The Best Side Trip From Osaka: Okayama

When people decide to take the plunge and travel to Japan, they start planning their trip with what to see and what to do when over there. Many people, especially those who will be going for the first time, make plans to only go visit the big three: Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto with a possible pit stop to Nara. Nothing is wrong with this travel plan. I even did this travel plan the first time I went to Japan (no regrets). But once you have already become familiar with these places, where else do you go?

There are so many places in Japan that are worth visiting. Out of the many places to choose from, may I suggest Okayama.

Watching Anime During COVID-19

Whether you are considered "essential" for work, working from home now, or unfortunately lost your job, we are all experiencing some extra time on our hands since leisurely things are closed off from the world due to the current worldwide pandemic that is COVID-19, a type of coronavirus. With this free time we have staying at home, one of the great things about being an otaku during this time is the fact that we can watch anime!

Hiroshima: Visiting Japan's History

I knew at some point in all my travels to Japan I would want to visit Hiroshima. There are many reasons why people should want to visit Hiroshima, but in this blog post I am going to talk about the most important one: the atomic bombing of Hiroshima.

The Best Pancake in Kyoto

When I was in Kyoto this past summer I was determined to try the famous Japanese fluffy pancakes. I would always see videos of these interesting pancakes, and the people eating them always seem to enjoy them. I took a spontaneous afternoon in search of the best fluffy pancakes I could find in Kyoto.

Don't Fear Going to Japan

First, a little back story to why I'm talking about this topic in my blog. As announced on my YouTube channel, I got a new job! This new job involves me educating college students about Japan and taking them over there for a month during the summer to study abroad. I'll link the program here.

Anyway, my university did a survey on Freshmen about what countries they would love to travel to but why they didn't go. I already knew finances were going to be an issue, but to my surprise it was fear that was commonly mentioned in the survey. So I would like to clear up any fears that people may have about going to Japan.

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 Speak Japanese When You Don’t Live In Japan

This article is by That Japan Girl. She's very knowledgeable about Japan and the Japanese language. Find her links at the bottom of this article! Enjoy!

                    

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When it comes to speaking Japanese, what makes the situation difficult is exactly the thing that makes it so exciting. Another person is there, listening to you speak, and responding to what you’re saying to them. They can interrupt you whenever they want, cut you off and talk over you. They can ask you to clarify something, to repeat what you just said or to start all over from the beginning. They can talk fast or slow, shout or whisper, speak in standard Japanese or hit you with that Kansai-ben.

Bottom line is: you’ll never know what flow a conversation takes.

And that’s what makes it so exciting to speak Japanese!

Is Japan Really the Land of Anime?

Many foreign countries have had the pleasure of being introduced to Japanese culture whether it be through food, art and, of course, anime. Anime is the Japanese word for animation (any kind of animation), but to the world outside of Japan it is distinctly referenced to animation from Japan. With that said, would would think something like anime would be all over the place in Japan. The reality of it is that it can actually be pretty had to come by.

Desserts and Sweets in Japan

One of the many things people like to talk about when it comes to Japan is the food. Japanese food is simple yet precise, and aims for the best quality. The same goes for its dessert and sweets. Whether it be traditional Japanese sweets or their rendition of other countries' sweets, Japan aims for quality no matter how simple or complex it may look. I'm going to go over a few sweets that are definitely worth a try when in Japan.

Omiyage Culture in Japan

It's an exciting time when you get to go on vacation. In Japan, it's no different. You finally get a break from school and/or work in order to enjoy some time away from everything. But in Japan they have one thing to worry about when on vacation, and that's what to bring back as a souvenir for people. Let's talk about the souvenirs in Japan.

Stories From Japan: Stop Giving me Stuff

Hello! Welcome to another story time! "Stories from Japan" is a little series on my blog where I tell stories from my personal experiences in Japan. In this story, I'll be talking about my time in Japan as a student where I really needed to learn a phrase to use in order to stop receiving street advertisements.

