2026.01

• Traveled to Hong Kong and Macau for New Year’s—my first time exploring the city. It has become one of my top five favorite cities.
• Returned to Tokyo and set up Hank, an OpenClaw-based local AI assistant running on Mac Mini with TRMNL display integration and WhatsApp interface. I’m rethinking how computer UI should feel.
• Experimenting with the Ralph Wiggum Loop—an interesting concept, but I’m not sure going back to waterfall is the right way to do software again.
• Set up an LPL DS-4 copy stand with Leica Bellows-R (16860) system for ultimate scanning setup. I use simplified VNS adapter for it.
• Created three new Unbound notebook covers, I’m getting really fast at making those.
• Had a productive Book Program call with Greg Girard—feeling more confident about the project direction.
• Opened Michibiki Vol. 3 exhibition at Jinny Street Gallery.
• Went on a ski trip to Urasa, Niigata.
• Admin meetings with various lawyers and tax accountants for new business setup in Japan, targeting launch by Sept-Oct.
• Published my first long-form piece on LinkedIn about AI and software development. Somehow I still find LinkedIn one of the oddest places to publish anything.

January felt like hitting the ground running after the holidays. Between Hong Kong explorations and diving deep into AI assistant experiments, the month had a good balance of travel and tinkering. The FotoFilmic sessions with Greg continue to be a highlight—finally feeling like the book project has real direction. Most weekends were split between studio work and wedding prep, which is starting to feel more real now that invites are going out.

I’m still waiting for the Japanese visa renewal. It’s been close to four months—and all for the one-year visa.

2025.12

• Eenewed focus on Rust and AI work.
• Admin continued – immigration paperwork moved forward again.
• Set up multiple Jinny Street Gallery efforts, including the Yu Asobi mini-exhibition at Kosugi-yu Sento and installation work for The Creators’ Club Exhibition.
• Published v0.2 of the Plaintext Commons website.
• Signed The Resonant Computing Manifesto.
• Finally found a use for TRMNL and build an health display plugin for daily weight and trend tracking.
• Learning restoration for in bookbinding practice.
• Invested further into film workflow tooling: acquired scanning lenses and spent time designing and iterating on a VNS (v3.0) adapter and bellows-based scanning setup in CAD; to be published in 2026.
• Closed the year with travel to Hong Kong and a New Year’s countdown with friends.

December was split between maintenance and momentum. Early in the month, lingering sickness and heavy admin (immigration, bank restrictions) competed for attention. At the same time, the health project became more structured: removing sugar first, then moving into a deficit and tracking protein/carbs more deliberately, with the explicit intent of building a dataset worth analyzing later.

The creative work snapped back into place. Shooting became regular again, and editing felt frictionless in a way I’d forgotten. That energy fed into everything else: gallery installs, bookbinding experiments, and a renewed push on the “tools around the practice” layer—Plaintext Commons, the TRMNL dashboard, and the physical design work for film scanning. The month (and the year) ended in Hong Kong. The final sunset of the year was spectacular.

2025.11

• Traveled to Fukushima for a weekend trip photographing autumn foliage and visited Sazaedo Temple, known for its double-helix spiral staircase architecture.
• Published Plaintext Commons and open-sourced Arrowhead CLI for plaintext note management.
• Open-sourced Stamp, another tool for the Plaintext Commons ecosystem.
• Started development on Backlog (TBA), an Anki-style spaced reminder system for plaintext notes.
• Launched a redesign of ttvl.co with refreshed homepage.
• Good prograss on photo book.
• Made custom bone folders at bookbinding class at Marumizu-gumi.
• Visited Mike Brodie’s exhibition A Period of Juvenile Prosperity at Gallery Ether.
• Finished reading A System for Writing by Bob Doto.
• Added thee photobooks to my collection: A Woman I Once Knew by Rosalind Fox Solomon, Uncommon Places by Stephen Shore, and one from the exhibition.
• Began discussions about converting Jinny Street Gallery into a NPO.

It’s been a while since I was sick for this many days. Headaches and a sore throat lingered for over ten days, which derailed a few things, but I still managed to accomplish a lot in the first two-thirds of the month.

The book project is progressing well, though I’ve realized I’m short on images. I’ll be shooting more over the next three months and getting back into a regular photography schedule.

2025.10

• I kickstarted work on my first proper photobook intended for publishing.
• Developed Arrowhead CLI – A fast Obsidian-aware search and discovery that makes AI agents your true knowledge assistant. Open-sourcing soon!
• Released Stamp CLI – a simple note naming and identification tool for the Plaintext Commons system.
• Exhibited four photographs at Ajika restaurant in Tokyo; on display entire November.
• Participated in meetings with a potential publisher and book designer for book production, design, paper selection, and binding approaches.
• Completed visa renewal documentation and submitted all required paperwork.
• Created and submitted a presentation for a potential Rome community studio space.
• Bartended multiple nights at Ajika as part of my mini-exhibition, serving alongside Leon.
• Completed a few more bookbinding projects.
• Supported Jinny Street Gallery activities, including a workshop and Kohei Shibusawa show at NININI.NI.
• Visited Tokyo Photographic Art Museum to see Pedro Costa’s photographic work, featuring beautiful portrait works with still videos.
• Had a chance to see Mike Brodie’s (a.k.a. The Polaroid Kid) prints up close (thanks Jeremy!)
• Migrated task management from Reminders.app back to Things.

October was full and rich with experiences. First and foremost, I completed my visa paperwork as soon as I could submit it—lifting a massive weight off my shoulders.

My research work has taken practical shape with the development of Stamp and Arrowhead—software tools that help with note-taking and bridge the gap between AI agents and personal knowledge bases. The direction is promising, and I’m excited to be open-sourcing these tools on GitHub in the coming days.

Perhaps most significantly for my photography practice, I’ve begun work on my first proper photobook intended for publication. I’m deeply grateful for the mentorship guiding this project forward. While it’s already presented challenges and will certainly bring more, I believe the resulting book will be something truly worth publishing and sharing.

2025.09

• Received the lost-in-mail Out of Memory Vol. 10 photobook after six weeks — turned out chunkier than expected.
• Started Greg Girard’s Fotofilmic book program; presenting my photography projects.
• Repaired my Contax G2 camera body by cleaning contacts and fixing the autofocus hunting issue.
• Got Remarkable Paper Pro Move; designed InDesign templates for daily logging and habit tracking. Perhaps a good companion for my Unbound System.
• Developed an advanced file-based note-taking system integrating Claude Code, Obsidian, and my Synapse/Soma MCP CLI tool.
• Added an AI Transparency and Usage page documenting the AI tools used across ttvl.co.
• Implemented text-fragments support on ttvl.co.
• Practiced color darkroom techniques, focusing on color balance calibration.
• Completed another handbound book at Marumizu-gumi.

I’m back in Tokyo, returning to the routine of my studio: mixing chemicals for film and paper, making color prints, sequencing the project I’m working on now.

The Soma and Synapse application suite has morphed into a genuinely helpful software bridge between my notes, Obsidian, and Claude Code. I find this combination, set up in a particular way, extremely helpful for logging and retrieving information from my notes. It’s significantly more powerful than the memory features that most AI chatbots utilize.

