Being a Picky Eater in Japan

This is a topic that gets very popular when talking about going to any country that's different from what you're so used to. Food is one of the greatest things we enjoy in life (at least I do), and when you throw yourself into a new environment that is not your own the biggest question you have for yourself is"how will I survive?" (a.k.a "what will I eat?"). In regards to traveling to Japan and living in America, it may seem like a necessary concern. What will you be able to eat in Japan? They seem to like their food raw and fresh, like just jumped out the water "fresh."

I'm here to reassure you that you will be just fine in Japan when it comes to food. There is something for everyone.

How to Blow All Your Money in Japan

There are many blogs out there that share how to save your money and budget in Japan. Even I've done that kind of blog before. This time, I'm going to talk about the total opposite. I want to share with all of you the many different ways you can drain your wallet while in Japan. If you like spending money, this is the blog post for you!

7 Places You Need to Go in Osaka

Osaka is the second largest city in Japan. It is known as the food capital of Japan, but Osaka has a lot more to offer visitors. Osaka is a very lively city with something for everybody to enjoy. Let's explore Osaka while I recommend these 7 places to check out.

If you are interested, I also did a post on places to go in Kyoto.

Things I Can't Get Used to in Japan

I can study and practice as much of the culture as possible but there will always be things that I just will never get used to in Japan. My visits to Japan have been pretty frequent, probably more than the average person. I'm very lucky to visit as often as I have. But there are things that will always trip me up when over there. And I don't think I'll ever get used to honestly. Let's take a look at those things!

Buying a Kitchen Knife in Japan

In my household, my husband is the cook. It works perfectly because he actually likes cooking and I'm pretty bad at it. So we have this agreement in our house that he does the cooking and I do the clean-up after. Work for me! So when we went to Japan in November of 2016, he knew he wanted to leave the country with a Japanese chef knife. Yes, I'm talking about one of those huge, sharp knives that I'm terrified of chopping my finger off with.

It May Seem Rude to You, But Not in Japan

You know how there are certain things you do in your country that can be considered rude? Well, in other parts of the world it may be the opposite. I say this a lot, but Japan is a unique country with it's own culture and lifestyle. What you may think is rude, may not be in Japan. I live in America, so I will be talking about concepts I'm accustomed to.

Stories From Japan: Is that a Tengu?

I've encountered a lot of animals in Japan, from deer to monkeys and your common house-pets. I never thought I would have such an abnormal encounter to a common outdoor animal such as a crow. Crows are kind of those universal birds that every sees around outside. From my past experiences with crows, they are loud and seem like they always have a watchful eye on you but nothing more. In Japan, I experienced something completely different.

Experience Autumn Season in Japan

Japan is a place that's a great example of having all four seasons. It's mostly known for it's spring time cherry blossoms, as it is a sight to see. But another season that should not be ignored is autumn. For someone like myself who comes from a place that just has summer and winter, the autumn foliage an amazing experience. There are so many colors during the fall season in Japan that it gets to be mesmerizing. I'm just used to colors green and brown, or no leaves at all. So I'm going to give you my opinion and experience of autumn in Japan!

Queue Culture in Japan

Japan is already different from a lot of other countries, but their culture is stands out the most. If you have ever been to Japan you probably experienced the differences in Japanese culture and the culture you come from. For those of you who have not been to Japan it will either be a fun experience or a difficult one. One of the things about the Japanese culture that amazes me id the "queue culture," or the standing in line culture.

Learn the Culture Before Going to Japan

Many blogs, sites and videos will always recommend you learn the Japanese language before traveling to Japan. While that is important it is not as important as learning about the culture. You can get by without the language as I have mentioned in a previous blog, but you won't be able to get by without knowing the culture. If you don't know the Japanese culture you may do something to give a bad representation to foreigners which can lead to other people having a bad experience of Japan.

Things You'll Need to Prepare for in Japan

Japan is a very different country, from all other countries in the world. It's a country that has modernized but still held onto its traditions and unique culture. The things you're used to in your own country may not apply in Japan, and I'm not talking about major things such as the language. I'm going to discuss the smaller things that you won't catch unless you actually experience Japan because not a lot of people talk about the smaller things. You could call these things mini culture shocks.

Budgeting a Japan Trip

One of the things I always hear from people is that they can't go to Japan because it's too expensive. It's really not that expensive if you know how to budget. I never knew how to budget until I got married. As the bride, traditionally, my parents paid for most of the wedding and its related festivities. They gave me a budget for my wedding that I had to follow and that's how I developed tricks to help me budget. I never thought to relate my budgeting experience with a trip to Japan, but I see how my budgeting method can help people get to Japan.

Stories From Japan: Something Sweet

My husband and I went to visit Nagano this last Japan trip for the first time. We had a lot of fun with the area that you can read here. When my husband and I visit Japan I'm usually using my Japanese to get us around or to talk to people if my husband doesn't start using his phone first. My Japanese is pretty good for getting around in Japan and making small conversation, but sometimes I do slip up and say the wrong thing. This is that kind of story.

The Difficulties of a Japanese Apartment

Living in Japan may seem fun at first glance, but there are some difficulties to it if you are not prepared enough for the big changes. Apartments are already difficult enough, as it is not yours to own which means you have to play by your landlord's rules, but I find apartments in Japan can be a bit more difficult because of the obvious language and cultural barriers (if present). I'm going to share with you the difficulties you should watch out for with apartments in Japan. This is not only for people who are renting a living space in Japan but also for people who are just visiting but using an apartment to temporarily stay with services such as Airbnb (I did a separate blog post on that topic).

How to Enjoy Japan at the Airport before Leaving

Leaving Japan can be one of the saddest parts of your Japan trip. You just spent time exploring parts of the country and now you travel to the airport in order to wait for your flight back home. Your time at the airport doesn't have to be sad. The airport has a lot to offer before leaving Japan. I've departed from two airports in Japan so far: Kansai International Airport (KIX) in Osaka and Narita International Airport (NRT) in Chiba Prefecture. For the sake of this blog post I'll be discussing the Narita Airport which is the most popular airport to be used for travel to and from Japan.

Weird English in Japan

There are times when Japan intentionally tries to have English available and when they're just trying to sound cool. When it comes to English for menus and such, they typically get it right. But when English is used in fashion or advertisement it can go all wrong. Many of you may be familiar with shirts in Japan that have an English phrase on it. For the most part, you understand what they mean but it still sounds weird. I don't have photos of that because I resisted going shopping (except the Pokemon Center. Blew all my money there). I did go out to eat a lot, and that's where the funny advertisements come in. I found two signs in Japan, both outside of restaurants, that just didn't make sense to me. Maybe you'll understand what's trying to be said more than I do.

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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