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  1. <?xml version='1.0' encoding='UTF-8'?><?xml-stylesheet href="http://www.blogger.com/styles/atom.css" type="text/css"?><feed xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom' xmlns:openSearch='http://a9.com/-/spec/opensearchrss/1.0/' xmlns:blogger='http://schemas.google.com/blogger/2008' xmlns:georss='http://www.georss.org/georss' xmlns:gd="http://schemas.google.com/g/2005" xmlns:thr='http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0'><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8361869965743586376</id><updated>2024-02-07T21:51:50.776+09:00</updated><category term="Living in Japan"/><category term="Culture"/><category term="Teaching in Japan"/><category term="Travel"/><category term="Living in Hamamatsu"/><category term="Reflections"/><category term="Working in Japan"/><category term="Living Abroad"/><category term="About"/><title type='text'>Purple Pen in Japan</title><subtitle type='html'>tips, thoughts, tales about living and teaching in Japan</subtitle><link rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#feed' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://ppinjapan.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8361869965743586376/posts/default'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://ppinjapan.blogspot.com/'/><link rel='hub' href='http://pubsubhubbub.appspot.com/'/><link rel='next' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8361869965743586376/posts/default?start-index=26&amp;max-results=25'/><author><name>purple pen</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/08721645616820607412</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='24' src='//blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-IKtOxQFQ2BIHol0gKKWAU_GBDGvA-Xq98i7jUp1jhcY0fq_IhkLQIQ7_eARverc4Q6BsNOf4Y1zcnwBloaaQM32dTd5QFt02pNUjM9bUk8yqB9ZSk4VnG1UfCyYYBQ/s151/*'/></author><generator version='7.00' uri='http://www.blogger.com'>Blogger</generator><openSearch:totalResults>259</openSearch:totalResults><openSearch:startIndex>1</openSearch:startIndex><openSearch:itemsPerPage>25</openSearch:itemsPerPage><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8361869965743586376.post-3310196643420316544</id><published>2016-06-08T16:37:00.001+09:00</published><updated>2017-08-11T09:18:19.980+09:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Living in Japan"/><title type='text'>Out of Japan, for Real</title><content type='html'>&lt;div dir=&quot;ltr&quot; style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot; trbidi=&quot;on&quot;&gt;
  2. &lt;table align=&quot;center&quot; cellpadding=&quot;0&quot; cellspacing=&quot;0&quot; class=&quot;tr-caption-container&quot; style=&quot;margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;tbody&gt;
  3. &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;225&quot; src=&quot;https://i.ytimg.com/vi/SBrFEXSYDSQ/maxresdefault.jpg&quot; style=&quot;margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;&quot; width=&quot;400&quot; /&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;
  4. &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td class=&quot;tr-caption&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;credit:&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SBrFEXSYDSQ&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;https://www.youtube.com&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;
  5. &lt;/tbody&gt;&lt;/table&gt;
  6. &lt;br /&gt;
  7. It&#39;s been more than 2 months since I left Japan and returned to the Philippines. Just 3 days ago, my residence card expired. This means, I&#39;m completely, irreversibly out of Japan.&lt;br /&gt;
  8. &lt;br /&gt;
  9. I&#39;m still looking for a job and still looking for an apartment. There are days when I get frustrated. I&#39;m 30 and I&#39;m jobless and homeless for the first time in my life. A few more weeks of being like this and I&#39;ll be broke. (Thankfully, I got a husband now to feed me at least.) It&#39;s also not easy reestablishing friendships so I mostly spend my days playing with my chubby niece.&lt;br /&gt;
  10. &lt;br /&gt;
  11. There are just two things that I still have difficulty adjusting to. The public transportation in the Philippines sucks the energy out of me. Traffic is horrible, the buses are terrible and the train system is just pure horror. Whenever I take public transport, I miss Japan.&lt;br /&gt;
  12. &lt;br /&gt;
  13. Then there&#39;s the lifestyle change due to economic reasons. I wasn&#39;t living grandly in Japan but my life was really comfortable. Back here is a different story.&amp;nbsp;&lt;strike&gt;Every peso counts&lt;/strike&gt;. Every cent counts. Partly because I don&#39;t have a job yet. And largely because living in the Philippines seems more expensive than in Japan. Whenever I have to spend on something, I miss Japan.&lt;br /&gt;
  14. &lt;br /&gt;
  15. All these things sound bleak but I&#39;m actually okay most of the time. Surprisingly, I don&#39;t regret leaving Japan where I have an apartment, a job and friends. I&#39;m happy to be in familiar surroundings. I&#39;m happy that I can strike conversations with strangers. I&#39;m happy I can easily get what I want from the supermarket. I&#39;m happy I can attend church minus the Japanese translation. I&#39;m happy I can &amp;nbsp;have my favorite comfort food again. I&#39;m happy to be back. And I&#39;m saying this even though I don&#39;t have a job yet or a home. It just feels good to be home.&lt;br /&gt;
  16. &lt;br /&gt;
  17. All the apprehensions I had before leaving were gone. I&#39;m in the Philippines. I&#39;m out of the orderly and comfortable Japan. And, I&#39;m okay.&lt;br /&gt;
  18. &lt;br /&gt;
  19. &lt;i&gt;PS: This will be probably my last post on this blog. But if you still have questions that I can help you with, feel free to send me a message.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  20. &lt;i&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/i&gt;
  21. &lt;i&gt;PPS. Someone asked me if I&#39;m really homeless and jobless. In a way I&#39;m jobless and homeless but not in a depressing way. I just h&lt;/i&gt;&lt;i&gt;ad to find a job and a house when I moved back to the Philippines. It&#39;s like starting over again. :)&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  22. </content><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8361869965743586376/posts/default/3310196643420316544'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8361869965743586376/posts/default/3310196643420316544'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://ppinjapan.blogspot.com/2016/06/out-of-japan-for-real.html' title='Out of Japan, for Real'/><author><name>purple pen</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/08721645616820607412</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='24' src='//blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-IKtOxQFQ2BIHol0gKKWAU_GBDGvA-Xq98i7jUp1jhcY0fq_IhkLQIQ7_eARverc4Q6BsNOf4Y1zcnwBloaaQM32dTd5QFt02pNUjM9bUk8yqB9ZSk4VnG1UfCyYYBQ/s151/*'/></author></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8361869965743586376.post-1150000031619884200</id><published>2016-03-11T12:58:00.001+09:00</published><updated>2016-03-11T12:58:42.405+09:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Living in Hamamatsu"/><title type='text'>3 Things to Know About Hamamatsu</title><content type='html'>&lt;div dir=&quot;ltr&quot; style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot; trbidi=&quot;on&quot;&gt;
  23. &lt;table align=&quot;center&quot; cellpadding=&quot;0&quot; cellspacing=&quot;0&quot; class=&quot;tr-caption-container&quot; style=&quot;margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;tbody&gt;
  24. &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;425&quot; src=&quot;http://mohsho.image.coocan.jp/act-tower-fuji7.jpg&quot; style=&quot;margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;&quot; width=&quot;640&quot; /&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;
  25. &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td class=&quot;tr-caption&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;The Act Tower in Hamamatsu and Mt. Fuji in Shizuoka&lt;br /&gt;photo credit:&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href=&quot;http://mohsho.image.coocan.jp/&quot;&gt;http://mohsho.image.coocan.jp/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;
  26. &lt;/tbody&gt;&lt;/table&gt;
  27. &lt;br /&gt;
  28. Here&#39;s a recent email I got from someone who&#39;s coming to work in Japan:&lt;br /&gt;
  29. &lt;br /&gt;
  30. &lt;i&gt;Hello Faye!&lt;/i&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  31. &lt;i&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/i&gt;
  32. &lt;i&gt;I&#39;ll be coming to Japan this April. I&#39;ve been hired by Interac and I will be assigned in Hamamatsu. I was glad to find your blog. It was really helpful.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  33. &lt;i&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/i&gt;
  34. &lt;i&gt;I just like to know what other things should I know about Hamamatsu? I haven&#39;t heard of this city before so any information would really help.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  35. &lt;i&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/i&gt;
  36. &lt;i&gt;Thanks!&lt;/i&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  37. &lt;br /&gt;
  38. xxxxxxx&lt;br /&gt;
  39. &lt;br /&gt;
  40. &lt;br /&gt;
  41. I&#39;ll post my response to her email just in case other people are curious about Hamamatsu City. It&#39;s not as popular as Tokyo and Osaka so I understand the slight apprehension.&lt;br /&gt;
  42. &lt;br /&gt;
  43. I could list a lot of things about Hamamatsu but I think here&#39;s the top 3 things you should now:&lt;br /&gt;
  44. &lt;br /&gt;
  45. &lt;b&gt;1. Hamamatsu is a windy city.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  46. &lt;br /&gt;
  47. Being windy is the first thing that comes to mind when I think of Hamamatsu. Because of the wind, winters feel a lot more colder than the actual temperature. There are also days when the wind feels and sounds too much. On my first year in Hamamatsu, I had trouble sleeping on windy nights. The wind literally howls. I was also afraid that my rooftop would be stripped by the wind. Eventually, I learned to sleep in the midst of the disturbing winds.&lt;br /&gt;
  48. &lt;br /&gt;
  49. On some windy days, cycling and walking would be a challenge. I was almost afraid that the wind can carry me. Just be prepared for the winds is what I&#39;m saying.&lt;br /&gt;
  50. &lt;br /&gt;
  51. &lt;br /&gt;
  52. &lt;b&gt;2. Hamamatsu has a considerable population of Brazilians and Asians.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  53. &lt;br /&gt;
  54. When you arrive in Hamamatsu, you&#39;d notice immediately the Brazilian and Asian population. They&#39;re always around the station so it&#39;s easy to see them. As of 2015, there are more than 25,000 foreigners in Hamamatsu. Half of them are Brazilians. More than a quarter are Koreans, Filipinos, Vietnamese, Indonesians and Peruvians. There are many factories in Hamamatsu that employ foreigners. Hence, the foreign population. As for the presence of the Brazilians, they&#39;re mostly of nikkei descent. This means they were children or grandchildren of Japanese people who intermarried in Brazil.&lt;br /&gt;
  55. &lt;br /&gt;
  56. Because of the foreign population, Japanese residents are used to seeing gaijins. Foreigners are not as rare as when I stayed in Iwate, Kochi or Okayama. For a foreigner, it&#39;s actually comforting to know that there are other foreigners in the area. &lt;br /&gt;
  57. &lt;br /&gt;
  58. &lt;br /&gt;
  59. &lt;b&gt;3. Hamamatsu is in a good, accessible location. &amp;nbsp;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  60. &lt;br /&gt;
  61. Hamamatsu is bordered by the Pacific Ocean in the south and the Akiha mountains in the north. It is blessed with nature. For someone who loves the outdoors like me, it&#39;s a great place to live. It is also a great starting point when travelling domestically. It&#39;s halfway through the big cities of Tokyo and Osaka. It&#39;s near Nagano for skiing and Izu for swimming. It&#39;s also accessible from Nagoya Airport and there are three bullet train lines that pass by Hamamatsu. If you&#39;re planning to travel around Japan, Hamamatsu is a great place to be in.&lt;br /&gt;
  62. &lt;br /&gt;
  63. Other things to note that may or may not be helpful:&lt;br /&gt;
  64. &lt;br /&gt;
  65. &lt;ul style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;
  66. &lt;li&gt;Hamamatsu is known for the gyoza, unagi, tangerine and green tea.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/li&gt;
  67. &lt;li&gt;It&#39;s also a musical city. Concerts happen all-year round.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/li&gt;
  68. &lt;li&gt;A number of companies are headquartered in Hamamatsu like Roland, Photonics, Yamaha and Suzuki, Because of this, there are plenty of company English-teaching jobs&lt;/li&gt;
  69. &lt;li&gt;It has a direct bus service going to Nagoya Airport.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/li&gt;
  70. &lt;li&gt;There&#39;s a big festival that happens during the Golden Week. It&#39;s worth participating in.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/li&gt;
  71. &lt;/ul&gt;
  72. &lt;div&gt;
  73. If ever you&#39;ve been assigned in this city, don&#39;t be scared, It&#39;s a safe and a well-populated city. It may not be as exciting as the big cities but it&#39;s not inaka. You&#39;ll enjoy it here. I hope.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
  74. &lt;br /&gt;
  75. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  76. </content><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8361869965743586376/posts/default/1150000031619884200'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8361869965743586376/posts/default/1150000031619884200'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://ppinjapan.blogspot.com/2016/03/3-things-to-know-about-hamamatsu.html' title='3 Things to Know About Hamamatsu'/><author><name>purple pen</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/08721645616820607412</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='24' src='//blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-IKtOxQFQ2BIHol0gKKWAU_GBDGvA-Xq98i7jUp1jhcY0fq_IhkLQIQ7_eARverc4Q6BsNOf4Y1zcnwBloaaQM32dTd5QFt02pNUjM9bUk8yqB9ZSk4VnG1UfCyYYBQ/s151/*'/></author></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8361869965743586376.post-2347864341708807157</id><published>2016-03-05T17:55:00.002+09:00</published><updated>2016-03-05T17:55:56.940+09:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Travel"/><title type='text'>FAQ&#39;s on Travelling in Japan</title><content type='html'>&lt;div dir=&quot;ltr&quot; style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot; trbidi=&quot;on&quot;&gt;
  77. &lt;table align=&quot;center&quot; cellpadding=&quot;0&quot; cellspacing=&quot;0&quot; class=&quot;tr-caption-container&quot; style=&quot;margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;tbody&gt;
  78. &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;412&quot; src=&quot;http://i.investopedia.com/medium/dimages/graphics/thinkstockphotos-474673641.jpg&quot; style=&quot;margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;&quot; width=&quot;640&quot; /&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;
  79. &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td class=&quot;tr-caption&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Mt. Fuji in spring&lt;br /&gt;photo credit:&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.investopedia.com/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt; investopedia&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;
  80. &lt;/tbody&gt;&lt;/table&gt;
  81. &lt;br /&gt;
  82. Here are the questions I receive frequently on email. They are about travelling in Japan.&lt;br /&gt;
  83. &lt;br /&gt;
  84. For other FAQ&#39;s about Japan, check these posts:&lt;br /&gt;
  85. &lt;a href=&quot;http://ppinjapan.blogspot.jp/2016/03/faqs-on-teaching-in-japan.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;i&gt;FAQ&#39;s on Teaching English in Japan&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  86. &lt;a href=&quot;http://ppinjapan.blogspot.jp/2016/03/faqs-on-working-in-japan.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;i&gt;FAQ&#39;s on Working in Japan&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  87. &lt;a href=&quot;http://ppinjapan.blogspot.jp/2016/03/faqs-on-living-in-japan.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;i&gt;FAQ&#39;s on Living in Japan&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  88. &lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/b&gt;
  89. &lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;1. Is Japan an expensive place to visit?&amp;nbsp;&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  90. &lt;br /&gt;
  91. If you compare Japan to other Asian countries, it is comparatively expensive. However, if you compare it to Australia, NZ, North America and Europe, it is relatively affordable.&lt;br /&gt;
  92. &lt;br /&gt;
  93. Accommodation is the most expensive thing you&#39;ll spend on when you visit Japan. Unlike in other countries, Japanese hotels base their rates on the number of people not on the rooms.&lt;br /&gt;
  94. &lt;br /&gt;
  95. Food is affordable. There are many tourist spots that are free. For transportation, there are various passes that you can avail for cheaper travel.&lt;br /&gt;
  96. &lt;br /&gt;
  97. Here&#39;s a more detailed answer: &lt;a href=&quot;http://ppinjapan.blogspot.jp/2015/01/how-much-money-to-visit-japan.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;How Much Money to Visit Japan?&amp;nbsp;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  98. &lt;br /&gt;
  99. &lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;2.When is the best time to visit?&amp;nbsp;&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  100. &lt;br /&gt;
  101. Spring is the the most recommended time to visit because of the cherry blossoms. However, this is also the busiest time. March to early May are the peak months for tourism. &amp;nbsp;Autumn is also great for sightseeing. The autumn leaves are as lovely as the cherry blossoms, for me. This season is shorter though. It usually starts late November to mid-December.&lt;br /&gt;
  102. &lt;br /&gt;
  103. If you want to do winter sports, January to mid-February is a great time to go. The snow is powdery and perfect for skiing and snowboarding.&lt;br /&gt;
  104. &lt;br /&gt;
  105. &lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;3. What are the best places to visit?&amp;nbsp;&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  106. &lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/b&gt;
  107. Most Japanese recommend Kyoto, Nara and Tokyo as the must-see places in Japan. Kyoto and Nara are historical places while Tokyo is the captial.&lt;br /&gt;
  108. &lt;br /&gt;
  109. If you are pressed for time, concetrate on the area of Kyoto-Nara and Osaka. Another alternative is Tokyo, Yokohama, Nikko and Kanagawa.&lt;br /&gt;
  110. &lt;br /&gt;
  111. However, if you have plenty of time, other places are worth a visit too. Consider visiting Nagano especially in winter. (It&#39;s my favorite place in Japan, by the way.) Hokkaido during the lavender season and snow festival is spectacular.&lt;br /&gt;
  112. &lt;br /&gt;
  113. &lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;4. How can I make my trip cheaper?&amp;nbsp;&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  114. &lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/b&gt;
  115. I often get this question and it&#39;s quite hard to answer. I don&#39;t know how much you&#39;re willing to go cheap. But if you&#39;re like me who can get as &quot;cheap as possible,&quot; consider these tips:&lt;br /&gt;
  116. &lt;br /&gt;
  117. &lt;br /&gt;
  118. &lt;ul style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;
  119. &lt;li&gt;Sleep in internet shops&lt;/li&gt;
  120. &lt;li&gt;Take the local trains esp if the Juhachi Kippu is available.&lt;/li&gt;
  121. &lt;li&gt;Focus on the free tourist spots&lt;/li&gt;
  122. &lt;li&gt;Don&#39;t splurge on food.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/li&gt;
  123. &lt;/ul&gt;
  124. &lt;div&gt;
  125. Check this post,&lt;a href=&quot;http://ppinjapan.blogspot.jp/2014/12/how-to-travel-in-japan-cheaply.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt; How to Travel Japan Cheaply&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  126. &lt;br /&gt;
  127. &lt;br /&gt;
  128. &lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;5. What are the best festivals to see?&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  129. &lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/b&gt;
  130. My favorite Japanese festival is&lt;a href=&quot;http://ppinjapan.blogspot.jp/2014/05/the-golden-week-and-hamamatsu-festival.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt; Hamamatsu Festival,&lt;/a&gt; of course. But that&#39;s just me because I live in Hamamatsu. Aside from this, the Snow Festival in Hokkaido is simply amazing. There&#39;s also Nebuta Festival in Aomori, Gion Festival in Kyoto and the risque Kanamara Festival (Steel Phallus Festival) in Kanagawa.&lt;br /&gt;
  131. &lt;br /&gt;
  132. &lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;6. How can I get a tourist visa?&amp;nbsp;&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  133. &lt;br /&gt;
  134. There are 67 countries whose citizens can visit Japan without a visa. Here&#39;s the list: &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.mofa.go.jp/j_info/visit/visa/short/novisa.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Exemption from Japanese Tourist Visa&amp;nbsp;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  135. &lt;br /&gt;
  136. If you&#39;re country is not there, you have to check the Japanese Embassy in your country about requirements to get a visa.&lt;br /&gt;
  137. &lt;br /&gt;
  138. For Filipinos, here&#39;s the process;&lt;a href=&quot;http://ppinjapan.blogspot.jp/2015/02/how-to-sponsor-japanese-tourist-visa.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt; How to Sponsor a Japanese Tourist Visa&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  139. &lt;br /&gt;
  140. &lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;7. Aside from sushi, what food should I try?&amp;nbsp;&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  141. &lt;br /&gt;
  142. Sushi is not the only Japanese food you should try. Other not-so-famous Japanese food are natto, green tea ice cream, various-flavored Kitkats, and mochi.&lt;br /&gt;
  143. &lt;br /&gt;
  144. Japan is a great country to explore anytime of the year. There are modern cities and historical towns. There are amazing natural spots &amp;nbsp;and impressive structures. And there&#39;s the unusual and strange Japanese culture.&lt;br /&gt;
  145. &lt;br /&gt;
  146. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  147. </content><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8361869965743586376/posts/default/2347864341708807157'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8361869965743586376/posts/default/2347864341708807157'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://ppinjapan.blogspot.com/2016/03/faqs-on-travelling-in-japan.html' title='FAQ&#39;s on Travelling in Japan'/><author><name>purple pen</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/08721645616820607412</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='24' src='//blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-IKtOxQFQ2BIHol0gKKWAU_GBDGvA-Xq98i7jUp1jhcY0fq_IhkLQIQ7_eARverc4Q6BsNOf4Y1zcnwBloaaQM32dTd5QFt02pNUjM9bUk8yqB9ZSk4VnG1UfCyYYBQ/s151/*'/></author></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8361869965743586376.post-8422936086636601570</id><published>2016-03-04T10:22:00.002+09:00</published><updated>2016-03-04T10:22:21.774+09:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Living in Japan"/><title type='text'>FAQ&#39;s on Living in Japan</title><content type='html'>&lt;div dir=&quot;ltr&quot; style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot; trbidi=&quot;on&quot;&gt;
  148. &lt;table align=&quot;center&quot; cellpadding=&quot;0&quot; cellspacing=&quot;0&quot; class=&quot;tr-caption-container&quot; style=&quot;margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;tbody&gt;
  149. &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;http://cdn.lolbrary.com/2013/12/6/lolbrary.com_11659_1386357546.jpg&quot; style=&quot;margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;&quot; /&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;
  150. &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td class=&quot;tr-caption&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;photo credit&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.lolbrary.com/Funny/Japanese-KFC/11659&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;:&amp;nbsp;http://www.lolbrary.com/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;
  151. &lt;/tbody&gt;&lt;/table&gt;
  152. &lt;br /&gt;
  153. &lt;br /&gt;
  154. Here are the most frequently -asked questions about living in Japan.&lt;br /&gt;
  155. &lt;br /&gt;
  156. &lt;i&gt;Check here for: FAQ&#39;s on &lt;a href=&quot;http://ppinjapan.blogspot.jp/2016/03/faqs-on-teaching-in-japan.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Teaching English in Japan.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  157. &lt;i&gt;Check here for: FAQ&#39;s on &lt;a href=&quot;http://ppinjapan.blogspot.jp/2016/03/faqs-on-working-in-japan.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Working in Japan&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  158. &lt;br /&gt;
  159. &lt;br /&gt;
  160. &lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;1. Do I need to learn Japanese if I live in Japan?&amp;nbsp;&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  161. &lt;br /&gt;
  162. Life would be so much easier if you can speak and read Japanese. But the language should not stop you from coming here. You&#39;ll survive (and you&#39;ll eventually learn some Japanese) if you move here.&lt;br /&gt;
  163. &lt;br /&gt;
  164. &lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;2. Is Japan an expensive place to live?&amp;nbsp;&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  165. &lt;br /&gt;
  166. I used to think Japan is an expensive place because I keep on converting everything to peso. Eventually, I realized that Japan is a reasonable place to live in. The bulk of your expenses will go to rent especially if you live in big cities. I think housing is the only expensive thing in Japan.Other than that, you can buy affordable clothes, food, things and necessities if you know where to look. &lt;br /&gt;
  167. &lt;br /&gt;
  168. Check this post,&lt;a href=&quot;http://ppinjapan.blogspot.jp/2015/11/just-moved-to-japan-where-to-buy.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;Just Moved to Japan: Where to Buy Affordable Things&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  169. &lt;br /&gt;
  170. &lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;3. Can I migrate to Japan?&amp;nbsp;&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  171. &lt;br /&gt;
  172. You can work in Japan but becoming a permanent resident is difficult. And, becoming a citizen is almost impossible. The Japanese government grant citizenship to those who have &quot;Japanese blood,&quot; such as children or grandchildren of Japanese people who intermarried.&lt;br /&gt;
  173. &lt;br /&gt;
  174. A lot of studies have cited that Japan needs to ease it&#39;s immigration policies because of the aging population. But as of the present time, it seems like the &quot;no immigration&quot;policy is as solid as ever,&lt;br /&gt;
  175. &lt;br /&gt;
  176. &lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;4. How are foreigners treated in Japan?&amp;nbsp;&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  177. &lt;br /&gt;
  178. There is no straight answer to this except it depends on what country you came from.&lt;br /&gt;
  179. &lt;br /&gt;
  180. The Japanese are not overtly discriminatory nor racist but there&#39;s a difference in their treatment among different colors. I&#39;m Asian so the Japanese are not as interested with me as when they see an American or European.&lt;br /&gt;
  181. &lt;br /&gt;
  182. Check this post for more details,&lt;a href=&quot;http://ppinjapan.blogspot.jp/search?q=Racism+in+Japan&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt; Is There Racism in Japan?&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  183. &lt;br /&gt;
  184. With these being said, the Japanese are generally polite and helpful to foreigners. But it&#39;s rare to find a Japanese who will not make your &quot;not being Japanese,&quot; a glaring detail.&lt;br /&gt;
  185. &lt;br /&gt;
  186. &lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;5. How is the radiation problem in Japan?&amp;nbsp;&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  187. &lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/b&gt;
  188. Because of the March 11 earthquake and tsunami, some people are still afraid to come to Japan. The radiation and nuclear meltdown are still issues 5 years after the Big Disaster. However, these happened in the northern part of Japan. If you&#39;re planning to live in the Central Area or South Area, you are less prone to these problems.&lt;br /&gt;
  189. &lt;br /&gt;
  190. &lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;6. Where are the best places to live in Japan?&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  191. &lt;br /&gt;
  192. This question is hard to answer. It really depends on what you want to do in Japan.&lt;br /&gt;
  193. &lt;br /&gt;
  194. The big cities are great for party people. There are also plenty of jobs there.&lt;br /&gt;
  195. The smaller cities like Hamamatsu are calmer and perfect for starting a family.&lt;br /&gt;
  196. The more rural places are more peaceful and more closely-knit.&lt;br /&gt;
  197. &lt;br /&gt;
  198. I live in Hamamatsu and I really like it here. It&#39;s a small city bordered by the sea and the mountains. I love nature so I like it. There are also plenty of jobs here since there are many factories in the area.&lt;br /&gt;
  199. &lt;br /&gt;
  200. &lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;7. What should I prepare before to Japan?&amp;nbsp;&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  201. &lt;br /&gt;
  202. Cash and patience.&lt;br /&gt;
  203. &lt;br /&gt;
  204. For practical reasons, you&#39;ll be needing cash to rent a place and buy the things you need.&lt;br /&gt;
  205. Patience, and understanding too, because the Japanese are not entirely easy to deal with. Some banks and shops don&#39;t want to deal with foreigners, especially the newly-arrived ones. Rental can also be a problem.&lt;br /&gt;
  206. &lt;br /&gt;
  207. Check these posts: &lt;a href=&quot;http://ppinjapan.blogspot.jp/search/label/Living%20in%20Japan&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Living in Japan&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  208. &lt;br /&gt;
  209. &lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;8. What bills should I pay when I live in Japan?&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  210. &lt;br /&gt;
  211. The bills are the most annoying things for me. There&#39;s two taxes you have to pay, &amp;nbsp;residence and prefectural tax, There&#39;s also the income tax which your employer will deduct from you, There&#39;s health insurance but you still have to pay 30 percent of your medical bills. There&#39;s the national pension. And the NHK payment if you own a TV. There are many bills, basically.&lt;br /&gt;
  212. &lt;br /&gt;
  213. &lt;br /&gt;
  214. Japan is a generally nice place to live. It&#39;s convenient, safe and clean. But it&#39;s not perfect like any other place in the world.&lt;br /&gt;
