Matthew Toy

Thoughts, reflections and experiences

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The Grey Mirage: Navigating Strategic Uncertainty and the Elusive Victory in Grey Zone Conflicts

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On February 15, 2025

In Strategy

Imagine a world where war is waged not with bombs and bullets, but with lines of code and viral misinformation. This is the reality of grey zone conflicts, a persistent feature of modern geopolitics characterised by cyber operations, economic coercion, and disinformation. While many initially hailed these tactics as a revolutionary new form of strategic competition, a critical examination reveals that they not only fundamentally fail to achieve strategic victory in a traditional Clausewitzian sense but also introduce profound strategic uncertainty and volatility into the international system. Extending Thomas Rid’s compelling argument that “cyber war will not take place” due to the inherent lack of decisive physical destruction, this critique applies even more broadly to the entire spectrum of grey zone conflicts.¹

To understand the inherent limitations of these operations, we must return to the foundational strategic thought of Carl von Clausewitz. His framework remains a lodestar: tactical successes must always serve political objectives, and the very essence of war is to impose one’s will upon the enemy. As Michael Handel succinctly summarises, Clausewitzian war aims at the destruction of enemy forces, control of vital resources, and the sway of public opinion.² Grey zone tactics, however, are structurally incapable of achieving these aims in the decisive manner Clausewitz envisioned. They may sow disruption and discord, but they rarely deliver battlefield outcomes, nor can they compel political compliance in the way traditional military campaigns do. Consider, for instance, the persistent cyberattacks between nations; while disruptive and costly, they have yet to force a nation to fundamentally alter its core strategic direction.

The very nature of grey zone strategies – their calculated avoidance of outright force and immediately recognisable acts of aggression – means they cannot truly compel an adversary to accept a fundamentally new strategic order. Cyber operations, as Rid convincingly argues, rarely inflict the kind of lasting, tangible damage comparable to conventional military strikes.³ Disinformation campaigns, while capable of eroding trust in institutions and even mobilising populations, as seen in the Arab Spring uprisings, cannot on their own force political capitulation.⁴ Economic sanctions, though often painful and strategically useful in shaping behaviour, are notoriously slow and far from guaranteed to change a determined state’s core strategic calculations.

This inherent strategic limitation is further underscored by Colin Gray’s assertion that strategy is fundamentally about the application of force to achieve political objectives.⁵ For Gray, war is fundamentally about contesting and achieving control, and without the capacity to impose a decisive order, grey zone tactics fall drastically short of true strategic efficacy. He cautions that the absence of decisive engagement in contemporary conflicts leads not to resolution, but to a debilitating strategic paralysis.⁶ This resonates deeply with Clausewitz’s core tenet that successful war must culminate in the decisive defeat of the enemy. Grey zone conflicts, by their very nature, do not and cannot fulfil this criterion. At best, they generate protracted stalemates; at worst, they risk unintended escalation into open, conventional warfare.

Countering the Cumulative Argument and Embracing Ambiguity: Incrementalism vs. Decisiveness

It is important to acknowledge a key counterargument: that grey zone tactics, while rarely decisive alone, gain strategic effect cumulatively over time. Proponents argue that persistent cyber intrusions, disinformation, and economic pressure can erode an adversary’s strength and will. This view sees grey zone warfare as long-term shaping, not a knockout blow, exemplified by China’s “Three Warfares” doctrine.⁷

Furthermore, the ambiguity of grey zone conflicts can be strategically useful, like nuclear deterrence. Bernard Brodie argued nuclear war’s cost shifted strategy to prevention, redefining “victory” as avoiding war.⁸ Similarly, grey zone tactics might deter and manage competition below open conflict. Incremental disruption, like cyberattacks on Iran’s nuclear program, can also shift power balances.⁹

Hurting Without Winning and the Zero-Sum Nature of Grey Zone Competition

Thomas Schelling noted, “Victory is no longer a prerequisite for hurting the enemy.”¹⁰ This is key to grey zone tactics, which can aim to inflict pain and signal resolve without overt war. Even non-military gains – diplomatic wins, sanctions, legal advantages achieved through disinformation and cyber influence – become strategic victories in this zero-sum competition. This is particularly relevant as tech-savvy strategists recognise the advantages of ambiguity in these operations.