I’m really enjoying the process of building this digital note-taking companion to Unbound, even though I haven’t settled on a formal system yet. There’s a lot of interesting work ahead. I’m thinking about documenting the evolution of this setup here on the site—sharing how it gradually takes shape, step by step. If that sounds interesting, let me know; I’d love to hear if you’d want to follow along.

2025.08

• Published the Thermometer Panel for Jobo Systems guide.
• Successfully mixed and tested replenishable C-41 color chemicals from minilab concentrates.
• Attended a bookbinding exhibition featuring over 100 handmade books at Marumizu-gumi, one of which was mine.
• Designed and made a custom engagement ring box for Ludo – she said yes.
• Set up Kittyzilla’s exhibition — Where are the Cats? — at Jinny Street Gallery.
• Visited Elliott Erwitt’s retrospective at Palazzo Bonaparte in Rome, and discovered sculptor Carole A. Feuerman’s work.
• Made significant progress on pivoting Synapse/Soma towards an Obsidian companion app.
• Attended Nini & Ozy’s wedding in Tbilisi – extremely happy for them.
• Traveled between Tokyo, Rome, and Georgia, including visits to Batumi and multiple days in Tbilisi. Batumi is unrecognizable compared to a decade ago.
• Began planning a dual-residency arrangement between Tbilisi and Rome for the upcoming year.

I survived the absolute toughest few weeks in Tokyo in terms of weather. I have never experienced such intense heat for so many days in a row. Flying to Rome and then to Georgia felt like a breath of fresh air—or like landing back on Earth after being trapped in my flat (and studio) in Tokyo, which felt like a spaceship.

Tbilisi is as magical as ever: alive, full of changes, and people enjoying themselves even in the face of the political challenges the whole country is going through. This really pushed both Ludo and me to finally make a decision: starting in 2026, we’ll begin moving to Tbilisi and Europe—initially Rome. Challenging and interesting times ahead.

2025.07

• Designed and built a custom 4-probe thermometer panel for JOBO CPE-3 to achieve precise temperature control during C-41 film development
• Published V2 of the VNS adapter with improved baseplate design bringing film closer to light source
• Completed editing and submitted Out of Memory Vol. 10(!!!) for printing
• Created and bound A Chair in the Sky for the bookbinding exhibition
• Implemented full-text search functionality to this website; simply press ? key
• Added OpenGraph social media cards to toto.photo pages
• Published dozens of new Loose Leaves entries
• Made significant progress on Synapse/Soma app, added Obsidian compatibility
• Bunch of darkroom hours printing RA-4 chromogenic prints
• Attended Rural Festival in Fukushima for three days of music and camping
• Visited Luigi Ghirri exhibition at Tokyo Photographic Art Museum and acquired his Kodachrome book
• Purchased artwork from Saki Otsuka’s Taking Back Myself exhibition at Gallery Ether
• Co-led workshop at Jinny Street Gallery
• Coordinated Yu-Asobi exhibition closing Jinny Street Gallery
• Searching apparel factory partnership for Jinny Street Gallery merchandise
• Luca successfully repaired Ricoh GR3 camera after I gave up on it few years ago. Autofocus isn’t working, but the camera turns on. Thank you, Luca!
• Backfilled 12 months of log entries

July was brutally hot and relentlessly busy. Despite the oppressive temperatures, I’m proud of hitting several milestones this month—particularly completing two book projects, which always bring me the deepest satisfaction. Juggling these creative pursuits alongside my day job felt like a genuine achievement. Though much of my exhaustion stemmed from the Canadian visa application process: mountains of paperwork, endless uncertainties, and glacial processing times that have essentially grounded me for weeks.

Although this ritual of summarizing the month’s work certainly feels motivating and energizing. Onward, forward.

2025.06

• Initiated the application process for a Canadian visa (I need one, as all Georgians do.)
• Published the essay Where I Stand on AI—For Now to formalize my stance on AI tools.
• Open-sourced mastodon-hugo, a tool to fetch Mastodon feeds and convert them to Hugo/Markdown format.
• Made significant progress on Synapse MCP server—now capable of fetching and editing notes, comparing them with internet content, synthesizing new ideas, and storing them back in the vault.
• Wrote and published Ruins in Print, the 11th dispatch of The Flâneur newsletter.
• Visited and photographed the abandoned pansionats Medea and Imereti in Tskaltubo, Georgia.
• Started exploring new software tools, including the Dia browser by The Browser Company and Claude Code as a terminal replacement.
• Began discussions with the New York Academy of Arts about a potential exhibition at Jinny Street Gallery.
• Returned to Tokyo after six weeks of traveling to Madrid, Rome, and Tbilisi.

I traveled a lot this month. It felt good, as does being back in the studio.

I dove deep into AI programming skills, much more than I expected. I like these tools. I think it’s a new way of programming, essentially using the English language to guide the computer on what to do, which is what programming is all about. Some say these tools will replace programmers, but I think they’re just another abstraction layer in computing that enables more people to interact with them. Think of compilers and high-level languages. English is becoming one above that.

I made good progress with the Synapse application suite and have completed the MCP server part of it. I have already started using it with the Claude macOS app in conjunction with my Obsidian vault. I’m considering a soft launch of Synapse as an MCP and indexing application initially and will add text editing and thinking tools as I progress. Essentially, I’m thinking of developing it in the open.

2025.05

• Completed printing workprints for Out of Memory Vol. 7 and Vol. 8, including custom storage boxes—now only two volumes behind digital archive
• Designed and published a 40-roll rugged film storage box design
• Listed all my 4x5 and 6x17 lenses on Mercari as part of ongoing gear decluttering
• Launched photographic website at toto.photo!
• Started an experimental photography sketchbook
• Started year-long bookbinding class in Tokyo
• Added photos of the Unbound Notebook System to the page
• Prepared and printed materials for Jinny Street Gallery’s Big City Bathing exhibition (opened May 16th)
• Activated the Jinny Street Gallery newsletter which now has around 130 subscribers
• Traveled to Berlin for byLudo’s Green Product Award ceremony; met George Nebieridze who I haven’t seen in a decade.
• Spent time in Rome working intensively on Soma and Synapse development
• Made prototype Mac app for converting digital negatives to positives – not sure I’ll continue
• Did portrait photography test shoot in Villa Pamphili Park
• Traveled to Ariccia; food was amazing
• Got confirmation for [redacted] retreat in late September in Canada – excited
• Arrived to Madrid

The highlight of the month, particularly on the very last day, is definitely the upcoming retreat to Canada in September. I’m really looking forward to it. As a bonus, I’ll be doing it with my dear friend and fellow photographer, Leon Gallo.

Soma.app has grown into an entire ecosystem of thinking tools, which I’m calling Synapse. It’s a bit of an ambitious project and will require at least a year of work, but hopefully, I’ll have a working prototype and perhaps even an alpha program together in a couple of months. If you want to follow along with the progress, make sure to subscribe to The Flâneur, where I might announce a dedicated newsletter or work blog.

As usual, this month also felt empty before writing the summary above. It is astonishing how helpful this practice has become to my end-of-month routine.

