What's to Come in 2017

Let me start off by saying I am continuing my blog. I have a lot of fun writing about Japan because it involves the two things I love, writing and Japan. In my very first blog I mention all the reasons why I started, and some of those reasons no longer apply. I feel much better about my life situation. I'm not as anxious as before about going to Japan because I'm involved in a local Japan Society that gives me my fair share of Japan (there are many Japan Societies in America. Look to see if your city has one and get involved). But it's still nice to go back on my occasional trips to see the country I admire. And I won't really need the writing practice anymore because of my news I want to share with y'all in this blog. I'm still going to work on this blog because I still love sharing my love and experiences of Japan with others so they can learn more about Japan. When I got out of college I had a moment where I wanted to teach English Literature, but that wasn't what I really wanted for myself. I want to teach about Japan and write my own stories.

Christmas in Japan

Christmas in Japan is very unique, yet familiar at the same time. There are many things that are involved when it comes to Christmas in Japan. Let's just get into it because there's a lot to cover.

Length of Celebration

Here in the states, people usually start going into high gear with Christmas cheer after Thanksgiving. In Japan the Christmas spirit arrives right after Halloween. There's no major holiday in between the two so Christmas is celebrated through November to December in many ways. I recently went to Japan for two weeks in November. This was the perfect time because I got to experience autumn and Christmas in Japan at once.

Public Restrooms in Japan

This may seem like an odd topic but if you ever go to Japan you'll understand the greatness of public restrooms. For those of you who have been to Japan you probably know what I'm going to talk about. Japan is a country of rules, manners, and privacy (keeping to yourself). In this post we're going to talk about the privacy aspect of Japan through restrooms!

Most Common Words You Hear in Japan

Whether you know Japanese or not you can tell when you start to hear the same words while walking the streets. I know a bit of Japanese so I recognized all the common words you hear in others' conversations, but my husband who knows no Japanese was able to pick up a few words just from observation.

Here are the most common words you'll hear in Japan.

So so so so so (そうそうそうそうそう)

The original phrase this came from is sodesu (そうです) which is used to agree or confirm with someone. In actual words it means "that's right." As you can imagine, repeating it several times in a casual way of saying "right, right, right, right." In English it may sound like you're trying to shut someone up fast but in Japanese it is more of a strong agreement. This phrase is used mostly by young adults, but it can also be used by older adults in a more casual setting with a friend. This phrase is never to be used in a formal situation.

Majide (まじで)

This is a simple one. "Seriously?" Used with young adults, you'll hear this word a lot in a conversation. Someone will say something and the other person will reply with majide, seriously? This is how you casually express surprise or shock at something someone has said. I've only heard this getting popular in the last two years, so I'm not sure how long this has actually been used.

Sumimasen (すみません)

The word sumimasen has many meanings and usages. You will hear it everywhere such as the station, a restaurant, and even at a store. Sumimasen initially means "excuse me" but can be used as a quick "I'm sorry." For the restaurant you'll hear it used to get a waiter's attention as in Japan they don't come check on you unless called upon. You'll hear it used at the store for the same reason. For the station there could be two scenarios. The first being if you need to pass through a crowd you can use it as an excuse me. The second being if you accidentally bump into a person while trying to catch a train, in that case it would be used as a sorry. It's a common word used in everyday life situations. It's an extremely useful word to know if you plan to travel to Japan.

If you're ready to learn Japanese, here's where to start on how.

Not looking to learn the language but would like to know important words for travel, here's material for that.

This was just a small post to get myself back into writing after being gone for three weeks after going to Japan. It's like playing an instrument. It takes a lot of practice and once you know how to do it you need to keep at it or the ability to do so will slowly disappear.

These are three words my husband noticed while in Japan. I used him as my source since he doesn't know Japanese. He knows no Japanese but picked out these three words from overhearing strangers' on the street. Once he kept on hearing these over and over again he began to actually learn these terms and how to use them.

Hope you enjoyed reading. There's bigger and better to come. To keep up with it all the greatness soon to come follow my blog for updates and also follow me on my social media where I'm most active!

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What I Always Look Forward to in Japan

I don't go to Japan as often as I'd like. If it was up to me I would go every year, but sometimes the wallet and life just doesn't allow something like that. I get to go every other year, and at different seasons too. All of my family, friends, and coworkers all know I'm very happy when I get to go to Japan. But there are still people in my life who just don't understand my love for Japan, and that's okay because they've probably never felt the need to visit other countries.

But I'd like to take this time to list what I always look forward to the most when going to Japan.

The Food

I don't feel guilty when I'm eating over in Japan, even if it's fast food. In America all of our fast food chains are very unhealthy, even the ones that are advertised as healthy. And for me especially, where I live everything is fried. It tastes delicious but it's greasy and makes you feel disgusting after. In Japan I don't really have to worry about that. I don't think I've ever eaten anything greasy in Japan. And I have the biggest sweet tooth in the world, so I love how Japan loves their sweets too. The food not only tastes great, but it always looks so beautiful. I love food guys, even if I'm a picky eater.

Chef at a Japanese restaurant.

Nature

Now, in no way am I a nature person. My favorite thing to do at home is to stay in the house, but in Japan it's a totally different story. Where I live we have to seasons, hot and cold (summer and winter). There's really no fall and spring. In Japan I look forward to nature because I get to see so much beauty surrounding me, and that beauty is heightened by the history of the country.

The People

Whether they know us or not, I've always had great experiences with the people. They are helpful and kind. Even other foreigners in Japan are nice. And I've mentioned this in another blog but their work ethic is a lot different than where I'm from. Japan takes pride in everything they do, so you'll have a good experience just about anywhere.

Using my Japanese

It's hard to practice a language when there's not a lot of opportunities to use it. I could practice with a friend or two but I get really shy about my Japanese because I end up comparing my Japanese to theirs which makes me think I just suck at speaking Japanese. In Japan, that's not the case at all! These people know Japanese as their first language, but they still get impressed when they see foreigners speaking their language. That kind of reaction is really encouraging for someone with a low self esteem. It makes me want to continue practicing.

Visiting my Japanese Hometown

Last, but not least, is my Japanese hometown. For those of you who don't follow my blog or follow me on social media, I've studied abroad in Kyoto, Japan. I lived in Kyoto for 5 weeks on a short-term study abroad with my college during the summer of 2010. It was a great experience and definitely grew my love for Japan even more. I consider Kyoto my second home. Every time I visit Japan I have to go visit Kyoto no matter what; it's a priority! I love the nostalgia, natsukashii in Japanese, of walking the streets of Kyoto, visiting the spots I frequented and passing the university I studied at. There is no city like Kyoto to me, so I look forward to always going back home for a while.

