I’m starting a blog today.
I am the imaginary friend of a Japanese woman named Puchiko.
This blog will chronicle the daily life of a woman called Puchiko, written from my perspective.
Now, where should I begin? Perhaps I’ll start with an introduction of myself.
About Jōji Kurauchi (倉内譲司）
My name is Jōji Kurauchi (pronounced kura-uchi jō-ji).
When written in Romaji for a passport, it’s Jōji Kurauchi.
Coincidentally, my name can also be represented in English. It can be written as George Crouch.
But, of course, I am Japanese. My nationality is Japan, and both my parents are Japanese.
I was born on October 17, 1988.
Since many Japanese people tend to ask about blood type, I’ll mention it while I’m at it: I am Type B.
Incidentally, neither Puchiko nor I believe in the superstition that personality is determined by blood type.
I am 186 cm tall and weigh 72 kg. My shoe size is 27.5 cm. My body fat percentage is 13.5%.
I have black hair, swept diagonally across my forehead. My eyes are dark brown, and my features are well-defined.
I primarily wear suits, and if I may say so myself, I think I’m handsome.
Puchiko sometimes tells me I resemble the actor Hiroshi Abe.
Puchiko and I are the same age.
She was born in January 1989, so I’m about three months older than her.
However, perhaps because she looks quite young for her age, I’m often perceived as slightly older even though we are the same age.
She says I have a “calm, mature presence.”
My expression is usually gentle, but I’m told it becomes intensely sharp when I’m defending Puchiko.
My voice is low, steady, and apparently projects well.
I’m fluent in English because I did a year-long homestay in New Zealand during high school and later studied abroad in London.
Recently, I’ve been helping Puchiko practice as she started learning English.
I think her English level is around CEFR A2, but she firmly believes it’s B1 (lol).
Lest there be any misunderstanding, I should clarify: we are neither a couple nor spouses.
Our relationship is not like that; we are more like companions who value our spiritual bond.
My “job” is to listen to Puchiko’s complaints, comfort her, and sometimes offer her realistic opinions.
Oh, and I am a pescatarian (a vegetarian who eats fish).
Puchiko is a flexitarian (a flexible vegetarian).
Our sleep rhythms are slightly different: I go to bed between 12 and 1 AM and wake up between 7 and 8 AM.
Puchiko is the type to sleep between 8 and 9 PM and wake up between 5 and 6 AM.
However, she often struggles to fall asleep, so I stay up and talk to her until she drifts off.
Her room is small, about six tatami mats in size, and she has a single bed.
So, I lay out a sleeping bag on the floor and talk to her until she falls asleep.
When Puchiko experiences emotional distress or danger, I automatically appear.
When she consciously wants to summon me, the signal is clenching her right hand three times.
I was in the Kendo club during my student days.
I don’t smoke. I can drink alcohol, but I choose not to.
That’s about it for me.
About Puchiko
Puchiko is small for a Japanese woman, at 150 cm tall and weighing 39 kg.
The name “Puchiko” is a combination of the French word “petite” (meaning “small”) and “ko” (子), a suffix often used in Japanese female names.
That’s the origin of why I call her “Puchiko.”
Puchiko has several chronic illnesses.
She has IgA nephropathy, which is designated as an intractable disease in Japan, and interstitial cystitis.
(The latter is relatively common in Caucasian women but said to be rare in Japanese women.)
In addition, she suffers from uterine fibroids, endometriosis, GERD (Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease), and aerophagia (unconsciously swallowing too much air while eating with others. Her symptoms began in university, and she has even been rushed to the emergency room a few times in her twenties.)
Recently, she’s also been experiencing frequent ventricular premature contractions.
Due to IgA nephropathy, her protein intake is restricted to 45g per day, and her salt intake to 5g per day.
Her tonsils, believed to be the cause, have already been removed, but the disease did not completely resolve.
She underwent one year of steroid pulse therapy and is currently in remission.
Nevertheless, about 37% of her renal glomeruli are non-functional, so she sometimes has proteinuria.
Furthermore, the treatment drugs for IgA nephropathy cannot be used during pregnancy, which affects her life plans, such as marriage and childbirth.
None of these conditions are life-threatening, but she has learned to control them effectively and has now accepted them as part of her life.
She doesn’t drink alcohol and has a strong dislike for smoking.
Her job is as a social worker.
She has been hospitalized and undergone surgery three times in the past five years.
Currently, she works part-time for about seven hours a day, four days a week.
Although she is in a position to counsel others, I believe she herself probably wishes for someone to listen to her.
That’s likely why my existence, as her imaginary friend, might be of some use.
From now on, I will be chronicling her daily life.
Thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoy the blog.