2025.04

• Made significant progress on Soma.app
• Participated in Tokyo Zine Fest with Lorenzo to promote Jinny Street Gallery
• Published The Flâneur No. 10: Gear, Gear, Gear‑Freeze!
• Created a film rugged storage container for film project that holds exactly 40 rolls (matching my Unbound Notebook System template)
• Developed and scanned all film for Out of Memory Vol. 10, began culling and sequencing for the book
• Added llms.txt to ttvl.co to help LLMs better understand the website
• Successfully set up and tested my new Jobo CPE-3 film processor
• Led an Artist Walk for Pavel Sipkin’s exhibition Hundred Views of Edo Konbini at Jinny Street Gallery
• Spent three days at RDC 2025 music festival – DJ Nobu’s set was mezmerizing
• Experienced a two-day retreat at James Turrell’s House of Light in Niigata
• Made the decision to drop Project Janus—6x9 3D-printed camera—to focus more on art creation
• Enhanced Toto.app, my personal macOS menu bar app, with improved journal summarization capabilities.

Soma.app is becoming much more than just a paper-to-digital note scanner app. I’ve named this new project it spawned Synapse. It seems like I’m building a note-taking app that can surface insights by simply searching the entire ‘vault’ of notes. I’m unsure whether to start with an Obsidian plug-in or a brand new macOS app. My disdain for multi-platform apps might push me towards the latter, but an Obsidian plug-in could be a good start since I’ve already implemented a command line version of Synapse.

During the month, I also caught up with my film backlog—everything in my red folder, marked “To Scan / Needs Attention,” is now developed and scanned as working files. Work on the 10th(!) volume of Out of Memory has begun.

2025.03

• Completed setup and renovation of my darkroom at Kyojima Studio with proper organization, light-sealing, and equipment installation.
• Preparing for Project Roam launch—announcement of what it is and when, coming soon.
• Resumed development of Soma.app and Synapse.app—my note-taking software ecosystem that will integrate into Unbound Notebook System.
• Advanced Project Manus by installing a ceiling-mounted projector and camera system at the studio.
• Worked on the first Project Roam product during a trip to Ito.
• Developed dozens of films for upcoming Out of Memory Vol. 10.
• Michibiki Vol.2 exhibition at Jinny Street Gallery.
• Designed and released new Jinny ⨉ Erica Ward Hoodies on the Jinny Street Gallery Store.
• Got myself a maxed-out MacBook Pro M4 Max with all the memory to play with AI and Ollama.
• Started designing and brainstorming on Project Janus—a hybrid digital-film 6x9 camera.
• Revived the Jinny Street Gallery newsletter (subscribe here).
• Attended the Tokyo Art Fair 2025.
• Visited Katsumi Nishizawa’s show and a book launch.
• Celebrated the closing of NININI, a beloved local bar and friends of mine and Jinny Street Gallery.
• Added a few more books to the library—Todd Hido’s House Hunting and Outskirts and William Eggleston’s 2 1/4.

Looking at the list above, I’d call this month productive, though everything was blurred by the onset of my hay fever, which struck almost precisely at midnight on March 1.

Reviewing this list also reminded me how glad I am to have started keeping a daily journal back in early 2019. It’s become one of the best investments in my mental health. As someone with the memory of a goldfish, who constantly needs reminders, it’s reassuring that each month I can have an AI generate a summary of everything I’ve done. This monthly retrospective leaves me feeling calm and satisfied.

(The list above differs significantly from the summaries produced by AI, as I need to manually clean up project names, add relevant links, and remove personal items. However, I do rely extensively on AI for analyzing my journal entries and drafting initial monthly summaries like this one. I’ll be writing about how I combine these tools.)

2025.02

• Prepared Michibiki Vol. 2 exhibition at Jinny Street Gallery.
• Shipped all Punctum exhibition catalogs—some copies are still available for sale.
• Made major modifications to the darkroom to enable C-printing.
• Created a “VNS adapter"—merging Valoi easy120 and Negative Supply light source for better color negative scanning.
• Published Pentax Digital Spotmeter Sticker.
• Published Foldable Film Reminders.
• Completed shooting the final roll for the Out of Memory Vol. 10 project.
• Committed to a year-long bookbinding course starting in April.
• Featured (with Lorenzo) on the cover of a local Jingumae magazine—andJ.
• Created substantial updates to the Unbound Notebook System’s Analog Photography Templates.
• Took a ski trip to Zao Onsen in Yamagata, experiencing the famous “snow monsters” (ice-covered trees).
• Spent time developing my film scanning workflow, improving negative-to-positive conversion techniques.

The shortest month of the year turned out to be quite productive—or maybe it’s just being back in Tokyo and getting into its rhythm again that moved me fast. For certain, I do feel quite a bit more comfortable in my studio—creating and working there comes easily.

I’m catching up on my infinite backlog of tasks and getting closer to launching a membership program. I haven’t set an exact launch date yet, but it feels more imminent than ever.

2025.01

• Developed new sections for toto.photo—exhibitions, press coverage, and a works archive.
• Had three photographs from my Tskaltubo series published in the Atlas of Ruins book.
• Migrated The Flaneur newsletter platform to ttvl.co; no more Substack and walled gardens.
• Updated ttvl.co: the darkroom section now has several new items, and the Unbound System section has been expanded with new templates.
• Learned a new technique for negative-to-positive conversion in Photoshop using negative mask subtraction—still fine-tuning the results.
• Built and started experimenting with a pinhole camera.
• Started working on a membership website platform using Go + Gin.
• Took a long walk in the Pigneto district in Rome.
• Visited the Vatican Museums; Raphael’s School of Athens and the Sistine Chapel are impressive.

2025 started off very busy. I’ve made good progress towards my plan to launch a membership program alongside three(!) websites. I feel like I’m on track to achieve that. The 12-week year system is working well for me, although I do not adhere to its original methodology from the book. I didn’t find the book quite good, frankly—but the idea is well worth trying.

The visit to Tbilisi was pleasant as usual, but the moment I was there, the protests were much calmer than I expected. I didn’t manage to shoot much.

2024.12

• Completed the Punctum Exhibition Catalog – now available for purchase.
• New film development workflow using the Jobo Tank System. I might consider using it as a rapid travel film development workflow too.
• Made a new Film Process Template page on Unbound, creating detailed guides for chemical preparation and development procedures.
• Published the Film Canisters Stickers project.
• Acquired and tested a second Contax G2 camera body – Araki – with a 21mm Biogon lens and GD-2 data back.
• Published EDC Modular Keychain for carrying photography accessories (film canisters, filters, and other tools) alongside with keys and EDC essentials (band-aid, AirTag, etc).
• Led few Artist Walks for Punctum at Jinny Street Gallery.
• Upgraded the studio workspace with new adjustable lighting system – now my shop desk is as lit as a stadium.
• Traveled to Tbilisi for protests and New Year’s Eve.

December was hectic, but it felt less overwhelming than November, mainly because I’m no longer preoccupied with the visa and paperwork I had to submit to the government. Everything is completed, and now I’m just waiting.

I’ve also found more time to spend in a studio, which has become my happy place for small projects and creative work.

2024.11

• Visited several art venues including Artizon Museum and Hiroshi Senju Museum in Karuizawa
• Explored photography gear changes
• Set up of Punctum exhibition for Jinny Street Gallery
• Insightful discussion about entering the art world with Jeremy
• Found inspiration in Gregory Halpern’s Magnum course
• Got artwork collected in past year framed
• Built an Ayrton Senna Lego set

November is always tough on my brain, but pleasant on my senses. Tokyo is blessed to have one of the nicest Novembers of all the places I have been. The sun shines at least two-thirds of the days, and the cold is not as bone-piercing as it could be. November is also the month I have to renew my Japanese visa—every, damn, year. I hope this time I’ll get a three-year break from it.

