#2. September Week 1 Review & Week2 Plans

Episode Highlights

* Good Points: Turned 3+ incomplete tasks into complete ones, learned surprising facts about Prince Shotoku, and why bookstores are my spiritual power spots.

* Areas for Improvement (MOA): Soft volleyball knee strain & why running shoes don’t work on the court.

* Week 2 Goals: Reaching 20 km of running and diving into Heian history.

* Casual Chat: Fall anime releases (Aoashi, Blue Box) & launch of paid reflection content.

Script

Intro

Hello, and welcome back to Taiki Arai’s Solo Talk Radio! I’m your host, Taiki Arai. Thank you so much for joining me today.

Today, I’m going to look back on how the first week of September unfolded and share my plans and goals for the second week.

1. Look Back on Week 1: Good Points

Let’s start with the “Good” points from the first week of September. I’ve got a few updates to share!

First off, I managed to knock out more than three tasks that were sitting on my to-do list. The biggest win was wrapping up the registration process for two tour-guiding platforms. I’d left those hanging last week, but I finally submitted everything. Now I’m just waiting to hear back from them, so I’m counting that as a done deal!

On top of that, I recorded and published my August week four review in English. I also posted a review article on Note about the show “Can You Call 100 Friends?”. Plus, I went to check out the Chiikawa movie! Some of you might wonder why I count going to a movie as a completed task, but watching Chiikawa was surprisingly insightful and really fun.

Second, regarding my Japanese history studies—I’m sitting for an exam on November 15th, so I’ve been hitting the books. Right now, I’ve managed to cover everything from the Jomon period up to the Nara era. One of the coolest takeaways or “aha!” moments for me was learning about Prince Shotoku. Nowadays, textbooks usually refer to him as Prince Umayado, but I learned that the actual name of our country, “Japan” (Nihon), originated right around his time.

I probably picked this up back in high school, but I had completely blanked on it—mostly because I was so obsessed with track and field back then! Before that period, China referred to Japan as “Wa” or “Wajin.” I remembered that part, but when I looked into why, I found out that the character “Wa” actually had a pretty condescending vibe to it, basically implying Japan was inferior to China. Learning that made me go, “Ah, I see! That makes total sense.” It was such a cool realization.

Third, speaking of the review I mentioned earlier, I put out a review of the Prime Video show “Can You Call 100 Friends?”. I posted it last week, and I was honestly blown away by the response. It made me realize that people aren’t just looking for English-learning tips; they also really enjoy these kinds of raw reflections and reviews. It actually got the highest listenership among my recent episodes! While listener count isn’t something I can control, it still felt awesome. What surprised me even more was that around 70% of the listeners stayed tuned all the way to the end.

Fourth, I managed to drop five podcast episodes in total during the first week of September: two on junior high English grammar, one listening episode, the review of “Can You Call 100 Friends?”, and my English review episode. That’s almost overdoing it, right?

Finally, I had a few deep realizations. Just to name a few topics: “Putting Your Heart into Your Work,” “Uploading 10,000 Episodes,” and “Bookstores are Power Spots.” Having at least three deep insights was definitely a major highlight for me.

2. Look Back on Week 1: MOA (More Of Anything / Room for Improvement)

Now, moving on to areas where I need to step up, or what I call “MOA.”

The biggest one is my running distance. I only logged 7 km during the entire first week of September. I think I’ve been playing a bit too much soft volleyball lately. Recently, I felt a slight tweak in my knee, so I decided to play it safe and hold off on my runs.

I’ve been playing volleyball for about two years now, but I’ve been wearing running shoes on the court. Running shoes are specifically built for forward momentum. Volleyball, on the other hand, demands lateral movement, sudden stops, quick cuts, and a solid grip so you don’t slide on the gymnasium floor. The footwear requirements are completely different. The other day on the court, I almost wiped out because my shoes slipped! I think that lack of proper support is putting a lot of strain on my knees.