On the streets of Kyoto.

Thank you so much for reading my blog. I loved writing this one, as I'm preparing myself for my trip to Japan in the next few days. To follow my adventures in Japan follow me on social media where I'll be posting many pictures and videos and even keep you updated on where I am in Japan and what I'm doing.

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Stories From Japan- Losing Things

Before taking my husband to Japan for our honeymoon I told him stories about my adventures in Japan and taught him everything I knew about Japanese culture. I wanted him to be prepared for Japan and understand the life people live over there as compared to here in America. One of the things I've always mentioned to him is how safe and honest the people are, for the most part (there are bad eggs everywhere). He was amazed when I told him you can feel safe at night compared to where we live, in New Orleans, where being out at night alone is not such a smart idea. Another thing he seemed to enjoy hearing was how nice and honest the people were. I gave him a scenario that if you were to lose something in Japan you'd most likely get it back in a short amount of time because people are just caring over there.

You know, I've repeated these things to him about Japan but I never knew if he actually believed me. I'm so glad he got to experience it for himself while on our honeymoon.

Story time!!!!

For our honeymoon, we spent two weeks in Japan. The first week was a guided tour which I've talked about in a previous blog post, and the second week was on our own. While on the tour we stayed at different places, moving to a new hotel almost everyday. Most of the hotels we stayed at had a breakfast, some American style and some Japanese style.

While staying in Kyoto for a few days on the guided tour we were getting tired of eating the same breakfast foods such as eggs, bread, miso soup, etc. We noticed a family restaurant across the street from the hotel that advertised breakfast. Pancakes sounded great, so we decided to grab breakfast there. I brought my purse with me while my husband brought his Nintendo 3DS. We both brought our Nintendo 3DS everywhere in order to fill the StreetPass program on the system (I've also talked about this in another blog post).

We enjoyed breakfast. My husband loved the service and the no tipping rule in Japan. We knew we only had an hour to eat because we had to meet back up with the tour to start our day. So we payed for our meal at the register towards the front of the restaurant and left. We were walking away from the restaurant, to the crosswalk, when we heard a woman yelling behind us. She was saying sir in English with a Japanese accent. We stopped and turned around to face her, worried what she could want from us. We were surprised to find her running towards us with a Nintendo 3DS in the hands. When she reached us, she handed my husband his Nintendo 3DS with both hands and went back to the restaurant. When she was out of sight my husband started panicking. He was so embarrassed for leaving his Nintendo 3DS in the restaurant, in the booth we were sitting in. He was even more shocked about getting it back after leaving it at the restaurant. Once again, where we are from we would never have seen that Nintendo 3DS ever again because someone would see it and keep it. My husband kept on repeating how amazing it was to get his Nintendo 3DS back from the lady who worked at the restaurant all day. It's probably one of his favorite stories to tell about his experience in Japan.

I hope you enjoyed this little story. It kind of proves how honest of a country Japan is and how the people have good morals. Sorry there were no pictures. Thanks for reading!

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Top 5 Thriller/Horror Anime

Halloween is always a good time to watch some scary movies, but what's better than that is scary anime! Now, the term scary can't be defined for every person alive. Everybody is going to have their own opinion of what is scary or not. In my opinion, there aren't too many anime out there that are truly scary but there are a ton of anime that freak me out and possibly keep the lights on. I will be giving my top 5 thriller/scary anime that I recommend people to watch if they're looking for something a bit darker and creepy than the usual stuff.

NO SPOILERS!!! Promise!

Japan's Health System

I'm not too concerned about health, as I have a problem with sweets as a weak spot. I know a ton of people love to learn about health and exercise though. I've brought in a good friend of mine who is starting a self-help blog about health, exercise and managing life. He has lived in Japan and has a great knowledge of the Japanese health system. He know all the ins and outs of what makes the Japanese healthy compared to other countries.

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By: Nam Tong

Having lived in Japan for three years, I experienced Japan’s healthcare system and way of life. Being American, it made me question what I thought was “normal” or “healthy”. There’s a lot that Americans can learn from a Japanese perspective.

Obesity is an epidemic in America that is a prerequisite for a number of heart diseases and other problems. According to the World Health Organization, 32.6% of all US adults are obese, while Japan has one of the lowest obesity rates in the world (3.4%). You can really tell the difference when you’re walking around the country, and I would like to dispel the idea that this somehow comes down to genetics.

It’s not genetics. It’s the lifestyle, the food, and the way of thinking.

How Much Luggage Should You Bring

There are a lot of stresses that come with traveling. One of the many things you need to consider while traveling is how much luggage is necessary to bring. There are many aspects to your travels that can determine it. How long will you be traveling? How much stuff do you need to bring back? How much moving will you be doing?

I have considered all these questions for myself, in my own travels. Some questions will weigh out more than others. I have discovered this for myself and have come to a conclusion for my next travel plans to Japan in the coming month. Many of you will think I'm crazy but I'm hoping to accomplish what I have in mind.

Why I Love Japan

One of the most frequently asked questions I get is why I love Japan. I get this question from relatives, friends, and strangers. I've thought about this recently and it has occurred to me that I've been giving typical answers like "I love the culture" or "I like anime." Now, all of that is true. I freaking love the culture to death, and anime is what got me started on Japan. But the problem with these answers is that it's not my real, true answer. I've been giving easy answers out. I thought I did this because I get this question a lot and was just sick of answering it all the time but its actually more personal.

The Good and Bad of Traveling with Friends

You gotta love your friends, right? How much do you love them? Love them enough to travel with them?

Here's the thing about traveling. Yes, it's super fun but it can also be very stressful (speaking from experience). The more people you add to a trip the more stressful it can be because you have many different personalities conflicting with each other. Of course if you're okay with the occasional attitudes flaring up then who cares how many people are on the trip. I find the perfect amount of friends is 4, including yourself. My pros and cons will help explain why 4 is the magic number.

Stories From Japan- Those are not Onion Rings?!?!

