Dear readers, The entire Kokoro Media team would like to thank you for all of your unwavering support since the creation of Kokoro Media three years ago. Today, I am writing to inform you of two significant updates. First, I will be stepping down from my role as Kokoro Media Chief Editor in order to…
What Is Inside a Japanese Emergency Backpack?
Because of its geographical location, Japan is famous for being prone to natural threats such as earthquakes, tsunamis, typhoons, and the occasional volcanic eruptions. As a foreigner from a country where none of those phenomena exist, moving to Japan meant I needed a minimum amount of knowledge and preparedness about them. Maybe this is what…
Exploring the Japanese Underground Music Scene with Kaala Music
In February 2022, I had the pleasure to interview Matt Ketchum from Akiya & Inaka, and he shared his expertise on vacant houses in Japan. During the course of that conversation, he mentioned his passion and involvement with the Japanese underground music scene, and drew some unexpected parallels with the vacant houses problem. The Japanese…
A Visit to Happy Nuts Day’s Factory in Chiba Prefecture
In 2021, I did my first interview with Go Nakano, CEO and founding member of the peanut butter company Happy Nuts Day. He talked about creating products that reflected his values and hoped to encourage the birth of new regional ventures in Japan. In Spring 2022, Happy Nuts Day announced that they were about to…
How to Deal With Workplace Harassment in Japan
Are you or a friend subject to workplace harassment in Japan? Although I have never experienced this, I found myself at a loss when it happened to a friend. Recently, I have seen many people seeking help in various support groups and on social media. So, I have decided to write this summary regarding power…
Coralie Camilli Talks about Her Crossover Experience with Aikido and Kickboxing
In late 2020, I interviewed French philosopher and Aikido martial artist Coralie Camilli about her experience in Japan and her then-newly released book about the philosophy of martial arts, in which her Japanese experience played a great part. When I heard that Coralie plans to return to Japan and that her martial arts career has…
Momoka Miyoshi’s Modern Take on Buddhist Statues
Momoka Miyoshi is a young sculptor who made a sensation on social media thanks to her graduation art project, Day Off. The statue shows a Nio guardian–a Buddhist figure that usually stands at the entrance of temples with an angry face–on its day off. The statue’s gentle expression as it is holding a baby provoked…
7 Questions to Ask Yourself When Translating from Japanese to English
I’ve been living and working in Japan for more than ten years. Based on personal experience and talking with friends, I found out that when you are one of the few foreign assets in a Japanese company, and your Japanese level is fair, translating may be one of your unexpected jobs. Companies often overlook that…
How Ikkyu Built Trust with Kyushu Tea Producers
Aldo and Joëlle arrived in Japan more than ten years ago. Attached to good terroir, they wanted to import Italian products. However, unpredictable events made them move to Fukuoka, on the island of Kyushu. There, they fell in love with the local green tea and, with some friends, they ended up founding Ikkyu, an online…
Free Wi-Fi Access Is Gradually Disappearing in Japan
Apart from the societal changes I have treated earlier on this website, changes in technology and services are also happening in Japan. In early June 2022, Tobu Railway (a railway company in the Greater Tokyo Area) terminated its free Wi-Fi services. Until then, trains used on the Tobu Skytree Line and Tojo Line provided free…