When I first attended a Japanese tea ceremony in Kyoto, I thought it was just about drinking matcha.I couldn’t have been more wrong. After living in Japan for over five years, I now understand that the tea ceremony — or chanoyu (茶の湯) — is not just about tea.It’s about presence, respect, and connection — three […]
🍵 The Japanese Tea Ceremony: Why Every Foreigner Should Experience It at Least Once Read More »
When I first arrived in Japan, I thought peace meant silence.Then I visited Kiyomizu-dera in Kyoto on a Sunday — packed with tourists, school trips, and the scent of sweet matcha drifting from nearby shops — and yet, somehow, I felt still. It’s strange how Japanese temples manage to create calm in the middle of
🏯 Why Japanese Temples Feel So Peaceful (Even in Crowded Cities) Read More »
The Tokyo Trap: Why Your Japanese Dream Might Be Too Expensive When people first dream of moving to Japan, the scene is almost always the same: neon-lit Shibuya crossing, the electric energy of Shinjuku, and the endless history of Kyoto. I get it. Tokyo is incredible. I’ve lived near it, worked in it, and traveled
The Transfer Trap: How Traditional Banks Steal Your Money When Moving to Japan I remember my first year in Japan vividly—the cherry blossoms, the polite service, and the sheer terror of realizing I had just lost thousands of dollars to my home country’s bank for a single wire transfer. Trust me, as someone who has
When I first arrived in Japan, I thought I understood public transportation. I had lived in big cities before — New York, London — and figured trains were trains everywhere.Then, I took my first morning ride on the JR Kyoto Line during rush hour. Within minutes, I realized: Japan’s train system isn’t just transport —
When I first moved to Japan, I thought “100 yen stores” were just Japan’s version of dollar shops — cheap, low-quality, and mostly for small household stuff. But after five years here, I can confidently say: Japan’s 100 yen stores are something else entirely. They’re not just shops; they’re a reflection of Japan’s minimalist, efficient,
🏪 Japan’s 100 Yen Stores: Where Minimalism Meets Quality Read More »