However, pursuing overwhelming military victory can backfire, escalating conflict. Grey zone tactics offer a way to avoid this, operating below the threshold of conventional war. Yet, this ambiguity breeds volatility, with miscalculation and escalation always looming.

Strategic Victory as Peace-Winning and the Challenge of Subjectivity

Rethinking “strategic victory” beyond military terms is crucial. Robert Mandel distinguishes “war-winning” from “peace-winning,” arguing true strategic victory is “peace-winning” – a multi-dimensional achievement across information, politics, economics, and diplomacy.¹¹ Grey zone tactics align with this broader view, especially as public mobilisation and decentralised networks shape geopolitics.

Yet, “victory” in the grey zone remains subjective and hard to measure. Ethan Kapstein highlights the difficulty of defining metrics, gaining consensus, and obtaining reliable data in grey zone operations.¹² Progress in one area may undermine another, increasing strategic uncertainty. Whether grey zone tactics are a “strategic win” depends on perspective and chosen metrics.

Taiwan: Strategic Uncertainty in Action

Taiwan exemplifies the inherent volatility of grey zone warfare: while hybrid strategies can pressure an opponent, they provide no clear pathway to a controlled, predictable outcome. The lack of definitive thresholds makes grey zone tactics as much a risk as an opportunity for the aggressor. Imagine China using grey zone tactics against Taiwan: cyberattacks, disinformation, and economic pressure. While this might weaken Taiwan, it’s unlikely to force capitulation without risking wider conflict. Taiwan’s reaction, U.S. responses, and the ever-present risk of miscalculation create a strategic dilemma.

While Russia has shown resilience to external grey zone pressures by controlling information, societal resilience only mitigates, not eliminates, strategic uncertainty. Even the most robust resilience strategies cannot eliminate the risk of miscalculation or escalation, underscoring the inherent volatility of grey zone conflicts. Because grey zone conflicts operate ambiguously, even careful campaigns can unexpectedly escalate, making control and predictability elusive.

Policy Implications: Actively Shaping the Grey Zone for Advantage

The inherent strategic uncertainty of grey zone conflicts demands proactive policies:

  1. Sharpen Intelligence and Active Disruption: Enhance intelligence to understand adversary intentions and develop capabilities to actively disrupt their grey zone operations.
  2. Develop Flexible and Escalatory Response Options: Create a wider range of responses, including calibrated counter-grey zone tactics and clear signalling for de-escalation and conflict management. As artificial intelligence and automation continue to reshape information warfare, states must anticipate how AI-driven disinformation, deepfake technology, and autonomous cyber operations will further complicate grey zone conflicts. Developing countermeasures that integrate AI-based detection and rapid-response systems will be critical for maintaining strategic advantage.
  3. Promote Transparency to Force Predictability: Actively expose adversary actions to force them into a more predictable strategic posture, enhancing transparency and accountability in the grey zone.
  4. Focus on Proactive Crisis Management: Develop proactive crisis management to prevent crises, including clear communication, de-escalation protocols, and persistent low-intensity engagement for stability.
  5. Re-evaluate “Victory” and Embrace Persistent Engagement: Shift from traditional victory metrics to measures of resilience, deterrence, and long-term shaping, embracing persistent engagement as the norm in grey zone competition.

Conclusion: Embracing Uncertainty, Seeking Control Through Persistent Engagement

Russia’s pre-2022 hybrid warfare campaign in Ukraine – combining cyber operations, disinformation, and economic pressure – demonstrated the limitations of grey zone tactics. Rather than coercing Ukraine into submission, these operations reinforced Ukrainian national resistance and galvanised Western military support, ultimately leading to Russia’s full-scale invasion. This case underscores the strategic volatility of grey zone competition: while these tactics can create disruption, they provide no guarantee of controlled, predictable outcomes.

