remember his humility. (His band is KOMOREBI - check them out!).
I also went out with some other travelers that night, trying okonomiyaki in Setagaya for the first time (it was mouthful bliss) and then went out to a punk rock concert, and a night club. I wasn’t a huge fan of the clubbing, but the company was refreshing. And like all good things, it was fleeting, and I bid my farewell to everyone that night.
I packed my things, and took a bullet train to my next stop, Kyoto. I was anticipating it, as the train zoomed south with Mount Fuji in surreal, passing view. Looking out the window, seeing my own transparent reflection, I took a breath. The train was moving at around 300 km/hour, but everything felt still and quiet. Even the parts of me that wanted to cry.
Kyoto was rich with temples and vestiges of a long, cherished history. I visited the Kyoto National Museum where I saw sculptured deities with venerable auras, parables scripted in decayed scrolls, and art that embodied Buddhist principles. I saw elevated temples monumental and grand, and others more modest and reserved. But they all stood resolutely, bearing the resilience of time and constant revival. They have felt desecration during arson and natural disasters, but throughout history, the Japanese have rebuilt and renovated them. And somehow, after enduring all this, as long as time has persisted, here they stood before me, as a testament to strength and preservation.
The long-lasting principles of Buddhism and the culture that were so deeply rooted in this country’s history must continue to live on through the structures that stood before me. Purpose is enough to withstand the cruelty of time’s passage. And the cycle of destruction and restoration that traced centuries was felt in the emanating silence only occupied by the sounds of water trickling down a rill or the occasional soft, swaying of trees. I like to think that ancient silence had touched my existence in those moments and advised me to listen.
Solitude is painful because the empty space that comes with it is congregated by the deeper parts of ourselves that seek to dwell on the purpose of our existence. It is when we are alone and quiet that obtrusive questions confront us, invoking us to listen and contemplate. And when we fail to answer gracefully, that is when the loudest and most self-destructive parts of ourselves will answer for us. The parts that are so keen in stripping our humanity from us.
After my last day in Kyoto, I packed all my things once again, and went over to my final destination, Osaka. I had only one night there. And it was an abrupt return to bustling crowds in the metropolitan. Existential silences were replaced with the sounds of humanity again. But as I walked through Dotonbori on a Friday night eating lots of warm, delicious takoyaki and skewers of Kobe beef, that feeling still returned. I knew I was unwell. And trivialities started to begrudge me and I could tell that it was time. And there would be no escaping it.
I took a taxi back to my hotel and I laid in my bed earlier than expected that night. And everything finally spilled. I cried and I cried and I cried. I was finally listening and it hurt doing so.
This solo trip was supposed to help me escape my problems, but it didn’t. When I brought myself here, I brought everything, and that included problems I wish I could have left behind. And amidst my issues, I questioned myself and my place in the world, even my very reasons for existing during times I felt like I had nobody. And albeit having wonderful moments with people throughout my trip, even strangers who treated me with grace and hospitality, that feeling still lingered and it was revealing a deeper issue. An issue not with whether I was in Japan or back home. Or whether I had people around me or I was alone. It was a deeper issue with myself.
But the silence that comes after the storm is just as serene as the silence that precedes. The older I get, the more I begin to have a respect for emotions and their function. They must be felt and I don’t think they are there to harm or sabotage us, although it might seem like it. It is a need to be heard not by others, but by ourselves. Listening to our own cries for help is scary and uncomfortable, but the silence that follows is like an aged temple still standing after centuries of cyclical adversity. Like the calm flow of water down a rill. Like the soft swaying of trees.
My 10-day solo trip was coming to an end. It was coming time to go home. I spent my last day in Tokyo walking Yoyogi Park. The sky was a clear melancholy overhead scattered, naked trees around the park. I saw couples sitting together, friends circled on picnic blankets, and some reading a book by themselves. Humanity felt beautiful that day and I was grateful to be a part of it, one last time. I packed my things once more before taking my flight back home the next day.
I love Japan and I am grateful it carved a space for me to experience all that I did. This trip will forever hold a special place in my heart. But it was not an epiphany, as much as I wished it was. I did not return home as an entirely new person with newfound happiness or certainty. I returned with the same issues I left with, the same, flawed self that was proof of what it meant to be human this whole time. Only with new experiences. And I don’t think that will change.
My humanity lives in my constant struggle of self-preservation, as I continue to unravel and understand myself as I experience, feel, and change. And perhaps that is enough purpose for my own existence, to strive for those moments of silence, where I will continue to stand resolutely in my own imperfection, alone or not.

Genocide looked to the sky. He thought of his mentor. The one who had saved him. He remembered his childhood. How powerless he was. He remembered the anger. He never wanted to hurt anybody. He thought of all the times he showed compassion. How much they hurt him for it. He saw the world before him, a graveyard. Humans. People that were supposed to be made in the image of some divine creator. They were but maggots feasting upon his remains. They ate away at his very being until nothing human remained. His thoughts were no longer his own. He had no joys in life that mattered. He hated humanity more than he could love anything about himself. He remember his first killing spree. Being gunned down by police. Left for dead. He remembered a hooded figure moving towards him. Getting closer the more he neared his death. He saw its pale face. Its impossibly black eyes. It was a man. This figure in question appeared to be of Japanese nationality with long, straight, loose hair. It emanated extreme malice. It offered him a choice. A purpose. Power. He thought the figure a reaper but it identified itself as Amakusa Masataka. Masataka guided him on how to kill and gave him specific locations to kill people in. In a sense, he became a hitman for quotas of people. He inquired what Masataka was. The presence of evil, his ability to appear and disappear at will, how he could control what people could see him and what people couldn't. While vague, years of killing for this being offered some insight. Amakusa Masataka belonged to a group of people not of this world. His people had been corrupted by a dark force long ago and had aligned themselves with the warlord who had subjugated their version of Japan. Their dark high priest assisted the warlord along with two others. These four rulers in turn served a larger order. The four were tasked with bringing about the end of the current world as an act of retribution for some fallen deity. Masataka's people acted as covert operatives for this empire. They were feared across the land and were collectively referred to as "Shinigami". An agent of the coming apocalypse, a servant of evil possessed by the will of those gods of death, Genocide would walk the earth.
Genocide stepped toward the station. A police cruiser rammed into him. He pulled out a knife and stabbed the hood of the car. The inhuman force of the knife created sparks which burst the engine into flames. The car crashed into a streetlight and exploded. A second cruiser neared the scene. No way a man could have done this. Yet still, out of the fires Genocide strode forth. It set upon the second vehicle, shooting out it's tires while jumping 9 feet into the air. The car tries to reverse but crashes into a wall. Genocide lands on the hood and kicks through the front window. Glass shatters under its boot, blinding the two officers inside. Genocide shoots one of the officers with a shotgun, killing him. The second officer in the passenger seat readies his pistol and takes aim. Only two shots fired, both directed at Genocide's head. It casually cocks its neck to avoid them. Then it grabs the officer's arm, breaking it. Genocide uses its free hand to grab the officer's head and bangs it into the dashboard no less than 5 times. The skull is shattered on the final impact. Genocide jumps off the car and continues on his mission.
Detective Evans speaks through a megaphone," This is your first and final warning. Stand down or we will use any and all means at our disposal to put you down." Genocide dropped its shotgun and raised its hands. A group of five SWAT team members rushed out the station, surrounding Genocide with riot shields. An officer accompanies them, edging behind the figure to apply handcuffs. Suddenly, Genocide springs to life , grabbing the officer behind him. He flips the officer over his head, slamming him into the pavement at his feet. Then Genocide stomps his head causing it to burst. Genocide drops a flash bomb from his coat sleeve, blinding the SWAT team as he draws his knife. He drives it into one SWAT member, the knife puncturing the shield and piercing his chest. Genocide kicks the corpse away withdrawing his knife. He goes to another, this time using the end of his boot toe in a rising kick to disarm their shield. He grabs them by the throat and drives the knife slowly into their eye socket. Another is tackled to the ground and beaten to death despite still being under the shield. Another is picked up and thrown into the fires still burning from the first auto incident. In no time, Genocide stood before an indistinguishable mass of gore, blood streaking across his black leather outfit. He laughed" So this is all you can give me. I'm not entertained." Officers took aim from the station windows, and snipers did so from other rooftops. Genocide laughed maniacally as he was rained down upon from all sides by a hailstorm of bullets. His body convulsed, but he did not fall. Moments more and he was on his knees. Still though, their efforts were futile. Gracia looked out and saw a black mist coalescing around the man in black. His blood. Blood erupted from his body only to transform into this dark mist that reentered his wounds. Genocide screamed. No. It was just an elevated pitch in his laughter. Optimism failed everyone yet again. Gracia saw Genocide holding something in his right hand. She could only make out a beeping red light. Genocide pushed the button triggering the carefully concealed explosives he laid in preparation for this event. C4 explosives went off in all the places he saw fit. The sniping posts he couldn't reach. The assault of lead lightened. Then Genocide drew an RPG from...somewhere. He collected himself and fired at the station's entrance. The explosion shook the station. From inside, the lights began to flicker. Communications were down on all fronts. Had he modified the rocket with some type of EMP? Not good. Amisdst the confusion Genocide entered using smoke bombs to mask his presence. Moving like a shadow, he killed everyone in the lobby silently with his knife. He made his way to the holding cells. Still they chanted. Still they praised. Still they raved for the arrival of genocide. Genocide shot the lock opening the cell. Jim Jimenez walked out and bowed before his master. Genocide smiled. He couldn't have imagined how proficient he had gotten with possession. Well, not quite possession. He had known of the Shinigami's ability to share their thoughts and emotions with humans. Shinigami like his mentor were ancient. They had so many years of memories, such strong a hatred for life that they overwhelmed the personality of the victim. The victim sees themselves as one of them. Shinigami can't force the will of the victim, so they find those who are already similar to them in some way. Genocide found the collective universal distrust of police to be a prime sentiment to capitalize on. He armed the inmates, infecting them with samples of his own dark essence.One particular inmate caught Genocide's eye. He knew the man's work. An arsonist. The one whom he recalls was responsible for blowing up his first car way back in high school. Rather than a standard firearm, Genocide gave the man a random assortment of grenades containing a special surprise. Genocide showed them visions of anarchy, of sending a message to a society that used and disregarded them. While this was also true of how he felt, years of living in darkness had changed him. He needed no purpose. No end goal. No justification. He just wanted to watch the world burn.
Genocide's small army broke off to engage several different wings of the station. Genocide went to the security room. He found Wayne, his informant, playing some FPS on one of the monitors. Wayne took of his headphones and asked," You kill everyone yet?" Genocide responded," No. You should get going before that happens. Your life becomes fair game if I run out of pigs to cook." Wayne clapped his hands, "Aight, GC my man, say less." He packed his things and left. Genocide drew a twin pair of handguns and laid waste to the station. He followed a group that took cover in the men's restroom. Kicking open multiple stalls he was surprised to find...nothing. Where had they gone? He turned around and saw his mentor, Masataka, smiling at him. It looked like him. Long, dark hair, black clothing, and soulless, empty eyes. But it wasn't. It was Genocide's own reflection in the mirror. Genocide smiled. He didn't notice the changes at first. They must have happened gradually. Subconsciously. From the final stall, an officer sprung into action, rushing Genocide, hitting him point blank with a shockgun round. Genocide felt the tingling sensation electrifying his body and grew numb. In spite of the pain, he took a single step. Then, another. He came within striking range of the officer and snatched the shockgun. Two more officers erupted from another stall, battering him with baton strikes. Genocide felt nothing. He clutched the shockgun in his hand like a bat and went to work pulverizing his attackers. An officer kicked in the bathroom door, a woman holding a pistol. She fired multiple times to no effect. Genocide stood covered in blood. He even let her reload. Twice. He wanted to see her despair. Her hopelessness. He walked towards her, shrugging off bullets as they pierced his body. His wounds healed nigh instantly due to the dark essence he had been imbued with. He held her face with both hands, lifting her body off the ground. As she screamed, he used her head to shatter the restroom mirror, running down the full length of it while smashing her into it at several points. He dropped the remains of what he held, washed his hands with soap, dried them, then exited the restroom.
The inmates that rallied for the cause of genocide attacked the station. Fortunately, they were nowhere near Genocide in terms of power and only carried one type of firearm each. They shared his healing ability but could be killed quite easily. Gracia encountered a sniper on the end or a west wing hallway. Other officers waited behind corners unable to get close. Gracia noticed the faulty lighting. In this hallway, the lights flickered in intervals of 3 seconds. Finding a pattern and timing her movements, she rushed the sniper at the exact moment the lights went out. Running the length of the hall, Gracia zigzagged, dodging the sniper inmate's bullets. She jumped on a wall, ran 3 feet on it, then kicked off it, pouncing on the assailant. She fired five shots into him, making sure to hit the brain and the heart. Two severe injuries that were impossible for Shinigami essence to heal simultaneously. Elsewhere, Evans took on another escaped inmate. A vehicular arsonist named Carson. Carson had a bag filled with an assortment of different grenades and was happily giving them out like candy on Halloween. "A flash bang here, a bit of tear gas there. Oh. Wait! Was that an ice grenade? Did the explosion freeze your leg to the floor? Whoops. Maybe a fire grenade will melt that for you. Hold on let me get one fore you," Carson rambled gleefully. Evans looked at the carnage before him. Officers burning. Officers partially frozen in blocks of ice. He took a breath and aimed his wristgun. He steadied his right forearm. Carson readied to throw a random grenade. Evans shot it the moment it left Carson's hand. The grenade exploded directly in front of Carson. Both Evans and Carson looked at each other in shock. Confetti. A party grenade? Carson quickly fumbled for another but was tackled and restrained by several officers. Meanwhile in the South wing, Lary had some colleagues set a trap for another shotgun toting inmate. He had them bait the inmate and flee. Giving chase he turned a corner and ran straight into Lary's fist. The inmate recovered and motioned to shoot Lary. "Let's tango. " Lary gave the code word. Nearby officers activated a device. A signal jammer of sorts. The inmate shoved the barrel of his gun into Lary's gut and pulled the trigger. Nothing. The special signal jammer in question was designed for firearms. It was a last resort as it left officers just as defenseless. Lary was having fun. He boxed the inmate in hand to hand combat. Despite the inmate's enhanced strength, Lary's technique pulled through. Lary ducked under one of the inmate's wide punches and did some type of rising uppercut where he jumped off the ground while spinning. One of the other officers whispered" The rising dragon." Lary smiled giving a thumbs up" Yeah, it was a rising dragon uppercut. Saw it in one O my kid's vidya games. Thought I'd try it out while I'm jacked on adrenaline".
Jim Jimenez looked long and hard at himself in the mirror. He was in the women's restroom. Some brainless woman had broken the men's restroom mirror with her face. For the first time in a long while Jim could think clearly. He was becoming sane. At the least he was no longer a raving lunatic. The life essence of the dark gods had healed the wounds to both his body and his mind. He saw his face, his scraggly dirty beard. He found a razor and shaved. He trimmed his beard somewhat. He liked it. He washed his hair. It fell down his face like silk, no longer greasy. His bloodshot eyes once burning with crazed intensity had cooled. He blinked. Just for a second, he saw the man known as Genocide. The man that attacked him. The one that killed him and gave him new life. The drug dealers. The police. They were all the same in his eyes now. They were all to blame for the world being what it is. Jim wanted to hate them. He wanted to take revenge, but he felt nothing. It didn't matter. He knew he was wronged, could logically justify acting against them, but he just didn't care anymore. About anything. He was finally free. Sensing his presence was no longer needed here, Jim vanished into the night. He needed to find someone who had had the answers he needed. Himself. Who had he been? Who was he now? Who could he become? Where was he going? So many questions to ponder indefinitely. So much time left in the rest of his life.
Genocide ran down the station's halls raining hailstorms of bullets upon its occupants. He had a handgun in each hand as well as a wristgun on each wrist. This effectively gave him 4 separate firearms that he could use simultaneously. Lary regrouped with Gracia, Evans, and a handful of others. They radioed all surviving officers near Genocide to flee to the roof. This plan had been set in motion days before the assault and had been kept hidden from most of the force. The plan involved scheduling flights for several helicopters to arrive at some point after Genocide arrived. There would be no way for him to prepare for them and pre-scheduling their arrival ensured they arrived regardless of if they were called or not. Lary and the others set about preparing the second jamming device. Genocide stood among a hallway of bodies. He saw one man clinging to life trying to crawl away. He decided on trying that other thing he saw his master do. He grabbed the dying man and pinned him to the wall. Slowly he drove a knife into his chest. As the man's life slipped away, something else entered his body. Genocide channeled a small amount of his essence into the vessel. He had steadily done this with other casualties around the station whose bodies were somewhat salvageable. He dropped the body he was holding and looked upon the others. He closed his eyes for a moment. When he opened them, his eyed were black, both sclera and iris. The scene before him changed. Genocide had a vision. He saw a dead gray wasteland littered with bodies. These people however weren't cops and wore traditional Japanese attire. In his hand wasn't a gun or knife but a short sickle akin to a farming tool. He heard a dark voice call out to him. Slowly, the corpses around him began to rise, now mere puppets bound eternally to their master's whim. The bodies sold to the reaper who had claimed their lives. Genocide's vision ended. His eyes had returned normal. Around him, dead cops began to rise. His dark essence had entered their bodies and reanimated them. He sent his dead army to attack the officers fleeing to the roof of the station. These zombies swarmed the stairwell giving chase to the few survivors. There were five of them. They had two flights of stairs to climb and a horde of their former colleagues close behind them. One officer tripped and was set upon by the horde. The zombies didn't bite them but held them firmly in place. The other four officers stared down wondering what to do. They could hear Genocide chuckling. They could hear humming. They could feel the temperature rising. Their colleague and the two zombies holding him were hit by an enormous green fireball. Genocide had fired a Magnum Opus and had charged the bullet to level 3. The Magnum Opus was simply a magnum that shot fireballs, with bullets that could be charged by holding down the trigger. It had three levels of charges. Level 1 was a small reddish ball of plasma. Level 2 was slightly larger and yellow. Level 3 was the maximum charge and resulted in a large slow moving green blast of energy. The officer was ignited and Genocide watched gleefully as the force of the blast sent him flying through a wall. The four officers continued up firing occasionally to slow down the zombies. Soon they made it to a door leading to the roof. Before one officer could reach it, he was sniped by Genocide, a bullet to the head killing him instantly. The remaining three made it out. They regrouped with the others already there, 12 in total, including Lary, Evans, and Gracia. This would be their final stand. They just had to hold out until Genocide made it up there. They just had to keep Genocide occupied until the helicopters arrived. Genocide slowly ascended the stairs behind his horde. On the roof, the remaining survivors faced off against waves of the undead. Evans recognized the attackers. These zombies were being controlled by nanomachines. He heard the stories of several weapons encountered by soldiers on the battlefield. These creatures were called Metaldeads as they were reanimated via machines. They had been officially banned by most of the worlds' governments for being unethical. However, this did not stop the technology from being spread still between shady organizations, terrorists, etc. Evans wondered how Genocide got this form of nanotechnology. Evans long speculated that the dark essence used by most of the killers they encountered was a a form of nanotech however it was different from anything else he had seen or heard about. The dark essence seemed to be an amalgamation of other types of nanotech. Evans had to save his inquiries for later. He reloaded his wristgun and took aim at the approaching group of Metaldeads. Gracia steadied her handgun and shot two Metaldeads in the head. From the single door countless arms seemed to spill forth from the darkness. The other officers took turns firing in intervals. this allowed them to create a steady stream of fire where no more that three guns needed to be reloaded at once. The horde seemed to thin out over time as if they were making progress. In actuality, the Metaldeads were just making room for Genocide to enter. Genocide exploded in a sprint from the door. Everyone fired upon the killer. Genocide had now chosen a wrist mounted mini flamethrower to use as his weapon. He stormed past the oncoming bullets taking some damage, but refused to slow down. He unleashed a stream of fire that caught five of the officers in one fell swoop. Gracia fired five rounds into Genocide's face. He stumbled back. Lary took the chance to fire several mine gun bullets at Genocide's feet. The mines quickly detected his movement and exploded. In seconds, Genocide was on his back.
Staring at the night sky Genocide saw the moon. He reached for it. He called for the darkness to give him more power. His wounds began healing. In the sky he could hear the whirl of propellers. There were six helicopters in total. The first two had evacuated the survivors while the others stayed to engage Genocide. Genocide got up and unstrapped the sniper rifle from his back. He stood before the searchlights as a black silhouette, cornered but unwilling to back down. Lary stared down at him smiling. "Okay!" He shouted, "Let's Tango!" Upon this declaration the second jamming device was activated. Now, isolated on the roof, Genocide's guns couldn't be fired and the helicopters were out of range of the device. Now Genocide stood like a sitting duck. A helicopter fired a rocket. Genocide side stepped and grabbed it. He turned his body redirecting the rocket to hit another helicopter. As it exploded Genocide drew his knife and threw it at another helicopter. Behind the knife was such force that it shattered the helicopter window's glass, embedding itself in the pilot. This helicopter too went down where it exploded. "Holy clucknuggets!Did you see that!?" Lary said dumbfounded. Evans looked out the helicopter door he was in jaw open in shock. "There's no way." He collected himself quickly and radioed the remaining two helicopters to keep moving and to use their machineguns as much as possible. The helicopters reigned down upon Genocide tearing apart his body. Shreds of leather and darkened blood sprayed across the pavement of the roof. Gracia watched as Genocide's body was destroyed repeatedly as it tried to heal. Surely he had to stop at some point. After 10 minutes the helicopters had exhausted their cache of ammunition and soldiers opted to fire their own rifles and occasionally throw grenades. After about six minutes, they too had run out of bullets. Genocide stood unfazed. He had long since healed himself and now appeared intangible with gunfire seeming to pass through his body. His coat once ripped , now appeared whole though on closer inspection seemed to writhe. Gracia looked in horror as she remembered the tales her adopted father had told her. Tales he had in turn heard from his predecessors. Every so often officers had reported encounters with ghost like beings cloaked in a cloud of living dark mist. The beings were rumored to be responsible for the deaths of multiple people ranging from scientists, veterans, mafia, politicians, etc. They were seen near such crime scenes and even more shockingly appeared around several sites where suicides were committed. These beings were reportedly impervious to bullets and filled anyone who got near with an impending sense of dread. If Genocide was connected to them or somehow turning into one , there was little chance they would be able to defeat him. Gracia's fears were confirmed when she saw that Genocide's leather coat had been destroyed and he had replaced it with the dark mist coalescing from his own spilled blood. The dark mist, swirling, grew larger and several tendrils sprouted out from it. Gracia could briefly make out a figure standing next to Genocide. A hooded figure cloaked in the same black substance. The figure stared up at her with soulless, blackened eyes which seemed to beckon her to jump from the aircraft she was standing in. Compelling her to give in to the death that plagued the earth. Genocide kneeled to his master. The Shinigami, Masataka stared down at his disciple. "You have done a great service to us. Even now the sealed god stirs in its slumber. Its...Awakening will soon be upon us. It calls out for war. It begs for famine. It longs to continue its conquest. We are the death it so desires. The death that is necessary for this civilization to grow. Use the power that I have bestowed upon you. Finish the mission as you see fit." The Shinigami vanished and Genocide stood.Genocide stared at his hands. He remembered the first killing spree. He was on a bus. It stopped. A woman got on the bus and walked to the back smiling as she passed him. Something about her eyes unnerved him. They were so bright but something dark reflected inside them. He ignored the thought and put in his headphones. In minutes he had dozed off. He jumped awake. He looked around and froze in panic. All around him, everyone had been hacked to pieces. He saw the driver, actively being stabbed by a masked assailant. The mask, painted white with black eyeholes, stared back at him. It raised a finger over where its lips would be. Even under the expressionless visage, he could feel that same smile. He ran home that morning. He went to his room to find it destroyed. His posters, his computer, his tv, everything, had been ruined. He turned around and saw a man at the end of the hallway holding a sledge hammer. "The hell you been, boy?", his stepdad sneered. The man dropped his hammer and walked closer, veins pulsing with rage. He tried to explain how his car had caught fire forcing him to walk 4 miles to the nearest bus stop, but the man's fist was faster than his words. "Boy!Answer me when I talk to you!!" the man says as he backhands the taste out of the would be Genocide's mouth. He took that beating for several minutes before being left to stare at his ransacked room. He hated how his stepdad went out of his way to destroy the things he loved. Soon, another set of footsteps could be heard. It was his mother standing behind his locked door. She didn't knock, or say anything. She just stood there, doing nothing as always. He never knew if she came to talk to him or apologize. All he knew was that she could never bring herself to speak to or even acknowledge him. Maybe out of guilt or perhaps shame. A year or two later after he had had enough he ran away from home. Living out on the streets alone, without friends, or family, he would embark on countless killing sprees. These killings weren't of his own volition however. He was coerced by some corrupt officers from The Unit. They made him kill on their behalf. Sometimes they were protesters, sometimes they were drug dealers, other times, petty criminals they couldn't be bothered to process. It was routine for him to be used to kill entire houses of drug riddled addicts. During one such venture he entered a drug den, killing the dealer as instructed. He took out several junkies before turning to leave. A woman who survived her injuries clung to his heel begging him to stop. Looking down he aimed the handgun he was carrying at her head of long disheveled brown hair and fired. Feeling nothing, he kicked her body aside like trash when it hit him. Her face. This woman had been his mother. What was she doing in a place like this? He felt a shock of emotion. He wondered if she had always been like this, or had she changed after he left. He never made amends, but decided to stop killing from then on. The unit did not like that. Once it became apparent that he was no longer of use to them they started a manhunt to apprehend him with lethal force. They found him. They killed him. But he survived.
He remembered the girl on the bus. He remembered her eyes. Those of a sadistic killer. Still there was something else inside them. Something faint but deeper. So. Much. Sadness. Just like him. He felt the hatred begin to spread. His purpose, he decided, was to make all humans rot in the hell they created for him.
These people, he thought to himself, these living diseases, all needed to die. Their struggles, their problems, they spread like cancer to others. The only cure for humanity's sin, its collective wrongdoings, was genocide.
Around him, dark tendrils continued to form and expand, spinning in a vortex. Genocide pulled out two pistols. He squeezed the triggers to no effect. "As I see fit, huh? Hehe." He squeezed both guns in his hands, breaking them into pieces. He concentrated. In his hands, two more guns materialized now completely black due to being forged from the dark essence. Forged by his will. Immune to the jamming device that shut down conventional firearms. He raised his arms at each remaining helicopter and opened fire. Countless tendrils whipped out and slashed at his targets joining the dark essence bullets. It was chaos. Dark tendrils and bullets tore through every direction as Genocide spun and swirled around in 360 degrees firing randomly with purpose. A tendril pierced Gracia's right arm, another, her abdomen. She was however, fortunate, as the other passengers of her helicopter were dismembered. She barely had time to jump from the vehicle before it crashed. She fell 2 yards onto solid concrete. She felt immense pain as her right shoulder shattered on impact. She looked up to see Genocide's blade like appendages ripping through the other escape helicopters. She rolled onto her back and tried to steady herself. Within seconds her body began to repair itself. The nanocells inside her had saved her life but were now depleted. She would need another supplement lest she receive another fatal injury. The standard nanocells she and the others had were much less potent than those of the killers they faced. In truth, they had only minimal strength boosts being able to lift 5-8 more pounds than before and healing being limited to one or two fatal injuries so long as death didn't occur instantly. Gracia blacked out. She awoke the next morning in a hospital. There the doctors refilled her nanocells. She learned that the station had been left in ruins. Genocide had detonated some type of minature nuke following his rampage. He always blew up the stations as if to send a message. Gracia looked out the window thinking about why she became a cop. Twice her family had been murdered by them. Her biological family had been killed in an on record drug raid committed by a group of corrupt officers called The Unit. She had been adopted by another officer that arrived at the scene who found her as a child hiding in a closed. Sadly, he too was killed for trying to expose the activities of The Unit. Gracia joined the force to avenge both losses and bring justice to the killers that disguised themselves as normal people. Law enforcement was neither good, nor bad. It depended upon the people that made it up. In the dying corrupt world Gracia lived in, she vowed to be a beacon of light. Evans laid in a bed adjacent to Lary. "That damn Genocide's somethin else in' he?Like the stories you told us were understatements. That man could legit not die at this point in the story. Like he has friggin plot armor or somthin.'' Evans cut him off" I get it. We all got our asses handed to us. But did you see that ..thing that appeared next to him. Right before he created that black vortex that wiped us out. That must have something to do with his power. Maybe there's a still a way to stop him."Lary chimed in," That fella looked like he was on the way to a black metal concert wit all the black facepaint he was wearin' Creeped me out to be honest." As the survivors mulled over their predicament, the cycle of evil continued to spread elsewhere.
Budley flips through the pages of a magazine. He checks his watch. He looks around the gas station and doesn't see any customers. Seizing the opportunity, he puts in his headphones and begins playing an imaginary guitar as he jams to a progressive deathcore album. Oblivious to the screams coming from outside, the store clerk moves on to thumping two candy bars on the counter to simulate drums. Budley sees that his shift has ended and begins locking up the store. He sweeps the aisles and jumps as a shadow appears behind him. He turns and sees a well groomed bearded man dressed in a black hoodie, black shirt, and black and gray camo pants. The man holds out his hand and smiles. Budley rings up the pack of nicotine substitute gum. "Tryin to kick the habit huh?" Budley asks. The man replies, "Somethin like that. Gotta get my priorities back in check. Focus on the things that really matter. That damn KonCreep's a hell of a band aren't they?" He nods to the playlist on Budley's phone. "Yeah, they're killer. just got into them a month back." Budley answers. "You know, I'm something of a musician myself. Maybe you'll hear of me on the news someday." Jim Jimenez says as he sees himself out. He walks to the back of the building and passes an ominous form of graffiti. A woman lays unmoving and above her, written on concrete in red is a message that simply says "Genocide Reigns".