Another area for improvement: while I cleared out three pending tasks, I had five extra items I wanted to tackle this week that I just couldn’t get to.

Lastly, you might think I’m being greedy, but I wished I could have uploaded more content to Audio Japan. You might say, “Wait, five episodes a week is basically daily publishing!” But my ideal target is even higher. The bottleneck isn’t just time management; it’s mainly that my episode titles and narrative structures aren’t sharp enough yet.

3. Score, Changes & Growth

If I had to rate this past week, I’d give it a solid 70 out of 100. That’s a bit higher than last week! Being able to thoughtfully unpack my thoughts on “Can You Call 100 Friends? Season 2” was huge for me. Clarifying what moved me made a real difference. Also, coming up with 3 to 5 new realizations was massive. When you gain fresh insights, new questions naturally pop up, and you carry those questions with you in daily life.

Compared to a week ago, here are four areas of growth:

* Translation Habit: Whenever I spot Japanese signs or manuals, I instantly try to translate them into English in my head. This habit has gotten way stronger recently, which will be super useful for guiding. It forces me to constantly ask, “Is this phrasing spot-on? Does this verb carry the right nuance?”

* Teaching English: Working on junior high grammar content reaffirmed that once you get the core structures down, it’s just a matter of fitting puzzle pieces together to pick the right verbs and expressions.

* Community Selection: As I mentioned last week, I applied for a local community initiative here in Fukui, and I made the cut! The kickoff is next week, running through March. It’s still a bit mysterious, so I’ll keep you posted!

* Volleyball Progress: On the court, people started giving me props, saying things like, “Your weight transfer on attacks is getting really clean!” or “Your setting has improved!” That felt great. I still can’t put top-spin on my attacks, though. It’s tough! I get the power aspect, but putting that spin on the ball hasn’t clicked yet.

4. Goals for Week 2 of September

Looking ahead to the second week of September, here’s my game plan:

* Podcast Uploads: I want to drop at least 5 episodes—2 grammar episodes, 1 listening episode, 1 English review, and 2 for Audio Japan. That’s basically 1 episode a day! At minimum 3, ideally 5, and if I can push it, 7. (Haha, I was this close to slipping into my Keisuke Honda impression when I said “7”! That was close!)

* Running: Aiming for 20 km in total—ideally two 10 km runs. Now that September is here, the mornings and evenings are cooling down, making it way more comfortable to run.

* History Studies: Since I reached the Nara era, I want to dive into the Heian and Kamakura periods this week.

* Community Activity: The program kicks off this weekend. There are about 30 members, so my goal is to put faces to names. A group of 30 feels just like a classroom! Everyone comes from completely different backgrounds and age groups.

* Pending Tasks: Knock out those 5 or more unfinished tasks.

* Kyoto Trip Prep: I’m planning to head to Kyoto in late September for tour-guide scouting, so I want to map out which spots to inspect.

5. Casual Talk: Fall Anime, Sports, & Paid Content

Now for some casual chat! I watch a ton of anime, and a massive wave of new shows is dropping in October. When I checked out the lineup, I was hyped to see so many great series returning!

* Aoashi Season 2: This is a soccer anime. The manga is already done, but what makes it special is how the main character, Ashito, plays soccer by constantly thinking and analyzing. As you watch him grow, you gain new perspectives and learn about tactical training. It really sharpens your critical thinking. Season 2 starts in October, and I can’t wait!

* Blue Box Season 2: Also starting in October! Do you remember the main character’s name? It’s Taiki Inomata! It’s super rare to see a main character named Taiki in anime. So whenever Chinatsu-senpai calls out “Taiki-kun!” in the show, you’re probably going to end up picturing me, Taiki Arai, too! Haha, alright, forget I said that! But Season 1 left us hanging on such a massive cliffhanger. It’s been two or three years, so I’m thrilled Season 2 is finally here.