Why People Stop Learning Japanese

When you first start learning Japanese it can be fun and exciting. You're on your way to learning a new language! First you learn the alphabet, then start learning useful words and phrases. There's a lot of progress in the beginning and learning Japanese looks very promising. But then you hit a wall in your learning Japanese. Whether it's conscious or not, you start to find a reason to stop learning. If you find a good enough reason, it won't look like you failed in learning Japanese.

I'm going to go through these "reasons" why people stop learning Japanese and give you realizations that it can still be done. There is sadly no good excuse for not learning Japanese. If you just want to stop that is acceptable, but don't try to use one of these excuses because it will just make you look bad in the long run.

Taste of Japan: Vancouver, Canada

I was looking for a place to go over the summer. In my search for vacation spots I had some requirements: good weather (where I'm from it's deathly hot), good food (I love to eat) and it had to have some kind of Japanese presence. A few places in the US was mentioned but in the long run my friends and I decided to go out of the country, but not too far out the country. This meant staying in North America. So we chose Canada, specifically Vancouver because it was cheaper than Toronto.

I did some research online before going to Vancouver. My goal was to see as much "Japan stuff" as possible. It looked really promising online. They have a consulate in Vancouver for Japan and there's also a Japan social group, almost like a society for Japan enthusiasts. A lot of people kept mentioning a bunch a Japanese stores, especially south of Vancouver in the city of Richmond.

Overall, here is what I got from my experience in Vancouver Canada.

The Joys of Exploring Japanese Neighborhoods

It's common for people who live in Japan to tell you not to plan out your trip to Japan, to just explore and find new things. I agree with that to an extant. It's easy for them to say that because they live there and have a lot of time to explore. For visitors, your time in Japan is limited. It's natural for you to want to fit in as much as possible. I plan out all of my trips when I go to Japan. But what I do is when I find a break in my already planned schedule, I try to explore the neighborhood I'm staying in just to see if I find something interesting.

Let's talk about the discoveries you'll come across during your travels in Japan.

Japanese Bathrooms in Japan

When looking for accommodations for your stay in Japan you may look at the size of the place, how big the beds are, if there's free WiFi or even how big the bathroom is. You won't be spending too much time in your hotel or other accommodation but it can still be a game changer on how big that bathroom is. The size of the bathroom can be a game changer for your trip to Japan. That may sound weird but it could possibly make things relaxing for you or super difficult. Let's explore Japanese bathrooms.

Two Uses for your Passport in Japan

This is not going to be a blog about how to get a passport. That is for another day. This blog post is about the two uses for your passport when you are in Japan as a visitor or tourist. Your passport has more functions than you know about. The main use of a passport is to get you into Japan when traveling, but did you know it still has purpose once in Japan? Let's talk about it some more.

Tokyo is not Japan

Now, before you decide this is a hate post on Tokyo I'm going to tell you right now it's not. There is a reason why Tokyo gets so much praise, and it deserves that praise. Tokyo is a place where everybody can find something they will be happy with. So then what's going on with title? Well, it's exactly what it says, "Tokyo is not Japan." Let me start explaining.

What to do at Night in Japan

While you're planning your trip to Japan there will most likely be many things on your to-do list. Sometimes it can look really scary because you may be thinking how am I going to get all of this done during my trip to Japan? There is a simple solution, and not many people think about it. On your list of things to see and do in Japan is probably some stuff that can be done during the night hours. This can save you a lot of time for activities during the day.

A Day at Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan

I did a blog on things to do in Osaka, and one of those things was the Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan. The aquarium is a great place to escape to from the busy city or the weather, if it's really hot. Osaka is famous for a lot of things and this aquarium is one of them.

Let's review what you will discover and experience at the Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan.

