I lived in Kyoto for six years. At first it felt like a postcard city — temples, lantern-lit alleys and tea houses. After a few months it felt like home. After a few years I realized Kyoto isn’t just “different” for visitors: it’s different for residents. The difference is subtle, cultural, spatial and seasonal all […]
Why Kyoto Feels Different From the Rest of Japan — A Deep Resident’s Guide Read More »
After six years of living in Kyoto, one thing became incredibly clear to me: Japan doesn’t communicate with words — it communicates with emotions, timing, silence, and shared understanding. It doesn’t matter how many vocabulary apps you use or how many JLPT levels you pass. Without understanding the emotional rules beneath Japanese communication, you’ll always
The Hidden Emotional Rules of Japanese Communication Read More »
After living six years in Kyoto, I can confidently say this: learning Japanese is nothing like what textbooks prepare you for. They give you grammar charts, polite phrases, JLPT-level vocabulary… but they don’t teach you how Japanese people actually talk, react, soften disagreements, or navigate real-world situations with nuance. If you’ve ever studied Japanese for
The Reality of Learning Japanese: What Textbooks Don’t Tell You Read More »
Japan’s healthcare system is famous for being efficient, organized, and surprisingly affordable — but when you’re a foreigner, especially in your first few years, it can feel confusing and intimidating. I still remember my first clinic visit in Kyoto: I didn’t know where to go, how much it would cost, what documents I needed, or
A Foreigner’s Guide to Navigating Japanese Healthcare: What Six Years in Kyoto Taught Me Read More »
After living in Kyoto for six years and working in several very different Japanese companies — a small family business, a mid-sized office near Kawaramachi, and a global firm with its Japan HQ in Tokyo — I’ve learned that the probation period (試用期間 / shiyō kikan) is one of the most misunderstood parts of working
The Truth About Probation Periods in Japan: A Kyoto Foreigner’s Experience Read More »
I’ve lived in Kyoto for six years now, and in that time I’ve learned that Japan has a way of dealing with neighbors that feels almost the opposite of what I grew up with. There’s no yelling from balconies, no passive-aggressive sticky notes in the hallway, no heated parking-lot arguments. Instead, there’s something quieter and
Why Japanese Neighbors Never Complain — The “Silent Agreement” Explained Read More »