  215. &lt;br /&gt;
  216. Good luck if you&#39;re moving here!&lt;br /&gt;
  217. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  218. </content><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8361869965743586376/posts/default/8422936086636601570'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8361869965743586376/posts/default/8422936086636601570'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://ppinjapan.blogspot.com/2016/03/faqs-on-living-in-japan.html' title='FAQ&#39;s on Living in Japan'/><author><name>purple pen</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/08721645616820607412</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='24' src='//blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-IKtOxQFQ2BIHol0gKKWAU_GBDGvA-Xq98i7jUp1jhcY0fq_IhkLQIQ7_eARverc4Q6BsNOf4Y1zcnwBloaaQM32dTd5QFt02pNUjM9bUk8yqB9ZSk4VnG1UfCyYYBQ/s151/*'/></author></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8361869965743586376.post-5502567291147939086</id><published>2016-03-03T09:31:00.003+09:00</published><updated>2016-03-03T09:31:33.925+09:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Working in Japan"/><title type='text'>FAQ&#39;s on Working in Japan</title><content type='html'>&lt;div dir=&quot;ltr&quot; style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot; trbidi=&quot;on&quot;&gt;
  219. &lt;table align=&quot;center&quot; cellpadding=&quot;0&quot; cellspacing=&quot;0&quot; class=&quot;tr-caption-container&quot; style=&quot;margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;tbody&gt;
  220. &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;img alt=&quot;These so called &#39;salarymen&#39; or office ladies fear resentment from their colleagues if they take days off, a real concern in a conformist culture that values harmony&quot; src=&quot;http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2015/03/12/00934B0200000578-2991505-image-a-4_1426172596433.jpg&quot; style=&quot;margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;&quot; /&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;
  221. &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td class=&quot;tr-caption&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Japanese salarymen and office ladies&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/travel_news/article-2991505/Japanese-workers-soon-FORCED-holidays-Government-consider-making-illegal-five-days-year-bid-combat-overwork.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Photo Credit: www.dailymail.co.uk&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;
  222. &lt;/tbody&gt;&lt;/table&gt;
  223. &lt;br /&gt;
  224. Here are some common questions I receive from people who want to work in Japan.&lt;br /&gt;
  225. &lt;br /&gt;
  226. &lt;i&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://ppinjapan.blogspot.jp/2016/03/faqs-on-teaching-in-japan.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;For FAQ&#39;s on Teaching English in Japan , click here.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  227. &lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/b&gt;
  228. &lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/b&gt;
  229. &lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;1. What jobs are available for foreigners in Japan?&amp;nbsp;&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  230. &lt;br /&gt;
  231. Most foreigners in Japan are either English teachers or factory workers. There are also a handful of nurses, nursing assistants and farmers. A handful of foreigners work in companies. However, these jobs require proficiency in Japanese.&lt;br /&gt;
  232. &lt;br /&gt;
  233. &lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;2. How can I find a job in Japan?&amp;nbsp;&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  234. &lt;br /&gt;
  235. Find a company who can sponsor your visa. This is easier for English teaching positions.&lt;br /&gt;
  236. You can also check the Japanese Embassy in your countries for job openings and work programs.&lt;br /&gt;
  237. &lt;br /&gt;
  238. &lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;3. Can I go to Japan as a tourist then search for a job there?&amp;nbsp;&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  239. &lt;br /&gt;
  240. No one&#39;s stopping you from doing this but I wouldn&#39;t recommend it. It would be hard for you to find an employer who will sponsor your visa. Your employer might also take advantage of you.&lt;br /&gt;
  241. &lt;br /&gt;
  242. &lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;4. I have a dependent visa, can I work in Japan?&amp;nbsp;&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  243. &lt;br /&gt;
  244. It depends on the restrictions of your visa. I have a friend whose husband has been granted a 3-year visa. He can also work with his visa. My husband was granted a year&#39;s visa but he cannot apply for work.&lt;br /&gt;
  245. &lt;br /&gt;
  246. &lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;5. I have a student visa, can I work while studying?&amp;nbsp;&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  247. &lt;br /&gt;
  248. Just like in other countries, you can work a FEW hours if you have a student visa. But, you&#39;re not allowed to take full-time work. Just recently, a language school was closed because they&#39;re hiring people with student visa.&lt;br /&gt;
  249. &lt;br /&gt;
  250. &lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;&amp;nbsp;6. Aside from my full-time job, can I do part-time work?&amp;nbsp;&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  251. &lt;br /&gt;
  252. If you have a work visa, it would be very specific on what kind of work you can do. If &amp;nbsp;you want to engage in part-time work, you have to apply for a &quot;Certificate to Engage in Other Activities.&quot;&lt;br /&gt;
  253. &lt;br /&gt;
  254. Check this post for more details: &lt;a href=&quot;http://ppinjapan.blogspot.jp/2013/03/how-to-get-certificate-to-engage-in.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;How to Get a Certificate to Engage in Other Activities.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  255. &lt;br /&gt;
  256. For More on Working in Japan, check these sites:&lt;br /&gt;
  257. &lt;br /&gt;
  258. &lt;a href=&quot;http://ppinjapan.blogspot.jp/search/label/Working%20in%20Japan&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Working in Japan&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  259. &lt;br /&gt;
  260. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.generalunion.org/handbook#wages&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;General Union&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  261. </content><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8361869965743586376/posts/default/5502567291147939086'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8361869965743586376/posts/default/5502567291147939086'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://ppinjapan.blogspot.com/2016/03/faqs-on-working-in-japan.html' title='FAQ&#39;s on Working in Japan'/><author><name>purple pen</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/08721645616820607412</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='24' src='//blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-IKtOxQFQ2BIHol0gKKWAU_GBDGvA-Xq98i7jUp1jhcY0fq_IhkLQIQ7_eARverc4Q6BsNOf4Y1zcnwBloaaQM32dTd5QFt02pNUjM9bUk8yqB9ZSk4VnG1UfCyYYBQ/s151/*'/></author></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8361869965743586376.post-6629752711930796566</id><published>2016-03-02T11:52:00.002+09:00</published><updated>2016-03-02T11:53:32.020+09:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Teaching in Japan"/><title type='text'>FAQ&#39;s on Teaching in Japan</title><content type='html'>&lt;div dir=&quot;ltr&quot; style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot; trbidi=&quot;on&quot;&gt;
  262. &lt;table align=&quot;center&quot; cellpadding=&quot;0&quot; cellspacing=&quot;0&quot; class=&quot;tr-caption-container&quot; style=&quot;margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;tbody&gt;
  263. &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://i.ytimg.com/vi/TsD9Pb7Q9dM/hqdefault.jpg&quot; style=&quot;margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;&quot; /&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;
  264. &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td class=&quot;tr-caption&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;A Japanese Drama: Great Teacher Onizuka&lt;br /&gt;
  265. credits:&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TsD9Pb7Q9dM&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;https://www.youtube.com&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;
  266. &lt;/tbody&gt;&lt;/table&gt;
  267. &lt;i&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/i&gt;
  268. &lt;i&gt;Side notes: I haven&#39;t written as regularly as I used to. I&#39;m leaving Japan soon so I&#39;m bit busy preparing things. I have tons of topics I want to write but I&#39;m not sure when I will have the time. For now, I&#39;ll do a series of FAQ&#39;s about to address some questions I usually get from emails. &amp;nbsp;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  269. &lt;br /&gt;
  270. Let&#39;s start with the FAQ&#39;s about teaching English in Japan:&lt;br /&gt;
  271. &lt;br /&gt;
  272. &lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;1. How can I teach English in Japan?&amp;nbsp;&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  273. &lt;br /&gt;
  274. To be an English teacher in Japan, you&#39;ll need at least two things.&lt;br /&gt;
  275. &lt;br /&gt;
  276. First, you&#39;ll need a Bachelor&#39;s Degree. For native speakers, any degree is accepted. For non-native speakers, you have to work on having an Education degree and ESL Certifications.&lt;br /&gt;
  277. &lt;br /&gt;
  278. Second, you&#39;ll need to apply for English teaching jobs. Here&#39;s a post I&#39;ve made about the &lt;a href=&quot;http://ppinjapan.blogspot.jp/2014/10/best-companies-to-get-teaching-jobs-in.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Best Companies to Get Teaching Jobs in Japan&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;br /&gt;
  279. &lt;br /&gt;
  280. &lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;2. I am from (insert a country not considered native English), can I get a teaching job in Japan?&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  281. &lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/b&gt;
  282. I have no straight answer for this question.&lt;br /&gt;
  283. &lt;br /&gt;
  284. Honestly, it is hard to get a teaching job if you&#39;re not a native English speaker. I know a few people from India, Pakistan and Indonesia who are teaching in private kindergarten schools. However, the benefits and workload are horrible.&lt;br /&gt;
  285. &lt;br /&gt;
  286. I&#39;ve had some Filipinos asking me if they can get a job here. Here&#39;s the answer: Yes, if you are qualified. Get some experience and get a TESL or CELTA certificate.&lt;br /&gt;
  287. &lt;br /&gt;
  288. &lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;3. How much is the salary of English teachers in Japan?&amp;nbsp;&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  289. &lt;br /&gt;
  290. Monthly salary ranges from 150,000 Yen to as high as 350,000 Yen. It depends on the nature of teaching, your nationality and the company you&#39;re working for.&lt;br /&gt;
  291. &lt;br /&gt;
  292. To live comfortably in Japan, you would need at least 200,000 Yen. So, if you have job offers lower than 200,000, ask your employer to provide housing for you.&lt;br /&gt;
  293. &lt;br /&gt;
  294. Here&#39;s a post on &lt;a href=&quot;http://ppinjapan.blogspot.jp/2015/09/how-much-can-you-save-as-alt-in-japan.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;How Much Can You Save as an ALT in Japan?&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  295. &lt;br /&gt;
  296. &lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;4. Can I go to Japan as a tourist then find a job there?&amp;nbsp;&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  297. &lt;br /&gt;
  298. No one&#39;s stopping you to do this but I wouldn&#39;t recommend it. You&#39;ll have a hard time finding an employer who would sponsor your working visa. Another possible scenario is you&#39;ll be taken advantage of by your employer. Worse, you can be deported for not having the right visa.&lt;br /&gt;
  299. &lt;br /&gt;
  300. &lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;5. Do I need to learn Japanese to get a teaching job in Japan?&amp;nbsp;&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  301. &lt;br /&gt;
  302. Not necessarily but knowing some Japanese can greatly help you in everyday living. It would also help you in your work.&lt;br /&gt;
  303. &lt;br /&gt;
  304. &lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;6. Are Japanese students easy to teach?&amp;nbsp;&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  305. &lt;br /&gt;
  306. When it comes to discipline, Japanese students are easy to manage. They are mostly well-behaved. In schools, the Japanese teachers will be the one responsible for classroom management.&lt;br /&gt;
  307. &lt;br /&gt;
  308. The harder part is how you&#39;ll teach English in a way they&#39;ll understand. You will need tons of creativity so your students can understand you&lt;br /&gt;
  309. &lt;br /&gt;
  310. &lt;br /&gt;
  311. &lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;7. What should I prepare before coming to Japan as a teacher?&amp;nbsp;&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  312. &lt;br /&gt;
  313. Materially, you can find most of the things you&#39;ll need here. Don&#39;t bother bringing your whole closet with you.&lt;br /&gt;
  314. &lt;br /&gt;
  315. Working in another country will always require you to be more open to another culture. You have to be ready for culture shock and homesickness.&lt;br /&gt;
  316. &lt;br /&gt;
  317. Be physically fit too. You don&#39;t want to get sick in another country.&lt;br /&gt;
  318. &lt;br /&gt;
  319. And oh, &amp;nbsp;polish your grammar. Japanese students are highly-focused on grammar rules. &lt;br /&gt;
  320. &lt;br /&gt;
  321. If you want to know more details on teaching in Japan, here&#39;s an e-book I&#39;ve written two years ago:&lt;br /&gt;
  322. &lt;a href=&quot;http://ppinjapan.blogspot.jp/p/jumping-to-japan.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Jumpin&#39; to Japan&amp;nbsp;&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;br /&gt;
  323. &lt;br /&gt;
  324. &lt;br /&gt;
  325. If you have other questions, feel free to send me an email.&lt;br /&gt;
  326. &lt;br /&gt;
  327. Good luck!&lt;br /&gt;
  328. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  329. </content><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8361869965743586376/posts/default/6629752711930796566'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8361869965743586376/posts/default/6629752711930796566'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://ppinjapan.blogspot.com/2016/03/faqs-on-teaching-in-japan.html' title='FAQ&#39;s on Teaching in Japan'/><author><name>purple pen</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/08721645616820607412</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='24' src='//blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-IKtOxQFQ2BIHol0gKKWAU_GBDGvA-Xq98i7jUp1jhcY0fq_IhkLQIQ7_eARverc4Q6BsNOf4Y1zcnwBloaaQM32dTd5QFt02pNUjM9bUk8yqB9ZSk4VnG1UfCyYYBQ/s151/*'/></author></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8361869965743586376.post-5142602503739891037</id><published>2016-02-25T15:54:00.003+09:00</published><updated>2016-02-25T15:54:47.242+09:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Living in Japan"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Reflections"/><title type='text'>A Break-Up Letter to Japan</title><content type='html'>&lt;div dir=&quot;ltr&quot; style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot; trbidi=&quot;on&quot;&gt;
  330. &lt;table align=&quot;center&quot; cellpadding=&quot;0&quot; cellspacing=&quot;0&quot; class=&quot;tr-caption-container&quot; style=&quot;margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;tbody&gt;
  331. &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://storeyed.files.wordpress.com/2015/08/fushimi-inari-memoirs-of-a-geisha.jpg&quot; style=&quot;margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;&quot; /&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;
  332. &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td class=&quot;tr-caption&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;credits:&lt;a href=&quot;https://storeyed.wordpress.com/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;https://storeyed.wordpress.com/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;
  333. &lt;/tbody&gt;&lt;/table&gt;
  334. &lt;br /&gt;
  335. &lt;br /&gt;
  336. &lt;br /&gt;
  337. Dear Japan,&lt;br /&gt;
  338. &lt;br /&gt;
  339. I&#39;m sorry but I have to say &quot;Sayonara&quot; soon.&lt;br /&gt;
  340. &lt;br /&gt;
  341. I wish I could have been gentler and less direct, but you know me. I don&#39;t like beating around your lovely cherry blossoms tree. &lt;br /&gt;
  342. &lt;br /&gt;
  343. Please believe when I said that &quot;It&#39;s not you, it&#39;s me.&quot;&lt;br /&gt;
  344. &lt;br /&gt;
  345. You, Japan did nothing bad to me. If anything, I should be grateful for the 4 years I&#39;ve been here. You attracted me with your amazing anime even before I hit puberty. You excited me to the promise of a comfortable life with you. You let me experience your sensational 4 seasons. You never kept me from meeting wonderful people. You encouraged me to discover my love for cooking and rediscover my passion for writing. You showed me that life can be lived safely, conveniently and comfortably. Staying with you helped me grow in my faith and helped me defined my values more. You have been nothing but great to me, Japan.&lt;br /&gt;
  346. &lt;br /&gt;
  347. But living with you is like summer romance. It&#39;s nice for awhile. But at some point, summer has to end and give way to fall. We can&#39;t stop the passing of time. When I came to you, I was just 26. I was a know-it-all, ever curious big girl who wanted to see how it is to be with you. But I&#39;m on my 30&#39;s now and I feel like this is the best time to go and move on. I can&#39;t be that 26 anymore. Whether I like it or not, I have to grow up and face life&#39;s realities.&lt;br /&gt;
  348. &lt;br /&gt;
  349. I have to face that death is real. I lost a grandfather last year without me saying goodbye to him. When he died, I realized that during my stay in Japan, I rarely talked to him. My grandmothers are already in their late 80&#39;s and 90&#39;s. I want to spend sometime with them in their last years. They&#39;ve been great grandmothers to me. If I stay with you, I might not be able to say goodbye to them. I&#39;m sorry, they&#39;re more important than what you can give me.&lt;br /&gt;
  350. &lt;br /&gt;
  351. I have to face that I&#39;m now married. My husband is a wonderful man. He waited for me for 11 years. It&#39;s about time that I should be the one to adjust to his wishes. Staying here with you feels unfaithful. I don&#39;t want to trade the comforts you&#39;re giving me to the life my husband is planning. He loved me when you wouldn&#39;t accept me. And I believe he loves me enough not to provide me with my needs.&lt;br /&gt;
  352. &lt;br /&gt;
  353. And I have to face that I&#39;m not meant to be here with you. I&#39;m too restless, too ambitious and just too much for your gentle constant character. I like to try other careers but I can&#39;t do it here with you. I wanted to excel as a teacher but you just wouldn&#39;t let me. I tried being happy just like this but I can&#39;t. I told you, it&#39;s not you, It&#39;s really me.&lt;br /&gt;
  354. &lt;br /&gt;
  355. I&#39;m sorry for the times I&#39;ve taken you for granted, I&#39;m sorry if I sometimes complained. I&#39;m sorry if I can&#39;t stay with you. I&#39;m sure you&#39;ll find other loves who would love you in return. But though you&#39;re not my forever, you&#39;ll always be my sweet sweet summer romance.&lt;br /&gt;
  356. &lt;br /&gt;
  357. Saying Goodbye with Love,&lt;br /&gt;
  358. Purple Pen&lt;br /&gt;
  359. &lt;br /&gt;
  360. &lt;br /&gt;
  361. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  362. </content><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8361869965743586376/posts/default/5142602503739891037'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8361869965743586376/posts/default/5142602503739891037'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://ppinjapan.blogspot.com/2016/02/a-break-up-letter-to-japan.html' title='A Break-Up Letter to Japan'/><author><name>purple pen</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/08721645616820607412</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='24' src='//blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-IKtOxQFQ2BIHol0gKKWAU_GBDGvA-Xq98i7jUp1jhcY0fq_IhkLQIQ7_eARverc4Q6BsNOf4Y1zcnwBloaaQM32dTd5QFt02pNUjM9bUk8yqB9ZSk4VnG1UfCyYYBQ/s151/*'/></author></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8361869965743586376.post-5961623214553114162</id><published>2016-02-10T15:33:00.005+09:00</published><updated>2016-02-10T15:38:33.559+09:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Teaching in Japan"/><title type='text'>A Day in a Japanese School</title><content type='html'>&lt;div dir=&quot;ltr&quot; style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot; trbidi=&quot;on&quot;&gt;
  363. &lt;table align=&quot;center&quot; cellpadding=&quot;0&quot; cellspacing=&quot;0&quot; class=&quot;tr-caption-container&quot; style=&quot;float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;&quot;&gt;&lt;tbody&gt;
  364. &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;400&quot; src=&quot;https://martywalpole.files.wordpress.com/2011/03/japanesstudents.jpg&quot; style=&quot;margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;&quot; width=&quot;304&quot; /&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;
  365. &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td class=&quot;tr-caption&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Elementary students walking to school, Japan&lt;br /&gt;
  366. &lt;a href=&quot;https://martywalpole.wordpress.com/2011/03/10/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;photo credit: Everything, Japan&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;
  367. &lt;/tbody&gt;&lt;/table&gt;
  368. &lt;br /&gt;
  369. Ohayou Gozaimasu!&lt;br /&gt;
  370. &lt;br /&gt;
  371. How does a typical day in a Japanese school go?&lt;br /&gt;
  372. &lt;br /&gt;
  373. Based on my experience and on research, Japanese students and teachers spend way more time in schools than other countries. They spend really way more time and days in the school than in their houses.&lt;br /&gt;
  374. &lt;br /&gt;
  375. Schools officially start around 8 am and officially end at around 3 pm. But this is only the &quot;official&quot; time. In reality, students come to school as early as 6:30 am for club practice. Don&#39;t be surprised seeing students all sweaty and dirty even before class starts.&lt;br /&gt;
  376. &lt;br /&gt;
  377. &lt;b&gt;Before Actual Classes&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  378. &lt;br /&gt;
  379. As I&#39;ve said, some students have club practice before 8 am. Five minutes before 8, all students must be in their classrooms. There, they&#39;ll have either homeroom time or individual reading time. This usually lasts for 20 minutes.&lt;br /&gt;
  380. &lt;br /&gt;
  381. A few days in a month, this 20-minute pre-class time is allotted for student assembly. If you&#39;re working in schools and you can&#39;t find anyone during this time, they&#39;re probably in the gym for the assembly.&lt;br /&gt;
  382. &lt;a name=&#39;more&#39;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  383. &lt;b&gt;Class Time&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  384. &lt;br /&gt;
  385. There are 6 class periods in a day. Each class lasts for 50 minutes. There are four class periods in the morning and 2 after lunch. In between these classes are 10-minute breaks.&lt;br /&gt;
  386. &lt;br /&gt;
  387. This is the typical class schedule in Japanese schools:&lt;br /&gt;
  388. &lt;br /&gt;
  389. &lt;span style=&quot;font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;&quot;&gt;8:00-8:20 &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp;Homeroom/ Reading Time&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  390. &lt;span style=&quot;font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;&quot;&gt;8:20-8:30 &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp;Break&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  391. &lt;span style=&quot;font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;&quot;&gt;8:30-9:20 &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp;Class 1&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  392. &lt;span style=&quot;font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp;Break&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  393. &lt;span style=&quot;font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;&quot;&gt;9:30-10:20 &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp;Class 2&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  394. &lt;span style=&quot;font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp;Break&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  395. &lt;span style=&quot;font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;&quot;&gt;10:30-11:20 &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp;Class 3&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  396. &lt;span style=&quot;font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp;Break&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  397. &lt;span style=&quot;font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;&quot;&gt;11:30-12:20 &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp;Class 4&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  398. &lt;span style=&quot;font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;&quot;&gt;12:20-12:30 &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp;Lunch Preparation&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  399. &lt;span style=&quot;font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;&quot;&gt;12:30-12:50 &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp;Lunch Time&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  400. &lt;span style=&quot;font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;&quot;&gt;12:50-1:20 &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp;Free Time&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  401. &lt;span style=&quot;font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;&quot;&gt;1:20-2:10 &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp;Class 5&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  402. &lt;span style=&quot;font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp;Break&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  403. &lt;span style=&quot;font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;&quot;&gt;2:20-3:10 &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp;Class 6&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  404. &lt;br /&gt;
  405. &lt;div style=&quot;margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0mm;&quot;&gt;
  406. There are days when classes are shortened to 45 minutes. Usually it happens when there&#39;s a PTA meeting, student assembly in the afternoon and other activities.&lt;/div&gt;
  407. &lt;br /&gt;
  408. Class periods are marked by school bells. Watch a Japanese anime with a school as the setting and you&#39;ll hear the Japanese school bell.&lt;br /&gt;
  409. &lt;br /&gt;
  410. &lt;b&gt;The 10-Minute Breaks&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  411. &lt;br /&gt;
  412. The 10-minute breaks in between classes are for toilet breaks and preparation. From their lockers, students have to get the things they&#39;ll need for the next class. Toilet breaks are not, ideally, allowed during class so this is also the perfect time to go.&lt;br /&gt;
  413. &lt;br /&gt;
  414. During this 10-minute break, you&#39;ll see students bursting out from their classrooms to talk to their friends. They loiter along the hallways. Some students read, play or do their homework. Typical like in other countries. They&#39;re expected to be back inside their rooms 2 minutes before class time.&lt;br /&gt;
  415. &lt;br /&gt;
  416. &lt;b&gt;Mokuso Time&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  417. &lt;br /&gt;
  418. Mokuso means meditation. In Japan, each class begins with a minute of meditation. Two minutes before class time, students are expected to be on their seats with all their things on their desks. A minute from the actual time, class leaders will order &quot;Mokusoshite!&quot; The other students will close their eyes until the bell rings signalling the start of class.&lt;br /&gt;
  419. &lt;br /&gt;
  420. &lt;b&gt;The Lunch Break&amp;nbsp;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  421. &lt;br /&gt;
  422. Lunch break in Japan is quite distinct. Students in elementary and junior high schools have lunches prepared by the schools. Students will form lunch groups while lunch leaders will get their lunch from the school kitchen.&lt;br /&gt;
  423. &lt;br /&gt;
  424. Within 10 minutes, food and milk should have been distributed to everyone in the class including the class teacher. By 12:30, everyone should be ready to eat. Eating time only lasts for 20 minutes. By 12:50, everybody should have finished their food.&lt;br /&gt;
  425. &lt;br /&gt;
  426. &lt;b&gt;Free Time&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  427. &lt;br /&gt;
  428. The remainder of lunch break is devoted to leisure activities such as playing sports, reading, hanging out with friends or doing homework. Students are not allowed to bring toys and gadgets. Even cellphones are forbidden until junior high school. &lt;br /&gt;
  429. &lt;br /&gt;
  430. &lt;b&gt;After Class&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  431. &lt;br /&gt;
  432. Classes officially ends at 3:10 but students stay on hours afterwards.&lt;br /&gt;
  433. &lt;br /&gt;
  434. Once a week, students clean their classrooms after school. There are also short student meetings. And then, there&#39;s the time-consuming clubs.&lt;br /&gt;
  435. &lt;br /&gt;
  436. In my school, the arts and computer clubs are the earliest to finish, at around 5 pm. The sports club finish in various times. Some at 6, some at 8 and some even at 10.&lt;br /&gt;
  437. &lt;br /&gt;
  438. Students also do clubs even on weekends and holidays. They spend around 2-3 hours of club practice on these days.&lt;br /&gt;
  439. &lt;br /&gt;
  440. In elementary, students go home earlier. Club life is not as intense.&lt;br /&gt;
  441. &lt;br /&gt;
  442. &lt;b&gt;The Schedule and the Teachers&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  443. &lt;br /&gt;
  444. Because students stay long in school, teachers stay longer. Teachers usually go home at 8 pm. Some stay as late as midnight. They&#39;re also in school earlier than 8. (Don&#39;t ask me how do they sleep. I&#39;m puzzled too)&lt;br /&gt;
  445. &lt;br /&gt;
  446. For the ALT, don&#39;t worry. You don&#39;t need to stay in school for this long. You just need to be in before 8 am and you can leave a bit past 4 pm. Your work is easier compared to the Japanese teachers.&lt;br /&gt;
  447. &lt;br /&gt;
  448. And that&#39;s how a typical Japanese school day go. Sayonara!&lt;/div&gt;