* Other Anime: I was shocked to see Sgt. Frog (Keroro Gunso) making a comeback in Fall 2026! I used to binge it on Animax or Kids Station in elementary school. Also, Ace of Diamond is coming back in October 2026, and Tokyo Revengers has a new season. I dropped Tokyo Revengers when it became a Disney+ exclusive, but I might give it another shot. Lastly, The Prince of Tennis II: U-17 World Cup Final is coming out. I’ve been following Prince of Tennis since 4th or 5th grade—that means it’s been nearly 20 years! That’s mind-blowing.

* Sports Events: Starting late September, the Asian Games will be held across Aichi Prefecture. I’m pumped to watch track and field, soccer, and volleyball. Then in early October, Ekiden season kicks off. If all goes smoothly, I think Waseda University will take the title!

[Concept for Paid Content] Recently, I read a book by Lan Domon titled The Practice of Writing the Truth. The author talks about the importance of self-disclosure—starting with raw journaling that nobody sees, but eventually stripping down those thoughts and putting them out into the world.

While this weekly review is already a form of self-disclosure, creating a closed, trusted space behind a paid filter allows for a safer connection with listeners where I can open up even more. I plan to share deeper reflections—like my thoughts on uploading 10,000 episodes, putting your heart into your work, and who I truly want to reach.

If you’re interested, I’m thinking of two options: paid posts on Note, or a feature called “Room” connected to my main hosting platform, LISTEN. I’ll post the links in the description once updated.

Outro

Looking at 2026, if we count 4 weeks per month, there are only about 16 weeks—around 15 episodes—left until the year wraps up! It flies by so fast.

If you have any questions, comments, or feedback for me, Taiki Arai, please drop a message in the Google Form linked below. Also, if you’re interested in English coaching or a free trial session, feel free to check out the description as well!

Thank you so much for listening until the very end. This was your host, Taiki Arai. See you in the next episode!

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit bignoblemen.substack.com

サマリー

今週のエピソードでは、荒井タイキが9月第1週の振り返りと第2週の計画を共有しました。第1週は、未完了タスクの完了、聖徳太子に関する歴史学習の発見、そして「100万回言えばよかった」のレビューが好評だったことなど、多くの良い点がありました。一方で、ソフトバレーボールによる膝の負担やランニング距離の不足が課題として挙げられました。第2週に向けては、ポッドキャストの配信数増加、ランニング20km、平安・鎌倉時代の歴史学習、そして福井の地域活動への参加などを目標に掲げています。また、秋アニメの話題や、より深い自己開示を目的とした有料コンテンツの構想についても語られました。

9月第1週の振り返り：良かった点

Taiki Arai's Solo Talk Radio.

Hello, and welcome back to Taiki Arai's Solo TalkRadio.

I'm your host, Taiki Arai.

Thank you so much for joining me today.

Today, I'm going to look back on how the firstweek of September unfolded,

and share my plans and goals for the second week.

Okay, let's start with the good points from thefirst week of September.

I've got a few updates to share.

First off, I managed to knock out more than threetasks that were sitting on my to-do list.

The biggest win was wrapping up the registrationprocess for two tour guiding platforms.

I'd left those hanging last week, but I finallysubmitted everything.

Now, I'm just waiting to hear back from them, soI'm counting that as a done deal.

On top of that, I recorded and published my Augustweek 4th review in English.

I also posted a review article on NOTE about theshow.

Can you call 100 friends?

Plus, I went to check out the Chiikawa movie.

Some of you might wonder why I can't go into amovie as a completed task,

but watching Chiikawa was surprisingly insightful andreally fun.

Second, regarding my Japanese history studies,

I'm sitting for an exam on November 15th, so I'vebeen hitting the books.

Right now, I've managed to cover everything fromthe Jomon period up to the Nara era.

One of the coolest takeaways or aha moments for mewas learning about Prince Shotoku.

Nowadays, textbooks usually refer to him as PrinceUmayado,

but I learned that the actual name of our country,Japan, originated right around his time.

I probably picked this up back in high school, butI had completely blanked on it,

mostly because I was so obsessed with track andfield back then.

