The holidays are among us, a time for family and celebration. It might come as a surprise to you that Christmas isn’t truly celebrated here in Japan. Christmas is a time for couples, not fami...

  Article written in Summer 2021… How has Tokyo changed due to COVID-19 over the past year+?!   Summer 2021 came in like a flash, and here we are now- our 2nd summer surviving the p...

…The rainy season continues as we enter July! We have 2 topics to cover for this article–   On the 7th of July is one of the Gosekku (五節句 / 5 annual ceremonies) … “TANA...

(header photo by Patrick Vierthaler) June and TSUYU With the passing of May’s blue skies and refreshing weather, June is finally here. While Japan may only have four official seasons, this time of ...

Sekku Part 2: Golden Week and Boy’s Day (retrospective report, updated mid-May) Once cherry blossom season is finished in Tokyo, attention immediately shifts to Golden Week. Golden Week takes place...

The Four Seasons in Tokyo   Spring is on its way! The flowers of the plum tree are the harbingers of spring in Japan – giving Tokyoites a reminder that winter is finally coming to an end. The ...

Can you smell the Autumn breeze? We’ve made it through the thick of the summer and now can enjoy some beautiful Autumn weather. Although everyone thinks that Cherry Blossom trees steal the show in ...

Japanese market stuffs?! It’s no secret that the Japanese live long lives. Their life expectancy is one of the tops in the world. It could be that most Japanese are incredibly active, some ev...

The anticipation and excitement of Japanese summers is one felt by all ages. Schools are out, and it’s the season for summer festivals and fireworks displays. Beaches turn into little resorts...

Maybe you’re planning to move to Japan,  or maybe you’ve lived here for awhile and are looking for somewhere that’s not as hectic as Tokyo, yet still offers all the vibes and conv...

Apts.jp guest article, by Trevor of Best Japan Items Comments by Team Apts.jp   Planning on living in Japan, but you are still unsure what to expect in a Japanese household? Whether you got th...

It may come to you as a surprise that your new apartment in Tokyo does not come furnished. Unless you rent a furnished apartment, Japanese rentals come empty, some even requiring you to buy lightin...

From the backdoors of Harajuku that stretch to Shinjuku, is a town not familiar to many– Sendagaya. Harajuku, Omotesando, and Shinjuku steal the popular spotlight, but what you may not know i...

Minami Aoyama is a luxurious town situated right behind the glitzy Omotesando, and connecting to the urban district of Roppongi. Take a stroll along the streets of Minami Aoyama, and you will be me...

Japanese Recycle Shops/Services and Recycle Concept Whether you are furniture shopping for your new apartment or trying to find places to donate/sell stuff, Japan has a variety of Second-Hand shops...

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/qu...

Although kitchens can be the dream room for some people in the house, Tokyo kitchens might not exactly be your “dream kitchen”.  Or they might be!  Depends on budget and expectations, r...

Are you a fur mom or dad and thinking about bringing your fur baby to live with you in Tokyo? In other words– “Are you planning on living in Tokyo, and do you want to take your pet with...

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 ...

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 s...

Tokyo is the land of impeccable transportation. With millions of people, there isn’t enough road for everyone to drive. Not to worry, superbly clean and always on time, trains and buses can t...

One of the beautiful things about living in Japan is getting to experience all four seasons. Cherry blossoms in Spring, exciting festivals in Summer, bright colored leaves in Fall, and joyful gathe...

Tokyo is not the easiest place to live on a budget, but there are plenty of ways to make your yen last a bit longer. One of the easiest is by finding a relatively affordable apartment in one of the...

With a population of over 9 million people, the city of Tokyo has a neighborhood to suit every conceivable personality type. So, instead of choosing your new apartment based on your work commute al...