This highlights how grey zone tactics, while seemingly flexible, are unlikely to deliver traditional strategic victory and introduce significant strategic uncertainty. While ambiguity and “peace-winning” are modern adaptations, they don’t guarantee predictable outcomes or escalation control. The grey zone is a volatile battlespace defined by miscalculation and instability. Navigating the grey zone requires embracing uncertainty, prioritising crisis management, and actively shaping the battlespace. In this new era of perpetual contestation, mastering the grey zone is not about winning – it is about ensuring that one’s adversaries never can.

  1. Rid, Thomas. Cyber War Will Not Take Place. London: Hurst, 2013.
  2. Handel, Michael I. Masters of War: Classical Strategic Thought. London: Frank Cass, 2001.
  3. Rid, Thomas. Cyber War Will Not Take Place. London: Hurst, 2013.
  4. Monaghan, Sean. “Twitter Revolutions? Social Media and the Arab Spring.” Whitehall Papers 69, no. 1 (2011): 21-22.
  5. Gray, Colin S. The Strategy Bridge: Theory for Practice. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2010.
  6. Gray, Colin S. The Strategy Bridge: Theory for Practice. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2010.
  7. Cheng, Dean. “Winning without Fighting: China’s Strategy and ‘Three Warfares’.” The Heritage Foundation, December 14, 2011. https://www.heritage.org/asia/report/winning-without-fighting-chinas-strategy-and-three-warfares.
  8. Brodie, Bernard. “The Absolute Weapon: Atomic Power and World Order.” The Yale Review 35, no. 3 (Spring 1946): 456-472.
  9. Sanger, David E., and William J. Broad. “Obama Order Sped Up Wave of Cyberattacks Against Iran.” The New York Times, June 1, 2012. https://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/01/world/middleeast/obama-ordered-wave-of-cyberattacks-against-iran.html.
  10. Schelling, Thomas C. Arms and Influence. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1966.
  11. Mandel, Robert. “Thinking about Victory in Strategy.” The Journal of Strategic Studies 34, no. 2 (April 2011): 199-200.
  12. Kapstein, Ethan B. “Measuring Success in Complex Operations.” The Journal of Strategic Studies 34, no. 2 (April 2011): 267-285.
  13. Simons, Greg. “Russia and information confrontation: perceptions, strategies and responses.” Journal of strategic studies 42, no. 1 (2019): 139-140.

Rethinking Warfare: Clausewitz in the Age of Cyber and Hybrid Conflict

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On February 14, 2025

In Strategy

Warfare in the age of cyber and hybrid conflict

Given the shifting sands of contemporary conflict, do we need to reassess the meaning of warfare? Clausewitz famously called war ‘a continuation of politics by other means’ (1832). But does that idea still hold up today? These days, conflicts play out on social media, in cyberspace, and even in elections—often without a single shot fired. Today’s battlespace incorporates cyber operations, climate change, mass-urbanisation, space weaponisation, and continuous strategic competition. This blurs the lines between war and peace. While classical theorists maintain that war’s fundamental nature has not changed, modern conflicts increasingly challenge traditional frameworks.

Historically, warfare was characterised by physical destruction, decisive battles, and territorial conquest. Modern conflicts, however, do not always adhere to this pattern. For instance, cyber warfare has shown that states and non-state actors can achieve strategic effects without kinetic violence. Thomas Rid (2017) contends that cyber operations can coerce, disrupt, and deceive, thereby challenging Clausewitz’s notion that war is inherently violent. The 2007 cyberattacks on Estonia and the Stuxnet virus, which incapacitated Iranian nuclear facilities, are stark reminders of strategic aggression that did not involve traditional warfare.

Clausewitz and Sun Tzu never saw Twitter battles or deepfake propaganda coming. But here we are. Rather than fighting discrete wars, we’re in a period of ongoing strategic competition. The 2018 U.S. National Defence Strategy even describes it as ‘long-term strategic competition’ (Department of Defence, 2018). This shift undermines the traditional Westphalian model, where war and peace were regarded as distinct states. Hybrid warfare thrives in ambiguity. Hoffman (2017) describes it as a mix of misinformation, economic coercion, cyberattacks, and proxy forces. The goal? Stay below the conventional threshold of war. The Russian annexation of Crimea in 2014, involving cyber operations, disinformation, and unmarked troops, serves as an exemplary case.

