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Dec 01. 2023 Topics How is Christmas Celebrated in Japan? If you are in Japan any time between November 1st and December 25th, you will absolutely notice that the Christmas season is in full swing. As soon as the clock strikes midnight at the end of Halloween night, department store windows and city streets across the country are suddenly full of Santas, Christmas trees, and beautiful light installations...
Nov 24. 2023 Topics Is Japanese Really So Difficult to Learn? If you're planning on visiting or moving to Japan, you are probably wondering if it is important to start learning Japanese before you make the trip over. While in major cities like Tokyo, you will find people who speak English or other languages that can help you out and much of the signage is also in English (and sometimes Chinese or Korean), t...
Nov 03. 2023 Topics What is Shichi-Go-San? How to Celebrate This Japanese Tradition at a Temple or Shrine Visiting shrines or temples in Japan in November? If so, there's a good chance you'll see young children dressed in beautiful kimonos participating in ceremonies or posing for photos with their families. This is Shichi-Go-San, a popular traditional Japanese celebration of important milestones in a young child's life. While this is a traditional J...
Oct 13. 2023 Topics Halloween in Japan: How is it Different? Western holidays like Christmas have become more and more popular in Japan every year, and Halloween is no exception. As soon as October starts you'll find department stores and shop windows filled with black cats, witches, and Jack-o-lanterns, to the point where you would think that Halloween in Japan is no different than any other country that c...
Oct 06. 2023 Topics The Best Ways to Enjoy Autumn in Japan Fall is one of the best times to be in Japan, and it's no secret why. The hot and humid summer is finally over, the leaves are changing from green to beautiful reds, oranges, and yellows, and though the days grow shorter, there's still so much to do as the weather cools down. If you're planning to visit Japan this fall, and especially if you're ...
Sep 29. 2023 Topics All About Vending Machines in Japan Visitors to Japan who aren't already aware of it are often surprised, if not shocked, by the sheer number of vending machines that can be found all over the country. In big cities like Tokyo, you'll see vending machines inside and outside stations, on train platforms, on street corners, in parks, in front of shops or peoples' houses... essentially...
Sep 01. 2023 Topics Japan's Best Traditional September Events While the coming of September marks the end of Japan's summer festival and fireworks season, it doesn't mean the end of traditional events or things to do if you find yourself here during this month. September, and the end of summer and the beginning of fall that comes with it, is an important time of year in Japan. You probably won't find yoursel...
Aug 18. 2023 Housing Moving to Japan? Here's How to Make Your Move as Smooth as Possible Finally committing to making the move to Japan is an exciting, wonderful moment. But once you're officially set to come here, how do you start to prepare? Picking up your whole life and moving to a new country is a challenge no matter where you move to, and if you're coming from across the world to move to Japan, it can be hard to truly understand...
Aug 11. 2023 Topics Typhoons in Japan: What You Need to Know While summertime in Japan is full of festivals, fireworks, and fun at the beach, it's also one of the more dangerous times to be in Japan thanks to typhoons. From July to October, peaking in August and September, all of Japan will be periodically hit by typhoons, shutting down most activity and forcing people to stay safe indoors. If you are livi...
Aug 03. 2023 Topics The 1000 Yen Haircut in Japan: Great Haircut or Bad Idea? If you're living in Japan, eventually you'll probably want to or need to get a haircut. But visiting a hair salon or barbershop can be an intimidating, if not downright scary experience when you aren't in your home country. Japanese hair types and hairstyles might be very different from those in your home country, so you may be worried about whet...

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