2024.10

• Worked on book projects including printing Out of Memory Vol. 9
• Tskaltubo photos accepted for publication in Atlas of Ruins book
• Managed Jinny Street Gallery activities, including an Artist Walk
• Trip to Bucharest, Romania
• Started Transcendental Meditation
• Visited Tokyo Photographic Art Museum to see Alec Soth’s A Room of Rooms
• New photography books: list them.
• Volunteered as polling station staff for elections in Georgia

2024.09

• Spent time in Georgia and Tbilisi
• Took a trip to Kazbegi, staying at Rooms Hotel with views of Mount Kazbegi – never gets old.
• Did a photo shoot for byLudo at Tsekhi
• Successfully repaired an RZ67 camera using 3D-printed parts
• Translated a Lucky/Fujimoto CP32 manual from Japanese to English
• Implemented a new 6 AM work routine

2024.08

• Continued work on Out of Memory series
• Set up and organized the Studio

2024.07

• Italian road-trip: Rome, Siena, Lucca, Cinque Terre, and Porto Venere.
• Walked the Aurelian Walls in Rome
• Explored Cyprus: Larnaca’s coastal areas, Nicosia’s divided capital, Famagusta’s ghost town, Troodos mountain villages
• Rammstein show in Gelsenkirchen, Germany.

2024.06

• Attended the Yokohama Art Triennale
• Finished setting up a darkroom at the studio
• Published new Lemon Sour and shop pages for Jinny Street Gallery
• Made a music station at home—a dream that still seems so far away.
• Visited several exhibitions in Italy: Anselm Kiefer, Fallen Angels at Palazzo Strozzi, Florence and Georgian Pavilion at Venice Biennale, featuring works by Nika Koplatadze
• Film in Rome: Guido Sabatini for 4x5 film and Ars-Imago for 120 film and development services
• Made limoncello from scratch
• Made a pilgrimage to the alleged birthplace of the Negroni at Caffè Giacosa (formerly Caffè Casoni) in Florence

2024.05

• Launched the Jinny Lemon Sour project at the beginning of the month
• I have new dedicated studio in Tokyo! A lot of work completed: renovation including wall repainting and deep cleaning, established a dedicated darkroom area, installed work bench and some storage systems
• Led an Artist Walk for the final day of Maan Limburg’s Without Us at Jinny Street Gallery
• Bonobo live DJ performance at O-East Shibuya
• Travel: Naples and Pompeii, Italy
• Attended and documented live music performances, including an Arabic punk band—Tabla Kwaiesa—and other local musicians in Tokyo

2024.04

• Averaged 13.5km walking through Tokyo with RZ67 (it’s heavy!)
• Milan Design Week (Salone del Mobile) and Venice Art Biennale, with notable visits to Pirelli HangarBicocca featuring Anselm Kiefer’s work and discovering Nari Ward’s installations
• Participated in a traditional washi paper-making workshop in Asakusa, exploring potential applications for alternative printing processes like platinum palladium
• Alec Soth’s exhibition for Bottega
• Fuego show
• Met with Yosuke Taki, son of Koji Taki (co-founder of Provoke magazine), had an interesting chat

2024.03

• Set up Sean Lotman’s exhibition at Jinny Street Gallery; Grateful to have him in the gallery.
• Developed film workflow templates for the Notebook System
• Launched Jinny Street Gallery T-shirts
• Started testing various film development processes
• Attended a Kintsugi class; the instructor’s fashion style was 11/10.
• Snowboarding in Nozawa Onsen during heavy snowfall conditions; Nozawa distillery was a highlight. Shiso gin is top notch.
• Travel in Japan: Kawagoe, Okutama and Sawai.

2024.02

• Released Out of Memory Vol. 8 and received the printed copies
• Started learning Fusion 360 for future projects
• Started transitioning towards darkroom-focused workflow
• Began experimenting with an odd 16-lens camera from Fujifilm
• Explored Venice during Carnival season, Peggy Guggenheim Collection.
• Visited the Opera House of Rome’s stenography workshop to observe the creation of 10x22 meter stage backdrop canvases.
• Documented Civita di Bagnoregio, walking 100% of the city’s streets–there are so few!

2024.01

• Write few dispatches for The Flâneur newsletter.
• Curated and installed Tokyo Flâneur Vol. 2 exhibition at Jinny Street Gallery; conducted the first Artists Walk event.
• Created documentary content for Jinny Street Gallery, filming and editing artist videos.
• Developed new variations of the Unbound System– experimenting with recycled tarp for covers and testing different formats including A5 size.
• Set-up newsletter for Jinny Street Gallery – subscribe here.
• Started exploring 3D design with Fusion 360
• Visited several art venues including a book exhibition

2023.12

• Completed and installed the group exhibition Michibiki at Jinny Street Gallery; one of my pieces, “Ocean Eyes,” was also there.
• Delivered a PechaKucha Night presentation with Lorenzo about Jinny Street Gallery.
• Installed a permanent Wirescapes frame installation at Clandestino 41 in Tokyo.
• Started development of Soma.app focusing on AI transcription.
• Advanced the Out of Memory series, processing 1,377 new photographs for Volume 8.
• Visited Olafur Eliasson’s exhibition at Azabudai and Plaza of Kanagawa Institute of Technology.
• Developed 2024 theme — “Year of Travel.”

2023.11

• Planned and organized the Michibiki exhibition; this must be the shortest notice Lorenzo and I have ever worked with.
• Visited the Enoura Observatory; this was the second time in the past few years—still extremely pleasant.
• Attended the Tokyo Art Book Fair; a bit overwhelmed by the amount of books and people there.
• Started exploring electronic music production, got a Digitakt, and am planning future modular synthesis expansions.
• Visited the new The Tokyo Toilet project by Marc Newson.
• Secured a visa extension; one more year in Japan.
• Visited QWS several times a week; I like the working atmosphere there.

2023.10

• Hosted Sante Visioni at Jinny Street Gallery.
• Advanced development of the Unbound System (née PHNS), creating new prototypes including index card holders and map insert designs.
• Explored 3D printing for organization, producing custom storage for tools and supplies.
• Visited exhibition by Andrea Samory at Contrast Tokyo.
• Viewed Tom Sachs’ boom boxes and furniture at Isetan.

2023.09

• Climbed Mount Fuji! The sunrise from the peak was majestic.
• Spent the month traveling.
• Successfully guided a group through Georgia.
• Explored Rome for several days, visiting the MAXXI museum.

