Dear all, We are very excited to announce the birth of a series of online events designed just for you! We invite you to join fellow Kokoro Media readers for “Kokoro Conversations”: open-hearted conversations about the joys and the challenges of life in Japan. Meet new people, exchange thoughts, compare your experiences, ask for advice,…
Saving the Cats of Amami Oshima Island
Amami Oshima cats live on an island between Kyushu and Okinawa, blessed with hot weather, white beaches, beautiful sea, corals, and a tropical forest with unique fauna and flora. In 2021, it became a UNESCO World Heritage site. However, it is lesser known for its “feral cat management plan,” a euphemism for culling cats that…
Turning a Japanese Abandoned School into a Sustainable Factory
In summer 2021, I interviewed Go Nakano, CEO and founder member of the peanut butter company Happy Nuts Day. During our talk, he explained why he left a big advertising company and went on to create Happy Nuts Day with his skateboarding friends. He was thriving, creating products that reflected his values, surrounded by people…
Get Free Books at Temple University Japan on May 7!
Temple University Japan Continuing Education will be holding a “book fair” on May 7, 2022. Come and get free Japanese language textbooks, as well as books on finance, management, marketing, design, and much more. It will also be an opportunity to donate (or trade) books you no longer use to the TUJ library. When you…
Your Opinion Matters!
Dear readers, We always want to improve your experience and would be very glad if you could help us. Please tell us what you think of Kokoro Media by answering this survey. It only takes 5 minutes! Loading…
Join Us Online for the First Edition of “Insights”!
We are thrilled to announce the first edition of a series of events organized by TUJ Continuing Education and Kokoro Media! “Insights: Learning from Some of Japan’s Most Inspirational People” will invite inspirational people of Japan to share their professional expertise and private experience on a broad range of topics. After sharing their insights with us,…
Three Great Japanese Novels by Female Authors
I have always loved reading as far as I can remember. As I kept asking, “What’s written here?” and “What’s written there?”, my grandfather decided to teach me how to read way before I entered elementary school. As a result, I was able to read what I wanted before I was five years old. It…
What Will Change in Japan in 2022
As the Japanese fiscal year comes to an end, now is a good time to review some changes that will affect Japanese society in 2022. ※This article was available as an early release in the Kokoro Media Newsletter. Click here to subscribe. The Change of the Age of the Majority in Japan The most important…
Why Japanese Mayo Is So Good and How to Make It at Home
Japanese mayo is very popular among customers in the United States—so much so that it even ranked number one in its category on Amazon US in 2010. What is Japanese mayo? What makes Japanese mayo different from its US counterpart? And how can you make it at home? What Is the Original Mayonnaise? The origins…
The Truth about Eshima Ohashi
You may have seen pictures of the Eshima Ohashi Grand Bridge online without knowing where it was, or if it was fake. Here is a short summary of facts and the truth about this mysterious-looking bridge. What is the Eshima Ohashi Grand Bridge? The Eshima Ohashi Grand Bridge is a bridge in Japan built over…