Blog Archives

Food Allergy Labeling

Expats with food allergies know that they need to be extra careful when dealing with foods in a new country. Besides the obvious language barrier they deal with when trying to decipher the backs of food labels, labeling regulations may

Aoba-Japan International School

Aoba-Japan International School is a K-12 school that is IB PYP and DP accredited. AJIS is rich in Japanese culture throughout the school, and is also proud to be a “real international school” as they are not affiliated with any

IUHW Mita Hospital

Sapporo Snow Festival

2024 Sapporo Snow festival will be held from 4th February to 11th February. The Snow Festival is one of Hokkaido’s most famous events, with Sapporo’s main street lined with statues and sculptures made with ice and snow. Every year more

Preparing for the New Year

Christmas decorations come down quickly in Japan to make way for the most important Japanese holiday – New Year’s. Preparations for the end of the year are many and require time. Offices and homes are cleaned, accounts are settled, and

NOBU RESTORATIVE DENTAL OFFICE/NOBU DENTAL OFFICE

In Japan, generally speaking, a single dentist handles general dental treatments, although dentistry is classified many specialties actually. Dental specialties are root canal treatment, orthodontic treatment, oral surgery, implant and restorative treatment. These treatments have been advanced day by day.

Tokyo Bay International School

Empowering Students to be Smart and Successful Global Citizens Located in the heart of Tokyo’s eastern “shitamachi” area, Tokyo Bay International School offers families a progressive international education at affordable rates. The school works to ensure an inclusive environment where

Kotatsu: A Traditional Way to Stay Warm and Save Energy

Although temperatures rarely fall below 0℃ in Kanto, winters can seem especially cold in Japanese houses with little insulation. Places without central heating, are often heated by kerosene and electric space heaters, or electric wall unit heaters. Along with allowing

Sanno Hospital

Closing out the year – A winter scene in Ameyoko

There are few places in Tokyo like Ueno’s Ameyoko. A remnant of the from the post-war days when basic food staples like white rice and sugar were in short supply, maintains a tradition of outdoor vendors hawking goods, yelling prices

Mochi cooking – Easy ways to enjoy rice cakes

After Christmas, you can’t pass through a Japanese supermarket without seeing a pile of bags of rice cakes aka Mochi in Japanese. It plays a significant role in Japanese New Year, and appears almost daily on the dining tables at

Autumn Leaves in Tokyo

Though Tokyo is often viewed as a concrete jungle, there are plenty of places where the effects of the changing seasons on nature can be seen and appreciated. This guide contains some of the best locations, both in the city

Seasonal Food – Autumn

Seasonality is an important aspect of Japanese culture, and in no area does it play a greater role than in the world of food and drink. The concept of “shun” (旬) refers to ingredients that are at their seasonal best,

Extreme Weather

Tokyo is especially prone to weather related disasters, including typhoons, heavy rains, windstorms and snow. In the event of such disasters it is important to safeguard against injury and damage caused by falls or by flying debris.

Izu Peninsula

Izu Peninsula is a resort area famous for hot springs, coastlines, and scenic views. The eastern side is home to the cities of Atami, Ito and Shimoda. Its proximity and train connection to Tokyo makes it a popular weekend getaway.

Shrines and Temples of Nikko

Nikko’s Tōshō-gū (日光東照宮), Futarasan shrine (日光二荒山神社), the 103 buildings of the Rinno-ji (輪王寺) and the ruins that surround it, have all been designated as World Heritage Sites. The most famous of Nikko’s many sights, the Tōshō-gū is a shrine dedicated

Earthquake Preparation

Basic Facts and Disaster Prevention Earthquake Intensity (Shindo) When an earthquake occurs in Japan, in addition to the standard magnitude scale a second scale known as is employed. This scale is unique to Japan and measures the degree of shaking

