Whew, boy, Tokyo is in the grip of a punishing heatwave and it's only June! The average high for this time of year is only 24°C (75°F), but the news is predicting temps close to 40°C (104°F) for the next couple of days. Luckily, Japan has lots of little gadgets, gizmos, and doohickies to help people survive these sticky conditions. Grab a glass of water, pull up a seat by the air con, and let us tell you about our favorite items for beating the summer heat.
05 July, 2022
If you are planning to move to Japan in the near future, you may be wondering what kind of visa you need to rent an apartment. Read on to find out the details and some workarounds if your visa isn't eligible.
27 May, 2022
Choosing where you want to live is the first step of apartment hunting in Tokyo. It will have a huge impact not only on your quality of life, but also on how much you can expect to pay in rent. We look at average prices in the central 23 wards to help you find the best value for your priorities.
19 May, 2022
The Tokyo area has had some big tremblers over the past couple of weeks, so it is a good time to review disaster preparedness. Whether you are new to the city and wondering what you need to do or a long-time resident just checking your current plan is solid, read on to find out how to prepare for an earthquake or other major disaster.
14 April, 2022
Temps are climbing in Tokyo and sakura are just starting to shrug free of their buds. That means spring break is nearly here! Time to shake off the winter doldrums and start thinking about travel plans. Unfortunately, in Japan, nearly everyone shares the same days off, a clump of national holidays at the end of April and beginning of May called Golden Week. Throngs of people traveling at the same time means popular destinations like Kyoto and Okinawa fill up fast and treble in price. Not to worry, though. If you are looking to escape the crush and discover a lesser-known destination, we've got you covered. Read on to see our team's off-the-beaten-track recommendations, all easily accessible from Tokyo.
17 March, 2022
You know the feeling: You’ve finished a long day at work and you’re desperate to get home and into some comfy sweats. But you don’t want to cook dinner either. Time for some take out! One silver lining from the recent corona-related restrictions on restaurants in Tokyo is that many places have seriously upped their take-out game. In this series, we comb the offerings in our most popular neighborhoods to find the best take-out menus on your way home. Today’s installment: five restaurants around Meguro Station with delicious and even dare-I-say healthy take-out options.
24 February, 2022