Picture a  little Japanese girl in a pretty flowered dress, not more that 3 years old, bowing to her sibling’s school bus as it departs for the day.  That is the sweet scene that my husband and I encountered as as we walked down our street one morning this week and I can’t get it […]

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Words of Ikuo Hirayama, 81 year old survivor of the Atomic Bomb at Hiroshima:
“I believe that art can overcome hardships. I believe that flowers can blossom from anguish and inhumanity.”

Referring to the peace flame, pictured above, that will remain lit until the world no longer has nuclear weapons, Hirayama said:
"I saw the color of the […]

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This weekend I took advantage of some of my own advice and went to Rikugi-en Park and took in the Edo Ningyo. Edo Ningyo is a traditional Japanese marionette puppet show and the puppeteer was amazing! The emotions and lifelike movements he elicited from his stringed muses only enhanced the stories that […]

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Not a big surprise here….a minor got his hands on the new TASPO card that allows you to buy cigarettes from vending machines in Japan in exchange for a photo and some personal details.  The surprising part is who the minor got the TASPO card from -  he got it from his mother and […]

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Does anyone you know lack common sense? Do you think that they are aware of the fact? My guess is probably not.
If you are true friend of one of these lost souls the best gift that you could give them would be a new class that is being developed in Japan. For […]

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On May 18th I directed my readers at The Tokyo Traveler to an article in the Washington Post titled This Mob is Big in Japan by Jake Adelstien. In the article Adelstien describes his days as a crime writer for the Yomiuri Shimbun and how, because of “a story that change his life”, he […]

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What would you think if you were asked the following questions during a job interview? I warn you they’re not your typical questions:

“How many public mailboxes are there in Japan?” (Replace the reference to Japan with your home country or state.)
“How many drops of water does Lake Biwa contain?” (Again, replace the […]

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The plaza just outside the Kaihin Makuhari train station in Chiba is always a hive of activity, especially on the weekends, and this Sunday afternoon was no exception. I usually try to avoid the areas on the weekends because of all the crowds that gather to go one of the many events held at […]

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My name is Shane and I am an expat wife. I’m not making any excuses about it but I do tire of some of the questions and assumptions that go with the role. Let me answer a few….

No, I don’t work at a traditional job. I have traveled half way around […]

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There is an opening. Yesterday, Terry Collins announced his resignation as manager of the Orix Buffaloes, formerly the Orix Blue Wave, and the original team of Ichiro Suzuki. Pitching coach Mike Brown and batting coach John Debus also resigned. An interim managed has been named from within the coaching staff.
Collins led the […]

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