Before that period, China referred to Japan as Waor Wajin.

I remembered that part, but when I looked intowhy,

I found out that the character Wa actually had apretty condescending vibe to it,

basically implying Japan was inferior to China.

Learning that made me go,

ah, I see, that makes total sense.

It was such a cool realization.

Third, speaking of the review I mentioned earlier,

I put out a review of the Prime Video Show, CanYou Call 100 Friends?

I posted it last week, and I was honestly blownaway by the response.

It made me realize that people aren't just lookingfor English learning tips,

they also really enjoy these kinds of rawreflections and reviews.

It actually got the highest listenership among myrecent episodes.

While listeners count isn't something I cancontrol, it still felt awesome.

What surprised me even more was that

around 70% of the listeners stayed tuned all theway to the end.

Fourth, I managed to drop five podcast episodes intotal

during the first week of September.

Two on junior high English grammar, one listeningepisode,

the review of Can You Call 100 Friends?

and my English review episode.

That's almost overdoing it, right?

Finally, I had a few deep realizations, just toname a few topics.

Putting your heart into your work,

uploading 10,000 episodes,

and bookstores are power spots for me.

Having at least three deep insights

was definitely a major highlight for me.

9月第1週の振り返り：改善点（MOA）

Now, moving on to areas where I need to step up,

or what I call MOA.

The biggest one is my running distance.

I only logged seven kilometers during the entirefirst week of September.

I think I've been playing a bit too much softvolleyball lately.

Recently, I felt a slight tweak in my knee,

so I decided to play it safe and hold off on myruns.

I've been playing volleyball for about two yearsnow,

but I've been wearing running shoes on the court.

Running shoes are specifically built for forwardmomentum.

Volleyball, on the other hand, demands lateralmovement,

sudden stops, quick cuts, and a solid grip

so you don't slide on the gymnasium floor.

The footwear requirements are completelydifferent.

The other day on the court,

I almost wiped out because my shoes slipped.

I think that lack of proper support is putting alot of strain on my knees.

Another area for improvement,

while I cleared out three pending tasks,

I had five extra items I wanted to tackle thisweek

that I just couldn't get to.

Lastly, you might think I'm being greedy,

but I wished I could have uploaded more content toAudioJapan.

You might say,

wait, five episodes a week is basically dailypublishing,

but my ideal target is even higher.

The bottleneck isn't just time management.

It's mainly that my episode titles and narrativestructures aren't sharp enough yet.

自己評価、変化と成長

If I had to rate this past week,

I'd give it a solid 70 out of 100.

That's a bit higher than last week.

Being able to thoughtfully unpack my thoughts on

Can You Call 100 Friends? Season 2 was huge forme,

clarifying what moved me made a real difference.

Also, coming up with 3 to 5 new realizations wasmassive.

When you gain fresh insights,

new questions naturally pop up,

and you carry those questions with you in dailylife.

Compared to a week ago,

here are four areas of growth.

1. Translation Habit

Whenever I spot Japanese signs or manuals,

I instantly try to translate them into English inmy head.

This habit has gotten way stronger recently,

which will be super useful for guiding.

It forces me to constantly ask,

Is this phrasing spot on?

Does this verb carry the right nuance?

Working on junior high grammar content,

we affirmed that once you get the core structuresdone,

it's just a matter of fitting puzzle piecestogether

to pick the right verbs and expressions.

As I mentioned last week,

I applied for a local community initiative here inFukui,

and I made the cut.

The kickoff is next week, running through March.

It's still a bit mysterious, so I'll keep youposted.

On the court, people started giving me props,

saying things like,

Your weight transfer on attacks is getting reallyclean,

or your setting has improved.

That felt great.

I still can't put topspin on my attacks, though.

It's tough.

I get the power aspect,

but putting that spin on the ball hasn't clickedyet.

9月第2週の目標

Looking ahead to the second week of September,

here's my game plan.

Podcast uploads.

I want to drop at least five episodes.