  449. </content><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8361869965743586376/posts/default/5961623214553114162'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8361869965743586376/posts/default/5961623214553114162'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://ppinjapan.blogspot.com/2016/02/a-day-in-japanese-school.html' title='A Day in a Japanese School'/><author><name>purple pen</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/08721645616820607412</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='24' src='//blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-IKtOxQFQ2BIHol0gKKWAU_GBDGvA-Xq98i7jUp1jhcY0fq_IhkLQIQ7_eARverc4Q6BsNOf4Y1zcnwBloaaQM32dTd5QFt02pNUjM9bUk8yqB9ZSk4VnG1UfCyYYBQ/s151/*'/></author></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8361869965743586376.post-2462165243378642967</id><published>2016-02-05T14:26:00.000+09:00</published><updated>2016-02-05T14:26:03.145+09:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Living in Japan"/><title type='text'>Garbage Disposal in Japan</title><content type='html'>&lt;div dir=&quot;ltr&quot; style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot; trbidi=&quot;on&quot;&gt;
  450. &lt;table align=&quot;center&quot; cellpadding=&quot;0&quot; cellspacing=&quot;0&quot; class=&quot;tr-caption-container&quot; style=&quot;margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;tbody&gt;
  451. &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;img alt=&quot;Even the garbage bins are cute&quot; height=&quot;300&quot; src=&quot;http://www.aroundtheworldin80jobs.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/funny-living-in-japan-photo-640x480.jpg&quot; style=&quot;margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;&quot; width=&quot;400&quot; /&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;
  452. &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td class=&quot;tr-caption&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.aroundtheworldin80jobs.com/living-in-japan-by-teaching-english/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;photo credits: Around the World in 80 Jobs&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;
  453. &lt;/tbody&gt;&lt;/table&gt;
  454. &lt;br /&gt;
  455. A jetsetting friend told me how Japan has the most &quot;advanced&quot; waste system. Citizens actually follow the the acceptable and &quot;lawful&quot; way of waste disposal. I&#39;m using lawful because it&#39;s almost a crime not to follow the system.&lt;br /&gt;
  456. &lt;div&gt;
  457. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  458. &lt;div&gt;
  459. When I first moved in to my place, the Japanese person who helped me had to ensure that I&#39;m properly oriented with the Japanese waste disposal system. She took time to show me a chart of how to dispose household waste properly. She also accompanied me to a shop to make sure I buy the correct disposal bag. That&#39;s how serious they are with garbage.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
  460. &lt;div&gt;
  461. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  462. &lt;div&gt;
  463. In the apartment building where I live, a staff regularly sorts out the tenants&#39; garbage. This is to ensure that the garbage collector will get our garbage. In Japan, collectors have the power to decide which garbage to get or not. If a garbage bag is too messed up (meaning not sorted properly) the garbage man can leave it. I&#39;ve read some instances where residents would rummage through the uncollected garbage to know the criminal. That is, the uncivilized one who doesn&#39;t know how to sort his trash.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
  464. &lt;div&gt;
  465. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  466. &lt;div&gt;
  467. There&#39;s a stigma with foreign residents and garbage. From the internet alone, you can read numerous accounts of foreigners complaining that they were accused of being the garbage criminal, the uncivilized one. A close friend has personally experienced being subjected to scrutiny. There were only 4 units in her apartment building. She was the only foreigner. One of the residents knocked on her door a to return a garbage bag. It wasn&#39;t hers. But the old man insisted it was hers. She had to prove by pointing her garbage bag. This happened twice.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
  468. &lt;div&gt;
  469. &lt;br /&gt;
  470. &lt;a name=&#39;more&#39;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  471. &lt;div&gt;
  472. I guess you&#39;re beginning to see how strict the Japanese are when it comes to waste disposal. This doesn&#39;t mean you should start digging a compost pit and recycling things. Here&#39;s the simple truth about garbage disposal in Japan: &lt;b&gt;it&#39;s simple but the Japanese just try to make it look complicated with all the colors and images on the waste chart they give to residents.&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  473. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  474. &lt;div&gt;
  475. &lt;table align=&quot;center&quot; cellpadding=&quot;0&quot; cellspacing=&quot;0&quot; class=&quot;tr-caption-container&quot; style=&quot;margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;tbody&gt;
  476. &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;http://image.slidesharecdn.com/4-140627085718-phpapp02/95/46-kitakyushu-city-japan-experience-20-638.jpg?cb=1403860378&quot; style=&quot;margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;&quot; /&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;
  477. &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td class=&quot;tr-caption&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Japan&#39;s Garbage Chart&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;
  478. &lt;/tbody&gt;&lt;/table&gt;
  479. &lt;/div&gt;
  480. &lt;div&gt;
  481. &lt;br /&gt;
  482. &lt;br /&gt;
  483. I admit that I once feared of being called over for my garbage so I religiously ensure that I dispose my waste correctly. I even pinned the garbage guideline near my garbage bins. Overtime, I learned how simple it really is.&lt;br /&gt;
  484. &lt;br /&gt;
  485. &lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;Sorting Your Garbage&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  486. &lt;div&gt;
  487. &lt;br /&gt;
  488. Just like in other countries, you just have to sort out whether the material is degradable or not. Japan is just more detailed with what kind of trash goes to which bin.&lt;br /&gt;
  489. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  490. &lt;div&gt;
  491. &lt;b&gt;1. Separate degradable to non-degradable. Non-degradable is mostly plastics.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  492. &lt;div&gt;
  493. &lt;table align=&quot;center&quot; cellpadding=&quot;0&quot; cellspacing=&quot;0&quot; class=&quot;tr-caption-container&quot; style=&quot;float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;&quot;&gt;&lt;tbody&gt;
  494. &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;240&quot; src=&quot;https://rebelwithoutatan.files.wordpress.com/2013/02/015.jpg&quot; style=&quot;margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;&quot; width=&quot;320&quot; /&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;
  495. &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td class=&quot;tr-caption&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;The Garbage Bags&lt;br /&gt;photo credit: &lt;a href=&quot;https://rebelwithoutatan.wordpress.com/2013/02/20/shakotans-garbage-rules/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Rebel Without a Tan&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;
  496. &lt;/tbody&gt;&lt;/table&gt;
  497. &lt;b&gt;2. Set aside big cans, containers and bottles. They&#39;re collected in another day.&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  498. &lt;b&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/b&gt;
  499. &lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;The Official Garbage Bag&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  500. &lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/b&gt;
  501. &lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/b&gt;
  502. Instead of a big black garbage bag, Japan uses a big clear bag. In Hamamatsu, we have an official garbage bag. It&#39;s a clear bag with Hamamatsu logo. Maybe other cities have it too. You can buy them from almost every shop.&lt;br /&gt;
  503. &lt;br /&gt;
  504. I have an admission though, I don&#39;t always use the official garbage bag. If I have extra clear bags, I use them as trash bags. I don&#39;t know what to do with them. It would be a waste to throw them. So far, no one has&lt;br /&gt;
  505. complained of me not using the official bags.&lt;br /&gt;
  506. &lt;br /&gt;
  507. &lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;The Official Garbage Time&amp;nbsp;&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  508. &lt;br /&gt;
  509. Not only do you have to sort your garbage or use The Bag, you also have to take out your garbage at the right time and day. Cities have varying collection days. In Hamamatsu, Tuesdays and Fridays are for biodegradable, Wednesdays is for non-bio and Thursdays is a bit vague to me. Sometimes, they collect bottles and cans and sometimes they don&#39;t. It&#39;s hard to tell with these Japanese.&lt;br /&gt;
  510. &lt;br /&gt;
  511. But anyway, you&#39;re supposed to take out your garbage early morning of the designated collection day. You can&#39;t take your garbage when you feel like it or even if your house is overflowing with trash. Wait for the morning. Wait for the day. Don&#39;t be like my friend who was reprimanded for taking out her garbage at night.&lt;br /&gt;
  512. &lt;br /&gt;
  513. Why can&#39;t we take garbage at night. The reason? CROWS. &amp;nbsp;The noisy black birds that freely roam the skies and streets of Japan. They tend to go through people&#39;s garbage. These crows need some manners. Cats also tend to rummage garbage but they&#39;re not as many as the crows. It&#39;s really the crows that those garbage should watch out for.&lt;br /&gt;
  514. &lt;br /&gt;
  515. &lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;The Noisy Garbage Collector&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  516. &lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/b&gt;
  517. Appliances, furniture and other big items such as bicycles and futons are not supposed to be thrown out. Ideally, people give them to recycle shops. Or you have to call an official collector of big garbage items. They&#39;re private companies so you have to pay an extra fee. &amp;nbsp;There area also collectors for big garbage that go around from time to time. They&#39;re incessantly noisy. They announce their services while driving around the neighborhood. You&#39;d probably recognize them because they keep on driving around over and over again with their noisy announcements.&lt;br /&gt;
  518. &lt;br /&gt;
  519. I personally don&#39;t like them. I respect their job but they&#39;re just so annoyingly noisy. And they usually go around on Saturday mornings when people are sleeping in! There was one Saturday morning when I went down, called out the collector and told him to go away. No one was calling him for his services. He&#39;s been driving around for more than an hour with his loud announcements of &quot;We&#39;re getting your garbage!&quot; He apologized and did not go around the neighborhood for a few weeks, thank God.&lt;br /&gt;
  520. &lt;br /&gt;
  521. &lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;Recycling in Japan&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  522. &lt;br /&gt;
  523. Japan is the 15th country in the world with the most waste. They&#39;re number one in Asia with the most waste. I couldn&#39;t believe they beat China to it. But here&#39;s the thing though: Japan has high recycle rates.&lt;br /&gt;
  524. &lt;br /&gt;
  525. Here&#39;s data from &lt;a href=&quot;https://sites.google.com/site/iilyear4/top-10-countries-that-produce-the-most-waste&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Green Answers:&amp;nbsp;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  526. &lt;br /&gt;
  527. &lt;div style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;
  528. &lt;span style=&quot;font-family: &amp;quot;arial&amp;quot; , &amp;quot;helvetica&amp;quot; , sans-serif;&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;i&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;background-color: white; color: red; line-height: 32px;&quot;&gt;In 2006,&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.recyclingportal.eu/artikel/21737.shtml&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot; style=&quot;background: url(&amp;quot;bg_link.gif&amp;quot;) repeat-x rgb(255, 255, 255); color: #666666; line-height: 32px; padding: 2px;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: red;&quot;&gt;the recycling rate&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;background-color: white; color: red; line-height: 32px;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;was 95 percent for steel cans, 90 percent for glass bottles, 89 percent for aluminum, 60 percent for paper, and 38 percent for paper containers for liquid.&lt;/span&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  529. &lt;div style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;
  530. &lt;span style=&quot;font-family: &amp;quot;arial&amp;quot; , &amp;quot;helvetica&amp;quot; , sans-serif;&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;i&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  531. Isn&#39;t that impressive?&lt;br /&gt;
  532. &lt;br /&gt;
  533. In schools, students collect bottle caps. They then sell it to recycling companies. It&#39;s a school-wide campaign and from the tonnes of caps that I see every year, I&#39;m pretty sure it&#39;s a successful one.&lt;br /&gt;
  534. &lt;br /&gt;
  535. After lunch break in schools, students don&#39;t throw milk cartons and straws. They have to wash them then pile them together. Then, the school would endorse them to a recycling company. This is the system to all public schools in Japan. I haven&#39;t seen recycling as wide spread as this.&lt;br /&gt;
  536. &lt;br /&gt;
  537. There&#39;s a word that expresses the Japanese concern about not wasting resources. It&#39;s &quot;Mottainai.&quot; There&#39;s no exact English word that would capture mottainai&#39;s meaning. It can be &quot;What a waste!&quot; in regret for wasting food, materials and even time. It can also mean &quot;Don&#39;t waste!&quot; It roughly means &quot;wise use of resources.&quot;&lt;br /&gt;
  538. &lt;br /&gt;
  539. &lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;The Dirty Part of the Garbage&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  540. &lt;br /&gt;
  541. Japan is not perfect like any other country. They still have some waste disposal issues to address. There&#39;s the nuclear waste problem. There&#39;s also accusations that Japan is paying third world countries to be their dumpsite. (Tsk, tsk Japan) And then there&#39;s a growing number of hoarders in Japan. Some Japanese think they&#39;re still doing mottainai when in fact, they already have an unhealthy hoarding obsession. These are a few flaws of an otherwise perfect waste disposal system.&lt;br /&gt;
  542. &lt;br /&gt;
  543. Japan has been accused of sweeping its dark WWII history under the rug. That is true and that is a topic for another day. But for now, I think Japan&#39;s doing great in keeping its waste.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
  544. &lt;div&gt;
  545. &lt;/div&gt;
  546. &lt;/div&gt;
  547. </content><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8361869965743586376/posts/default/2462165243378642967'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8361869965743586376/posts/default/2462165243378642967'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://ppinjapan.blogspot.com/2016/02/garbage-disposal-in-japan.html' title='Garbage Disposal in Japan'/><author><name>purple pen</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/08721645616820607412</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='24' src='//blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-IKtOxQFQ2BIHol0gKKWAU_GBDGvA-Xq98i7jUp1jhcY0fq_IhkLQIQ7_eARverc4Q6BsNOf4Y1zcnwBloaaQM32dTd5QFt02pNUjM9bUk8yqB9ZSk4VnG1UfCyYYBQ/s151/*'/></author></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8361869965743586376.post-2347577450951101617</id><published>2016-01-20T12:18:00.003+09:00</published><updated>2016-01-20T12:18:59.383+09:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Living in Hamamatsu"/><title type='text'>The Unagi Pie Factory in Hamamatsu</title><content type='html'>&lt;div dir=&quot;ltr&quot; style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot; trbidi=&quot;on&quot;&gt;
  548. &lt;table align=&quot;center&quot; cellpadding=&quot;0&quot; cellspacing=&quot;0&quot; class=&quot;tr-caption-container&quot; style=&quot;margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;tbody&gt;
  549. &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv3jHyz19wIyp5g1RUHtN6mpFpz6gMMlXY-d__A8MqmhYQAwzz3-bio1LMmDpeqkqAuoZv-UEdprSQJ56dwOVZzXVlQfG4nNiP7n_YmUTIX7ggjnJL0ABK5QeYAQhPalRZRVpM4SxCogw/s1600/IMG_3217.JPG&quot; imageanchor=&quot;1&quot; style=&quot;margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; height=&quot;480&quot; src=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv3jHyz19wIyp5g1RUHtN6mpFpz6gMMlXY-d__A8MqmhYQAwzz3-bio1LMmDpeqkqAuoZv-UEdprSQJ56dwOVZzXVlQfG4nNiP7n_YmUTIX7ggjnJL0ABK5QeYAQhPalRZRVpM4SxCogw/s640/IMG_3217.JPG&quot; width=&quot;640&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;
  550. &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td class=&quot;tr-caption&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;The UNAGI PIE&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;
  551. &lt;/tbody&gt;&lt;/table&gt;
  552. &lt;div&gt;
  553. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  554. &lt;div&gt;
  555. Unagi is the Japanese word for eel. You know the long fish that doesn&#39;t look like a usual fish.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
  556. &lt;div&gt;
  557. Hamamatsu is apparently popular for its unagi dish and unagi pie.Yeah, you heard it right. Unagi pie. Eel pie.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
  558. &lt;div&gt;
  559. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  560. &lt;div&gt;
  561. I was puzzled the first time I heard about unagi pie. To have a pie made of eel doesn&#39;t very appealing to me but it seems intriguing.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
  562. &lt;div&gt;
  563. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  564. &lt;div&gt;
  565. In reality, unagi pie is just a usual cookie-like snack coated with unagi powder. &amp;nbsp;It doesn&#39;t taste fishy.It doesn&#39;t taste like an eel. It&#39;s sweet and cookiesh.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
  566. &lt;div&gt;
  567. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  568. &lt;div&gt;
  569. You can find how unagi pie is done in the Unagi Pie Factory Hamamatsu. It&#39;s located in the west of Hamamatsu, off the busy central area.&lt;/div&gt;
  570. &lt;div&gt;
  571. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  572. &lt;div&gt;
  573. Here&#39;s the complete address: 748-51 Okubu-cho, Nishi-ku, Hamamatsu-shi, Shizuoka, 432-8006.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
  574. &lt;div&gt;
  575. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  576. &lt;div&gt;
  577. It&#39;s not an accessible place by public transportation. You can take a taxi from Maisaka Train Station.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
  578. &lt;div&gt;
  579. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  580. &lt;div&gt;
  581. So what can you see in the factory?&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
  582. &lt;div&gt;
  583. &lt;a name=&#39;more&#39;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  584. &lt;div&gt;
  585. You can see how the unagi pie is done, of course. There&#39;s an overlooking area where the workers make the pie. There&#39;s also an audio-visual area relating the history of the factory.There&#39;s a cafe and a souvenir shop.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
  586. &lt;div&gt;
  587. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  588. &lt;div&gt;
  589. The best thing about going to the factory is getting free unagi pie samples! Upon checking-in, the receptionist will hand you free unagi pie samples. Then you can also get free unagi pies in the souvenir shop. You have to fall in line though.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
  590. &lt;div&gt;
  591. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  592. &lt;div&gt;
  593. There are three kinds of unagi pie: the plain and sugary one, the one with honey and peanuts, and the one with a bit of wine. The last one is more expensive than the other two. It&#39;s called VSOP unagi pie.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
  594. &lt;div&gt;
  595. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  596. &lt;div&gt;
  597. It takes less than 30 minutes to go around the whole factory.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
  598. &lt;div&gt;
  599. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  600. &lt;div&gt;
  601. The Unagi Pie Factory is worth visiting if you&#39;re already in the area.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
  602. &lt;/div&gt;
  603. </content><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8361869965743586376/posts/default/2347577450951101617'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8361869965743586376/posts/default/2347577450951101617'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://ppinjapan.blogspot.com/2016/01/the-unagi-pie-factory-in-hamamatsu.html' title='The Unagi Pie Factory in Hamamatsu'/><author><name>purple pen</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/08721645616820607412</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='24' src='//blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-IKtOxQFQ2BIHol0gKKWAU_GBDGvA-Xq98i7jUp1jhcY0fq_IhkLQIQ7_eARverc4Q6BsNOf4Y1zcnwBloaaQM32dTd5QFt02pNUjM9bUk8yqB9ZSk4VnG1UfCyYYBQ/s151/*'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv3jHyz19wIyp5g1RUHtN6mpFpz6gMMlXY-d__A8MqmhYQAwzz3-bio1LMmDpeqkqAuoZv-UEdprSQJ56dwOVZzXVlQfG4nNiP7n_YmUTIX7ggjnJL0ABK5QeYAQhPalRZRVpM4SxCogw/s72-c/IMG_3217.JPG" height="72" width="72"/></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8361869965743586376.post-273306431699867032</id><published>2016-01-14T15:24:00.001+09:00</published><updated>2016-01-14T15:24:22.075+09:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Teaching in Japan"/><title type='text'>Different Teaching Jobs in Japan</title><content type='html'>&lt;div dir=&quot;ltr&quot; style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot; trbidi=&quot;on&quot;&gt;
  604. &lt;table align=&quot;center&quot; cellpadding=&quot;0&quot; cellspacing=&quot;0&quot; class=&quot;tr-caption-container&quot; style=&quot;margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;tbody&gt;
  605. &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;img alt=&quot;OB_15_3  comic comics life in japan texan in tokyo cartoon  english teaching in japan eikaiwa&quot; height=&quot;640&quot; src=&quot;http://howibecametexan.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/OB_15_3.jpg&quot; style=&quot;margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;&quot; width=&quot;449&quot; /&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;
  606. &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td class=&quot;tr-caption&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;comic credits: &lt;a href=&quot;http://howibecametexan.com/2015/04/06/comic-when-i-first-started-teaching-english-vs-when-i-quit-teaching/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Texan in Tokyo&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;
  607. &lt;/tbody&gt;&lt;/table&gt;
  608. &lt;div&gt;
  609. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  610. &lt;div&gt;
  611. Someone emailed me to ask the different kinds of English teaching in Japan. Hence, I&#39;m writing about it today.&lt;/div&gt;
  612. &lt;div&gt;
  613. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  614. &lt;div&gt;
  615. There are three common types of teaching English in Japan. First is as an ALT or Assistant Language Teacher. Second is as an eikaiwa teacher or a language school teacher. Third is as a private teacher.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
  616. &lt;div&gt;
  617. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  618. &lt;div&gt;
  619. (There&#39;s actually another one- as a main English teacher in schools and universities. However, this is not a common teaching job for foreigners. Foreigners who are English teachers in schools and universities have higher education degrees and possess fluent Japanese skills.)&lt;/div&gt;
  620. &lt;div&gt;
  621. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  622. &lt;div&gt;
  623. There are many differences among the three kinds of teaching. I&#39;ll just focus on 6 things that I think matter for job hunters:&amp;nbsp;&lt;a name=&#39;more&#39;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  624. &lt;div&gt;
  625. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  626. &lt;div&gt;
  627. &lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;I Teaching as an ALT&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  628. &lt;div&gt;
  629. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  630. &lt;div&gt;
  631. &lt;i&gt;Application Process: &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  632. &lt;div&gt;
  633. If you&#39;re coming from overseas, applying as an ALT is the easiest route to land a job in Japan. Applying through the JET Program and Interac are the most common entry point for most foreign teachers. Take note hoewever, that these route is only accessible for people from English-speaking countries. If you&#39;re from Indonesia, for example, you might not have a hard time working in Japan as an ALT. &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
  634. &lt;div&gt;
  635. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  636. &lt;div&gt;
  637. It usually takes 6 months to a year to complete the application process. January and May are the best time to send your resumes. Once you impressed the people with your resume, you&#39;ll be asked for an interview and a demo lesson. If you passed them, you&#39;ll wait for your visa so you can come to Japan.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
  638. &lt;div&gt;
  639. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  640. &lt;div&gt;
  641. If you&#39;re already in Japan, you can apply directly to the Board of Education. A friend who moved from Interac to BOE said that the application process in the BOE was more tedious but the waiting time is shorter. &amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
  642. &lt;div&gt;
  643. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  644. &lt;div&gt;
  645. &lt;i&gt;Place of Work:&amp;nbsp;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  646. &lt;div&gt;
  647. ALT&#39;s mostly work in public schools- from kindergarten to high school. Some ALT&#39;s are assigned in various schools. So in a week, don&#39;t be surprised if you have to go to 2 to 4 different schools.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
  648. &lt;div&gt;
  649. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  650. &lt;div&gt;
  651. &lt;i&gt;Work Schedule:&amp;nbsp;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  652. &lt;div&gt;
  653. Usual time is from 8 am to 4 or 5 pm depending on the BOE&#39;s wishes. You&#39;ll rarely be asked to do overtime work. Saturdays and Sundays are free. There&#39;s a minimum 2-week vacation during summer break, winter break and spring break.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
  654. &lt;div&gt;
  655. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  656. &lt;div&gt;
  657. The annual schedule of an ALT is perfect for those who plan to go around Japan.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
  658. &lt;div&gt;
  659. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  660. &lt;div&gt;
  661. &lt;i&gt;Compensation:&amp;nbsp;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  662. &lt;div&gt;
  663. From 200,000 JPY to around 350,000 JPY monthly. Health insurance and pension depends on the employer. Work contract is renewed annually.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
  664. &lt;div&gt;
  665. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  666. &lt;div&gt;
  667. &lt;i&gt;Best Points:&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  668. &lt;div&gt;
  669. Lots of free time. Workload is not very difficult. &amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
  670. &lt;div&gt;
  671. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  672. &lt;div&gt;
  673. &lt;i&gt;Not-so-Good Points:&amp;nbsp;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  674. &lt;div&gt;
  675. No clear path for career growth.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
  676. &lt;div&gt;
  677. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  678. &lt;div&gt;
  679. &lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;II Teaching in an Eikaiwa/ Language School&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  680. &lt;div&gt;
  681. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  682. &lt;div&gt;
  683. &lt;div&gt;
  684. &lt;i&gt;Application and Hiring:&amp;nbsp;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  685. &lt;div&gt;
  686. Big language schools entertain applications from overseas. However, most of the eikaiwa teachers I&#39;ve met were already in Japan when they applied to their respective companies. They were former ALT&#39;s who moved to language schools. I&#39;m assuming it&#39;s not easy to find a job in Japan through language schools. It&#39;s probably because there are already a lot of people they can hire within Japan.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
  687. &lt;div&gt;
  688. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  689. &lt;div&gt;
  690. I&#39;ve worked for 3 language schools part-time and they have the same application process- submit resume, do interview and negotiate the ork contract. All done in a few days. That&#39;s that.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
  691. &lt;div&gt;
  692. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  693. &lt;div&gt;
  694. If you didn&#39;t come from an English-speaking country, applying in an eikaiwa personally is your best bet. Impress the managers with your English skills and you&#39;ll have high chances of landing a job.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
  695. &lt;div&gt;
  696. &amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
  697. &lt;div&gt;
  698. &lt;i&gt;Place of Work:&amp;nbsp;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  699. &lt;div&gt;
  700. Some language schools will ask you to do in-house teaching. This means, you work in the language centers.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
  701. &lt;div&gt;
  702. Some language schools will ask you to conduct classes in the field. This means you go to offices and community centers.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
  703. &lt;div&gt;
  704. &lt;i&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  705. &lt;div&gt;
  706. &lt;i&gt;Work Schedule:&amp;nbsp;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  707. &lt;div&gt;
  708. The work schedule in an eikaiwa is irregular. It depends on your students&#39; time. Some eikaiwa teachers will have early morning classes, a long free time midday and have classes again from late afternoon to late at night. Saturdays are not guaranteed as rest days. Vacations are also shorter.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
  709. &lt;div&gt;
  710. &lt;i&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  711. &lt;div&gt;
  712. &lt;i&gt;Compensation:&amp;nbsp;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  713. &lt;div&gt;
