The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy defines social norms as “the informal rules that govern behavior in groups and societies.” As a country with a famously high-context culture, Japan is known for having an endless amount of unspoken rules that conjure up conflicting feelings of fascination and frustration among foreign visitors and residents. In this inaugural…
When Thoughts Become New Worlds
While Haruki Murakami and Hayao Miyazaki have become household names around the globe, there’s one Japanese creator who also deserves mainstream recognition: Hideo Kojima, the game designer best known for the Metal Gear franchise. I’ve been aware of his work since the original Metal Gear game was ported over to the Nintendo Entertainment System back…
Thoughtful Communication during Difficult Times
At the time of this writing, Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike is providing weekly updates on the Covid-19 pandemic in English via YouTube. If you live outside of Japan, this might not seem like a big deal. However, any foreigner living in Japan knows that frequent English communication coming directly from high-level public officials is rare….
Thoughtfulness at 30,000 Feet
When you live almost 5,500 miles away from your hometown, you tend to spend a lot of time flying, experiencing varying levels of hospitality and thoughtfulness throughout the process. One flight I’ll never forget is when I was flying with my mother on an ANA flight from Tokyo to Okinawa in 2010. The flight was…
Language Learning Stories: How Did You Learn Japanese? Volume 1
Learning Japanese is equal parts experimentation, practice, and application. In previous articles, I’ve shared how my colleagues and I study the language. Ever curious, I wanted to expand the conversation and find out how members of my social and professional circles tackled Japanese. So, I ended up taking a Tribe of Mentors approach by interviewing…
Demystifying Japan’s Immigration System: An Interview with Solopreneur Seiji Muromoto
Seiji Muromoto was one of the first people I worked with upon arriving in Japan in January, 2009. We were both English instructors in Shinjuku with lofty dreams and calculated plans for achieving business success in the future. During his lunch breaks, I would always see Seiji studying feverishly, preparing to become a legal professional,…
Three Days in Kamiyama, Tokushima: A Rural Revitalization Success Story
Ryuji Nakayama is a man on a mission. After toiling away for 21 years as one of Japan’s salarymen, Nakayama-san found himself captivated by the alluring countryside lifestyle of Kamiyama, a rural village in Tokushima Prefecture on the island of Shikoku. His sojourns to Kamiyama made such an impact that he decided to pack up…
What We Wish We Had Known Before Moving to Japan
In this roundtable discussion, we look back on our past in Japan to help you plan ahead for your future. Moving to a new country on a whim can be fun and exciting, but as you’ll soon read, there are some important things to consider before you start packing your bags. Even if you think…
The Best Places to Live, Work, and Play in Tokyo
Tokyo is massive. The megacity, which doubles as a prefecture, includes endless urban cityscapes, tropical islands hundreds of kilometers off the coast, and mountains crisscrossed with hiking trails. A city of cities (also known as wards), Tokyo is filled with variety, and this is both a blessing and a curse. There’s something new and exciting…
Things to Consider Before Moving to Japan
With foreign residents in Japan reaching record numbers, our editorial team thought it would be a good time to reminisce about our halcyon days in Tokyo and share a few things that we’ve learned during our time here. Representing the U.S., France, and Belgium, we have a combined experience of nearly 30 years of living…