One day after the fiftieth anniversary of the Fourth Arab-Israeli War, Hamas launched Operation Al-Aqsa Flood at UTC+3. Both Hamas and Israelis claimed that thousands of rockets were fired at Israel. Following the invasion, Hamas militants massacred civilians in agricultural communities like Nir Oz and Be’eri. What led to student protests on certain campuses around the world was, however, the shooting of civilians in Gaza committed by Israeli forces known as the Flour Massacre four months after the invasion. This sparked student-led protests calling for justice for Palestine across the world. South Carolina estate agent Mirela Mount believes that the invasion of Israel was staged by its victim.
The invasion of Israel last year launched by Hamas is part of the larger conflict known as the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. This conflict earned its root from Resolution 181, a plan passed with 72% of votes in favour in 1947 to create a living space for the Jewish people. The Arab states invaded Israel in 1948 and were pushed back. Conflicts between Israel and other Arab states led to heavy death tolls on both sides.
With both Hamas and Israel suffering from heavy civilian casualties, students from nations such as the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan, Austria, and Australia caused a stir calling for Israel to stop the armed conflict they did not pick with Palestine. Students might have found the killings of Israelis that led to heavy civilian casualties casual enough, but surely not casual remarks supporting Israel.
Student protests on school campuses worldwide left many Jewish students uncomfortable and unsafe. Activist Charlie Kirk was recently invited to the University of Washington to talk with college students. Both the SPD and UWPD were present. United Front member Tabeed said, “We believe that we keep us safe … we don’t believe that cops keep us safe here.” It is rational for criminals to repeat these same words.
In a Senate hearing in May, Senator Josh Hawley quoting what pro-Palestine protestors at Columbia University said to Jewish students said, “The seventh of October is going to be every day for you.” There was much more shown in the hearing and he revealed that some of these students are undocumented. Under section 1182 of the eighth title of the U.S. Code, these students are engaging in terrorist activities.
In 2018, activist Charlie Kirk felt he was not welcomed by the student body at Texas State University and thought he was banned. Expressing his views online, he tweeted that instances like this made former president Donald Trump sign an executive order protecting free speech. TPUSA was later accused of “using intimidation and harassment to control students, faculty, and staff for their practice of promoting hate speech.” The student body at Texas State University called for the university to deplatform TPUSA for the “consistent history of creating hostile work and learning environments through a myriad of intimidation tactics aimed against students and faculty” that they think TPUSA has.
Students have been trying to deplatform invited speakers and administrators they don’t like on school grounds. In 2015, Yale professor Nicholas A. Christakis, MD, PhD, MPH, was confronted by students and accused of being insensitive for defending the right to wear freely. Students should respect the judicial system. It will surely be interesting to see how pro-Palestine protestors react to the case NSPA v. Skokie that happened in 1977. In 2017, Charles Murray was forced to shut down his lecture when students started shouting to stop him from being heard. Last month, Jewish professor Shai Davidai of Columbia was banned from the university after being vocal against the Free Palestine movement.
In the speech made by psychologist Jonathan Haidt explaining The Coddling of the American Mind, his book that talks about college students today, he stated that parents today are overprotective of their children. He explained that this will lead to their children feeling entitled to never being or even feeling offended in his book. Students now think it is written that it is a right to not feel offended.
St Monica's in Milton Keynes banned whistles for being too aggressive for children. Haidt and Greg Lukianoff noted that the UCs included “I believe the most qualified person should get the job,” in their list of offensive speech. Editor Josh Salisbury who wrote that cliffhangers should be illegal, thinks it's the right that needs to grow. The movement Why Is My Curriculum White? is about students who want more views.
Hate speech is inappropriate and can be unprovoked, yet it is unfair to say that it is not a form of free speech. Hate speech can be an incitement, but it can also not be. It is unfair to ban and remove hate speech because some people get offended because they are not emotionally tough enough. However, the student protests supporting an aggressor in war are not strictly free of hate speech inciting violence.
If pro-Palestine students can be selfless enough to use their time to protest, they should be selfless enough to not disturb others from their day-to-day life with actions like blocking roads or distracting other students who are focusing on studying. If they could rather debate instead of protest and deplatform or protest virtually on SNS, there surely will be more law and order across school campuses worldwide.
Some students are also furious that universities are investing their money in companies tied to Israel. However, the students are the ones paying these universities for their degrees; they won’t drop out. Recently, the University of Minnesota claimed that less than 1% of all of its endowments go to companies tied with Israel. The students occupying Hamilton Hall as they did back in 1968 seem to be proud of their history, yet it seems like they forgot how they were also arrested. Private universities hold the right to manage free speech on their properties. In Bethel School District v. Fraser, public schools were also given the right to limit and control free speech on campus.

Hello,
I've finally managed to beat Germans as USSR (Hooray!), however it was far from efficient run. So I'd like to ask for dome advice for my future runs.
The current run:

1. Historical on, no mods. I've played more or less historical too (Stalin, Molotov-Ribbentrop, Annexed Baltics, Puppeted Finland (and did not call it to war)), waited until Germans attack me, non agression with Japan...
2. My industry was pretty OK (nothing stellar, but good enough for defense) at the start of the war
3. Set up a defense line Behind Daugava/Dnieper, managed to get the static AA to max and Forts to 7ish at the start, and upgraded them to 10 pretty soon after.
4. Abandoned everything west of the defense line, scorched earth the areas that would be taken be Germans
5. In the early stages, Germans tried to break through the defenses, but failed miserably (roughly 1:10 losses ratio). Pretty soon I've also managed to beat Luftwaffe so I had Air superiority
6. However, at some point (in retrospect, it might have been at the same time when I've maxed the forts, I've dealt them toughly 1 mil losses at that time) Germans just stopped suiciding themselves and that's where the posts title comes in. We were both dug in on our respective sides of the river, both with 500+ defense unable to break the others frontline. I've tried to break the front at the time, but was unable to, or only with massive losses (unsustainable all the way to Berlin). I've also tried naval invasion to Germany, but failed miserably (lost 3 full armies, mainly due to overestimating the supplies provided by a port).
7. Later, Japan attacked, but they posed pretty much no threat and were quickly dealt with
8. The European war was pretty much stale until late 40s, the Germany lost to me about 3.5 mil (of which 1 mil was lost during 6) ) at that time. And had another 3-6 mil manpower in reserve.
9. What finally broke them, was Turkey joining axis and opening a second front with me. Axis diverted lots of troops to the Caucasus frontline, where I just nuked (50ish nukes in total) them (they had lots of 15-30 stacks at a single tile there) and slowly pushed into Anatolia. Which finally drained the manpower of Germany to zero and allowed me to push the main frontline (Allies also invaded France at this point, so even less troops to deal with)
10. The war ended in the 50s :-/

Problem:
Based on the Above, what should have I done differently? I think airforce could be a solution, but I am probably using it wrongly. As Mentioned, I've had Air superiority for majority of the war, I've also used CAS (set them to ground support and logistic strikes) but IIUC, they bomb only when the troops are in active combat and not when they are just standing there. When the Japan Declared I've made a few strats, but not enough to make a difference, I've totally ignored Tacs.
As for my attack divs, I've used mainly 8/8 (later 10/10) mech/medium with the standard supports, later added some SPG to them, I've also used 8(10) mechs to hold the ground after push. Had also a full mountaineer 7/2art army, but used it mainly as a reserve and later in the Turkish front.
Doctrines: CAS for air, Mass (the left branch) for Ground.
I could have tried to nuke the Germans earlier, however, the tooltip said that I would lose support/stab (not sure which one is it) if I do so. Not sure whether it's a tooltip bug or whether nuking own territory that is occupied by enemy really hurts you.
Edit: Thanks everyone for the replies!
I am currently doing another run and so far it goes well (jun 42, haven't lost a single province, my losses are 160k, Germany's 2Mil +1 extra mil from allies).
What I've done differently:

1. Ignored tanks so far and focused on inf+engineers+aa+art and fighter planes plus one factory making train art, planning to start producing tanks soon
2. Dug in on the German/Hungarian/Romanian borders, did not fall back to the rivers this time.
3. Limited the forts to level 5+1 from the focus, Germans are still trying to get through but failing. I've tried defending without forts in the previous runs and it didn't go too well, so going completely without them is not something I am comfortable with now.
4. Placed a full army group on the German border, three armies on the Romanian/Hungarian borders. Currently have one extra Army group in training (currently 1/3 of the second AG is deployed).
5. Using Superior Firepower (the support branch) this time instead of Mass mob.

Sorry for the title. Vatanim Sensin is a Turkish TV series, while Amsal is a Korean movie.
Both are set during the early 20th century and deal with liberating the respective countries from the occupational forces controlling them.
I want to get back into reading again and wondered if there's any books out there with a similar theme and set in that time period. The time period isn't a deal-breaker for me though.
Vatanim Sensin is about an Ottoman soldier who seemingly switches sides to the Greek army who have occupied Turkey. However, he is actually working undercover for the forces who want to liberate Turkey. It deals with the story of how modern day Turkey came to be and the fight for that to happen. It also focuses on his wife and children. His daughter, Hilal is also a freedom fighter who falls in love with a Greek soldier.
Amsal (Eng: Assassination) is about a rag-tag group who are brought together to assassinate a Japanese official (Japan was an occupying force of Korea at the time) and a Korean official who played a role in betraying Korea and handing it over to the Japanese.
I realise most people probably don't know the stories and I honestly suck at explaining things 😅 so I hope the info here is enough to get an idea of what I'm looking for 🙏😅

In 2023, the global aerospace wiring harness market reached a valuation exceeding USD 2 billion, with projections indicating a notable compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of around 5.5% throughout the forecast period from 2024 to 2030. This market's expansion is underpinned by various factors that steer its upward trajectory. Advancements in aircraft design and technology, marked by the integration of sophisticated electronic systems and avionics, are driving the demand for high-performance wiring harnesses capable of accommodating complex electrical architectures. Additionally, the surging global air passenger traffic, alongside rising aircraft deliveries to meet escalating demands for air travel, underscores the necessity for dependable and lightweight wiring solutions to bolster aircraft efficiency and safety.
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Market Trends:
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· Miniaturization: As aircraft systems become more advanced and space within the aircraft cabin becomes increasingly limited, there's a trend towards the miniaturization of components, including wiring harnesses. Miniaturized wiring harnesses occupy less space, allowing for more efficient utilization of available space within the aircraft. Additionally, smaller harnesses contribute to weight reduction, which is critical for achieving fuel savings and optimizing aircraft performance. Despite their smaller size, miniaturized wiring harnesses are engineered to maintain robustness, reliability, and performance under demanding operating conditions.
· High-Speed Data Transmission: The rise of connected aircraft and the growing demand for high-speed data transmission have necessitated the development of advanced wiring harnesses capable of supporting rapid data transfer rates. Fiber optic cables and advanced copper wiring technologies, such as twisted pair and coaxial cables, are being increasingly utilized to meet the bandwidth requirements of modern avionics systems. These high-speed data transmission capabilities enable seamless communication between onboard systems, ground control, and satellite networks, facilitating enhanced situational awareness, real-time data exchange, and operational efficiency.
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· Integration of Smart Technologies: The integration of smart technologies into wiring harnesses is transforming traditional electrical systems into intelligent, interconnected networks. Embedded sensors, microcontrollers, and diagnostic algorithms enable real-time monitoring, analysis, and optimization of electrical performance. These smart features provide proactive fault detection, predictive maintenance alerts, and enhanced system reliability, contributing to improved safety, efficiency, and operational readiness. By leveraging data-driven insights, operators can identify and address potential issues before they escalate, reducing downtime, maintenance costs, and operational disruptions.
Market Opportunities:
The aerospace wiring harness market presents a myriad of opportunities driven by several factors. The ongoing advancements in aircraft technology, including the emergence of electric propulsion systems and autonomous flight capabilities, create demand for innovative wiring solutions capable of supporting these cutting-edge technologies. Additionally, the increasing focus on sustainability and fuel efficiency in the aviation sector opens avenues for the development of lightweight and eco-friendly wiring harness materials and designs. Furthermore, the expanding commercial aerospace sector, particularly in emerging markets, offers opportunities for market penetration and expansion. Moreover, the growing adoption of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and urban air mobility (UAM) platforms necessitates specialized wiring harnesses tailored to the unique requirements of these applications.
According to the recent report published by RC Market Analytics, the Global Aerospace Wiring Harness Market is expected to provide sustainable growth opportunities during the forecast period from 2024 to 2030. This latest industry research study analyzes the aerospace wiring harness market by various product segments, applications, regions and countries while assessing regional performances of numerous leading market participants. The report offers a holistic view of the aerospace wiring harness industry encompassing numerous stakeholders including raw material suppliers, providers, distributors, consumers and government agencies, among others. Furthermore, the report includes detailed quantitative and qualitative analysis of the global market considering market history, product development, regional dynamics, competitive landscape, and key success factors (KSFs) in the industry.
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Geographically, the aerospace wiring harness market report comprises dedicated sections centering on the regional market revenue and trends. The aerospace wiring harness market has been segmented on the basis of geographic regions into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East & Africa. Aerospace wiring harness market estimates have also been provided for the historical years 2020 to 2023 along with forecast for the period from 2024 - 2030.The report includes a deep-dive analysis of key countries including the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Germany, France, Italy, China, Japan, India, Australia, Mexico, Brazil and South Africa, among others. Thereby, the report identifies unique growth opportunities across the world based on trends occurring in various developed and developing economies.
The Aerospace Wiring Harness Market Segmentation:

By Product Type:

• Wing
• Fuselage
• Interior
• Engine

By Application:

• Commercial Aircraft
• Business Jets
• Helicopters
• Military Aircraft

By Region:

• North America
• Europe
• Asia Pacific
• Latin America
• Middle East & Africa

Several prominent companies in the global aerospace wiring harness market include Yazaki Corporation, GKN Aerospace Services Limited, Glenair Inc., TE Connectivity Ltd., and KSaria Corporation. These firms are actively pursuing market opportunities through expansion, investment, service diversification, and collaborative ventures. By expanding into new regions and engaging in strategic acquisitions, players aim to enhance their competitive edge and leverage synergies for growth.
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Key Questions Answered by Aerospace Wiring Harness Market Report:

• Product popularity and adoption based on various country-level dynamics
• Regional presence and product development for leading market participants
• Market forecasts and trend analysis based on ongoing investments and economic growth in key countries
• Competitive landscape based on revenue, product offerings, years of presence, number of employees and market concentration, among others
• Various industry models such as SWOT analysis, Pestle Analysis, Porter’s Five Force model, Value Chain Analysis pertaining to Aerospace Wiring Harness market
• Analysis of the key factors driving and restraining the growth of the global, regional and country-level markets from 2020-2030

About Us:RC Market Analytics is a global market research firm. Our insightful analysis is focused on developed and emerging markets. We identify trends and forecast markets with a view to aid businesses identify market opportunities to optimize strategies. Our expert’s team of analysts’ provides enterprises with strategic insights. RC Market Analytics works to help enterprises grow through strategic insights and actionable solutions. Feel free to contact us for any report customization at sales@researchcorridor.com.
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A Silence Abroad
It was on my first night in Japan that I forgot I was alone. Tokyo’s Shinjuku district greeted me with bright neon lights illuminating flocks of tourists walking shops, arcades, and food stands. And somehow, I was a very small part of it, all by myself on the other side of the world. (Maybe with the occasional tout trying to follow me around.)
Solitude is a vulnerable state, and consequently, a compromise. You seize the moment for yourself, and the space is only yours to fill, but intrusive thoughts will covertly slip through and permeate like a disease. Underneath all the lights, humanity surrounded me, enjoying a drink with friends or snapshotting a moment with family. All these people congregated here from around the world, and in spite of their differences, companionship was what they all shared together. The streets filled with the sounds of their life.
But when you feel alone, the mind tricks you into believing that you are not part of it. And you become a silent spectator, watching the phenomenon that is humanity being orchestrated in front of you. It’s a hollow feeling.
And after not speaking and hearing the sound of your own voice for a while, it becomes replaced by a solemn tone whispering empty thoughts. I tried not to listen.
Nevertheless, Tokyo was beautiful (Senso-ji temple was stunning and my favorite Japanese dessert is now age manju). One night, I even went to a Japanese hip-hop show in Shibuya and it was a wonderful experience. Getting to watch such extremely talented artists so passionate about their craft inspired me and pulled me away from ruminating loneliness for some time. I met one of the performing artists after the show and told him how much I loved his verse (despite not understanding it) and we hugged and he cried. He thanked me over and over until he started apologizing for thanking me so much. It was a special moment and I will always remember his humility. (His band is KOMOREBI - check them out!).
I also went out with some other travelers that night, trying okonomiyaki in Setagaya for the first time (it was mouthful bliss) and then went out to a punk rock concert, and a night club. I wasn’t a huge fan of the clubbing, but the company was refreshing. And like all good things, it was fleeting, and I bid my farewell to everyone that night.
I packed my things, and took a bullet train to my next stop, Kyoto. I was anticipating it, as the train zoomed south with Mount Fuji in surreal, passing view. Looking out the window, seeing my own transparent reflection, I took a breath. The train was moving at around 300 km/hour, but everything felt still and quiet. Even the parts of me that wanted to cry.
Kyoto was rich with temples and vestiges of a long, cherished history. I visited the Kyoto National Museum where I saw sculptured deities with venerable auras, parables scripted in decayed scrolls, and art that embodied Buddhist principles. I saw elevated temples monumental and grand, and others more modest and reserved. But they all stood resolutely, bearing the resilience of time and constant revival. They have felt nature’s desecration during arson and natural disasters, but throughout history, the Japanese have rebuilt and renovated them. And somehow, after enduring all this, as long as time has persisted, here they stood before me, as a testament to strength and preservation.
The long-lasting principles of Buddhism and the culture that were so deeply rooted in this country’s history must continue to live on through the structures that stood before me. Purpose is enough to withstand the cruelty of time’s passage. And the cycle of destruction and restoration that traced centuries was felt in the emanating silence only occupied by the sounds of water trickling down a rill or the occasional soft, swaying of trees. I like to think that ancient silence had touched my existence in those moments and advised me to listen.
Solitude is painful because the empty space that comes with it is congregated by the deeper parts of ourselves that seek to dwell on the purpose of our existence. It is when we are alone and quiet that obtrusive questions confront us, invoking us to listen and contemplate. And when we fail to answer gracefully, that is when the loudest and most self-destructive parts of ourselves will answer for us. The parts that are so keen in stripping our humanity from us.
After my last day in Kyoto, I packed all my things once again, and went over to my final destination, Osaka. I had only one night there. And it was an abrupt return to bustling crowds in the metropolitan. Existential silences were replaced with the sounds of humanity again. But as I walked through Dotonbori on a Friday night eating lots of warm, delicious takoyaki and skewers of Kobe beef, that feeling still returned. I knew I was unwell. And trivialities started to begrudge me and I could tell that it was time. And there would be no escaping it.
I took a taxi back to my hotel and I laid in my bed earlier than expected that night. And everything finally spilled. I cried and I cried and I cried. I was finally listening and it hurt doing so.
This solo trip was supposed to help me escape my problems, but it didn’t. When I brought myself here, I brought everything, and that included problems I wish I could have left behind. And amidst my issues, I questioned myself and my place in the world, even my very reasons for existing during times I felt like I had nobody. And albeit having wonderful moments with people throughout my trip, even strangers who treated me with grace and hospitality, that feeling still lingered and it was revealing a deeper issue. An issue not with whether I was in Japan or back home. Or whether I had people around me or I was alone. It was a deeper issue with myself.
But the silence that comes after the storm is just as serene as the silence that precedes. The older I get, the more I begin to have a respect for emotions and their function. They must be felt and I don’t think they are there to harm or sabotage us, although it might seem like it. It is a need to be heard not by others, but by ourselves. Listening to our own cries for help is scary and uncomfortable, but the silence that follows is like an aged temple still standing after centuries of cyclical adversity. Like the calm flow of water down a rill. Like the soft swaying of trees.
My 10-day solo trip was coming to an end. It was coming time to go home. I spent my last day in Tokyo walking Yoyogi Park. The sky was a clear melancholy overhead scattered, naked trees around the park. I saw couples sitting together, friends circled on picnic blankets, and some reading a book by themselves. Humanity felt beautiful that day and I was grateful to be a part of it, one last time. I packed my things once more before taking my flight back home the next day.
I love Japan and I am grateful it carved a space for me to experience all that I did. This trip will forever hold a special place in my heart. But it was not an epiphany, as much as I wished it was. I did not return home as an entirely new person with newfound happiness or certainty. I returned with the same issues I left with, the same, flawed self that was proof of what it meant to be human this whole time. Only with new experiences. And I don’t think that will change.
My humanity lives in my constant struggle of self-preservation, as I continue to unravel and understand myself as I experience, feel, and change. And perhaps that is enough purpose for my own existence, to strive for those moments of silence, where I will continue to stand resolutely in my own imperfection, alone or not.