  714. Most eikaiwas pay by the hour from 2000 Yen to 5000 Yen depending on the kinds of classes and the teacher&#39;s qualifications. Businesses classes pay the highest by the hour.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
  715. &lt;div&gt;
  716. &lt;i&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  717. &lt;div&gt;
  718. &lt;i&gt;Best Points:&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  719. &lt;div&gt;
  720. If you work in an eikaiwa, you&#39;ll have more control of your classes than as an ALT.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
  721. &lt;div&gt;
  722. You can also earn more than an ALT.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
  723. &lt;div&gt;
  724. &lt;i&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  725. &lt;div&gt;
  726. &lt;i&gt;Not-so-Good Points:&amp;nbsp;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  727. &lt;/div&gt;
  728. &lt;div&gt;
  729. Work schedule is erratic. Monthly salary may depend on the number of classes you teach.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
  730. &lt;div&gt;
  731. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  732. &lt;div&gt;
  733. &lt;div&gt;
  734. &lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;III Teaching as a Private Teacher&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  735. &lt;div&gt;
  736. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  737. &lt;div&gt;
  738. &lt;div&gt;
  739. &lt;i&gt;Application and Hiring:&amp;nbsp;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  740. &lt;div&gt;
  741. Sorry to burst your bubbles but if you&#39;re applying from overseas, you can&#39;t come and work to Japan through private teaching. Private teaching is only meant to be done as a part-time job.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
  742. &lt;div&gt;
  743. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  744. &lt;div&gt;
  745. You can find private teaching jobs usually through referrals.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
  746. &lt;div&gt;
  747. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  748. &lt;div&gt;
  749. &lt;i&gt;Place of Work:&amp;nbsp;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  750. &lt;div&gt;
  751. Some students will ask you to do classes in their houses. Most students will meet you in cafes.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
  752. &lt;div&gt;
  753. &lt;i&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  754. &lt;div&gt;
  755. &lt;i&gt;Work Schedule:&amp;nbsp;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  756. &lt;div&gt;
  757. Depends on the common free time of the teacher and the student.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
  758. &lt;div&gt;
  759. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  760. &lt;div&gt;
  761. &lt;i&gt;Compensation:&amp;nbsp;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  762. &lt;div&gt;
  763. You can ask a minimum of 2500 JPY for an hour&#39;s lesson. &amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
  764. &lt;div&gt;
  765. &lt;i&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  766. &lt;div&gt;
  767. &lt;i&gt;Best Points:&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  768. &lt;div&gt;
  769. Most students looking for private teachers are highly-motivated.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
  770. &lt;div&gt;
  771. Free coffee!&lt;/div&gt;
  772. &lt;div&gt;
  773. &lt;i&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  774. &lt;div&gt;
  775. &lt;i&gt;Not-so-Good Points:&amp;nbsp;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  776. &lt;/div&gt;
  777. &lt;div&gt;
  778. Private teaching alone doesn&#39;t pay the bills.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
  779. &lt;/div&gt;
  780. &lt;div&gt;
  781. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  782. &lt;div&gt;
  783. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  784. &lt;/div&gt;
  785. </content><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8361869965743586376/posts/default/273306431699867032'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8361869965743586376/posts/default/273306431699867032'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://ppinjapan.blogspot.com/2016/01/different-teaching-jobs-in-japan.html' title='Different Teaching Jobs in Japan'/><author><name>purple pen</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/08721645616820607412</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='24' src='//blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-IKtOxQFQ2BIHol0gKKWAU_GBDGvA-Xq98i7jUp1jhcY0fq_IhkLQIQ7_eARverc4Q6BsNOf4Y1zcnwBloaaQM32dTd5QFt02pNUjM9bUk8yqB9ZSk4VnG1UfCyYYBQ/s151/*'/></author></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8361869965743586376.post-2833282674464471236</id><published>2016-01-13T11:03:00.001+09:00</published><updated>2016-01-13T11:03:11.906+09:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Living in Hamamatsu"/><title type='text'>Go Karting in Hamamatsu</title><content type='html'>&lt;div dir=&quot;ltr&quot; style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot; trbidi=&quot;on&quot;&gt;
  786. &lt;table align=&quot;center&quot; cellpadding=&quot;0&quot; cellspacing=&quot;0&quot; class=&quot;tr-caption-container&quot; style=&quot;margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;tbody&gt;
  787. &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggoHd35LKBpCTjw8LrcqsQibARcX6BPX72c3LYl_MOHeceGwVjquN4oEeMf0GEB7z3nCtnwk9i-CrY-hQWyKyd6GnAdeYz79_Mcb0uAx-7R0pfsbeba53ctUt4gyIFJEPnpTGXPkf_sKM/s1600/IMG_3203.JPG&quot; imageanchor=&quot;1&quot; style=&quot;margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; height=&quot;300&quot; src=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggoHd35LKBpCTjw8LrcqsQibARcX6BPX72c3LYl_MOHeceGwVjquN4oEeMf0GEB7z3nCtnwk9i-CrY-hQWyKyd6GnAdeYz79_Mcb0uAx-7R0pfsbeba53ctUt4gyIFJEPnpTGXPkf_sKM/s400/IMG_3203.JPG&quot; width=&quot;400&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;
  788. &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td class=&quot;tr-caption&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Ready to Go Kart!&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;
  789. &lt;/tbody&gt;&lt;/table&gt;
  790. &lt;div&gt;
  791. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  792. &lt;div&gt;
  793. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  794. &lt;div&gt;
  795. To celebrate my 30th birthday, my friends and I went go-karting last Sunday.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
  796. &lt;div&gt;
  797. There are three go-kart areas in Shizuoka. The nearest from Hamamatsu is the Quick Hamana Circuit.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
  798. &lt;div&gt;
  799. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  800. &lt;div&gt;
  801. &lt;b&gt;How to Get There&amp;nbsp;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  802. &lt;div&gt;
  803. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  804. &lt;div&gt;
  805. We originally planned to take the bus but a friend thankfully drove us there.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
  806. &lt;div&gt;
  807. By bus, take the ones going to Isami. You can find them from terminal No. 2 at Hamamatsu Bus Station. Ittakes about 30-45 minutes. Get off at Ohitomi or Sahama nishi stop. Fares are around 400-500 Yen.&lt;/div&gt;
  808. &lt;div&gt;
  809. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  810. &lt;div&gt;
  811. &lt;b&gt;Checking-In&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  812. &lt;div&gt;
  813. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  814. &lt;div&gt;
  815. Upon arrival, a Japanese staff explained the plans we might avail:&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
  816. &lt;div&gt;
  817. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  818. &lt;div&gt;
  819. &lt;b&gt;&lt;i&gt;2500 Yen for 5 Laps (plus 300 for the face mask)&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  820. &lt;div&gt;
  821. &lt;b&gt;&lt;i&gt;2000 for additional 5 laps&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  822. &lt;div&gt;
  823. &lt;b&gt;&lt;i&gt;3800 for 8 laps with free face mask&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  824. &lt;div&gt;
  825. &lt;b&gt;&lt;i&gt;2000 for 2-seater karts, 3 laps&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  826. &lt;div&gt;
  827. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  828. &lt;div&gt;
  829. All of us got the first plan- 2500 Yen for 5 Laps.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
  830. &lt;div&gt;
  831. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  832. &lt;div&gt;
  833. After choosing, the staff handed us go-karting agreements that we should sign.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
  834. &lt;div&gt;
  835. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  836. &lt;div&gt;
  837. Quick Hamana has no English staff but it has an English version of go karting agreement. It has the rules and reminders first-timers might need.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
  838. &lt;div&gt;
  839. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  840. &lt;div&gt;
  841. Once the forms were filled up and payment has been made, we were briefly oriented on how to use the go kart. Instructions were given in Japanese. My friend helped us understand what the staff is saying. For those who has zero Japanese and no Japanese friend, they have an English translated version on paper.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
  842. &lt;div&gt;
  843. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  844. &lt;div&gt;
  845. After instructions were given, we waited for about 15 minutes. The place was a bit crowded.&amp;nbsp;&lt;a name=&#39;more&#39;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  846. &lt;div&gt;
  847. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  848. &lt;div&gt;
  849. &lt;b&gt;The Go Kart Circuit&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  850. &lt;div&gt;
  851. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  852. &lt;div&gt;
  853. Before getting in the go-karts, we were given helmets and gloves. Ladies with long hair should tie their hair. Skirts and heels are not allowed. So wear something comfortable when you go-kart.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
  854. &lt;div&gt;
  855. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  856. &lt;div&gt;
  857. The go-kart area is open from 11 am to 9 pm. We arrived at the area at around 2 pm. In my estimation, the race area is around 1000 square meters. The layout is very simple. There were 7 of us on the track at the same time but no one hit each other. Even kids can safely navigate the track.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
  858. &lt;div&gt;
  859. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  860. &lt;div&gt;
  861. &lt;b&gt;The Go-Kart Cars&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  862. &lt;div&gt;
  863. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  864. &lt;div&gt;
  865. You don&#39;t need a license to drive. The go-karts are easy to operate. Right foot for acceleration and left foot for brakes. Hold the steering wheel with both hands to keep the kart steady. There are 2-seater go-karts for those who want to ride together.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
  866. &lt;div&gt;
  867. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  868. &lt;div&gt;
  869. &lt;b&gt;Driving the Go-Kart&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  870. &lt;div&gt;
  871. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  872. &lt;div&gt;
  873. This is the 2nd time I went go-karting. It was several years ago since my first time so I drove slowly. In fact, I was the last to finish in our group. I wanted to go faster but my breathe was clouding my eyeglasses. I can&#39;t see very clearly. &lt;b&gt;&lt;i&gt;A tip for people with eyeglasses: Don&#39;t cover your nose with the mask.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  874. &lt;div&gt;
  875. &lt;b&gt;&lt;i&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  876. &lt;div&gt;
  877. Go-karting is one of those &quot;momentary happiness.&quot; It was over in less than 10 minutes! The first time I went go-karting, we paid for the length of time and not by the number of laps. In Japan, it&#39;s by laps. That was the most disappointing part, I guess. But otherwise, it was great to be driving again.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
  878. &lt;div&gt;
  879. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  880. &lt;div&gt;
  881. &lt;b&gt;Checking-out&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  882. &lt;div&gt;
  883. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  884. &lt;div&gt;
  885. Once the 5-lap ride was over, a staff assisted us and collected our helmets and gloves. We were also given a list of our best times. I was the last! (huhu!)&lt;/div&gt;
  886. &lt;div&gt;
  887. &lt;b&gt;&lt;i&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  888. &lt;div&gt;
  889. Our Japanese friend borrowed a trophy and we had our pictures taken on the championship stand. This completed our go-karting experience!&lt;/div&gt;
  890. &lt;div&gt;
  891. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  892. &lt;div&gt;
  893. &lt;b&gt;Recommendations&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  894. &lt;div&gt;
  895. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  896. &lt;div&gt;
  897. My rating with this experience is 3 out of 5. It&#39;s fun especially with friends. But the place is too far and the riding experience too fast. Try it if you haven&#39;t tried go-karting but you can give it a miss if you&#39;re looking for thrills.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
  898. &lt;div&gt;
  899. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  900. &lt;div&gt;
  901. Website: &lt;a href=&quot;http://sportskart.com/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Sports Kart&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  902. &lt;div&gt;
  903. &amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
  904. &lt;div&gt;
  905. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  906. &lt;div&gt;
  907. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  908. &lt;div&gt;
  909. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  910. &lt;div&gt;
  911. &amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
  912. &lt;/div&gt;
  913. </content><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8361869965743586376/posts/default/2833282674464471236'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8361869965743586376/posts/default/2833282674464471236'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://ppinjapan.blogspot.com/2016/01/go-karting-in-hamamatsu.html' title='Go Karting in Hamamatsu'/><author><name>purple pen</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/08721645616820607412</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='24' src='//blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-IKtOxQFQ2BIHol0gKKWAU_GBDGvA-Xq98i7jUp1jhcY0fq_IhkLQIQ7_eARverc4Q6BsNOf4Y1zcnwBloaaQM32dTd5QFt02pNUjM9bUk8yqB9ZSk4VnG1UfCyYYBQ/s151/*'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggoHd35LKBpCTjw8LrcqsQibARcX6BPX72c3LYl_MOHeceGwVjquN4oEeMf0GEB7z3nCtnwk9i-CrY-hQWyKyd6GnAdeYz79_Mcb0uAx-7R0pfsbeba53ctUt4gyIFJEPnpTGXPkf_sKM/s72-c/IMG_3203.JPG" height="72" width="72"/></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8361869965743586376.post-2939090533151849873</id><published>2016-01-07T19:41:00.002+09:00</published><updated>2016-01-07T19:41:42.397+09:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Living in Japan"/><title type='text'>Living in a Leo Palace Apartment</title><content type='html'>&lt;div dir=&quot;ltr&quot; style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot; trbidi=&quot;on&quot;&gt;
  914. &lt;table align=&quot;center&quot; cellpadding=&quot;0&quot; cellspacing=&quot;0&quot; class=&quot;tr-caption-container&quot; style=&quot;margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;tbody&gt;
  915. &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPHVeca1mW2xEcSwMlMdYA-72UrkFlyBhkUAKFOULkfnbiQZxMJw7k9R-lM584vU0esgyLf6Jijf7nBsVbtQNv4m5MBHyH-S68O_SWU7eyfOnUB3BO9o8abFjOJzoD9NYro7fFBOkm2X4/s1600/IMG_3189.JPG&quot; imageanchor=&quot;1&quot; style=&quot;margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; height=&quot;640&quot; src=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPHVeca1mW2xEcSwMlMdYA-72UrkFlyBhkUAKFOULkfnbiQZxMJw7k9R-lM584vU0esgyLf6Jijf7nBsVbtQNv4m5MBHyH-S68O_SWU7eyfOnUB3BO9o8abFjOJzoD9NYro7fFBOkm2X4/s640/IMG_3189.JPG&quot; width=&quot;480&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;
  916. &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td class=&quot;tr-caption&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;My favorite corner in my apartment:&lt;br /&gt;Lucky bamboo and a framed silk&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;
  917. &lt;/tbody&gt;&lt;/table&gt;
  918. &lt;br /&gt;
  919. Finding an apartment in Japan is not an easy thing especially if you&#39;re a foreigner. You&#39;ll need a guarantor-a local who&#39;ll vouch for you to the property owner. You&#39;ll also need key money- it&#39;s a &quot;cash gift&quot; to the property owner for allowing you to rent the place. There&#39;s also the language barrier which might be used to your disadvantage.&lt;br /&gt;
  920. &lt;div&gt;
  921. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  922. &lt;div&gt;
  923. So how will you find an apartment in Japan?&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
  924. &lt;div&gt;
  925. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  926. &lt;div&gt;
  927. Thank your stars if your company helps you in finding an apartment. Some companies can act as guarantors for you. They&#39;d also help you understand the leasing contract. They may even loan you the needed key money.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
  928. &lt;div&gt;
  929. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  930. &lt;div&gt;
  931. But if this is not the case for you, the most convenient rental option for you is by renting a Leo Palace Apartment.&lt;br /&gt;
  932. &lt;br /&gt;
  933. &lt;a name=&#39;more&#39;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  934. &lt;div&gt;
  935. &lt;b&gt;&lt;i&gt;What is Leo Palace Apartment?&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
  936. &lt;div&gt;
  937. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  938. &lt;div&gt;
  939. Leo Palace Apartments is a large rental company. They have studio-type apartments all over Japan fit for single occupancy.&lt;/div&gt;
  940. &lt;div&gt;
  941. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  942. &lt;div&gt;
  943. Their apartments vary in design and layout but the average size is around 25-30 square meters.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
  944. &lt;div&gt;
  945. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  946. &lt;div&gt;
  947. I&#39;ve been living in a Leo Palace Apartment for more than 3 years now. I&#39;m quite happy with my place.&lt;/div&gt;
  948. &lt;div&gt;
  949. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  950. &lt;div&gt;
  951. Here are the&amp;nbsp;&lt;b&gt;&lt;i&gt;Good Things about Renting a Leo Palace Apartment:&amp;nbsp;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  952. &lt;div&gt;
  953. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  954. &lt;div&gt;
  955. &lt;u&gt;1. Leo Palace has an English website and an English support staff.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  956. &lt;div&gt;
  957. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  958. &lt;div&gt;
  959. This is what I love most about Leo Palace. If I have problems with my apartment, I don&#39;t need to wait for a Japanese friend to help me. I can just simply call their English hotline, tell the problem and request for assistance. I&#39;ve asked for help a few times and Leo Palace always sends someone to fix the problem within 3 days.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
  960. &lt;div&gt;
  961. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  962. &lt;div&gt;
  963. You can actually find an apartment using their website. After sending an inquiry, someone will communicate with you and help you choose an apartment.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
  964. &lt;div&gt;
  965. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  966. &lt;div&gt;
  967. This is their website: &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.leopalace21.com/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Leo Palace Apartment&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  968. &lt;div&gt;
  969. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  970. &lt;div&gt;
  971. &lt;u&gt;2. You don&#39;t need to give a key money.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  972. &lt;div&gt;
  973. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  974. &lt;div&gt;
  975. Leo Palace does not collect key money. They&#39;ll just ask for 2-months worth of rent. However, I know a case where an agent collected an &quot;agents&quot; fee from my friend when she moved in to a Leo Palace apartment. You can ask your agent to waive it or ask for a lower fee. In my case, I didn&#39;t pay any agents fee.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
  976. &lt;div&gt;
  977. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  978. &lt;div&gt;
  979. &lt;u&gt;3. You don&#39;t need a guarantor.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  980. &lt;div&gt;
  981. &lt;u&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  982. &lt;div&gt;
  983. Leo Palace does not require a guarantor. Their leasing contract is made only between you and them. This saves you the hassle of finding a Japanese friend to vouch for you.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
  984. &lt;div&gt;
  985. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  986. &lt;div&gt;
  987. &lt;u&gt;4. You don&#39;t need to buy large house appliances.&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  988. &lt;div&gt;
  989. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  990. &lt;div&gt;
  991. Aside from no key money and no guarantor, their apartments are also furnished with washing machine, TV, internet, refrigerator, air conditioner, gas heater, stove and microwave over. Apartments also has tables for dining. You can move in with just your clothes.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
  992. &lt;div&gt;
  993. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  994. &lt;div&gt;
  995. &lt;u&gt;5. You don&#39;t need to apply for internet.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  996. &lt;div&gt;
  997. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  998. &lt;div&gt;
  999. Applying for internet connection is another pain for foreigners. It takes time and takes a lot of paperwork. But if you choose to live in a Leo Palace apartment, you automatically have an internet connection. This is included in your monthly rent.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
  1000. &lt;div&gt;
  1001. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1002. &lt;div&gt;
  1003. &lt;u&gt;6. You almost always have neighbors.&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1004. &lt;div&gt;
  1005. &lt;u&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1006. &lt;div&gt;
  1007. I don&#39;t know about you but I don&#39;t like the thought of living alone in an apartment building. When I moved in, I had to make sure that there are other people living in the same complex. Because Leo Palace has the easiest rental system, their apartments are never vacant. Hence, you&#39;ll always have neighbors.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
  1008. &lt;div&gt;
  1009. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1010. &lt;div&gt;
  1011. I have one big complaint about Leo Palace, though. It&#39;s the size of their apartments. They&#39;re best suited for short-term stays and for single occupancy. Most of the not-so-good things that I find revolves around with my spatial problem.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
  1012. &lt;div&gt;
  1013. &lt;u&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1014. &lt;div&gt;
  1015. &lt;b&gt;&lt;i&gt;Not-So-Good Things about Renting a Leo Palace Apartment&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1016. &lt;div&gt;
  1017. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1018. &lt;div&gt;
  1019. &lt;u&gt;1. It&#39;s small.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1020. &lt;div&gt;
  1021. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1022. &lt;div&gt;
  1023. The average size of a Leo Palace apartment is around 20-30 square meters. They&#39;re basically boxes. I&#39;m lucky that my apartment has a space-efficient layout. Some apartments are not as nicely-laid out. A single person can live comfortably enough but it can feel cramped with two.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
  1024. &lt;div&gt;
  1025. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1026. &lt;div&gt;
  1027. &lt;u&gt;2. The monthly rent is pricey for its size.&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1028. &lt;div&gt;
  1029. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1030. &lt;div&gt;
  1031. A small studio-type Leo Palace Palace apartment cost around 35,000 to 60,000 Yen depending on the location. An apartment with an actual bedroom and a bigger kitchen can cost with the same amount. I have a friend who lives in a 2-bedroom apartment, triple the size of my place, around the same area where I live. She only pays 38,000 Yen monthly while I pay 43,000 for my small box.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
  1032. &lt;div&gt;
  1033. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1034. &lt;div&gt;
  1035. Now, I understand that I&#39;m also paying for the appliances so it&#39;s pricier. But still, I wish they could give discounts for long-term residents.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
  1036. &lt;div&gt;
  1037. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1038. &lt;div&gt;
  1039. &lt;u&gt;3. The walls are paper thin.&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1040. &lt;div&gt;
  1041. &lt;u&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1042. &lt;div&gt;
  1043. When I first moved in to my place, I felt like I was in a big dollhouse. The walls look so light that if I punch them, they&#39;d shatter. I could also hear my neighbors&#39; footsteps, laughter and other daily activities. I felt uncomfortable at first cause it felt like I was living with other people. But I got used to it eventually.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
  1044. &lt;div&gt;
  1045. &lt;u&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1046. &lt;div&gt;
  1047. &lt;u&gt;4. There are no elevators.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1048. &lt;div&gt;
  1049. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1050. &lt;div&gt;
  1051. Most Leo Palace apartments have two to three floors. But some are as high as having a fourth floor. Having no elevators is not a problem if you live in the first and second floor. But if you live in the 3rd and 4th, it&#39;s not the most convenient.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
  1052. &lt;div&gt;
  1053. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1054. &lt;div&gt;
  1055. Now, here&#39;s an advice: If you&#39;ve decided to stay in Japan for more than 2 years, I suggest you find an actual apartment. Leo Palace is great as a temporary place but you&#39;ll be spending more in the long run. It&#39;s also great if you&#39;re outside most of the time. But if you love having people over, it&#39;s not the best place to be.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
  1056. &lt;div&gt;
  1057. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1058. &lt;div&gt;
  1059. &lt;div&gt;
  1060. &lt;div&gt;
  1061. &lt;div&gt;
  1062. &lt;div&gt;
  1063. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1064. &lt;/div&gt;
  1065. &lt;/div&gt;
  1066. &lt;/div&gt;
  1067. &lt;/div&gt;
  1068. &lt;/div&gt;
  1069. </content><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8361869965743586376/posts/default/2939090533151849873'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8361869965743586376/posts/default/2939090533151849873'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://ppinjapan.blogspot.com/2016/01/living-in-leo-palace-apartment.html' title='Living in a Leo Palace Apartment'/><author><name>purple pen</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/08721645616820607412</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='24' src='//blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-IKtOxQFQ2BIHol0gKKWAU_GBDGvA-Xq98i7jUp1jhcY0fq_IhkLQIQ7_eARverc4Q6BsNOf4Y1zcnwBloaaQM32dTd5QFt02pNUjM9bUk8yqB9ZSk4VnG1UfCyYYBQ/s151/*'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPHVeca1mW2xEcSwMlMdYA-72UrkFlyBhkUAKFOULkfnbiQZxMJw7k9R-lM584vU0esgyLf6Jijf7nBsVbtQNv4m5MBHyH-S68O_SWU7eyfOnUB3BO9o8abFjOJzoD9NYro7fFBOkm2X4/s72-c/IMG_3189.JPG" height="72" width="72"/></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8361869965743586376.post-163425140286873362</id><published>2015-12-21T15:24:00.003+09:00</published><updated>2015-12-21T15:24:38.402+09:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Culture"/><title type='text'>Repost: Angry single men stage anti-Christmas rally in Tokyo</title><content type='html'>&lt;div dir=&quot;ltr&quot; style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot; trbidi=&quot;on&quot;&gt;
  1070. &lt;table align=&quot;center&quot; cellpadding=&quot;0&quot; cellspacing=&quot;0&quot; class=&quot;tr-caption-container&quot; style=&quot;margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;tbody&gt;
  1071. &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;427&quot; src=&quot;http://www.punipunijapan.com/uploads/2012/12/PHO-09Nov20-188771.jpg&quot; style=&quot;margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;&quot; width=&quot;640&quot; /&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;
  1072. &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td class=&quot;tr-caption&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Christmas in Japan is all about romance&lt;br /&gt;photo credit: &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.punipunijapan.com/&quot;&gt;www.punipunijapan.com&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;
  1073. &lt;/tbody&gt;&lt;/table&gt;
  1074. &lt;span style=&quot;font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;&quot;&gt;&lt;div&gt;
  1075. &lt;span style=&quot;font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1076. &lt;div&gt;
  1077. I saw this news report on a &lt;a href=&quot;http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/749172/angry-single-men-stage-anti-christmas-rally-in-tokyo&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Philippine online newspaper&lt;/a&gt;. I found it both funny and sad.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
  1078. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;div&gt;
  1079. &lt;span style=&quot;font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1080. &lt;div&gt;
  1081. &lt;span style=&quot;font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;&quot;&gt;In a nutshell: 20 single Japanese men were protesting Christmas because it&#39;s a symbol of capitalism and commercialization.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1082. &lt;div&gt;
  1083. &lt;span style=&quot;font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1084. &lt;div&gt;
  1085. &lt;span style=&quot;font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;&quot;&gt;What they&#39;re using is absolutely true but I think the deeper cause is they have no one to celebrate Christmas with.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1086. &lt;div&gt;
