I want to shed some light on part of the inspiration for this blog. Why I started it more so than the content I've written about - I don't want to blame anyone else for that.
Big video game fans, specifically fans of Japanese video games would recognise the title Earthbound (or its original Japanese title Mother 2). Earthbound is a Japanese roleplaying game (JRPG) that was released on 27th August 1994 in Japan and 5th June 1995 in North America on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES).
In Earthbound, the player controls a young boy and his group of friends on a mission to save the world in their little slice of Americana. Unlike many JRPGs, that are set in fantasy worlds or historical periods, Earthbound is set in a more modern setting in a fictional small town in America. What set this game apart and contributed to it being seen as one the most unique games and being a widely enjoyed experience is in large part due to its writer/director Shigesato Itoi who filled the game with his idiosyncratic writing & humour. He also included a number of Beatles references into the game as he is a big fan, particularly of John Lennon.
Who is Shigesato Itoi? In the 1980s Itoi started his career in copywriting and became very successful from it. He worked with many big Japanese brands, including the beloved Studio Ghibli. He wrote slogans and taglines for many of their films and was even the voice of the father character in My Neighbour Totoro. As well as copywriting, he began writing essays, lyrics and designing video games. He even co-authored a collection of short stories with Haruki Murakami. What makes Itoi well known now, and his main influence on this blog, came in 1998 when he started Hobo Nikkan Itoi Shinbun (Almost Daily Itoi Newspaper).
The Almost Daily Itoi Newspaper includes daily essays by Itoi about anything and everything. Philosophical things, lifestyle stuff, writing about his dog, you name it. His website also sells t-shirts and notebooks. Stationary nerds will no doubt have heard of their Hobonichi Techo notebooks and planners. The website gets 1.5 million views a day on average and made 3 billion yen in 2014 (£15.1 million).
The name 'Almost Daily' originated because Itoi wanted some leeway in case he wasn't able to post. Well it is now 2025 and he has posted every day since. Quite in contrast to this blog. But then I also don't make 3 billion yen a year on here.
When I first read about Itoi, all these different threads came together. I've been a fan of Haruki Murakami for a long time, I had heard of Earthbound and knew of its popularity, of course I also enjoy Studio Ghibli films. I had even bought a Hobonichi Techo planner. Like Itoi I am also a big fan of The Beatles, although there are plenty around the world who feel the same way. I had connections to all of these before I knew who this guy was. So Itoi came across as an intriguing character. I was reading up on him as I was considering starting a new blog.
I had actually started a blog before this one. I felt like I needed an outlet because I didn't need to use my brain very much in my retail job at the time and it made me restless. It was a film review blog, I only uploaded a few articles before I felt the limitations. I needed to say something about those particular films and their effect on me because it invoked such a strong feeling like it needed to be done. After that though I didn't know where to go. I only wanted to write about films that drew out that urge in me and that stopped happening.
Later on, this blog came into being. A more personal style where I could share feelings about different subjects that I felt strongly about or provoked a drive in me to write. I would dive into my past a bit or simply explore what I was thinking about on any given day. I liked the idea of opening up more and sharing my opinions on subjects, something I struggle to do in conversation. So I took the name from the English translation of Itoi's blog and started writing. Almost daily...
Writer's note:
From this point on. I intend to use this blog more as you might say a 'dumping ground' of things that are interesting me. Sharing what they are and why I think they are great. There will still be the odd introspective rubbish if I'm feeling a bit angsty so don't worry about that. This way posts will be more regular and share more insight into what's going on in my life and in this here brain o' mine. - BB
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