For those of you who don't follow my blog, I participated in a short-term study abroad program. It was a lot of fun exploring Japan but I couldn't forget about my studies. I was taking two classes at a college in Japan. In order to "graduate" from the program you couldn't have anything lower than a C and you couldn't miss more than two days of class. I thankfully had no problems with these conditions. I missed only one day of class due to being terribly sick and I got a B in both of my classes. I remember on a few papers I wrote for class the teacher wrote, "You could do better." She was probably right, but I was in Japan. I was fine with earning a B.

What You Want Out of Japan

One of the most common questions I get from people going to Japan for the first time is where should I go. This is a reasonable question that deserves a thought out answer. Sadly, some people may not be thinking of the other person when answering. Most people may immediately blurt out that they should visit Tokyo because it's such a cool place. Once again, nothing is wrong with that answer because from that person's experience Tokyo was the coolest place in Japan. But just because Tokyo was the coolest place to them doesn't mean it's going to be the coolest place to you. Many people don't understand that. Hell, I've been to Japan multiple times and still get suggests on where to go and they're not places I'm interested in going. That's why I don't like this question being asked, may people will get the wrong information and it can possibly ruin their Japan experience.

Jobs in Japan for non-Japanese Speakers

I'm getting straight to the point in this blog post. I get this question a lot and I know a bit about the topic just from researching for myself (I'm being hopeful). For those of you who are reading this and know Japanese extremely well, start considering taking the JLPT N2 or N1. The Japanese Language Proficiency Test goes from level 5 to 1, 5 being the lowest level. If you can pass the N2 or N1 test you can have the chance to work for a Japanese company. Not only that, but a lot of companies will be expecting you to have a four year college degree, or bachelors degree. You could work at a restaurant, an office, or some other regular job you could get in your own country. As much as English is becoming a universal language Japan is still majority Japanese which it should be.

Now, for those who don't have any proficiency in Japanese or even just a tad you are in the category of jobs for English speakers.There aren't many to choose from, and some jobs are harder to get than others. Let's go over some jobs.

Don't Get Offended in Japan

Whether you're going to Japan as a tourist, a student, or a long-term resident you shouldn't get offended in Japan. You are the visitor in that country which means you should be trying to grow accustomed to the Japanese lifestyle and mannerisms. Even if you don't try to be accommodating to them, you should at least try to be more understanding. Japan does some things way differently than other cultures that can come across rude but it them it is normal behavior. When people don't try to understand the culture they are temporarily living in they may get offended by actions that are not meant to be taken in a offensive way.

I'll be sharing three gestures/mannerisms in the Japanese culture that may seem rude to other cultures. Be open-minded and understanding about these gestures so you can avoid taking it the wrong way when you go to Japan. Not all Japanese people do these things, but it is very common.

Public Transportation Etiquette in Japan

One of the most common and popular ways to get around Japan is through public transportation. Cars are not convenient for an every day commute to work or even going into the city to hang out with friends. The parking is limited and costly at times, and there's also a ton of traffic in the bigger cities. Cars are convenient for more rural areas outside of the city or to use for weekend getaways. But since we're talking about an every day use, public transportation is the way to go even though it sometimes has its own inconveniences.

Everything You Need to Know About Pokémon Go

I have been a huge Pokémon fan since forever it seems like. I grew up with generation 1 Pokémon and have followed the game and anime series throughout all its generations. So when I heard that a mobile app game for Pokémon was coming out I was stoked! It's like a dream come true to many of us who have imagined ourselves as Pokémon masters and travel with a set of Pokémon. Now that dream is a reality, in a way. I'm going to tell you everything you need to know about this game.
P.S. I really love this game!

Habits You'll Come Back with from Japan

The most time I've spent in Japan was when I studied abroad. When you study abroad in Japan, it's like you're living there. Once you're in a place for so long you start to pick up habits from the lifestyle. Now, if you weren't a big fan of the lifestyle you'll probably go home being your old self. If you enjoyed and respected the lifestyle, like I did, you'll go back home with the habits you've learned while living in Japan.

So without further ado, here are some habits I picked up in Japan!

Visiting Japan on a Budget While Becoming Fluent in Japanese

I'm super excited about this post! This post is done by my guest blogger, Japanese Talk Online. This is my first time collaborating with another blogger so I'm really happy to be introducing her to my readers. We met through a mutual reader/friend and our passion for educating people about Japan made it easy for us to work together. I hope to do more collaborations with her in the future. I'll have her bio and contact down below, but for now let's get on with the blog!

Fathers in Japan

That's right! It's Father's Day, and so I'll be telling you about the father's role in a Japanese household. I have previously done a blog post about mothers in Japan, so it's only right that I talk about the fathers now. As a brief recap, mothers are typically the ones who take care of the house and kids. They will make all decisions regarding these things. If you'd like to learn more about this topic you can click here to go to my blog post on mothers in Japan.

So after reading my blog post on moms you may be wondering what is left for the dads. It may sound simple to most people but it's a very important task that helps the family a lot, and that task is working a job. Yep, the dads need to work.

Japan has a different work mentality than any other country. The people take pride in their work and strive to always do better. If you asked a young Japanese person if they saw their dads a lot when they were little they'd probably tell you something like "I'd barely see him." That's completely normal in Japan. The reason for this is because of the work mentality I was talking about. It is understood that the fathers will go to work early and come home late. I remember my own father would come home at about 5 o'clock in the evening. He'd eat dinner with the family and we would all be in the living room watching the television together. In Japan, dads won't come home until about 9 o'clock at night. There are several reason for this. First, the wives except their husbands to come home at late hours. If the men come home early it is a sign that they have not worked hard enough. Second reason, after work hours are over in the office or field it is appropriate to go out drinking with your boss and coworkers. This is except of an employee and it also gives the employee a good word for himself with his boss. It is important to get good with the boss as it could possibly lead to better opportunities at work. Lastly, a father could be coming home late from work because of the work hours in general. It is common for some employees to stay at work until the boss leaves. Even if the employee has finished all their work for the day they'd look for more work to do until their boss is ready to leave. Once the boss is ready to leave the work place the employees will follow.

Father spending time with his family.

Now, even though the work life is a bit hard and keeps the fathers away from their families it's not like the children never see their dads. There are sometimes weekends off and then there are vacations and holidays. The quality time they do spend with their family is typically a good experience. They'll either stay at home and spend time together or go out. Families go out to shopping malls and museums to spend time with each other. There are even times families will go on vacation to resorts. Dads in Japan try to create memories with their families while balancing a hard and sometimes stressful job in order to supply and take care of their families.

I hope you learned a bit about Japanese dads and what they go through in order to take care of their families. It's a dad's duty to take care of their family no matter what country they are from. But with the unique Japanese work mentality Japanese dads have to work around their jobs.

