Tamaki SAITO（西東たまき）

The term agritourism is widely known now. While it doesn’t seem to be acknowledged as ‘agritourism’, the long-run habit of fruit picking in Japan should be one of them. Every season has its special fruits that come to the harvest like strawberry in early spring, pear and grape in early autumn and such and such. There are number of farms open their estate for tourists for fruit picking. Tourists are allowed to take a walk around the farm and pick fruits and eat fresh as much as they feel like. This is one of the common holiday activities in Japan. ...

Who would have imagined that curry would become one of Japan’s most beloved dishes? Many people in Japan even say they could eat curry every single day without getting tired of it! In Japan, the word “curry” almost always refers to curry rice (kare raisu) — a dish quite different from the spicy curries found in India or Thailand. Japanese curry has its own distinct flavor, texture, and cultural story.   The Secret of Japanese Curry’s Unique Taste Japanese curry is made using a roux — a thick paste created by blending various spices with wheat flour and oil. This ...

If you want to take a walk or kill time and don’t want to spend money, library shall be the perfect destination; fully air-conditioned and full of books, magazines, CDs and DVDs from the latest to the classics. Every local government has several of the well-stocked libraries per district. You can visit there and just scan the latest materials at the site or if you prefer, you can borrow them for a specific period, most of the case for two weeks and extendable, as per stipulated at each facility, if you are resident of the district. This system has contributed ...

Very early in the morning, much before dawn, you will hear the sound of motorbike going around the houses and apartments. They are ‘Shimbun haitatsu’ newspaper delivery. Although people who subscribe newspaper are decreasing than before, along with the spread of the internet that provides various information immediately, especially among young generation. Internet will update you per minutes. But newspaper delivery is still much alive. One way or another we must get things Win To combat with the internet news services, newspaper agents are very keen to keep up the number of subscription. They send salespersons occasionally to visit houses ...

Japan loves to borrow words from English — but what’s funny is that many of them have taken on completely new meanings here.They sound familiar to English speakers, yet… not quite right.These unique creations are called Japanese-made English, or wasei-eigo (和製英語). Let’s look at some fun examples you might come across in everyday Japan! “Salaryman” and “Office Lady” If you meet someone who introduces himself as a salaryman, he’s simply saying he’s an office worker — someone who earns a monthly salary.And his female colleague? She’s an Office Lady, or OL for short. These words are everywhere in Japan — ...

When you are officially confirmed pregnant at the hospital, you are requested to go to your local city hall to receive ‘Boshi-techo’; Maternal and Child Health Handbook. It is a handy diary-size booklet that contains the basic knowledge that mother-to-be would wish to know; how to maintain maternal health and how to take care of the baby at every growth stage. Boshi-techo is issued by each local government to every mother-to-be regardless of her nationality. It often contains several cards which provide some free medical check-ups and screenings.   The course of pregnancy Various progress is recorded Examination date The ...

In Japan, you’ll often come across free items and services that might surprise you — especially if you’re visiting from a country where almost everything comes with a price tag. From restaurants to city streets, Japan’s culture of hospitality and marketing makes “free” a part of everyday life.   Free Water in Restaurants In many countries, you have to buy bottled water at restaurants. But in Japan, a glass of cold water — or sometimes tea — is served automatically and free of charge as soon as you sit down. It’s offered before you even place your order, and refills ...

Konnnichiwa (hello) must be the most well-known Japanese greeting. ‘Konnichiwa’ will be used any time after ‘good morning’ time but before ‘good evening’ time. ‘Ohayo’ is good morning. Ohayo followed by ‘Gozaimasu’ (oayo gozaimasu) is the polite version. ‘Konbanwa’ (good evening) is the greeting used in the evening and afterwards. Greeting at Departure When you go out, anytime of a day, you will say to anyone you leave behind ‘Ittekimasu’ which literally means ‘I’m going’. You will be answered by ‘Itterasshai’, let’s say ‘Have a nice day’. When you are back, you are supposed to say ‘Tadaima’ toward anyone at ...

It’s been quite decades since the separation of household garbage was started in several communities. By now almost all communities have established the full set of rules on garbage management and put them into practice rigorously. For new comers to the community, the chart and list will be given which tells you how to separate items correctly and how to dispose them properly. Unsorted disposal is not allowed or they will be left uncollected. Garbage is chiefly categorized into 5 groups Burnable garbage, non-burnable garbage, plastic, over-sized garbage, and recyclables such as cans, bottles, glasses, batteries, papers in different types, ...

Japan experiences the rainy season annually. It starts from late spring to early summer and often it falls day and night for days. The actual timing will differ according to the region but it lasts for nearly a month and a half in any place of Japan. For example, Okinawa, the most southern part of Japan, will be in rainy season from early May until June end. While in northern part of the mainland it will be from middle of June to end of July. Hokkaido and some islands are exceptions; they have no rainy season. Rainy season in Japan ...