Expat Community of Japan

Features

Monthly okozukai "pocket money" down among Japan's company workers

City-Cost

on Aug 20

Authorities eye taking back control of Mt. Fuji, from top to bottom

City-Cost

on Jul 3

Foreign ministry survey finds 45% of Japanese expats feeling lonely

City-Cost

on Jun 5

Gov’t selected clean-up initiatives take aim at littering tourists

City-Cost

on Jun 3

UPDATING BLOG CHANNELS

The Shogun who died of a sweet tooth

BigfamJapan

on Sep 12

Happening this weekend: the Echigo Winery Grape Festival

genkidesu

on Sep 12

Reviews

Sasadango no Yamaji

Chuo-ku, Niigata-shi, Niigata

Great place for your sasadango fix

genkidesu

11 hours ago

Takano Fruit Parlor Atre Kichijoji Store

Tokyo

Takano Fruit Parlor Atre Kichijoji Store

Eli

on Sep 8

Starbucks Oyumino

Midori-ku, Chiba-shi, Chiba

My go-to Starbucks

Lyssays

on Aug 30

What features in Japan's culture would be considered a bug in your home country? Or the other way around - an aspect of daily life in your home country that wouldn't fly here in Japan? I've got one. In Japan, many sliding doors in industrial and institutional buildings are designed to make noise. The rattle indicates comings and goings. I worked in institutional buildings in Canada with silent doors and soft closing mechanisms.

TonetoEdo

on Sep 7

7 Answers

What unusual items do you have in your emergency bag?

In honor of Disaster Prevention Day and further to the preparedness articles I just wrote, I am curious: what item/s do you have in your emergency bag aka disaster preparedness kit, that might not be common nationwide?

BigfamJapan

on Sep 1

7 Answers

Reflections on our home countries after living in Japan

I think one thing living in Japan has given me is an appreciation of things my country does really well, and things it doesn't do so well in comparison to here. For instance, I think Australia is great with annual leave entitlements. You get four weeks automatically (some workplaces offer even more!) and there's not any guilt associated with taking it. Something we don't do so well is public transport. I know that Australia is a massive country, but there has been talk of creating a high speed rail option from Melbourne to Sydney for ages, and nothing has ever come of it. It's basically an 8 hour drive or flying. Also, inner city trains are regularly not on time. What are the things you think your home country does better or worse than Japan?

genkidesu

on Aug 26

13 Answers