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Fast Food Places to Try in Japan

When you travel to Japan you probably plan on eating more traditional, notable foods that are distinct to the country. Why would you spend money on a plane ticket to Japan just to eat food you can get in your own country? Well, that's because Japan does things differently with their food. Their own cuisine and culture influences other foods they've taken from other countries. So, is it worth visiting well-known fast food chains while in Japan? Yes, and I'll tell you why!

McDonald's

Probably one of the most well-known fast food chains around the world. McDonald's in Japan is an experience in itself. Not only does the quality of McDonald's food seems better in Japan, but they have menu items that are not common in other countries. On the Japan menu, they have teriyaki burgers which is always a nice option if you want a different kind of hamburger. And they also have a menu item called Shaka Shaka Chicken which is a thin fried chicken breast that comes in a paper pouch. You can order it with any of the available seasonings put pour into the bag and shake the chicken to coat it with the selected seasoning. Not only do they have different permanent items but McDonald's Japan has great seasonal items such as items available during cherry blossom season in the spring. So check out a McDonald's when you get to Japan, it's an experience.

Mos Burger

I said fast food chains, but I said nothing about American chains only. Mos Burger is a Japanese chain that sells typically items such as burgers, fries, nuggets, hot dogs, and onion rings. Of course it's not going to be just any regular hamburger. There are different kinds of hamburgers due to the use of Japanese ingredients. Mos Burger has a teriyaki burger, a spicy miso burger, and a katsu burger. These are just a few of their burgers on their menu that are distinct to Japan. If you ever get the chance to go to Mos Burger I suggest trying their onion rings. They have some of the best onion rings I've ever tasted. Here is my order at Mos Burger: A teriyaki burger with an order of onion rings and a melon soda. I get this all the time. It's so delicious!

KFC

The fast food chain for all chicken lovers. KFC is extremely popular in Japan. The chicken dishes are very good, with the chicken being very tasty and juicy (nothing is worse than dry chicken). But the reason for KFC's popularity in Japan is due to its Christmas dinners. On Christmas Eve it is customary to stand in a long line to get a chicken meal for Christmas. A long time ago, Japan didn't celebrate Christmas. It was two foreigners in Japan who were looking for a Christmas turkey substitute. Their best option was KFC chicken. This tradition spread across Japan as the holiday was beginning to be celebrated. Now Christmas is highly marketed in Japan with KFC as the face of Christmas.

Coco Ichibanya

This is another Japanese fast food chain that I highly recommend trying. Coco Ichibanya is a Japanese curry house. Japanese curry is a thick curry over rice. Coco Ichibanya has many different kinds of curry to try from the typical pork or chicken katsu to other kinds such as cheese curry and sausage curry. Not only do they have many curry options but another option to consider is the level of heat. You can get medium curry which has no level of spice. The scale of spiciness is from 1-10. Curry starts to get pretty spicy at level 3, but is still enjoyable. Level 5 or 6 will start to make you sweat. Level 10, well, it'll make you cry and probably go to the bathroom. You would be getting level 10 curry on a dare or something because you will not be able to taste the curry due to how spicy it is. Coco Ichibanya is available in the U.S., with chains in Hawaii and California.

I hope you'll try these fast food chains in Japan. It's a different experience than what you're probably used to. These are my favorite ones, so you'll definitely find something you'll like.

Thank you as always for reading my blog! If you liked this post please let me know. Also if you'd like more Japan related content follow me on social media.

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Stories from Japan- Arashiyama's Bamboo Forest

While studying in Japan I made it my goal to experience as much of Japan as possible. Since the study abroad program was stationed in Kyoto it was pretty easy to explore all of Kyoto. One of the areas I explored and my favorite is Arashiyama. On this particular day that I was in Arashiyama a group of us were trying to go to Monkey Mountain where we could feed the monkeys but it closed early. So we decided to walk around the Arashiyama area to figure something else out.

Stories From Japan- Sumimasen

Story Time!!!!

This story is back from when I was studying abroad in Japan. It was our first night in Kyoto, Japan, and we were exploring the city. It was getting dark and we were getting a little hungry. In Japan a lot of places will have either displays or signs outside their restaurant to show samples of their food. My newly acquired friends and I decided to try a restaurant around the Shijo area which is the shopping district of Kyoto. I think the restaurant is called Kyoto. The food looked good and I was being as adventurous yet so I wanted someplace that had American food. We had to walk up some stairs to get to this place.

Anime Analysis: Death Parade

I’ve been asked many times to do anime reviews. I’ve declined these requests because I find reviews to be a pain. Why should I give my opinion on something when people aren’t really interested in my opinion? And not only that, I need to try to sound smart in my review because my pure enjoyment of the anime alone doesn’t count. There are tons of anime that I really like that have a lot of problems in it, but people seem to think if there are a lot of problems with it, then it’s no good. This is why I can’t do reviews. That and it feels like I’m back in my freshman English class critiquing a story for each element such as plot, character, setting, and so on.

I would rather write on a deeper level when it comes to anime because anime is more than a cartoon. Anime has the ability to each people values and lessons in life. I know many anime that has inspired me in ways reality can’t. So instead of anime reviews, you’ll be seeing anime analysis posts from me, starting with this one.

TokyoTreat Review

This is by far the best snack/candy subscription box I've come across. It's going to be hard to get any better then TokyoTreat. I would usually give you the good, the bad, and whatever else I have to say about this box but there's really only good to TokyoTreat. I'm reviewing TokyoTreat with having experienced two months worth of boxes, the April and May box. I write these reviews solely to help people decide on what they should spend their money on, and if you need to spend your money on a monthly subscription box full of Japanese snacks then this is a box well worth it.

Let's get started!

I fully enjoyed these boxes from TokyoTreat. As you may or may not know, I've already done a review on the popular, well-known Japan Crate. In review, it was an okay box but I felt it wasn't worth the money. The snacks and candies were not thought out well enough in my opinion. TokyoTreat fixes all of this and has brought new light into snack boxes for me. The candies and snacks in TokyoTreat are more thought out for the consumers and are realistic snacks people eat in Japan. It's well diverse in its types of candies and snacks, from chips to dyi kits to flavored candies. There will always be something for everyone.