My Top 5 Japanese Drama Recommendations on Netflix

Netflix is starting to see the value in Japanese entertainment. They have a selection of anime, some anime live action adaptions (good and bad) and now starting to dive into the Japanese drama department. Japanese dramas are pretty hard to find on the internet, especially if you don't know what you're looking for. Not only that, but when you do find Japanese dramas online some of them are in such horrible quality that they're not worth watching. I have to say that Netflix is doing a great job with creating their own original Japanese drama series. I'd like to give my top 5 recommendations when it comes to Netflix original Japanese drama series.

Seeing Cherry Blossoms in Japan

My first and only time so far to see cherry blossoms in Japan was back in spring of 2014 for my honeymoon. I always heard it was a great time to go to Japan and that it was beautiful. Now that I went for myself (and I'm going again in 2019) I can truly say it is an amazing sight to see but no amount of pictures or stories will do the cherry blossom season justice. You really do have to go see it for yourself in order to really understand the beauty of spring time in Japan.

Why You Should Study Abroad in Japan

There are many ways to travel to Japan. You can go for vacation, a job or on a guided tour, but one of the best ways to experience Japan is through studying abroad. Whether you choose a program at a school in your own country or applying to a Japanese school, studying abroad has many benefits that other traveling methods don't offer. I'm going to be talking about why you should be studying abroad in Japan.

How to Behave with the Deer in Japan

Again, there are news articles online of people acting up in Japan. This time it's with the deer that can be found in Nara, Japan. These deer are free-roaming in the streets of Japan's old capital. Another popular tourist destination with free-roaming deer is in Miyajima, in Hiroshima Prefecture. Even though these deer are used to tourists and being around people they are still wild animals, and if you do something that bothers them you need to be prepared for the consequences. In these news articles, many have said that the deer have been lashing back at tourists. The deer are usually peaceful but no one should be surprised if they get attacked, especially when not handling the deer appropriately.

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!

Top 5 Romance Anime

I've already done a favorite anime and favorite shojo manga list, so I'm going to try and make this list as different as possible. What I consider to be good romance anime is something that makes me really feel the emotions of love. This is a hard list to make because a lot of romance anime are fused with other genres such as fantasy, slice of life, comedy and drama. You may not see your favorite romance anime in this list because I'm only mentioning my favorites that are really hardcore romance (like I wouldn't suggest these to my guy friends because they'd totally not enjoy these). Let's get this started!

If You Like New Orleans, You'll like Japan Pt.3

And we're back with another segment of "If you like New Orleans, you'll like Japan" blog. I've done two of these so far, a Part 1 and Part 2. I didn't think I'd come up with more ideas but I've got four more similarities for you all that New Orleans and Japan shares.

Let's get started!

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!

My Life Adjustments in Japan

Before, I wrote a blog post on what I would miss if I moved to Japan. My friend was genuinely curious, but what he didn't think about was all the changes people have to go through when you get to Japan. My situation wouldn't be as bad as others because I'm already very familiar with the culture and way of life over there. Most of my concerns would be more personal, with the exception of two that would probably apply to many people. I'm going to share with you the things that I would have to adjust to if I moved to Japan.

How to Behave in Japan

This may seem like an obvious topic but I'm realizing that its actually not. When people travel abroad leisurely, like for vacations, they only think they are on vacation. They don't think about the bigger meaning behind visiting a different country such as Japan. I'm going to share with you how you should behave in Japan and why it's so important.

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.

Adventures at Tokyo DisneySea

Japan's second Disney park is Tokyo DisneySea. Just like Tokyo Disneyland, this Disney park can also be fully explored in a day. I personally did one day in each park and felt fulfilled. Tokyo DisneySea is known for being the more mature of the parks as it has more thrilling rides and the park has a worldly theme that adults can appreciate. This Disney park is highly praised and is a crowd favorite, especially for couples. Let's get deeper into what makes this park so pleasing.

Stories From Japan: Where's the Ramen?

Here's another story from Japan, back when I studied abroad in Kyoto for the summer in 2010.

