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.

(part 2 of our 2 part series, What to Expect When You Are Expecting in Japan - CLICK HERE for part 1)   Congratulations on your baby!   Well done Momma (or Papa), you did it!   Has life settled in for you yet? With all things new, late-night feedings, needing...

(part 1 of our 2 part series, What to Expect When You Are Expecting in Japan - CLICK HERE for part 2) Have you just found out that you are expecting? Congratulations! This is an exciting time for you ahead!   Coupled with the excitement, is perhaps a stark...

Whether you are a die-hard gym rat, a health enthusiast, or want to get in shape for an upcoming holiday, everyone's goal is to find a gym that best suits them for their Tokyo lifestyle. Working out and getting healthy are some of the best...

Living in a foreign country can be exciting with all the new adventures and cultural experiences. So you can continue living your new life adventure, it's best to know where to go, in case you fall ill or have an accident. Whether it is the...

How to throw away your trash in Tokyo Welcome to Japan- the land of systems, and organization. There is so much good that comes from living in an organized country! Clean trains, organized lines/queues, and a systematic way of sorting trash. Lovely. When you first move here, you...

Article originally published March 19, 2020 Here are some RESOURCE UPDATES (last updated August 11, 2020): Tokyo Metropolitan Government's "Tokyo Coronavirus Support Center for Foreign Residents (TOCOS)" multilingual hotline - Available in Simple Japanese, English, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Nepali, Indonesian, Tagalog, Thai, Portuguese, Spanish, French, Khmer, and Burmese,...

When moving to Japan- or if you've just started living in Japan- you might experience a few culture shocks, with one of those being the number of people wearing surgical masks! You might be startled or even worried at first, wondering if you missed the...