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Jun 6, 2024

Theme post ideas?

So far in June, we haven't seen theme posts.... I'm thinking about some theme posts. One big one is, "What brought you to Japan?" That would be a fruitful one, I'd imagine. Another is regional cuisine. We City Cost correspondents are scattered all over Japan. We likely get to indulge in local dishes and prepare them at home, too. I'd love to know more. The prefecture in which I live, Chiba, has some variants of traditional foods and I'd be happy to share what I have discovered and get some motivation to try some I haven't yet. What about a theme on foreign-owned small proprietors? The population of foreign residents continues to grow and along with that, businesses that serve them. I'd love to know more. How about a rainy season theme? It's not my favorite time of year, but there is no better way to cope than getting out and seeing places that spring to life in the rain.

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TonetoEdo

TonetoEdo

Living between the Tone and Edo Rivers in Higashi Katsushika area of Chiba Prefecture.

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11 Answers

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  • BigfamJapan

    BigfamJapan

    on Jun 25

    I haven't seen a special theme post option in months???? And this month there is no regular themes either??? In other words ZERO theme post options. Just me? Am I on the blacklist!?

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  • genkidesu

    genkidesu

    on Jun 7

    I was wondering about the themes, too! Had been checking since the start of the month. Love your ideas, I always enjoy ones with a regional focus as it reminds me that every prefecture has something unique. I'd also be curious to read about everyone's stories about how they ended up here!

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  • TonetoEdo

    TonetoEdo

    on Jun 10

    @genkidesu I've got some time on my hands in early July and intend to explore Chiba Prefecture. I'm after traditional soy sauce, sake, and artisanal foods. Recently, I've met a lot of foreign residents. Truly diverse - people who came here for education and business. Their stories are fascinating.

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  • genkidesu

    genkidesu

    on Jun 12

    @TonetoEdo It doesn't look like we will be getting themes for this month, I wonder if it's a budget-related thing since there seem to be more users reviewing places than usual. Hopefully next month they incorporate some of the ideas you mentioned alongside the standard four themes, I always like reading the longer blog topics!

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  • Ekimsaido

    Ekimsaido

    on Jun 15

    Hi! I would be looking forward to reading a raining season theme since it's just my first year in Japan and It's also the season I really don't like. Anyway, all the ideas that you are coming up with are amazing! :)

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  • TonetoEdo

    TonetoEdo

    on Jun 15

    @Ekimsaido The rainy season is rough on foreign residents and Japanese locals alike. But it's also a rich month or so for irises and hydrangeas. I'd love to see a spotlight on these two flowers and locations famous and overlooked.

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  • Ekimsaido

    Ekimsaido

    on Jun 15

    @TonetoEdo yeah I've seen a lot of them around Ueno Park last week. A friend of mine told me about hydrangeas and I find it interesting how the colors of their petals vary depending to the acidity of the soil.

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  • Eli

    Eli

    on Jun 23

    Regional cuisine is a good idea. Seasonal cuisine might be nice, too.

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  • TonetoEdo

    TonetoEdo

    on Jun 25

    @BigfamJapan Nope, no themes appeared for me, either. On the plus side, it's spurred me to write about current events and topics I've been mulling over. I wouldn't mind some more themes - off-the-beaten-track places, traditional cultural pursuits, our volunteer experiences, how residents came to live in japan, what keeps us here, and how we cope with rising costs and falling yen value. There's still so much to share. And just a shout-out to our veterans on City Cost, I love reading what you write! Your blogs are valuable perspectives on how foreign residents live, work, and play here.

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  • City-Cost

    City-Cost

    on Jun 26

    We'd like to just jump in here if we may. Thanks for your interest in the blogging themes and your care for this community as a whole. It means a lot. There has been no blogging themes this month as we prepare for some updates. Please be assured, though, that nobody here is on a blacklist or anything like that. You may have noticed that there has been an increase in cases of this site being used in ways that are not in keeping with the spirit of this community: spam posts, the use of A.I., and others. This has been a bit of a challenge and has called upon us to look even more closely at how we can address these issues going forward in order to preserve the integrity of the site and this community. We're preparing some updates and changes to this end and would like to thank you for your patience as we do this. The City-Cost team

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  • genkidesu

    genkidesu

    on Jun 27

    @City-Cost Thank you for the update! I think some of us had been worried (and I had expected it was something to do with the influx of recent spammy-style posts) but I definitely appreciate knowing from your team directly that it was the case. Hoping for some good changes moving forward!

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Awaiting More Answers

4 Answers

Izu Islands exploration!

Genkidesu asked about Hachijojima, a place I've visited twice. Has anybody else explored the other islands in the Izu chain? What do you recommend for a solo traveler? A couple or family?

TonetoEdo

TonetoEdo

on Sep 5

5 Answers

Is your locale suffering from overtourism or is it...crickets?

I've lived on the periphery of Tokyo, commuted in for some years, and finally pulled back. Is the city or region you live in crowded with tourists from abroad or is it an off-the-beaten track location? Do the claims of "overtourism" ring true to you or do you think it's overblown?

TonetoEdo

TonetoEdo

on Aug 16

8 Answers

What shampoo brand do you recommend for dandruff?

I have been dealing with this dandruff situation for quite a while now and I still can't seem to figure out how to get rid of this problem. I have tried several shampoo brands/products like head and shoulders, ANGFA organic shampoo and the Honey Deep Moist Shampoo. And none of them worked so far. Some say it's because of hot shower. Well I do shower every day, but I don't use hot shower all the time. I rinse my hair thoroughly after applying shampoo and conditioner. I also tried applying shampoo every other day just to make my hair less dry but I still none of those tricks are working. If there is a product that you recommend that suits every man's budget then I would appreciate it so much.

Ekimsaido

Ekimsaido

on Jun 15

9 Answers

What are the must-sees in your prefecture (beyond the big three)?

Sustainable tourism is a hot topic that some City Cost members have covered in their blogs. For those correspondents outside the Big Three - Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka - what do you recommend visitors must see in your prefecture? My home base is Chiba Prefecture. I highly recommend visitors check out Narita Omotesando to connect with Edo's past and visit Shinshoji to get a sense of the history of Japan. The adjacent city, Sakura, is another I recommend for the National History Museum and Edo to Taisho era streetscapes.

TonetoEdo

TonetoEdo

on May 5