We had checked the train status in the app and carefully confirmed the information boards at the station, so it was hard to accept being told that "the mistake was ours." We simply stood there in shock, unable to fully process what had just happened.

"Stay calm. Stay calm."

We deliberately said it out loud to ourselves and headed to the waiting room.

After looking into alternative ways to get to Vienna, I discovered that although it required a transfer, there was another train departing in two and a half hours.

"It looks like we can change these tickets for free."

While I was already mentally preparing myself to buy new tickets, Mike was looking for a way to avoid having to purchase them again.

After many rainy days in September, Tokyo is finally welcoming gentle sunlight again as we move into October. With the gradual shift of the seasons, it feels as though our hearts also become a little lighter.

Today, we are pleased to share the latest updates for the always-popular Aikikai Hombu Dojo Shihan Seminars. In addition to the seminars scheduled for December, we have included newly updated information as well.

✔ 2026 Aikido Seminar

The Hranice Abyss tour was scheduled to start in just five minutes.

While I stepped away to use the restroom, B kindly purchased our tickets. Unfortunately, M the dog couldn’t join the tour, so they decided to wait for us outside.

The tour was conducted entirely in Czech, but we figured we’d manage somehow and followed the guide down into the underground.

The air grew cool as we descended, and the natural formations of calcite—each uniquely shaped—were fascinating to see. Some areas even had small sculptures placed beside the formations.

Deeper inside, the guide demonstrated an experiment by lowering a lamp on a rope; when the flame went out, it showed that the oxygen level was low in that part of the cave. It was a short tour, but truly enjoyable.

On the morning of October 30th, I woke up and took a shower, and something immediately caught my attention.

Although the shower room had soap dispensers, every single one of them was completely empty.

I finally understood why the reception sold shampoo and other toiletries—though I couldn’t help feeling slightly amused (and a little taken aback) by their clever business strategy.

At 8 a.m., we met B-san in front of the hotel. He had kindly offered to take us hiking.

When we reached his car, his beautiful Siberian Husky, M-chan, was already sitting inside like a loyal travel companion.

Hranice is a town surrounded by nature, and a short walk takes you right into the forest. However, since the Czech Republic is mostly flat and has few high mountains, we drove for about an hour to reach one of B-san’s favorite hiking spots.

The large parking lot was completely empty—just our car. Apparently, it gets crowded on weekends, so we were grateful for this peaceful weekday hike.