Rob Goss
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robgoss.bsky.social
Rob Goss
@robgoss.bsky.social
380 followers 210 following 200 posts
Author. Writer. Haikuist.
From Devon. In Tokyo.
Owned by a shiba.
Bio, portfolio, etc at: www.robgosswriter.com
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robgoss.bsky.social
The mikan boxes have appeared in the local supermarket. It’s starting to feel like winter.
A cardboard box full of mikan (satsuma).
December 7, 2025 at 12:57 AM
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A brief work trip to Kumejima, Okinawa. Really lovely place.
Eef Beach. Apparently it’s on Japan’s Best 100 Beaches list. Japan is fond of those kind of lists… Roads lined with sugar cane fields. A bicycle in front of a coastal rock formation said to look like tatami mats. A sandbar and clear blue water.
November 21, 2025 at 1:20 AM
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A busy day in the office…
A black and white dog (a kuroshiba) being an idle sod while its dog-dad scrambles to deliver the first half of a book on time.
November 5, 2025 at 2:53 AM
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Work updates are like buses. For a while, there’s nothing, then several come at once. So, I’m happy to say National Geographic’s annual Best of the World list is out today, with a bit of #Japan on it. My latest Lonely Planet is out too: a co-written book about bike rides in Japan.
A screenshot from Nat Geo, introducing a story about Yamagata Prefecture in Japan. The cover of a Lonely Planet book called Best Bike Rides Japan.
October 22, 2025 at 1:18 AM
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Message to self: remember the sodding yeast.
A clump of cooked bread dough. Not risen because I forgot to put yeast in the bread maker.
October 19, 2025 at 11:58 PM
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Sorting through bookcases today, tidying them up, making piles of things for book swaps and recycling. And finding some bangers I’d forgotten I have. Like this:
Book cover of British Railways Locomotives. 1957. Two-page spread of steam engine photos. A very geeky list of 1950s British Railways shed codes.
October 19, 2025 at 4:33 AM
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So I can write without the need to lug a laptop around, I got a keyboard for my iPad for work trips. Hound not entirely impressed, but hopefully it’ll be an ok setup for trains, planes and hotel rooms.
A black and white shiba (dog) looking at the screen of an iPad.
October 2, 2025 at 3:44 AM
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Lovely morning back in the village.
The River Avon. Fallen apples. St Petroc’s church.
September 22, 2025 at 10:56 AM
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Walkies. In Cornwall for the weekend.
Cows in a field. Sheep in a field. A red Labrador playing with a new stick in a field.
September 21, 2025 at 10:39 AM
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Argyle-ing. That was a grim game.
A football pitch. Two teams of donkeys could’ve played better.
September 20, 2025 at 8:28 PM
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Slow life back in the village.
The centre of the village. The road is lined with older stone/granite buildings. In the distance are fields. The old school building. A cricket pitch with moorland in the background.
September 14, 2025 at 10:27 AM
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I'm opening my travel writing sessions again from October. Details in screenshots and link below. Briefly: one-to-one sessions in return for a donation to a good cause, whether that's related to Palestine, Sudan, Ukraine, or something in your own community. www.tokyofreelance.com/first-friday....
Screenshot of a page of text. The text reads: What are the travel writing mentoring sessions like? A session isn’t one size fits all. It isn’t a fixed class. Each one runs for about an hour and the focus is up to the participant. Some people have wanted to discuss their freelance business plans or talk about how/what/who to pitch. Others have wanted to discuss specific pitches or get feedback on a writing sample. Some have wanted help building a strategy for transitioning from teaching to writing (like I did), or for going from writing for Japan-based media to writing for markets overseas (like I do). A few have wanted to share the frustrations they’ve encountered and then get some advice. When a participant isn’t entirely sure what they want to focus on, I often send them this blogpost about freelancing, and then we can hone in on some of the points it covers. With a few emails or DMs prior to a session, we can find something to structure a session around. When and how are the sessions conducted? Each session is conducted via Zoom. They are one-on-one and last about 60 minutes. I’m based in Tokyo (GMT+9) and (when not travelling) can schedule sessions on weekdays between 8am and 5pm my time. You don’t have to be in Japan – people have done sessions from Australia, the UK, and the US. Screenshot of a page of text. The text reads: How much do you need to donate and to who? When I started doing these sessions, the deal was for participants to donate a fee of their choice to a specific cause (directly, not via me). The first sessions were related to humanitarian aid in Ukraine, the second group of sessions the 2023 Turkey-Syria earthquake. Now that the sessions are monthly, you can donate to any charity you like (well, nothing MAGA related…this is about spreading positivity not hate). I can suggest a charity if you aren’t sure. How much? There is no fixed amount. If you can afford $100, that’s incredible. If $10 is a stretch right now, do $5. And it doesn’t have to be money. Last time, one participant decided to donate a few hours of volunteer work in their community. All that said, donations aren’t essential for everyone. Not all aspiring travel writers have wealthy parents who can support them through unpaid internships or provide a financial safety net during the early years of a career. Nor do we all have country club contacts who can fast-track a media career or a trust fund with which to launch our own indie magazine. So, if you aren’t from a financially privileged background or aren’t able to spare any extra cash, don’t worry about the donation. There’ll be plenty of opportunities down the line for you to do something positive for someone else in return. How to get in touch? You can DM me on Instagram or email me (see the contact page). It really helps me to sieve out the spam if you send a message with a bit of detail – just a sentence or two about your writing goals, for example, or your writing background (if any) so far.
