Articles on travel, culture, and expat life in Japan.
Did you know that Japanese women are 22.3 kg (49 pounds) lighter than American women on average? It’s true. Japan has one of the lowest obesity rates in the world, with only about 1 in 23 adults being obese. But today, we’re looking at what is considered “fat” in Japan. Obviously, opinions will vary—but by … Read more
Traveling in Asia as someone who only speaks English, you’re bound to face some language barriers. Granted, most tourist areas will have a decent amount of English. But outside of those spots, it depends a lot on the country. Personally, I’ve been living as a digital nomad in Asia for over two years, and I’ve … Read more
So far, I’ve stayed 6 weeks in Japan as a digital nomad. I went to Tokyo in 2022, then Osaka in 2023. I’ve explored famous areas, stayed at numerous hotels, worked in cafes, met locals, joined gyms, and tried a bunch of new food. In this post, I’ll share 11 tips from my digital nomad … Read more
As an American or European, it can be easy to have distorted ideas of the world when it comes to cheese. I remember at one point, I didn’t even realize that most East Asian cuisines are basically cheese-free. But if you go spend some time in Japan, you’ll certainly notice differences in cheese availability, quality, … Read more
It’s odd how middle names are so common across the world, and yet, many people never use their middle name—or even share it publicly. Why do we even have them? Well, today we’re looking at a country that doesn’t have them: Japan. Japanese people generally do not have middle names. On official Japanese paperwork, there … Read more
Years ago, I remember researching some Japanese celebrities online, and I’d often find their name written two different ways. Basically, their first and last name would be switched around. It confused me. What could explain the inconsistency? Japanese custom is to put the family name first, as in China and Korea. This is called “Eastern … Read more
Today I’m covering one of the biggest unexpected forms of culture shock that many Americans experience when they get to Japan: Breakfast cereal. In America, we’re accustomed to full grocery story aisles dedicated to big, colorful cereal boxes. The boxes are covered with cartoon mascots that are advertised to kids since birth. In Japan, the … Read more
Sometimes on a hot summer day in Japan, you’ll look around and see most people wearing long pants, especially the men. What is the explanation behind this? Can you wear shorts in Japan? It is completely OK to wear shorts in Japan. While it may be a bit uncommon among Japanese men, especially on work … Read more
Some people are surprised to find when they get to Japan—their apartment doesn’t have an oven. What’s going on here? Do Japanese people not use ovens? What is going on here? Most Japanese kitchens do not have large convection ovens like those common in the West. Instead, they have smaller fish grills, microwaves with built-in … Read more
If you’re new to using yen, it can take a while to get a feel for how much it’s worth. Aside from conversion rates, you also need to consider the costs of rent and products in Japan, too—right? Well, luckily, it’s not that hard. After currency conversion, the cost of living in Japan is similar … Read more