On an unforgettable April day back in 2008, I found myself sitting across a desk from a travel agent in Nishi-Shinjuku, clutching a pair of freshly minted Narita Express train tickets in my hands. Awash with mixed feelings of accomplishment and disbelief, I had just managed to complete a relatively high-stakes transaction without using a…
Tim Sullivan: Cross-Cultural Education and Retirement in Japan
Tim Sullivan, Japan-based cross-cultural educator, storyteller, and prominent expat voice on LinkedIn, has never been shy about openly sharing the joys of (semi-)retirement. Tim’s life is framed by Japan, from his formative youth to his golden years, enriched by cross-cultural business consulting experiences in North America and Hawaii in between. After getting to know Tim…
Matt (Game Gengo): Learning and Teaching Japanese through Video Games and YouTube
What is the best way to learn Japanese? “Focus on what works best for you,” says Matt, creator of the Game Gengo YouTube channel. And when Matt says this, he means it. In the spring of 2020, armed with the fervent belief that language learning can and should be fun, Matt leveraged pandemic-induced downtime to…
Beyond Exercise: How Cycling Can Deepen Your Connection with Japan
I’ve been cycling for as long as I can remember—ever since I earned my first scabs and scars as a young daredevil during the 1980s. The past 14.5 years in Japan have been no exception (minus most of the daredevil behavior). During my early years in Japan, cycling was simply a convenient way to get…
The Pros and Cons of Being a Hollywood Movie Fan in Japan
Although far from being a professional film critic, I’ve enjoyed the cinema experience for as long as I can remember. I appreciate creativity and imagination across all mediums, and film is no exception. When daily life pushes you to your limits, a Hollywood blockbuster is a fantastic way to abscond from reality, albeit just for…
Language Learning Stories: How Did You Learn Japanese? Volume 2
As we learned in the first volume of this article series, there is no single correct path toward Japanese fluency and literacy. With so many methods, tools, books, and courses dedicated to learning one of the world’s most popular languages, it was only natural that I once again reach out to my network for another…
ZenPlus: Delivering Authentic Products from Japanese Stores to Your Front Door
Japan is facing a paradox of commerce. On the one hand, from mochi to manga, there’s more international demand for Japanese products than ever before. On the other hand, many of the shops and businesses that produce and distribute beloved Japanese goods are facing an existential threat. Japan’s rapidly declining population means an ever-shrinking customer…
Adrian Francis and Paper City: Preserving the Fading History of the Tokyo Firebombing
“We who have witnessed the obscenity of war and experienced its horror and terrible consequences have an obligation to rise above our pain and suffering and turn the tragedy of our lives into a triumph.”–Ron Kovic The 1945 firebombing of Tokyo by U.S. warplanes is the single most destructive bombing raid in human history. In…
Tiffany Rhodes: All You Need to Know About Being a Recruiter in Japan
With perseverance, determination, and the right credentials, it’s possible to build the career of your dreams in Japan. For Japan’s foreign residents, a career in corporate recruitment is one of the most viable pathways to success. Recruitment isn’t for the faint of heart, but great rewards await those who approach the industry with the right…
Reading in Japanese: How to Boost Motivation and Increase Literacy
As much as I emphasize the importance of using flash cards to learn Japanese, by the time you achieve an intermediate level of literacy you’ll want to start reading native material. Transitioning from textbook reading exercises to the same books, magazines, and manga that native Japanese people read is intimidating. Selecting reading material that’s too…