This might hit some of you pretty hard, but it’s time I give some of you the lowdown on living in Japan as an English language teacher and how that relates to maintaining financial security. These words might hold true for most types of expats in Japan, but especially for those navigating the unlucrative ESL […]
You may have noticed that my blog output hasn’t been up to snuff recently. Indeed, kanagawacement is going through a bit of a sea change, quite literally. In the last few days I have seen every possession in our apartment packed into more than 50 boxes, our furniture hauled with ropes down the second story […]
Japan often gets ripped for its astronomical restaurant prices. Sometimes this is unwarranted, more often there is rightful cause. This usually isn’t the case with Japanese foods(soba, ramen,ect), but when it comes to western dishes consumers tend to get the short end of the stick. Amazingly, many Japanese people remain blithely unaware of how long […]
February 3rd was Setsubun in Japan, marking the seasonal division according to the lunar calendar. Setsubun incorporates elements of Mardi Gras, Halloween, Groundhog day, and culinary geomancy. While there is ample info about this great traditional holiday available on the web, I’d thought I share some of my experiences from the day. Being that this […]
I am not a beer or liquor connoisseur by any means. I can barely distinguish a dark beer from a non-dark, know little about brewing techniques, and care little about where a particular beer comes from. Mostly, I’ll occasionally drink a beer to take the edge off, usually with a meal. So I am not […]
Today, in Japan, is known as Coming of Age day or Seijin no hi (成人の日). A day when all those who have turned twenty in the previous year dress in traditional kimono and attend events at their local city hall. Unfortunately for them, the Tokyo region was hit with a relatively large snow storm, rather […]
One of the most intriguing things to witness in the Tokyo metroplex is just how little residents utilize balcony space. Most are simply relegated as spaces for hanging laundry, which admittedly, is all there seems to be room for. But laundry isn’t always drying, and it is in those instances when residents should look to […]
Sakura season came and went in rather delayed fashion in the Tokyo Region this past year. Several weeks behind schedule, the blossoms finally came out around the second week in April and managed to hold on strong for about 10 days. The tree lined road between Musashi-Kosugi and Motosumiyoshi (Nakahara Ward, Kanagawa Prefecture) offered some […]
What better way to jump start the spring than a quick no fuss haircut and then picking up some yakitori from a street stall on the way home. It might sound simple but that’s all it takes to get me going. Because of years of bad hair cut experiences living in South Korea, when I […]
It’s no secret that space is tight here in the metroplex. Tight, orderly, clean, and tight. Public and private – everything is tighter than things in the West. It’s basic physics in most respects, and you have to learn to deal with it, or risk a mental breakdown. When I visited by folks in suburban […]