Owara Kaze-no-bon

Matching their dance with the sentimental mood of the folk song “Etchu Owara” (越中おわら節), the dancers at this festival dance in a more subdued and elegant manner, while parading through town. On occasion, spectators are also welcome to join the

Hiroshima Peace Memorial

Serving as a monument to remind of the powerful and disastrous force of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, this site is also referred to as a “negative heritage”. Until the bombing on the August 6th 1945, the building had been

Itsukushima Shinto Shrine

Serving as a monument to remind of the powerful and disastrous force of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, this site is also referred to as a “negative heritage”. Until the bombing on the August 6th 1945, the building had been

The Dance of Fools – Awa Odori

Awa Odori Tokushima will be held from 12th – 15th August, 2023. If you visit one of the many festivals held across Japan this summer, chances are you will hear the distinctive Awa Yoshikono, played on shamisen, taiko drums and

Japanese Summer Customs

Summer in Japan is a season full of festivals and events, and is when many people get a chance to have a weeklong break for overseas traveling or family trips. It is also the time of year, along with the

Malvern College Tokyo

Malvern College Tokyo (MCT), opened in August 2023 and is the first British international school in Tokyo to implement an IB curriculum throughout all its school years (from Year 1 to Year13). Located in only 40-minute commute from central Tokyo,

Kichijoji: A Hopping Suburb Outside of the City

Far enough away from central Tokyo to escape the shadow of endless sky-rises, but well-positioned on the Chuo Line for a relatively quick commute into the business district– Kichijoji floats somewhere on the border between big-city Tokyo and quiet suburb.

Harrow International School Appi Japan

Harrow International School Appi Japan (Harrow Appi), which draws on the 450-year heritage of Harrow School in the UK, opened as a full-boarding international school in August 2022 for students aged 11 to 18 (Year 7 to Year 13). Set

Column : The basics of writing emails in Japanese

Here’s a series of articles about tips for foreigners to learn Japanese by a Japanese language teacher at TCJ (Tokyo Central Japanese Language School) in Shinjuku Ward. Hello, I’m Minami, a Japanese language teacher working at a Japanese language school

Komazawa Park International School

KPIS is a private co-educational international preschool for children from the age of 18 months up to 6 years. They offer a rich, educational experience that is child-centered and play-based, with a unique combination of exploration and discovery in the

New Face Cosmetic Acupuncture Salon

What are the effects of Cosmetic Acupuncture? Cosmetic acupuncture can erase years off your face within a few treatments, erasing fine lines and drastically reducing deeper lines. Sagginess, puffiness and drooping diminish and a fresh tightened sensation is often felt

8 Things You Can’t Do on a Bike in Japan

Cyclists put helmets as much as possible from 1st April, 2023 onwards with the enforcement of the revised Road Traffic Act. Japan is well known for the safety of its streets and low crime rate – helped, no doubt, by

Tsuyu

Right in between Japan’s multicolored spring and scorching hot summers is a period of about 40-50 days, when the otherwise pleasant summer months become unusually gloomy, wet, and humid. This is tsuyu, Japan’s official monsoon season. (Also called plum rain

Ken Corporation Ltd.

Ken Corporation, which began as a high-end real estate brokerage for expats, are experts in finding the right home for rent and sale. Their strengths 1. Expertise in high-end residential properties in central Tokyo and Yokohama KEN’s specialization in these

Harrow International School Appi Japan

Harrow International School Appi Japan (Harrow Appi), which draws on the 450-year heritage of Harrow School in the UK, opened as a full-boarding international school in August 2022 for students aged 11 to 18 (Year 7 to Year 13). Set

EXPAT EXPO TOKYO 2021

“EXPAT EXPO TOKYO” is the only exhibition for expatriates in Japan. The main objective for this event is “to create an opportunity for foreign residents to get information on products and services offered in English for their comfortable lives in

The Japanese, the rain, and umbrellas

When you live in Japan you see that for half of the year in most places, it’s a rainy country — beginning with the fall of the cherry blossoms, then the thunderstorms in May, the monsoons in June, and the

