I’m a mother of a 4 year-old boy and registered to Homestay in Japan, the biggest company that supports foreign students and travelers’ homestay accommodations. I have hosted more than ten students from around the world, and this is my experience as a host mother. Here are some tips to keep in mind when staying…

I have been teaching English in one of Osaka’s most prestigious high schools for years. Despite it being one of the best high schools in the prefecture, I noticed a big problem in one of my classes. Whenever I entered the classrom, I would find that 20 to 30 percent of my students were sleeping…

Naomi Osaka and Mizuhara Kiko have no time for racists. Period. After police officers killed George Floyd, Black Lives Matters protests started taking place across cities around the world, including rallies in Osaka and Tokyo. People have also been vocal about Black Lives Matter online, using platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. George Floyd’s death…

When it comes to human trafficking, one might usually think of impoverished countries where laws are not enforced and politics are full of corruption. However, many first world countries are in fact important source transportations and destinations when it comes to human trafficking. This can be something that many citizens tends to overlook as they…

After the state of emergency was officially lifted in Japan’s largest cities, life seemed to slowly go back to normal. Trains are getting more crowded each day, more people are starting to go to restaurants and coffee shops, and the days of telework have been reduced. by Martin Danker The transition to normal life is…

Most people know that the Japanese working culture is hard in terms of the amount of working hours and attention to details. If you want to get a job in Japan or work in a Japanese company in your country, understanding the culture and environment beforehand will be beneficial. View this post on Instagram A…

Have you ever wondered what to expect when dating a Japanese guy? Well, to begin with, I am not Japanese and did not grow up in Japan, so I had zero idea about Japanese culture, characteristics, and traits before moving here. Despite my understandable lack of knowledge, my Japanese boyfriend and I have been together…

In recent years, many American retailers have struggled to survive for a wide variety of reasons, including competition from other brands, high real estate prices, and a change in the way consumers spent their money and went shopping. by Martin Danker Japan is not immune to these changes, but they do tend to happen far…

If you ever plan to go hiking in Japan, chances are that you will never encounter a Japanese wolf despite its depiction in art and appearances in shrines like Mitsumine Shrine. “Why’s that?” you may ask. Sadly, the Japanese wolf has been extinct for quite some time, though not so long ago. In fact, the…

As many as over a million young people in Japan are thought to remain holed up in their homes, sometimes for decades at a time, a phenomena known as ‘hikikomori’. Why is that? In Japan, hikikomori, a term that’s also used to describe the young people who withdraw, is a word that everyone knows. The…