Now, like all snack subscription boxes there are sizes. TokyoTreat has small, regular, and premium. Just like when I tried Japan Crate, I bought the premium box for TokyoTreat. It is well worth it. You get all the snacks from the small and regular boxes plus all the candy included from the premium box. The premium box also contains a drink, a special merchandise of some kind, and a dyi kit. For $35.00 and free shipping that's a pretty good deal. If you're not game for spending $35.00 a month, I totally understand. The small boxes are $15.00 and the regular are $25.00. With these boxes you can only get a few snacks and a regular gets the dyi kit. No drink and special item for these two boxes. I suggested this before but it could be a good idea to share with a friend. You could both split the cost of the box and share all the snacks. Whatever can't be shared can get claimed by a good game of rock-paper-scissors.

The snacks!!! I am in love with these snacks TokyoTreat chooses. The snacks are ones that are popular in Japan and taste delicious. In the April box, my favorite snacks were the custard flavor Koala's March from Lotte and the yakisoba flavored Baby Star snack. For May, there were a ton of green tea flavored snacks. There was no way to go wrong with these. In addition to the green tea snacks, for those who may not be green tea fans, there were other great snacks in the May box such as Raspberry Kit Kats and the different flavored Umaibou snacks. The drinks were great too! April had the Sakura Pepsi which tasted like bubblegum cola and May had Green Tea Soda. The two were okay tasting but I was more thrilled about getting that experience of trying these drinks without having to be in Japan.

And for all of you who are into the "weird Japan" related snacks, they even cater to you. Unlike like other boxes it's not filled with only the "weird Japan" snacks. TokyoTreat supplies that one snack that would be very adventurous to none Japanese residents. In April they supplied dried nori (seaweed) and wasabi crisps and in May they had spicy cod snacks. I say "weird Japan" because that's what a lot of people think of these flavors, but in reality these flavors are normal over in Japan.

So overall, I loved this Japanese snack subscription box, TokyoTreat. I've kept the monthly subscription that I signed up for. My husband and I look forward in seeing what will come to us. And as a bonus, the pamphlet that comes in the box is really nice too, showing the descriptions of all the snacks and even has little Japanese folklore stories inside. Like I said before, you really can't go wrong with TokyoTreat!

I hope you enjoyed this review. I think it's pretty helpful for those who are looking for the perfect snack subscription box. Follow me on all my social media for more Japan related things! Thanks again!

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Moms in Japan

The lifestyle in Japan is changing with the times. Women are starting to focus on making a career than settling down. Some women even do both career and motherhood. But there are women in Japan who value motherhood as a full time job along with many other responsibilities. In the spirit of Mother's Day I'll share the tasks mothers have in Japan. In no way am I saying they are superior to mothers in any other country because that's just ignorant. This is solely to educate about Japanese culture in a Japanese home. I got to hear a lot about the Japanese household life from my tour guide when I went on a tour in Japan, and I'd like to share this bit of knowledge with you.

If You Like New Orleans, You'll Like Japan Pt.2

So a long while ago when I first started blogging I did a really popular topic called "If You Like New Orleans, You'll Like Japan." If you haven't checked it out yet click here. This article drove it home for me because I consider New Orleans and Japan my homes. They are places that I hold dear to my heart. New Orleans is my physical home, it's where I live and build my life. Japan is my emotional home, where I connect well with society and the way of life (this will be another topic I'll talk about in the future).

I wrote the first part of "If You Like New Orleans, You'll Like Japan" as therapy, this is called Japan Therapy after all. I miss Japan all the time, so I decided to write a blog post for myself in order to cope with not being in Japan. I figured that writing similarities about Japan and New Orleans would help, and it did.

Now, I'm writing this part two for a lot more people than myself. I'm writing to those of you who went to Japan to visit and are missing it like I am. I'm writing to those who aren't knowledgeable enough about Japan to realize how amazing of a place it is. I'm writing to those of you who live in New Orleans like I do but don't know just how close your city is in relation to Japan. I started this blog as therapy for myself, but now I've been on this mission to educate people about Japan. And if you don't live in New Orleans but love Japan, maybe this will give you a reason to visit New Orleans sometimes. Both are very unique places.

Let's get down to business.

12 Places You Need to Go in Kyoto

If you follow me on social media, you know my favorite city in Japan is Kyoto. Having studied abroad in Kyoto has played a role in that decision, but I really do like how Kyoto has the best of both worlds. There's that traditional aspect of life in Kyoto due to it's history has Japan's old capitol and the more modern lifestyle that has grown has times have been changing. If you want to see nature, Kyoto offers some of the best sights. If you want to experience the city life, Kyoto has a great shopping district with entertainment, shops, and restaurants.

I'm going to offer you 12 places that should be experiences. It'll range from famous landmarks to places that aren't advertised as much. If I haven't been to a place then it won't be on this list. I'm only mentioning places I've been to and have found to be either fun or interesting. They are in no particular order.

1. Fushimi Inari

This is one of the most famous shrines in Japan. Not only is it beautifully set in the southern mountains of Kyoto but it can also be used as a great form of exercise. If you are an outdoors kind of person then you'll enjoy walking the whole path at Fushimi Inari that goes up the mountain and back down. As you're walking the path, you'll be going under a bunch of gates. Facing forwards the gates look ordinary but once you turn around you'll see Kanji written all over that are names of people who contributed to the shrine. If you're more of just a sightseer then you can just walk a bit of the path like I did and enjoy the shops located at the bottom

Doki Doki Crate Review

Some of you mat already know this but Doki Doki Crate is a monthly subscription box full of goodies that represent Japanese kawaii (cute) culture. This box is from Japan Crate, a monthly subscription box full of Japanese snacks. I've already done a review of the Japan Crate that you can check out here. If you've read my review you'd remember I wasn't too happy with Japan Crate as their selection of snacks was not up to par and because of that I didn't find it worth the subscription since you'd just keep on getting too any snacks you'd be disappointed in. With Doki Doki Crate I have the opposite opinion. But I will tell you all of the good, the bad, and the kawaii. Let's get started!

I'm specifically reviewing the April Doki Doki Crate that was themed as arcade. Arcades in Japan are pretty awesome. The crate was inspired by the UFO catcher/crane games. The prizes you can find in these games are plushies, figures, toys, and snacks.

How to Memorize Japanese Vocabulary

I'm currently learning Japanese, as many of you may be learning too. I have mastered hiragana and katakana and have learned all the particles such as は、の、を、が、に、etc. Basically what I'm missing are the words. I don't know why, but I have the hardest time trying to remember vocabulary. And if I want to start speaking Japanese, I think it's pretty important to have some vocabulary down.