Despite these transformations, Clausewitz’s core concepts continue to be highly relevant. His idea of the trinity of “violence, chance, and political purpose” continues to offer a valuable framework for understanding modern conflicts. Colin Gray (1999) underscores that strategy is fundamentally about applying means to achieve political ends, irrespective of technological advancements. The risk, however, lies in excessively broadening the definition of war. If every act of geopolitical rivalry, such as economic sanctions, election interference, or cyber espionage, is termed “war,” it risks conceptual dilution. Gartzke (2013) cautions that this approach could end with unnecessary escalation, with states treating cyber incidents as casus belli when they might be closer to espionage or subversion.

So where do we go from here? Rather than discarding classical strategic theory, we should reinterpret its principles to align with current realities. Clausewitz’s trinity can evolve: “violence” can encompass non-kinetic coercion; “chance” is amplified by the unpredictability of interconnected digital systems; and “political purpose” now includes influence operations and behavioural shaping alongside territorial ambitions. Warfare may not appear as it did in Clausewitz’s era, but its essence, driven by politics and strategy, remains unchanged.

The Future of War: AI and Strategy

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On February 6, 2025

In Strategy

When looking at strategy, Clausewitz taught us that war is shaped by chance, friction, and human judgment and Colin Gray emphasised the enduring nature of strategy, despite technological change. Yet, artificial intelligence (AI) is accelerating decision-making beyond human speeds, raising a critical question: Are we entering an era where machines – not strategists – dictate the course of conflict?

The Transformative Power of AI in Strategy

AI-driven systems now process intelligence, optimise battlefield decisions, and launch cyber operations at speeds unimaginable just two decades ago. OSINT, GEOINT, and SIGINT can be ingested, analysed, and summarised into actionable insights in real time. AI-enhanced wargaming and strategic forecasting are helping policymakers anticipate threats with greater accuracy. But does this lead to better strategy, or does it introduce new vulnerabilities?

The Erosion of Traditional Strategic Advantages

Historically, military and strategic advantages were state monopolies due to the vast resources required to develop cutting-edge capabilities, but AI is breaking down these barriers. The latest open-source AI models, commercial AI applications, and dual-use technologies mean that non-state actors, corporations, and even criminal groups now have access to tools once reserved for governments.

Consider Russia’s use of AI-driven disinformation campaigns during the 2016 U.S. elections and Ukraine conflict, where AI-powered bots and deepfake technology have enabled influence operations that are difficult to counter. Similarly, China’s AI-enabled surveillance state represents a new model of strategic power – one that fuses military and civilian AI applications for geopolitical advantage.

Blurring the Lines Between War and Peace

AI does not just change warfare; it changes the very definition of conflict. The use of AI-driven cyber and information operations enables continuous engagement below the threshold of open war. Instead of clear distinctions between peace and conflict, we are witnessing an era of persistent, AI-enhanced competition.

Using China as an example again, their civil-military fusion strategy integrates AI research and applications across both sectors, allowing for rapid technological advancement with strategic implications. Will the UK and its allies struggle to counter this approach within their existing regulatory and legal frameworks?

The Impact on Deterrence and Escalation

Deterrence has traditionally relied on rational actors making calculated decisions. But what happens when autonomous systems can pre-emptively engage threats or retaliate without clear human oversight? The risk of unintended escalation grows if AI-driven platforms misinterpret data or are manipulated by adversarial AI systems.

The Pentagon’s Project Maven, which employs AI to analyse drone surveillance footage, highlights the advantages AI brings to intelligence processing. But it also raises ethical concerns – how much decision-making should be delegated to machines? And if state actors develop autonomous weapons with AI-controlled engagement protocols, does this make deterrence more fragile?