2023.08

• Visiting Enoshima, Onomichi, Naoshima, and Kyoto.
• Made Out of Memory Vol. 7 and expanded photography practice with new film experiments and equipment
• Prototyped AI transcription workflow/app for TP-7

2023.07

• Began work on the I Know You (P0352) photography project
• Developed concept for a Light Meter Watch (P0354) inspired by the Seiko Metronome
• Completed development of Toto Command Center (P0360), evolved from the previous CLI project into a menu-bar application
• Started the Pen Project (P0359) for creating a custom multi-color pen design
• Conducted photo shoot for Sante Visioni’s work at Jinny Street Gallery
• Traveled and photographed extensively during Singapore trip
• Visited James Turrell installation at The National Art Center in Tokyo and studied Rothko paintings using Mark Power’s focusing technique
• Completed Mark Power’s Magnum photography course
• Experimented with paper-based todo system in Field Notes

2023.06

• Set up Jinny Street Gallery’s fifth exhibition with Lorenzo
• Participated in an NHK World interview and documentary about the gallery, which aired on June 28th and featured both gallery operations and a photo walk
• Attended Fuego: NEEDLESS performance, which was an expanded version of their previous Hanoi show
• Maintained regular work sessions at SHIBUYA QWS, finding the city center location and views conducive to productivity
• Fixed damaged flags at Jinny Street Gallery during a rainy evening
• Tried pottery – finding it meditative and purchasing plates and a cup
• Read Four Thousand Weeks

2023.05

• Completed maintenance and cleaning work on Jinny Street Gallery display boxes with Lorenzo
• Conducted a Nabeghlavi photo shoot
• Attended Kyotographie 2023 in Kyoto, discovering photographer Mabel Poblet’s work
• Finished building a custom macropad for Project Manus
• Visited Tom Sachs’ Chawan exhibition
• Completed Susan Orlean’s Creative Non-fiction writing course from New Yorker Magazine
• Participated in Georgian festival celebrations in Tokyo, reconnecting with the Georgian community
• Finished watching Ted Lasso series

2023.04

• Launched Jinny Street Gallery’s third exhibition
• Completed a 9-day Brompton Rando cycling tour across Japan from Tokyo to Onomichi
• Started learning traditional Japanese ukiyo-e woodblock carving technique
• Attended Rainbow Disco Club outdoor electronic music festival

2023.03

• Launched Jinny Street Gallery’s second exhibition Ropetine Street by Kohei Shibusawa
• Received media coverage for Jinny Street Gallery including features in Asahi Shinbun and Tokyo Weekender print edition
• Completed video interview with Tokyo Weekender about Jinny Street Gallery operations (Thank you, Lisa!)
• Attended Tokyo Art Fair and viewed Tom Sachs’ work, acquired new art piece by Sante Visioni
• Explored electronics and embedded programming projects, began planning custom macropad build
• Established collaboration discussions with UltraSuperNew Gallery through Eleanor
• Visited Shimoda Aquarium
• Hanami cherry blossom viewing in Yoyogi Park
• Watched Everything Everywhere All at Once

2023.02

• Got my first 3D printer!
• Completed the I Want to Do Bad Things to You (Box-Set)
• Created a custom tape dispenser using 3D printing and repurposed saw blade
• Worked on Jinny Street Gallery operations including preparing display boards and taking down exhibition elements
• Featured Jinny Street Gallery in Tokyo Weekender’s Instagram coverage
• Helped print and organize photos from Leon Gallo’s exhibition for permanent display
• Visited Ivan Kwong’s exhibition at Gallery Ether
• Attended Red Hot Chili Peppers show in Tokyo
• Took a snowboarding trip to Niseko, Hokkaido with friends

2023.01

• Officially opened Jinny Street Gallery with the inaugural exhibition setup and launch
• Gained significant media attention for Jinny Street Gallery with features in Asahi Shinbun (national newspaper) and Canon Photo Circle
• Completed my participation in Tokyo Flâneur exhibition
• Attended letterpress workshop
• Visited Enoura Observatory by Hiroshi Sugimoto
• Acquired a decommissioned Tokyo Metro train sign for my collection
• Visited Mori Art Museum exhibition with friends

2022.12

• Completed the initial setup and promotion of Jinny Street Gallery
• Created an hand-carved artist hanko for myself
• Took a week-long trip to Hanoi, Vietnam for the Fuego/Tokyo takeover event series
• Visited the Print Museum in Tokyo to study their permanent and temporary exhibitions about maps and printing
• Received “Honorable Mention” recognition for the [Catch-32] photography project in TIFA (Tokyo International Foto Awards)

2022.11

• Successfully hosted the Wirescapes exhibition at UNTITLED SPACE Kyojima for 10 days, managing setup, daily operations, and takedown with significant attendance including opening night crowds
• Officially launched Jinny Street Gallery by installing 27 custom flags on streetlamps along Jingumae 2-chome, transforming the entire street into an outdoor gallery space
• Secured a one-year Business Investor visa for Japan after weeks of uncertainty
• Visited Kadokawa Culture Museum in Tokorozawa Sakura Town, studying the monolithic architecture and innovative shelving systems
• Began planning the operational structure for Simulacra & Simulation KK, including setting up business banking and contract transfers

2022.10

• Finished Out of Memory Vol. 6
• Traveled to Kanazawa, Takayama, and Shirakawa-go
• Saw Yves Klein at 21st Century Museum, and Masaru Iwai, Yuki Tawada, and Keiko Kimoto at TOP Museum
• Launched Wirescapes exhibition
• Completed three major Tokyo walks: Oji to Yasukuni Shrine, Daikyocho to Oimachi, and Ochanomizu to Mizumoto Park
• Acquired an Olivetti Valentine typewriter
• Attended Entanglement-F exhibition to network within the Tokyo art scene
• Began planning studio space search in Tokyo, considering areas like Yanaka

2022.09

• Advanced the Jinny Street Gallery project significantly
• Printed photographs for exhibitions for Leon Gallo
• Attended Aichi Triennale 2022 in Nagoya, visiting Ichinomiya and Tokoname, discovering artists like On Kawara and Byron Kim whose life-logging practices resonated deeply
• Completed a 4-day creative retreat in Ito, Shizuoka working on book layouts and studio planning despite Typhoon 15
• Began planning future studio/shop space inspired by converted factories seen at Aichi Triennale
• Maintained Saturday morning photography walks around Tokyo, emphasizing consistency and rigor
• Discovered Canon pocket printer paper fits perfectly in Moleskine pocket notebooks for photo sequences

2022.08

• Started work on Out of Memory Vol. 6
• Began experimenting with Leica M11 as primary camera instead of GR3 for street photography
• Launched newsletter “The Flâneur” on Substack
• Attended Global Ark 2022 music festival in Nagano
• Visited Alec Soth exhibition at The Museum of Modern Art, Hayama – impressed by the four-room display of large prints
• Helped organize an exhibition with Leon Gallo
• Started using Moleskine notebook system for ideas, WIP projects, and lists

2022.07

• Picked up and started shooting with my black Leica M11
• Took a week-long trip to Naoshima and Teshima art islands, visiting numerous museums and art installations including Chichu Art Museum, Lee Ufan Museum, Benesse House Museum, and various Art House Projects
• Concluded my Walk With Me street exhibition
• Started developing the Jinny Street Gallery concept with Lorenzo
• Participated in Gagamaru’s sumo retirement ceremony
• Viewed Jeremy Strength’s artwork exhibition at LINE
• Discovered surfing and started considering the idea of a beach art house near Kamakura or Hayama

2022.06

• Exhibited my work at THE LINE
• Started producing handmade zines for Jeremy’s upcoming exhibition, printing five copies
• Made a custom leather strap for my Ricoh GR3
• Visited teamLab Borderless exhibition (again)
• Took an impromptu trip to Enoshima Island, discovering the aquarium there
• Began the process of renting office space
• Put my name on the waiting list for a black Leica M11
• Worked on developing a pitch deck for an October exhibition with collaborators
• Featured in Ginza Magazine alongside Lorenzo