Well, lately, I've been studying like crazy (crazy meaning when I have the time which is like a hour a day). I think I've finally got the swing of things with learning the vocabulary and I'd like to share it with you. I'm pretty old school when it comes to studying so my method of studying involves flashcards.

So here's how I do it, in two easy steps.

Female Anime Characters as My Role Models

It's amazing how people choose role models. Most of the time they're real people such as family, celebrities, or maybe just a random person they've met. I can't say I truly have a role model who is real. There's not too many people I can actually look up to in real life, as sad as that sounds. The reason for this most likely comes from my own sense of morals I have developed over the years. My morals are greatly influenced by Japanese culture, a culture that is unique to the country. So as you can see, I can't really look up to many people in real life. Don't get me wrong, there are some things I can recognize in a few people that are notable qualities but it doesn't measure up to the nonredeemable parts. But it's okay if I don't have a real life role model. A role model doesn't have to be physically by you all the time, just somebody you can look up to.

I found my role models through anime. I have watched many anime and read a ton of manga. There are so many anime that I've seen that some shows are a distant memory, making room for new shows as they come out. But there are those anime that just stand out and will be remembered forever. I have quite a few anime like this, that were so life changing that I'd never forget the characters' names or the plot of the story. In the anime that are most important to me are characters that I can look up to and really improve myself through their characteristics.

Here are my female anime character role models!

Remembering Tohoku 5 Years Later

On March 11, 2011, a horrible occurrence happened on the other side of the world. Japan had a massive earthquake in its territory resulting in a tsunami wiping out most, if not all, the coastal area of the Tohoku prefecture. It was a devastating natural disaster that altered many lives in that region. This disaster is most known for the Fukushima radiation leak that occurred because of the tsunami. There are only a handful of natural disasters that were this big. One of them that is close to home for me personally is Hurricane Katrina in 2005. It's hard to go through an event like that but it's great to see actual progress and people living their lives again.

Planning a Trip to Japan

You could go the easy route and pay a travel agent to plan your trip but that'll cost you a lot of money, money that you may not even have. It's a lot of work, but planning your own trip to Japan is fun and affordable. I've been to Japan twice already and have announced my third trip on social media already. I'm not going until November, but I have a few friends who are going in the spring and summer so I thought I'd push this article up on my to do list. So here are the steps you need to take to plan a trip to Japan.

Step 1: Book Your Flight

I already did a blog post about the flight. You can check it out here. I discuss the cost, the length, and the food to expect. But I'll mention a few things again. Normally you'd book your flight as soon as your prospective date is available. I knew I wanted to go in November, around the Thanksgiving holiday. I checked the United Airlines website every month to see when November was available. I just booked my flight a few days ago, so you should be able to book your flight 8-9 month before hand. The flight can range in price. I find it ranges from $1,200-$1,500 for a two-way flight. This may be expensive to so people, and it is. The airfare can be the most expensive part of your Japan trip. There are ways to get cheaper tickets though. The first is to get a miles credit card. You know how some credit cards gives you point towards every purchase? Well, some airlines have credit cards that gives you miles. This is how I got my plane tickets to Japan. In two years my husband and I accumulated enough miles for free flights. Another way to get cheaper tickets is by following websites who have special offers. Websites I've heard of for this is Orbitz and Groupon. Now you would have to look for yourself every so often in order to catch these deals. The best way to be notified about these deals is by following bloggers who specialize in Japan airfare deals. They're out there and ready to use. If you use these tickets they will most likely come with a set date to be used. This may make your trip a little rushed so all these other steps I'm mentioning would need to be done as soon as possible.

Step 2: Planning Your Itinerary

What does this involve? Well, when you go to Japan where do you want to go? Do you just want to stay in Tokyo the whole time? (I'll be doing that in 2020). Do you want to see the main three cities of Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka? Or do you want to see as many places as possible during your stay? Planning an itinerary will help with two other steps: buying a train pass and booking hotels. So plan out where you want to go. For example, my husband and I already have a game plan on what cities we want to visit: Nagoya, Nagano, Kyoto, Osaka, Kobe, Matsue, and Tokyo. Since we plan to go to more than three cities and they aren't too close to each other it is beneficial to buy train passes. If we were only going to the three main cities we wouldn't need a train pass. Next is to plan how long you'd like to stay in each city. I haven't planned the exact days yet but I know what cities I'll be needing a hotel for. Finally, add detail to your itinerary by making a list of things you want to see and do in each city. If you're not sure where to visit or what to do visit a Japan guide website. I actually work as a freelance writer for a guide site called Japanistas. I liked their past work and decided they were a good fit for me than all the other websites. If you visit their website they have a ton of guides and articles on things to do in many of the cities in Japan.

(Optional) Step 3: Purchase a Train Pass

This is optional because, like I mentioned in the Itinerary section, if you're not planning to do much traveling in Japan it's not worth getting. But for those who will be doing a lot of traveling, like myself, it is in your best interest to purchase a train pass. By the time you use the pass three times you would probably already have used its worth. This train pass is called the Japan Rail Pass and it is good for all Japan Railway systems. This pass needs to be purchased before you leave for Japan. A voucher will be mailed to you and you'll have to present it to a major Japan Railway station once you've arrived in Japan. Once you obtain your pass, you'll have to use the manned gates for officials to look at your pass (some may ask for your passport as identification). Visit http://www.japanrailpass.net/en/ to see what pass will work for your trip.

Step 4: Book Your Hotel

Unless you're planning to travel to Japan in the next month or two, booking a hotel should be done about 4 months in advance or when the reservation is available. Now, there are two ways to book a hotel for Japan. You can either use a travel site such as Travelocity and Hotels or you can book a reservation with the hotel of choice directly. I won't go into detail on using the travel sites because those are pretty easy since many of you have probably already used those sites before. To book a room directly is a bit harder, especially for those who may not know the hotels in Japan. I will tell you all how I do it. First, I go to the city's website I'll be visiting. I'll use Kyoto as an example since it's my favorite city in Japan. So I would google search Kyoto, and their website should appear in the first four selections (http://kyoto.travel/en/). I'd go to their website and select the "plan your visit" section and choose accommodations since I'm trying to book a hotel. Japan has many kinds of hotels, but the ones that book reservations in advance are ryokans and and western style hotels. A ryokan which are traditional Japanese hotels will most likely be cheaper than western style hotels. If you're going for a cheaper route booking a ryokan would be in your best interest but research about ryokans before booking one because they are very unique hotels. For my trip, I'll be looking for a hotel. Once I click the hotel option it gives me names of all the hotels. Pick any hotel and it'll give you a link to that hotel's website. Tada! You can now book a room directly with the hotel of your choosing.