This story takes place in the first week of my study abroad program. One of my goals going to Japan for the first time was to have a true "ramen experience." The only ramen I knew of at the time was the cup ramen and the packet ramen everybody in high school ate dry (still never understood that phase). I've seen ramen in Japanese dramas and anime, so I wanted to get a bowl of real ramen in Japan. This was before pocket wifi and sim cards were popular for your phone usage while traveling. I had to look for ramen the old fashion way.

My Adventures at Tokyo Disneyland

The most famous Disney park of course, is Disney World in Orlando, Florida, where they have the most parks and many visitors from around the world. The second most known Disney park is Disneyland in California. Not everyone may know this, but there are many Disney parks outside of the United States. Some of the different countries are home to a Disney park or two, with its own unique twist due to its location. Today, I'd like to introduce you to Tokyo Disneyland!

Most Frequently Asked Japan Travel Questions

Everything you want to know about traveling in Japan is right here. I'm going to answer some of the most frequently asked questions about traveling in Japan. They are in no specific order, but I'll have a short answer and a long answer for each question so that you can read as little or as much as you'd like on each question. I hope I cover any topics you may be interested in. Enjoy!

Thanksgiving in Japan

My husband and I planned a trip to Japan during Thanksgiving week. We did this because it is also an wedding anniversary week. Spending our anniversary in Japan was a great experience, just as it was to have our honeymoon in Japan. Going during this time meant that we would be away from our families for Thanksgiving for the first time. If you are big on Thanksgiving like my husband proclaims he is, then don't travel during this time. You will feel homesick in Japan.

How to Fully Enjoy Japan

This may not seem like a big topic to go over. Just going to Japan is all the enjoyment you need, but when you get there you may forget that fact. This is going to be a short blog but still very important.

You may have all of your Japan trip planned out, like where you're going and all the places you'll see. You may think your schedule is jammed with a lot going on but once you are there you will notice that there are free spaces in your schedule. And not only that but say you have been very active all day (you'll be doing a lot of walking for sure), you'll start to get tired and want to rest. You'll be going back to either your small hotel room or your small airbnb. Now if you're going back to go to sleep then that's fine, but if you're going back to your place of stay just to relax you will be making a grave mistake. If you do that for one day, you'll continue making the same decision of retiring for the night the next day and the day. Soon you'll start to get bored and want your trip to end sooner. That may seem very hard to believe but you will start to feel that way whether you know it or not.

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.

Japanese Work Ethic

The Japanese work ethic is very different from the work ethic I'm used to in America. There are several good and bad things about the work ethic in Japan. I think the Japanese work ethic is great overall, but I feel it is one of the aspects of Japanese culture that could possibly make or break a foreigner's decision in moving to 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.

McDonald's in Japan

I used to eat McDonald's a lot as a child but as I got older I try to stop eating it for various reasons. Who knew something like a big American fast food chain would be so popular in Japan? There are other American chains in Japan, but nothing like the big changes McDonald's in Japan has compared to the American ones.

Not so Secret Secrets of Japanese Language

Learning Japanese is already hard enough with all the vocabulary memorization, the grammar rules and the thousands of kanji characters you'll need to study. But all those things are just what's on the surface of learning Japanese. There's more to the Japanese language that some people may not realize. I'll be talking about those not-so-secret secrets you may hear about that can help you understand Japanese a little better. Many of these are well known but I'm going to talk about them for the people who are studying the language and may not know, and for those who may need a refresher, or for those of you who may know nothing about the Japanese language but are interested in learning.

Go Eat Coco Ichibanya

I've talked about fast food chains in Japan that people should go try. Well, Coco Ichibanya deserves its own spotlight because it's that good! It's considered fast food in Japan even though it tastes like real food (America, you know what I'm talking about) and you sit down to eat it. It's a fast, cheap option for a meal that tastes delicious.