Limitations of AI in Strategy

Despite AI’s capabilities, it still struggles with unpredictability—something central to strategy. AI models are excellent at processing historical patterns but often fail in novel or asymmetric situations. This reinforces the importance of human judgment in strategic decision-making. AI-driven strategy also raises concerns about bias, such as how commercial AI models (e.g., ChatGPT, DeepSeek) reflect the interests of their creators, whether corporate or state-sponsored. If strategic decision-making increasingly relies on black-box models with unknown biases, how do we ensure accountability and transparency?

Strategic Recommendations: The Path Forward

Rather than replacing human decision-makers, I believe that AI should be seen as a force multiplier. Governments and militaries must develop frameworks for human-AI hybrid decision-making, ensuring that AI informs but does not dictate strategy.

Additionally, fail-safe mechanisms must be built into autonomous systems to prevent unintended escalation. Given the rapid development of adversarial AI defences it will be critical as states and non-state actors seek to manipulate AI-driven decision-making processes.

Finally, it is critical that military and civilian leaders must rethink strategic education in the AI era. Understanding AI’s capabilities, limitations, and strategic implications should be a core component of professional military education and policymaker training.

Are we Seeing the Automation of Strategy?

Clausewitz’s fog of war was once an unavoidable condition. If AI offers real-time clarity, does it eliminate uncertainty – or create new vulnerabilities that adversaries can exploit? As AI increasingly influences military and strategic decision-making, are we witnessing the automation of strategy itself? If so, what does that mean for accountability, escalation, and deterrence?

The future strategic environment will be defined by those who can integrate AI effectively—without surrendering human judgment to machines. The challenge ahead is ensuring that AI serves strategy, rather than strategy being dictated by AI.

My Experiences in Japan / 日本での私の経験

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On October 26, 2018

In Japan, Learning

So here I am, about a month after having returned to London, reflecting back on my experience in Japan. The most common question I’ve had from friends is “was it worth it?” or “did you learn what you wanted to learn?” and the answer to both is a resounding yes. However it isn’t as simple as that, as there are many layers to the question which need to be unpacked a little.

The first layer is understanding what it is that I went off to Japan to learn in the first place. Of course there is the obvious “Japanese Language” side of things, but there is much more to it than that. The real learning I was hoping to take away was about myself. And if you want to learn about yourself, one of the best ways is to teach others. Which thanks to Phil’s company I was able to do exactly that with a bunch of middle school kids over 6 days of English language camps!

Class photo!

The camp is worth a whole post by itself, but the takeaway is how teaching kids made me feel about myself and reflect on what I enjoy doing professionally. It allowed me to understand what I value (honesty, enthusiasm, progress) in a much more immersive way than a work environment would.  I’ll definitely be taking this into my next role and it has helped me mature bit more as an individual.

Alongside teaching, there were many other examples of “bonus” learning opportunities I was able to take away from the experience.  One key aspect was taking myself out of a familiar environment and getting the mental/physical space to learn and reflect.  That alone was worth the proverbial price of admission.

The next layer is about “what” it is I did.  While it is obvious to some, but not always to me, it isn’t the destination that matters so much, but who you spend it with and the attitude you take with you.  I enjoy spending time by myself (quite a lot) but all my most enjoyable experiences are with friends and family.  It isn’t just quality though, it is quantity too.  People can help you overcome natural inertia (read: laziness) to get out there and do more. In fact, when Julie came to visit for a week, we crammed in more stuff than I did in the previous months!

Fun and hi-jinks!

Also, being in the right mindset (a positive one), I was able to value those times much more and care a little bit less about the latest distracting “must-own-thing”.  But it is easily forgotten and I have to remind myself often to focus on new experiences with loved ones and less on new, shiny, technology…

There is a lot more I was able to get from my travels, but that’s about my limit for for self reflection today.  I think I need to do a round up of all the beers I forgot to mention in a new post…

Nanzoin Temple / 南蔵院

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On July 1, 2018

In Fukuoka, Japan, Temples, Travel

With Julie’s visit this week, I have been very busy doing all sorts of fun tourist type activities! One of the best trips we did was heading off to Nanzoin Temple, which features The Reclining Buddha (more on this later).

Rather than bore you with lots of hyper-descriptive prose, I think a visual tour would be much more fun. So let’s get started!