2022.05

• Launched Walk With Me outdoor photography exhibition in Jingumae
• Started working with Jeremy Strength in Shinjukugyoen
• Received a Ricoh GRIIIx camera as a gift (Thank you Sophie!)
• Visited notable Tokyo locations including Rengatei (birthplace of Omurice and Tonkatsu) for cultural documentation
• Traveled to Hakone experiencing the full spectrum of Japanese transportation infrastructure (train, tramway, ship, bus, cable-car, and ropeway)
• Planned a postcard box set production

2022.04

• Launched Walk With Me street photography exhibition in Jingumae, installing 42 photographs in street lamp light boxes throughout the neighborhood.
• Had my photograph published in ArtCollectors’ magazine.
• Took a 5-day trip to Ishigaki and Iriomote-Ishigaki National Park in Okinawa for photography and exploration

2022.03

• Had my final LASIK eye checkup and achieved perfect vision, able to read the last line on the chart
• Spent a weekend at Yumedono Ryokan near Mount Fuji
• Attended Fuego House #2 dance event
• Created custom jacket with Sante Visioni, perfect for spring season

2022.02

• Started shooting I Want to Do Bad Things to You
• Continued photo selection work for The Walls You Build Between Us
• Acquired a Lumix S5
• Underwent LASIK eye surgery on February 25, successfully eliminating the need for glasses and contact lenses
• Attended THE LINE art event at Akio Nagasawa Gallery Aoyama
• Led a three-day ski trip to Hakuba Goryu

2022.01

• Completed Out of Memory Vol. 5
• Successfully exhibited at Perspectives at Gallery Ether 2021 – sold four pieces
• Began planning a photography exhibition at Shibuya lampposts with Lorenzo
• Established new approach for Out of Memory series – collecting 1500 photos before creating new volumes
• Celebrated three years of uninterrupted journaling on January 20th
• Received COVID booster

2021.12

• Completed exhibition Perspectives at Gallery Ether in Tokyo, displaying my photographic work from December 4-24
• Continued work on Out of Memory Vol. 5
• Launched totocaster.com
• Sold my first artwork - Untitled, 2020 (spectacles photograph) to a collector who transported it to Italy

2021.11

• Visited and hiked Okutama highlands
• Made significant progress on photography website totocaster.com
• Prepared for the upcoming exhibition at Gallery Ether
• Took a multi-day trip to Kyoto and Osaka, including visits to Universal Studios Japan, Nanzenji Temple, Amanohashidate, and various onsens
• Worked on guitar playing skills

2021.10

• Organized and wrapped up Ludo’s exhibition at the beginning of the month
• Experienced M6.1 magnitude earthquake in Tokyo – first time seeing buildings shake from street level
• Reached 1000th consecutive day of journaling on October 15th
• Watched new James Bond film – it was good
• Saw Dune in theaters
• Started playing guitar again
• Took a long photography walk around Tokyo (Hibiya park/Arakawa area)
• Began planning a note-taking app project
• Dealt with visa and immigration paperwork

2021.09

• Returned to Tokyo from Tbilisi after a multi-day journey through Doha, including mandatory 7-day quarantine at a Narita hotel
• Completed 14-day home quarantine requirement upon arrival in Tokyo
• Conducted initial research and ideation for a note-taking app concept focused on stream-of-consciousness writing with timestamp-based organization
• Spent time in Hayama beach
• Scheduled interview process with Rimac for potential opportunities

2021.08

• Explored and photographed abandoned sanatoriums in Tskaltubo, capturing the reclamation of Soviet-era buildings by nature
• Started motorcycle riding lessons in Tbilisi
• Documented urban landscapes throughout Tbilisi, focusing on the old city architecture
• Visited multiple Georgian regions including Signagi, Nunisi, and the Okatse Canyon
• Prepared for return to Tokyo, coordinating quarantine requirements and logistics

2021.07

• Started developing a slide film holder keychain project using actual E100 slide film – cutting 36-exposure rolls into individual plastic key-rings as limited edition art pieces
• Acquired a Konica Hexar RF camera and began testing it for upcoming photography work
• Received my M-D back from service
• Framed and displayed a series of doorbell photographs in the studio
• Traveled from Tokyo to Tbilisi via a 32-hour journey through Doha
• Began transitioning more heavily to film photography, though still working through scanning workflow challenges

2021.06

• Published second issue of Dreaming with One Eye Open (ranemd to The Flâneur) newsletter on Substack
• Created Someone at the Door! Ding Dong! photo book using low-resolution captures from my apartment’s doorbell security system
• Made significant progress in rock climbing, advancing to 3Q routes and approaching 2Q level
• Received first COVID-19 vaccination (Pfizer)
• Rearranged workspace to make guitar more accessible for spontaneous playing and looping
• Scanned old film photographs, particularly impressed with results from Konica Hexar RF camera

2021.05

• Completed a 10-day trip across Kyushu, visiting Nagasaki, Kagoshima, Kumamoto, Hiroshima, and Miyajima
• Acquired a Leica Summicron-M 28mm lens and tested it extensively during the trip
• Finished editing and ordered Out of Memory Vol. 4 — described it as colorful but balanced
• Successfully modified a watch bracelet and adjusted camera strap — enjoyed working with hands again
• Explored Tokyo extensively by bicycle, developing a new lifestyle routine of cycling through the city

2021.04

• Completed and received printed copies of Catch-32 photo book
• Launched Dreaming with One Eye Open (now Flâneur) newsletter project
• Continued work on Out of Memory Vol. 4
• Explored new photography directions beyond street photography
• Took photography trips to Nagatoro and Hitachi Seaside Park
• Started Golden Week travel tour of Kyushu with friends, visiting Fukuoka and Nagasaki
• Had productive conversation with photographer Hitomi Yoshida, discovering her background as a student of Daido Moriyama and Masato Seto
• Received Shortlife by Dries Depoorter - found it terrifying and amazing

2021.03

• Completed editing photos from Kamakura cycling on Brompton
• Made significant progress on Catch 32 with most editing and sequencing completed, ready for book format
• Set up balcony workspace with new chairs and table, hosted first BBQ christening
• Subscribed to literary publications including Sewanee Review for fiction/non-fiction
• Applied for BromptoRando 2021 ride - 1000km ride over 8-10 days on Brompton
• Explored Oku-tama by bicycle for photography and documented the industrial mountain village
• Attended Hanami meetup – that one was important
• Experimented with new work schedule to allow for afternoon photo walks

2021.02

• Moved to a new apartment in Daikyocho, Shinjuku and successfully organized the space
• Acquired a Brompton S6L Black Edition folding bike, replacing previous cycling setup, and used it extensively for urban exploration
• Completed Catch 32 book layout using physical prints spread on walls
• Started Dreaming with One Eye Open mailing list concept
• Explored cycling routes to Kamakura, Enoshima, Fujisawa, and Ofuna on the Brompton
• Completed a major 18-kilometer walking photography session covering 30,000 steps and capturing 200+ photos
• Established new morning meditation routine and improved apartment setup for better mood and productivity

2021.01

• Secured a new apartment in Daikyocho, Shinjuku after extensive apartment hunting
• Started working on Synapse project development
• Completed automation improvements for toto-cli tool
• Visited Tokyo Photographic Art Museum and saw Seto Masato’s exhibition
• Met photographer Seto Masato in person at Place-M gallery (he owns it)
• Attended Araki exhibition at Art AM gallery
• Visited Totem Pole Gallery for the first time and received tour from artist Sakamoto Minami
• Implemented gallery browsing calendar system to improve exploration of Tokyo art scene