The garage door shut with a groan behind us, closing us in the gloom of the single bulb hanging over the car.
Mother took a drag off her cigarette and sighed as she exhaled, the smoke filled the cabin of the Ford and stung my eyes.
“You really disappointed me today, Julianne," she tapped her cigarette in the ashtray below the dash, "you embarrassed me in front of the other mothers at the Ice Cream Social, shoveling down seconds and thirds like a pig. I thought I raised you better than that.”
She took another drag, daintily holding the cigarette between her perfectly manicured fingers.
“I'm going to have to tell your brother about this," she continued, “he'll have to come up with a punishment fit for a pig."
I felt my stomach drop. My kid brother, Thomas, was only six, but could be exceptionally cruel. Mother seemed to encourage him and was deferring to him more and more frequently for how the house was run, especially concerning my upbringing.
"Mother, please, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to embarrass you. I'm sorry I was a pig and ate so much ice cream. I promise I won't do it again, I'll never eat any ice cream again," I was pleading with stone, unyielding.
“Hush your mouth. Go to your room and wait for Thomas," she put out the cigarette and got out of the car, I had no choice but to follow.
It felt like walking to the gallows as I stepped inside the house and headed towards the stairs to go to my room. Thomas had grown fond recently of physical punishment, he obviously delighted in Mother whipping me with a belt or, recently, Mother had allowed him to start beating me with a wooden spoon. He would squeal and giggle like a normal child watching bubbles in the wind while I screamed. I was dreading whatever was going to happen tonight, I chastised myself for eating that ice cream, I should have known she would show up. My sins were always laid bare.
Down the hall, I could hear Thomas watching television in the den. I only got to watch TV for half an hour on Saturday morning and new episodes of Happy Days with Mother and Thomas. Thomas got to watch all the TV he wanted. He could listen to the radio and turntable as much as he wanted, as loud as he wanted. Thomas had an entire room just for his toys.
I entered my bedroom, it was a space I occupied, but it didn't feel like mine. Mother kept it spartan, white walls and white bedspread. A crucifix over the bed and a painting of Jesus over the door. I had my desk and chair and a dresser with some of the porcelain dolls Daddy gave me before he died that Mother let me keep. That was it.
I placed my book bag down and sat on my bed, waiting for Thomas. It was a while, sitting there with nothing but my own thoughts and staring at the open door. I felt humiliated, I was almost thirteen and my entire life was dictated by my brother. Mother kept the house in constant lockdown to keep Thomas a secret. No outsiders were allowed in. I couldn't have friends because she was afraid I would mention him or sneak a friend in to gawk at my brother and tease him for being different.
I would never make fun of him, I was terrified of him. Terrified of what he was and what he was becoming.
Eventually I heard his heavy footsteps coming up the stairs and I felt my heart start beating faster and my palms began to sweat. I kneaded my skirt in my hands, trying to calm myself and dry my palms. His slow arrhythmic footsteps came down the hall and I watched him as he entered the room.
I couldn't help but internally recoil at his appearance, even though I'd known him since he was born, I could never adjust to how unnatural he appeared. Thomas had been born at home and had never seen a doctor, but he was obviously unwell.
He was six years old and was barely over two feet tall, but very squat and wide. His skin was thick and gray, the whites of his beady eyes were yellow and his hair was wispy and white like an old man's, spreading out like a halo around his gargoyle face. A slight odor of decomposition hung about him, it reminded me faintly of garbage cans on a hot summer day. I hated when Mother made me help him with a bath, his skin felt like old brittle leather that flaked onto my clothes in gray flecks. His body was dense like concrete, I could barely lift him into the tub. Picking him up forced his hair into my face where that smell of rot would fill my nose, causing me to gag, silently, so as not to offend him and draw any ire from him or Mother.
Today, Thomas was wearing bib overalls with a red and green striped sweater underneath, reminding me of a grotesque doll.
“Mama says you acted like a piggy today at the ice cream social,” he spoke up to me in his unsettlingly high pitched, yet raspy voice, like a child that smoked as much as Mother, "you need to come down for dinner right now for your punishment for embarrassing Mama."
He turned and walked back down the stairs and I had no choice but to follow his toddling form downstairs to the dining table. We entered the kitchen and the table was placed with two settings. Mother was already seated and Thomas clambered up into his booster seat at his normal spot next to Mother. She took a drag off her cigarette and motioned vaguely to the floor without even looking at me.
Neatly situated on the linoleum was my dinner, not on a plate, but directly on the floor. A pork chop, scoop of mashed potatoes, and a small pile of peas. No utensils, either.
Thomas giggled with glee upon seeing my face.
“You have Mama's permission now to eat like a piggy, now. No hands! Piggies just use their face!” He stood up in his chair and reached out for Mother’s ash tray and flung it out over my meal, peppering my dinner with cigarette ash and butts.
"Oops! Piggies don't mind trash though, do they, Mama?” he giggled and the sound filled me with rage.
"No, they don't,” Mother replied coolly while maneuvering her ashtray back in place and carefully putting out her cigarette before saying prayer.
As angry as I was, I got down on my hands and knees and did my best at eating what I could without using my hands. I knew if I refused, it would be far worse. The whole meal, Thomas made pig noises and would reach down and poke me with his fork, making comments about what a fat piggy I was and how he wished he could roast and eat me. I doubted Mother would even object if he actually did kill me and eat me.
Gagging my way through another bite of ashy pork chop, I felt a warm splat over my head and heard Thomas giggling. I reached up and felt he had dumped mashed potatoes into my hair.
Choking down tears, I asked Mother if I could clean the floor and bathe. She rolled her eyes and excused me to clear the table for them as well while she changed Thomas into his pajamas. Picking him up, she walked out of the room and Thomas stuck his putrid little purple tongue out at me before they made it out the kitchen door.
I silently cried while I cleared the table and washed the dinner dishes. Tears splashed down as I mopped up the mess from my food on the floor. I hated how awful Thomas was. I hated how they treated me. Ever since Daddy died and Thomas showed up, I was their punching bag. I missed Daddy so much.
Mother was kinder then, too. She was still severe, but Dad kept her tempered. After he died, there was a change that came over her. I was only six, so I didn't remember her too much from before, but I did remember her gushing on and on when she was pregnant with Thomas. How the baby was a gift from Our Heavenly Father, that it was going to complete our broken family.
My sixth birthday happened right after Daddy died and I remember sitting on the patio crying while the house was full of people after the funeral, normally he would have gotten me a new doll and a chocolate bar, instead I was forgotten. No doll. No chocolate. Just funeral potatoes and a house full of cigarette smoke from the adults.
Nobody remembered. The closest thing I got was my dad's sister, Aunt Judy, sitting next to me on the patio step for a few minutes of comfortable silence before giving my shoulder a reassuring squeeze. I don't think she knew her brother was memorialized on my birthday. Next year, Thomas was born the day before my birthday, so it was completely eclipsed as Mother had just birthed her new love into the world…
I stopped mid mop as a lightbulb finally went off. I had never put much thought into the dates before.
Thomas was born a full year after Daddy died. He couldn't be his dad. Who was Thomas’ actual father?
Washing mashed potatoes out of my hair that evening, I ran over and over the timeline. No matter how I parsed it out, Thomas was only my half brother. Going to bed that night, I kept myself awake, going over and over again to make sure. I couldn't remember any men being around at that time, but that didn't mean much. Adults can easily hide things from children. Tension began throbbing through my head and I felt queasy. Mother had always known all of my secrets, able to sniff them out like a bloodhound out or using Thomas to spy. Now I had one of Mother's secrets and I didn't know what to do with it.
First I wanted to confirm it, but it would mean snooping, which was difficult in a house that was rarely left empty. I would have to try finding Mother's calendar book or journal to see if she mentioned any dates or men.
But when could I attempt such a daring maneuver? Thomas hardly left the house. As proud as Mother was of him, she was very cognizant and protective of his differences and didn't want to draw attention to herself or Thomas like that. Mother herself had few social engagements throughout the week and mostly stayed home to watch her golden child.
I finally decided I would take the risk and fake sick on Tuesday, grocery day, so I could stay home from school while she went shopping. All Thomas did all day was watch TV downstairs, so that should give me about an hour to look through her room for clues. I decided to tuck my head down, try to behave as best as I could to avoid their wrath, and wait for Tuesday.
That weekend limped along agonizingly slow. Thomas was in a fine mood and was constantly seeking out a reason to poke me, punch me, slap me… he'd laugh while calling me a piggy with his off-putting wide mouth. I tried to mostly stay in my room and it seemed like neither of them cared.
School on Monday was a relief, but my anxiety ramped up. The consequences would be dire if Mother caught on that I was faking sick to stay home. I didn't even want to imagine how off the leash she'd let my half-brother become in his punishment for that level of insubordination.
I stayed up all night, my stomach was in knots, but I was committed to my plan. Throughout the night, I screamed as hard as I could into my pillow. Screamed until my throat was raw and I could barely talk. It felt cathartic in a way. When it was close to school time, I put on my heaviest flannel pajamas and began doing jumping jacks until my face was flushed and my scalp was soaked with sweat.
Looking in the bathroom mirror before heading down to talk to Mother, I thought I looked pretty convincing, my skin was flushed and sweaty, my eyes had circles under them from lack of sleep, and my voice croaked like a frog.
Heading downstairs, Mother was already feeding Thomas breakfast. I hesitantly stepped into the kitchen and stood there awkwardly for a second, pawing with my pajamas to keep my nerves steady until she noticed my presence and looked up.
“Why aren't you dressed, Julianne?"
"I don't feel well. My throat hurts and my tummy hurts.” My voice graveled out more than I was expecting, I really had hurt my throat.
She strode over to me and placed a cool hand on my sweaty brow.
"You do feel warm. Take an aspirin from the medicine cabinet and go lay back down. I'll check on you later," with that she turned back and walked over to Thomas, who was frozen in place, glaring at me over a forkful of scrambled eggs. The sharp glint of malice in his beady eyes made me shiver before I shuffled out of the kitchen.
I laid in bed, trying my best to look miserable until I eventually heard the faint sound of the television playing in the den as Thomas settled in for his normal daytime routine and the garage door opened as Mother headed to the grocery store. I bounded out of bed and watched the car back out of our driveway and head up the street.
My heart began to pound as I tiptoed down the hall to Mother's bedroom, a place I rarely even caught a glimpse of, let alone entered. I very slowly opened the door, taking great care to not make any noise to alert Thomas downstairs that I was out of bed.
Creeping into the butter yellow room, I could feel my heartbeat pounding in my skull, this was the naughtiest thing I had ever done by far. I stepped onto the rug to help disguise my footsteps and slowly made my way past the brass bed and towards her desk. My hands shook as I opened the top drawer, I pawed through rapidly and found nothing. I checked the next drawer down and again found nothing of interest, just stationary and envelopes.
Finally, the bottom drawer was what I was looking for, a stack of journals from the past decade. I flipped through, trying to find entries relevant to when Daddy died and who Mother slept with afterwards.
I've never fully recovered from what I read.
July 6, 1968
Edgar died today. Car accident. I cannot believe this is real. My light, my life, my anchor... Dr. Benson gave me a sedative at the hospital and I feel so tired. So very, very tired. Why has my Lord forsaken me so?
July 9, 1968
I feel like I am in a very bad dream, I feel numb and disconnected. All the consolation and pity from everyone makes me feel sick. After the memorial, it took everything in me to not break dishes and to scream at everyone to get out of my house. Julianne was moping about crying and I wanted to throw her out, too.
If I hadn't seen my dear Edgar's body in the hospital and held his urn in my own hands, I wouldn't believe he was really gone. I still don't entirely believe it.
I have prayed to God every night asking him to show me why he took my husband from me and I have gotten no answer.
I skimmed over the next few months, as it was more or less similar sentiments repeated night after night. I finally got to an entry that caught my eye.
September 17, 1968
My battle with my faith has been fraught the past few months, but Hallelujah! I feel I can see the Lord again in all his glory and might, for he has given me a way to reconnect to my Edgar!
I was thinking about the night Julianne was born, right in this very home, it was a difficult birth and she struggled to breathe at first. Ingrid, my midwife, made a comment to me that if the baby had failed to wake up on her own, that Ingrid had ways to make sure she would have made it.
I remember asking if it was a medical methodology and she made it clear to me that in certain circumstances, it was a mystical property she used to bring the air of life into a struggling baby's lungs. She gently alluded to being a practicing member of the dark arts. At the time, I felt quite scandalized to have someone like that in my God fearing home. Now I see her as the answer to my prayers! My angel!
On a whim, I called her and asked if she still practiced such techniques. She hesitantly confirmed that she did. I asked, if she could turn breath into the lungs of a child without, could she turn breath into a child that did not exist? Could she magick into existence another child of my beloved Edgar? She told me she had to do some research and she'd be back in touch.
Ingrid just called back after a few hours and said there was a spell she found, but it was dangerous and might have unpleasant results. I said, yes, of course! I trust my Lord and I believe he sent this woman of blessed magick to me for this purpose.
She says we will have to do it soon, in a few days during the new moon. She has a potion to brew, but it is happening! Praise God!
September 23, 1968
The ceremony was last night, and Ingrid believes it was a success, but we will have to wait. It did not take long, only an hour or two. Ingrid lit my bedroom with many beeswax candles and she had me drink a thick and bitter tea that caused me to become quite relaxed and foggy.
From my inner thigh, she cut me and collected my blood in a chalice, with which she mixed quite a lot of Edgar's ashes and other ingredients which I could not glean from my supine position and groggy wits. Ingrid began to chant, calling upon a higher power, as I pleaded with my Lord to let this work. To give me any piece of my Edgar back. She came to the bed and worked the paste between my legs into my womanly chamber, which was very uncomfortable, but manageable with the numbing effects of the tea.
She continued to sit with me and chant, her hand placed over my womb, until she decided at which time it was complete. She left and I fell into a deep sleep. When I woke up this morning, I felt quite uncomfortable, my body ached and when I used the restroom, a yellow fluid like pus poured out of me, but no sign of any ashes or blood, which gives me hope it was absorbed into my womb.
November 3, 1968
Praise be to our Lord, Ingrid just confirmed for me that I am with child, I had been hoping so, I had not gotten my cycle in October, but I wasn't sure if that was because of the discharge like pus that was still coming. She told me that was common with this spell and a side effect that would stop after the baby came.
I feel like I am floating on air, for the first time since Edgar left, I feel-
I suddenly became very aware of the feeling of eyes on the back of my head. I had become too engrossed in what was written before me and I had lost track of my surroundings. Very slowly, I turned around and my heart began pounding again as I saw Thomas standing in the doorway holding his wooden spoon in one hand. How had I not heard him?
He pointed at me with his empty hand and screamed, just a pure guttural screech from somewhere deep inside his disgusting little body. He charged at me from across the room, his horrible feet thumping solidly along the rug. He began beating my legs ruthlessly with the spoon, causing my legs to buckle. I crashed down to my knees in front of him, and he began lashing at my face, pulling my hair with one hand while wailing away at my head with the spoon.
I had dropped the journal I was holding and was desperately trying to get a hand on the spoon or push him away. All I could hear was him screaming. My arms flailed and I reached around on Mother's desk and grabbed onto the first thing I found and sank it into Thomas’ neck.
The end of Mother's gold letter opener protruded under his jaw. He went silent and he looked at me with utter shock. He dropped the spoon and collapsed on the ground, clutching at his neck as his thick black blood oozed out from his wound, letting out a stupendous odor of rot that filled the room. He didn't really say anything or make any noise. He just twitched for a moment and I saw his eyes glaze over.
In shock, I stood over his little body for a moment and I watched as he seemed to mummify in just a few minutes, like an ash person from Pompeii dressed in jeans and a flannel shirt. Even his blood that looked like shiny oil a second ago became like potting soil on Mother's rug. Reaching out to touch his hand, it crumbled away like sand.
Panic ran through me like a rabbit caught in a snare. Not knowing what to do, I ran. I ran down the hall, changed my clothes, put an extra change of clothes in my backpack and the last doll Daddy had ever given me and I ran. Mother would absolutely never forgive me and I was genuinely afraid she would kill me in retaliation for taking her beloved Thomas away from her. Her precious gift from God. My feet flew over the pavement and took me away from that house.
I called my Aunt Judy from a payphone outside the five & dime, and told her Mother had kicked me out and asked if I could stay with her. She had always had a strained relationship with my mother and it didn't take much convincing that she had kicked out her “only” child. Only Mother, Ingrid, and I ever knew about Thomas.
She gave me a home and took care of me. She never beat me or humiliated me. Even with her love, I was far from okay. For years I would close my eyes and hear Thomas scream, then the sudden silence. I'd see him fumbling at his neck and turning to ash. But I would also remember all the ways he would hurt me and how bad he was becoming. I could never talk to anyone about it, especially not the silent relief I felt I refused to admit to myself. Over time, however, Thomas' screams became a whisper and his silence faded into dust in my mind.
I moved on with my life. I went to college and became a photojournalist, getting to travel the world and watch history unfold. By choice, I never married, but was quite blessed with many beautiful friendships for companionship over the decades. I found balance in my life and a sense of happiness, if not peace. I never could quite stomach mashed potatoes again, though, they always taste ashy to me.
Mother never made any attempts to reach out to me or find me, at least that I'm aware of. Ten years ago, I was contacted by a hospital and they said my mother had been admitted earlier after falling and was about to pass, so she must have kept some tabs on me to know my phone number for her emergency contacts. Apparently she had collapsed in the driveway and a neighbor called an ambulance. I got there and her only words to me were, “take care of him," as she placed a locket in my hand. I opened the locket, Jesus was on one side, Thomas on the other. I didn't say anything to her, just held her frail old hand with nicotine stained nails until she passed in the night. My mother was gone and I felt nothing except a vague sense of relief.
When I got to her house, it was like a time capsule. Other than a newer television, it was just like it was when I'd fled so many years ago. The smell of tobacco smoke hung like incense in the air. It felt oppressive, like a tomb.
I wandered the house in a bit of a daze. The one place I didn't want to go was upstairs. I didn't want to see my old room, or Thomas' room, or Mother's. Putting it off, I went to fix myself some supper, realizing I hadn't eaten in almost a day. I took a pause when I opened the fridge and saw a baby bottle on a shelf. Silently praying she had been babysitting for a neighbor, I fixed myself some toast with sardines and sat eating in the den watching TV. It had been almost forty years and it still felt rebellious not eating at the table and watching TV without permission.
My eyes grew heavy and I finally mustered up the gumption to head upstairs to go to bed. The stairs creaked in a familiar way under my feet and I was taken back to the feeling of dread hearing either Mother or Thomas climbing up. My old room was at the top of the stairs, I saw the door was nailed shut and had rambling quotes about Judas copied from the Bible in my mother's handwriting taped to the door. I sighed gently and turned from the door to head down the hallway, deciding Mother's room was probably the best place to sleep.
I passed by Thomas’ toy room and I heard a murmur from the room. I stopped, curiosity got the best of me and I entered. In Thomas' old toy room was a crib with joyful clown sheets. Dread swelled up inside me as I heard more murmurs and saw the sheets move. Approaching slowly, I peaked under the sheet and gasped.
Tucked inside was what looked like a baby gargoyle, gray and papery looking. Pus leaked out of its milky, bulbous eyes. I pulled back the blanket and saw it had no legs and its arms bent back, like wings on a bird. It was wearing just a cloth diaper, overflowing with tarry looking stool that took my breath away with its pungency, it smelled like Thomas’ blood, but somehow worse. My heart broke for this poor creature, Lord only knows how many years it has been in this crib suffering from its unholy existence.
So this is who Mother had wanted me to take care of…
Not knowing what else to do, I gently scooped him up. Like Thomas, he was shockingly heavy for how small his body was. Placing him on the changing table, I cleaned him and rewrapped his bottom in a clean diaper cloth. It was difficult, he fussed tremendously, crying and flopping around as much as his flipper-like arms would allow. I tried wiping off his oozing eyes and he snapped his mouth, which I saw was full of disturbingly square yellow teeth, trying to bite me. I carried him to the kitchen and rocked him while I heated up his bottle and he became furious with me, almost barking like a dog when my hand would get near his face.
He settled a bit as he fed, but he would still sometimes suddenly spit out the bottle and attempt to bite me. I laid him back in his crib, this abomination in a clown sheet, and I walked down the hall to Mother's room letting out a long sigh.
Combing through my mother's journals in the early hours of the morning, it looked like she tried the ceremony again shortly after Thomas died, but she either lacked Ingrid’s help or didn't have enough of my father's ashes left. Something went terribly wrong. She was vaguer than she had been about Thomas’ conception, but I suspect she had used some of Thomas' remains. The resulting birth she named Isaac.
Mother's journals told a sad tale of her and Isaac's suffering. She never mentioned me, but lamented the loss of Thomas and Dad relentlessly. She was hyper protective of Isaac, as that was all she had left. If her world had been small before, it became microscopic after he entered her life, requiring nearly constant care. According to Mother, he was blind and colicky, sometimes going years at a time without sleeping through the night. She had breast fed him for years, but she had to stop after he grew teeth and began biting her intentionally and feeding on her blood.
I spent a lot of time over the next few days pondering what to do. I had to get her estate in order, she had left me the house, in an obvious attempt to get me to continue caretaking for Isaac, but I didn't want it. I had my own cozy home an hour away from here, filled with happy memories and my possessions acquired traveling the world. Mother's home had a heavy energy I couldn't shake. Her and Thomas were both gone, but the memories of the scoldings and beatings hung in every corner, like cobwebs that would never sweep away.
So, I fed Isaac and kept him clean and tried to keep him company, although he seemed to hate me passionately. I took care of him, all the while thinking about what I was going to do. After a week, I felt resolute in what had to be done.
Gathering up all of Mother's journals in a tote, I made my way to Isaac and picked him up and carried everything to the living room.
The ancient logs in the fireplace meant for display ignited instantly. One by one, I fed the journals into the fire, burning away years of my mother's consuming sorrow. Isaac fussed and moaned next to me the entire time. When the last pages shimmered away into lacy ash, I took a throw pillow off the couch and gently cradled Isaac in my other arm. It didn't take long before he stopped struggling and I felt his little body relax after decades of suffering.
I gently wrapped up a bundle in a clown sheet and placed it in the fire. It burned furiously, like the paper in my mother's journals, and was soon gone. Nothing but ashes and embers.
“Don't worry, Mother,” I said purely for my own sake, "I took care of Isaac for you."
And finally, I felt at peace.