Getting there was pretty easy, just a 30 minute train ride from Hakata station. Once we got off the train and started trekking up towards the temple grounds, we found this family of turtles with their own mini-shrine. They were kind enough to let me take way too many photos as I over-enthusiastically snapped shots from various exciting angles.

Look who came to greet us!

Clearly turtles weren’t the only photogenic fauna around, as this rather large dragonfly posed long enough for me to get a fairly zoomed in photo.

Posed for the photo and flew off as soon as I was done…

One of the first statues to be seen was of this chap with his flames and sword. We originally thought he was some bad guy, but Julie did some research and we discovered he is actually Fudoumyouou who is a Buddhist deity who protects worshippers from harm.

Later learnt this angry looking guy is a protective deity

As we spotted more of the classic Buddha style statues, we noticed they were usually wearing some sort of clothing, be that a hat, a cardigan or the like.  It turns out the reason behind this is fairly involved, so check out this post for details.

Lots of little statues, all wearing the cutest clothes

After a bit more walking, we finally made our way to the star attraction, The Reclining Buddha himself!  I must say, the statue really is impressive and quite something else to behold.  He is the world’s largest bronze statue and is the same size as the Statue of Liberty. He is so large I had to use the panorama mode of the phone to get him fully in the frame.

Even more impressive in person…

You can walk around to his feet and I think the following image really gives you a good idea of the scale of the statue…

Buddha foot with Julie touching the thousand spoke wheel symbol

Once we had seen the Buddha and enjoyed some well timed ice-creams, it was time for some exploring!

The path upwards…

After following a (very steep) trail up and out of the temple grounds, we found ourselves in some beautiful back-country, surrounded by bamboo forest. I love the sound they make as they rustle in the breeze. It was truly a magical part of the day for me.

I love bamboo forests

From the trail, we were able to visit a number of smaller temples and shrines. At one temple, we even had the Buddhist monk come out and offer us watermelon to eat! It was unexpected and very much appreciated on a very warm day. We ventured on each time and were treated to some great views through the trees.

Fabulous views over the countryside

As we wound our way back down the mountain towards the station again, we found many more statues, but the following set were really quite something else. Such a riot of colour and clothing on each of the little stone statues!

Someone likes playing dress up…

Here you can see some up close… adorable!

So dang cute…

Overall it was a brilliant day and even the photos can’t do justice to the adventure we had. If you ever get a chance, I’d highly recommend a visit!

Japanese Calligraphy / 書道

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On June 10, 2018

In Fukuoka, Japan, Learning, Student Life

This weekend I had an opportunity to try out Japanese calligraphy at an event put on by the Fukuoka International Student Support Centre (FiSSC). Calligraphy isn’t something I’d normally be very excited about, but I’m a sucker for trying anything new so I thought I’d give it a bash anyway. It also helped that my friend Sora was coming with me, who always ready to help me avoid doing anything (too) embarrassing.

Chilling with my buddy Sora

Japanese calligraphy (shodou/書道) is an art form for writing Japanese Kanji (Chinese characters) using a brush and ink that is taught to all Japanese students in primary school, but it is rarely used after that. As such the event had a good mix of Japanese and non-Japanese people attending, with quite the range of skills on display, from very basic through to really artful. The sensei (teacher) for the lesson was truly an artist and was able to create evocative works with little apparent effort. Practice definitely makes perfect.

We were given our instructions, ink, brush and a stack of paper to practise with, after which we were told to get on with practising! My own works were somewhat less than perfect, but I learnt a trick or two over the period and I really felt that I’d improved at least a little bit over the duration of the class.

The sensei watches on as a student tries to do “光” or “light”

I’m glad I did manage to improve a little as I was “asked” to try out writing a kanji out on one of the larger sheets (the joys of being very-obviously-foreign). I choose the character for “joy” or “喜” as it is simple and represents something I think we could all do with a little more of in our lives. The end result was middle of the road enough to neither attract laughter nor praise. Phew, embarrassment avoided!