2020.12

• Received and tested new M1 MacBook Pro 13" with 2TB storage as part of gear minimization strategy
• Achieved significant climbing progress, successfully completing first two 4Q grade routes and consistently climbing 5Q routes
• Completed and received printed copies of Out of Memory Vol. 3 book
• Made substantial progress on Synapse project development
• Continued work on Tride project with focus on modernizing modules and creating testing environment
• Purchased and immediately returned Konica Hexar RF camera, continuing search for 28mm Leica Summicron lens
• Explored multiple Tokyo galleries and coffee shops including UNPLAN Kagurazaka and Rec Coffee in Suidobashi

2020.11

• Spent a week at Kawaguchiko with friends—slow days, good food, sunset photography at the lake.
• Picked up a Leica Q2, tested it for three weeks, then sold it.
• Decided the Ricoh GR III remains my most-used camera for the foreseeable future.
• Working on toto.photo redesign—progress on structure, still figuring out the Images section.
• Making progress on OOM Vol. 3.
• Day trip to Mitake for slow photo walks—10km in 5 hours, time to think.
• Flashed my first 5Q bouldering route.
• Started reading Why People Photograph by Robert Adams.
• Contacted immigration lawyers about visa situation.

2020.10

• Climbing progress—reached 6Q level confidently.
• Day One sync fixed—streak preserved.
• Walking around Kitasenju and central Adachi.
• Evening with Nikusha and Piqria—lots of purple.
• Started immigration lawyer search for visa extension.
• Reserved a house in Kawaguchiko for November.
• Reinstalled OmniFocus for project management.
• Weight hit 81.2kg—time for a change.
• Decided to buy Leica Q2 for “places I called home” project.
• Working on side logistics project with a colleague.
• Started running again after months of inactivity.

2020.09

• A 10-year relationship ended—a significant chapter closed.
• Trip to Nikko Swedish Village cottage.
• Built Tototron 3000—a text adventure game in a messenger chat.
• Started climbing at a gym—hands destroyed, but loved it.
• Photographed Arakawa river east of Higashi-ojima—Gursky-esque river pictures.
• Shot Sunamachi Ginza—better photos when reaching the river.
• iOS 14 released with very short notice—Twitter lit up with curse words.
• Working on almanac.ge—solving Netlify rendering issues.
• Remote iOS job continued.

2020.08

• First film developed from 6×17 camera—didn’t mess it up!
• Found Shinbashi Ichi Camera—great shop for large format gear.
• Got Alec Soth books and watched his Learn Magnum course—his passion for photobooks is intoxicating.
• Working on almanac.ge—Georgian language website.
• Started Python + Data Science course on Udemy.
• Finished InDesign course for bookmaking.
• Had Adjarian khachapuri in Tokyo.
• Walked around Tsukishima and scouted locations for 6×17 shooting.
• Scouted Harajuku station before its demolition.
• Remote iOS job continued—learning a lot under pressure.

2020.07

• Bought a 6×17 large format camera (Shen Hao TLC617-A)—very exciting new chapter in photography.
• Got a 90mm lens for the panoramic camera.
• Bought an iPad Pro—glorified typewriter with a glorious screen.
• Nearly completed Out of Memory Vol. 2.
• Trip to Ito/Atami for 4 days—learned a lot about solo travel and packing light.
• Started posting walking photos on Instagram.
• Printing A3 photos at home—missed focus immediately visible on large prints.
• Working on managing anxiety—getting better.

2020.06

• Remote iOS job continued.
• WWDC week—macOS 11 looked interesting.
• Cycling around Tokyo as the city slowly came back to life.
• Got the Prince of Persia developer journal book—fascinated by documentation of game development.
• RFLP diet restart.
• Rainy season kicked in.
• iPhone X exchanged due to swollen battery.
• Started paper journaling practice—more valuable than digital entries I never revisit.
• Walking and snapping with GRIII in rainy Tokyo.

2020.05

• Lots of cycling in empty pandemic Tokyo—riding in the middle of streets with no cars.
• Day trip to Kawagoe.
• Got a Garmin Fenix 6 Pro Ti and started running with Garmin Coach workouts.
• Good progress on Tride—fixed bugs, implemented Time in Zone displays.
• Ordered Walks issues 3 and 4 from Blurb.
• Remote iOS job continued.
• Project Synapse ideas flowing—connected notes concept won’t leave my head.
• First performance review ever—went well.
• Emergency state lifted in Tokyo.
• Tokyo car spotting walks—the car culture here is crazy rich.

2020.04

• Visited Enoshima island—tiny, walkable, and interesting.
• Long walk from Akebonobashi to Tokyo Station.
• Started using Roam Research for productivity planning.
• Finished the From Japan MVP website.
• Hiked Mt. Takao (599m) for my birthday—a nice short hike outside Tokyo.
• Got company laptop (16" MacBook Pro).
• Cycling around Shibuya and Shinjuku during pandemic—empty streets, riding in the middle of the road.
• Started sketching a notes app idea (Synapse)—can’t get the connected notes concept out of my head.
• Started thinking about “The Base” concept—minimalist living and traveling light.

2020.03

• Recovered from illness and got back to walking in Tbilisi.
• Ran with Lekva around Lisi Lake.
• Trip to Bakuriani—visited Gio’s snowboarding school, watched the kids train.
• COVID-19 pandemic started—Georgia responded quickly with closures.
• Had to fly back to Tokyo early due to pandemic (March 20), with an 11-hour layover in Qatar.
• Signed a permanent remote iOS contract.
• Hanami at Oji park in Kita-ku—gorgeous small park, nicer than crowded Ueno.
• Working on From Japan website.
• Started thinking about a connected notes app (like Roam for Mac).

2020.02

• Finished implementing the calendar feature for Tride—pretty much feature complete.
• Flew to Tbilisi for six weeks (Feb 13 - Mar 29).
• Started a remote iOS job via ARC.
• Got gym and coworking memberships at Terminal in Tbilisi.
• Working sessions at Coffee Lab.
• Evening with friends: Mariam, Sandro, Lili, Kiwi.
• Visited Gio’s new house and later saw him and family at Biro.
• Photo walks in Tbilisi—enjoying snapping graffiti all over the city.
• Got sick at end of month with high fever (39.6°C).

2020.01

• New Year at a ryokan at the foot of Mt. Fuji—hiking to a shrine with a gorgeous view.
• Met Craig Mod by chance.
• Read Alex Webb and Rebecca Norris Webb on Street Photography and the Poetic Image.
• Shot video for ImediTV (Georgian TV) in Tokyo.
• Learned the MERN stack (Mongo, Express, React, Node) and Gatsby.js—web development has become surprisingly accessible.
• Resumed Harley-Davidson freelance work—Bluetooth connectivity features.
• Working on “From Japan” business plans with Dato and Nita.
• One year of uninterrupted daily journaling.
• Started implementing SwiftUI for Tride guide screens.
• Ordered proof prints of Walks issues and Tokyo on Wheels.
• Walk from home to Nakano station—covered the ground in just over two hours.
• Made a custom backplate sticker for Leica M2.