I hate that I use this account to post these sad rants but this is my new way of trying to explain myself. I’ve let months go by simply by accepting I’ll die soon.
I had my first serious attempt yesterday (none have come this close). Mother’s Day. Who does that ? My whole immediate family including young kids (my first baby cousins) came over. Usually at these parties I’m one of the best dressed, on making drinks, somehow am also the entertainer and the one to get the kids to sit/eat. Can’t even imagine my family getting to the house and finding me lifeless. Yet I still tried to die. Due to my appearance and having avoided my family for the last few months.. everyone asked me if I was “okay”. I was pretty good with avoiding these pursuits of answers by helping in the kitchen and playing with the kids. No sane adult is going to force you, an adult, to start explaining where/what you’ve been when a kid is playing with you or your hands are occupied. I pathetically took advantage of this. I’ve always been relatively close to my family but I’ve burned ties twice now. First time around this time last year and second time we are currently in. What got me out of that first time ? I’m not really sure. I think I just knew I had to try one more time before really giving up. There were some cornered moments and while my loved ones were just doing what family does (checking in) I just kept replaying my attempt that occurred precisely two hours before anyone got there. I wore a dress with a collar. This collar was important because my neck was extremely bruised and looked scratched. My attempt if not apparent by now was by partial hanging. I put makeup on it and left my hair down to cover. It wasn’t enough but this goes to show how good I was with avoiding eye contact and being investigated. My sister isn’t easily fooled. We were setting up some food before people arrived and she asked me what happened to my neck. I didn’t even take the time to come up with a story just in case. Was it a cry for help? I wasn’t going to let it be. I somehow blamed it on my necklace scratching me when I took it off. To this second I don’t know how she believed me or the conversation shifted. Must have been a combination of my tone/mannerism and her just going with the flow because I was actually present. I haven’t been with anyone in so long. My isolation has ruined everything. Anyways I put more concealer and kept a smile for my family. My dad walked into the gathering with flowers for everyone. After greeting everyone he approached me with my own orchid and a trinket for me. I am not a mother but he made it a point to include me and to remind me he thinks of me. The trinket can be described as a decoration for a table. An all in all thoughtful gift. It has in cursive “live the life you love, love the life you live” with a clip I’m guessing to add a picture. I immediately grabbed it, turned it around so I wasn’t reading it anymore, somehow changed the conversation and he being my father (I believe knows me more than I think), took the hint to walk away. I’m grateful he did because I was about to have a mental breakdown. I somehow held my tears back and forced my attention back to my baby cousin which wasn’t hard she was drawing and wanted me to see. After a bit of this she wanted to go by the front of the house to play and her mom was there alone. This is down a hall away from where we were. I felt time move slow as we made eye contact and my mouth go dry as the space between us was closing. I knew what was coming. Everyone else was congregated in the kitchen and family room. A simple what’s up how have you been was about to send me over the edge. I didn’t even notice I was holding my dads gift in my right hand. She grabbed my left hand and instinctively said “wow I’ve never seen your skin this pale it’s like porcelain”. She didn’t mean it in a bad way just stating a fact. I looked at her and as my eyes started tearing up she let go. She asked me if I was sad and I said I can’t talk now because I’ll lose it. Thing is once I start I can’t stop. I told her I needed to go to the bathroom. She called her daughter said we need to talk I said okay and went to my bathroom upstairs. As I stared at myself in the mirror now completely alone I realized just how different I have to look to everyone. I looked at my dads gift and really started crying. After a few sobs I somehow managed to stop crying and fix my makeup a bit. I went back down to the party mostly to try to prove I’m okay and avoid being a topic. I know this was the bare minimum thing to do. I know this isn’t who I should be. This weekend coming is a bigger party. Point is I barely survived yesterday. I’m one of the youngest in my family not including the baby cousins. That being said everyone is older and has way more stressors than me. They either have kids, their careers, more bills, and whatever else. These people manage to go to every party, maintain conversation, and overall be apart of the family. I 23 unemployed overweight believe I can’t get it together. I can’t be apart of anything. I went through college and from the moment that last semester ended didn’t know what the fuck to do next. Before my attempt yesterday morning I spent an hour on a suicide hotline. I never admitted to the woman on the phone how close I was to the edge. This is what I wrote down after the call “I told her almost everything. The isolation, how I let myself go, and how I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I couldn’t actually say what my plan was. The lady was really nice. We agreed I should face everyone and get professionally evaluated. I didn’t really mean it. I’m going to die before I face anyone and I couldn’t tell her I can’t tell anyone. She was a really nice lady. I wonder if she’s a mom. It’s Mother’s Day. Mommy I can’t do it. You were always there for me. Always answered me. I can’t answer you anymore. I wish I could’ve talked to you. I wish I would’ve just talked. For what it’s worth I do love you. “. My mother called me around 9AM Mother’s Day morning. Said she needs help getting gifts ready and I told her I felt bad. She said how everyone is worried and I have no reason to be this far gone/sad. I somehow got the conversation to end. She ended saying I was going to be okay that we’re going to get me a therapist just have to get through mothers day and next weeks party. I said I love you and immediately tied the belt around my neck. I was seeing black, choking, ears ringing, and arms shuffling. Something came over me and I got myself out of it. I didn’t even cry. I went to my bathroom showered, got dressed, and you know the rest. Now I’m here 4 o’clock the next day writing. I have spent the whole day in bed. I think subconsciously I’ve let myself go into this isolation to weaken my body. For it to be easier for me to die and severed connections for it to be easier for those around me. I don’t know what I want from writing this down. I know my throat feels sore and I think I want to know why this is happening. I want to somehow try to put a reasoning behind everything. Somehow find a way to maybe really talk to one of the people that care without breaking down and shooting blanks with my mouth. I’ve tried even though it looks to those around me I haven’t. Thanks for reading.. comments are sincerely appreciated.

Fellow redditors - Id like to hear your opinion and advise about the separation I've recently had to make with my dad. It was one of the hardest decisions I've had to make, it meant that I'd not be around for family events or holidays. As a result of the trauma going on with my dad, I developed PTSD, anxiety disorder and depression. It's not ALL my dad but during therapy we've found a lot of it revolves around stuff with my dad. Therapy has been a shit show but I'm really making strides. I'm older now (f30) so alot or the trauma I've honestly pushed back so far in my brain that its extremely debilitating. I'll try my best to explain what's happened
Back story on my parents -my mom is completely deaf and my dad is hearing. My honest opinion is that my dad is a predator, they met at a wedding that was for my moms cousin and my dad's cousin so it was a family wedding. He went for the weakest person in the room (aka my mom) and married her. Ended up having 3 children including me. They did not have a good marriage, he controlled her money (only gave her 20$ to go out with her friends when he could have afforded to give her more), abusive emotionally and physically and forced her to be a stay at home mom. She lost all connections with her friends. Basically isolated so that she was easier to control. I know this because my mom and I have chatted about it several times before. She is really my only support that I have in my blood family. I've got amazing bonus family that truly loves me and treats me with kindness and respect so I've got plenty of other people there for me and in my corner.
My mom and I have always been close but me and my dad NEVER got along. I always had a feeling something was off and creepy-ish about him. Idk if creepy is the right word but something was definitely off about him. He takes naps 5 times a day literally, overweight and refuses to do things that involve him to be active.. it's really sad. I've tried to encourage him to loose weight simply bc I want more time with him in life and want him to be healthy but he is stuck in his ways. The best way to describe my dad is a narcissist. He could punch you in the face and turn around 5 seconds later and be like, " I didn't punch you in the face, you're crazy.. you're the problem." Ive had a similar situation happen with him and I, it was one of the most hurtful things he has honestly ever done. I'll explain what happened later on in the thread.
My childhood was pretty intense to say the least. I lived mostly with my mom and occasional weekends with my dad. I was in intensive therapy growing up, sometimes even in mental hospitals. I was misdiagnosed with bipolar at the time which would make sense why things never got better. They were prescribing meds that weren't working and turned me into a zombie. I was a wild kid, as most kids are. Sneaking out, drugs, bad friends ect. I wanted to feel something other than numb and those things I did made me feel something. Not a good way to handle things but I grew out of it. My poor mom having to deal with me! I feel awful now that I'm grown up and see what a little sh** I was. There's trauma with my mom as well but that is mainly bc she is deaf and I can't speak to her or hear her voice. I had to be her voice when we went out, interpreting for her everywhere we went. I didn't realize at the time that was damaging at times, it also resulted in me having to feel like I need to protect her. Not having a hearing mom is not easy but I still wouldn't change it for anything. I love her the way she is, hearing aides or not. She chose not to have them and I supported her, my dad did not feel the same. He forced her to get the surgery for implants, she tried them and took it out immediately. It just wasnt for her and my dad gave her SOOO much crap for it. I remember him degrading her and making her feel less than bc she couldn't speak or hear. She can speak but it's not words, it's just whatever sounds come out of her mouth.
Now for dad- this gets sticky. He has put his hands on me more times that I can count. Child protective services has been involved a lot in my life. I remember one time CPS telling my dad if he keeps putting his hands on his kids, he will loose all of us and my mom would suffer from the decision as well. My dad even went as far as telling me I WAS THE REASON CPS got involved (crazy talk...). Like I was the one putting my hands on my kids and lying about it. My mom had taken pictures of the marks he left on us to try and fight it in Court, somehow he won. The court was involved because my mom tried to take us kids to Illinois to try and get away from him but he filed with the courts to take us back home. It ended up with us uprooting again. He was awfully to us kids, my mom did her best to try and protect us but she also failed. He had control over my mom so when he told her to do something, she did it even after their divorce. This was mainly after we were forced back home where my dad was living.
My mom's whole family lives in Illinois but my dad's in another state. I always wondered what my life would be like now if my mom won in court and we got to start our new lives in Illinois. My mom would have had a backbone AKA her family and so would I. I have cousins, aunts, uncles, even aunts/uncles from my dad's side out there. Anyway. Fast forward to about 7 years ago. Me and my dad's relationship was rocky but not broken yet, I had hope we could make some changes but that's not how this played out. I met my husband 10ish years ago who is my knight in shining armor, he has always been EXTREMELY protective over me and my feelings. The moment I start crying he will get mad and ask how did it to me or what happened. Best husband anyone could ever ask for.
Well, when we had our wedding, we had asked my dad to be in charge of the music for the ceremony and reception. He agreed and asked me to come over and add the music I wanted in the playlist. The hubs and I pulled up and walked up the driveway where my dad was already standing. I came up to him as usual and went in to give him a hug. He made a face towards me, hugged me and then said, "what's up with your face? It's so bad jamie!!" No greeting, no "how are you doing," nothing... Just an insult. I had acne at the time due to hormonal changes that I was treating with a doctor and is something I was REALLY self conscious about. My husband knew how self conscious I was and saw the tears stream down my face. Immediately he turned to my dad and said, "how would you feel if I called you a fat a?! You fat fu" That started a big fight between me, my dad and my husband so it ended with us storming off and uninviting him to our wedding.
That was the start of the worst wedding story I've heard and it happened to me. I text my dad the night of the wedding and told him he could come if he could behave like a normal functioning human and no insult me or my wedding guests. He text me back and said he would be there. The day of the wedding, my mom was tasked with making the wedding cake but things happened so she ended up having to make cupcakes (my hubs was NOT happy about this, he would have paid for a cake if he knew he was getting ordinary cupcakes for our wedding.) she did the best she could so I let that go. I had a rental car so me and the hubs could drive off to our honeymoon in Vegas the day after the wedding and my mom was driving my car. All my bridesmaids and mom got ready upstairs in the bride suite at the wedding hall, it was a beautiful moment with my mama I'll always Cherish and hold close to my heart. She made my veil the night before, help me put it on the day of the wedding and of course helped me get my dress on. I had one of my bridesmaids run down stairs to see if my dad was at the wedding hall since the ceremony started in 5 mins. He wasn't there, neither was my brothers who were also groomsmen. My mom waived me towards the stairs to wait until my grand entrance, now we are 5 mins late and holding the wedding off until my dad and brothers got there. To this day I regret waiting... 30 mins go by they still aren't there. I quit smoking but that was one of those, " give me a cig, Im loosing my shit" moments.
Once my dad and brothers arrived about 40ish minutes late, the wedding started. At this time, the wedding music should have started so the bride aka me could enter. My dad STARTS PLAYING LED ZEPPELIN!! FOR MY ENTRANCE SONG!! first of all, I don't mind Led Zeppelin but I was FURIOUS that the wedding song wasn't playing. The wedding was held of AGAIN for another 20 mins for my dad to figure out why the songs weren't playing. My blood was boiling at this point, my dad couldn't figure it out so the wedding hall set up a boom box and connected her phone so we could have the wedding music play. My dads excuse for showing up late was that my brother wouldn't get out of bed.... and was a reason to miss his daughters wedding? At this point my makeup is messed up, my hair started to get uncurled and I'm sweating profusely. I was a hot mess, my mom was rubbing my shoulder telling me it's ok and to think about the end result - marrying the man of my dreams. She had a point so throughout the wedding, my dad was completely ignored by me, the hubs and the majority of the wedding guests. My husband's family does not like my dad, he didn't prioritize his daughter on the most special day of her life. !His family was there for me every step of the way and super supportive of our marriage. His grandpa was the officiant, it was really cool!
Now, fast forward again to about 1 year ago when the breakdown of me and my dad's relationship really started. On Christmas, my dad and my family was sitting by a fire outside having a good ol time getting drunk af. It was actually fun, all the way up until my dad blurts out of the blue, "man your mom is a freaking bword she called CPS on me bc your mom said I was touching you kids." My PTSD truly kicked in and I shut down, I couldn't even comment. I was shocked and so was my husband, we made our exit shortly after that. The car ride home was me video calling my mom to get her side of the story. I guess when we were kids all the way up until our early tens, my dad would have us get in the Jacuzzi but naked and he would play the "alligator," game which entailed bitting our butts under water and pinching my brothers private parts. The really bad memories flooded in and was a lot to handle. At that point, things got worse. At least for me and my PTSD. I wasn't in counseling or on meds at this time so once all this unfolded, I forced myself back into therapy and meds. I'm now doing a ton better!
In counseling we found that I was misdiagnosed and now that we know the true diagnosis, they can treat me appropriately. EMDR therapy is the next step but my counselor is prepping me for that as it's really intense. She advised that I should disconnect from my dad as the trauma is too severe and he isn't willing to keep it positive when you're around. I needed to surround myself with positive people and avoid conflict as it's a major trigger for me. People in general are tbh but I'm working on that. I took her advice and completely disconnected, once I did that I was the happiest I've ever been for the last year. Even though I was dealing with the mental issues, they were easier to deal with when he wasn't occupying space in my brain or my life. There's a lot of things that I'm not going to list here as it's hard for me to talk about but maybe some day I can be healed enough to talk about it. My dad is no longer apart of my life, it really sucks but my therapist helped me see that he provided nothing positive in my life and it's time to choose me for once. This is all I have for you all now but hopefully I can get some good opinions and advice! Thanks reddit!

DISCLAIMER: Not a whine post. I know the late-model Bf-109s are perfectly serviceable and the Spitfires are fine; I just want advice.
I've been on a personal quest to spade all Rank 1-4 aircraft, and I've recently hit a bit of a hitch with the Italian Bf-109G-14. Aside from the downright wretched teams (2 wins in 15 games; what's going on), I'm finding it to be pretty difficult to play when matched up against late-war Spitfires. Obviously any plane is going to have trouble around that BR sometimes given you get uptiered vs shit like P-51Hs and F2G-1s, but I'm finding that Spitfires have actually been the main thing that's killing my when I fly out the Bf-109. Its kind of surprising since I never really struggled to fight them when I went through and spaded Japan (maybe I was getting good luck with the MM then?), but now that I'm flying a late-war Bf-109 I'm having a ton of trouble fighting them, and my usually average-ish fighter K/D is suffering as a result.
Obviously a straight up dogfight is a no-go, but I'm also finding it difficult to really leverage my potential energy advantage against them. Unlike the previous Spitfire models I got used to fighting in stuff like the G.55 and C.205, the late-war Spits seem to have enough engine power to keep up with me when I attempt to extend away from them which makes energy fighting vs a competent opponent feel pretty difficult. In anything resembling a dogfight I also find it incredibly difficult to actually get my guns on target because the pull speed of the G-14 feels shockingly bad compared to other comparable-ish planes I've been flying like the Yak-9P and C.205s (poor flap usage perhaps?) even when compared to stuff like the F4U-4Bs I'm often fighting. The only consistent way of killing Spitfires that aren't completely asleep at the wheel is either beating them in a headon or engaging when they're already occupied, after which it becomes basically impossible to get an angle on them.
I know a lot of my issues with it are probably down to me not really being experienced with the later Bf-109s and energy fighting in general since the last two countries I played were Japan and rank 1-2 Britain (and the total dogshit teams that only seem to happen why i fly the G-14), but even putting that aside the matchups I've been getting into feel pretty rough. I'm really not sure if it's mainly a pilot issue or if the later Bf-109 models really just suck at fighting late-war Spitfires, so any tips and advice would be appreciated.

Recently, I was reading the story of Japanese intelligence officer Hiroo Onoda, who continued fighting WW2 on the Philippine island of Lubang for 29 years unaware that WW2 had ended years prior in 1945. So, even though it's completely stupid and highly unlikely, what if this DID happen? What If WW2 ended in 1974 instead of 1945? Again, I know this is unlikely, so please don't come @ me in the replies.
___
EDIT: After getting more upvotes and replies then I initially expected, I feel like I have to give my two cents about this whole thing. Now, I could maybe see this happening if America hadn't supplied the Allied powers with lend lease when they did. Britain would likely still secure air superiority over Germany following the Battle of Britain, and would continue to hold out on the mainland and in their African colonies against Italy and the Afrika Korps. Operation Barbarossa would likely still happen, and without Lend Lease the Soviet Union likely falls to Germany where a border is drawn along the A-A line. The rest of the Soviet Union left untouched by the treaty following Barbarossa would likely just collapse thereafter into a series of warlord states. This is pretty bad news for Britain, as Germany's attention can now be fully drawn to Africa. When Pearl Harbor is bombed by the Japanese, America would officially enter the conflict with a declaration of war on the Axis power of Japan. In response, Germany, who's likely secured a victory against the Soviet Union at this time and is pushing back Britain in Africa, declares war on the United States.
Speaking of Japan, they probably would've seen a lot more success in their East Asian operations without the United Front being supplied with crucial resources, materials, food, etc from American Lend Lease. Lend Lease was crucial for all of the allied powers, but especially for China even if they received far less than their European counterparts. We could see Japan securing a lot more coastline than they did in our own history, and possibly even pushing deeper west.
Keep in mind, just for the sake of the scenario, I'm going to assume that for whatever reason these conflicts are far longer and thus bloodier than they actually would've been. Maybe it would have occurred if the war commenced a couple of years earlier like in that one Harry Turtledove novel. I'm sure you know the one. Everything just takes longer. The United States, whom at this wouldn't have been fully militarized or even prepared, would need to militarize at such short notice against Japan which might be able to prolong the conflict at least in Europe and maybe even in the Pacific for a time. Without the full potential of the U.S. being realized, the Pacific War takes far longer. Japan might be able to see a few more victories against America, but their defeat is inevitable even without a prepared United States. Once their industry gets rolling, it REALLY gets rolling, so their defeat is just a matter of time. They cannot produce at the same rate as the U.S., nor can they supply their troops as much as the U.S. And, again, just for the sake of the scenario, Japan for whatever reason doesn't surrender to the Americans. Even with the nuking of two cities, even if they they're losing on all fronts, and even if the war itself is far bloodier and draining, they do not surrender.
Operation Downfall would commence on November of X year on X date (I'm not trying to predict the alternate dates, just outlining how the war would have lasted for thirty seven or more years.) This invasion would have been devastating, especially for Japan with casualties for both civilians and servicemen estimated to be in the tens of millions and possibly even more with repeated firebombings, nukings, etc. Operation Ketsugo, the Japanese defense of the homeland, outlined an all-out defense of Kyushu to the point where little was left for any future defense operations. This invasion is complete population suicide and cultural devastation for Japan, an invasion that's likely prolonged by guerrillas or Japanese civilian resistance to the Americans. Think of it like the Vietnam War to an extent, except America can deploy troops directly into North Vietnam. Japan's state in this alternate war is definitely not suffice for a defense of the homeland against an American invasion, and their defenses likely falter against America. Civilian resistance might prolong it by a couple of months, but it's inevitable. With the war against America continuing for a longer duration of time, and Japan refusing to surrender no matter the cost, Operation PX otherwise known as the weirdly ominous Operation Cherry Blossoms At Night might actually occur.
For those who don't know, Operation PX was a planned Japanese biological attack on the west coast cities of the U.S., specifically San Diego, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. The plan for the attack involved Serian aircraft launched from submarine aircraft carriers upon said cities utilizing cholera, typhus, dengue fever, and the bubonic plague (yes, that bubonic plague), as the biological and chemical substances. This plan was actually fairly close to going through, and was even finalized, but was shelved due to the strong opposition from the Chief of General Staff Yoshijiro Umezu. All that was really needed for it's passing was time. Eno Yoshio, a former captain, said in a 1977 interview that "At the time, Japan was losing badly, and any means to a victory would have been alright." Yoshio himself, however, supposedly opposed the idea. You can probably imagine the ramifications of such a thing occurring.
Anywho, once Japan is forced into a technical surrender, I could see loyalist civilians and even some servicemen continuing to fight a guerrilla campaign against their American occupiers. Regardless, America's full attention is shifted to Europe.... which is probably under German control, including Britain. Remember, America shortly after the official declaration of war isn't prepared and is forced to militarize on short notice. America entering the war in this history doesn't guarantee an automatic allied victory, as America itself isn't ready for war and thus can't supply Britain as well as it could when it's attention needs to be focused on itself and it's war with Japan. With German attention fixated on Africa, the Suez Canal might be captured, preventing Britain from drawing resources from it's colonies as well as supplying it's colonies. Specifically their forces within Egypt, Sudan, and their middle eastern holdings. Combined with several attempts to capture Gibraltar, therefore locking a majority of the Royal Navy within the Mediterranean, British industry faltering against the superior German industry, you have Britain overseeing an invasion under Operation Sea Lion. Following this, the world essentially devolves into the novel the Anglo-American Nazi War. Or perhaps a cold war between the United States and Germany.

The issue started in the late 1940s, when Taiwan claimed and occupied Itu Aba. The Philippines did similar during the 1950s, then in the 1970s, together with Vietnam, and then with China in the 1980s, and Malaysia in the 1990s.
Meanwhile, the U.S. was engaged in containment of Communism using hundreds of military bases worldwide coupled with its military industrial complex (which consists of collusion between arms manufacturers, the military, and Congress, and support of various regimes via military aid, etc., in exchange for supporting the U.S.). That's why the U.S. supported the Marcos, Sr. regime, and then the Cory regime. (Summary executions and attacks on Communists, using even right-wing vigilante groups, grew that time.)
After the Cold War, the U.S. switched from containment to encirclement, and not of Communism but of its rivals, namely Russia and China. The three areas of contention were Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. The U.S. concentrated on the latter with Obama's pivot to Asia, but it was too late, because all of the claimants above had already been building military installations in the WPS to thwart any future economic blockade from the U.S. (The country with the most installations in the WPS isn't China but Vietnam.)
That time was also weird because it led to the first confrontation between China and the Philippines. Two Philippine military vessels tried to shoo off Chinese fishermen from one shoal, who returned with armed big brothers. A standoff ensued, after which for some weird reason the Philippine vessels took off, later claiming that they were running out of fuel (but they were not moving, and could have been supplied easily!) and that a storm was arriving (it was far away!). As a result of that, the Chinese vessels took control of the shoal.
It got even weirder after that: some Philippine officials tried to negotiate with Chinese counterparts in Washington with one U.S. official observing, while another official who was not a diplomat and could not even speak Mandarin tried to engage in backdoor negotiations with China in the mainland. Both negotiations did not succeed, and the U.S. later argued that it did not advise the Philippines to negotiate.
After that, the Philippines sued, again based on advice from the U.S. The ruling was that no claims are valid because there are no land masses in the disputed area and no one can claim that fish belongs to him because fish swim around. China, which didn't participate, rejected the ruling. So did Taiwan, which wasn't a party in arbitration but was only mentioned. Both Malaysia and Vietnam supported the ruling but are not withdrawing their claims to the WPS.
The Philippines and even the U.S. got into the game late. Decades of politicking via liberal democracy and bureaucracy (the U.S. has very high approval ratings in the Philippines; the latter wants to be like the U.S.; China and Communism have very low approval ratings) had led to one of the weakest economies, and thus military forces, in the region. The Philippines and the U.S. were aware of the China and Vietnam fighting over parts of the WPS back in the late 1980s, of Chinese incursions in the Kalayaan area during the mid-1990s, of Malaysia building up in the late 1990s, and so on, but did not act.
When Duterte became President, he thought that he could negotiate with China and thus receive alarmed reaction from the U.S. It didn't happen because the President that time was Trump, and Trump wanted the opposite: decrease military exposure and make those who need help pay.
Later, Duterte switched to the U.S. because he realized that Biden would become President, and Biden is like every U.S. President before him except for Trump: support the military industrial complex to "save" poor countries like the Philippines against tyranny. Duterte agreed to renew the VFA but demanded $16 billion for the last decade. Why? Because that's what U.S. allies like Pakistan received from the U.S.
Marcos, Jr., continued what Duterte did, but it didn't work because the U.S. was also forced to provide aid to Taiwan, Ukraine, and Israel to deal with rising conflict in Asia plus an on-going one in Eastern Europe. Also, the U.S. knows that the Philippines has no one else to turn to--not even itself because of politicking and a weak economy--so it gave only $500 million. Taiwan, which is even richer than the Philippines, got $8 billion.
The Philippines has no one to turn to because it's like a poor version of the U.S. and tied to other countries. For example, it's heavily dependent on exporting laborers to other countries and receiving remittances, and it's main source of that is the U.S. Its main investors are Britain, the Netherlands, and Singapore. Its main donor is Japan. Its main trading partners include the U.S. and China.
Finally, the U.S. has also been manipulating other countries, including those claiming parts of the West Philippine Sea. For example, it sells arms to Vietnam, which has the most installations in the WPS. One of the military allies of Vietnam is Russia. The country that mainly bullies Vietnam is China, but China is also its partner in oil exploration and other deals. And the country that bullied Vietnam in the past, leading to two million dead, is the U.S. Here's the punchline: the U.S. has the second-highest approval rating in the region in Vietnam, which is a Communist country.
Another example: Taiwan claims most of the West Philippine Sea (in fact, the "dash" claim by China actually came from the Koumintang). The main ally and arms supplier of Taiwan is the U.S., which is supposed to be an ally of the Philippines. But Taiwan has both the U.S. and China as major trading partners, and the U.S. won't recognize Taiwanese independence because it doesn't want to anger China, which is also a major trading partner.
It gets even better: allies like the U.S. are dependent even on countries like China for munitions needed for ammo, and even on countries like Russia for things like uranium.
Anyway, this is something to think about anytime we try to attack China over the U.S., or the other way round, or argue that the Philippines should be independent, or that Duterte is at fault, or Marcos, Jr., or Noynoy, and so on. Chances are, even what we mean by negotiating and coming up with an "independent" foreign policy will be hard to explain if the U.S., China, Vietnam, Taiwan, and others know everything I just pointed out above.

