However, after more than 24 hours, I noticed something interesting — the article was not indexed by Google yet. It didn’t appear in search results at all.
This raised a simple question:
Does publishing on Medium automatically lead to indexing?
From this small observation, the answer seems to be no — at least not immediately.
Why I’m Running This Test
Search engines don’t always discover new pages on their own.
In many cases, a page needs some kind of signal:
A link from another website
A click from users
Some form of
external reference
Without these, the page may exist… but remain invisible.
So instead of waiting, I decided to take action.
The Experiment
This post is part of a small experiment.I am creating an external link from this blog (Blogger) to my Medium article
to see whether it helps search engines discover and index the page.
Finding suitable reading materials can be challenging for beginner to lower-intermediate learners of Japanese. This article shares several videos that may help bridge that gap. I outline the level they suit, how they can be used, and why I selected them. My hope is that these resources will support your continued Japanese study.
Background
I run weekly Japanese sessions with Twin-san (note account link), a collaborator I frequently stream and play games with. At first, I intended to develop a tabletop-RPG-style learning framework, but everyday conversation proved too difficult due to limited vocabulary.
To build a foundation, we instead began working through Edogawa Ranpo’s children’s novel Ore wa Kaijin Nijū Mensō da, reading and discussing it together. After several sessions, Twin-san asked whether he could use other materials independently to reinforce what he was learning.
Why Reading Matters
My own language learning experience strongly shaped this approach. When studying English, I was advised that reading extensively accelerates progress. Following that advice led me to rapid improvement and eventually graduate-level study.
Although conversational practice has value, exposure to varied expressions is essential and often underestimated. Books provide unmatched informational density compared to topic-based speaking exercises. This is why narrative texts remain my primary teaching material. Still, the desire to apply learned knowledge across different sources is entirely reasonable — and worth supporting.
The Resource Gap
While searching for supplementary material, I noticed a major obstacle facing learners. Even as a native speaker, locating content that satisfies all of the following conditions was surprisingly difficult:
Very simple written Japanese
Visual context that aids comprehension
Text displayed alongside audio
Because of this scarcity, I decided to share the YouTube videos I discovered while looking for options suitable for self-study.
Important Notes
These videos were originally produced for Japanese children as read-aloud storytelling content. They were not designed specifically for language learners. Using them effectively requires some prior understanding of basic grammar.
In particular, learners unfamiliar with Japanese particles may struggle to follow the narration. Therefore, these resources are most suitable for those with introductory grammatical knowledge.
If you are unsure about your foundation, structured language classes may be beneficial. Alternatively, watching the archived lessons from my sessions with Twin-san could provide helpful preparation.
Selection Criteria
The videos below were chosen based on the following considerations:
Kanji usage roughly equivalent to first-grade elementary level
Animation or visuals that clarify story context
Full written text shown together with audio narration
These conditions aim to support reading comprehension while maintaining accessibility.
Video Links
The following videos are shared for reference. They were not created by me nor intended specifically for international audiences. If you choose to comment on them, please remain respectful toward the original creators.
Suggested Study Methods
You might experiment with the following approaches:
Track the text while listening
Read each sentence aloud
Practice shadowing narration
Prioritize rhythm and flow over perfect understanding
Consistent exposure is often more valuable than complete comprehension.
AI と自然、そして身体。 その三つのあいだで揺れながら、 私はようやくバランスという言葉の意味を理解しつつある。
Push it harder。 それは脳を酷使することでも、無理をすることでもない。 思考と肉体を同じ速度で進化させるための言葉だ。 これからは飲酒を週 1〜2 回に抑え、 体を鍛え、呼吸を整え、
AI と自然と共に、もう少しだけ先へ行ってみようと思う。 そして、再び現実の海へ戻る季節がやってくる。
AI の海で思考を潜り続けていた私は、 次は冷たい潮と向き合う番だ。
まず前提として、YouTube は世界中のユーザーが毎秒のように動画をアップロードし、ストリームを開始している、桁外れの規模のプラットフォームである。その膨大なアクセスを支えるためには、サーバ、ネットワーク、ストレージ、そしてそれらを制御する API の負荷管理が絶えず必要になる。表面的には「ボタンひとつで配信が始まる」ように見えるが、その背後では莫大なリクエストがやり取りされ、複数のデータセンター間で同期が取られている。
OBS などの外部ツールが API を通して自動的に配信枠を作成したり、配信内容を編集したりするたびに、YouTube のサーバはそれをひとつひとつ処理している。これが何百万チャンネル規模で行われているのだから、管理側にとっては負荷の予測が難しく、セキュリティリスクも高まる。特に、収益化していないチャンネルや不正利用の疑いがあるツールからのリクエストは、従来よりも厳しく制御する必要が生じていたと考えられる。
今回のように「OBS からのアカウント接続を制限し、ストリームキー方式に切り替えさせる」という判断は、結果的にシステムの負担を分散させる目的があったと考えられる。ストリームキー方式では、配信枠の生成やメタデータの更新を配信者本人が YouTube Studio 上で行うため、YouTube 側の API が直接扱うトランザクション数を減らすことができる。つまり、これはセキュリティと安定性を優先した設計変更というわけである。
YouTube や Google のサーバ群は、常に負荷の限界近くで稼働しており、メンテナンスと最適化を繰り返しながら、何世代も前のシステム資産を抱えたまま運用が続いている。これほどの規模のシステムを「止めずに動かし続ける」こと自体が、もはや奇跡に近い。そうした背景を考えれば、今回の仕様変更が単なる気まぐれや締め出しではなく、システム維持のための構造的な選択であったことも理解できる。
API 接続も同様である。API は便利だが、その分だけ「エラーの理由」が見えにくくなる。内部でどのような条件が満たされなかったのか、どの認証が拒否されたのかが明示されないため、配信者は自分の行動を誤っているのか、それとも単に仕様変更に巻き込まれたのかを判断できない。今回のような事例こそ、エラーコードに加えて「考えられる原因」と「次の行動指針」を明確に示す必要があったのではないかと思う。
This article — including both text
composition and image generation — was created in collaboration with OpenAI’s
ChatGPT.
