iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Shingo Masunaga (Ph.D.) @shingomasunaga.bsky.social · 14/12/2024

The spy museum in Tampere is also interesting place to visit while the Lenin museum is finally closed (good thing)

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Shingo Masunaga (Ph.D.) @shingomasunaga.bsky.social · 08/12/2024

Powerful ATGMs, loitering munitions...new threats outdated the Abrams...

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Shingo Masunaga (Ph.D.) @shingomasunaga.bsky.social · 07/12/2024

The declaration ceremony of Christmas Peace in Turku, 2015.

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Shingo Masunaga (Ph.D.) @shingomasunaga.bsky.social · 05/12/2024

Replica of Estonian armoured car called "Estonia" used during the war of independence. The original vehicle was built by a shipyard in Tallinn.

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Shingo Masunaga (Ph.D.) @shingomasunaga.bsky.social · 05/12/2024

What had saved them was the arrival of the Finnish volunteers commonly known as the Boys of the North (Pohjan Pojat) in early January 1919.

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Shingo Masunaga (Ph.D.) @shingomasunaga.bsky.social · 05/12/2024

About 106 years ago, the Estonian Army was on the verge of total collapse facing the Red Army offensive toward Tallinn. Losing Tallinn meant there will be no more supplies from the Allies, and the terrain east of Tallinn was basically the plains which would had made the Estonians hard to resist.

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Shingo Masunaga (Ph.D.) @shingomasunaga.bsky.social · 05/12/2024

Christmas is slightly approaching. Tallinn christmas market, Dec. 2015.

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Shingo Masunaga (Ph.D.) @shingomasunaga.bsky.social · 02/12/2024

Countries I lived (Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Japan, New Zealand) and visited.

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Shingo Masunaga (Ph.D.) @shingomasunaga.bsky.social · 02/12/2024

Waiheke Island where I spent a year in 2004.

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Shingo Masunaga (Ph.D.) @shingomasunaga.bsky.social · 02/12/2024

Bobby the cat who took to me during the first homestay experience in NZ back in 2004. Passed in 2006.

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Shingo Masunaga (Ph.D.) @shingomasunaga.bsky.social · 01/12/2024

On this day, in 1924, Soviet-backed Communists attempted to overthrow the Estonian government. Luckily, their attempt had failed due to the resistance of the Estonian Army and police.

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Shingo Masunaga (Ph.D.) @shingomasunaga.bsky.social · 30/11/2024

During the Soviet invasion of Poland in September 1939, the Estonian intelligence service intercepted number of encrypted telegrams of the Soviet Army and was able to decode the Soviet top secret military code "OKK-5". The recreated Soviet code book was handed over to the Finnish counterpart.

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Shingo Masunaga (Ph.D.) @shingomasunaga.bsky.social · 30/11/2024

The Finnish Air Force conducted reconnaissance flights (at least twice) over Kronstadt naval base in the Soviet Union by its Bristol Blenheim Mk.I during Summer 1939. It is said that a German Abwehr officer was onboard the plane. The pictures are Bristol Blenheim Mk.IV preserved in Finland.

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Shingo Masunaga (Ph.D.) @shingomasunaga.bsky.social · 30/11/2024

On this day, in 1939, the Soviet Union launched its military invasion against Finland.

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Shingo Masunaga (Ph.D.) @shingomasunaga.bsky.social · 28/11/2024

A-4K Skyhawk of the Royal New Zealand Air Force, the last fighter/attacker aircraft of the airforce (all retired in 2003). At the RNZAF museum in Christchurch, Nov. 2004.

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Shingo Masunaga (Ph.D.) @shingomasunaga.bsky.social · 28/11/2024

Christchurch before the earthquake of 2011 was one of my favourite city. (visited in Nov. 2004)

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Shingo Masunaga (Ph.D.) @shingomasunaga.bsky.social · 26/11/2024

Marunouchi CBD of Tokyo is impressive as always, seems never sleeping.

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Shingo Masunaga (Ph.D.) @shingomasunaga.bsky.social · 24/11/2024

One of the few Fairey Battle preserved at the RAF Museum Hendon.

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Shingo Masunaga (Ph.D.) @shingomasunaga.bsky.social · 24/11/2024

Having been reading Len Deighton's "Britzkreig". Indeed, Fairey Battle was useless....

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Shingo Masunaga (Ph.D.) @shingomasunaga.bsky.social · 24/11/2024

Lithuanian armed forces mark the 106th anniversary today.

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Shingo Masunaga (Ph.D.) @shingomasunaga.bsky.social · 23/11/2024

The best Kebab restaurant in Turku: maps.app.goo.gl/TuhTUjZTvZuf...

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Shingo Masunaga (Ph.D.) @shingomasunaga.bsky.social · 23/11/2024

University of Turku was established in the location of the old Imperial Russian barracks in the early 1920s. The Centre for East Asian Studies (CEAS), where I acquired Ph.D., used to be located in one of the few barracks remaining in the campus.

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Shingo Masunaga (Ph.D.) @shingomasunaga.bsky.social · 23/11/2024

By seeing the weather condition of Europe, Turku, where I lived for 7 years in total (for one-year exchange programme and Ph.D.), must be snowing too.

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Shingo Masunaga (Ph.D.) @shingomasunaga.bsky.social · 22/11/2024

The original 305mm Obukhov turrets of the old "Peter the Great" coastal fortress on the Estonian side (Aegna island and others) were destroyed by the Soviets during the retreat of Summer 1941, and those on the Finnish side were demolished by the Soviet request in the post-WW2 period except the one.

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Shingo Masunaga (Ph.D.) @shingomasunaga.bsky.social · 22/11/2024

By the way, coastal fortress of Kuivasaari (Finland) is worth to visit to know how the old Imperial Russian "Peter the Great" fortress played a significant role in the Finnish coastal defence until the late 1940s. I visited the island in the Summer of 2021.

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Shingo Masunaga (Ph.D.) @shingomasunaga.bsky.social · 22/11/2024

The role of the Estonian Navy today is rather limited, however it was serious during the interwar period. In cooperation with the Finns, they had sophisticated network of coastal artillery, submarines, and coastal mines for the era.

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Shingo Masunaga (Ph.D.) @shingomasunaga.bsky.social · 22/11/2024

In the end of October, Mr. Marko Mihkelson, head of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Estonian Parliament (Riigikogu), visited our institute and joked "we should also send our ships to Japan". However, I don't take it as a joke. Looking forward to it. www.jfss.gr.jp/article/2108

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Shingo Masunaga (Ph.D.) @shingomasunaga.bsky.social · 22/11/2024

In August, Italian light aircraft carrier "Cavour" visited Yokosuka for the first time.

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Shingo Masunaga (Ph.D.) @shingomasunaga.bsky.social · 22/11/2024

JS Izumo, one of the biggest JMSDF destroyers, is currently under refit for fully enabling F-35 operations.

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Shingo Masunaga (Ph.D.) @shingomasunaga.bsky.social · 22/11/2024

Been to Yokosuka, home of the JMSDF Self Defense Fleet last month.

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Shingo Masunaga (Ph.D.) @shingomasunaga.bsky.social · 19/11/2024

HDMS Esbern Snare at the port of Turku, 2018. Great job, Danish Navy!

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Shingo Masunaga (Ph.D.) @shingomasunaga.bsky.social · 19/11/2024

USS Higgins, oldest AB class Aegis destroyer stationed in Yokosuka, recently passed the Taiwan Strait. Been onboard in October 2023 during the base open day.

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