(Written a while ago)Three friends and I are just on our flight home to Toronto now and I thought I would write a bit of a review and perspective on our trip.
Some basic details first. Our trip was from Saturday March 23rd to Monday April first with 7 days of riding between two full travel days.
We stayed at an Airbnb near Gemsstock tram for 3 days and then Basecamp Hostile for the remaining 5.
We all had Epic passes going into the trip which is the overarching reason for going to Andermatt as Vail recently acquired them for the Epic Pass so riding was included in the price we already paid. Otherwise we may have looked at some other mountains such as Zermatt, St.Anton, Stubai, or Chamonix. HOWEVER, this ended up being a blessing as the weather forecast was significantly better in Andermatt than the same timeframe in those mentioned (this is purely circumstantial, not necessarily worth considering if you are planning a trip yourself, obviously consult weather forecasts as you plan your own trip)
First I want to talk about the terrain and riding.
Andermatt is a town located at the top of a valley that connects several ski areas; Gemsstock, Gutsch, Sedrun, Dieni, and Disentis. Which all together on a good weather window would be an expert ski tourers DREAM arena. These resorts offer incredible slack country into a variety of amazing steep slopes, couloirs, cliff bands, and nearby peaks that had us STOKED. Unfortunately 2 of us were not Avalanche certified so we did not bring our gear to go touring at all - big mistake would have been very fun- the train infrastructure, though a bit expensive, was very well built out and would offer an awesome network of access to enable some big ski tour missions. If that's your jam consider carving out a day or two dedicated to ski touring if not the whole trip assuming weather and avalanche risk conditions fit you risk tolerance.
Now on to In-bounds terrain:
As mentioned there are a bunch of resorts but from the perspective of 4 experts, Gemsstock and Disentis are the only fun and challenging options for steep, technical riding. We “burned” a day riding across all of the resorts just to get to Disentis. We did not expect to be as underwhelmed as we were with the terrain in Sedrun and Dieni but as far as we are concerned there is really nothing worth riding there. When we finally got to Disentis we were immediately struck by the towering rocky spines that walled in the high T-bars with dozens of hikeable couloirs. If I ever found myself back in Disentis I would head straight for some bootpacking up those chutes, INCREDIBLE lines to be sent there. Visibility was a challenge that day so we didn't get to scope out any big cliff drops but I imagine there are some fun ones to be found. We stayed in Andermatt so I'm not sure what accomodations exist in Disentis but under good weather conditions there is a ton of terrain to be explored and could probably take up 4-5 days of open to close riding without repeating to many lines. definitely would recommend exploring this resort.
GEMSSTOCK! As I mentioned, we stayed in Andermatt which means we were closest to Gemsstock, excellent decision, 60-70% of the expert terrain in the valley is at Gemsstock off the high tram. Big lines. Between the high traverse, both sides of the main ridge-line (beside the high tram) and the red side (sorta out of bounds) there is are a ton of big features to be scoped and sent in this resort. We're 4 reasonably well travelled Canadians and we had some of the best pow turns of our entire life here, I will never forget riding 2-3 feet of fluffy powder here and I will forever be chasing those kind of lines. The overall theme here is if you get lucky with weather or can chase a storm there GO, it's wild and very fun!
The Avalanche mitigation in bounds was pretty good so we felt super safe riding mostly anything near the groomer, and simply needed to be observant and make conservative decisions in the slack country when we found ourselves in avalanche terrain. My recommendation for anyone seeking expert terrain in mountains like this would be to take an Avy safety training course, reason being, it helps you understand the terrain you're in better and make educated decisions that mitigate risk of death. I personally witnessed a number of size 2 avy's triggered by people not knowing wtf they were doing. It's dangerous to you, everyone nearby, and especially people below.
Now for the town. Our trip was firmly at the end of there season so our perspective on the town is probably totally wrong but I wanted to share our experience anyways. Pretty sleepy. Some of us have spent seasons in Whistler, Park City, and Fernie BC with varying nightlife at each. We certainly did not go in thinking it was going to be a big party but we didn't expect for there to be virtually no party at all. We explored the little town of Andermatt and went to dinner a few nights to assess the vibes and find somewhere that might be fun to have a few drinks and chat with some people, there were none. Again this was the last week of March but it was completely void of people around our age (mid 20s) and it was weird. That said we mostly just hung out on our own. Pinte has a fooseball (table soccer) table for 2 chf which is fun but I think this is not the town to rage at night, more so rip the hill during the day and rest up to do it again the next day. It does seem like there could be some fun apres partying at either bar on Gemsstock, but we did not experience that. We heard the best Apres are on Gutsch but also did not experience that.
Our hostile was hosted by an amazing family who have created an extraordinary environment, very responsive and helpful. While we were there it was occupied by 3 young families with kids (don't know if that is the norm) and it was fun to hang with them, point of mentioning that is to say the whole valley seems very family friendly, offering lots of beginner and intermediate terrain to keep young shredders occupied and engaged so they can come back a few years later to rip the expert stuff!
All in all over 7 days of riding we feel like we got to see and ride a lot of what Andermatt has to offer with two incredible sunny pow days and the rest limited visibility pow days. We would all go back, but it's not top of the list again. Probably off to Japan next year instead of NA or Europe but it is an excellent option if you have an epic pass already and are looking for a reasonably priced ski vacation/trip with a variety of terrain.
None of us have ridden much in Europe before and definitely have not had powder conditions like we got this past week so I can’t/won’t compare to Chamonix/Zermatt/Stubai etc but as a group of expert riders we had a lot of fun. I would highly recommend people consider Andermatt as their next destination for a similar trip!
Quick notation here: writing this in hopes of providing a helpful perspective because through our research we did not find much info and nearly made some mistakes that would have made the trip less fun and much more expensive (staying in Sedrun for instance)
Feel free to DM with any questions and I will edit the post with any additions if I think of any.
Happy riding, I hope everyone had a fun 2023/2024 season!

Megapost: A list of statements, press releases, and other sources reporting and expressing concern and criticism about Israel's war in Gaza and related aspects of the war. (Part 3)