All final editorial decisions were made by the author.
In my previous article, I wrote about
how excessive YouTube watching gradually made it harder for me to take action.
The turning point — from consuming time to creating time — came
when I decided to build something with my own hands: an alcohol stove.
Around that time, my water heater had
broken down — a small inconvenience that turned into the spark for this
project.
From there, I moved on to making the video
(https://youtu.be/cpYc1Bq18Yc),
which documents the second-generation version of the stove, refined through
lessons learned from my first prototype.
When searching in Japanese on YouTube,
most results for “alcohol stove” are product reviews, not DIY builds.
So in this article, I’ll share what I learned by actually making and using one
— how it works, and what to be careful about in design and operation.
🔥 1. Structure and Combustion
Phases
The combustion of an alcohol stove can
be roughly divided into two stages:
(1) Primary Combustion
When you pour in alcohol and ignite it, the vaporized fuel at the opening
begins to burn.
This is the primary combustion stage.
(2) Secondary Combustion
As the stove body heats up, the internal alcohol evaporates, and vapor begins
to jet out through the small exhaust holes.
When these vapors catch fire, the stove transitions to secondary combustion.
Most commercially available alcohol
stoves use this same principle.
During the secondary phase, the flame becomes stronger and more stable — ideal
for boiling water efficiently.
Observing my prototype made these transitions between combustion phases much
clearer.
🧪 2. Combustion Phases and Fuel
Level
(1) Primary Combustion
Fill the alcohol so that the liquid surface sits slightly above the lower edge
of the upper part.
When ignited, the evaporated alcohol burns and heats the stove body,
which in turn causes internal fuel to vaporize and escape through the exhaust
holes.
(2) Secondary Combustion — Pressurized
Stage
When vapor escaping from the holes ignites, secondary combustion begins.
The fuel level covers the lower edge of the upper part, creating partial
sealing and internal pressure.
This pressurization increases flame strength — perfect for tasks like boiling
water.
(3) Secondary Combustion — Depressurized
Stage
As fuel is consumed and the level drops, the internal seal weakens and the
flame becomes gentler.
This phase produces a softer heat, suitable for maintaining temperature over
longer periods.
🧰 3. Improvements from the
Prototype
Based on observations from the first
model, I made three key changes in the second-generation design:
(1) Minimizing the Gap Between Upper and
Lower Parts
The first prototype had a 2–3 mm gap, which caused long periods of weak,
depressurized burning.
The new version reduces this gap to the minimum possible, keeping the stove in
a pressurized state for most of the burn time.
(2) Raising the Jet Holes
By placing the exhaust holes closer to the top, I achieved several effects:
Faster ignition of secondary combustion
Improved thermal efficiency
Increased fuel capacity within the same body size
(3) Tilting the Jet Holes Upward
The prototype’s holes were drilled horizontally, allowing heat to diffuse
sideways.
In this version, I angled them slightly upward to direct the flames vertically.
Even a small change in angle significantly affected heat transfer efficiency.
The new model maintained strong flames from the jet
holes much longer than the prototype.
Combustion continued until just before the flame went
out.
Internal pressure was more stable, leading to steadier
heat output.
The secondary combustion started about twice as fast as
the prototype.
With its increased fuel capacity, the
new design achieved up to 17 minutes of continuous burning —
a better result than I had expected.
⚠️ 5. Usage and Safety Notes
Use 20–25 ml of methylated spirits (denatured
alcohol, methanol-based) per burn.
Never refill during combustion — there’s a risk of ignition or melting your fuel
bottle.
When using a windshield, ensure proper ventilation to
prevent oxygen deprivation.
Keep at least 5 cm (2 inches) of distance between
the stove and the bottom of your pot —
a helpful design insight suggested by ChatGPT.
🌾 6. Conclusion: Efficiency
Isn’t Everything
The improved stove clearly outperformed
the prototype in both power and efficiency.
Yet in practice, the original model still has its charm.
For example, when I grill meat alone in
my office on weekends,
high heat is great at first — but gentle heat works better once I add
vegetables.
In such moments, controllability matters more than maximum output.
The new model maintains strong flames
throughout, but the prototype’s flame naturally softens — and by lifting the pot once and then placing it back, the flame can be fully extinguished —
which makes it more flexible for slow cooking or heat adjustments.
For campers, one ultra-efficient
all-in-one stove might be ideal.
But in everyday life, having different stoves for different moods and purposes
feels more natural.
In the end, I realized that true
satisfaction comes not from maximizing efficiency,
but from valuing comfort and diversity of choice.
And if ChatGPT’s earlier note — “keep
at least 5 cm between the pot and the flame” —
turns out to be accurate, it means my current design still has room for
improvement.
That insight alone has become the motivation for the next round of experiments.
現在、Living off the Land Japanというチャンネルで素潜りの様子を中心に動画を公開しているが、今後はここに「行動できなくなったあなたへ：デジタル社会が脳に及ぼしている影響と回復方法」で触れた
Digital Detox 配信 を移行し、視聴者に向けたテクニカルサポートを提供していく計画だ。
PC 周りの不安やトラブルについて、アドバイスという形で応じる予定だが、気軽に相談できる窓口としてご利用いただければ幸いである。 視聴者数が少ないうちは無料でサポートを行う予定だが、今後の成長に合わせて段階的な有料化も検討している。