Step 5: Plan Your Arrangements

Do you have children or pets? You'll need a babysitter. Start asking friends or family members about house sitting or babysitting. House hitting usually requires someone who can stop by your house to make sure everything is okay, like no one has broken in, and to get your mail. Have a car? If you're leaving for two weeks or longer you might want to give your car keys to someone you trust. Let them have the responsibility of starting up your car every few days just so your car will work when you get back home from Japan. Have a job? Start giving your vacation notice to your manager. Pretty much get done whatever needs to be done before you leave for Japan.

Step 6: Make a Packing Check List

Start packing the week before the trip to decrease your stress levels. Trust me, if you wait until the day or night before you will be a very angry and stressed out person which will put a damper on your trip. If you need assistance in thinking of things to bring you can refer to my post on items to bring. 

Step 7: Double Check

I don't care if you made a list and already check stuff off, double check! Make sure you have everything, especially your passport and boarding pass for your flight.

And lastly, enjoy your trip! You'll have so much fun no matter if you are taking a solo trip or going with a friend or significant other. Take a ton of pictures to have as keepsakes and value your time in Japan.

Thank you for reading. I hope this helps many of you who are starting to plan a trip to Japan and for those who will plan a trip in the future. If you liked this post, please check out my other posts about Japan. Also follow me on social media for more things Japan related.

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What to Bring to Japan

Will be be planning your trip to Japan soon? I know I will be! I'll be writing another post soon on how to plan a trip to Japan, but first I'd like to mention some things you should take to Japan. These are items that are obvious and then items that I learned I needed from experience.

Yen, Debit Card, Passport

These are your obvious items to bring. Just in case it's not obvious to some I'll explain in detail and give tips. Yen is the currency of Japan. I recommend getting $500 dollars worth of Japanese yen to go over with. Here's where the debit card comes into play. When you finally get to Japan, to go a convenience store like a 7/11 and take out more yen with your debit card as you see fit. Remember to also call your bank and let them know you'll be going out the country so they won't stop your card. If you can't get cash out then you'll have a big problem on your hands because Japan is still a cash based country even though some places do take credit cards now. And finally your passport. If you have an existing passport make sure in advance that it is not expiring soon. If you don't even have a passport you will be needing one. You can obtain a passport through the post office. Once you have filled out all the paperwork they'll mail you your passport in about 6 to 8 weeks, so don't wait last minute for this!

I've only got coin yen (1, 10, and 50 yen) on me.

Your Own Pillow

This sounds silly but it's really good advice. especially for those who are sensitive sleepers. Not all, but many hotels I stayed at in Japan had pillows with beans inside them. I don't know about everyone else but I can't sleep on bean pillows. They're just not comfortable in my opinion and it makes me lose sleep. I suggest bringing your own pillow so you won't have to worry about losing sleep. We want to make sure you have enough energy to explore Japan!

Medication

Another obvious item but it needs to be mentioned. If you are on any medication prescribed by your doctor please bring it with you. A hospital visit in a different country with a different language doesn't sound ideal. Not only prescribed medicines, but bring everyday medicines just in case. What happens if you get heartburn, a fever, sore throat, or an allergic reaction? You need to consider bringing other medicines for these circumstances. And if you think that you'll be able to get medicine from a store in Japan you may be facing a bigger problem. If your Japanese isn't good to where you don't know Kanji, then you won't be able to buy medicine because you won't be able to understand what the containers are saying. Make it easier on yourself by bringing your own medicine. But make sure the medicine is allowed in Japan because Japan has strict laws in drugs.

English to Japanese Dictionary

This item is for those unfamiliar with Japanese. Now, you can always just speak English the whole time and it might work out for you depending on what parts of Japan you'll be visiting. But for those actually wanting to make the effort should have a dictionary on hand. You will most likely want to say something to someone. You'll know what you want to say but not the Japanese word for it. An English to Japanese dictionary will help you. You'll look up what you want to say and it'll have it's Japanese meaning. Even if you don't know how to speak in full sentences just saying a word will get your point across.

Maps

Now when I say maps, I'm not talking about those boring maps you see of the country that just has a bunch a lines and arrows. I mean maps that are detailed and have pictures of landmarks. I don't know about you but I'm the kind of person that gets around by using landmarks, not street names. Using a map that shows where all the landmarks are in the city is very helpful. I usually use the city's bus map to do this and then I get double use out of it. Bus maps are super easy to read than those maps in guide books.

Comfortable Shoes

I can't stress this one enough. Bring comfortable shoes to walk in! You will be walking a lot while in Japan. Yes, you can use public transportation but you will still be doing a lot of walking if you plan to do some shopping, visit temples, or climbing mountains. As cute as boots, heels, and flats are they are not reliable. Tennis shoes are the way to go. You'll thank me later.

Clothes

This also seems obvious but you may think because you're going in the summer you won't need sweaters but I'm here to tell you that you will, and here's why. Some parts of Japan has crazy weather. The sun could be blazing one minute and in the next it could be raining. Not only that, but if it's hot outside stores may blast their air conditioning, making it freezing cold. The key to dressing in Japan is to dress in layers.

Toiletries

Bring your own toiletries that you love and are used to because they most likely won't be in Japan. That means pack your shampoo, toothbrush, toothpaste, and anything else you can think of. Definitely bring deodorant because Japan is a big fan of the spray and roll on types. 

Nintendo 3DS

This is for my fellow geeks out there. Bring your Nintendo 3DS with you! If you bring it to Japan you'll be getting a ton of regions in Japan completed for your streetpass maps. It's super fun to see all the people you'll pass on the streets with your 3DS. My friends and I call them "green people." This is because when you have people at your streetpass plaza waiting for you your 3DS lights up green. So have fun collecting your green people!

And that's everything I recommend you bring for your trip to Japan. I hope I helped in making your trip easier for you. You'll be hear from me soon on here but until then you can check me out on my social media pages.

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Thank for the support! 

What to Buy at the Asian Market

A few posts ago I wrote about Japanese Markets in America. It got a ton of attention and was received well with all of you. If you haven't seen it yet, here it is: http://japantherapyneworleans.blogspot.com/2015/11/japanese-market-in-america.html.