Two grammar episodes, one listening episode,

one English review, and two for Audio Japan.

That's basically one episode a day.

At minimum three.

Ideally five, and if I can push it, seven.

I was this close to slipping into my Keisuke Hondaimpression

when I said seven or nana in Japanese.

That was close.

Running, aiming for 20 kilometers in total.

Ideally two 10 kilometers runs.

Now that September is here,

the mornings and evenings are cooling down,

making it way more comfortable to run.

History studies.

Since I reached the Nara era,

I want to dive into the Heian and Kamakura periodsthis week.

Community activity.

The program kicks off this weekend.

There are about 30 members,

so my goal is to put faces to names.

A group of 30 feels just like a classroom.

Everyone comes from completely differentbackgrounds and age groups.

Ending tasks.

Knock out those five or more unfinished tasks.

Kyoto trip prep.

I'm planning to head to Kyoto in late Septemberfor tour guide scouting,

so I want to map out which spots to inspect.

フリートーク：秋アニメ、スポーツ、有料コンテンツ構想

Now for some casual chat.

I watch a ton of anime,

and a massive wave of new shows is dropping inOctober.

When I checked out the lineup,

I was hyped to see so many great series returning.

First, Aoashi Season 2.

This is a soccer anime.

The manga is already done,

but what makes it special is how the maincharacter, Ashito,

plays soccer by constantly thinking and analyzing.

As you watch him grow,

you gain new perspectives and learn about tacticaltraining.

It really sharpens your critical thinking.

Season 2 starts in October, and I can't wait.

Two, Blue Box Season 2, also starting in October.

Do you remember the main character's name?

It's Taiki Inomata.

It's super rare to see a main character namedTaiki in anime,

so whenever Chinatsu-senpai calls out,

Taiki-kun, in the show,

you're probably going to end up picturing me.

Like, are I too?

Alright, forget I said that.

But Season 1 left us hanging on such a massivecliffhanger.

It's been two or three years,

so I'm thrilled Season 2 is finally here.

Three, other anime.

I was shocked to see Sgt. Frog, Keroro Gunso,

making a comeback in Fall 2026.

I used to binge it on Animax or Kids Station inelementary school.

Also, Ace of Diamond is coming back in October2026,

and Tokyo Revengers has a new season.

I dropped Tokyo Revengers

when it became a Disney Plus exclusive,

but I might give it another shot.

Lastly, The Prince of Tennis Under-17 World CupFinal is coming out.

I've been following Prince of Tennis since 4th or5th grade.

That means it's been nearly 20 years.

That's mind-blowing.

Four, sports events.

Starting late September,

the Asian Games will be held across AichiPrefecture.

I'm pumped to watch track and field, soccer, andvolleyball.

Then in early October, Ekiden season kicks off.

If all goes smoothly,

I think Waseda University will take the title.

Okay.

Recently, I read a book by Ran Domon titled

The Practice of Writing the Truth.

The author talks about the importance of self-disclosure,

starting with raw journaling that nobody sees,

but eventually stripping down those thoughts

and putting them out into the world.

While this weekly review is already a form of self-disclosure,

creating a closed, rusted space behind a paidfilter

allows for a safer connection with listeners

where I can open up even more.

I plan to share deeper reflections,

like my thoughts on uploading 10,000 episodes,

putting your heart into your work,

and who I truly want to reach.

If you're interested, I'm thinking of two options.

Paid posts on note or future code rule

connected to my main hosting platform, Listen.

I'll post the links in the description onceupdated.

エンディング

Okay.

Looking at 2026,

if we count four weeks per month,

there are only about 16 weeks,

around 15 episodes left until the year wraps up.

It flies by so fast.

If you have any questions, comments,

or feedback for me, Taiki Arai,

please drop a message in the Google form linkedbelow.

Also, if you are interested in English coaching

or a free trial session,

feel free to check out the description as well.

Thank you so much for listening until the veryend.

This was your host, Taiki Arai.

See you in the next episode.

Goodbye.