  1087. &lt;span style=&quot;font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1088. &lt;div&gt;
  1089. &lt;span style=&quot;font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;&quot;&gt;In Japan, Christmas is an event for couples much like how Valentines is celebrated in the West. If you&#39;re unmarried, single or no guts to ask someone to a date, then you can just forget a Christmas celebration. No wonder these single men are protesting!&lt;a name=&#39;more&#39;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1090. &lt;div&gt;
  1091. &lt;span style=&quot;font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1092. &lt;div&gt;
  1093. &lt;span style=&quot;font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;&quot;&gt;Though I sympathize with these single men, I find their protest childlish. They&#39;re like people who were uninvited to party they want to go to. They said that they want to &quot;break the barrier of Japanese Christmas&quot; that caters for couples. I suggest, instead of protesting, they hold a singles Christmas party. That would be so much fun than staging a protest.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1094. &lt;div&gt;
  1095. &lt;span style=&quot;font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1096. &lt;div&gt;
  1097. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1098. &lt;div&gt;
  1099. &lt;span style=&quot;font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;&quot;&gt;Anyway, h&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;&quot;&gt;ere&#39;s the report:&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1100. &lt;div&gt;
  1101. &lt;span style=&quot;font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1102. &lt;div&gt;
  1103. &lt;span style=&quot;line-height: 16px;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;&quot;&gt;&lt;i&gt;Anti-Christmas&amp;nbsp;protesters calling themselves “Losers with Women” marched through Tokyo’s streets Saturday, bashing the upcoming holiday as a capitalist ploy that also discriminates against singletons.&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1104. &lt;div&gt;
  1105. &lt;span style=&quot;line-height: 16px;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;&quot;&gt;&lt;i&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1106. &lt;div&gt;
  1107. &lt;div style=&quot;border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 16px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;&quot;&gt;
  1108. &lt;span style=&quot;font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;&quot;&gt;&lt;i&gt;The group of about 20 — part of the Communist-inspired group that routinely protests Western holidays — marched under angry banners that read “Smash Christmas!” in Tokyo’s Shibuya district, where couples and families strolled for holiday shopping.&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1109. &lt;div style=&quot;border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 16px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;&quot;&gt;
  1110. &lt;span style=&quot;font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;&quot;&gt;&lt;i&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1111. &lt;div style=&quot;border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 16px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;&quot;&gt;
  1112. &lt;span style=&quot;font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;&quot;&gt;&lt;i&gt;The scrooges — mostly single men — said they were against capitalism and were opposed to the commercialization of Christmas.&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1113. &lt;div style=&quot;border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 16px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;&quot;&gt;
  1114. &lt;span style=&quot;font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;&quot;&gt;&lt;i&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1115. &lt;div style=&quot;border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 16px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;&quot;&gt;
  1116. &lt;i&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;&quot;&gt;“In this world, money is extracted from people in love, and happy people support capitalism,” said the head of the organization, formally called Kakumeiteki Hi-mote Domei, or the Revolutionary Losers’ League.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;&quot;&gt;“Christmas is the most symbolic event for this,” he added.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1117. &lt;div style=&quot;border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 16px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;&quot;&gt;
  1118. &lt;span style=&quot;font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;&quot;&gt;&lt;i&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1119. &lt;div style=&quot;border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 16px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;&quot;&gt;
  1120. &lt;span style=&quot;font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;&quot;&gt;&lt;i&gt;The man, who identified himself only by the pseudonym Mark Water, said the rally was also in support of unloved men.&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1121. &lt;div style=&quot;border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 16px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;&quot;&gt;
  1122. &lt;span style=&quot;font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;&quot;&gt;&lt;i&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1123. &lt;div style=&quot;border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 16px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;&quot;&gt;
  1124. &lt;span style=&quot;font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;&quot;&gt;&lt;i&gt;“Unpopular men, who don’t have a girlfriend or are not married, are overly discriminated. We want to break this barrier,” he told AFP amid the shouting protesters.&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1125. &lt;div style=&quot;border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 16px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;&quot;&gt;
  1126. &lt;span style=&quot;font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;&quot;&gt;&lt;i&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1127. &lt;div style=&quot;border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;&quot;&gt;
  1128. &lt;span style=&quot;font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 16px;&quot;&gt;&lt;i&gt;Read more here:&amp;nbsp;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;line-height: 16px;&quot;&gt;&lt;i&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href=&quot;http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/749172/angry-single-men-stage-anti-christmas-rally-in-tokyo&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Angry single men stage anti-Christmas rally in Tokyo&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1129. &lt;div style=&quot;border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 16px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;&quot;&gt;
  1130. &lt;span style=&quot;border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1131. &lt;span style=&quot;border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 16px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1132. &lt;/div&gt;
  1133. </content><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8361869965743586376/posts/default/163425140286873362'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8361869965743586376/posts/default/163425140286873362'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://ppinjapan.blogspot.com/2015/12/repost-angry-single-men-stage-anti.html' title='Repost: Angry single men stage anti-Christmas rally in Tokyo'/><author><name>purple pen</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/08721645616820607412</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='24' src='//blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-IKtOxQFQ2BIHol0gKKWAU_GBDGvA-Xq98i7jUp1jhcY0fq_IhkLQIQ7_eARverc4Q6BsNOf4Y1zcnwBloaaQM32dTd5QFt02pNUjM9bUk8yqB9ZSk4VnG1UfCyYYBQ/s151/*'/></author></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8361869965743586376.post-7229700897804824027</id><published>2015-12-18T14:18:00.003+09:00</published><updated>2015-12-18T14:18:57.500+09:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Culture"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Living in Japan"/><title type='text'>Repost: Making Friends in Japan </title><content type='html'>&lt;div dir=&quot;ltr&quot; style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot; trbidi=&quot;on&quot;&gt;
  1134. &lt;span style=&quot;font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;
  1135. &lt;table align=&quot;center&quot; cellpadding=&quot;0&quot; cellspacing=&quot;0&quot; class=&quot;tr-caption-container&quot; style=&quot;margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;tbody&gt;
  1136. &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI7RbTeN-4MDBRaJ2nRjIEmK4oy4NXf1HdOowLhPmXka2tzmFw9EQspZrG_6apNsSoWY8Cn4NABtSH53QNvyoh6jvyKg7uRI1wP70WT5tL5zLUKdl9QzCLMQQuPruQtuLG9hIipddvWqA/s1600/IMG_2862.JPG&quot; imageanchor=&quot;1&quot; style=&quot;margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; height=&quot;480&quot; src=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI7RbTeN-4MDBRaJ2nRjIEmK4oy4NXf1HdOowLhPmXka2tzmFw9EQspZrG_6apNsSoWY8Cn4NABtSH53QNvyoh6jvyKg7uRI1wP70WT5tL5zLUKdl9QzCLMQQuPruQtuLG9hIipddvWqA/s640/IMG_2862.JPG&quot; width=&quot;640&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;
  1137. &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td class=&quot;tr-caption&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;A display in Meiji Mura, Aichi&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;
  1138. &lt;/tbody&gt;&lt;/table&gt;
  1139. &lt;span style=&quot;font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;
  1140. &lt;span style=&quot;font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;&quot;&gt;I came across this post a few days ago about making friends in Japan. I find it really enlightening. It made me realize why I&#39;m not in deep friendships with Japanese people.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  1141. &lt;span style=&quot;font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;
  1142. &lt;span style=&quot;font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;&quot;&gt;This excerpt below really got me. Basically, the writer is saying it&#39;s hard to find a Japanese friend who would like to discuss things beyond the usual polite topics of hobby, weather and activities.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  1143. &lt;span style=&quot;font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;
  1144. &lt;span style=&quot;font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;&quot;&gt;I wholeheartedly agree with this insight. In more than 3 years of staying in Japan, I only met 2 people who enjoy a good discussion on politics, social issues, and other topics that need some kind of thinking. Interestingly, these two people are not the usual Japanese. One is a divorcee from an American husband who lived abroad for several years. The other is my student who refused to be part of the Japanese workforce. He&#39;s a freelance businessman who doesn&#39;t care about the society&#39;s expectations.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  1145. &lt;span style=&quot;font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;
  1146. &lt;span style=&quot;font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;&quot;&gt;Now here&#39;s the problem. These two people don&#39;t consider me as a &quot;friend.&quot; To the divorcee, I&#39;m just a co-worker. We don&#39;t hang out. We only get to talk when the students are doing something in the classroom. To my student, I&#39;m a teacher. We can&#39;t be friends even though we&#39;re almost of the same age. So I&#39;ve found people to talk to but they won&#39;t consider me as friends. Just great. &amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  1147. &lt;span style=&quot;font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;
  1148. &lt;span style=&quot;font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;&quot;&gt;Anyway, here&#39;s the excerpt:&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  1149. &lt;br /&gt;
  1150. &lt;a name=&#39;more&#39;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  1151. (Excerpt from &lt;a href=&quot;http://japaneseruleof7.com/making-friends-in-japan/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Making Friends in Japan, Japanese Rule of 7&lt;/a&gt;)&lt;br /&gt;
  1152. &lt;strong style=&quot;border: 0px none; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 18px; line-height: 1em; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;&quot;&gt;Understanding Japanese People&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  1153. &lt;div style=&quot;background-color: white; border: 0px none; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; list-style: none; outline: none; padding: 0.5em 0px;&quot;&gt;
  1154. Now, I’m going to be a wee bit judgmental here. I know that may come as a shock since I’m normally amazingly well-balanced, so brace yourself. But let me just say it: Japanese people kind of suck at deep thinking. They have virtually no practice in the sort of bantering debate and dissecting of issues that fills college dorm rooms in the West. They’re nice enough folks, but if it came down to a&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.businessinsider.com/15-google-interview-questions-that-will-make-you-feel-stupid-2009-11?op=1&quot; style=&quot;border: 0px none; color: #3939be; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out;&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Google Interview&lt;/a&gt;, I wouldn’t wager much on them. Having taught in both elementary schools and universities, the reason seems apparent. Japanese kids study like mad for exams. High school is all about sitting still, listening (or not) to the teacher, and filling in the proper circles. But unlike the West, where it’s easy to get into college but hard to get out, in Japan, it’s the opposite. Once they enter college, their education largely stops. Japanese university (based on the four I’ve taught at) appears to be comprised of two years of screwing off followed by two more of job hunting. Students aren’t not challenged to explore ideas or alternate ways of thinking. So the graduates who emerge are capable of following rules, but retain the reasoning skills of a 17 year-old.&lt;/div&gt;
  1155. &lt;div style=&quot;background-color: white; border: 0px none; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; list-style: none; outline: none; padding: 0.5em 0px;&quot;&gt;
  1156. So making casual buddies, to talk about sports, food, or shopping, that’s easy. But finding people who enjoy discussing ideas—-What purpose does life serve? Are we just random bits of dust floating in a vast universe? How can I get the waitresses phone number?—-that’s hard. Okay granted, it’s hard anywhere. Sometimes I’ve fallen in with like-minded people quickly, just by accident. Other times, it’s taken me years to find one or two. It’s certainly not easy in Japan. It probably helps not to be picky.&lt;/div&gt;
  1157. &lt;div style=&quot;background-color: white; border: 0px none; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; list-style: none; outline: none; padding: 0.5em 0px;&quot;&gt;
  1158. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1159. &lt;div style=&quot;background-color: white; border: 0px none; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; list-style: none; outline: none; padding: 0.5em 0px;&quot;&gt;
  1160. Read More: &lt;a href=&quot;http://japaneseruleof7.com/making-friends-in-japan/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Making Friends in Japan&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1161. &lt;/div&gt;
  1162. </content><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8361869965743586376/posts/default/7229700897804824027'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8361869965743586376/posts/default/7229700897804824027'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://ppinjapan.blogspot.com/2015/12/repost-making-friends-in-japan.html' title='Repost: Making Friends in Japan '/><author><name>purple pen</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/08721645616820607412</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='24' src='//blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-IKtOxQFQ2BIHol0gKKWAU_GBDGvA-Xq98i7jUp1jhcY0fq_IhkLQIQ7_eARverc4Q6BsNOf4Y1zcnwBloaaQM32dTd5QFt02pNUjM9bUk8yqB9ZSk4VnG1UfCyYYBQ/s151/*'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI7RbTeN-4MDBRaJ2nRjIEmK4oy4NXf1HdOowLhPmXka2tzmFw9EQspZrG_6apNsSoWY8Cn4NABtSH53QNvyoh6jvyKg7uRI1wP70WT5tL5zLUKdl9QzCLMQQuPruQtuLG9hIipddvWqA/s72-c/IMG_2862.JPG" height="72" width="72"/></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8361869965743586376.post-8212555347513367107</id><published>2015-12-16T09:13:00.000+09:00</published><updated>2015-12-16T09:29:26.080+09:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Living Abroad"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Living in Japan"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Reflections"/><title type='text'>3 Signs You Have Enough of Japan</title><content type='html'>&lt;div dir=&quot;ltr&quot; style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot; trbidi=&quot;on&quot;&gt;
  1163. &lt;table align=&quot;center&quot; cellpadding=&quot;0&quot; cellspacing=&quot;0&quot; class=&quot;tr-caption-container&quot; style=&quot;margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;tbody&gt;
  1164. &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;http://youqueen.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/tired-woman-sleeping-at-laptop.jpg&quot; style=&quot;margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;&quot; /&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;
  1165. &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td class=&quot;tr-caption&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Tired woman&lt;br /&gt;
  1166. photo credit:&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href=&quot;http://youqueen.com/&quot;&gt;http://youqueen.com/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;
  1167. &lt;/tbody&gt;&lt;/table&gt;
  1168. &lt;div style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;
  1169. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1170. &lt;div style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;
  1171. &lt;span style=&quot;font-family: &amp;quot;arial&amp;quot; , &amp;quot;helvetica&amp;quot; , sans-serif;&quot;&gt;&lt;i&gt;&quot;When you stay too long in the same place, things and people go to pot on you,&amp;nbsp;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1172. &lt;div style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;
  1173. &lt;span style=&quot;font-family: &amp;quot;arial&amp;quot; , &amp;quot;helvetica&amp;quot; , sans-serif;&quot;&gt;&lt;i&gt;they rot and start stinking...&quot;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1174. &lt;div style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;
  1175. &lt;span style=&quot;font-family: &amp;quot;arial&amp;quot; , &amp;quot;helvetica&amp;quot; , sans-serif;&quot;&gt;-&lt;i&gt; Louis-Ferdinand Celine, Journey to the End of the Night&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  1176. &lt;span style=&quot;font-family: &amp;quot;arial&amp;quot; , &amp;quot;helvetica&amp;quot; , sans-serif;&quot;&gt;&lt;i&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/span&gt;
  1177. &lt;div style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;
  1178. &lt;span style=&quot;font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;&quot;&gt;This quote has never been more true to me than this year. I think I&#39;m in Japan long enough that people and this place are starting to &quot;pot on me, rot and start stinking...&quot; Don&#39;t get me wrong. I&#39;ve dreamt of being here. I enjoyed being here. I&#39;m thankful that I came here. But I&#39;ve been here for quite sometime, it doesn&#39;t feel right anymore.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1179. &lt;div style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;
  1180. &lt;span style=&quot;font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1181. &lt;div style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;
  1182. &lt;span style=&quot;font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;&quot;&gt;Maybe you&#39;re like. You were once happy to be here but not anymore. Once,this has been your dream but not anymore. And maybe you&#39;re asking yourself if you&#39;re just having a rough day or it&#39;s just really time to move forward.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1183. &lt;div style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;
  1184. &lt;span style=&quot;font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1185. &lt;div style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;
  1186. &lt;span style=&quot;font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;&quot;&gt;These things will tell you that you have enough of Japan:&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1187. &lt;div style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;
  1188. &lt;span style=&quot;font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;&quot;&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1189. &lt;a name=&#39;more&#39;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  1190. &lt;div style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;
  1191. &lt;span style=&quot;font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1192. &lt;div style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;
  1193. &lt;span style=&quot;font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;1. You&#39;re tired of cuteness and the &quot;awesome&quot; Japanese culture.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1194. &lt;div style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;
  1195. &lt;span style=&quot;font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1196. &lt;div style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;
  1197. &lt;span style=&quot;font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;&quot;&gt;You probably fell in love with Japan&#39;s kawaii culture and you were probably amazed with their traditions. But now, you just want to see something normal. You&#39;re tired of seeing mascots and puppets in every possible place and item. You&#39;re sick of hearing grown-up women tryinh to be girls. You&#39;re tired of hearing how wonderful Japanese culture is. You also probably want to tell these Japanese that no, their culture, their food and their festivals are not unique. They are not special people.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1198. &lt;div style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;
  1199. &lt;span style=&quot;font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1200. &lt;div style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;
  1201. &lt;span style=&quot;font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;&quot;&gt;If you feel this way, it&#39;s time to go.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1202. &lt;div style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;
  1203. &lt;span style=&quot;font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1204. &lt;div style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;
  1205. &lt;span style=&quot;font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;2. You don&#39;t want to hear Japanese.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1206. &lt;div style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;
  1207. &lt;span style=&quot;font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1208. &lt;div style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;
  1209. &lt;span style=&quot;font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;&quot;&gt;Maybe when you came to Japan, you had high hopes of learning or improving your Japanese. Then you realize how hard the language is and how it&#39;s harder to connect with the people. You lost the drive to be understood and to understand. And worse, you just want to hear and speak your language.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1210. &lt;/div&gt;
  1211. &lt;div style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;
  1212. &lt;span style=&quot;font-family: &amp;quot;arial&amp;quot; , &amp;quot;helvetica&amp;quot; , sans-serif;&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1213. &lt;div style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;
  1214. &lt;span style=&quot;font-family: &amp;quot;arial&amp;quot; , &amp;quot;helvetica&amp;quot; , sans-serif;&quot;&gt;If you feel this way, it&#39;s time to go.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  1215. &lt;span style=&quot;font-family: &amp;quot;arial&amp;quot; , &amp;quot;helvetica&amp;quot; , sans-serif;&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;
  1216. &lt;span style=&quot;font-family: &amp;quot;arial&amp;quot; , &amp;quot;helvetica&amp;quot; , sans-serif;&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;3. You feel suppressed or trapped&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  1217. &lt;span style=&quot;font-family: &amp;quot;arial&amp;quot; , &amp;quot;helvetica&amp;quot; , sans-serif;&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;
  1218. &lt;span style=&quot;font-family: &amp;quot;arial&amp;quot; , &amp;quot;helvetica&amp;quot; , sans-serif;&quot;&gt;Living in Japan may have given you a feeling of freedom. But this was in the past. Now, you feel like screaming and breaking things because you feel so trapped. You&#39;re tired of keeping up appearances and smiling at the silliest things. You feel like life is passing you by and there&#39;s nothing to look forward to in the next years. You don&#39; t want to watch out for every word and every gesture anymore. You just want to breathe.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1219. &lt;div style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;
  1220. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1221. &lt;div style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;
  1222. &lt;span style=&quot;color: #181818; font-family: &amp;quot;merriweather&amp;quot; , &amp;quot;georgia&amp;quot; , serif;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;background-color: white; font-family: &amp;quot;arial&amp;quot; , &amp;quot;helvetica&amp;quot; , sans-serif; line-height: 21px;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: black; line-height: normal;&quot;&gt;If you feel this way, it&#39;s time to go.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  1223. &lt;span style=&quot;color: #181818; font-family: &amp;quot;merriweather&amp;quot; , &amp;quot;georgia&amp;quot; , serif;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;background-color: white; font-family: &amp;quot;arial&amp;quot; , &amp;quot;helvetica&amp;quot; , sans-serif; line-height: 21px;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: black; line-height: normal;&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;
  1224. &lt;span style=&quot;color: #181818; font-family: &amp;quot;merriweather&amp;quot; , &amp;quot;georgia&amp;quot; , serif;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;background-color: white; font-family: &amp;quot;arial&amp;quot; , &amp;quot;helvetica&amp;quot; , sans-serif; line-height: 21px;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: black; line-height: normal;&quot;&gt;I&#39;ve mentioned in my previous posts that this will be my last year. Some of my friends were surprised. Japan&#39;s a nicer place to live compared to the Philippines. Life is safer here. Money is easier. So why will I leave?&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  1225. &lt;span style=&quot;color: #181818; font-family: &amp;quot;merriweather&amp;quot; , &amp;quot;georgia&amp;quot; , serif;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;background-color: white; font-family: &amp;quot;arial&amp;quot; , &amp;quot;helvetica&amp;quot; , sans-serif; line-height: 21px;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: black; line-height: normal;&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;
  1226. &lt;span style=&quot;color: #181818; font-family: &amp;quot;merriweather&amp;quot; , &amp;quot;georgia&amp;quot; , serif;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;background-color: white; font-family: &amp;quot;arial&amp;quot; , &amp;quot;helvetica&amp;quot; , sans-serif; line-height: 21px;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: black; line-height: normal;&quot;&gt;One reason: I have enough.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  1227. &lt;span style=&quot;color: #181818; font-family: &amp;quot;merriweather&amp;quot; , &amp;quot;georgia&amp;quot; , serif;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;background-color: white; font-family: &amp;quot;arial&amp;quot; , &amp;quot;helvetica&amp;quot; , sans-serif; line-height: 21px;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: black; line-height: normal;&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;
  1228. &lt;span style=&quot;color: #181818; font-family: &amp;quot;merriweather&amp;quot; , &amp;quot;georgia&amp;quot; , serif;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;background-color: white; font-family: &amp;quot;arial&amp;quot; , &amp;quot;helvetica&amp;quot; , sans-serif; line-height: 21px;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: black; line-height: normal;&quot;&gt;Just like in break-ups, it&#39;s not you. It&#39;s me. It&#39;s not Japan&#39;s fault. It&#39;s mine. I can&#39;t embrace the life here for a long time. I&#39;m too restless for my own good.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1229. &lt;div style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;
  1230. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1231. &lt;/div&gt;
  1232. </content><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8361869965743586376/posts/default/8212555347513367107'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8361869965743586376/posts/default/8212555347513367107'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://ppinjapan.blogspot.com/2015/12/3-signs-you-have-enough-of-japan.html' title='3 Signs You Have Enough of Japan'/><author><name>purple pen</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/08721645616820607412</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='24' src='//blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-IKtOxQFQ2BIHol0gKKWAU_GBDGvA-Xq98i7jUp1jhcY0fq_IhkLQIQ7_eARverc4Q6BsNOf4Y1zcnwBloaaQM32dTd5QFt02pNUjM9bUk8yqB9ZSk4VnG1UfCyYYBQ/s151/*'/></author></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8361869965743586376.post-2409694562158169218</id><published>2015-12-10T11:25:00.002+09:00</published><updated>2015-12-10T11:26:29.746+09:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Culture"/><title type='text'>6 Useful Japanese Words You Can Use in Conversations</title><content type='html'>&lt;div dir=&quot;ltr&quot; style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot; trbidi=&quot;on&quot;&gt;
  1233. &lt;table align=&quot;center&quot; cellpadding=&quot;0&quot; cellspacing=&quot;0&quot; class=&quot;tr-caption-container&quot; style=&quot;margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;tbody&gt;
  1234. &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;img alt=&quot;キャプチャ33&quot; src=&quot;http://sociorocketnewsen.files.wordpress.com/2014/09/e382ade383a3e38397e38381e383a3331.jpg?w=580&amp;amp;h=323&quot; style=&quot;margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;&quot; /&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;
