[Year-End Special] Which notes were read? 30 notes that colored 2022!

This year, many creators posted articles on note, and many notes reached readers.

As a special year-end project, we are introducing 30 of the most-read articles published in 2022, categorized by lifestyle, essay, culture, business, and novels/manga.

Lifestyle

The most reliable way to protect your money

Why is it said that Japanese people love saving money? This "note that helps you understand the economy and child-rearing" explains in an easy-to-understand way the "ways to protect money" that we all need. It is a winning entry for the contest "#ThingsIThinkAboutMoney".

[Archived] I've compiled all the pasta recipes I've introduced on social media so far (31 recipes in total)

Shusaku Toba, owner-chef of "sio," which has earned a Michelin star for two consecutive years. He introduces recipes for the 31 pasta dishes he has created so far that can be made at home. It's a note that will make you hungry just by looking at it.

What you can do for a child who throws a tantrum over game results is to become an immature adult

Abusive language when winning, tantrums when losing... Have you ever been troubled by a child who gets emotional over game results? Finland Workshop omena summarizes the record of trial and error they went through with their child.

I left the "rice management" to my science-minded husband, and this is what happened

In Atsuko's house, her husband, who has become a stay-at-home dad, manages the rice. She introduces the management tricks for eating delicious rice, such as measuring and portioning out seven-minute polished rice and white rice for each cooking session.

A record of a professional gamer leaving Smash Bros. and living on a remote island

This trip, which started from a "complete whim" by Raito, a Smash Bros. player born and raised in Tokyo. He summarizes his one-week trip surrounded by nature, where he looked back on his life so far and took some distance from Smash Bros.

I want to make grilled rice balls crispy all over

Grilled rice balls are great for late-night snacks and lunch boxes. F-san from the JA Zen-Noh Public Relations Department [Official] introduces the results of comparing the grilling quality using a frying pan, grill, and toaster. This is the perfect note for those who want to find their favorite level of crispiness.

Apparently, you can live in a building 12 seconds walk from Shimbashi Station

Ghost story writer Kaoru Sabbatis heard the information that you could live in that "New Shimbashi Building." He inquired with a real estate company and was able to get a viewing. What kind of scenery is spread out in this "last deep spot in Minato Ward"?

Essay

From "anyway" to "might as well"

Blankets sent from all over the country after the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake. Among them, there was a mysterious blanket that was "more popular than new ones even though it was used." With just a change in mindset, the way you see things can change. Writer shinshinohara writes about that way of thinking that anyone can imitate.

Strategic bathing plan

Saeki-san says they hate bathing and are the type who "takes a long time to get around to actually getting in the bath."
What are the 10 strategies they used to lure themselves into the bath...?

I investigated when children are at their cutest, and I cried a little.

Faced with their child who gets cuter every day, Shiri Hitomi-san wondered, "How long will this cuteness last?" When they asked experienced parents, they got some interesting results...

[I tried growing it] Can you grow vegetables in Koshien soil?

Maruyama-san says they look forward to the "Summer Koshien." Thinking, "If the soil grows strong high school baseball players, it might grow vegetables well too," they recreated Koshien soil at home and planted seeds. What was the result...?

Culture

Yutaka Hara's way of creating stories, from "Kaiketsu Zorori"

Children's book author Yutaka Hara reveals his creative techniques, including analysis sheets for movies and dramas that serve as the basis for his ideas, as well as Zorori's structure charts and rough sketches. This is a recommended note for those who want to try creating or are struggling with it.

The love letter Shun Oguri received on the final day

Shun Oguri was followed for 400 days by the NHK program "Professional: Shigoto no Ryugi." During the broadcast, his interactions with director Yuhei Wada also drew attention. This report covers the behind-the-scenes of the production that couldn't be fully conveyed on the show, from a colleague's perspective.

Why did I decide to build a 740 million yen soccer ground on my own?

Mitsuru Hamada says they were moved by the "daily life where soccer exists alongside the local community" they saw in Barcelona. Now that they are the representative of Nara Club, what is it that they want to do even if it means risking their life...?

There were two people buying tickets at Yotsuya Station at 4:44 on 4/4/4 (Reiwa 4)

Fukuichi-san remembered a chapter in Nancy Seki's book about "searching for a repeating number maniac and going to Yotsuya Station at 4:44 on 4/4/4 (Heisei 4)." It seems they went to check if there were any maniacs doing it in Reiwa 4.