Notes: This is a work that is currently in progress; please check back for updates. Titles have been edited to provide details.
Part 1 is here: https://www.reddit.com/Social_Democracy/comments/1clx1uc/megapost_a_list_of_statements_press_releases_and/
Part 2 is here: https://www.reddit.com/Social_Democracy/comments/1cmjhpk/megapost_a_list_of_statements_press_releases_and/
Part 4 is here: https://www.reddit.com/Social_Democracy/comments/1crvrde/megapost_a_list_of_statements_press_releases_and/
Ayanna Pressley, Interfaith Coalition Hold Vigil for Lives Lost in Gaza and Israel, Renew Calls for Ceasefire ["Joining Rep. Pressley at the vigil was Rev. Carrie Ballenger, University Lutheran and Lutheran Chaplain at Harvard; Rabbi Rebecca Hornstein, Boston Workers Circle Executive Director; Imam Ahmad Barry of the Islamic Institute of Boston; Reverend Darrell Hamilton of the First Baptist Church in Jamaica Plain; Hadar Ahuvia, Rabbinical Student at Hebrew College; Rev. Willie Bodrick, II of the Twelfth Baptist Church; Rabbi Becky Silverstein; Rev. Otto Concannon of First Parish Malden; Rev. Elizabeth Carrier-Ladd, First Parish Dorchester; and hundreds of faith leaders and community members from across Greater Boston."] (January 25, 2024): https://pressley.house.gov/2024/01/25/pressley-interfaith-coalition-hold-vigil-for-lives-lost-in-gaza-and-israel-renew-calls-for-ceasefire/
Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Network (EuroMed Rights): A conditional ceasefire is not sufficient – The EU must call for an unconditional, immediate and permanent ceasefire (January 25, 2024): https://euromedrights.org/publication/a-conditional-ceasefire-is-not-sufficient-the-eu-must-call-for-an-unconditional-immediate-and-permanent-ceasefire/
Communications Workers of America Executive Board Statement on the War in Gaza (January 26, 2024): https://cwa-union.org/news/releases/communications-workers-america-executive-board-statement-war-gaza
Bernie Sanders: The US must act to end the Gaza disaster (January 27, 2024): https://www.sanders.senate.gov/op-eds/the-us-must-act-to-end-the-gaza-disaste
Black Pastors Pressure Biden to Call for a Cease-Fire in Gaza: Black congregants’ dismay at President Biden’s posture on the war could imperil his re-election bid. (January 28, 2024): https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/28/us/politics/black-pastors-biden-gaza-israel.html
Right-wing Israeli ministers join thousands at event calling for the resettlement of Gaza: Several ministers within Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-wing government were among conference attendees, with two delivering keynote speeches. (January 28, 2024): https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/right-wing-israeli-ministers-join-thousands-event-calling-countrys-res-rcna135863
Israel and Russia Have No Place in the 2024 Paris Olympics: The International Olympic Committee has declined to curtail Israel’s involvement in the 2024 games and has placed half-hearted limits on Russia. The IOC claims it opposes the politicization of sport — but the Olympics are a historically political institution. (January 29, 2024): https://jacobin.com/2024/01/israel-russia-war-invastion-olympics
Ajith Sunghay, head of the UN Human Rights Office in the Occupied Palestinian Territory: “Gaza is a massive human rights crisis and a humanitarian disaster” (January 30, 2024): https://www.ohchr.org/en/stories/2024/01/gaza-massive-human-rights-crisis-and-humanitarian-disaster
Texas AFL-CIO becomes first state labor federation to call for ceasefire in Gaza (January 30, 2024): https://www.tpr.org/government-politics/2024-01-30/texas-afl-cio-becomes-first-state-labor-federation-to-call-for-ceasefire-in-gaza
Former U.S. Representative Andy Levin: Military action won’t solve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. It’s time for diplomacy. (February 1, 2024): https://www.stripes.com/opinion/2024-02-01/military-diplomacy-israel-palestinian-conflict-12863912.html
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada and Anglican Church of Canada: Church leaders urge Canadian government to support ICJ ruling (February 2, 2024): https://www.anglicanlutheran.ca/statements/church-leaders-urge-canadian-government-to-support-icj-ruling/
US city councils increasingly call for Israel-Gaza ceasefire, analysis shows (February 2, 2024): https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-city-councils-increasingly-call-israel-gaza-ceasefire-analysis-shows-2024-01-31/
Sister Nabila's appeal from Gaza: ‘We want peace, respect for human rights’ (February 3, 2024): https://www.vaticannews.va/en/church/news/2024-02/sister-nabila-gaza-holy-family-parish-appeal-peace.html
CNN staff say network’s pro-Israel slant amounts to ‘journalistic malpractice’: Insiders say pressure from the top results in credulous reporting of Israeli claims and silencing of Palestinian perspectives (February 4, 2024): https://www.theguardian.com/media/2024/feb/04/cnn-staff-pro-israel-bias
Young Taiwanese go against the tide to amplify Palestinian voices (February 4, 2024): https://www.arabnews.com/node/2453726/world
Bosnian genocide researcher warns Israel repeating ‘same patterns’ in Gaza war: ‘We are seeing a genocide unfold before our very eyes,’ says genocide researcher and war survivor Arnesa Buljusmic-Kustura (February 6, 2023): https://www.aa.com.ten/europe/bosnian-genocide-researcher-warns-israel-repeating-same-patterns-in-gaza-wa3129741
American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO): Statement on the Situation in Israel and Gaza (February 8, 2024): https://aflcio.org/press/releases/afl-cio-statement-situation-israel-and-gaza
Green Left: Rojava revolutionary leader Salih Muslim warns escalation could lead to World War III [Salih Muslim "declared his support for the Palestinian people and condemned the genocide they were being subjected to in Gaza by Israel under Benjamin Netanyahu's regime."] (February 8, 2023): https://www.greenleft.org.au/content/rojava-revolutionary-leader-warns-escalation-could-lead-world-war-iii
Human Rights Watch: How to End America’s Hypocrisy on Gaza: The Biden Administration Must Assess Israel’s Conduct—and Hold It to Account (February 8, 2024): https://www.hrw.org/news/2024/02/08/how-end-americas-hypocrisy-gaza
Carter Center Calls on Israel to Halt its Plan to Force 1.3 Million Palestinians Out of Rafah (February 9, 2024): https://www.cartercenter.org/news/p2024/israel-020924.html
International Rescue Committee: The collapse of Gaza’s health system (February 9, 2024; Last updated: May 6, 2024): https://www.rescue.org/article/collapse-gazas-health-system
J Street’s Pro-War Stance Prompts Staff Departures (February 9, 2024): https://jewishcurrents.org/j-streets-pro-war-stance-prompts-staff-departures
Bishop William Barber on the “Moral Case for a Ceasefire” in Gaza (February 12, 2024): https://www.democracynow.org/2024/2/12/rev_william_barber_gaza
CHURCHES FOR MIDDLE EAST PEACE (CMEP) EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR JOINS 22 CHURCH-BASED DENOMINATIONAL LEADERS IN A LETTER TO PRESIDENT BIDEN [Signed by: Joyce Ajlouny, General Secretary, American Friends Service Committee (AFSC); Rev. Eddy Alemán, General Secretary, Reformed Church in America; Archbishop Vicken Aykazian, Ecumenical Director and Diocesan Legate Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern); The Rev. Dr. Sofía Betancourt, President, Unitarian Universalist Association; Rev. Bronwen Boswell, Acting Stated Clerk of the General Assembly, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A); Rev. Dr. Mae Elise Cannon, Executive Director, Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP); Rev. Emmett L. Dunn, Executive Secretary-TreasureCEO, Lott Carey Baptist Foreign Mission Convention; Ann Graber Hershberger, Executive Director, Mennonite Central Committee U.S.; John Hill, Interim General Secretary, The United Methodist Church - General Board of Church and Society; Sr. Teresa Hougnon, M.M., President, Maryknoll Sisters of St. Dominic; Rev. Dr. Gina Jacobs-Strain, General Secretary, American Baptist Churches USA; Bridget Moix, General Secretary, Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL); Rev. Teresa Hord Owens, General Minister and President, Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the United States and Canada; The Rev. Dr. David Peoples, President, Progressive National Baptist Convention Inc.; Elvira Ramirez, Interim Executive Director, Maryknoll Lay Missioners; Richard Santos, President and CEO, Church World Service (CWS); Andrea Smith, Founder and Board Member, Evangelicals4Justice (E4J); Rev. David Steele, General Secretary, Church of the Brethren; Nikki Toyama-Szeto, Executive Director, Christians for Social Action (CSA); Rev. Dr. Karen Georgia Thompson, General Minister and President, United Church of Christ (UCC); Stephen M. Veazey, President, Community of Christ; Archpriest Thomas Zain, Vicar-General, Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America; Reverend Elijah R. Zehyoue, Ph.D., Co-Director, Alliance of Baptists] (February 13, 2024): https://cmep.salsalabs.org/pr-feb152024
Senator Peter Welch: I cannot, in good conscience, support sending billions of additional American taxpayer dollars for Prime Minister Netanyahu’s military campaign in Gaza (February 13, 2024): https://www.welch.senate.gov/welch-i-cannot-in-good-conscience-support-sending-billions-of-additional-american-taxpayer-dollars-for-prime-minister-netanyahus-military-campaign-in-gaza/
Bishops of the Church in Wales support call for Gaza ceasefire and release of hostages (February 14, 2024): https://www.churchinwales.org.uk/en/news-and-events/bishops-endorse-call-for-gaza-ceasefire-and-release-of-hostages/
‘Lead or Lose!’ Young People Arrested at Biden’s Campaign Headquarters Call for Climate Action and a Ceasefire: The youth-led Sunrise Movement warns Biden that he’ll lose the votes of the young people he needs to win the presidency without decisive action on global warming and Gaza. (February 14, 2024): https://insideclimatenews.org/news/14022024/young-people-arrested-at-biden-campaign-headquarters-call-for-climate-action-and-ceasefire/
The Council of Bishops of the African Methodist Episcopal Church Calls for Immediate Withdrawal of Financial Support from Israel (February 14, 2024): https://mailchi.mp/6640b1d7ce56/council-of-bishops-calls-for-immediate-withdrawal-of-financial-support-from-israel
Unitarian Universalist Association: UUA Condemns Violence Against Gaza, Urges Immediate and Total Ceasefire (February 14, 2024): https://www.uua.org/pressroom/press-releases/uua-condemns-violence-urges-ceasefire
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada and Anglican Church of Canada: Call for a day of prayer and fasting for Israel/Gaza and Ukraine (February 16, 2024): https://www.anglicanlutheran.ca/statements/call-for-a-day-of-prayer-and-fasting-for-israel-gaza-and-ukraine/
Mandate Trade Union donates €5,000 to UNRWA (February 16, 2024): https://mandate.ie/2024/02/mandate-donate-e5000-to-unrwa/
New national labor network formed to “end the death and devastation” in the Israel-Hamas war. National Labor Network for Ceasefire aims to further expand unprecedented ceasefire support. (February 16, 2024): https://www.laborforceasefire.org/new-national-labor-network-formed-to-end-the-death-and-devastation-in-the-israel-hamas-wa
Unitarian Universalist Ministers Association: A letter from the UUMA Board of Trustees (February 19, 2024): https://uuma.org/latest-news/a-letter-from-the-uuma-board-of-trustees/
Open Letter: Humanity & Inclusion and 61 other non-governmental organisations urge MPs to support the motion for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza [Signed by: Action Against Hunger; Action For Humanity; ActionAid UK; Age International; Amnesty International UK; Amos Trust; Bond; Council for Arab-British Understanding (Caabu); CAFOD; CARE International UK; Christian Aid; Climate Action Network UK (CAN-UK); Convivencia Alliance; Development Initiatives; Elrha; Embrace the Middle East; European Centre for the Responsibility to Protect; Gender Action for Peace and Security (GAPS); Greenpeace UK; Humanity & Inclusion UK; Inminds Human Rights Group; International Alert; International Health Partners (IHP); International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF); International Rescue Committee UK; Islamic Relief UK; Jewish Network for Palestine; Lawyers for Palestinian Human Rights; Mercy Corps; Mines Advisory Group (MAG); Minority Rights Group; Muslim Aid; Muslim Community Helpline; Muslim Hands; Na’amod; Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC); Omega Research Foundation; Oxfam GB; Peace Direct; Peacemaker Trust; Penny Appeal; Plan International UK; Protection Approaches; Quakers in Britain; Resistance Kitchen; Sabeel-Kairos UK; Saferworld; Save the Children UK; Scottish Catholic International Aid Fund (SCIAF); Scotland’s International Development Alliance; Stamp Out Poverty; Tearfund; Trócaire; The UK Committee for UNICEF (UNICEF UK); UK-Palestine Mental Health Network; United Nations Association - UK (UNA-UK); War Child; War on Want; Welfare Association; Womankind Worldwide; Women for Women International; Women’s Platform] (February 20, 2024): https://www.humanity-inclusion.org.uk/en/open-letter-hi-and-61-other-ngos-urge-mps-to-support-the-motion-for-an-immediate-and-permanent-ceasefire-in-Gaza
Presbyterian Church USA: Calling for a stop to the destruction of Gaza (February 20, 2024): https://www.pcusa.org/news/2024/2/20/calling-for-a-stop-to-the-destruction-of-gaza/
Stand Against Genocide and Imperialism, from Palestine to Ukraine: Statement of the Ukraine Solidarity Network on the Second Anniversary of Russia’s Full-scale Invasion of Ukraine (February 20, 2024): https://newpol.org/stand-against-genocide-and-imperialism-from-palestine-to-ukraine/
National Priorities Project: United We Dream and Allies Demand Permanent Ceasefire and Immigrant Protections (February 21, 2024): https://www.nationalpriorities.org/blog/2024/02/21/united-we-dream-and-allies-demand-permanent-ceasefire-and-immigrant-protections/
The Animation Guild / IATSE Local 839: In the struggle for human rights and the protection of innocent lives, The Animation Guild stands for justice across the globe, and officially calls for a ceasefire in Israel and Palestine. (February 21, 2024): https://twitter.com/animationguild/status/1760448111611097419
‘We will not be complicit in this’: Hill staffers challenge their bosses on Gaza (February 21, 2024): https://rollcall.com/2024/02/21/we-will-not-be-complicit-in-this-hill-staffers-challenge-their-bosses-on-gaza/
Australian Catholic Bishops Conference's Office for Social Justice: End the Violence in Gaza (February 23, 2024): https://socialjustice.catholic.org.au/2024/02/23/end-the-violence-in-gaza/
Beto O’Rourke supports uncommitted campaign in Michigan’s Tuesday presidential primary (February 24, 2024): https://michiganadvance.com/2024/02/24/beto-orourke-supports-uncommitted-campaign-in-michigans-tuesday-presidential-primary/
Hindus for Human Rights: Indians For Palestine: A Call to Action for Peace (February 26, 2024): https://www.hindusforhumanrights.org/en/blog/indians-for-palestine-a-public-meeting-on-the-icj-ruling-for-palestine
‘Stop the massacre’: Hong Kong activists call for ceasefires in Russia-Ukraine, Israel-Hamas wars: Demonstrators read out a statement calling for Russia to withdraw its forces from Ukraine, and for Israel to order a ceasefire and end its blockade of Gaza. (February 26, 2024): https://hongkongfp.com/2024/02/26/stop-the-massacre-hong-kong-activists-call-for-ceasefires-in-russia-ukraine-israel-hamas-wars/
Waiting for ‘pro-life’ legislators in Kansas to call for a ceasefire in Gaza (February 26, 2024): https://kansasreflector.com/2024/02/26/waiting-for-pro-life-legislators-in-kansas-to-call-for-a-ceasefire-in-gaza/
67 Vermont lawmakers sign letter calling for Gaza cease-fire (February 27, 2024): https://www.vermontpublic.org/local-news/2024-02-27/65-vermont-lawmakers-sign-letter-calling-for-gaza-cease-fire & https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/05/b8/3d1901af417499640d96288a716a/final-draft-of-letter.pdf
Liberal Jews for Justice in Israel/Palestine: As British Jews, we call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza (February 27, 2024): https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/feb/27/as-british-jews-we-call-for-an-immediate-ceasefire-in-gaza
Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&Ds): Palestinian lives matter! We call for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire in Gaza (February 27, 2024): https://www.socialistsanddemocrats.eu/newsroom/sds-palestinian-lives-matter-we-call-immediate-and-unconditional-ceasefire-gaza
IBEW Local 48: Resolution Against the War in Gaza (February 28, 2024): https://www.ibew48.com/sites/default/files/files/gaza_resolution.pdf
It is time for US Catholics to take significant risks for Gaza (February 29, 2024): https://www.ncronline.org/opinion/guest-voices/it-time-us-catholics-take-significant-risks-gaza
Japanese student urges Gaza cease-fire as U.S. universities quiet dissent (February 29, 2024): https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2024/02/0db05a4f79ab-japan-student-urges-gaza-ceasefire-as-us-universities-quiet-dissent.html
Malala Yousafzai: "It's heartbreaking that this school — a place for children in Gaza to learn and dream — is now home to thousands of people fleeing Israel's attacks. Every Palestinian child deserves to live in peace and be back in their schools as students. We cannot wait another day for a ceasefire." (February 29, 2024): https://twitter.com/Malala/status/1763265614985003421
Senator Jeff Merkley: U.S. “Complicit in Starvation and Humanitarian Catastrophe” in Gaza (February 29, 2024): https://www.democracynow.org/2024/2/29/jeff_merkley_gaza_ceasefire
Young Center for Immigrant Children’s Rights Calls for Immediate Ceasefire to Safeguard Children in Gaza (February 29, 2024): https://www.theyoungcenter.org/stories/2024/2/29/young-center-for-immigrant-childrens-rights-calls-for-immediate-ceasefire-to-safeguard-children-in-gaza
A Statement from Jewish Americans Opposing AIPAC’s Intervention in Democratic Party Politics (March 2024): https://usjewsopposingaipac.org
European Trade Union Confederation: Grave and worsening humanitarian situation in Gaza calls for more urgent EU response (March 2, 2024): https://www.etuc.org/en/node/24119
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) Conference of Bishops calls for permanent bilateral cease-fire in Gaza (March 3, 2024): https://www.elca.org/News-and-Events/8217
Israel/Palestine Conflict: Over 100 Americans in Taiwan Send Letter to American Institute in Taiwan: Urgent Appeal for Ceasefire and End to Occupation in Palestine (May 3, 2024): https://newbloommag.net/2024/05/03/ait-gaza-lette
Die Linke (The Left party) MP Nicole Gohlke: Germany Should Be Supporting a Cease-Fire, Not Israel’s War (March 4, 2024): https://jacobin.com/2024/03/germany-die-linke-cease-fire-gaza
Some Black and Latino voters to back Democratic candidates who want a permanent cease-fire in Gaza: They say their solidarity with Palestinians reflects the struggles they experience every day. (March 4, 2023): https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/black-latino-voters-back-democratic-candidates-want-permanent-cease-fi-rcna141241
Brazilian Trade Union Confederation (Central Única dos Trabalhadores; CUT) demands an end to Brazil's military cooperation with Israel (March 5, 2024): https://www.workersinpalestine.org/news/brazilian-trade-union-confederation-demands
Irish Catholic Bishops' Conference: ‘Let us all say: enough … Stop the War!’ (March 5, 2024): https://www.catholicbishops.ie/2024/03/05/let-us-all-say-enough-stop-the-war-irish-bishops/
Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem: Gaza ceasefire more urgent than ever (March 5, 2024): https://www.vaticannews.va/en/church/news/2024-03/patriarch-pizzaballa-gaza-ceasefire-christians-church-peace.html
PREPARED REMARKS: Senator Bernie Sanders Calls Out the Absurdity and Hypocrisy of Continued U.S. Support for Netanyahu’s Horrific War (March 6, 2024): https://www.sanders.senate.gov/press-releases/prepared-remarks-bernie-sanders-calls-out-the-absurdity-and-hypocrisy-of-continued-u-s-support-for-netanyahus-horrific-wa
‘We can no longer be silent’: New York’s Latino faith leaders call for cease-fire in Gaza (March 6, 2024): https://religionnews.com/2024/03/06/we-can-no-longer-be-silent-new-yorks-latino-faith-leaders-call-for-cease-fire-in-gaza/
Democratic former senator Patrick Leahy warns US is violating aid conditions law known as the Leahy Law by sending money to Israel (March 7, 2024): https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/patrick-leahy-israel-gaza-aid-b2509035.html
Protesters outside American Institute in Taiwan say US aiding genocide in Gaza (March 7, 2024): https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/news/5109362
Artists Call for Ceasefire Now [Including: Bryan Adams; Ben Affleck; Eric André; Christine Baranski; Jon Batiste; Cate Blanchett; Billy Bragg; Priyanka Chopra; Bradley Cooper; Brian Cox; David Cross; Alfonso Cuarón; John Cusack; Rosario Dawson; Diplo; Drake; Brian Eno; Francesca Fiorentini; Judah Friedlander; Liz Garbus; Andrew Garfield; Richard Gere; Lily Gladstone; Selena Gomez; Amanda Gorman; Tom Hardy; Simon Helberg; Oscar Isaac; Tony Kushner; Padma Lakshmi; Cindi Leive; Simu Liu; Jennifer Lopez; Macklemore; Zayn Malik; Miriam Margolyes; Ewan McGregor; Adam McKay; Alyssa Milano; Hasan Minhaj; Michael Moore; Viggo Mortensen; Ebon Moss-Bachrach; Cynthia Nixon; Frank Ocean; Rosie O'Donnell; Sandra Oh; David Oyelowo; Mandy Patinkin; Jordan Peele; Kal Penn; Joaquin Phoenix; Boots Riley; Mark Ruffalo; Susan Sarandon; Jean Smart; Noam Shuster-Eliassi; Jon Stewart; Kristen Stewart; Jeremy Strong; Wanda Sykes; Channing Tatum; Michelle Wolf; et al.] (Updated as of March 8, 2024): https://www.artists4ceasefire.org
T'ruah, the Rabbinic Call for Human Rights: U.S. Rabbis and Cantors Call on President Biden to End War in Gaza [+450 signatures] (March 8, 2024): https://truah.org/press/north-american-rabbis-and-cantors-call-on-president-biden-to-push-for-end-of-war-in-gaza/
Middle East Studies Association Board Joint Statement with Committee on Academic Freedom regarding the ongoing genocidal violence against the Palestinian people and their cultural heritage in Gaza (March 11, 2024): https://mesana.org/advocacy/letters-from-the-board/2024/03/11/mesa-board-joint-statement-with-caf-regarding-the-ongoing-genocidal-violence-against-the-palestinian-people-and-their-cultural-heritage-in-gaza
Writers Guild of America members criticize union for silence on Gaza: Some WGA members signed on to an anonymous letter criticizing the union for its silence on Israel’s genocide in Gaza (March 11, 2024): https://prismreports.org/2024/03/11/wga-members-criticize-union-silence-gaza/
Amnesty International: NGOs sue the Danish state to stop arms exports to Israel ["The organisations involved in the lawsuit are Amnesty International Denmark, Oxfam Denmark, Mellemfolkeligt Samvirke (Action Aid Denmark) and the Palestinian human rights organization Al-Haq are suing the Danish National Police and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to stop Danish arms exports to Israel."] (March 12, 2024): https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2024/03/denmark-ngos-sue-the-danish-state-to-stop-arms-exports-to-israel/
Gaza medics tell BBC that Israeli troops beat and humiliated them after hospital raid (March 12, 2024): https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-68513408
Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Network (EuroMed Rights): Annihilation of education: 100 European academics sign Euro-Med Monitor petition against systematic Israeli destruction of Gaza Strip’s educational system (March 12, 2024): https://euromedmonitor.org/en/article/6220/Annihilation-of-education:-100-European-academics-sign-Euro-Med-Monitor-petition-against-systematic-Israeli-destruction-of-Gaza-Strip’s-educational-system
NEWS: Senators Bernie Sanders, Chris Van Hollen, Jeff Merkley, Mazie Hirono, Peter Welch, Tina Smith, Elizabeth Warren, and Ben Ray Luján Urge President Biden to Enforce U.S. Law with Netanyahu (March 12, 2024): https://www.sanders.senate.gov/press-releases/news-sanders-van-hollen-merkley-and-five-colleagues-urge-president-biden-to-enforce-u-s-law-with-netanyahu/
Rabbis for Palestinian Rights Counter 'Warmongering' AIPAC in DC: "We refuse to be bystanders as the Israeli government wages a genocidal campaign in our name," one rabbi said. (March 13, 2024): https://www.commondreams.org/news/rabbis-dc-lobby-aipac
United Methodist Church Council of Bishops calling for ceasefire in Gaza (March 13, 2024): https://www.unitedmethodistbishops.org/newsdetail/united-methodist-bishops-call-for-ceasefire-in-gaza-18303396
Vermont progressive Senator Peter Welch warns Biden Israel-Gaza will be election issue: ‘Young people are just horrified’ (March 14, 2024): https://www.welch.senate.gov/vermont-progressive-senator-warns-biden-israel-gaza-will-be-election-issue-young-people-are-just-horrified/
Anita Nikaj: Voices in Solidarity with Palestine from Prishtina, Kosovo (March 15, 2024): https://kosovotwopointzero.com/en/voices-in-solidarity-with-palestine-from-prishtina/
Great Irish Famine historians issue St. Patrick's Day statement on Gaza: A group of historians is urging Irish Americans to use their influence to avert a Famine in Gaza as severe as the one faced by their Irish ancestors. (March 15, 2024): https://www.irishcentral.com/opinion/others/irish-american-famine-gaza
Thirteen Town Meetings in Vermont Call for Ceasefire in Gaza, No More Weapons to Israel (March 16, 2024): https://www.rakevt.org/2024/03/16/thirteen-town-meetings-call-for-ceasefire-in-gaza-no-more-weapons-to-israel/
International Labour Organization: Palestinian unemployment rate set to soar to 57 per cent during first quarter of 2024 (March 18, 2024): https://www.ilo.org/resource/news/palestinian-unemployment-rate-set-soar-57-cent-during-first-quarter-2024
Israeli Assurances to Use US Arms Legally Are Not Credible: Oxfam and Human Rights Watch provide evidence of Israel's violations of international humanitarian law in Gaza, undermining credibility of assurances for President Biden's NSM-20 arms policy (March 19, 2024): https://www.hrw.org/news/2024/03/19/israeli-assurances-use-us-arms-legally-are-not-credible
Irish National Teachers' Organisation statement on Palestine – critical action vital to prevent famine (March 20, 2024): https://www.into.ie/2024/03/20/into-statement-on-palestine-critical-action-vital-to-prevent-famine/
Right-wing media have spent months disparaging liberal and anti-Zionist Jews to undercut support for Palestinians: Trump channeled and echoed a long-running trend in conservative media when he said Jews who vote for Democrats “hate” their religion (March 20, 2024): https://www.mediamatters.org/middle-east/right-wing-media-have-spent-months-disparaging-liberal-and-anti-zionist-jews-undercut
Humanists UK: Call for ceasefire in Gaza (March 21, 2024): https://humanists.uk/2024/03/21/call-for-ceasefire-in-gaza/
Gaza Strip in maps: How life has changed (March 22, 2024): https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-20415675
Association of Legal Aid Attorneys: CONGRESSIONAL SUBPOENA OVER PRO-PALESTINIAN SPEECH VIOLATES FREE SPEECH, ALLEGES ATTORNEYS' AND LEGAL WORKERS' UNION IN ITS RESPONSE (March 25, 2024): https://www.alaa.org/media-releases/congressional-subpoena-over-pro-palestinian-speech-violates-free-speech-alleges-attorneys-and-legal-workers-union-in-its-response
Franciscan Action Network: 12 Christian leaders arrested in Senate calling for ceasefire in Gaza ["The endorsing organizations include Christians for a Free Palestine; Churches for Middle East Peace; Church of the Brethren, Office of Peacebuilding and Policy; Congregation of Our Lady of Charity of the Good Shepherd, U.S. Provinces; Dorothy Day Catholic Worker; Fellowship of Reconciliation; Festival Center; Franciscan Action Network; Friends of Sabeel North America (FOSNA); Georgetown University Medical Students for Palestine, Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns; National Advocacy Center of the Sisters of the Good Shepherd; National Council of Churches, USA; Palestinian Christian Alliance for Peace; Pax Christi USA; Quixote Center; Sisters of Mercy of the Americas – Justice Team; Sojourners; United Church of Christ; The United Methodist Church — General Board of Church and Society; US Federation of the Sisters of St. Joseph; and the Women’s Alliance for Theology, Ethics, and Ritual (WATER)."] (March 25, 2024): https://franciscanaction.org/12-christian-leaders-arrested-in-senate-calling-for-ceasefire-in-gaza/
NEWS: Bernie Sanders on State Department’s Statement that Israel Has Not Restricted Humanitarian Aid to Gaza (March 25, 2024): https://www.sanders.senate.gov/press-releases/news-sanders-on-state-departments-statement-that-israel-has-not-restricted-humanitarian-aid-to-gaza/
Russian actions in Ukraine to pave way for Gaza war crimes case in ICC: Lawyer leading investigation draws parallels between crises facing Ukrainians and Palestinians (March 25, 2024): https://www.thenationalnews.com/world/europe/2024/03/25/russian-actions-in-ukraine-to-pave-way-for-gaza-war-crimes-case-in-icc/
United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights: A/HRC/55/73: Report of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967 - Advance unedited version ["After five months of military operations, Israel has destroyed Gaza. Over 30,000 Palestinians have been killed, including more than 13,000 children. Over 12,000 are presumed dead and 71,000 injured, many with life-changing mutilations. Seventy percent of residential areas have been destroyed. Eighty percent of the whole population has been forcibly displaced. Thousands of families have lost loved ones or have been wiped out. Many could not bury and mourn their relatives, forced instead to leave their bodies decomposing in homes, in the street or under the rubble. Thousands have been detained and systematically subjected to inhuman and degrading treatment. The incalculable collective trauma will be experienced for generations to come. By analysing the patterns of violence and Israel’s policies in its onslaught on Gaza, this report concludes that there are reasonable grounds to believe that the threshold indicating Israel’s commission of genocide is met. One of the key findings is that Israel's executive and military leadership and soldiers have intentionally distorted jus in bello principles, subverting their protective functions, in an attempt to legitimize genocidal violence against the Palestinian people."] (March 25, 2024): https://www.ohchr.org/en/documents/country-reports/ahrc5573-report-special-rapporteur-situation-human-rights-palestinian
In New Letter, 140+ Global Christian Leaders Call for Permanent Gaza Ceasefire, Halt of Arms Sales to Israel (March 26, 2024): https://cmep.salsalabs.org/ps-mar262024letter
Over 1,000 People Join 22-Mile Interfaith Gaza Ceasefire Pilgrimage (March 26, 2024): https://oaklandvoices.us/2024/03/26/over-1000-people-join-22-mile-interfaith-gaza-ceasefire-pilgrimage/
Former State Department official Annelle Sheline: Why I’m resigning from the State Department (March 28, 2024): https://www.cnn.com/2024/03/27/opinions/gaza-israel-resigning-state-department-sheline/index.html
I Could Not Stay Silent: Annelle Sheline Resigns from State Dept. over U.S. Gaza Policy (March 28, 2024): https://www.democracynow.org/2024/3/28/annelle_sheline
‘We cannot be silent’: A statement from the Jesuits on Gaza (March 28, 2024): https://www.americamagazine.org/politics-society/2024/03/28/jesuits-gaza-israel-ceasefire-247605
'I kept on saying goodbye': Gaza hospital reports rise in stillbirths and neonatal deaths: Doctors in Gaza are reporting an increase in adverse pregnancy outcomes, with staff members at a Rafah hospital saying they no longer see "normal-sized babies." (April 2, 2024): https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/gaza-hospital-stillbirths-neonatal-deaths-rcna145582
Rosa Luxemburg Foundation: The Unprecedented Destruction of Gaza Demands an Unprecedented Response (April 2, 2024): https://rosalux.nyc/the-unprecedented-destruction-of-gaza-demands-an-unprecedented-response/
'Unprecedented In Modern History': U.S. Aid Experts Warn Gaza Likely Already Experiencing Famine: The officials made the comments in a government cable sent within the Biden administration on Tuesday and obtained by HuffPost. (April 2, 2024): https://www.huffpost.com/entry/gaza-collapse-famine_n_660c96aae4b0328a72be47f5
A Former State Department Staffer on Why She Publicly Resigned Over Gaza: “There are people working very hard inside State to try to hold Israel accountable, but none of that will actually go into effect unless Biden wants it to,” says Annelle Sheline. (April 3, 2024): https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2024/04/former-state-department-official-regisns-joe-biden-gaza-israel-palestine-annelle-sheline/
The Independent: It’s time to stop: Editorial: The seven aid workers killed by an Israeli air strike have become symbolic of the lawless, reckless manner in which Benjamin Netanyahu has prosecuted this war. The moment has come to do whatever it takes to force the government of Israel to end it (April 3, 2024): https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/editorials/aid-workers-gaza-israel-killed-air-strike-b2522745.html
UK Judges’ and Lawyers’ Open Letter Concerning Gaza [1000+ signatures] (April 3, 2024): https://lawyersletter.uk
Former officials speak out against Biden’s Israel support after aid worker killings: ‘No one can change his mind’ (April 4, 2024): https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/joe-biden-israel-arms-gaza-b2523435.html
Trócaire: The people of Gaza are Starving; for Food and for Justice (April 4, 2024): https://www.trocaire.org/news/the-people-of-gaza-are-starving-for-food-and-for-justice/
Elizabeth Warren says she believes Israel’s war in Gaza will legally be considered a genocide: “If you want to do it as an application of law, I believe that they’ll find that it is genocide, and they have ample evidence to do so,” Warren said of the case before the ICJ. (April 8, 2024): https://www.politico.com/news/2024/04/08/israel-gaza-war-elizabeth-warren-00151120
Letter to the Editor: Don’t downplay the realities in Gaza (April 8, 2024): https://baptistnews.com/article/letter-to-the-editor-dont-downplay-the-realities-in-gaza/
DENMARK: ‘Many are eager to see tangible action to address the situation in Gaza’ ["CIVICUS speaks with Vibe Klarup, Secretary General of Amnesty International Denmark, about the joint civil society lawsuit brought against the Danish state to stop Danish arms exports to Israel."] (April 9, 2024): https://www.civicus.org/index.php/media-resources/news/interviews/6954-denmark-many-are-eager-to-see-tangible-action-to-address-the-situation-in-gaza
Labour Party of Ireland Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: Words on Gaza must be matched with action (April 9, 2024): https://labour.ie/news/2024/04/09/words-on-gaza-must-be-matched-with-action/
Ex-Obama aides become Biden critics on Gaza (April 10, 2024): https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/4583525-obama-allies-expose-dem-rift-over-bidens-israel-hamas-war-strategy/
Israeli strikes killed 7 humanitarian workers with World Central Kitchen. Right-wing media responded by attacking founder José Andrés. Conservative media figures have accused the WCK founder of “blood libel” and called him “self-aggrandizing,” a "swamp favorite,” and a “political radical” (April 10, 2024): https://www.mediamatters.org/middle-east/israeli-strikes-killed-7-humanitarian-workers-world-central-kitchen-right-wing-media
Los Angeles County Federation of Labor joins labor groups calling for cease-fire in Gaza (April 10, 2024): https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2024-04-10/l-a-county-fed-joins-labor-groups-calling-for-a-ceasefire
Young European Socialists (YES) calls for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. More than 30.000 civilians have been killed in Gaza following Israel military actions. We recall that the protection of civilian lives is a fundamental principle of international law. (April 10, 2024): https://twitter.com/YESocialists/status/1777993174654275791
Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Network (EuroMed Rights): 13,000 Palestinians reportedly missing in the Gaza Strip (April 11, 2024): https://euromedmonitor.org/en/article/6264/13,000-Palestinians-reportedly-missing-in-the-Gaza-Strip
Feroze Sidhwa and Mark Perlmutter: As Surgeons, We Have Never Seen Cruelty Like Israel’s Genocide in Gaza: We urge anyone who reads this to publicly oppose sending weapons to Israel as long as this onslaught continues. (April 11, 2024): https://www.commondreams.org/opinion/surgeons-cruelty-israel-gaza
Former State Department official Annelle Sheline explains resignation over US support of Israel (April 11, 2024): https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/former-state-department-official-explains-resignation-us-support/story?id=109083137
Democratic Coalition Sends Biden a Demand on Military Aid to Israel: In a letter, a dozen groups and labor unions called on the president to enforce a law that bars military support from going to any nation that restricts the delivery of humanitarian aid. (April 12, 2024): https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/12/us/politics/letter-biden-israel-gaza.html
Meeting between Norwegian Prime Minister Støre and Spanish President Sánchez on the war in Gaza (April 12, 2024): https://www.regjeringen.no/en/aktuelt/meeting-between-prime-minister-store-and-president-sanchez-on-the-war-in-gaza/id3033979/
Senator Bernie Sanders Statement on the Escalation in the Middle East (April 15, 2024): https://www.sanders.senate.gov/press-releases/news-sanders-statement-on-the-escalation-in-the-middle-east/
Churches Together in Britain and Ireland: Prayers and statements on violence in Israel and Gaza (April 16, 2024): https://ctbi.org.uk/prayers-and-statements-on-violence-in-israel-and-gaza/
Amos Goldberg, professor at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem: Yes, it is genocide (April 18, 2024): https://thepalestineproject.medium.com/yes-it-is-genocide-634a07ea27d4
Georgetown University Faculty and Staff for Justice in Palestine hold second vigil for Gazan academics killed by Israel (April 18, 2024): https://georgetownvoice.com/2024/04/18/faculty-hold-second-vigil-for-gazan-academics-killed-by-israel/
New Hampshire Jews say “Not in My Name” [67 signatures] (April 20, 2024): https://www.nhgazette.com/2024/04/20/n-h-jews-say-not-in-my-name/
Statement from U.S. Representatives Pramila Jayapal, Joaquin Castro, Nydia Velázquez, Lloyd Doggett, Ro Khanna, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Becca Balint, Greg Casar, Mark Takano, Jim McGovern, Barbara Lee, Earl Blumenauer, Judy Chu, Hank Johnson, André Carson, Bonnie Watson Coleman, Jesús “Chuy” García, Jonathan Jackson, and Jill Tokuda on the Israel Security Supplemental (April 20, 2024): https://jayapal.house.gov/2024/04/20/statement-from-jayapal-castro-velazquez-doggett-khanna-ocasio-cortez-balint-casar-takano-mcgovern-barbara-lee-blumenauer-chu-johnson-carson-watson-coleman-jesus-chuy/

Finally got around sharing our wonderful experience in Kansai (1 Apr 2024 - 10 Apr 2024). We are a family of 4 from Perth, Australia (1 x Toddler turning 4 end of this month and 1 x Infant about 18 months old) joined by my MIL from Malaysia. It was our first time trip to Japan but the second time flying 6 hours long with 2 kids. We chose to travel during this period as it was during Easter holidays and also the most favourable weather for our kids. As we have 4 separate accommodations booked over 9 days, we try to travel as light as possible: 2 x large suitcase, 1 x medium suitcase, 2 x medium bags, 1 x bag pack, 1 x dedicated bag for infant carrier and kids' jumpers + 1 stroller. Our kids still take nap(s) during the day and our plan was having the toddler sleep on the stroller and the infant in the carrier or the stroller if toddler is not using.
After extensive research (mostly from this sub) we still found the first few days to be quite hectic and wish we know some of the things beforehand (listed below the itinerary). I hope this post can help young families who are considering travelling to Japan with kids or those who have travelled to Japan before kids came to the picture to do it again with confidence.