  1235. &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td class=&quot;tr-caption&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Wakarimasen- I don&#39;t know&lt;br /&gt;
  1236. photo credit: &lt;a href=&quot;http://s372.photobucket.com/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;from Photobucket&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;
  1237. &lt;/tbody&gt;&lt;/table&gt;
  1238. &lt;div&gt;
  1239. I&#39;ve been in Japan for more than 3 years but my Japanese speaking skills is still horrible. I can rarely string a full grammatically-correct sentence. When I speak in Japanese, I just usually throw Japanese words that I think can convey what I mean. This is accompanied with lots of hand movements, sound effects and, sometimes, even drawings.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
  1240. &lt;div&gt;
  1241. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1242. &lt;div&gt;
  1243. On the other hand, I think my listening skills and vocabulary are great. I usually understand what the people are telling me. I know how I should respond- in English. The problem is, most Japanese people I&#39;ve talked to would suddenly shut off once I respond to them in English. They would stop whatever they&#39;re telling me or they would look rattled. *sigh* To avoid this from happening, I&#39;ve learned to use five common words that Japanese people usually say in conversations and one word that would end conversations.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
  1244. &lt;div&gt;
  1245. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1246. &lt;div&gt;
  1247. You can use the following words in various situations:&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
  1248. &lt;div&gt;
  1249. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1250. &lt;div&gt;
  1251. &lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;1. Kawaii!&amp;nbsp;&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1252. &lt;div&gt;
  1253. &lt;i&gt;Meaning: &lt;/i&gt;cute, beautiful, nice&lt;/div&gt;
  1254. &lt;div&gt;
  1255. &lt;i&gt;How to say it: &lt;/i&gt;Ka-wa-yiiiieeee! in a high pitched voice.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
  1256. &lt;div&gt;
  1257. &lt;i&gt;When to use it:&lt;/i&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
  1258. &lt;div&gt;
  1259. &lt;ul style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;
  1260. &lt;li&gt;When a Japanese shows or points something nice to you, you can say &quot;Kawaii!&quot;&lt;/li&gt;
  1261. &lt;li&gt;When you receive a gift, you can exclaim &quot;Kawaii!&quot;&lt;/li&gt;
  1262. &lt;li&gt;When somebody introduces their kids to you, just say &quot;Kawaii!&quot; even if it&#39;s not true.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/li&gt;
  1263. &lt;li&gt;When you want to compliment a coworkers clothes or appearance, say &quot;Kawaii!&quot;&lt;/li&gt;
  1264. &lt;/ul&gt;
  1265. &lt;div&gt;
  1266. &lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  1267. &lt;a name=&#39;more&#39;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1268. &lt;div&gt;
  1269. &lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;2. Sugoi!&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1270. &lt;/div&gt;
  1271. &lt;div&gt;
  1272. &lt;i&gt;Meaning:&lt;/i&gt; Great!&lt;/div&gt;
  1273. &lt;div&gt;
  1274. &lt;i&gt;How to say it&lt;/i&gt;: Su-goy in a normal to low pitched voice.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
  1275. &lt;div&gt;
  1276. &lt;i&gt;When to use it:&amp;nbsp;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1277. &lt;div&gt;
  1278. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1279. &lt;div&gt;
  1280. &lt;ul style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;
  1281. &lt;li&gt;When somebody&#39;s telling you about a great experience&lt;/li&gt;
  1282. &lt;li&gt;When somebody&#39;s bragging something about Japanese culture&lt;/li&gt;
  1283. &lt;li&gt;When you&#39;re watching a performance and you&#39;re with a Japanese person&lt;/li&gt;
  1284. &lt;li&gt;When you want to compliment a student&lt;/li&gt;
  1285. &lt;/ul&gt;
  1286. &lt;div&gt;
  1287. &lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;3. Honto?!&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1288. &lt;/div&gt;
  1289. &lt;div&gt;
  1290. &lt;i&gt;Meaning:&lt;/i&gt;&amp;nbsp;Really?&lt;/div&gt;
  1291. &lt;div&gt;
  1292. &lt;div&gt;
  1293. &lt;i&gt;How to say it&lt;/i&gt;: Hon-to in a question-pitched voice&lt;/div&gt;
  1294. &lt;div&gt;
  1295. &lt;i&gt;When to use it:&amp;nbsp;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1296. &lt;/div&gt;
  1297. &lt;div&gt;
  1298. &lt;i&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1299. &lt;div&gt;
  1300. &lt;ul style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;
  1301. &lt;li&gt;An alternative expression when somebody&#39;s telling you about an experience&lt;/li&gt;
  1302. &lt;li&gt;An alternative expression when somebody&#39;s bragging about Japanese culture&lt;/li&gt;
  1303. &lt;/ul&gt;
  1304. &lt;div&gt;
  1305. &lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;4. Oishi!&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1306. &lt;/div&gt;
  1307. &lt;div&gt;
  1308. &lt;div&gt;
  1309. &lt;i&gt;Meaning:&lt;/i&gt;&amp;nbsp;Delicious!&lt;/div&gt;
  1310. &lt;div&gt;
  1311. &lt;i&gt;How to say it&lt;/i&gt;: Oy-shi! in a happy voice&lt;/div&gt;
  1312. &lt;div&gt;
  1313. &lt;i&gt;When to use it:&amp;nbsp;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1314. &lt;/div&gt;
  1315. &lt;div&gt;
  1316. &lt;ul style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;
  1317. &lt;li&gt;When somebody gives you an omiyage or a food souvenir&lt;/li&gt;
  1318. &lt;li&gt;When you&#39;re eating with Japanese people and you feel you need to say something&lt;/li&gt;
  1319. &lt;/ul&gt;
  1320. &lt;div&gt;
  1321. &lt;u&gt;&lt;b&gt;5. Eeeeeeeh!&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1322. &lt;/div&gt;
  1323. &lt;div&gt;
  1324. &lt;i&gt;Meaning:&lt;/i&gt; This is not really a word but the Japanese like to use it. It&#39;s a sound that could mean Kawaii! &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; Honto! and Sugoi! depending on the pitch.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
  1325. &lt;div&gt;
  1326. &lt;i&gt;How to say it:&lt;/i&gt; Say the short e sound for a long time.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
  1327. &lt;div&gt;
  1328. &lt;i&gt;When to use it:&amp;nbsp;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1329. &lt;div&gt;
  1330. I only use this when somebody&#39;s telling me something and they have enough of my &quot;Sugoi&quot; and &quot;Honto?!&quot;&lt;/div&gt;
  1331. &lt;div&gt;
  1332. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1333. &lt;div&gt;
  1334. Here&#39;s the thing, you don&#39;t have to mean these words when you say them. The Japanese person you&#39;re talking to also don&#39;t expect you mean these words. They&#39;re just expressions to help you get through a conversation with a Japanese.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
  1335. &lt;div&gt;
  1336. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1337. &lt;div&gt;
  1338. Now, if you really really don&#39;t want to be bothered just say this 6th expression:&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
  1339. &lt;div&gt;
  1340. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1341. &lt;div&gt;
  1342. &lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;6. Wakarimasen&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1343. &lt;div&gt;
  1344. &lt;i&gt;Meaning: &lt;/i&gt;I don&#39;t understand. If you say it twice, it means I don&#39;t want to understand you.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
  1345. &lt;div&gt;
  1346. &lt;i&gt;How to say it:&lt;/i&gt; Normal voice if you want to sound polite. Annoyed voice if you want to drive people away.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
  1347. &lt;div&gt;
  1348. &lt;i&gt;When to use it:&amp;nbsp;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1349. &lt;div&gt;
  1350. When you&#39;ve given up on understanding Japanese and you just want to be left alone in your little foreign bubble.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
  1351. &lt;div&gt;
  1352. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1353. &lt;/div&gt;
  1354. </content><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8361869965743586376/posts/default/2409694562158169218'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8361869965743586376/posts/default/2409694562158169218'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://ppinjapan.blogspot.com/2015/12/6-useful-japanese-words-you-can-use-in.html' title='6 Useful Japanese Words You Can Use in Conversations'/><author><name>purple pen</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/08721645616820607412</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='24' src='//blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-IKtOxQFQ2BIHol0gKKWAU_GBDGvA-Xq98i7jUp1jhcY0fq_IhkLQIQ7_eARverc4Q6BsNOf4Y1zcnwBloaaQM32dTd5QFt02pNUjM9bUk8yqB9ZSk4VnG1UfCyYYBQ/s151/*'/></author></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8361869965743586376.post-5162676174838686648</id><published>2015-12-07T15:45:00.001+09:00</published><updated>2015-12-07T15:45:13.215+09:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Culture"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Living in Japan"/><title type='text'>Should You Visit Japan on Winter Vacation? </title><content type='html'>&lt;div dir=&quot;ltr&quot; style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot; trbidi=&quot;on&quot;&gt;
  1355. &lt;table align=&quot;center&quot; cellpadding=&quot;0&quot; cellspacing=&quot;0&quot; class=&quot;tr-caption-container&quot; style=&quot;margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;tbody&gt;
  1356. &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;http://cdn.smosh.com/sites/default/files/legacy.images/smosh-pit/012011/Monkey_Man_Onsen.jpg&quot; style=&quot;margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;&quot; /&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;
  1357. &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td class=&quot;tr-caption&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Japanese woman enjoying an onsen with monkeys&lt;br /&gt;photo credit:&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.smosh.com/&quot;&gt;http://www.smosh.com/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;
  1358. &lt;/tbody&gt;&lt;/table&gt;
  1359. &lt;div&gt;
  1360. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1361. &lt;div&gt;
  1362. And we&#39;re at the end of another year. Where did the year go? Time flew so fast!&lt;/div&gt;
  1363. &lt;div&gt;
  1364. It&#39;s winter again, my 4th and last winter in Japan. How I survived the last three winters amazes me.&lt;/div&gt;
  1365. &lt;div&gt;
  1366. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1367. &lt;div&gt;
  1368. Anyway, a couple of people have asked me if winter vacation is good time to visit Japan. I&#39;d like to say, it depends but I&#39;d be required to give more explanations. So, I just wrote them the pros and cons of visiting Japan in winter. I&#39;ll share here what I wrote to them.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
  1369. &lt;div&gt;
  1370. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1371. &lt;div&gt;
  1372. &lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;A. Why You Should Visit Japan in Winter&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1373. &lt;div&gt;
  1374. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1375. &lt;div&gt;
  1376. &lt;b&gt;&lt;i&gt;1. It&#39;s a great time for winter sports. &amp;nbsp;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1377. &lt;div&gt;
  1378. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1379. &lt;div&gt;
  1380. If you love skiing or snowboarding, then by all means, come to Japan on your winter break. The snow is simply perfect at this time. You don&#39;t need to go all the way to Hokkaido. You can enjoy winter sports along the slopes of Mt. Fuji, on the mountains in Nagano or in the northern prefectures from Tokyo.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
  1381. &lt;div&gt;
  1382. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1383. &lt;div&gt;
  1384. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2262.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Best Ski Resorts in Japan&lt;a name=&#39;more&#39;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1385. &lt;div&gt;
  1386. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1387. &lt;div&gt;
  1388. &lt;b&gt;&lt;i&gt;2. There are wonderful illuminations to see.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1389. &lt;div&gt;
  1390. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1391. &lt;div&gt;
  1392. Japan is obsessed with winter illuminations. Almost everywhere, there&#39;s some kind of local illumination during the winter break. Some illuminations have light shows and other related events.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
  1393. &lt;div&gt;
  1394. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1395. &lt;div&gt;
  1396. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2304.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Winter Illuminations&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1397. &lt;div&gt;
  1398. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1399. &lt;div&gt;
  1400. &lt;b&gt;&lt;i&gt;3. The New Year&#39;s sale is amazing.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1401. &lt;div&gt;
  1402. &lt;b&gt;&lt;i&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1403. &lt;div&gt;
  1404. If you&#39;re planning to go shopping, don&#39;t miss the New Year&#39;s Day sales all over Japan. Prices drop to as much as 70% off. This is called Hatsu-uri. A lot of shops also offer Happy Bags or Lucky Bags called Fukubukuro. These bags contain various goods which are worth much more than what you&#39;ll pay for. (For example, if you buy a 10,000 Fukubukuro, you may get goods worth 30,000- 50,000)&lt;/div&gt;
  1405. &lt;div&gt;
  1406. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1407. &lt;div&gt;
  1408. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.japanvisitor.com/japan-travel/japan-residents/hatsuuri&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;New Year Sale&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1409. &lt;div&gt;
  1410. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1411. &lt;div&gt;
  1412. &lt;b&gt;&lt;i&gt;4. Juhachi Kippu or 18 Ticket is available.&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1413. &lt;div&gt;
  1414. &lt;b&gt;&lt;i&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1415. &lt;div&gt;
  1416. Juhachi Kippu is a cheap seasonal ticket for local trains. You can go all over Japan with this ticket if you don&#39;t mind spending tons of time in the train. For only 11,800 Yen, you can ride any local train for 5 days. &amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
  1417. &lt;div&gt;
  1418. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1419. &lt;div&gt;
  1420. &lt;a href=&quot;http://ppinjapan.blogspot.jp/search?updated-max=2014-12-06T00:06:00%2B09:00&amp;amp;max-results=3&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Juhachi Kippu&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1421. &lt;div&gt;
  1422. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1423. &lt;div&gt;
  1424. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1425. &lt;div&gt;
  1426. &lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;B.Why You Should Not Visit Japan in Winter&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1427. &lt;div&gt;
  1428. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1429. &lt;div&gt;
  1430. &lt;b&gt;&lt;i&gt;1. It&#39;s really, really, horribly cold.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1431. &lt;div&gt;
  1432. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1433. &lt;div&gt;
  1434. It&#39;s cold, cold, cold. This is the primary reason why it&#39;s not a great time to visit on winter vacation. It&#39;s just sooooo cold everywhere.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
  1435. &lt;div&gt;
  1436. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1437. &lt;div&gt;
  1438. &lt;a href=&quot;http://japaneseruleof7.com/winter-in-japan/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Winter in Japan? Balls, it&#39;s Cold.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1439. &lt;div&gt;
  1440. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1441. &lt;div&gt;
  1442. &lt;b&gt;&lt;i&gt;2. It&#39;s peak season in tourism.&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1443. &lt;div&gt;
  1444. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1445. &lt;div&gt;
  1446. Vacation time is a peak time for tourism. It means things are more expensive than in low season. Lodging is especially more expensive. If you&#39;re visiting in winter on a budget, consider Air BnB.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
  1447. &lt;div&gt;
  1448. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1449. &lt;div&gt;
  1450. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2276.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Visiting Japan during New Year&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1451. &lt;div&gt;
  1452. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1453. &lt;div&gt;
  1454. &lt;b&gt;&lt;i&gt;3. Establishments are closed from December 30 to January 2.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1455. &lt;div&gt;
  1456. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1457. &lt;div&gt;
  1458. If your time is limited, visiting on winter vacation is not a good time. Most tourist places, except for parks, are closed for the New Year. Even the big cities are unusually quiet and peaceful.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
  1459. &lt;div&gt;
  1460. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1461. &lt;div&gt;
  1462. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2064.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;New Year&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1463. &lt;div&gt;
  1464. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1465. &lt;div&gt;
  1466. &lt;b&gt;&lt;i&gt;4. Christmas is an ordinary day and New Year is very quiet.&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1467. &lt;div&gt;
  1468. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1469. &lt;div&gt;
  1470. Don&#39;t let the Christmas decors all around Japan fool you. People go to work on Christmas. It&#39;s not a holiday in Japan. Then Japan&#39;s New Year celebration is very quiet. No parties, no fireworks just sounds of the temple bells. The atmosphere during these times are solemn, not festive.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
  1471. &lt;div&gt;
  1472. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1473. &lt;div&gt;
  1474. &lt;a href=&quot;http://japan-magazine.jnto.go.jp/en/1112_christmas.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;The weird? Christmas in Japan&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1475. &lt;div&gt;
  1476. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1477. &lt;div&gt;
  1478. The things I&#39;ve listed are based on my experience. Some of the pros maybe cons to you and some of the cons may actually be pros to you. It really depends on how you see things.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
  1479. &lt;div&gt;
  1480. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1481. &lt;div&gt;
  1482. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1483. &lt;/div&gt;
  1484. </content><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8361869965743586376/posts/default/5162676174838686648'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8361869965743586376/posts/default/5162676174838686648'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://ppinjapan.blogspot.com/2015/12/should-you-visit-japan-on-winter.html' title='Should You Visit Japan on Winter Vacation? '/><author><name>purple pen</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/08721645616820607412</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='24' src='//blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-IKtOxQFQ2BIHol0gKKWAU_GBDGvA-Xq98i7jUp1jhcY0fq_IhkLQIQ7_eARverc4Q6BsNOf4Y1zcnwBloaaQM32dTd5QFt02pNUjM9bUk8yqB9ZSk4VnG1UfCyYYBQ/s151/*'/></author></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8361869965743586376.post-3631864998989909458</id><published>2015-11-26T15:04:00.002+09:00</published><updated>2015-11-26T15:06:00.504+09:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Living in Japan"/><title type='text'>Just Moved to Japan: Where to Buy Affordable Things</title><content type='html'>&lt;div dir=&quot;ltr&quot; style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot; trbidi=&quot;on&quot;&gt;
  1485. &lt;table align=&quot;center&quot; cellpadding=&quot;0&quot; cellspacing=&quot;0&quot; class=&quot;tr-caption-container&quot; style=&quot;margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;tbody&gt;
  1486. &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;http://www.destination360.com/asia/japan/images/s/shopping-akihabara-electric-city.jpg&quot; style=&quot;margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;&quot; /&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;
  1487. &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td class=&quot;tr-caption&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Shopping in Japan&lt;br /&gt;
  1488. credit:&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.destination360.com/&quot;&gt;http://www.destination360.com/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;
  1489. &lt;/tbody&gt;&lt;/table&gt;
  1490. &lt;div&gt;
  1491. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1492. &lt;div&gt;
  1493. Someone emailed me recently about where to buy affordable clothes, mattresses and other household products. Her family just moved to Japan and they&#39;re just about to start their lives in a new place.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
  1494. &lt;div&gt;
  1495. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1496. &lt;div&gt;
  1497. If you&#39;re in the same situation as hers, I&#39;m sure you can find the following tips useful:&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
  1498. &lt;div&gt;
  1499. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1500. &lt;div&gt;
  1501. &lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;For clothes:&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
  1502. &lt;div&gt;
  1503. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1504. &lt;div&gt;
  1505. If you&#39;re okay with second-hand clothes, the best place to buy is King Family. It has shops all around Japan. Get a free membership card from King Family. They have regular campaigns for card holder. For example, if you get 2 clothes they&#39;ll give you 20% discount, if three to four you&#39;ll get 50% discount. If you get more, you&#39;ll get as much as 70% discount. I usually buy 3-4 items and they only cost me less than a thousand Yen.&lt;br /&gt;
  1506. &lt;a name=&#39;more&#39;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1507. &lt;div&gt;
  1508. &lt;br /&gt;
  1509. If you like brand new clothes, GU is the best place to go. They have a wide variety of clothes. You can buy a shirt for as low as 300Yen when they&#39;re having a sale. Gap and H&amp;amp;M also have regular sales. My husband bought polo shirts for only 300 Yen from Gap. I have some items from H&amp;amp;M which I bought for only 100 to 200 Yen.&lt;/div&gt;
  1510. &lt;div&gt;
  1511. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1512. &lt;div&gt;
  1513. &lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;For shoes:&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1514. &lt;div&gt;
  1515. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1516. &lt;div&gt;
  1517. Shoe Plaza and Shimamura are my go-to places for shoes. I especially like Shoe Plaza for their sneakers and sports shoes. Shimamura is the place to go for casual shoes. I have 2 pairs of shoes from Shimamura which I only bought for 500 Yen each.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
  1518. &lt;div&gt;
  1519. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1520. &lt;div&gt;
  1521. &lt;div&gt;
  1522. &lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;For futons, mattresses, pillows and blankets:&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
  1523. &lt;div&gt;
  1524. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1525. &lt;div&gt;
  1526. I highly recommend buying from AEON Home Section. This section is usually next to the supermarket. A winter blanket is priced from 1000 Yen, a single mattress from 1900 Yen, a futon from 3000 Yen, pillowcases from 300 Yen each and a pillow from 500 Yen.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
  1527. &lt;div&gt;
  1528. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1529. &lt;div&gt;
  1530. Shimamura is also another option but AEON still has the lowest prices.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
  1531. &lt;/div&gt;
  1532. &lt;div&gt;
  1533. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1534. &lt;div&gt;
  1535. &lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;For home furniture and appliances:&amp;nbsp;&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1536. &lt;div&gt;
  1537. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1538. &lt;div&gt;
  1539. I suggest you buy the following items from recycle shops: TV, dining table, couches/ chairs, cabinets, air conditioner, washing machine and stove.&lt;/div&gt;
  1540. &lt;div&gt;
  1541. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1542. &lt;div&gt;
  1543. Then buy these items from Bic Camera: electric fans, rice cookers and other smaller appliances. These items are usually cheaper or almost the same price as with the items in the recycle shops. The good thing about Bic Camera is their membership card. When you get a card, you&#39;ll earn points when you buy from them. I have a few friends who bought their cellphones from Bic Camera. Their purchase earned points and they all went home with a free rice cooker or toaster. &amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
  1544. &lt;div&gt;
  1545. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1546. &lt;div&gt;
  1547. &lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;For small household items:&amp;nbsp;&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1548. &lt;div&gt;
  1549. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1550. &lt;div&gt;
  1551. Daiso and other 100 Yen shops are just everywhere Japan. This is the best place to buy glasses, cups, plates, spoons, rugs, pans and other household needs. The bigger Daiso stores have just about everything you need including consumables such as soap, food and almost anything you might need for daily life.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
  1552. &lt;div&gt;
  1553. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1554. &lt;div&gt;
  1555. To give you an idea how much you might need to start a life in a new place in Japan here&#39;s what I know: When I moved to Japan, I spent less than 15,000 YEN to fill my furnished apartment. My place already has a TV, a microwave oven, a washing machine and a stove and a refrigerator. I didn&#39;t buy a couch, my living room has a carpet with few throw pillows. A friend who moved into a totally empty house spent about 30,000 to fill her place. She bought a TV, a 4-seater dining table, a washing machine, a small refrigerator and a small table. She also doesn&#39;t have a couch.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
  1556. &lt;div&gt;
  1557. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1558. &lt;div&gt;
  1559. You don&#39;t have to buy everything all at once. Some of the things I have were generously given by other people. Who knows, somebody might also give things to you?&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
  1560. &lt;div&gt;
  1561. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1562. &lt;div&gt;
  1563. &lt;b&gt;&lt;i&gt;If you&#39;ve been here in Japan for quite sometime, do you have other tips? Share away!&amp;nbsp;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1564. &lt;div&gt;
  1565. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1566. &lt;div&gt;
  1567. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1568. &lt;div&gt;
  1569. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1570. &lt;div&gt;
  1571. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1572. &lt;div&gt;
  1573. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1574. &lt;div&gt;
  1575. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1576. &lt;/div&gt;
  1577. </content><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8361869965743586376/posts/default/3631864998989909458'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8361869965743586376/posts/default/3631864998989909458'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://ppinjapan.blogspot.com/2015/11/just-moved-to-japan-where-to-buy.html' title='Just Moved to Japan: Where to Buy Affordable Things'/><author><name>purple pen</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/08721645616820607412</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='24' src='//blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-IKtOxQFQ2BIHol0gKKWAU_GBDGvA-Xq98i7jUp1jhcY0fq_IhkLQIQ7_eARverc4Q6BsNOf4Y1zcnwBloaaQM32dTd5QFt02pNUjM9bUk8yqB9ZSk4VnG1UfCyYYBQ/s151/*'/></author></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8361869965743586376.post-1238533159268683438</id><published>2015-11-24T14:56:00.003+09:00</published><updated>2015-11-24T14:56:36.756+09:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Living in Japan"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Travel"/><title type='text'>Japanese Transportation is Not Convenient, Really</title><content type='html'>&lt;div dir=&quot;ltr&quot; style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot; trbidi=&quot;on&quot;&gt;
  1578. &lt;table align=&quot;center&quot; cellpadding=&quot;0&quot; cellspacing=&quot;0&quot; class=&quot;tr-caption-container&quot; style=&quot;margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;tbody&gt;
  1579. &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;300&quot; src=&quot;http://fc01.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2012/053/9/9/pokemon_bus_by_cloverwing-d4qkp6g.jpg&quot; style=&quot;margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;&quot; width=&quot;400&quot; /&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;
  1580. &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td class=&quot;tr-caption&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;A pokemon school bus!&lt;br /&gt;credits:&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.nintendolife.com/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;span class=&quot;irc_ho&quot; dir=&quot;ltr&quot; style=&quot;-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.2); background-color: #f1f1f1; color: #7d7d7d; cursor: pointer; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px; margin-right: -2px; overflow: hidden; padding-right: 2px; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-overflow: ellipsis; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;&quot;&gt;www.nintendolife.com&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;
  1581. &lt;/tbody&gt;&lt;/table&gt;
  1582. &lt;br /&gt;
  1583. &lt;br /&gt;
  1584. Japanese public transportation is not convenient.&lt;br /&gt;
  1585. &lt;br /&gt;
  1586. It is efficient, reliable and even comfortable. But, it&#39;s not convenient.&lt;br /&gt;
  1587. &lt;br /&gt;
  1588. How it is so?&lt;br /&gt;
  1589. &lt;br /&gt;