Why You Should Plan Your Japan Trip

There are quite a few articles out there on the internet about being spontaneous and just "going where the wind takes you" kind of attitude with traveling abroad. And while that's a great, exciting idea it may not be the best option for a trip to Japan. If you are not familiar with Japan's holidays whether they are well known or not, it may put a bump in your travels. And what about unexpected happenings? Planning is beneficial, no matter how detailed it is.

Top 5 Favorite Drinks in Japan

Something Japan is well known for are their drinks. Everyone knows about their famous vending machines that you can find on almost every corner.This makes grabbing a drink very quick and simple. Most vending machines will have about the same kind of drinks but you'll find a few that have drinks in them that are not as common. Not only in vending machines, but drinks can be purchased at stores and non-traditional Japanese restaurants. So it's pretty easy to get a drink in Japan, hot or cold, but they also have a great selection of various flavors. I'm always surprised by all the flavors they come up with and what you can find. Today, I'm going to share 5 of my favorite drinks in Japan.

Stories From Japan: Lost Gaijin

I had two public talks a few weeks ago. One talk was about manners in Japan and another was on travel in Japan. Both brought up really interesting questions from the attendees. But one question really stuck out to me. "What do you do when your lost?" Now the logical and predictable thing to do is to ask for help, but most people either don't know Japanese to that extent or have no confidence in their Japanese to ask for help. Instead of answering with these replies I simply said "do the lost gaijin look."

Arcades in Japan

There was a time when arcades were popular in America, but they have slowly died out. To me, arcades were rare to find. Then, I went to Japan and my childhood revived and doubled! Japan has many arcades to be enjoyed by people of all ages. They have some arcades that are small and only house one type of machine/game and then there are huge arcades that go above and beyond. I'm going to talk about all the cool games you'll find in a Japanese arcade.

Anime Analysis: Sports Genre Anime

It's been a while since I've done an "anime analysis" post. Anime is not my main focus for my bog but I do love anime and manga, and I do enjoy talking about them so occasionally you'll see an anime related blog post. I didn't really give this "anime analysis" much thought until recently thanks to a few friends of mine from both sides of the spectrum.

I'm going to be casually discussing the workings of the sports genre in anime, and why you should not let one anime ruin your image of all the others (I'll be talking from personal experiences).

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.

Eating at Gion Gyuzen

This is a restaurant recommendation if you ever go to Kyoto, Japan. When many people think of eating out in Japan, they usually think of sushi or ramen. There's more to Japan than sushi or ramen, and it would be a shame if you didn't get to experience that. I'm going to introduce a restaurant called Gion Gyuzen, an all-you-can-eat shabu-shabu and sukiyaki restaurant.

Japanese Duolingo Review

Right now is the age of using the computer and phone apps. Old methods of studying are no longer practiced as much as they used to be. I'm not very fond of phone apps myself, as I get bored with them easily. I'm the kind of person that learns best using flashcards and textbooks. I used plenty of apps to try and improve my Japanese. Some work and I still fiddle with today, and some I have left behind feeling disappointed with all the hype they received. Today I'm going to be talking about a new section of a not so new language learning app called Duolingo. Duolingo has just released their Japanese course on their app which is a big deal since their only Asian language they had before was Vietnamese. I tried Duolingo out for a week straight and have overall enjoyed my experience with it. Even though I am fond of it, it still has its flaws just like every other learning app.

Best Kobe Beef Experience

I am not a steak person at all. If my family was ever cooking steak I would either choose hamburgers or pizza instead. I never liked the texture of steak. But somethings that I've always heard was that Kobe beef melts in your mouth. So I decided to try it out for myself.

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.

Monkey Mountain in Kyoto

Animals are really popular in Japan for both locals and tourists. Not only does Japan have animal cafes but they have outdoor attractions that are geared towards animal lovers. I've already talked about the deer of Nara and the snow monkeys of Nagano. Now I'd like to talk about another place that I feel is a bit underappreciated, and that's Monkey Mountain in Kyoto.

