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Lifestyle
89-year-old Japanese man rides bike 600 kilometers to visit his 61-year-old son
A couple of weeks ago, Mitsuo Tanigami, a resident of Kobe, decided he wanted to see his kids. However, both his son, Naoya, and his daughter, Sayuri, are grown up and moved out of the house, so it wasn’t as simple as sauntering into the living room and giving them a fatherly pat on… Read
A new version of Scrabble aims to make the word-building game more accessible
Scrabble is getting a bit of a makeover, at least in Europe. Mattel has unveiled a double-sided board that features both the classic word-building game and Scrabble Together, a new rendition designed to be accessible “for anyone who finds word games intimidating." This new version, which is now available across… Read
Cashiers given chairs as Japanese companies reconsider if it’s OK for workers to sit during their shifts
Literature’s Don Quixote, through his commitment to the code of chivalry, is a character who’s more concerned with helping people than conforming to appearances. There’s a similar sentiment behind something that’s happening at Japan’s identically pronounced but differently spelled Don Quijote discount store chain. Currently, Don Quijote’s company policy, as is the… Read
How to look after your mental health while packing up mom or dad’s home
So your mother or father has died, or moved to aged care, and now you’ve got to pack up their house. It’s a huge job and you’re dreading it. It’s normal to feel grief, loss, guilt, exhaustion or even resentment at being left with this job. So how can you… Read
Magical Girl anime: The lasting legacy
I have always had a love for the magical girl anime genre. My favorite show growing up was Ojamajo Doremi — a show about a group of girls who become witch apprentices. When I was a child, I was so excited to have my very own transformation compact and wand. To this… Read
Understanding Mount Fuji’s new climbing fees and rules
“Overtourism” is the keyword for Japan in 2024. With the country fully open and seemingly everyone fulfilling their travel bucket list by heading to the Land of the Rising Sun, popular tourist spots, like Kyoto, are getting pretty crowded. While you could visit beautiful yet out-of-the-way, less popular destinations instead, many tourists wouldn’t… Read
School entrance ceremony in Japan: Preparation for parents
While much of the world starts school in September, Japan’s academic year begins with the sakura (cherry blossoms) in early to mid-April. And, accordingly, the special school entrance ceremony, called nyugakushiki in Japanese, is held in early April in Japan, a few weeks after March graduation ceremonies are held. Just as graduations have music, speeches… Read
Japanese company uses 'crow language' to keep them away from garbage
Over the years, people in Japan have been having an increasingly hard time co-existing with the sizable crows here. We mean “sizable” both in terms of population and the fact that they’re pretty big. They’ve been known to cause trouble for everyone, but they’re especially problematic on trash day. When everyone… Read
Magical Edo period-style cherry blossom event at Kinugawa Onsen
On April 6th, for one night only, Edo Wonderland and Kinugawa Onsen in Tochigi Prefecture will welcome a select number of visitors to a special cherry blossom illumination event, transforming the popular hot spring town into an otherworldly vision of blossoms. Running from 18:00 to 22:00, guests will get to… Read
Bringing John Manjiro’s story to the world: The first Japanese person to live in the U.S.
From a teenaged shipwreck survivor brought to the United States to becoming an influential samurai in direct service to the shogun, the life of Nakahama Manjiro (also known as John Manjiro or John Mung) is worthy of a thrilling tv show series. John Daub, the content creator and Japan-based reporter… Read
