People are often impressed and overwhelmed by the manners and politeness of the Japanese. But when riding public transportation such as trains or buses, things get turned on their head. It’s not hard to see perfectly healthy-looking people sitting on the seats while there are some elderly standing. This happens even in the PRIORITY SEAT…

For those who do not have a rainy season in their home country, hearing of a rainy season might sound a bit depressing and something you would rather prefer to skip, if possible. After all, rain usually means having to stay at home, because going out becomes a hassle. Or maybe you would think it’s…

With the almost unbearable heat that is the Japanese summer, how do common folks survive when outside in the sun? Among many tricks, there are the tasty refreshing summer foods that help with the heat. Here are some common dishes people crave during the summer in Japan: Kakigori shaved ice   photo-ac.com/ Kakigori, or shaved…

Why do Japanese people always wear surgical masks? Many visitors coming to Japan for the first time have asked this question. Used to seeing masks only in hospitals, they have wondered why in Japan they seem to be a common item for everyone. Simple white surgical masks have always been sold in every convenience store…

Japan is well known as a source of weird and quirky stuff, and its fruits are no exception. Despite its 4 seasons standard of the North Hemisphere of the world, there are still unique plants native to Japan. In addition, there are the fruits that everyone knows, but Japan has put their own twist on…

Disney, Pixar and Dreamworks are company names that almost everyone knows. They are, in fact, animation studios that have brought us some well-known and well-loved animated productions that most of us grew up with and still continue to enjoy today. Since the early 1900s, cartoons have graced the world and been part of our lives;…

When planning a trip to Japan, there are of course numerous places that you can visit. To narrow down your choices, you should probable plan the trip according to your interests. For anime enthusiasts, an anime pilgrimage is in order! Of course, this means shopping for anime stuff, but also visiting real life locations in…

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…