9 Day Itinerary (1 Apr 2024 - 10 Apr 2024)

Day 1 Osaka: Namba (Monday)
Our flight from KUL arrived KIX around 10am and boarded the Nankai Rapid (bought 1 month prior online) to Shin-Imamiya station after getting our luggage. We originally planned to take a taxi from there but failed to find any taxi for 20 mins so we end up walking to our accommodation as the kids were tired of waiting. After offloading our luggage we manage to hail a taxi and head to Namba Parks to rest and unwind. Had a refreshing lunch at Yasaiya Mei (mains + all you can eat side dishes including veg tempura) and went to explore the rooftop parks garden before putting the kids to nap. After the kids woke up we took a taxi back to check in officially. Everyone was quite tired thus we opted to stay in and get dinner from Life supermarket nearby. This was probably the most enjoyable part of the day for the kids wandering around a foreign supermarket as we bought dinner and some light snacks. After putting the kids to bed, we did some laundry and packed our 1st luggage to send away.
Day 2 Osaka: Tennoji (Tuesday)
While everyone was getting ready, I went to the nearby 7-Eleven to forward our 1st luggage to the 4th accommodation via Yamato transport. The shop attendant was helpful and guided me through the process as we communicated via deepL. We walked to the Lawson's at JR Imamiya to get brekkky before taking the Osaka loop Line to JR tennoji. We took quite a while to navigate towards Tennoji Zoo from JR Tennoji but eventually got there after a 15 min detour. It was quite crowded for a Tuesday morning but the kids get to roam around the Tenshiba garden while I queue up for tickets (500 yen per adult). One of the kids fell asleep in the zoo so we decided to just grab food to go at the supermarket outside the zoo for lunch. We then head towards Abeno Q's mall to shop and put the other kid to sleep. There was quite a lot of hot food along the way and we manage to grab some for the kids to snack on after their nap (butaman from Horai 555, mochi donut from Mister Donut, taiyaki etc). There's a fantastic area for kids to play (kid, play, study) at the ground floor with different sensory setup and soft blocks for stacking/ balancing. I spent close to 2 hours there with 2 kids while my wife and MIL went shopping. After that we had dinner at Grand Capital Toyoutei at the Kintetsu mall dining floor before heading to our final activity of the day: Abeno Harukas 300. Tickets were a bit steep (2000 yen per adult) but we end up staying there for quite a bit and the experience was pretty unique even though we missed the sunset timing. The elevator ride to the top though short left quite an impression. The kids enjoyed running around at the sky garden 2 floors below as we rest and enjoy the night view of the city from about 300m above ground. The journey back to our accommodation was pretty straightforward and the kids got knocked out when we got home. All in all Tennoji was a pleasantly great experience and we have a better understanding about JR station layout and navigating underground.
Day 3 Osaka - Kyoto (Wednesday)
This was a rather hectic day as it rained quite a bit and we struggled to get a taxi after checking out, getting turned down by several taxis with "空车". We eventually found one to bring us to JR Osaka station. Navigating at the station wasn't too difficult after yesterday but there were long queues when we arrived at 10am and I made the fatal mistake of leaving my physical credit card back in Perth and spent 45mins trying to redeem limited express tickets I reserved online. The JR staff were friendly and tried their best to help but they can only recommend me cancelling my initial reservation and buying new tickets (cancellation fee was about 2300 yen for 3 adults). As soon as we got our tickets we sprinted to the underground gate about 15 mins walk away. I even carried the stroller and kids through an escalator as we didn't want to waste time finding a lift and risk missing the train. We managed to board the limited express train on time and arrived at JR Kyoto which was even more crowded and larger than most international airports. The kids were quite cranky by now as it has been all rush and long waits since they woke up. I split up with my family with 2 luggage that we initially planned to forward to our Arashiyama accommodation via Sagawa. However I was told same day delivery service is only applicable to limited hotels so I stored the luggage at 2 coin lockers and then head to the Kintetsu line ticket counter to redeem the Kyoto-Nara and Nara-Osaka limited express tickets which fortunately doesn't require my credit card details (just reservation number). By the time I reunite with my family it was still raining and both kids fell asleep so we ditched the plan for Kyoto railway museum and instead went browsing for lunch at Porta and Isetan dining floor. We eventually queued to eat at Ejuan for about 25 minutes while one of the kid was still asleep. The wait was worthwhile as the grilled miso black cod was exceptional as was the kids' grilled chicken. Next we went to the skywalk at level 9 briefly before my family went to the toy section at Isetan while I retrieve our luggage from the coin lockers. We board the Saga line bound for Saga-Arashiyama and rested awhile at the accommodation before heading out for dinner after the rain stopped. We walked to Kijurou and fortunately they have space for us provided we order a main meal per adult. The yakiniku and Wagyu rib loin bowls were pretty good but we find the Hitsumabushi set a bit gimmicky. After dinner we stopped by Kimono Forest on our way back and this was probably the highlight of the kids day.
Day 4 Kyoto: Arashiyama (Thursday)
Had Lawson's for brekky before heading out to Kimono Rental Amuya to hired kimonos for my wife and toddler including hairstyling. The shop was actually a house with the living area turned into a studio and only the owner working by herself so we waited for about half an hour before walking towards the Bamboo Forest and Tenryu-ji gardens (500 yen entry from the north gate but well worth it for the blooming sakura and picturesque lake). It was crowded as expected and everyone was moving slowly so it took us about an hour to complete the loop back to the main tourist strip. We then had Udon for lunch at Ozuru, the chewy noodles were complemented by the broth which was a lot more flavourful than the kitsune Udon we are accustomed to back in Perth. After lunch we head home to put the kids to nap before venturing out in the evening towards Togetsukyo Bridge overlooking the pristine Katsura river flowing gracefully from Mt Arashi in the backdrop. The view was breathtaking and we crossed over to Arashiyama park where the kids had a great time running around free range. As the sun was setting, we head back to the town centre, took a novelty Randen ride and grab some food (Naruse's Unagi, Upit's Burger) en route to our accommodation to eat in before calling it a day.
Day 5 Kyoto (Friday)
After checking out we took the Saga line to JR Kyoto station and forwarded the medium sized luggage to the 4th accommodation in Osaka using Crosta. We then did some light shopping at Yodabashi Camera Kyoto as my MIL shoes had kick the bucket and we needed a replacement. Manage to sneak in the only ramen meal of the trip at Ramen Chabuton located upstairs. It was a fairly small shop but we were lucky to get a table just before the Friday lunch rush hour and our ramen cravings were thoroughly satiated. We put the kids down for a quick nap as we make our way back to JR Kyoto to take the Saga line towards Kyoto railway museum. This is an underrated attraction with so much to do and we could have spent the whole day here if I knew they had coin lockers. There were many interactive and educational displays relating to train components in addition to multiple play areas upstairs as well as an outdoor playground! There's also a mockup ticket gate for kids to learn how to purchase a ticket and pass through the gate. Our kids loved the ball pit, toy train area and large train simulator. We couldn't squeeze enough time to explore the 3rd floor or watch the diorama presentation or board the Steam Locomotive as it was getting late. We took a taxi to check-in at Kamoya Ryokan before taking the bus to Nishiki Market for dinner. It's about 6pm and most of the shops were shutting and the remaining ones that are open had queues building up quickly. We ended up waiting 30 mins to eat sushi at Sushi Say. There's a limited range of cooked food including skewers which we got for our kids while we share a nigiri platter and sashimi. After dinner we went to the basement of Daimaru Kyoto across the road to get some baked goods for brekky before taking the taxi home to crash.
Day 6 Kyoto (Saturday)
My MIL wanted to take it easy and explore the area at her own pace so we had a more spontaneous day. After brekky, we took the bus to Yasaka Shrine and started our trek towards Heian Jingu, stopping along the way to enjoy the blossoming park and munching on food from street vendors. We paid to enter the shrine garden (600 yen per adult) which was very worth it for a 30 minute stroll and escape from the bustling crowd outside. We grab some food to eat from the street vendors as one of the kid slept and then head to the playground across the road (Wagener Square) and spent a good 30 minutes there even though it was a bit basic (Perth is blessed with many great playgrounds). Once both kids are feeling refreshed we felt adventurous and took the bus to attempt the hike up Kiyomizu-dera. Since its a Saturday, the Sannenzaka path was packed with phenomenal crowds with the occasional car coming through and splitting the crowd apart. I carried the infant to sleep while my wife push our toddler on the stroller as we slowly make our way up, stopping by for a nice matcha latte and softserve at Here cafe to recharge. We eventually reached the base of the temple after 30 minutes and decided against entering due to the massive crowds (& stairs!). On the way down we reached the fork that branches into Ninenzaka and thought we try giving it a go. There were a lot more stairs over this side and we had to carry the stroller through the steps while waiting for the crowd to advance before us. As physically draining as it was, we felt a sense of achievement as we manage to snap a photo with the iconic Hokanji temple. We took the bus home after that and had an enjoyable dinner at Okonomiyaki Yoshino next door before an early night to recover.
Day 7 Kyoto - Nara - Osaka (Sunday)
We had some leftover food for brekky before checking out and heading to JR Kyoto via taxi. We head to the Kintetsu line and boarded the Vistacar limited express train to Nara. I've booked for the private room down stairs which was pretty spacious for the 5 of us and our luggage. After arriving at Kintetsu-Nara station, we took the 100 yen tourist bus to the famous Nara Deer Park and started exploring the area. There were plenty of deer roaming throughout/ resting on the ground and several vendors at the entrance selling deer crackers. After the kids were done feeding 2 sets of crackers, we head to Mizuya Chaya for lunch. There were limited seating so we sat by the side and ate with the bowl in our hands while feeding the kids. Probably the best Udon we had in our lives (level above Ozuru in Arashiyama and Hifumiya in Perth). Time for a nap so we put the kids down while making our way to have a closer look at Todaiji temple as there were too many stairs to Kasuga-taisha and we have yet to recover. We had our first Cremia here and it was amazing. After the kids woke up we took the bus back to Kintetsu-Nara station and explored the nearby street while waiting for our train. We then boarded the HINOTORI limited express bound for Osaka. While walking towards the hotel to check in, we were passing by Dotombori and opted to have a quick dinner and call it a day rather than coming out again after checking in and offloading our luggage. We ended up having curry at Hariju Dotombori Curry shop which taste d like a homely nourishing meal. After dinner we took the taxi to the hotel and fortunately our 2 other luggage that we forwarded days before are waiting for us to collect. Did some repacking and also laundry at a nearby laundromat before sleep.
Day 8 Osaka: Osaka Bay Area (Monday)
Started the day with brekky at MOS Burger just outside our hotel before taking the metro train to Osaka Bay Area. There were plenty to see as we approach the Kaiyukan, large LEGO animal displays, the large ferris wheel and Disney characters. The ticketing and entry time is staggered which is a good idea to control the amount of crowds going in and out. I started queueing at 1035am and got entry for 11am which was fair (opted not to book timeslot online as it can be unpredictable with kids and public transit) but we didn't felt like its a long wait as the kids were running around and enjoying the ocean view. The entry also have a photographer stationed to take a family polaroid with a whale shark replica for FREE. We were impressed with the aquarium's efficient layout where some prominent displays (Whale Shark, Seals etc) span across multiple floors so you can still enjoy them later on if you missed it earlier due to the crowds. Apart from sea creatures there are also Arctic mammals and birds (Puffins) from all over the world. The kids were over stimulated by lunch time so we head to the food court at Tempozan Market Place to refuel. After lunch we took the kids for a ferris wheel ride before putting both to sleep while we make our way to Shinsaibashisuji Shopping Street via metro line. As the kids were still asleep, I rested at Daimaru with my MIL while my wife went shopping. This turn out to be a fantastic place with a floor dedicated for kids (Pokemon centre, Pokemon cafe, BorneLund mini play area with many display toys available for sampling). The kids spent the rest of the day here after they woke up and we had dinner at the dining floor. There were queues everywhere and we chose to wait at Aozora Blue as they offer udon made with a higher wheat ratio here. Regrettably the kids didn't enjoy as much and prefer regular ones that we are used to. After dinner we took away cheescake from Rikuro for dessert back at our hotel. I made sure to online check in our flights before I go to bed.
Day 9 Osaka: Dotombori (Tuesday)
Our final day in Japan and we chose to do some shopping and take it easy. Tried Doutor Coffee for brekky (took a while to find as it was underground) before walking to Don Quijote at Dotombori. There's 6 floors crammed with various items: snacks, electronics, clothing, non prescription medication, toys, collectibles as well as a functional ferris wheel (operates after 2pm). That being said the kids got bored after awhile and didn't really enjoy much as there wasn't much space to move around. I brought them out to stroll around the Ebisu-bashi Bridge while my wife and MIL continue their haul. It was certainly a sight to behold: countless amount of large LCD screens with surround sound on full blast from every high rise building, street buskers vying for attention from crowds that were constantly on the move, tourists taking selfies in front of the iconic Glicoman. Sadly it started to drizzle so I quickly entered the Shinsaibashisuji Shopping Street undercover area and look for a place to have lunch. I stumbled across a Yoshinoya & Hanamaru joint food hall which was bustling with both locals and foreigners. You have to order and get your food from the counter before you can occupy a table so I waited for my wife and MIL to arrive before we start queueing up. We had the gyudon and beef Udon with onsen egg along with chicken karaage and tempura. There's also a condiment station with toppings to complement your udon as well as free tea and water. Everything was very affordable and best of all we didn't had to wait long. After lunch my wife continuing shopping while we head to Daimaru for the kids to have a nap and play afterwards. I noticed there's a bridge that connects each floor to the Parco next door and discovered a unique floor full of pop culture themed stores including a studio Ghibli store featuring Totoro and No-Face displays, a 2 ft tall Godzilla, Ultraman, Capcom superstore, Sanrio (Hello Kitty), Snoopy, Rilakkuma and also a LEGO store. The kids had a great time browsing and also playing with LEGO before my wife reunites with us. As it's nearing dinner time, I thought we try our luck getting a table at Ganko Dotombori and make our way towards Ebisu-bashi Bridge. The view here is even more spectacular at night with the contrasting lights as well as numerous LCD displays illuminating the area. Unfortunately there's a lengthy wait at Ganko and our party voted for street food instead which turn out surprising well. Kids devoured a dozen gyozas while we had takoyaki, kobe beef nigiri, yakitori and yakiniku skewers as we strolled along the street. It was still early so we made a detour towards Hozenji before walking back the hotel. Then we stumbled upon an arcade (Amuse Factory AXE) which naturally drawn the kids in, we got popcorn from a vending machine there and it was enough to keep the kids happy on our trek back. Before taking our last sleep in Japan, we organized our luggage and get them ready for check out the next day.
Day 10 Osaka: Sayonara (Wednesday)
Checked out of the hotel and took a private airport taxi to KIX. Had brekky at McD and Lawsons and surprised to find that the food here costs the same as outside (e.g. McD/ Hungry Jacks at Malaysian/ Australian airports cost more than the metro/ suburban outlets). Boarded the flight and bid Japan farewell for now while soaking in the surreal time we had.
List of accommodations for 3 adults and 1 child + 1 infant/ toddler
1. Orange House 701 (22,500 yen for 2 nights) 10/10
Location is not bad in a quiet area South of the bustling Dotombori area with Konbinis and JR Imamiya within walking distance. Washing machine, shower and stove took some time to figure out and my kid accidentally turned on the stove but luckily there's a safety button. Overall a brilliant accommodation at an affordable price and will consider returning if we come back to Osaka with kids.
2. Arashiyama bamboo guest house (55,650 yen for 2 nights + 1200 yen tax) 8/10
Prime location 1 min away from JR station, Lawson and walking distances to the local tourist strip, Bamboo Grove, Tenryu-ji and Togetsukyo Bridge. However the room is located on the 3rd floor with no lift so it can be a challenge for kids and older folk. The owner was kind enough to carry our 2 X 20kg luggage up and speaks a little English. The stay was rather comfortable even with futons to sleep on while my MIL slept on one of the single beds. We are unlikely returning to Arashiyama but would recommend this place if it suits your budget.
3. Kamoya Ryokan (35,400 yen for 2 nights + 2000 yen tax) 7.5/10
Not as central as the other accommodations but still within 10 mins walking distance to JR and bus lines. This is a shared accommodation so fridge, microwave and hot/ cold water is in the common area but we have a private bathroom to use. There are no beds so we all slept side by side on futons in the same room. For some reason kids are also taxed to stay a night here (200 yen) but the host was super friendly, spoke a bit of basic English and helped us with ordering a taxi when we checked out. For the price this is not a bad place for short term stay if cosleeping on futons together as a family is acceptable. Bonus: the okonomiyaki place next door is quite good albeit requiring a bit more effort to communicate but is worth it as plenty of locals seem to frequent there and our kids love the yakisoba.
4. Best Western Hotel Fino Osaka Shinsaibashi (40,450 yen for 3 nights) 8/10
Functional hotel relatively close to Shinsaibashi shopping street and Dotombori. 1 min walk away from Osaka metro station and 7 Eleven. There's also a 24 hour laundromat 5 mins walk away. Facilities are bare minimal but gets the job done as we only needed the place to crash and freshen up since there's a lot of shopping and remaining sightseeing to be done. All reception staff spoke English well and check in/ out was rather smooth. I would consider staying again if the rooms were larger but can't complain at this price point and location.
List of eateries we consider returning

• Yasaiya Mei
• Ejuan
• Kijurou
• Ozuru
• Upit's Burger
• Ramen Chabuton
• Okonomiyaki Yoshino
• Mizuya Chaya
• Yoshinoya & Hanamaru

Highlight of each day for the kids

1. Wandering around Life supermarket and exploring a new accommodation
2. Running around 300m above ground at the Abeno Harukas sky garden while having fruits/ snacks in between
3. Visiting Kimono Forest after dinner, watching the randen pass by at the crossing
4. Running around at Arashiyama park and watching the majestic Katsura river flowing rapidly
5. The outdoor playground at Kyoto railway museum among many other fun things there
6. The playground at Wagener Square across Heian Jingu
7. Interacting with deer and eating udon outdoors
8. Seeing different sea animals up close and ferris wheel ride after
9. Making friends at BorneLund and having imaginary play together despite the language barrier

Lessons learned (not in chronological order)

General tips

• We prepared about 160,000 yen cash before arriving at Japan but also have money via 1 x transfer wise debit card (digital), 1 x Westpac credit card (digital), 1 x ING debit card (physical). We ended up withdrawing a further 200,000 yen worth of cash. We opted not to bring any AUD as the rate is quite poor in Japan since most would prefer foreign exchangers would prefer USD.
• We didn't get to use our digital cards as most places in Kansai (Kanto might be different) that offer card payments still requires a physical card to read the chip.
• Please remember to bring the physical card of the credit card used for any online booking to avoid the stress I endured on day 3.
• We booked all the transit tickets online about a month prior and find it worthwhile rather than spending 15 - 30 mins in queue at the ticket counters. The limited express tickets go crazy fast and I recommend booking them the hour they become available (1 month prior your transit date and as soon as it is open in Japan time).
• We booked all 4 accommodations via booking.com and find the messenger via the app very handy in liaising with the owne receptionist on whether we can offload our luggage earlier or forward our luggage a few days in advance. One of them even told me that I can check in few hours earlier as the room was ready. Regardless of what platform you use, try to communicate with the accommodation prior your arrival if you are considering forwarding luggage or dropping them off before your official check in time.
• Booking multiple accommodations over a short span of time is very tiring as we are needing to worry about getting our luggage from A to B every second day but only able to check in the next place 5 - 6 hours after checking out the previous place (Most checkin starts from 3pm and checkout from 10am). Our transition days are always stressful as we don't get to do much due to the timing while handling multiple baggage so the kids are crankier.
• Rubbish/ garbage cans are mainly found on major train stations or shopping malls as well as konbinis. Most vending machines only have a recycle bin but we have plenty of disposable nappy bags which we use as rubbish bags if needed.
• We had 3 data Sims about 5GB each which was sufficient for the 9 days (navigation, Google translate, WhatsApp voice call). Free wifi is available at most places which we use whenever we need to photo dump on WhatsApp group chats or play YouTube for the kids.
• My eSim stopped working when we arrived at Kyoto from Osaka but luckily I tried rebooting my phone and it connected to the local network after. Another down side of data only Sim is there is no Japanese mobile number which can be handy (make reservations at restaurants or signing up for taxi apps to get taxi).
• We use Google Maps and Japan Travel by NAVITIME App to plan our overall route each day, public transit details is quite clear via Google Maps with several options for different J metro/ bus lines. While Japan Travel App is able to approximate cost of taxi which was useful for comparison.
• For translation, we used DeepL app when we wanted to converse with someone in Japanese and Google Translate for written Japanese translation via the camera.
• In Osaka, getting around via JR and Metro is optimal in terms of time and cost; In Kyoto, buses are more readily available but be prepared to stand shoulder to shoulder as the buses are not big and averages around 30 - 50 people. We recommend a taxi if travelling a short distance (<10 minutes) for a family that can fit into a single car.
• You can forward luggage at your hotel or local 7 eleven via Yamato transport within Osaka.
• The Jikan refreshing legs patch worked well for me but my wife got woken up few times as her feet felt cold due to the cooling effect. We got some heat patches the next day and it worked better for her.
• A few Japanese phrases go along way and perhaps it's why we mostly get friendly responses (arigato gozaimas, ohaiyo, konnichiwa, kore onegaishimas, doitashi mashite, hitotsu onegaishimas, daijorbudes, kodomo).
• The basement level of most department stores/ shopping malls sells a variety of package deserts and often a bakery opened till 8pm where we sometimes go to after dinner to get brekky for the next morning.
• Some malls have an express lift (stops only at 1F and 10F) and it may be quicker to use those in combination with escalators to get to the level you like quickly.
• Coin lockers are found is almost every major attraction and JR station but finding a large one that is available can be challenging so allow extra time. Most coin lockers only take 100 yen coins with the exception of newer ones which also takes IC cards as payment.
• Some food courts have drinkable water for you to refill your bottles but otherwise vending machines and konbinis will quench your hydration needs (the peach drink is pretty addictive).
• Other than Booking.com, Google maps, Google Translate, DeepL and Japan Travel by NAVITIME, we didn't really used the other apps we downloaded before hand but you might find a use for them: Mamamap, NERV, Ecbo cloak, Klook.

Child related tips

• Younger kids take awhile to acclimatize to a foreign environment and our kids were more lethargic than they normally are during the day, sometimes needing 2 naps instead of 1 so be prepared to adjust your plans and skip over some places that were catered specifically for them if needed.
• Google maps only tells you the distance to get you from Point A to Point B horizontally. Unfortunately it doesn't consider the routes involving travelling multiple floors to avoid heavy traffic even with wheelchair access enabled. For instance you can go across Tenshiba Garden from JR Tennoji via the overhead bridge (not ideal as the route is longer with a stroller) or underground (best with a stroller but unfortunately Google Maps doesn't show this route and we stumble across it by chance).
• Google maps navigation over multiple floors is also not very accurate but the local directory maps are very informative so take extra time to study it and find the nearest access (parents room, lift or exit to above ground/ underground).
• The lift (singular as most train station platforms only share one lift unless it's a major one like Osaka/ Kyoto etc), are often located at one end of the platform so allow additional 15 - 20 minutes when travelling with strollers or luggage.
• Most department stores/ shopping malls (Daimaru etc) have a floor suitable for kids with toy samples for playing and sometimes even a free play area (Bornelund).
• Our kids love the Butaman from Horai and we probably purchased from 5 different stores throughout the trip (they are located at almost every major station and department store). Find something that works for your kids that can be found readily (7-11, family mart, Lawson's, daily Yamazaki etc) as back up when they didn't want to eat where you were dining at or if they fell asleep and skipped a meal.
• 100 yen stores (Daiso, 3 coins, Seria, Can*Do, Watts) have plenty of cheap kid activities (e.g. sticker books, puzzles, bubble wand etc) that can entertain them throughout the day/ in restaurants/ in the showe in the accommodation before bed etc.
• Paid Attractions in Kansai that are worthwhile if your kids are under 5 (6 and above may be charged separately): Tennoji Zoo, Abeno Harukas 300, Kyoto Railway Museum, Osaka Kaiyukan, Tempozan Ferris Wheel.
• Other brekky alternatives that we liked apart from konbinis/ bakeries were MOS burgers and Doutor coffee. Gyudons (sukiya, matsuya, yoshinoya) morning menu was a bit too heavy for our kids and other options we would have tried were too far from where we stayed (Tully's, McDonalds, KoHiKan).
• Some places require you order a main meal per adult but we are small eaters so we make sure what we ordered was something our kids might eat (not spicy etc).
• Tabelog is useful to tell you the size of the restaurant and we avoided anywhere that seats less than 20 people to save time.
• We tried to eat at a restaurant for lunch and dinner the first few days but actually realize the kids enjoy munching on small eats from konbinis/ street vendors more than a casual sit down meal so we were a bit more spontaneous the second half of the trip.
• Watch out for deer poo at Nara especially when pushing your stroller! Most of the deer are quite friendly and let you pet them but don't touch their tail area as they can get defensive. If your kids are feeding away the crackers too quickly, break them in half so you have more 'ammunition'.
• Metro and JR Trains (including limited express ones) stop for less than 10 seconds. Please remember to unlock your stroller when you are approaching your next stop and prepare to jump out.

Finally got around sharing our wonderful experience in Kansai (1 Apr 2024 - 10 Apr 2024). We are a family of 4 from Perth, Australia (1 x Toddler turning 4 end of this month and 1 x Infant about 18 months old) joined by my MIL from Malaysia. It was our first time trip to Japan but the second time flying 6 hours long with 2 kids. We chose to travel during this period as it was during Easter holidays and also the most favourable weather for our kids. As we have 4 separate accommodations booked over 9 days, we try to travel as light as possible: 2 x large suitcase, 1 x medium suitcase, 2 x medium bags, 1 x bag pack, 1 x dedicated bag for infant carrier and kids' jumpers + 1 stroller. Our kids still take nap(s) during the day and our plan was having the toddler sleep on the stroller and the infant in the carrier or the stroller if toddler is not using.
After extensive research (mostly from this sub) we still found the first few days to be quite hectic and wish we know some of the things beforehand (listed below the itinerary). I hope this post can help young families who are considering travelling to Japan with kids or those who have travelled to Japan before kids came to the picture to do it again with confidence.

