Little Things About Japan
When a foreigner first comes to live in Japan, there are many small things they'll notice. Ceramic roof tiles on ...
Tag: vending machines
The $24,000 Melon
Visitors to Japan will encounter many strange and wonderful sights, from thousand-year-old temples and five-stories pagodas to vending machines that ...
Innovative Uses for Vending Machines in Japan
Japan leads the world in many important areas, including sporting more vending machines than any other country in the world, ...
My First Impressions on Japan, Incl. “Fancy Shop” and “Viking”
You never forget your first impressions of something. Although it was seventeen years ago, I still vividly remember my arrival ...
Thoughts on men and women and marriage, things that surprise foreigners in Japan, and how we sound to the Japanese
Yesterday my wife and I went to our favorite restaurant and noticed that the girl who had been working there ...
Little differences between Japan and America like sandwiches, crime and honesty in Japan, and vending machine costumes?
Sometimes it's fun to notice the little differences between Japan and the U.S., like the way packaging of products is ...
Thoughts on e-books and other “revolutions,” the worst-run government program in history, and why you don’t want to be in a car in Japan now
Imagine what would happen if a quarter of all Americans lived in the Washington D.C. area instead of spread out ...
Peter’s rant about “baka-gaijin” (with apologies to Chris Rock), thoughts on Japanese having an “American accent” and getting ready for Comicon!
Like every nation, Japan has a segment of people from other countries living there, although at just 1.5% of the ...
The most-quoted phrase by pop Japanologists, the reason for Japanese innovation, and stupid Japanese money tricks
No consideration of Japan is complete without the often-quoted-by-gaijin- who-are-experts-on-Japan phrase deru kui wa utareru (DE-ru KOO-ee wa oo-TAH-reh-ru), which ...
How Cup Ramen became a part of our food culture, a new trend in vending machines, and my thoughts on the enigma of the “Japanese Female”
You may have seen that Momofuku Ando, the Father of Instant Ramen, died recently. Momofuku, whose name meant "one hundred ...
All about Mt. Fuji, how taking responsibility can lead to cleaner bathrooms, and thoughts on bathing and how the brain works
You can't think of Japan without also thinking of the country's tallest and most famous mountain, Mt. Fuji. An active ...
Culture shock for foreigners coming to Japan, reflections on the Japanese word “nantonaku” and test culture as a Great Democritizer in Japan
When a foreigner comes to live in Japan, he or she is in for some changes. I remember my first ...
Coming to Japan from San Diego, changing Japanese views on alcohol, and Japan Autumn Report
Coming to Japan meant adjusting to many new things, from vending machines that accept the equivalent of $100 bills then ...
Commomorating Karaoke Culture Day, a cruel joke on the population front, and all about mixed bathing in Japan
Japan is a big fan of naming special days to create awareness about things we take for granted, like Sweet ...
Lessons we could learn from Japan about “safety driving,” pointing with the middle finger, and trivia on Japanese toilets
I've often thought that there are some really good ideas in Japan that the rest of the world could learn ...
Notes from Anime Expo, culture shock and toilets, all about MOS Burger, and fun in Graceland
Hello again from an extremely enjoyable Anime Expo, which is still going on here in "Animeheim, CA." We're having lots ...
The first Japanese person to visit the USA, new tragedy of Japan’s society, and all about Japanese culture shock
The first Japanese person to visit America was Manjiro Nakahama, a 14-year-old fisherman who was rescued in 1841 by an ...
Experiments with Japanese literature, my impressions on positives and negatives education in Japan, and squid ink pizza
Coming to Japan brought many surprises for me, and not just the usual things like beer vending machines and ikasumi ...
Japanese Buddhist attitudes about land, and ruminations on when I first arrived in Japan
One big difference between Japan and America is the attitude people have towards land and personal mobility. In the U.S. ...
Japanese recommendations for living longer, sadness in the news, and all about capsule toys
The Japanese are some of the longest-lived people on the planet, with women living 84 years and men 78 years, ...
Unique businesses that exist in Japan, Rubik’s Cube, and more Funny English Words
Japan is a unique place, and the economic forces that cause this kind of business or that to spring up ...
Successful foreign companies in Japan, and the story of Coca-Cola, vending machines and more
Japan is a unique place, and it's not always easy for foreign companies to succeed here. There are many barriers ...
About Japanese hot springs, shoes and the Japanese concept of cleanliness
Hello again from Japan. First, sorry for some confusion over the iTunes Music Cards we posted last time -- due ...
Typhoon update, life in Gunma Prefecture, and ways that the Japanese walk to their own beat
Florida is getting pummeled by Hurricane Katrina, but Japan just got walloped by Typhoon No. 11, which dumped tons of ...