Keller Williams (Agent: Ken Tanaka)

Keller Williams was in charge more than 1/5 of the home transaction globally last year (2022), and Ken Tanaka was the top producing agent in Japan. His company (Tanaka Fudosan) are specialized Japanese investment sales for foreigners with prime Tokyo

Sakura Spectacles

Cherry Blossom Forecast: 18th March 2023 in Tokyo Tokyo Metropolitan Government announced not for asking to refrain from having “Hanami Parties” at Tokyo Metropolitan Parks this year. Please check the detailed information for each park, since time and venues to

Sumo

Osaka Grand Sumo Tournament will be held from 12th to 26th March in 2023. Sumo – an iconic sport that epitomizes Japan’s image internationally just as much as sushi; what other sport is as linked to just a single country,

Kanda Festival

Kanda Festival will be held from 11th May 2023 to 17th May 2023. Internet TV will be available on 13th and 14th May 2023. This festival takes place at Kanda Myōjin (神田明神, Kanda Shrine), which has a history going back

Tokyo Flowers in Spring

The smell of spring is in the air, and it seems like everyone is looking forward to the cherry blossoms and making plans for hanami…but what are the other flowers that blossom in the city? Here are some flowers that

Tango no sekku / Children’s Day

Celebration Kodomo no hi (こどもの日, Children’s Day, 5th of May), today it is a day to celebrate all children’s health and growth. “Koinobori” kites in the shape of a carp, a lucky fish symbolizing determination and success, are flown above rooftops

Back to School Japanese Style

April in Japan not only means cherry blossom viewing and streets flooded with university job hunters, but it also marks the beginning of another school year for Japan’s youngest. Now, most expat families choose to send their kids to international

Would you like to improve your Japanese language skills as fast as possible?

Tokyo Central Japanese Language School (TCJ) Tokyo Central Japanese Language School (TCJ) in Shinjuku, Tokyo, provides high quality and optimal Japanese language lessons for diplomats, expatriates and other businesspersons, as well as their families and spouses. The reason TCJ says

Drunk on Cherries

While you may have heard Japanese friends or acquaintances tell you about Japan’s “unique” four seasons, and while this may come as a surprise to some foreign visitors from countries that count the exact same number, the undeniable beauty of

Things to Know about Winter Driving in Japan

Winter driving can be pretty treacherous, and you can never be too careful. When driving in Japan in the winter, remember to be aware of the road conditions. You might think that December is too early to think about heavy

Phoenix House International School

Column:New Styles of Japanese Language Classes and Natsume Soseki

Here’s a series of articles about tips for foreigners to learn Japanese by a Japanese language teacher at TCJ (Tokyo Central Japanese Language School) in Shinjuku Ward. Hello, my name is Jin, I am a Japanese language teacher at a

Series COVID-19: Pregnancy in COVID-19 Disaster – 9 things you need to know

It is no exaggeration to say that 2020 was swayed by COVID-19. The Expat’s Guide to Japan is now sharing information on how to prevent, deal with the viruses and so on with the help of Smart119. The 6th topic

Series COVID-19: Differences between COVID-19 and Influenza

It is no exaggeration to say that 2020 was swayed by COVID-19, and unfortunately it has not gone yet. The Expat’s Guide to Japan is now sharing information on how to prevent, deal with the viruses and so on with

Series COVID-19: Latest Information on the COVID-19 Symptoms

It is no exaggeration to say that 2020 was swayed by COVID-19. The Expat’s Guide to Japan is now sharing information on how to prevent, deal with the viruses and so on with the help of Smart119. The 5th topic

St. Luke’s International Hospital
Recommended

St. Luke’s International Hospital has been offering high quality healthcare to Japan’s international community since 1902. The hospital consists of more than 40 departments with an emergency center operating 24/7. Physicians are well experienced with patients of various nationalities, and

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