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Lifestyle
New book teaches Japanese people English to help out foreign travelers
With all travel-restricting pandemic protocols discontinued and the yen weaker than it has been in decades, Japan is seeing a huge surge in inbound overseas tourism. Unfortunately, this has come with some high-profile incidents of inappropriate behavior by foreign travelers. That shouldn’t be taken to mean that the average Japanese resident is upset… Read
Japan’s bone-breaking and record-breaking roller coaster permanently shutting down
Any theme park operating within day-trip distance of Tokyo Disneyland has a tough task in carving out an identity for itself, but Fuji-Q Highland has pulled it off. Located in the town of Fujiyoshida, Yamanashi Prefecture, about an hour and a half west of downtown Tokyo, Fuji-Q attracts thrill ride fans with its… Read
The 10 best things to do in Hiroshima
While Hiroshima usually conjures images of the atomic bomb, this is only one of the prefecture’s many identities. Alongside the difficult yet necessary displays at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, Hiroshima Prefecture offers plenty of nature, culture and cuisine. In the heart of the Chugoku region, Hiroshima Prefecture has mountains to… Read
Want to enjoy sakura season but have allergies? Tokyo indoor park offers the perfect solution
Sakura is currently on the minds of many people in Japan as they get ready to welcome the beloved cherry blossoms sometime in the coming weeks. One of the most time-honored ways to celebrate the ephemeral beauty of the sakura is to take part in hanami, flower viewing parties, by picnicking under a profusion… Read
Startups from Kanagawa Prefecture solving Japan's social issues
The Japanese government is currently encouraging the growth of startups with the goal of increasing investment in startups to 10 trillion yen in FY2027. Under such initiatives, Kanagawa Prefecture has been supporting several startups by implementing the KSAP (Kanagawa Startup Acceleration Program) to gain both social contribution and business expansion.… Read
Japan apartment hunting – Can you find cheaper rent by avoiding the peak spring moving season?
In Japan, spring isn’t just cherry blossom season and hay fever season, it’s also moving season. The vast majority of Japanese colleges start their academic year in April, and mid-year transfer admissions are rare. The situation is similar at Japanese companies; most start their business year in April, and do most,… Read
Dragon’s Maze: Japan’s built-by-hand giant labyrinth that gets bigger and harder every year
Unnan isn’t a big town. Located in the mountains of Shimane Prefecture, the rural community only has a population of about 35,000 people. And yet, there’s a place in Unnan that attracts roughly 40,000 people a year. That place is Dragon Maze, a gigantic labyrinth that’s continually changing and grows bigger year… Read
IREA’s English-speaking real estate agents help clients find their perfect properties
There may be no better time than now to buy a property in Japan. But the domestic real estate market comes with significant challenges. When compared to other developed countries, the processes involved in real estate transactions here can be complicated and opaque. This, compounded with the language barrier and… Read
My experience with Ramadan in Japan
Ramadan is the most sacred Islamic month. It’s when millions of Muslims fast, pray, and reflect. In Japan, observing Ramadan can be difficult, considering the Islamic status as a minority. As a Muslim from Indonesia now living in Japan, abiding by Ramadan has become a mixture of looking inward and having… Read
Book review: World War Two on trial and the making of modern Asia
It was three days after the emperor's announcement that Japan had finally surrendered. In the confusion of mid-August 1945 an intrepid schoolboy walked from his internment camp on the edge of Shanghai back into the wrecked city. Much later J.G. Ballard would win worldwide fame as a sci-fi novelist but memories of what… Read