Considering Where to go in Japan

Planning out a trip to Japan can be very stressful and require a lot of time. I'm here to make the process a little easier for you. I've already written a post about how to plan the trip that you can check out by clicking here. Right now I'm only talking about where you should go in Japan. I can easily tell you my suggestions but that's not going to help you. I'm going to help you figure out where you should go according to several factors that will play a big part in your trip. I got this topic idea from a reader who asked me a question similar to this, so thank you reader!!

Exploring Nara, Japan

Nara Prefecture is south of Kyoto and east of Osaka Prefecture. We'll be talking about the city of Nara today. It is an ancient city, as it used to be Japan's capital. It's a small city but still significant for it's history and tourist attractions.

When planning your trip to Japan keep in mind to stop by Nara. It's a stop on almost every guided tour in Japan. It won't require you to be there all day, probably just a few hours, so you won't have to book another hotel. Nara is a great day trip to take. To reduce travel time you'll want to travel to Nara from either Osaka or Kyoto, as those are the closest. When traveling to Nara, get off at Nara Station. From the station you can walk to the one place I'm recommending you to visit, and that's Nara Deer Park.

Snow Monkey Park in Nagano

When my husband and I were planning for our trip to Japan we had a few times on our to-do list that we have never done before. One of the things we wanted to do was to go up to Nagano to stay at an onsen (hot spring resort) and visit the Snow Monkey Park. Once we landed in Japan we stayed the night in Tokyo but headed out to Nagano in the morning by shinkansen (bullet train). We left at about 10 A.M. and arrived at Nagano station by noon.

My Favorite Shounen Manga

I previously wrote a blog on my favorite manga that are all shojo series which you can read here. I mostly read shojo manga because I get the whole story from the manga unlike the anime that usually stops short. It's the opposite for shounen series. I usually watch shounen anime and barely read the manga. Most of the shounen series involves fighting anyway so I rather just watch the action happen than look though pages. I will consider a series good if it has a great plot. If the series has no plot I just can't get into it. Since this is titled as favorites you know these series I'm about to mention have to be good because I'm super picky about shounen series.

Please keep in mind my list will only consist of series that I have read, so your favorite may not be on this list.

My Favorite Manga

A while ago I posted about keeping a manga collection which you can read about here. That led up to people asking what my favorite manga are. Now you can say I love all my manga because that's why I own them but I clearly love some more than others. I know this because there are series I tend to read over and over again without getting bored. So this list consists of manga I love, that I have read more than 20 times. There are manga that I can recommend to anybody!

Survival Japanese

You don't need to know Japanese to travel in Japan, but it sure does help a lot if you do know some Japanese (and it would be appreciated by Japanese people since some are scared of foreigners due to the language barrier). Unless you are a linguistic genius, it'll usually take people years to learn Japanese.
But what if you have an opportunity to go travel in Japan soon than later? How will you be able to learn Japanese in that limited amount of time? You can't, and that's why I'm here to tell you the survival Japanese you should remember. I did a post on the Japanese you should know if you're trying to learn but this article is going to be talking specifically about Japanese that will make or break you in Japan.

My Cosplay Experience

When you learn about anime, you learn about cosplay.

I would look up pictures from anime series on Google and would get cosplay pictures in the mix. I knew it existed but never thought I would get to experience cosplay for myself. It wasn't until 2010 that started cosplaying - when two college friends who were veteran cosplayers were talking about cosplaying from Ah! My Goddess, the first manga I ever read. It was a sign!

Trying Kit-Kats from Japan

As a child I always loved Kit-Kats. The chocolate had a distinct flavor than all the other chocolate candy. But then I went to Japan for the first time and my love for Kit-Kats deepened. I never knew Kit-Kats were so popular in Japan that they had more than 40 flavors existing. My goal is to eat as many different flavors of Kit-Kats as possible. I've eaten a few Kit-Kats before I started blogging: green tea, green tea sakura, pudding, sweet potato and brown rice tea. I recently went back to Japan and knew I wanted to add to my Kit-Kat experience, and I always look for flavors I know I can't get at an Asian market back home. Here are three Kit-Kats I discovered while in Japan.