My “masterpiece”. On the left is my name in katakana – マシュートイ

My own experiments aside, the work produced by masters of the art truly is something else though. I’m impressed that so much feeling and emotion can be conveyed through a simple black and white medium.

All said, I had a lot of fun and learnt the basics of a new skill. Not a bad result for a Saturday afternoon!

My other creations. One of them isn’t a real kanji, can you guess which one? 🙂

With Friends / 友達と

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On June 7, 2018

In Dining, Entertainment, Fukuoka, Japan

The past few weeks have been a social whirlwind and I’ve had an opportunity to try out all sorts of new and interesting activities .  I’ll make sure I do a proper set of updates, but this time I’d like to briefly tell you about an adventure into Thai cuisine.

As a bit of background, there is a regular “language lounge”, where we swap English and Japanese practice with learners from both languages, which is really good fun. I get to meet all sorts of awesome people and learn about Japanese language and culture from them. After one particular lounge a group of 6 of us decided to head off to grab some dinner, opting to try out a Thai restaurant in Tenjin.

All smiles 🙂

This was the first time I’ve tried Thai food while in Japan and I have to say, I found it more “authentic” than what you would normally get in London. Not sure why I think it is more authentic, apart from it not feeling particularly Western in its flavours and presentation. That aside, the food itself was really tasty! Lots of spice though, so those with a sensitive tongue will need to be extra careful.

I feel that this style of setting makes it really easy to communicate effectively with people. The casual atmosphere allows you to relax and banter back and forth, using a mix of both native and learnt languages. I really enjoy being able to try out new words, expressions and such without anyone to judge you on technical performance. In fact the only real judge is whether you are able to effectively get your ideas across to the people you are talking to (eventually).

I made a commitment to use my time in Japan as effectively as possible and I’m super happy I’ve managed to get into more of this style activity, in addition to the classroom education and personal study.

Views of Fukuoka / 福岡の景色

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On May 20, 2018

In Fukuoka, Japan, Nature, Running

One of the things many locals of Fukuoka like about their city is that it has all of the city conveniences but also, not too far away, it has lots of nature and scenery. I haven’t had an opportunity yet to venture outside of the city properly (something I intend to remedy shortly) but I have found many lovely places while out running.

My favourite so far has to be Heiwaminami Ryokuchi Park (say that 3 times quickly) which is only a few kilometre jog from my apartment. Not only is it 100% trails with wonderful green foliage, but it is super-duper undulating. This means I can get all the hill training I could possibly want, all in one handy-dandy park!

Let’s take a quick photo tour…

Heiwaminami Ryokuchi Park

Photos never do justice to how steep a trail really is. But this was super steep, honest!  That aside, I love how green and verdant everything looks. Cannot get enough of this sort of trail.

Peeking out through the trees

Most of the views are obstructed by all the beautiful green foliage I was just mentioning, but occasionally you can peek out and see the city below.

View from the observation tower

One unique aspect of the park is the tower you can walk up to get 360 degree views of Fukuoka.

Cemeteries get all the best views

Right next to the park is a large cemetery. Japanese culture includes a lot of respect for the dead, so you can just imagine how this is both immaculately maintained and presented.

I’m a sucker for attractive looking clouds…

On the way back from the park now, waiting at an intersection. Not too much exciting happening, but I do like how the building in front is telling me something is “Good” with a solid thumbs up included. Thank you random building, things are indeed “Good”.

Filled with fishies!

What you can’t see very well in this final photo is all the fishies in the canal. The water is very clear, so you can see all the big buggers and little guys all swimming around.

Beer Review Round-up / ビールレビューまとめ

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On May 8, 2018

In Japan, Kirin, Reviews, Suntory, Yahho Brewing

I thought it about time to do a round-up of the various beers I’ve tried over the past few weeks. I must admit to quite enjoying this series, as I really don’t know what to expect with each drink I try.

To start things off, we have two beers which are from the same brewery. Yaho Brewing is proving to be an excellent source of tasty beers, I must say. The first one shares the same name with the very enjoyable “A beer for you and me” that I got not long after arriving. Whether it is actually the same beer is up for debate, but it shares the funky looking frog motif and is equally tasty. Really enjoyed this one, it is equal parts easy drinking, smoothness and tasty flavour.

