My secret to surviving the Tokyo marathon last year was not finding the perfect pair of shoes, fuel, or training plan. All of these were important, as were proper hyd ...
If you’re coming to Tokyo, you’re going to shop. It’s part of the Tokyo experience. I recently stepped out to film a Tokyo Minute segment on vintage shopping in Haraj ...
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This week’s GaijinPot podcast is a nice wrap up on the Modeling in Japan series. The articles go in ...
You’ve booked the job- YAY! You know where you’re supposed to be and what you’re supposed to do. So let’s talk about a few do’s and don’ts for working with a crew in Japan.
Unlike in the U.S., you’ll likely go with your booker to the shoot to make sure you’re the ...
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I’m just going to say it: I feel bad about using disposable wooden chopsticks (waribashi). In a not-so recent article from Japan Times, the Forestry Agency estimates that 25 billion pair are used every year. Used once and tossed. Am I the only one who feels like a jerk ...
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Before you go to Japan, you may have all sorts of thoughts about what the popular fashion trends are. Kimono? Yukata? Fundoshi?
Okay, hopefully you don’t think fundoshi (sumo undies) are the latest trend in Tokyo, but just like almost every place, Japan has its o ...
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Just as you will find anywhere in the world, Japan is a country full of original traditions. Many of these activities started because people were bored and the iPhone hadn’t been invented yet. And some of them were so much fun that the tradition lives on even today.
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The first time I moved to Japan was for academic purposes, a study related with earthquakes, so Japan was the perfect place. At that time I was surprised how welcoming educational organization was. When I arrived, I was picked up from airport, given pocket money, and ev ...
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One of the few times I have ever felt truly homesick in Japan was when visiting the Yoichi Distillery, the first home of Nikka Whisky. Situated about an hour's train ride from Sapporo in Hokkaido, Yoichi encompasses both the hoppy scents and the mountainous landscap ...
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Japan has many interesting things to offer for the avid traveler. Nature, history, cuisine, you could not name everything. On top of that, many fellow Japan-enthusiasts will surely agree, the stories you hear from other foreigners can range from interesting, over st ...
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This is part 2 of my series about studying at the Le Cordon Bleu school in Kobe, Japan. You can read how I got started in part 1 here.
There are ten women in the Basic Pastry class. We are in our early twenties, thirties or forties and come from all sorts of educ ...
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With accessible and affordable equipment, easy to organize fundraising and eager young artists, it has never been easier to have your voice heard. Unfortunately, these voices can oftentimes be shallow, self-serving or plain boring. But one project that has captured th ...
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Going for drinking parties (known as nomikai) with your colleagues in Japan is a common practice in many Japanese companies. Inviting staff to events like these is a great way for managers to encourage bonding between colleagues. In a global business environment, it ...
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It was a little later than usual this year, but rainy season has finally arrived. It marks the return of constant downpours, suffocating humidity, cockroaches and the deafening noise of cicadas. But thankfully it also marks the return of seasonal summer snacks!
All ...
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Before I came back to Japan, I did a LOT of research. YES, I was here before and YES I decided to come back (after a series of really fortunate events). So, I was accustomed to most things in Japan. Especially the gyms. The "overpriced" gyms that included bright lig ...
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