I recently did a really thorough cleaning of my house. With help from my mother to get things really spotless, I realized that cleanliness isn’t just about cleaning up after yourself. It’s also about living in a way that makes it easy for you to not make a mess to begin with. For a...
People have often asked me about my experience socializing in Japan. More specifically, about whether I have a lot of friends and feel comfortable here. On the comfort part, the answer is a definitive yes. I truly enjoy a lot of the conveniences and such that come with living here. On the friendship part,...
I have a couple of hereditary diseases, both of which are sunlight sensitive. One is acute hereditary coproporphyria, and the other is lupus. If you follow The Musicks In Japan podcast, or read my mother’s blog on the website, then you’ve probably already heard about her experience. I don’t have it as bad as...
I’ve owned my car for about 8 months now, and I’m starting to get the hang of taking care of it. Before owning a car, I didn’t realize how much work or money went into maintaining one. I always thought of a car as primarily a large, one-time payment with annual or semi-annual lumps...
An obi is a type of belt used to tie closed kimonos and yukatas. I have never worn a kimono, and I only this year had the experience of wearing a yukata. This may come as a surprise because I have lived in Japan for over a decade, but I have simply never had...
I often get a lot of questions about what I do in Japan by people that I talk with online. Many of them assume that I’m going to idol concerts or finding anime-related events and things to regularly visit. Others think that Japan is mostly a historical place with lots of temples and castles....
In my previous blog post about forging friendships, I briefly touched upon the topic of expat friendships and how they can be difficult to make given the unstable, or temporary, nature of expats’ living situations. This came up because I have had the experience of getting close to someone only to have them leave...
People have often asked me about my experience socializing in Japan. More specifically, about whether I have a lot of friends and feel comfortable here. On the comfort part, the answer is a definitive yes. I truly enjoy a lot of the conveniences and such that come with living here. On the friendship part,...
So, I’ve been living on my own for roughly five years now. When my mother first introduced the concept of living alone to me at the age of sixteen, I was staunchly against it. I didn’t see why I would ever want to move out. She wasn’t even suggesting that I move out back...
Summer in Japan, particularly in Nagoya, can be described with one word: humid. Humidity averages around 60-75% in the warmer months and can go above 90%. Thinking about it, Japan being an island means this should be expected. That being said, it’s still the main challenge of the Summer months. It’s very common for...