Nov 3, 2026
What do you do each year on Culture Day? Do you have an annual custom or do you go somewhere or do something new each year? Or do you just spend time at home and/or with family?
Irish, Mom of 4, currently also living beside the In-Laws. 25+ years back and forth between Ireland and Japan! I also write on my personal website: insaitama.com
0 Answers
What do you do each year on Culture Day? Do you have an annual custom or do you go somewhere or do something new each year? Or do you just spend time at home and/or with family?
1 hour ago
8 Answers
In the wake of worldwide electricity and Internet problems, I found myself sharing my landline number with friends today! I am just curious; do you still have a landline in 2026? And any thoughts about it - if you got rid of your landline, do you regret it? Does your area use VoIP, making it pointless anyway?
on Oct 23
7 Answers
Tomorrow, October 22nd, is Anime Day in Japan and I will be writing a few posts about it. Probably, including one about the pilgrimage spots in Saitama (photo of a Lucky Star spot). But what about in your prefecture, what famous real-life locations are there that inspired anime settings? Shout out to TonetoEdo who asked a similar question about movie locations earlier in the year. I wasn't much good at answering that, but - despite not being an anime fan - I know more about the anime spots than the movie spots!
on Oct 21
7 Answers
Today is "Very Good Breakfast Day" in Japan. Do you eat breakfast every day? Japanese or Western? The day also encourages families to eat together, which unfortunately just isn't practical in my home due to all 6 of us having very different schedules. Do you get to eat breakfast with someone or do you eat alone?
on Oct 11
10 Answers
I'd love to be part of a club where I could learn some traditional plant growing, harvesting, and cooking. Learning Japanese calligraphy (shodo) and previously flower arranging (Ikebana) is great too. I've always thought it would be awesome to learn bamboo crafts, more than a short experience making a small already prepared basket. I'm wondering what you'd be interested to learn that is in danger of disappearing if young people (including foreign residents) don't learn it. There are small local efforts to teach students how to grow and harvest rice for a seasonal example. It's a tiny experience that could influence the future supply of an important staple food. I've never had the chance but that would be great and potentially helpful to local farmers.
on Oct 8
10 Answers
Today, is also Shizuoka Citizen's Day, so - the same as Fukushima - what first comes to mind / do you most associate with Shizuoka Prefecture?
on Aug 21
10 Answers
I feel like this may have been asked before, but I can't find it through a search. Or maybe I thought of asking it and never did! Either way, tell us what things you like to have in your car when you are going on a road trip?
on Aug 21
6 Answers
Given that today is Fukushima Prefecture Citizen's Day; what is the FIRST thing that comes to mind when you hear Fukushima? And / or what do you most associate with the prefecture?
on Aug 21
6 Answers
Earlier I wrote about how my neighborhood's "summer" festival has been moved to autumn. I also wrote a separate post about a summer festival in Kasukabe that has been moved indoors. I know there is a bittersweetness about these changes, but some would argue that something needs to change in the face of rising temperatures. So, I am curious, what would you vote for: 1) Leaving Summer Festivals exactly as they are - same date, same set up etc. 2) Shifting the time of day the festival is on, say for example, from afternoon until after dark 3) Moving the festival from summer to another season or at least to earlier in summer, such as June 4) Moving summer festivals indoors - not really possible for the larger festivals especially those with large floats etc. but maybe they could shift some elements indoors
on Aug 3
7 Answers
I am not a movie-goer at all, but every year I bring the kids to see a film (and they often go with their friends too) during the summer holidays. There seems to be a good choice this year, including Toy Story 5, the Chiikawa movie, the real live action adaption of Moana and the usual annual Crayon Shinchan movie among others. Which movie are you planning to see this summer? Or have you already been to see one (or more)? If so, which one?
on Jul 30
5 Answers
Do you know your consumer rights in Japan? And if so, would you be willing to share anything about them? For example, what is the policy on returns? I am very familiar with my consumer rights in my home country, and they are very widely publicized back home, but information doesn't seem to be as transparent or readily available here. Or is that just me?
on Mar 15
18 Answers
Today, February 20th, is Ehime Prefecture Day. What do you most associate with Ehime Prefecture, what is the very first thing that comes to mind when I say "Ehime Prefecture"!?
on Feb 20
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