It has become common knowledge in the COVID-19 pandemic that extreme hygiene and distancing are crucial to stop spread the virus. The ways to achieve that are varied, with some common tried and tested and successful methods, as well as downright weird solutions. As all places, Japan is trying several measures, some very common, but…

As summer nears, Japan’s most dangerous animal will start appearing in many places. We are not talking about bears, who roam Hokkaido and the northern part of Honshu. We are also not talking about the dangerous box jellyfish that shows up around Okinawa when waters start to warm. Oh, no. The beast we are talking…

As the COVID-19 pandemic wreaks havoc on life and work, governments are coming up with ways to support citizens through the difficult times. In Japan, the government will give a flat (as of now, one time payment) of ¥100,000 ($930) per person. Foreigners legally living in Japan can also receive this government benefit. The ¥100,000…

Visiting a Japanese home comes with a lot of rules. If you have ever had a homestay family or visited a friend, you may have already noticed that you need to take a small gift with you and make sure you wear slippers and different slippers for different parts of the house! Etiquette and social…

So you moved to a new land, got yourself a swanky pad, and are going to get to cooking some delicious grub of the land of the rising sun. You may need to stock your kitchen up on the essential ingredients, but you also need some utensils and kitchen goods! jp.fotolia.com/ Get your Japanese kitchen…

A bread-maker makes bread, and ice-cream machine makes ice-cream, but a rice cooker… now tat is no one-trick-pony. When I bought my first rice cooker, I was concerned that I was using up a considerable chunk of my kitchen space on a contraption that basically only boils a bit of rice. But after several years…

Now that Prime Minister Abe Shinzo has declared a nationwide state of emergency, many people are now under self-quarantines and working from home. Naturally, this is not the case for everyone since there are still many companies that have not allowed their employees to telework, while other people have jobs that are categorized as essential.…

Have you referred to yourself as a disaster in the kitchen? Don’t worry, not everyone is a master chef, but what anyone can be is capable of feeding themselves. Of course, you can feed yourself by ordering pizza, picking up some take out, or simply buying bento lunch box from the convenience store. But there…

Tokyo is the dream for many, aspiring to live in one of the world’s biggest and busiest cities, along with over 13 million in the heart of Tokyo (38 million people if you count in the Greater Tokyo area). However, once IN Tokyo, where exactly is the best place to live? It’s really hard to…

Not everyone has the years to dedicate to learn how to take care of bonsai trees (that sometimes live for centuries and are passed on from generation to generation), but there are other Japanese arts and crafts that you can try at home. Simple, cheap materials and very often you can improvise. There are tons…