September 2, 2025 at 3:26 AM
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On the Shinkansen home. I usually get writing done on the shink, but after a few days traipsing around Aomori in the heat, I see a drool-y train nap in my near future.
The interior of a Shinkansen, aka bullet train. This one goes from Shin Aomori in northern Japan down to Tokyo.
July 25, 2025 at 4:00 AM
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Aomori-ken in Aomori-ken. #japan.
Yoshitomo Nara’s large statue of a dog, called Aomori-ken (Aomori Dog). On display in Aomori-ken (Aomori Prefecture).
July 23, 2025 at 5:02 AM
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Tea break in Aoyama.
A tall, thin glass of green tea (a lovely sencha from Kagoshima). In the background is a bonsai.
July 17, 2025 at 5:13 AM
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Sado, #Japan.
Nighttime Noh performance A small store on Sado. At night. Terraced rice fields. Old backstreets of Shukunegi.
July 6, 2025 at 8:24 AM
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Firelit Noh on Sado.

Latest trip for a new book with old friend (and photographer) Irwin Wong. More details soonish. #japan
July 5, 2025 at 1:06 PM
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Home. Got my hound.
This is Henry. He’s a kuroshiba, currently with his tongue out and smiling. Possibly the most handsome kuroshiba, though frankly in need of a bath this weekend.
June 25, 2025 at 10:18 AM
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Satie Coffee in Onomichi. The setting/feeling was wonderful. The coffee too.

A light roast isn’t usually my thing, but I’d never had anything from Yemen before. Quite refreshing on a hot day. What I enjoyed most was having it served in two glasses, each highlighting a different aroma.
The inside. Lowly lit. Almost like an antique store. A coffee served in two glasses: a cup and a wine glass. Allows you to sense different aromas from the same brew. The entrance to the cafe. Satie is written in chalk on a board. The coffee menu
June 25, 2025 at 5:16 AM
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Tea Stand Gen Yamate in Onomichi was such a lovely tea experience. Peaceful. Beautifully put together. #japantravel
Ceramic tea cups on shelves. The counter where teas are made. A tray with four dishes. One is the pot with tea leaves. One is a second pot into which tea is strained. Then the small tea cup. And a dish with several sweet dango dumplings covered in sweet sauce. A small plate of mitarashi dango. A kind of sweet dumpling.
June 24, 2025 at 10:43 AM
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On the road for a new book. #Japan
Small fishing boats in the harbour, with wooded hills behind.
June 23, 2025 at 9:25 AM
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Maybe it’s a bit dated, but I always print drafts for final (and penultimate) self-edits. It just feels better for me. Gets me away from the screen too. Unless, like this morning, my printer gets peckish. #writing
The inside of a printer with the paper chewed up.
June 16, 2025 at 2:10 AM
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I hadn’t picked this book up for a couple of decades. It was part of my uni reading (with the preface and its definition of class being the part I recall most: “And class happens when…”). But I’ve been dipping in and out of it again the last few weeks and it’s fascinating.
The cover of a book called The Making of the English Working Class by E.P. Thompson.
June 14, 2025 at 10:23 AM
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Had a lovely stroll around Yanesen this morning. #tokyo
A row of red torii gates at Nezu Shrine. A pond at Nezu Shrine. Behind are azaleas (not in bloom). In the pond are a few orange carp and some turtles basking on rocks. A seated statue of Buddha, hands in prayer, at Tennoji temple. Dating from 1690.
June 1, 2025 at 3:56 AM
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My right knee is being unnecessarily naughty this week. But electrotherapy (I think that’s how to translate 電気治療) is an enjoyably twitchy experience. Only ¥340 per session too. No appointment needed.
A grotesque knee. Mine. Attached to it are four suction cups that are part of an electro therapy machine.
May 30, 2025 at 6:16 AM