/

Why is Japan So Good at Baseball?

With Japan winning the 2023 World Baseball Classic, not only did I find myself wanting to own every single piece of Shohei Ohtani’s memorabilia, but I also spent a considerable amount of time wondering “Why is Japan so good at baseball?”. Japan…

22 mins read
/

Why is Japan Perceived as Weird?

Pretty much anyone I’ve ever met that hasn’t spent a prolonged period of time in Japan has a certain view of the country. Normally, that comes under ‘crazy’, ‘wacky’, and weird. But why is Japan perceived as weird? Many people consider Japan…

21 mins read
/

Why Do Japanese People Bathe in the Evening?

Before I came to Japan, I was completely on the side of people who took a shower in the morning rather than in the evening. After a few months of living here, I’m not so sure. Japanese people have baths at night…

11 mins read
/

Why are Japanese roofs curved?

Perhaps the most synonymous feature of Japanese architectural design is the curved roof. Whenever I used to think about Japan before I moved here, I envisioned large towns with roofs that curved up at the edges, which seemed to make practically any…

8 mins read
/

Why is Japan Romanticized?

The more time I live in Japan, the more it becomes clear that so many people around the world romanticize it as a destination. While I’ve created this website which is dedicated to my love of the country, it’s important to realise…

14 mins read
//

What Does Japan Eat on Christmas Day?

From raw horse and whale to fermented soybeans and the infamous Fugu fish, Japan certainly has its fair share of interesting foods. So, what do the people of Japan traditionally eat on Christmas Day? Well, having lived in Japan for a few…

5 mins read
/

What Makes Japan So Special?

Before I started this article, I couldn’t put my finger on exactly what it was that made Japan so unique and special. It seemed to me that while most other countries blended into one, Japan stuck out like a sore thumb, but…

19 mins read
/

Why Don’t Japanese People Have Beards?

If you’ve ever been to Japan, you may have noticed the distinct lack of facial hair pretty much anywhere you look. At first, I thought it was purely genetics, but maybe there’s some sort of cultural reason (just like why Japanese people…

10 mins read
/

Why Do Japanese People Bow?

Here in the UK, shaking someone’s hand is the most common way to greet them. It’s polite, formal, and a sign of respect to the other person. But if you’ve ever been to Japan or seen it on TV, you’ll notice they…

9 mins read

The Subtle Differences Between a Kimono and Yukata

If you had to name five things that were quintessentially Japanese, I would hazard a guess that your list would include a Kimono. I’ve worn one quite a few times, and other than looking absolutely fabulous, it’s a great way to centre…

13 mins read
/

Why does Japan still use outdated technology?

On the surface, it’s easy to write off-Japan as a country of flying cars and robot butlers. However, as with countless things surrounding Japan, the actual situation is a lot more complex. Today we’re going to discuss Japan’s unusual and perhaps surprising…

18 mins read

Exercise The Japanese Way (Without Going To The Gym)

If you live in the United States or United Kingdom, as most of you do, it’s likely you’re constantly bombarded with gym culture on social media. But maybe not so if you happen to live in Japan. So, in a country that…

10 mins read

10 Most Popular Hobbies in Japan.

I have 3 main hobbies. Well, to be fair I’m interested and love learning about everything on the planet BUT… If I had to narrow it down it would be: This website (and Japan), Photography, and Reading. I frequently bounce around and…

15 mins read

Japan’s Reverse Valentines Day.

Ahhh, holidays. Love them or hate them, they come around every year without fail. And for some reason (to me) it seems as though they are a little more commercialised each time, at least in the west. So whilst valentines day here…

9 mins read
/

How many mountains are in Japan?

Quite often I find myself pondering strange questions about Japan. In the past, that’s led me to find out why Japanese cars are so boxy, why Japan is so clean, and why it snows so much. But today, we’re going to find…

9 mins read

63 facts about Japan you probably didn’t know.

Japan is a country known for its bright lights, innovative technology, and beautiful scenery. But in this article, I aim to show you some of Japan’s lesser-known facts that prove how truly interesting it is as a country. On this list you’ll…

51 mins read
/

Why is the Tokyo subway so crowded?

If you’ve ever seen a documentary about Japan, chances are that somewhere along the line you saw a video (or 10) of people squished into train carriages like sardines. But can’t one of the most advanced and populated countries in the world…

16 mins read

8 Japanese Concepts To Improve Your Life.

Japanese aesthetic principles and concepts are often hard to decipher into actionable and practical ways to help you in daily life. In this article, I’ve taken the time to identify the key principles Japanese culture has to offer and linked them to…

17 mins read
/

Does it snow in Japan?

In England we get roughly 20 pathetic days of snow a year. That doesn't mean it settled and doesn't mean it was heavy! So it got me thinking, 'Where's the snowiest place on earth?'.…

10 mins read