Articles on travel, culture, and expat life in Japan.
Japan’s dating culture is quite unique. From the “confessions of love” (kokuhaku) to White Day (March 14th, the follow-up to Valentine’s Day), there’s a lot to figure out. Today, we look at hand-holding. What does holding hands mean in Japan? Holding hands has a generally romantic meaning in Japan, as in other countries. Holding hands … Read more
As an American, I’ve often hugged strangers upon first meeting them. Usually, it doesn’t freak anyone out too much in the U.S. or any Western country. But there’s a bit more risk of awkwardness when doing that in Japan. In this post, I’ll explore how Japanese people view hugging—and how that’s changing with younger generations. … Read more
When I first moved to Asia, my chopstick skills were not the best. I’ve gotten a lot better over time, but at first, it was tempting to use a fork instead. But would that be rude, specifically in Japan? It is not rude to eat with a fork in Japan. In fact, at many restaurants, … Read more
How tall are Japanese people? Are they getting taller? And what is it like being in Japan as a tall foreigner? I’ll answer these and more questions today as we explore… What is tall in Japan? The average height in Japan is 172 cm (5’7″) for men and 158 cm (5’2″) for women. Therefore, if … Read more
As a country, Japan scores “Low” on the English Proficiency Index. Most Japanese people are not very comfortable speaking English, even if they learned it in school. But what does this mean for foreigners visiting Japan? Do you need to learn Japanese? No knowledge of Japanese is needed to visit tourist areas in Japan and … Read more