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).

Airbnb in Japan

During my stay in Japan this past November I got the chance to try out Airbnb for the first time. It was ideal as I was trying to lower the budget for the trip. I didn't know much about Airbnb but heard of a few other people using it and seemed to like it. I'm going to assume Airbnb will be different in other countries, so please only regard this article if you are interested in staying in an Airbnb in Japan. Staying at an Airbnb in Japan was an experience, not good or bad, just an experience that I have learned from.

Cherry Blossom Season in Japan

Spring is here! Where I'm from there's no spring season, just summer and a fake winter. As you can imagine I don't get to enjoy nice weather too often. So being able to experience spring in Japan was a special moment for me. Not only was the weather nice but I got the chance to see the cherry blossoms up close in a Japanese setting (I say this because the U.S. has cherry blossom trees that were gifted from Japan, but it's totally not the same). Cherry blossoms are a big part of spring in Japan, but there are many other things that come with the spring season that accompany these iconic flowers.

What Would I Miss if I Moved to Japan

I get asked some weird and random questions from people (at least they're weird and random to me). And I've expressed on my blog and in public to people that my chances of moving to Japan are slim to none due to the direction I've chosen for my life which I'm happy with. But I still get asked the weirdest questions even though I have stated several times that I will never be moving to Japan; it's just not in my cards. Well, that just doesn't seem to matter to some people because I just got asked by a friend a few days ago what I would miss the most if I ever moved to Japan.

Now, I've seen YouTubers from Japan talk about what they miss from their home country and that makes sense because they've been living in Japan for years, not knowing when they will or if they will be leaving. For someone like me who isn't living in Japan and does not plan to move to Japan, I'm not sure if I can really answer this question to the best of my ability. But today, I will try!

Note: I'm only going to mention things or places. Missing family and friends is a given if you have some kind of heart in your body.

Using the Japan Rail Pass

In November, I got to use the Japan Rail Pass for the first time. I can confidently say I will never travel without it again. It made traveling throughout Japan easy, convenient, and stress-free. It was literally "pick a place, and go!"

Keeping a Manga Collection

I have many hobbies, some more expensive than others. One of these hobbies are collecting manga.

Short story: I started collecting manga in middle school when I friend introduced to me.

Pokemon Center in Japan

There are many fun and exciting things to do in Japan. One of the stops I need to make when I'm in Japan is to a Pokemon Center. There are many across Japan, each store having its own special items from the region along with standard item in every store. The Pokemon Center is my chance to stock up on Pokemon merchandise that you can't get in any of the stores in America, or anywhere else for that matter. Last year, the Pokemon Center has made it available for people to purchase their merchandise online which you can check out here (please note that the website is still very limited in what you can buy). These items are of a greater quality than any other place that has Pokemon merchandise available. For me, that would be Toys R' Us and their selection is nothing compared to the Pokemon Center. Not only to purchase items, but to just step into a Pokemon Center is an experience if you are Pokemon fan like me. The store just takes your breathe away with all it has to offer. Let's just say most of my spending money for Japan goes to the Pokemon Center, and I'll show you why.

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.

Anime Cafes in Japan

While in Japan, I had the opportunity to experience an anime cafe. My love for Japan started off with anime and manga, so it only seemed natural that I'd want to visit an anime cafe. I always saw them in other articles and pictures and just knew I had to go for myself. Anime cafes are typical cafes but they feature some sort of anime, mostly popular anime. The food, drinks and venue will correspond with the anime theme. These cafes usually have cafe type foods, so don't expect any Japanese food at these places. The big hype about anime cafes is the fact that it celebrates anime.

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.

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.

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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.