After this post I got a few messages about what to buy at these Japanese Asian Markets. My first thought was you can just buy whatever it is that you like, but then I realized that the people who asked were people unfamiliar with Japanese food and never went to an Asian Market before. Now, I'm here to give you my personal shopping list when I go to the Asian Market. Keep in mind that I am not the cook in the household, my husband is. So a lot of my stuff are snacks and easy fixes.

Here we go!

Snacks and Candy

So I'm going to be generalizing this one. There are so many snacks and candies to choose from and they're all really good. You really can't go wrong with any of them. In the picture is Pocky and Pretz. Pretty much anything made by Glico and Meiji will be delicious. My favorite Japanese candy is Apollo Chocolate. It's a mix of chocolate and strawberry flavor. 

Swiss Roll Cakes

These cakes are so good! I love them. I remember finding them in Japan when I studied abroad so when I found them here in America I was ecstatic. These little cakes are great in the mornings with a cup of milk. They come in various flavors but my favorites are the creme and strawberry flavor.

(If you couldn't tell already, I love strawberry flavor).

Dorayaki

This is for those who are more adventurous. Dorayaki are traditional Japanese snacks. It's a pastry with red bean paste inside. Think of it as red bean paste in between two small pancakes. If you're into traditional sweets and are okay with red bean paste then you should like these.

Ramen

I know many of you are familiar with cup noodle or other variations of it that is referred to as ramen, but this is a better quality of ramen. Think of it as a ramen kit. In this bag you get broth and noodles, everything else you'll have to buy separately. My husband buys these when we want to have a ramen night for dinner. This packet serves both of us. We love the Tonkotsu flavor which is pork. We add in pork tenderloin, green onion, bamboo shoots, and bean sprouts. It taste great. I hope you give this a try because it definitely beats those cup ramen brands.

Drinks

Another one I'm generalizing for is drinks. You really can't go wrong here either because they're all great drinks. I personally love the melon soda the best. Ramune is always fun to have on occasion though. There will always be green tea available if you are a green tea fan and not into the carbonated drinks. And then there's Calpis (Calpico). I'm still not sure of this drink. It has a milky texture and kind of like a yogurt flavor. I don't think it's something I would buy for myself but I'd drink it if someone bought it for me.

Mochi Ice Cream

Mochi Ice Cream is amazing! They come in many flavors and are a great bedtime snack. Everyone should already know what ice cream is but for those of you who may not know what mochi is it's like a gummy rice. It's really good, but if you don't like gummy texture you might want to try this with caution. My personal favorites are the strawberry, vanilla, and chocolate chip flavors. Other flavors are coffee, mango, red bean, and chocolate.

Rice

Now I'm getting more into the cooking aspect of shopping. This is the brand of rice we like to buy. It's called Nishiki. It's really good. We use this rice when we have teriyaki burgers, curry, or gyudon (beef bowl) for dinner. We cook the rice with our Japanese rice cooker that we also bought from our local Asian market. This rice is like candy, that's how good it is.

Curry

There are many brands for curry but we buy the Golden Curry brand ( you can get this brand at a grocery store). It's great and easy to make. Curry is a fast and easy dinner in Japan. It is one of the most common dinners to make. When in Japan, I like to go to Kokoichi but this does the job when I'm not in Japan. Here's the YouTube video by Japan vlogger Micaela, that my husband uses, on how to make curry.

Miso Soup

I love a really good miso soup. I'm still kind of on the search for a really good one. So far I can only get really good ones at two local restaurants. There are two kinds of miso: red and white. I prefer the taste of the white miso over the red because the white isn't as fishy tasting, if that makes sense. The brands in the picture are pretty good though. Some brands may require you to buy your own seaweed and tofu so check the bag.

And that's what I buy when I go to a Japanese Asian Market. I hope this helps in your ventures at your local Asian market. Like I said, I'm not the cook in the house so there weren't many cooking related items on this list. If you could tell, I'm more of a snacking kind of person. Let me know what you like to buy from the market or what you think I should try.

Thanks for the support by reading. Follow me on social media for more things on Japan.

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How to Make Japanese Potato Salad

Japanese Potato Salad

Looking for a side dish to make for a party or would just like to learn how to cook Japanese food? I'm releasing my recipe for Japanese potato salad! I had potato salad a lot when I was in Japan and always miss it. I would get it mostly at convenience stores or in bento boxes. Now I can have it whenever I want, and so can you! This is super easy.

Total cooking and preparation time: about 2 hours

Servings: about 15 to 20 people (depending on portion size)

Ingredients

-5 lb sack of potatoes (~13 potatoes)

            *Don't not use red potatoes. The consistency and taste will differ.

-1 cucumber

-3 oz bag of baby carrots

-1 white onion

-30 fl oz jar of mayonnaise

-salt

-pepper

-chicken flavor granules 

Directions 

-Wash off all the potatoes in warm water.

-Steam potatoes until a fork can stick into it without getting stuck.

-While potatoes are steaming, peal the cucumber’s skin.

-Cut the cucumber in half, long ways.

-Scoop out the seeded middle of the cucumber halves with a spoon.

-Cut the cucumber halves into ¼ inch crescent moons, and then cut those crescent moons in half.

-Chop up half of the onion into small pieces.

-Once the potatoes are done steaming, place less than half the bag of baby carrots into the pot or steamer to steam (this will take less time than the potatoes).

-Peel potatoes and place them into a big mixing bowl.

-Cut up potatoes into cubes with a big, sharp chef knife.

-Once carrots are done steaming, cut them into ½ centimeter circles.

-Pour the whole jar of mayonnaise into the mixing bowl and fold the potatoes into the mayo with a big mixing spoon.

-Pour in the chopped cucumber, onion, and carrots into the mixing bowl and fold them into the potato/mayo mixture.

-Sprinkle 2 tsps (or to your taste) of chicken flavor granules into the mixing bowl and fold it in.

-Sprinkle salt and pepper into the mixture to your liking (I sprinkled both in twice after folding it in the first time).

-Let the potato salad sit in the frig for an hour to get cold, and then it’s ready to eat.

Made Japanese potato salad for my Japanese culture club in college.
Fed a classroom of students. And some even got seconds. It's a club favorite.

Super simple, and it's healthier than a lot of other potato salads I know. If you have any specific questions about the directions or about the recipe leave a comment below.

Thanks for reading! Follow me on social media for more Japan related stuff!

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