  1590. Let&#39;s take the buses. From the main station, they leave on time. But from the bus stops, they&#39;re usually 2-5 minutes late because of traffic. Some areas also have few buses. They only pass once in an hour. Personally, I always have to take the 7:03 bus to go to work so I can arrive at around 7:45 in school. If I miss that, I&#39;ll be late. The next bus passing by my school leaves the station at 7:50.&lt;br /&gt;
  1591. &lt;br /&gt;
  1592. Then there&#39;s the famous &quot;on-time&quot; trains of Japan. Sure, they&#39;re almost always on time. If a delay happens, it is still certain that the train operators will do their best to keep the trains running. However, most people have to walk, ride a bicycle or drive to the train station. With my own experience, I have to walk 20-25 minutes if I need to take the train. If I live near the train station, I&#39;d have to deal with costly rent and constant sounds of the train. Also, not all local areas in Japan are accessible by trains. In smaller cities, a private car is still the primary mode of transportation.&lt;br /&gt;
  1593. &lt;a name=&#39;more&#39;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  1594. Finally, there&#39;s the taxi. Taxis are soooo expensive even though the fuel costs in Japan are comparatively lower. My personal estimate is the taxi fare is usually 10x the bus fare. For example, the bus fare to my apartment is 100 Yen. The taxi fare is usually 1000. I don&#39;t know why the taxi fares have sky-rocket prices. But if you go home beyond midnight and you don&#39;t have a car, then prepare to shell out a swath of cash for a taxi ride. That or sleep on the train station.&lt;br /&gt;
  1595. &lt;br /&gt;
  1596. Friends who have visited me always commended the Japanese transportation system. They marvel how efficiency and the convenience. But here&#39;s the thing: They are tourists. The transportation system of Japan has considered the tourist spots especially in Kyoto, Tokyo and Osaka. Residents will certainly disagree with my friends especially in winter time. Because as I&#39;ve said, the transportation system in Japan is not really convenient.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
  1597. </content><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8361869965743586376/posts/default/1238533159268683438'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8361869965743586376/posts/default/1238533159268683438'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://ppinjapan.blogspot.com/2015/11/japanese-transportation-is-not.html' title='Japanese Transportation is Not Convenient, Really'/><author><name>purple pen</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/08721645616820607412</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='24' src='//blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-IKtOxQFQ2BIHol0gKKWAU_GBDGvA-Xq98i7jUp1jhcY0fq_IhkLQIQ7_eARverc4Q6BsNOf4Y1zcnwBloaaQM32dTd5QFt02pNUjM9bUk8yqB9ZSk4VnG1UfCyYYBQ/s151/*'/></author></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8361869965743586376.post-999194625362624021</id><published>2015-11-19T11:27:00.000+09:00</published><updated>2015-11-19T11:27:29.761+09:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Living in Hamamatsu"/><title type='text'>Unlimited Pizza at Grazie Gardens</title><content type='html'>&lt;div dir=&quot;ltr&quot; style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot; trbidi=&quot;on&quot;&gt;
  1598. Craving for some pizza? Satisfy your cravings with Grazie&#39;s unlimited pizza.&lt;br /&gt;
  1599. &lt;br /&gt;
  1600. Okay, that sounds like a sales pitch. But really, I love Grazie so much it&#39;s a sin not to share it.&lt;br /&gt;
  1601. &lt;br /&gt;
  1602. Grazie is an Italian restaurant chain. I think they have three branches in Hamamatsu- one near where I live, one near where I work and I don&#39;t know where the other one is.&lt;br /&gt;
  1603. &lt;br /&gt;
  1604. The one near my apartment is where I frequently go. It&#39;s along Nakatajima Road, &amp;nbsp;south of Hamamatsu Station. It&#39;s about 20 minutes from the station by bus or car. You can take Bus No. 4 to get there.&lt;br /&gt;
  1605. &lt;br /&gt;
  1606. Grazie has the usual offerings of an Italian place- pasta, pizza, salad, dessert and wine. What makes them unique is their wide variety of pizza. They have the usual kinds and some rare ones. They have curry pizza which I highly recommend you try. They have dessert pizza which resembles a crepe. They have Japanese flavored pizza. Take note that the pizza are all thin crusts.&lt;br /&gt;
  1607. &lt;a name=&#39;more&#39;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  1608. Below is Grazie&#39;s food package options for 1 person. &lt;br /&gt;
  1609. &lt;br /&gt;
  1610. &lt;div style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;
  1611. &lt;img src=&quot;http://www.japanesesearch.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Grazie-Gardens-Pasta-and-Pizza-Menu.jpg&quot; /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1612. &lt;br /&gt;
  1613. Set A means you&#39;ll get unlimited pizza, unlimited drinks, salad and pasta.&lt;br /&gt;
  1614. Set B means you&#39;ll get unlimited pizza, unlimited drinks, salad, pasta and dessert.&lt;br /&gt;
  1615. Set C means you&#39;ll get unlimited pizza, unlimited drinks, salad, hamburg steak and dessert.&lt;br /&gt;
  1616. &lt;br /&gt;
  1617. I usually get &amp;nbsp;A or B. I never tried the C because it&#39;s just too much, don&#39;t you think?&lt;br /&gt;
  1618. &lt;br /&gt;
  1619. Grazie has single food servings too. But, if you order one of the set food, a pizza server will repeatedly offer various pizza. Yum! Yum!&lt;br /&gt;
  1620. &lt;br /&gt;
  1621. So put those cravings to rest and have some pizza at Grazie!&lt;/div&gt;
  1622. </content><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8361869965743586376/posts/default/999194625362624021'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8361869965743586376/posts/default/999194625362624021'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://ppinjapan.blogspot.com/2015/11/unlimited-pizza-at-grazie-gardens.html' title='Unlimited Pizza at Grazie Gardens'/><author><name>purple pen</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/08721645616820607412</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='24' src='//blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-IKtOxQFQ2BIHol0gKKWAU_GBDGvA-Xq98i7jUp1jhcY0fq_IhkLQIQ7_eARverc4Q6BsNOf4Y1zcnwBloaaQM32dTd5QFt02pNUjM9bUk8yqB9ZSk4VnG1UfCyYYBQ/s151/*'/></author></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8361869965743586376.post-4510405443800314916</id><published>2015-11-17T13:15:00.001+09:00</published><updated>2015-11-17T13:16:08.187+09:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Living in Japan"/><title type='text'>How to Buy Eye Glasses from JINS Without Using Much Japanese</title><content type='html'>&lt;div dir=&quot;ltr&quot; style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot; trbidi=&quot;on&quot;&gt;
  1623. &lt;table align=&quot;center&quot; cellpadding=&quot;0&quot; cellspacing=&quot;0&quot; class=&quot;tr-caption-container&quot; style=&quot;margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;tbody&gt;
  1624. &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;http://fukuoka-aeonmall.com/files/shop/117/360x240_photo2.png&quot; height=&quot;265&quot; style=&quot;margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;&quot; width=&quot;400&quot; /&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;
  1625. &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td class=&quot;tr-caption&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;credit: &lt;a href=&quot;http://fukuoka-aeonmall.com./&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;JINS site on AEON MALL Fukuoka&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;
  1626. &lt;/tbody&gt;&lt;/table&gt;
  1627. After 2 years, I finally get to have new eyeglasses! If you&#39;re like me who needs to eyeglasses to see clearly, I bet you can understand the happiness a new pair brings. And I&#39;m proud of myself because I bought it from a Japanese store&lt;br /&gt;
  1628. &lt;br /&gt;
  1629. If you&#39;re in need of eyeglasses and don&#39;t know how to speak in Japanese, fear not. &amp;nbsp;You can still have the dazzling vision you wanted without using much Japanese.&lt;br /&gt;
  1630. &lt;br /&gt;
  1631. I&#39;ll be recommending &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.jins-jp.com/about_en/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Jins&lt;/a&gt; because that&#39;s where I bought my eyeglasses. Also, most of my students got their glasses from Jins. It&#39;s a chain that can be found all over Japan. Their eyeglasses are affordable compared &amp;nbsp;to other stores. In Hamamatsu, there&#39;s a Jins store in the Station.&lt;br /&gt;
  1632. &lt;a name=&#39;more&#39;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  1633. Here are my tips:&lt;br /&gt;
  1634. &lt;br /&gt;
  1635. 1. Find a Jins Eyeglass store. Choose a frame that you like. Their most affordable frames with lens included is worth 4,900 Yen. They also have lens for people who use the computer all the time. They also have colored lenses.&lt;br /&gt;
  1636. &lt;br /&gt;
  1637. 2. Go to the staff and say, &quot;&lt;b&gt;&lt;i&gt;New Eyeglasses. &lt;/i&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&quot; In Japanese, &lt;b&gt;&lt;i&gt;&quot;Atarashi Megane.&quot;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/b&gt; This Japanese is not really good but it will do. They&#39;ll understand what you want.&lt;br /&gt;
  1638. &lt;br /&gt;
  1639. 3. If you&#39;re already an eyeglass-wearer, they&#39;ll ask for your glasses. They&#39;ll check the lens before getting your eye check.&lt;br /&gt;
  1640. &lt;br /&gt;
  1641. 4. They&#39;ll check your eyes. This is the part where you might use a little Japanese. The staff will ask you if you can read hiragana or katakana. You can just say, &quot;&lt;b&gt;&lt;i&gt;Nihongo Yumenai&quot;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/b&gt; or &lt;b&gt;&lt;i&gt;&quot;Japanese, can&#39;t read.&quot;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/b&gt; Instead of a hiragana chart, the staff will show you u-shaped symbols. You have to say where the opening is- left, right, up, down. &amp;nbsp;You can use those terms to indicate whether the symbols are inclined to the left, right, up, down. What I did is use my index finger and thumb and form the shapes I see on the machine.&lt;br /&gt;
  1642. &lt;br /&gt;
  1643. 5. After the u-shaped symbols, the next test is a color test. There are only two colors- red and green. The staff &amp;nbsp;will just ask you which color is clearer. You can say red, green or both. If both colors are not clear you can say, &lt;b&gt;&lt;i&gt;&quot;Mi-ye-nay.&quot; &lt;/i&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&amp;nbsp;This means, I can&#39;t see.&lt;br /&gt;
  1644. &lt;br /&gt;
  1645. 6. After the test, wait for 20 minutes and then you can have your new eyeglasses! I bought my new pair in less than an hour. However, some people might have to go back if they don&#39;t have your prescription which seldom happens.&lt;br /&gt;
  1646. &lt;br /&gt;
  1647. The best thing about Jins is you can change your eyeglasses twice within 6 months from buying them. You don&#39;t even have to justify your reason. As long as the eyeglasses you bought are still in good shape, they&#39;ll change it. I change mine the day after I bought a new pair from them. My reason: My husband told me that the frames I chose look big. They also have a one-year warranty for their frames and lens. Really good deal, I think.&lt;br /&gt;
  1648. &lt;br /&gt;
  1649. If you can&#39;t find a Jins shop in your area, you can buy your glasses online &lt;a href=&quot;http://here./&quot;&gt;here.&lt;/a&gt;&amp;nbsp; JINS have an English version of their site so there&#39;s absolutely no reason for you not to have the eyeglasses you need.&lt;br /&gt;
  1650. &lt;br /&gt;
  1651. More helpful reading here:&lt;br /&gt;
  1652. &lt;br /&gt;
  1653. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.survivingnjapan.com/2012/04/q-opticians-glasses-in-japan.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Q&amp;amp;A: Opticians, Glasses in Japan&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  1654. &lt;br /&gt;
  1655. &lt;a href=&quot;http://asiaisforlovers.blogspot.jp/2015/04/getting-glasses-in-japan.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Getting Glasses in Japan&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  1656. &lt;br /&gt;
  1657. &lt;a href=&quot;https://nikkibi.wordpress.com/2013/01/21/buying-cheap-glasses-in-tokyo/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Buying Glasses Cheaply in Tokyo&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  1658. &lt;br /&gt;
  1659. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.travelandleisure.com/articles/buy-glasses-japan&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Where to Get Cool, Affordable Glasses in &amp;nbsp;Japan&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  1660. &lt;br /&gt;
  1661. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1662. </content><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8361869965743586376/posts/default/4510405443800314916'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8361869965743586376/posts/default/4510405443800314916'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://ppinjapan.blogspot.com/2015/11/how-to-buy-eye-glasses-from-jins.html' title='How to Buy Eye Glasses from JINS Without Using Much Japanese'/><author><name>purple pen</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/08721645616820607412</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='24' src='//blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-IKtOxQFQ2BIHol0gKKWAU_GBDGvA-Xq98i7jUp1jhcY0fq_IhkLQIQ7_eARverc4Q6BsNOf4Y1zcnwBloaaQM32dTd5QFt02pNUjM9bUk8yqB9ZSk4VnG1UfCyYYBQ/s151/*'/></author></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8361869965743586376.post-3256091687453631543</id><published>2015-11-13T10:53:00.003+09:00</published><updated>2015-11-13T10:53:22.074+09:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Culture"/><title type='text'>Guest Post: 5 Strange and Beautiful Facts About Japan</title><content type='html'>&lt;div dir=&quot;ltr&quot; style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot; trbidi=&quot;on&quot;&gt;
  1663. &lt;table align=&quot;center&quot; cellpadding=&quot;0&quot; cellspacing=&quot;0&quot; class=&quot;tr-caption-container&quot; style=&quot;float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;&quot;&gt;&lt;tbody&gt;
  1664. &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSIUxVO95J2LRJGgdxjYhRXaEi8EWy3JLiXdfaDRZKzO3rfk3GAkmLEFQiF4E8wpAjMsHsS0Jw1DVEzWAoNFxgpsVS7pL7qwumtWCcfCdXUNUQWiEAftkm7d6GLIP9GyjGo93jxIHCyKI/s1600/IMG_2857.JPG&quot; imageanchor=&quot;1&quot; style=&quot;margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; height=&quot;400&quot; src=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSIUxVO95J2LRJGgdxjYhRXaEi8EWy3JLiXdfaDRZKzO3rfk3GAkmLEFQiF4E8wpAjMsHsS0Jw1DVEzWAoNFxgpsVS7pL7qwumtWCcfCdXUNUQWiEAftkm7d6GLIP9GyjGo93jxIHCyKI/s400/IMG_2857.JPG&quot; width=&quot;300&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;
  1665. &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td class=&quot;tr-caption&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Pretty lamp with Japanese painting, Meijimura&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;
  1666. &lt;/tbody&gt;&lt;/table&gt;
  1667. &lt;div class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;&quot;&gt;
  1668. &lt;span lang=&quot;EN-GB&quot; style=&quot;background: white; font-family: &#39;Proxima Nova&#39;, serif; font-size: 12pt;&quot;&gt;Japan’s one of the
  1669. world’s largest economies, but it’s also one of the most remote. Did you know
  1670. that of the 127 million people in Japan, only&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span lang=&quot;EN-GB&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.economist.com/blogs/banyan/2014/03/japans-demography&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;background: white; color: black; font-family: &amp;quot;Proxima Nova&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;serif&amp;quot;; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: &amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;&quot;&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;background: white; color: #1155cc; font-family: &amp;quot;Proxima Nova&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;serif&amp;quot;; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: &amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;&quot;&gt;two percent are
  1671. foreign immigrants&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span lang=&quot;EN-GB&quot; style=&quot;background: white; font-family: &#39;Proxima Nova&#39;, serif; font-size: 12pt;&quot;&gt;?&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1672. &lt;div class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;&quot;&gt;
  1673. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1674. &lt;div class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;&quot;&gt;
  1675. &lt;span lang=&quot;EN-GB&quot; style=&quot;background: white; font-family: &#39;Proxima Nova&#39;, serif; font-size: 12pt;&quot;&gt;If you’re thinking
  1676. about taking a trip to Japan in the not-too-distant future, here are a few fun
  1677. facts to tickle your fancy.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span lang=&quot;EN-GB&quot; style=&quot;font-family: &amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;serif&amp;quot;; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: &amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;&quot;&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1678. &lt;div class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;&quot;&gt;
  1679. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1680. &lt;div class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;&quot;&gt;
  1681. &lt;b&gt;&lt;span lang=&quot;EN-GB&quot; style=&quot;background: white; font-family: &#39;Proxima Nova&#39;, serif; font-size: 12pt;&quot;&gt;Napping on the Job Is
  1682. Perfectly Normal&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;span lang=&quot;EN-GB&quot; style=&quot;font-family: &amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;serif&amp;quot;; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: &amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;&quot;&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1683. &lt;div class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;&quot;&gt;
  1684. &lt;span lang=&quot;EN-GB&quot; style=&quot;font-family: &amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;serif&amp;quot;; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: &amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span lang=&quot;EN-GB&quot; style=&quot;background: white; font-family: &#39;Proxima Nova&#39;, serif; font-size: 12pt;&quot;&gt;In most parts of the
  1685. world, napping on the job would be an immediate cause for termination. Not in
  1686. Japan! Japanese culture sees napping on the job as a proof of an employee’s
  1687. commitment and thoroughness. The practice is referred to as “inemuri”, and is&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span lang=&quot;EN-GB&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.theguardian.com/cities/2015/jul/07/urban-nap-stigma-snoozing-stay-awake-work&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;background: white; color: black; font-family: &amp;quot;Proxima Nova&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;serif&amp;quot;; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: &amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;&quot;&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;background: white; color: #1155cc; font-family: &amp;quot;Proxima Nova&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;serif&amp;quot;; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: &amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;&quot;&gt;perfectly acceptable
  1688. in Japan&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span lang=&quot;EN-GB&quot; style=&quot;background: white; font-family: &#39;Proxima Nova&#39;, serif; font-size: 12pt;&quot;&gt;.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1689. &lt;div class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;&quot;&gt;
  1690. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1691. &lt;div class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;&quot;&gt;
  1692. &lt;span lang=&quot;EN-GB&quot; style=&quot;background: white; font-family: &#39;Proxima Nova&#39;, serif; font-size: 12pt;&quot;&gt;A few rules do apply:
  1693. you need to remain upright while napping and only people in specific positions
  1694. within the company are allowed to nap. Some people actually fake sleeping to
  1695. show their bosses how hard they’re working.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1696. &lt;a name=&#39;more&#39;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;span lang=&quot;EN-GB&quot; style=&quot;font-family: &amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;serif&amp;quot;; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: &amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;&quot;&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  1697. &lt;div class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;&quot;&gt;
  1698. &lt;span lang=&quot;EN-GB&quot; style=&quot;font-family: &amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;serif&amp;quot;; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: &amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;span lang=&quot;EN-GB&quot; style=&quot;background: white; font-family: &#39;Proxima Nova&#39;, serif; font-size: 12pt;&quot;&gt;Slurping Is Not Only
  1699. Ok, It’s Encouraged&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1700. &lt;div class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;&quot;&gt;
  1701. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1702. &lt;div class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;&quot;&gt;
  1703. &lt;span lang=&quot;EN-GB&quot; style=&quot;background: white; font-family: &#39;Proxima Nova&#39;, serif; font-size: 12pt;&quot;&gt;There are a few
  1704. universal norms when it comes to food etiquette—no speaking with your mouth
  1705. full, no blowing bubbles in your drink, etc. When it comes to etiquette in
  1706. Japan, however, some things are not only perfectly acceptable, they’re
  1707. encouraged. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;span lang=&quot;EN-GB&quot; style=&quot;font-family: &amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;serif&amp;quot;; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: &amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;&quot;&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1708. &lt;div class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;&quot;&gt;
  1709. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1710. &lt;div class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;&quot;&gt;
  1711. &lt;span lang=&quot;EN-GB&quot; style=&quot;background: white; font-family: &#39;Proxima Nova&#39;, serif; font-size: 12pt;&quot;&gt;Take slurping, for
  1712. example. Japanese culture dictates that when eating noodles it’s only proper
  1713. for people to&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span lang=&quot;EN-GB&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.pri.org/stories/2014-05-01/why-slurping-isn-t-rude-and-other-ramen-eating-rules-japanese-masters&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;background: white; color: black; font-family: &amp;quot;Proxima Nova&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;serif&amp;quot;; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: &amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;&quot;&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;background: white; color: #1155cc; font-family: &amp;quot;Proxima Nova&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;serif&amp;quot;; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: &amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;&quot;&gt;slurp them down&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span lang=&quot;EN-GB&quot; style=&quot;background: white; font-family: &#39;Proxima Nova&#39;, serif; font-size: 12pt;&quot;&gt;. This is supposed to
  1714. signify that you’re enjoying the meal. Just keep your burping to a minimum.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span lang=&quot;EN-GB&quot; style=&quot;font-family: &amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;serif&amp;quot;; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: &amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;&quot;&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1715. &lt;div class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;&quot;&gt;
  1716. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1717. &lt;div class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;&quot;&gt;
  1718. &lt;b&gt;&lt;span lang=&quot;EN-GB&quot; style=&quot;background: white; font-family: &#39;Proxima Nova&#39;, serif; font-size: 12pt;&quot;&gt;Maintaining Eye
  1719. Contact Is Offensive&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;span lang=&quot;EN-GB&quot; style=&quot;font-family: &amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;serif&amp;quot;; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: &amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;&quot;&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1720. &lt;div class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;&quot;&gt;
  1721. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1722. &lt;div class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;&quot;&gt;
  1723. &lt;span lang=&quot;EN-GB&quot; style=&quot;background: white; font-family: &#39;Proxima Nova&#39;, serif; font-size: 12pt;&quot;&gt;In some countries it’s
  1724. considered rude not to look someone in the eye when talking to them, but not in
  1725. Japan. Eye contact in Japanese culture is often seen as a sign of aggression,
  1726. and people make an effort to look away when someone stares them in the eye.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span lang=&quot;EN-GB&quot; style=&quot;font-family: &amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;serif&amp;quot;; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: &amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;&quot;&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1727. &lt;div class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;&quot;&gt;
  1728. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1729. &lt;div class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;&quot;&gt;
  1730. &lt;span lang=&quot;EN-GB&quot; style=&quot;background: white; font-family: &#39;Proxima Nova&#39;, serif; font-size: 12pt;&quot;&gt;Another body gesture
  1731. to look out for is the thumbs down motion, as traditional Japanese culture
  1732. views this as a way of telling someone off rather than showing your
  1733. disapproval.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span lang=&quot;EN-GB&quot; style=&quot;font-family: &amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;serif&amp;quot;; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: &amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;&quot;&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1734. &lt;div class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;&quot;&gt;
  1735. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1736. &lt;div class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;&quot;&gt;
  1737. &lt;b&gt;&lt;span lang=&quot;EN-GB&quot; style=&quot;background: white; font-family: &#39;Proxima Nova&#39;, serif; font-size: 12pt;&quot;&gt;The Way You Hold Your
  1738. Chopsticks Says a lot About You&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;span lang=&quot;EN-GB&quot; style=&quot;font-family: &amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;serif&amp;quot;; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: &amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;&quot;&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1739. &lt;div class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;&quot;&gt;
  1740. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1741. &lt;div class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;&quot;&gt;
  1742. &lt;span lang=&quot;EN-GB&quot; style=&quot;background: white; font-family: &#39;Proxima Nova&#39;, serif; font-size: 12pt;&quot;&gt;The way you hold your
  1743. chopsticks signifies a great deal in Japan. For instance, sticking your
  1744. chopsticks upright in a bowl of rice is meant to signify an offering to the
  1745. dead, and should never be made at a restaurant. Also, crossing your chopsticks
  1746. is another taboo since it traditionally signifies death.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span lang=&quot;EN-GB&quot; style=&quot;font-family: &amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;serif&amp;quot;; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: &amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;&quot;&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1747. &lt;div class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;&quot;&gt;
  1748. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1749. &lt;div class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;&quot;&gt;
  1750. &lt;b&gt;&lt;span lang=&quot;EN-GB&quot; style=&quot;background: white; font-family: &#39;Proxima Nova&#39;, serif; font-size: 12pt;&quot;&gt;Japan&#39;s Trains Are so
  1751. Punctual They Give You a Certificate When They&#39;re Late&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;span lang=&quot;EN-GB&quot; style=&quot;font-family: &amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;serif&amp;quot;; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: &amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;&quot;&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1752. &lt;div class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;&quot;&gt;
  1753. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1754. &lt;div class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;&quot;&gt;
  1755. &lt;span lang=&quot;EN-GB&quot; style=&quot;font-family: &#39;Proxima Nova&#39;, serif; font-size: 12pt;&quot;&gt;Japan’s mass-transit system is widely
  1756. regarded as one of the&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span lang=&quot;EN-GB&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://kotaku.com/ever-wonder-why-japanese-trains-arent-late-heres-why-1547844128&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: black; font-family: &amp;quot;Proxima Nova&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;serif&amp;quot;; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: &amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;&quot;&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: #1155cc; font-family: &amp;quot;Proxima Nova&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;serif&amp;quot;; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: &amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;&quot;&gt;most efficient
  1757. systems&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;!--[if !supportNestedAnchors]--&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.blogger.com/null&quot; name=&quot;_GoBack&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;!--[endif]--&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span lang=&quot;EN-GB&quot; style=&quot;font-family: &#39;Proxima Nova&#39;, serif; font-size: 12pt;&quot;&gt; in the world. The trains move at
  1758. lightning-fast speeds, and the buses are (almost) never late. &amp;nbsp;On the off
  1759. chance that there is short a delay, the conductor will often make a formal
  1760. apology and may even provide delay certificates to the people who were waiting.