2019.12

• Visited the new Starbucks Reserve Roasters in Tokyo—impressive industrial-meets-artsy space.
• Passed the ARC interview and got accepted to their remote job network.
• Started using Roam Research for note-taking.
• Started learning SwiftUI and Combine.
• Finished reading Caliban’s War (The Expanse book 2).
• Discovered “Guitar Street” in Tokyo—can’t believe I didn’t know about it before.
• Started layout work on Out of Memory #1—first self-published zine.
• Got proof prints of OOM #1—touching a perfectly-bound, almost A4-size print of my own photos was a glorious experience.
• Visited Tokyo Photography Museum for a Masataka Nakano exhibition.
• New Year’s Eve at Dato and Nita’s place.

2019.11

• Walked from home to Nippori through Bunkyo—pleasant autumn walk.
• Flew to Tbilisi for three weeks.
• Got a gym membership at Octopus and started weight training—first deadlift ever.
• Running sessions with Giorgi in Tbilisi.
• Walked around Tbilisi a lot—covered half the city on foot.
• Got a Tbilisi Public Library pass.
• Photographed protests at the parliament building.
• Dinner with Elene and tech folks—geek talk all evening.
• Freelance design work for Nincho’s project.
• Saw many friends: Giorgi, Bacho, Guga, Elene.
• Recorded a podcast.
• Flew back to Tokyo at end of month.

2019.10

• Rugby World Cup 2019 continued—watched Fiji vs Georgia and Australia vs Georgia.
• Super typhoon passed over Tokyo—stayed indoors.
• Figured out ANT+ serial messaging and FE-C protocol—Tride can now communicate with my TACX Vortex trainer.
• Built a FIT file format encoder/decoder for Tride (ugly format, but done).
• MacBook in for repair again—display this time.
• Got Bose NC700 headphones.
• Hit weight goal: 65kg with 15.5% body fat.
• Started using Pivotal Tracker for project management.
• Met Akash from Gigster in Tokyo.

2019.09

• MacBook keyboard issues again—sent for service (third time).
• Finished the first draft of a programming dictionary in Georgian.
• Typhoon passed over Tokyo—stayed indoors.
• Discovered the rooftop terrace on Isetan department store in Shinjuku.
• Started using DEVONthink for document management.
• Rugby World Cup 2019 in Japan—traveled to Nagoya for Wales vs Georgia, watched Georgia beat Uruguay 33:7.
• Three Michelin-star classical Japanese dinner in Hibiya.
• Applied to TopTal.
• Hit 71.0kg—personal record at the time.
• Continued Tride work: in-app purchases, calendar screens.

2019.08

• Launched version 7.0 of my personal website—migrated to a static site on Netlify.
• Started reading Leviathan Wakes (The Expanse series).
• Saw the Daido Moriyama street exhibition around Shibuya station.
• Started running again after five months in the new Shinjuku apartment.
• Traveled to Kanazawa by overnight bus for Haruki & Jess’s wedding party.
• Worked from Yahoo! LODGE coworking space.
• Attended Azabu-juban matsuri.
• Developed a “Wave” system for organizing work tasks on paper.
• Continued deep work on Tride file management system.

2019.07

• Launched the Tride beta page on Product Hunt.
• Got contact lenses for the first time—could finally see far without nausea.
• Started freelance work with Harley-Davidson team again.
• Began translating the Swift programming book into Georgian—starting with chapter one and a programming terminology glossary.
• Walk in Shinjuku Garden during the rainy season.
• Made khachapuri.
• Trip to Tsukuba for a change of scene.
• Continued working on Tride—file caching, designs, and session implementation.

2019.06

• Helped the Georgian Embassy staff with their wine festival in Tokyo.
• WWDC week—watched sessions, started implementing iOS 13 dark mode for the app.
• Trip to Okinawa—explored Naha and took a ferry to Zamami island.
• Visited Shiota Chiharu’s exhibition at Mori Museum—mind completely blown by the scale and installations.
• Day trip to Nokogiriyama to see the big Buddha statues.
• Visited the Gaudi Exhibition in Tokyo.
• Named the triathlon app project “Tride”—means nothing, but makes good puns.
• Prepared pre-launch for Tride beta on Medium and Product Hunt.
• Busi visited Tokyo for a few weeks.

2019.05

• Published the Fujisan photo story—documenting a tour around Mt. Fuji.
• Attended After Hours Tokyo ‘19—MONO and Toe were awesome.
• Started cycling around Tokyo on a Fuji ARCV single-speed—surprisingly fun for city riding.
• Got Garmin Vector 3 power meter pedals for indoor training.
• Walked and talked with Maia Charkviani for a whole day.
• Gathering of 10 Georgians in Tama, Tokyo.
• Continued deep work on The Foundry—charts, maps, sensors, and custom UI.
• Shot a video for Archil’s TV game show appearance.

2019.04

• Hanami season—walked from Iidabashi to Shinjuku along the river bank full of cherry trees.
• Finished the leather wallet project.
• Moved to a new apartment in Tokyo—15 hours of driving stuff around the city.
• Assembled IKEA furniture for the new place.
• Wrote and published the fitness·json specification—a workout data format for The Foundry.
• Got 1Gbps internet at the new apartment.
• Started indoor cycling training with TrainerRoad and a ramp FTP test.
• Visited Totem Pole Gallery by chance.
• Sent my first physical letter—photos and a note to a friend.

2019.03

• Day trip to Nikko—temples, parks, hikes, and the Imperial Villa. 10/10 day.
• Visited the Tokyo Art Book Fair and picked up some nicely done zines for inspiration.
• Attended the Georgian Wine Exhibition and Gala in Tokyo.
• Walked from Harajuku to Ginza—Tokyo suddenly feels a bit smaller.
• Day trip to Yokohama.
• Made my first YouTube video documenting a photo walk in Shinjuku, with an accompanying photo story.
• Got a Ricoh GR III—decided it would be my last camera purchase for at least 5-7 years.
• Started making a leather wallet.
• Continued design work on The Foundry, getting most screens done.
• Apartment hunting—rode the Sakura tram from Machiya to Waseda.

2019.02

• Continued building Forgeworks (later renamed The Foundry), working on display cells and graphic frameworks.
• Finished Thorsten von Overgaard’s composition book—key takeaways: walk slowly, wander, take many shots of the same scene.
• Ordered a photo printer and started experimenting with printing my own postcards.
• Launched an Instagram postcard project—printing and mailing photos to commenters.
• Visited the Matsuya Used Camera fair in Tokyo—overwhelming selection from ¥5,000 to ¥3 million.
• Started using Notion for project organization.
• Had the MacBook Pro keyboard repaired at Apple Store—the butterfly keyboard strikes again.
• Visited Georgian friends Nita and Dato for khachapuri.

2019.01

• Started the year working on Forgeworks, a triathlon training app project.
• Launched the first issue of Coffee Notes, a newsletter about coffee and cafés.
• Got a Canon EOS R—impressed by how well it pairs with Leica M-mount lenses via adapter.
• Set up a dedicated 35mm film scanner and started scanning my own negatives at home.
• Visited the Hokusai Updated exhibition at Mori Museum in Roppongi Hills.
• Saw MONO live in Tokyo—already got tickets for a post-rock festival in May featuring MONO, Toe, and Explosions in the Sky.
• Explored Jinbocho’s book and music shops.
• Started cycling along Arakawa after fixing up my bike.