9 Day Itinerary (1 Apr 2024 - 10 Apr 2024)

Day 1 Osaka: Namba (Monday)
Our flight from KUL arrived KIX around 10am and boarded the Nankai Rapid (bought 1 month prior online) to Shin-Imamiya station after getting our luggage. We originally planned to take a taxi from there but failed to find any taxi for 20 mins so we end up walking to our accommodation as the kids were tired of waiting. After offloading our luggage we manage to hail a taxi and head to Namba Parks to rest and unwind. Had a refreshing lunch at Yasaiya Mei (mains + all you can eat side dishes including veg tempura) and went to explore the rooftop parks garden before putting the kids to nap. After the kids woke up we took a taxi back to check in officially. Everyone was quite tired thus we opted to stay in and get dinner from Life supermarket nearby. This was probably the most enjoyable part of the day for the kids wandering around a foreign supermarket as we bought dinner and some light snacks. After putting the kids to bed, we did some laundry and packed our 1st luggage to send away.
Day 2 Osaka: Tennoji (Tuesday)
While everyone was getting ready, I went to the nearby 7-Eleven to forward our 1st luggage to the 4th accommodation via Yamato transport. The shop attendant was helpful and guided me through the process as we communicated via deepL. We walked to the Lawson's at JR Imamiya to get brekkky before taking the Osaka loop Line to JR tennoji. We took quite a while to navigate towards Tennoji Zoo from JR Tennoji but eventually got there after a 15 min detour. It was quite crowded for a Tuesday morning but the kids get to roam around the Tenshiba garden while I queue up for tickets (500 yen per adult). One of the kids fell asleep in the zoo so we decided to just grab food to go at the supermarket outside the zoo for lunch. We then head towards Abeno Q's mall to shop and put the other kid to sleep. There was quite a lot of hot food along the way and we manage to grab some for the kids to snack on after their nap (butaman from Horai 555, mochi donut from Mister Donut, taiyaki etc). There's a fantastic area for kids to play (kid, play, study) at the ground floor with different sensory setup and soft blocks for stacking/ balancing. I spent close to 2 hours there with 2 kids while my wife and MIL went shopping. After that we had dinner at Grand Capital Toyoutei at the Kintetsu mall dining floor before heading to our final activity of the day: Abeno Harukas 300. Tickets were a bit steep (2000 yen per adult) but we end up staying there for quite a bit and the experience was pretty unique even though we missed the sunset timing. The elevator ride to the top though short left quite an impression. The kids enjoyed running around at the sky garden 2 floors below as we rest and enjoy the night view of the city from about 300m above ground. The journey back to our accommodation was pretty straightforward and the kids got knocked out when we got home. All in all Tennoji was a pleasantly great experience and we have a better understanding about JR station layout and navigating underground.
Day 3 Osaka - Kyoto (Wednesday)
This was a rather hectic day as it rained quite a bit and we struggled to get a taxi after checking out, getting turned down by several taxis with "空车". We eventually found one to bring us to JR Osaka station. Navigating at the station wasn't too difficult after yesterday but there were long queues when we arrived at 10am and I made the fatal mistake of leaving my physical credit card back in Perth and spent 45mins trying to redeem limited express tickets I reserved online. The JR staff were friendly and tried their best to help but they can only recommend me cancelling my initial reservation and buying new tickets (cancellation fee was about 2300 yen for 3 adults). As soon as we got our tickets we sprinted to the underground gate about 15 mins walk away. I even carried the stroller and kids through an escalator as we didn't want to waste time finding a lift and risk missing the train. We managed to board the limited express train on time and arrived at JR Kyoto which was even more crowded and larger than most international airports. The kids were quite cranky by now as it has been all rush and long waits since they woke up. I split up with my family with 2 luggage that we initially planned to forward to our Arashiyama accommodation via Sagawa. However I was told same day delivery service is only applicable to limited hotels so I stored the luggage at 2 coin lockers and then head to the Kintetsu line ticket counter to redeem the Kyoto-Nara and Nara-Osaka limited express tickets which fortunately doesn't require my credit card details (just reservation number). By the time I reunite with my family it was still raining and both kids fell asleep so we ditched the plan for Kyoto railway museum and instead went browsing for lunch at Porta and Isetan dining floor. We eventually queued to eat at Ejuan for about 25 minutes while one of the kid was still asleep. The wait was worthwhile as the grilled miso black cod was exceptional as was the kids' grilled chicken. Next we went to the skywalk at level 9 briefly before my family went to the toy section at Isetan while I retrieve our luggage from the coin lockers. We board the Saga line bound for Saga-Arashiyama and rested awhile at the accommodation before heading out for dinner after the rain stopped. We walked to Kijurou and fortunately they have space for us provided we order a main meal per adult. The yakiniku and Wagyu rib loin bowls were pretty good but we find the Hitsumabushi set a bit gimmicky. After dinner we stopped by Kimono Forest on our way back and this was probably the highlight of the kids day.
Day 4 Kyoto: Arashiyama (Thursday)
Had Lawson's for brekky before heading out to Kimono Rental Amuya to hired kimonos for my wife and toddler including hairstyling. The shop was actually a house with the living area turned into a studio and only the owner working by herself so we waited for about half an hour before walking towards the Bamboo Forest and Tenryu-ji gardens (500 yen entry from the north gate but well worth it for the blooming sakura and picturesque lake). It was crowded as expected and everyone was moving slowly so it took us about an hour to complete the loop back to the main tourist strip. We then had Udon for lunch at Ozuru, the chewy noodles were complemented by the broth which was a lot more flavourful than the kitsune Udon we are accustomed to back in Perth. After lunch we head home to put the kids to nap before venturing out in the evening towards Togetsukyo Bridge overlooking the pristine Katsura river flowing gracefully from Mt Arashi in the backdrop. The view was breathtaking and we crossed over to Arashiyama park where the kids had a great time running around free range. As the sun was setting, we head back to the town centre, took a novelty Randen ride and grab some food (Naruse's Unagi, Upit's Burger) en route to our accommodation to eat in before calling it a day.
Day 5 Kyoto (Friday)
After checking out we took the Saga line to JR Kyoto station and forwarded the medium sized luggage to the 4th accommodation in Osaka using Crosta. We then did some light shopping at Yodabashi Camera Kyoto as my MIL shoes had kick the bucket and we needed a replacement. Manage to sneak in the only ramen meal of the trip at Ramen Chabuton located upstairs. It was a fairly small shop but we were lucky to get a table just before the Friday lunch rush hour and our ramen cravings were thoroughly satiated. We put the kids down for a quick nap as we make our way back to JR Kyoto to take the Saga line towards Kyoto railway museum. This is an underrated attraction with so much to do and we could have spent the whole day here if I knew they had coin lockers. There were many interactive and educational displays relating to train components in addition to multiple play areas upstairs as well as an outdoor playground! There's also a mockup ticket gate for kids to learn how to purchase a ticket and pass through the gate. Our kids loved the ball pit, toy train area and large train simulator. We couldn't squeeze enough time to explore the 3rd floor or watch the diorama presentation or board the Steam Locomotive as it was getting late. We took a taxi to check-in at Kamoya Ryokan before taking the bus to Nishiki Market for dinner. It's about 6pm and most of the shops were shutting and the remaining ones that are open had queues building up quickly. We ended up waiting 30 mins to eat sushi at Sushi Say. There's a limited range of cooked food including skewers which we got for our kids while we share a nigiri platter and sashimi. After dinner we went to the basement of Daimaru Kyoto across the road to get some baked goods for brekky before taking the taxi home to crash.
Day 6 Kyoto (Saturday)
My MIL wanted to take it easy and explore the area at her own pace so we had a more spontaneous day. After brekky, we took the bus to Yasaka Shrine and started our trek towards Heian Jingu, stopping along the way to enjoy the blossoming park and munching on food from street vendors. We paid to enter the shrine garden (600 yen per adult) which was very worth it for a 30 minute stroll and escape from the bustling crowd outside. We grab some food to eat from the street vendors as one of the kid slept and then head to the playground across the road (Wagener Square) and spent a good 30 minutes there even though it was a bit basic (Perth is blessed with many great playgrounds). Once both kids are feeling refreshed we felt adventurous and took the bus to attempt the hike up Kiyomizu-dera. Since its a Saturday, the Sannenzaka path was packed with phenomenal crowds with the occasional car coming through and splitting the crowd apart. I carried the infant to sleep while my wife push our toddler on the stroller as we slowly make our way up, stopping by for a nice matcha latte and softserve at Here cafe to recharge. We eventually reached the base of the temple after 30 minutes and decided against entering due to the massive crowds (& stairs!). On the way down we reached the fork that branches into Ninenzaka and thought we try giving it a go. There were a lot more stairs over this side and we had to carry the stroller through the steps while waiting for the crowd to advance before us. As physically draining as it was, we felt a sense of achievement as we manage to snap a photo with the iconic Hokanji temple. We took the bus home after that and had an enjoyable dinner at Okonomiyaki Yoshino next door before an early night to recover.
Day 7 Kyoto - Nara - Osaka (Sunday)
We had some leftover food for brekky before checking out and heading to JR Kyoto via taxi. We head to the Kintetsu line and boarded the Vistacar limited express train to Nara. I've booked for the private room down stairs which was pretty spacious for the 5 of us and our luggage. After arriving at Kintetsu-Nara station, we took the 100 yen tourist bus to the famous Nara Deer Park and started exploring the area. There were plenty of deer roaming throughout/ resting on the ground and several vendors at the entrance selling deer crackers. After the kids were done feeding 2 sets of crackers, we head to Mizuya Chaya for lunch. There were limited seating so we sat by the side and ate with the bowl in our hands while feeding the kids. Probably the best Udon we had in our lives (level above Ozuru in Arashiyama and Hifumiya in Perth). Time for a nap so we put the kids down while making our way to have a closer look at Todaiji temple as there were too many stairs to Kasuga-taisha and we have yet to recover. We had our first Cremia here and it was amazing. After the kids woke up we took the bus back to Kintetsu-Nara station and explored the nearby street while waiting for our train. We then boarded the HINOTORI limited express bound for Osaka. While walking towards the hotel to check in, we were passing by Dotombori and opted to have a quick dinner and call it a day rather than coming out again after checking in and offloading our luggage. We ended up having curry at Hariju Dotombori Curry shop which taste d like a homely nourishing meal. After dinner we took the taxi to the hotel and fortunately our 2 other luggage that we forwarded days before are waiting for us to collect. Did some repacking and also laundry at a nearby laundromat before sleep.
Day 8 Osaka: Osaka Bay Area (Monday)
Started the day with brekky at MOS Burger just outside our hotel before taking the metro train to Osaka Bay Area. There were plenty to see as we approach the Kaiyukan, large LEGO animal displays, the large ferris wheel and Disney characters. The ticketing and entry time is staggered which is a good idea to control the amount of crowds going in and out. I started queueing at 1035am and got entry for 11am which was fair (opted not to book timeslot online as it can be unpredictable with kids and public transit) but we didn't felt like its a long wait as the kids were running around and enjoying the ocean view. The entry also have a photographer stationed to take a family polaroid with a whale shark replica for FREE. We were impressed with the aquarium's efficient layout where some prominent displays (Whale Shark, Seals etc) span across multiple floors so you can still enjoy them later on if you missed it earlier due to the crowds. Apart from sea creatures there are also Arctic mammals and birds (Puffins) from all over the world. The kids were over stimulated by lunch time so we head to the food court at Tempozan Market Place to refuel. After lunch we took the kids for a ferris wheel ride before putting both to sleep while we make our way to Shinsaibashisuji Shopping Street via metro line. As the kids were still asleep, I rested at Daimaru with my MIL while my wife went shopping. This turn out to be a fantastic place with a floor dedicated for kids (Pokemon centre, Pokemon cafe, BorneLund mini play area with many display toys available for sampling). The kids spent the rest of the day here after they woke up and we had dinner at the dining floor. There were queues everywhere and we chose to wait at Aozora Blue as they offer udon made with a higher wheat ratio here. Regrettably the kids didn't enjoy as much and prefer regular ones that we are used to. After dinner we took away cheescake from Rikuro for dessert back at our hotel. I made sure to online check in our flights before I go to bed.
Day 9 Osaka: Dotombori (Tuesday)
Our final day in Japan and we chose to do some shopping and take it easy. Tried Doutor Coffee for brekky (took a while to find as it was underground) before walking to Don Quijote at Dotombori. There's 6 floors crammed with various items: snacks, electronics, clothing, non prescription medication, toys, collectibles as well as a functional ferris wheel (operates after 2pm). That being said the kids got bored after awhile and didn't really enjoy much as there wasn't much space to move around. I brought them out to stroll around the Ebisu-bashi Bridge while my wife and MIL continue their haul. It was certainly a sight to behold: countless amount of large LCD screens with surround sound on full blast from every high rise building, street buskers vying for attention from crowds that were constantly on the move, tourists taking selfies in front of the iconic Glicoman. Sadly it started to drizzle so I quickly entered the Shinsaibashisuji Shopping Street undercover area and look for a place to have lunch. I stumbled across a Yoshinoya & Hanamaru joint food hall which was bustling with both locals and foreigners. You have to order and get your food from the counter before you can occupy a table so I waited for my wife and MIL to arrive before we start queueing up. We had the gyudon and beef Udon with onsen egg along with chicken karaage and tempura. There's also a condiment station with toppings to complement your udon as well as free tea and water. Everything was very affordable and best of all we didn't had to wait long. After lunch my wife continuing shopping while we head to Daimaru for the kids to have a nap and play afterwards. I noticed there's a bridge that connects each floor to the Parco next door and discovered a unique floor full of pop culture themed stores including a studio Ghibli store featuring Totoro and No-Face displays, a 2 ft tall Godzilla, Ultraman, Capcom superstore, Sanrio (Hello Kitty), Snoopy, Rilakkuma and also a LEGO store. The kids had a great time browsing and also playing with LEGO before my wife reunites with us. As it's nearing dinner time, I thought we try our luck getting a table at Ganko Dotombori and make our way towards Ebisu-bashi Bridge. The view here is even more spectacular at night with the contrasting lights as well as numerous LCD displays illuminating the area. Unfortunately there's a lengthy wait at Ganko and our party voted for street food instead which turn out surprising well. Kids devoured a dozen gyozas while we had takoyaki, kobe beef nigiri, yakitori and yakiniku skewers as we strolled along the street. It was still early so we made a detour towards Hozenji before walking back the hotel. Then we stumbled upon an arcade (Amuse Factory AXE) which naturally drawn the kids in, we got popcorn from a vending machine there and it was enough to keep the kids happy on our trek back. Before taking our last sleep in Japan, we organized our luggage and get them ready for check out the next day.
Day 10 Osaka: Sayonara (Wednesday)
Checked out of the hotel and took a private airport taxi to KIX. Had brekky at McD and Lawsons and surprised to find that the food here costs the same as outside (e.g. McD/ Hungry Jacks at Malaysian/ Australian airports cost more than the metro/ suburban outlets). Boarded the flight and bid Japan farewell for now while soaking in the surreal time we had.
List of accommodations for 3 adults and 1 child + 1 infant/ toddler
1. Orange House 701 (22,500 yen for 2 nights) 10/10
Location is not bad in a quiet area South of the bustling Dotombori area with Konbinis and JR Imamiya within walking distance. Washing machine, shower and stove took some time to figure out and my kid accidentally turned on the stove but luckily there's a safety button. Overall a brilliant accommodation at an affordable price and will consider returning if we come back to Osaka with kids.
2. Arashiyama bamboo guest house (55,650 yen for 2 nights + 1200 yen tax) 8/10
Prime location 1 min away from JR station, Lawson and walking distances to the local tourist strip, Bamboo Grove, Tenryu-ji and Togetsukyo Bridge. However the room is located on the 3rd floor with no lift so it can be a challenge for kids and older folk. The owner was kind enough to carry our 2 X 20kg luggage up and speaks a little English. The stay was rather comfortable even with futons to sleep on while my MIL slept on one of the single beds. We are unlikely returning to Arashiyama but would recommend this place if it suits your budget.
3. Kamoya Ryokan (35,400 yen for 2 nights + 2000 yen tax) 7.5/10
Not as central as the other accommodations but still within 10 mins walking distance to JR and bus lines. This is a shared accommodation so fridge, microwave and hot/ cold water is in the common area but we have a private bathroom to use. There are no beds so we all slept side by side on futons in the same room. For some reason kids are also taxed to stay a night here (200 yen) but the host was super friendly, spoke a bit of basic English and helped us with ordering a taxi when we checked out. For the price this is not a bad place for short term stay if cosleeping on futons together as a family is acceptable. Bonus: the okonomiyaki place next door is quite good albeit requiring a bit more effort to communicate but is worth it as plenty of locals seem to frequent there and our kids love the yakisoba.
4. Best Western Hotel Fino Osaka Shinsaibashi (40,450 yen for 3 nights) 8/10
Functional hotel relatively close to Shinsaibashi shopping street and Dotombori. 1 min walk away from Osaka metro station and 7 Eleven. There's also a 24 hour laundromat 5 mins walk away. Facilities are bare minimal but gets the job done as we only needed the place to crash and freshen up since there's a lot of shopping and remaining sightseeing to be done. All reception staff spoke English well and check in/ out was rather smooth. I would consider staying again if the rooms were larger but can't complain at this price point and location.
List of eateries we consider returning

• Yasaiya Mei
• Ejuan
• Kijurou
• Ozuru
• Upit's Burger
• Ramen Chabuton
• Okonomiyaki Yoshino
• Mizuya Chaya
• Yoshinoya & Hanamaru

Highlight of each day for the kids

1. Wandering around Life supermarket and exploring a new accommodation
2. Running around 300m above ground at the Abeno Harukas sky garden while having fruits/ snacks in between
3. Visiting Kimono Forest after dinner, watching the randen pass by at the crossing
4. Running around at Arashiyama park and watching the majestic Katsura river flowing rapidly
5. The outdoor playground at Kyoto railway museum among many other fun things there
6. The playground at Wagener Square across Heian Jingu
7. Interacting with deer and eating udon outdoors
8. Seeing different sea animals up close and ferris wheel ride after
9. Making friends at BorneLund and having imaginary play together despite the language barrier

Lessons learned (not in chronological order)

General tips

• We prepared about 160,000 yen cash before arriving at Japan but also have money via 1 x transfer wise debit card (digital), 1 x Westpac credit card (digital), 1 x ING debit card (physical). We ended up withdrawing a further 200,000 yen worth of cash. We opted not to bring any AUD as the rate is quite poor in Japan since most would prefer foreign exchangers would prefer USD.
• We didn't get to use our digital cards as most places in Kansai (Kanto might be different) that offer card payments still requires a physical card to read the chip.
• Please remember to bring the physical card of the credit card used for any online booking to avoid the stress I endured on day 3.
• We booked all the transit tickets online about a month prior and find it worthwhile rather than spending 15 - 30 mins in queue at the ticket counters. The limited express tickets go crazy fast and I recommend booking them the hour they become available (1 month prior your transit date and as soon as it is open in Japan time).
• We booked all 4 accommodations via booking.com and find the messenger via the app very handy in liaising with the owne receptionist on whether we can offload our luggage earlier or forward our luggage a few days in advance. One of them even told me that I can check in few hours earlier as the room was ready. Regardless of what platform you use, try to communicate with the accommodation prior your arrival if you are considering forwarding luggage or dropping them off before your official check in time.
• Booking multiple accommodations over a short span of time is very tiring as we are needing to worry about getting our luggage from A to B every second day but only able to check in the next place 5 - 6 hours after checking out the previous place (Most checkin starts from 3pm and checkout from 10am). Our transition days are always stressful as we don't get to do much due to the timing while handling multiple baggage so the kids are crankier.
• Rubbish/ garbage cans are mainly found on major train stations or shopping malls as well as konbinis. Most vending machines only have a recycle bin but we have plenty of disposable nappy bags which we use as rubbish bags if needed.
• We had 3 data Sims about 5GB each which was sufficient for the 9 days (navigation, Google translate, WhatsApp voice call). Free wifi is available at most places which we use whenever we need to photo dump on WhatsApp group chats or play YouTube for the kids.
• My eSim stopped working when we arrived at Kyoto from Osaka but luckily I tried rebooting my phone and it connected to the local network after. Another down side of data only Sim is there is no Japanese mobile number which can be handy (make reservations at restaurants or signing up for taxi apps to get taxi).
• We use Google Maps and Japan Travel by NAVITIME App to plan our overall route each day, public transit details is quite clear via Google Maps with several options for different J metro/ bus lines. While Japan Travel App is able to approximate cost of taxi which was useful for comparison.
• For translation, we used DeepL app when we wanted to converse with someone in Japanese and Google Translate for written Japanese translation via the camera.
• In Osaka, getting around via JR and Metro is optimal in terms of time and cost; In Kyoto, buses are more readily available but be prepared to stand shoulder to shoulder as the buses are not big and averages around 30 - 50 people. We recommend a taxi if travelling a short distance (<10 minutes) for a family that can fit into a single car.
• You can forward luggage at your hotel or local 7 eleven via Yamato transport within Osaka.
• The Jikan refreshing legs patch worked well for me but my wife got woken up few times as her feet felt cold due to the cooling effect. We got some heat patches the next day and it worked better for her.
• A few Japanese phrases go along way and perhaps it's why we mostly get friendly responses (arigato gozaimas, ohaiyo, konnichiwa, kore onegaishimas, doitashi mashite, hitotsu onegaishimas, daijorbudes, kodomo).
• The basement level of most department stores/ shopping malls sells a variety of package deserts and often a bakery opened till 8pm where we sometimes go to after dinner to get brekky for the next morning.
• Some malls have an express lift (stops only at 1F and 10F) and it may be quicker to use those in combination with escalators to get to the level you like quickly.
• Coin lockers are found is almost every major attraction and JR station but finding a large one that is available can be challenging so allow extra time. Most coin lockers only take 100 yen coins with the exception of newer ones which also takes IC cards as payment.
• Some food courts have drinkable water for you to refill your bottles but otherwise vending machines and konbinis will quench your hydration needs (the peach drink is pretty addictive).
• Other than Booking.com, Google maps, Google Translate, DeepL and Japan Travel by NAVITIME, we didn't really used the other apps we downloaded before hand but you might find a use for them: Mamamap, NERV, Ecbo cloak, Klook.

Child related tips

• Younger kids take awhile to acclimatize to a foreign environment and our kids were more lethargic than they normally are during the day, sometimes needing 2 naps instead of 1 so be prepared to adjust your plans and skip over some places that were catered specifically for them if needed.
• Google maps only tells you the distance to get you from Point A to Point B horizontally. Unfortunately it doesn't consider the routes involving travelling multiple floors to avoid heavy traffic even with wheelchair access enabled. For instance you can go across Tenshiba Garden from JR Tennoji via the overhead bridge (not ideal as the route is longer with a stroller) or underground (best with a stroller but unfortunately Google Maps doesn't show this route and we stumble across it by chance).
• Google maps navigation over multiple floors is also not very accurate but the local directory maps are very informative so take extra time to study it and find the nearest access (parents room, lift or exit to above ground/ underground).
• The lift (singular as most train station platforms only share one lift unless it's a major one like Osaka/ Kyoto etc), are often located at one end of the platform so allow additional 15 - 20 minutes when travelling with strollers or luggage.
• Most department stores/ shopping malls (Daimaru etc) have a floor suitable for kids with toy samples for playing and sometimes even a free play area (Bornelund).
• Our kids love the Butaman from Horai and we probably purchased from 5 different stores throughout the trip (they are located at almost every major station and department store). Find something that works for your kids that can be found readily (7-11, family mart, Lawson's, daily Yamazaki etc) as back up when they didn't want to eat where you were dining at or if they fell asleep and skipped a meal.
• 100 yen stores (Daiso, 3 coins, Seria, Can*Do, Watts) have plenty of cheap kid activities (e.g. sticker books, puzzles, bubble wand etc) that can entertain them throughout the day/ in restaurants/ in the showe in the accommodation before bed etc.
• Paid Attractions in Kansai that are worthwhile if your kids are under 5 (6 and above may be charged separately): Tennoji Zoo, Abeno Harukas 300, Kyoto Railway Museum, Osaka Kaiyukan, Tempozan Ferris Wheel.
• Other brekky alternatives that we liked apart from konbinis/ bakeries were MOS burgers and Doutor coffee. Gyudons (sukiya, matsuya, yoshinoya) morning menu was a bit too heavy for our kids and other options we would have tried were too far from where we stayed (Tully's, McDonalds, KoHiKan).
• Some places require you order a main meal per adult but we are small eaters so we make sure what we ordered was something our kids might eat (not spicy etc).
• Tabelog is useful to tell you the size of the restaurant and we avoided anywhere that seats less than 20 people to save time.
• We tried to eat at a restaurant for lunch and dinner the first few days but actually realize the kids enjoy munching on small eats from konbinis/ street vendors more than a casual sit down meal so we were a bit more spontaneous the second half of the trip.
• Watch out for deer poo at Nara especially when pushing your stroller! Most of the deer are quite friendly and let you pet them but don't touch their tail area as they can get defensive. If your kids are feeding away the crackers too quickly, break them in half so you have more 'ammunition'.
• Metro and JR Trains (including limited express ones) stop for less than 10 seconds. Please remember to unlock your stroller when you are approaching your next stop and prepare to jump out.

What a crap week it’s been in the dead heat of May\ If lady Saulė wanted me bare, she need not grease me to get her way\ The waiter plops a golden carcass onto my china\ Digging into the flesh is no easy suit; what tough meat and rough silver\ Once the course’s run, it ceremoniously extends one limb ‘front of the other:\ “Was the meal to your liking, sir?” (almost sounds human!)\ To which I graced it: “Oh… Antoine…, twas’ fine.”
A colleague tells me it’s a gas in Rue Catinat, Saigon–\ Here I am with my life in a holdall, and still, a heavier old wife.\ O, I’ll testify to what “gas” it is–\ They certainly run their wagons on gas\ Their stoves on gas\ Their whores on gas\ Underneath every conical hat are porcelain shoulders singed raw, palpable\ American frames, and thick twangs of speech that render thin-eyed vendors daft;\ Here I am among the white cows in uniform\ sacking other paraphernalia with my inconspicuous black satchel\ miles through town.
I sat down on a noisy corner– occupied by the\ hot\ drip\ of\ black\ onto an impenetrable bed of thick, cold milk\ A young boy with a red ribbon still knit tight around his neck\ sets down my sizzling bowl of Pho with paper-thin cuts of beef– “Cháu mời chú ạ!”
Before the sound came through, his limby figure darted to the kitchen\ where the only source of light was gentle dapple through Thingan lined streets.\ A woman took him in her arms, swaying side-to-side: her stomach cushioning his head;\ Lips parted and pursed, then shut tight again, exchanging dulcet tones\ Her smile and nod– his cue to squeal thank-yous while squeezing into sandals, then straddled a bike\ I found myself so foreign, so strange to their dialect for my language was poor\ Yet every word they said: I understood it all– my mother had uttered them before.