  1761. &amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span lang=&quot;EN-GB&quot; style=&quot;font-family: &amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;serif&amp;quot;; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: &amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;&quot;&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1762. &lt;div class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;&quot;&gt;
  1763. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1764. &lt;div class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;&quot;&gt;
  1765.  
  1766.  
  1767.  
  1768.  
  1769.  
  1770.  
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  1787.  
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  1800.  
  1801.  
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  1804.  
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  1806.  
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  1810.  
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  1814.  
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  1816.  
  1817.  
  1818.  
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  1820.  
  1821.  
  1822.  
  1823.  
  1824. &lt;/div&gt;
  1825. &lt;div class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;&quot;&gt;
  1826. &lt;span lang=&quot;EN-GB&quot; style=&quot;font-family: &#39;Proxima Nova&#39;, serif; font-size: 12pt;&quot;&gt;For longer delays, which are very rare,
  1827. they sometimes appear in the paper. Passengers rely heavily on Japan’s
  1828. mass-transit system, and as such are never expected to be late.&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1829. &lt;div class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;&quot;&gt;
  1830. &lt;span lang=&quot;EN-GB&quot; style=&quot;font-family: &#39;Proxima Nova&#39;, serif; font-size: 12pt;&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1831. &lt;div class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;&quot;&gt;
  1832. &lt;span lang=&quot;EN-GB&quot; style=&quot;font-family: &#39;Proxima Nova&#39;, serif; font-size: 12pt;&quot;&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1833. &lt;div class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;&quot;&gt;
  1834. &lt;i&gt;&lt;span lang=&quot;EN-GB&quot; style=&quot;font-family: &#39;Proxima Nova&#39;, serif; font-size: 12pt;&quot;&gt;This is a guest post submitted by Arthur Baxter,
  1835. Network Operations at&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;span lang=&quot;EN-GB&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.expressvpn.com/vpn-software&quot;&gt;&lt;i&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: black; font-family: &amp;quot;Proxima Nova&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;serif&amp;quot;; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: &amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;&quot;&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;i&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: #1155cc; font-family: &amp;quot;Proxima Nova&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;serif&amp;quot;; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: &amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.blogger.com/goog_210829909&quot;&gt;ExpressVPN&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;i&gt;&lt;span lang=&quot;EN-GB&quot; style=&quot;font-family: &#39;Proxima Nova&#39;, serif; font-size: 12pt;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://./&quot;&gt;.&lt;/a&gt; Learn more about Internet privacy on
  1836. their site&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;span lang=&quot;EN-GB&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.expressvpn.com/internet-privacy&quot;&gt;&lt;i&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: black; font-family: &amp;quot;Proxima Nova&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;serif&amp;quot;; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: &amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;&quot;&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;i&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: #1155cc; font-family: &amp;quot;Proxima Nova&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;serif&amp;quot;; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: &amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;&quot;&gt;here&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;i&gt;&lt;span lang=&quot;EN-GB&quot; style=&quot;font-family: &#39;Proxima Nova&#39;, serif; font-size: 12pt;&quot;&gt;.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;span lang=&quot;EN-GB&quot; style=&quot;font-family: &amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;serif&amp;quot;; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: &amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;&quot;&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1837. &lt;/div&gt;
  1838. </content><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8361869965743586376/posts/default/3256091687453631543'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8361869965743586376/posts/default/3256091687453631543'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://ppinjapan.blogspot.com/2015/11/guest-post-5-strange-and-beautiful.html' title='Guest Post: 5 Strange and Beautiful Facts About Japan'/><author><name>purple pen</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/08721645616820607412</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='24' src='//blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-IKtOxQFQ2BIHol0gKKWAU_GBDGvA-Xq98i7jUp1jhcY0fq_IhkLQIQ7_eARverc4Q6BsNOf4Y1zcnwBloaaQM32dTd5QFt02pNUjM9bUk8yqB9ZSk4VnG1UfCyYYBQ/s151/*'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSIUxVO95J2LRJGgdxjYhRXaEi8EWy3JLiXdfaDRZKzO3rfk3GAkmLEFQiF4E8wpAjMsHsS0Jw1DVEzWAoNFxgpsVS7pL7qwumtWCcfCdXUNUQWiEAftkm7d6GLIP9GyjGo93jxIHCyKI/s72-c/IMG_2857.JPG" height="72" width="72"/></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8361869965743586376.post-3366489347988164390</id><published>2015-11-06T12:14:00.003+09:00</published><updated>2015-11-06T12:14:42.913+09:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Travel"/><title type='text'>Meiji Mura: Where History and Nature Meets</title><content type='html'>&lt;div dir=&quot;ltr&quot; style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot; trbidi=&quot;on&quot;&gt;
  1839. &lt;table align=&quot;center&quot; cellpadding=&quot;0&quot; cellspacing=&quot;0&quot; class=&quot;tr-caption-container&quot; style=&quot;margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;tbody&gt;
  1840. &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0cNwxyG03VTIIA3yLK51qs7Ms_9odciTPpMjPbZv7KLuFbq8ZLxfCjv_TGEdn62i3CTyk0ACVrmVIR_m1d5UH8lhu3WIQLYuAJoN9KZrhSCBWgs6PwGZelFEfF3kix9986dFK2GBuVh0/s1600/IMG_2827.JPG&quot; imageanchor=&quot;1&quot; style=&quot;margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; height=&quot;480&quot; src=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0cNwxyG03VTIIA3yLK51qs7Ms_9odciTPpMjPbZv7KLuFbq8ZLxfCjv_TGEdn62i3CTyk0ACVrmVIR_m1d5UH8lhu3WIQLYuAJoN9KZrhSCBWgs6PwGZelFEfF3kix9986dFK2GBuVh0/s640/IMG_2827.JPG&quot; width=&quot;640&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;
  1841. &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td class=&quot;tr-caption&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Replica of Imperial Hotel, Meiji Mura&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;
  1842. &lt;/tbody&gt;&lt;/table&gt;
  1843. It was a holiday last Tuesday. It was Culture Day and it was very apt to visit a very &quot;cultural&quot; place called Meiji Mura.&lt;br /&gt;
  1844. &lt;br /&gt;
  1845. Meiji Mura is a historical theme park in Aichi Prefecture. It&#39;s located in Inuyama, a place outside of Nagoya. It shows how Japan looks like a hundred years ago.&lt;br /&gt;
  1846. &lt;a name=&#39;more&#39;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  1847. &lt;br /&gt;
  1848. I&#39;ve been to several historical and cultural places in Japan and Meiji Mura has now become my favorite. To be honest, this is the only historical/ cultural place in Japan that didn&#39;t disappoint me. I mean some of the places are okay but they didn&#39;t meet my expectations based on the ads. (ie: Ryoanji Temple in Kyoto, Hida Village in Takayama, etc.)&lt;br /&gt;
  1849. &lt;br /&gt;
  1850. &lt;table align=&quot;center&quot; cellpadding=&quot;0&quot; cellspacing=&quot;0&quot; class=&quot;tr-caption-container&quot; style=&quot;float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;&quot;&gt;&lt;tbody&gt;
  1851. &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJu417x3i5NLOf_pzj1TEWF5EDQQf5Xdvy3nJLRAm3_0eYY9HGlzMctnQPY3sBzHtuHJ08o7yQtFI2lnrEPzz0zSVi-ZHH_Fbsn5U2zTd19u9vEpaf1XLEzdqMHgDXnR2pDoWwG41lkXs/s1600/IMG_2843.JPG&quot; imageanchor=&quot;1&quot; style=&quot;margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; height=&quot;400&quot; src=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJu417x3i5NLOf_pzj1TEWF5EDQQf5Xdvy3nJLRAm3_0eYY9HGlzMctnQPY3sBzHtuHJ08o7yQtFI2lnrEPzz0zSVi-ZHH_Fbsn5U2zTd19u9vEpaf1XLEzdqMHgDXnR2pDoWwG41lkXs/s400/IMG_2843.JPG&quot; width=&quot;300&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;
  1852. &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td class=&quot;tr-caption&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Meiji Mura, Inuyama&amp;nbsp;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;
  1853. &lt;/tbody&gt;&lt;/table&gt;
  1854. So why you should visit Meiji Mura, too? Let me rave about it.&lt;br /&gt;
  1855. &lt;br /&gt;
  1856. &lt;b&gt;1. It has a great view of Lake Iruka. &lt;/b&gt;The whole place is built on the hillside of the lake. So nice!&lt;br /&gt;
  1857. &lt;br /&gt;
  1858. &lt;b&gt;2. The whole place blends beautifully with nature. &lt;/b&gt;It&#39;s a great place to view autumn colors. I suggest visiting within this month. Flashes of red and orange were already visible when we visited.&lt;br /&gt;
  1859. &lt;br /&gt;
  1860. &lt;b&gt;3. It has more than 60 replicas of buildings during the Meiji Era.&lt;/b&gt; You can also enter the buildings. Worthy of mention are the Imperial Hotel, The Prisons, The Theater, The Church, The Post Office and The Hospital. I personally enjoyed looking through the prison cells.&lt;br /&gt;
  1861. &lt;br /&gt;
  1862. &lt;b&gt;4. You can watch a cultural show in the theater for free. &lt;/b&gt;We watched a musical show when we visited. It only lasted for 30 minutes.&lt;br /&gt;
  1863. &lt;br /&gt;
  1864. &lt;b&gt;5. It covers a vast tract of land, about 1,000,000 square meters.&lt;/b&gt; You&#39;ll need a whole day to explore the place. One of the reasons I always get disappointed with other places is their size. From the ads, you&#39;d think that they&#39;re big places but you can already see everything from a single viewpoint. (ie: Farm Tomita in Hokkaido)&lt;br /&gt;
  1865. &lt;br /&gt;
  1866. &lt;b&gt;6. It has trains and bus services.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/b&gt;Because of its vastness, the place has designated bus stops and a train services for people who might be feeling tired.&lt;br /&gt;
  1867. &lt;br /&gt;
  1868. &lt;table align=&quot;center&quot; cellpadding=&quot;0&quot; cellspacing=&quot;0&quot; class=&quot;tr-caption-container&quot; style=&quot;margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;tbody&gt;
  1869. &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdwWUvwnkwfJgtx1mb86dyD4uS6n_MdZ9Gr29_HxMdKlRS92v76bTuWOyC6CH5aPfDFKrbPZ5QyxDsWwX2IWZ75No-Kb73BTNtixwY9sJGK75QOJB0VrcUnS14lhxHt4Wc0JI7JD30YCk/s1600/IMG_2828.JPG&quot; imageanchor=&quot;1&quot; style=&quot;margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; height=&quot;300&quot; src=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdwWUvwnkwfJgtx1mb86dyD4uS6n_MdZ9Gr29_HxMdKlRS92v76bTuWOyC6CH5aPfDFKrbPZ5QyxDsWwX2IWZ75No-Kb73BTNtixwY9sJGK75QOJB0VrcUnS14lhxHt4Wc0JI7JD30YCk/s400/IMG_2828.JPG&quot; width=&quot;400&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;
  1870. &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td class=&quot;tr-caption&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Kanazawa Prison House at Meiji Mura, Inuyama&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;
  1871. &lt;/tbody&gt;&lt;/table&gt;
  1872. Let me clarify that the Meiji Era was characterized by strong Western influence. Hence, you might be surprised that most of the buildings are Western in style.&lt;br /&gt;
  1873. &lt;br /&gt;
  1874. Be warned that there are only 4 small restaurants in the place. They&#39;re far apart and they were all full of people when we visited. We didn&#39;t get to eat a proper lunch. We just settled for the food on the stalls- some sausages, potatoes and mochi.&lt;br /&gt;
  1875. &lt;br /&gt;
  1876. Admission fee is 1,700 Yen for adults and 800 Yen for children.&lt;br /&gt;
  1877. &lt;br /&gt;
  1878. &lt;table align=&quot;center&quot; cellpadding=&quot;0&quot; cellspacing=&quot;0&quot; class=&quot;tr-caption-container&quot; style=&quot;margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;tbody&gt;
  1879. &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWz6-nBTxjsBMgJ8CZxR1HhhdG0l-WKrZgcWTCE4FpPHed4Jw7i8PBqt-az0lSCYlahqhrV1ZFBJ3b-wd3bNc1B2NqdoiZXxEc9jJenliU2_qXaIpao_JLL8pNFogkNneMdIQa82m4nuU/s1600/IMG_2848.JPG&quot; imageanchor=&quot;1&quot; style=&quot;margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; height=&quot;300&quot; src=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWz6-nBTxjsBMgJ8CZxR1HhhdG0l-WKrZgcWTCE4FpPHed4Jw7i8PBqt-az0lSCYlahqhrV1ZFBJ3b-wd3bNc1B2NqdoiZXxEc9jJenliU2_qXaIpao_JLL8pNFogkNneMdIQa82m4nuU/s400/IMG_2848.JPG&quot; width=&quot;400&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;
  1880. &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td class=&quot;tr-caption&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Evolution of post boxes in Japan at Meiji Mura, Inuyama&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;
  1881. &lt;/tbody&gt;&lt;/table&gt;
  1882. &lt;br /&gt;
  1883. &lt;br /&gt;
  1884. How to Get there:&lt;br /&gt;
  1885. (I went with friends on a car but it&#39;s still possible to go via public transportation.)&lt;br /&gt;
  1886. &lt;br /&gt;
  1887. This is based on Japan &amp;nbsp;Guide.&lt;br /&gt;
  1888. &lt;br /&gt;
  1889. 1. From Nagoya Station, take the Meitetsu Inuyama Line to Inuyama Station (30 mins, 550 Yen)&lt;br /&gt;
  1890. 2. From Inuyama Station, transfer to a Meitetsu bus going to Meiji Mura. (20 mins, 420 Yen)&lt;br /&gt;
  1891. &lt;br /&gt;
  1892. Enjoy your trip!&lt;br /&gt;
  1893. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1894. </content><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8361869965743586376/posts/default/3366489347988164390'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8361869965743586376/posts/default/3366489347988164390'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://ppinjapan.blogspot.com/2015/11/meiji-mura-where-history-and-nature.html' title='Meiji Mura: Where History and Nature Meets'/><author><name>purple pen</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/08721645616820607412</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='24' src='//blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-IKtOxQFQ2BIHol0gKKWAU_GBDGvA-Xq98i7jUp1jhcY0fq_IhkLQIQ7_eARverc4Q6BsNOf4Y1zcnwBloaaQM32dTd5QFt02pNUjM9bUk8yqB9ZSk4VnG1UfCyYYBQ/s151/*'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0cNwxyG03VTIIA3yLK51qs7Ms_9odciTPpMjPbZv7KLuFbq8ZLxfCjv_TGEdn62i3CTyk0ACVrmVIR_m1d5UH8lhu3WIQLYuAJoN9KZrhSCBWgs6PwGZelFEfF3kix9986dFK2GBuVh0/s72-c/IMG_2827.JPG" height="72" width="72"/></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8361869965743586376.post-8296158764065086477</id><published>2015-10-29T15:57:00.000+09:00</published><updated>2015-10-29T15:57:55.006+09:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Culture"/><title type='text'>Halloween Craze in Japan</title><content type='html'>&lt;div dir=&quot;ltr&quot; style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot; trbidi=&quot;on&quot;&gt;
  1895. &lt;i&gt;I&#39;ve been dealing with fatigue lately, it&#39;s hard to find the strength to write. I went to the doctor and he prescribed some pills for iron deficiency. It must also be seasonal fatigue brought by the autumn climate. Anyway, I&#39;m just explaining why I haven&#39;t written lately. Also, this information might help you if you&#39;re feeling tired all the time.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  1896. &lt;div&gt;
  1897. &lt;i&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1898. &lt;div&gt;
  1899. I just finished my classes with a Halloween-themed lesson. My Japanese teachers asked me to do it. They want the students to be more familiar with Western celebrations. However, the students don&#39;t really need a lesson on Halloween. They already know the traditional scary characters, the costume parties and the trick or treats. The younger Japanese generation are all too familiar with Halloween.&lt;/div&gt;
  1900. &lt;div&gt;
  1901. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1902. &lt;div&gt;
  1903. You see Japan has perhaps the longest Halloween celebration. Since August, stores have been peppered with Halloween decorations. Halloween goods have been displayed in almost every mall I&#39;ve been to. Even the seasonal pumpkin pudding I like has been available since summer. With only a day to go before Halloween, commercializing this event has come full force. When I visited Tokyo last week, each Ward has an advertised Halloween party particularly in the areas of Roppongi, Shinjuku, Shibuya and Ueno. Even in Hamamatsu, the main station is full of Halloween-related displays.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
  1904. &lt;div&gt;
  1905. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1906. &lt;div&gt;
  1907. So, why is Japan so in love with Halloween?&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
  1908. &lt;div&gt;
  1909. &lt;br /&gt;
  1910. &lt;a name=&#39;more&#39;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1911. &lt;div&gt;
  1912. In Casey Baseel&#39;s article on Rocket News, &quot; &lt;a href=&quot;http://en.rocketnews24.com/2015/10/27/why-does-japan-love-halloween-so-much-and-is-it-celebrating-the-holiday-the-right-way/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Why does Japan love Halloween so much, and is it celebrating the holiday right way?&quot;&lt;/a&gt;, she explained that Halloween coincides with the Japanese&#39;s romance with three things- sweets, seasons and cosplay.&lt;br /&gt;
  1913. &lt;br /&gt;
  1914. The last factor, cosplay, is probably the major reason why Halloween is a big thing in Japan. Halloween is not only a kids&#39; event. There are more adults celebrating it, probably, as an excuse to dress up.&lt;br /&gt;
  1915. &lt;br /&gt;
  1916. Check these pictures from the &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2015/10/26/lifestyle/this-is-halloween-japan-style/#.VjGuOdIrJRB&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;This is Halloween, Japan-style posted on Japan Times&lt;/a&gt;, and see what I mean. See more of crazy costumes with Tofugu&#39;s &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.tofugu.com/2014/11/11/how-japan-made-halloween-their-own-then-ruined-it-for-everybody/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;How Japan Made Halloween Their Own...Then Ruined it For Everybody&lt;/a&gt;. I really recommend clicking the links to the original articles to see the craziest Halloween costumes!&lt;br /&gt;
  1917. &lt;br /&gt;
  1918. &lt;img height=&quot;360&quot; src=&quot;http://jto.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/halloween-storify-cover.jpg&quot; width=&quot;640&quot; /&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
  1919. &lt;div&gt;
  1920. &lt;/div&gt;
  1921. &lt;div&gt;
  1922. &lt;br /&gt;
  1923. Even the notorious yakuza gang, Yamaguchi-gumi in Kobe, embraced Halloween by giving treats to children last year. (Check, &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.japancrush.com/2014/stories/japanese-gangsters-give-out-halloween-candy-to-kids.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;japanCRUSH&#39;s Japanese Gangsters Give Out Halloween Candy to Kids. &lt;/a&gt;) Sadly,the gang won&#39;t be able to give treats this year due to, purportedly, internal conflicts within the group. (Check &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/10/25/japan-s-yakuza-cancels-halloween.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Japan&#39;s Yakuza Cancels Halloween on the Daily Beast&lt;/a&gt;) The group was nice enough to inform the children through a Twitter Announcement.&lt;br /&gt;
  1924. &lt;br /&gt;
  1925. This year, Pepsi &amp;nbsp;Japan released a &quot;mystery flavored cola&quot; just for Halloween. I haven&#39;t personally tasted any of these but from reviews I read, they&#39;re not &amp;nbsp;bad.&lt;br /&gt;
  1926. &lt;br /&gt;
  1927. &lt;div style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;
  1928. &lt;img height=&quot;266&quot; src=&quot;https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CNTMdwkUkAAeLL2.jpg&quot; width=&quot;400&quot; /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1929. &lt;br /&gt;
  1930. &lt;br /&gt;
  1931. KitKat also has the pumpkin-flavored bars for this season. Burger King is offering it&#39;s Black Burgers. Mister Donut and Krispy Kremes are serving the Halloween Donuts.&lt;br /&gt;
  1932. &lt;br /&gt;
  1933. &lt;div style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;
  1934. &lt;img height=&quot;288&quot; src=&quot;http://sociorocketnewsen.files.wordpress.com/2013/09/screen-shot-2013-09-22-at-9-45-02-am.png?w=580&amp;amp;h=418&quot; width=&quot;400&quot; /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1935. &lt;br /&gt;
  1936. Baskin Robbins and adorns their scoops of ice cream with spooky toppings. But what takes the cake is a traditional confectionary store in Kawasaki. It offers eyeball dumplings!&lt;br /&gt;
  1937. &lt;br /&gt;
  1938. &lt;table align=&quot;center&quot; cellpadding=&quot;0&quot; cellspacing=&quot;0&quot; class=&quot;tr-caption-container&quot; style=&quot;margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;tbody&gt;
  1939. &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;img alt=&quot;Japanese traditional confectioner offers line of eye-grabbing Halloween sweets&quot; height=&quot;266&quot; src=&quot;http://japantoday.scdn1.secure.raxcdn.com/images/size/200x/2015/10/eyeballs.png&quot; style=&quot;margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;&quot; width=&quot;400&quot; /&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;
  1940. &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td class=&quot;tr-caption&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;credit: &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.japantoday.com/category/food/view/japanese-traditional-confectioner-offers-line-of-eye-grabbing-halloween-sweets&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Japan Today&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;
  1941. &lt;/tbody&gt;&lt;/table&gt;
  1942. &lt;br /&gt;
  1943. Even Nissan, the car company, is joining the celebration by offering free rides to people in costumes from Oct. 29 to Oct. 31. The drivers will also be in monster costumes! (Check: &amp;nbsp;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.japantoday.com/category/lifestyle/view/taxis-with-monster-drivers-to-offer-free-rides-to-cosplayers-in-shibuya-this-halloween&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Taxis with monster drivers to offer free rides to cosplayers in Shibuya this Halloween.)&amp;nbsp;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  1944. &lt;h2 class=&quot;article&quot; id=&quot;main_title&quot; style=&quot;background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; font-family: &#39;Lucida Grande&#39;, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 1.25; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;&quot;&gt;
  1945. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
  1946. With all the things I&#39;ve shared, you&#39;re probably thinking how exciting Halloween in Japan is. If you&#39;re still wondering how you&#39;ll spend Halloween, check Deep Japan&#39;s list of events: &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.deepjapan.org/a/4181&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;How to Spend Halloween in Japan&lt;/a&gt;. Universal Studios Japan and Tokyo Disneyland are also go-to places during this season. Or, you can always gather friends and have your very own Halloween Party. Whatever you &amp;nbsp;plan, I hope you&#39;ll have a:&lt;br /&gt;
  1947. &lt;br /&gt;
  1948. &lt;div style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;
  1949. &lt;span style=&quot;font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;&quot;&gt;HAPPY&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1950. &lt;div style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;
  1951. &lt;span style=&quot;font-size: x-large;&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1952. &lt;table align=&quot;center&quot; cellpadding=&quot;0&quot; cellspacing=&quot;0&quot; class=&quot;tr-caption-container&quot; style=&quot;margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;tbody&gt;
  1953. &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;img height=&quot;360&quot; src=&quot;http://i.ytimg.com/vi/NR2Yz3x9EJY/maxresdefault.jpg&quot; style=&quot;margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;&quot; width=&quot;640&quot; /&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;
  1954. &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td class=&quot;tr-caption&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;credit:&amp;nbsp;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NR2Yz3x9EJY&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;
  1955. &lt;/tbody&gt;&lt;/table&gt;
  1956. &lt;br /&gt;
  1957. &lt;br /&gt;
  1958. &lt;br /&gt;
  1959. &lt;br /&gt;
  1960. &lt;br /&gt;
  1961. &lt;h1 class=&quot;post-title entry-title&quot; style=&quot;background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: &#39;Trebuchet MS&#39;, Arial, Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 35px; letter-spacing: -1px; line-height: 40px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; z-index: 2;&quot;&gt;
  1962. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/h1&gt;
  1963. &lt;/div&gt;
  1964. &lt;div&gt;
  1965. &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
  1966. &lt;div&gt;
  1967. &lt;div&gt;
  1968. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1969. &lt;div&gt;
  1970. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1971. &lt;div&gt;
  1972. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1973. &lt;/div&gt;
  1974. &lt;/div&gt;
  1975. </content><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8361869965743586376/posts/default/8296158764065086477'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8361869965743586376/posts/default/8296158764065086477'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://ppinjapan.blogspot.com/2015/10/halloween-craze-in-japan.html' title='Halloween Craze in Japan'/><author><name>purple pen</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/08721645616820607412</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='24' src='//blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-IKtOxQFQ2BIHol0gKKWAU_GBDGvA-Xq98i7jUp1jhcY0fq_IhkLQIQ7_eARverc4Q6BsNOf4Y1zcnwBloaaQM32dTd5QFt02pNUjM9bUk8yqB9ZSk4VnG1UfCyYYBQ/s151/*'/></author></entry></feed>

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