If you see this frog on a beer, it is likely to be a tasty

The second from this brewery is the Yona Yona Ale. Not much to say apart from it being a very solid and enjoyable pale ale. They are nearly double the price of their cheapest rivals (~£1.80 to 90p) but totally worth the extra spend in my books.

Another winner!

From Suntory we have 金麦 or “Gold Wheat” beer. Apart from really liking the design of the can itself, there isn’t a lot I can write about this middle-of-the-road beer. Nothing wrong with it, nothing all that right. In a word: Inoffensive.

Average

Speaking of refreshing looking can designs, next we have a Lemon Beer from Grand Kirin. The name is something like ひこうき雲と私 or literally “the aeroplane cloud and me”. I imagine it loses something in the translation.

On the beer itself, I found that the lemon flavour is there, but it is quite muted.Not a bad idea, I like the idea of a refreshing summer beer, but I don’t think this is it for me. Overall, it wasn’t too bad really, decently drinkable, but doesn’t really commit to the concept – it isn’t beery enough and not lemony enough either.

Was expecting something, but not quite this

The Suntory Beer Recipe (a blueberry flavoured beer) wasn’t ever going to be great, but I at least thought it would be interesting. It does have a bit of a fruity flavour, but it was underwhelming and left me wishing for something more exciting.

Similar to the lemon beer above, it just doesn’t commit to the concept to make it worth not having a less weird and better tasting normal beer.

I really need to stop experimenting…

Finally, I had much higher hopes for this Kirin “Prime Brew” beer, but sadly it left me thinking… “Meh, okay”. It was drinkable and if pushed I could have a few, but it really wasn’t a “prime” anything and left me wanting for something more flavoursome.

Prime Brew huh? Not that impressed

My adventure continues…

Hong Kong / 香港

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On May 7, 2018

In Travel

I just got back from a short holiday in Hong Kong with Jules. Since I’m not really into cities these days, we thought that rather than focus on the city itself, we decided to spend our time seeing the natural/cultural attractions that surround the city proper.

The weather on each day was on the warm side (26-30 degrees) which I’m to understand isn’t too bad in Hong Kong terms. I found it really enjoyable and managed to avoid sunburn, heatstroke or other ailments for the duration.

Our first day was on Lantau and involved a very scenic cable car up to the Ngong Ping to see the Big Buddha there. The Buddha statue was indeed very big and quite impressive!

One very large Buddha

We also took an opportunity to walk along the Wisdom Path while there and see the prayer monuments set up there. The natural beauty of the area and the Buddhist religious aesthetic created a really relaxing and enjoyable vibe for the day.

Getting our wisdom upgraded

The next day we went over to Hong Kong island and took a tram up to Victoria Peak. It was a bit of a hazy day, so the view was only moderately amazing, but we made the most of it with a walk around various trails on the mountain. My Garmin reported over 100 floors worth of climbing that day, which ‘aint too shabby at all.

View from Victoria Peak

We also hit up the Botanical Gardens while we were on the island, which was a quiet respite from the cars and people. At one point we found some really neat looking critters in a greenhouse which I just had to snap a photo of!

Wascally Wabbit

The final full day was a 40 minute ferry ride out to Cheung Chau island. It had a very different vibe to the rest of Hong Kong, with a strong feeling of remoteness from the hustle and bustle of the city.

Colourful boats lined up at the port

We spent the day wandering about, seeing a Pirate Cave, the Mini-Great Wall, along with various beaches, lookouts and temples. All with the added bonus of me not getting violently ill from the ferry! Win!

The final day was spent recovering while wandering around a gigantic mega-shopping-complex, generally relaxing and counting how many shops had “London” in their name in relation to “Paris”, “Tokyo” and “New York” (spoiler alert: London won, who knew it was considered cool by people?).

I really enjoyed the trip and it was super awesome to spend the time with Jules as well!

Now I’m back in Fukuoka and need to get back into a studying mind set again…

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