The story of how an around-40 doujinshi fan participated in Comiket as a circle for the first time in 20 years and it was basically like being reincarnated in another world

Minozou-san used to make doujinshi by buying screen tones and using a word processor for typesetting. Was their first Comiket participation in 20 years a series of surprises...?
They write about their passionate memories.

From Kenshi Yonezu, Fujii Kaze, Ringo Sheena, Tatsuya Kitani, Shin Tokyo, Sexy Zone, to TWICE: The common thread among those songs you're curious about

Anko-san says they used to listen mainly to Western music. One day, they encountered a video of Fujii Kaze. From there, they started listening to J-POP that is close to Western music... This is a note that is easy to read even for those who don't know much about music, and will make you want to play the recommended music.

Smartphone for real: I tried shooting the total lunar eclipse with #GooglePixel7Pro and it was more amazing than I imagined

November 8th, the night many people looked up at the night sky.
Photographer Yuichi Yokota says they shot the total lunar eclipse to test the performance of Google's latest smartphone, the Google Pixel 7 Pro. Why not look back at that night and take a peek at this note?

Trying a serious makeover on Ichiyo Higuchi from the 5,000 yen bill

The SNS Trend Marketing Association wanted to let Ichiyo Higuchi, who lived a hard life typical of the Meiji era, enjoy a makeover. They gave her a Reiwa-style makeover. The process of applying makeup suited for a "cool summer" skin tone is summarized here.

The story of a high school student who held an e-sports tournament at a school festival. [Splatoon 3, Smash Bros] [Cheapskate]

F-san, who held Splatoon 3 and Smash Bros tournaments at their school festival, looks back on everything from the hardware side like wiring to the production planning and tournament management. What was the result of aiming for an "offline game event just like the real thing"?

Business

The "one question" I always ask at the end of a 1-on-1 to gain insights

1-on-1s can lead to checking goal achievement and provide hints for the new fiscal year. Shoo Okada, a brand strategy consultant working at Hakuhodo, summarizes what he keeps in mind to make 1-on-1s effective.

I think a leader's most important job is to "stay in a good mood"

Shigemori, Representative Director of Aquaring, says he is not good at scolding people. He talks about his style of being open about his weaknesses and failures, and the importance of "always being in a good mood" as a president.

Why is the Calbee logo red? Approaching the truth that even employees are surprisingly unaware of.

It seems that July 2022 marked exactly 28 years since the current Calbee logo was announced. The story behind the logo, which even employees are surprisingly unaware of, is written in the "THE CALBEE" note. Many people might feel nostalgic about the retro Calbee logo and past packaging, right?

7 reasons why engineers should run a "leisurely coffee shop"

Tsukishima-san, who started the coffee shop "Tsukishima Coffee" two years ago, is actually also a freelance engineer. He introduces 7 benefits he realized while living a life of writing programs while running the shop.

The end of the follower era

Eto Miho, who has nearly 60,000 and 140,000 followers on Twitter and TikTok respectively, says she is rapidly "feeling the meaning of follower counts fading." It seems the changes in each platform are having an effect...? This is a note about thinking about future communication.

My son, who took out a loan at age 5, starts a coffee shop.

Wanting something very badly, Kamii-san's child took out a loan at the age of 5. To save money, they decided to open a coffee shop at home. They are learning about business little by little, but will they be able to pay it back...?

Novels/Manga

Tea that doesn't taste good

Emoto-san, a new employee who joined a certain company, felt a sting in their heart at a senior employee's words: "Manage your own tea yourself." After all, there was clearly shared tea right there. This is a work by Kaidan Yumeya that I really want you to read to the end.

Short-short story: "Heartbreak Hair Salon"

When you have your heart broken, you cut your hair.
If you heard there was a "special salon" for that, would you want to go? The place the protagonist visited offered more than just a haircut; it provided a warm moment... This is #UnforgettableLoveStory written by Noyagi.

Match Me!

What are the odds of a fated encounter, anyway? For Taguchi, who has been using matching apps for three years, encounters that never lead to a "second date" feel like nothing more than passing people at an intersection... This is a work by Fuki that depicts encounters and bonds.

The Cat After That

Robatan, the author of "It's Fun to Own Both a Dog and a Cat." They currently live with their husband and a lizard, and are apparently separated from their cats. One day, they received a LINE message from their mother back home saying, "The cat is looking for you"—!?

...

Were there any articles you read this year?
In 2023, note will continue to create opportunities for you to encounter wonderful works. We look forward to your continued support next year.