Tobias has been working as an editor and a writer for over ten years.
Ah, Black Friday. Heaven (of a sorts) for avid fans of consumerism; Hell for the poor employees who have to deal with the hordes of customers, some perhaps still tipsy from their Thanksgiving celebrations the night before. Either way, this American pseudo-holiday often makes waves across the US (perhaps literally if jetski stores are having
As we approach the end of 2025, our thoughts inevitably turn to 2026, the New Year, and the promise that it holds. We’ve previously discussed Bonenkai, the phenomena of bidding the previous year farewell with friends and colleagues with end-of-year parties. You may be aware, however, that there is an equivalent for looking forward, rather
It’s November already, so for many of us, it’s time to start thinking about the upcoming holidays, spending time with family, and buying gifts for loved ones. Before that, however, you’re going to need to think about your office’s Bonenkai! For long-time Japan residents, this can either be something you’ve been looking forward to since
Dating in Japan is much like anything else in Japan: there are a number of commonalities with courting a beau or belle from wherever you are from, but with certain Japanese characteristics. In this case, one thing that can take newbies to the country by surprise (or that they can take for granted) is the
Japan’s national sport is sumo; its national dish is sushi; and its national dress the kimono. We all know this, but some may be surprised to learn that, for many, the national pastime is karaoke. This may seem surprising: why would a people typically reserved love singing their hearts out? Well, karaoke here is in
The smallest of the main islands of Japan, Shikoku is made up of just four prefectures, and is the only one of the four central islands that do not have a Shinkansen bullet train. As such, transportation across the island can be a little slower than in other places: but that is part of the
So you’ve finally made it to Japan! You’ve passed through immigration, left the airport, and even your phone has automatically updated its time to JST! Thinking of your phone, though, using data to post updates to the Gram, and making calls to your friends and family back home — as well as the new ones
As anyone who has tried using dating apps in Japan will know, there are many similarities between apps in this country and elsewhere in the world. Indeed, many of the apps are literally identical. However, there are a few that were created in and are specific to Japan. Today, we’ll be going through one such
Tokyo is one of the most convenient cities in the world to live in: excellent and affordable public transportation, as well as most necessary amenities being within a stone’s throw of most locations means that not only is owning a car mostly unnecessary, but one barely needs to do much walking in order to meet
When it comes to Japanese nature, almost everyone might immediately think of Mt. Fuji and the surrounding Fuji Five Lakes, or perhaps the snowcapped Japanese Alps, or the forests around Kyoto. But they may also think longingly of the sort of forests they saw in Studio Ghibli’s 1997 film Princess Mononoke (もののけ姫). It’s too bad
As anyone who has lived in, visited, or perhaps even knows vaguely about Japan can tell you: this country is famous for its low crime rate, with violent crime — and especially homicides — being incredibly rare. However, those familiar can also tell you that occasionally, some murders are so serious that they don’t just
Japan is known as one of the safest countries in the world, with very low rates of crime, and violent crime being especially rare. However, there are some things about Japan that are unsafe even beyond the exceptional cases of human flaws. These include natural disasters, including typhoons and earthquakes, but also from animals, and