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Mar 9, 2020

Share your good news from recently!

I think all of us are probably feeling a bit down/stressed/worried about the unknown that the current C word situation is bringing us! I am a firm believer in "if you can't see the joy, be the joy", so I want to hear all about the positive stuff in your life in the last few weeks! Doesn't matter how minor or trivial it seems...share away.

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genkidesu

genkidesu

Love to travel, interested in J-beauty products and consider myself a convenience store snack aficionado. Navigating the ever-present challenges of expat life, particularly about my TCK's (third culture kids).

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  • BlueButterfly

    BlueButterfly

    on Mar 12

    Actually I´m using the situation to get many things at home done like cleaning up the whole house and getting rid of many stuff. It feels very good! Also I´m using the time to finish many sewing projects, which were laying way to long in the box. I´m very used to stay long time at home, since the winter in my home town is very dark and cold, which forces you to spend most of your time at home. On the other side my little boy will start soon to crawl around, which will keep me very busy then haha.

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  • BigfamJapan

    BigfamJapan

    on Mar 9

    Well... what I am grateful for this very second is that the younger two have piano right now and the older two are outside playing and I have FORTY FIVE minutes to myself... TO MYSELF!!!! Hahaha. Small mercies!

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  • genkidesu

    genkidesu

    on Mar 9

    @Saitama that is definitely worth celebrating! Those moments of quiet are few and far between so I am going to celebrate vicariously through you!

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  • KamaT

    KamaT

    on Mar 9

    Well, the staggering of working hours these days means that I can get a seat on the train into work each morning. Yesterday I went to Takashimaya in Nihombashi on an errand and came away with a super moreish chocolate cake from Gramercy New York -- a bit of an indulgence at 500 yen (but I'm definitely going there again)! Watched a decent comedy special on Netflix by Athony Jeselnik -- dark humor but it made me chuckle. Finished a book -- Travels With Charlie (John Steinbeck) -- and started another good book -- People Who Eat Darkness (Richard Lloyd Parry) Leeds United have moved to the top of the Championship and look good for promotion to the Premier League next season. (Football talk, and I've got a soft spot for Leeds due to going to uni in the city.)

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  • ReishiiTravels

    ReishiiTravels

    on Mar 10

    First of all, I love this idea!! A few of the good things from recently: I was invited to perform my first dance solo at a performance!! It isn't until May, but I was informed about it two weeks ago!! I made cream puffs successfully! And I have plans to see my best friend from the States soon!!

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  • genkidesu

    genkidesu

    on Mar 10

    @Tomuu always love a good choccy cake recommendation...and you know it's good if it sets you back 500 yen and still warrants a repeat trip! @ReishiiTravels I am catching up on blogs and just saw your cream puffs! They look amazing!!

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  • TonetoEdo

    TonetoEdo

    on Mar 13

    Working from home in my pjs with music on is great. Very near my house is a bird sanctuary. In the last few days, I’ve seen kingfishers, hawks, and heard uguisu calling.

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  • JapanRamen

    JapanRamen

    on Mar 17

    In midst of all this, I got a new job, one that I have been working hard towards!!! Going to move in April :D

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  • edthethe

    edthethe

    on Mar 23

    So I finally finished constructing my shed! I haven't started painting or trimmings but it is usable. that means i can move things out of the house and hopefully have some spring cleaning and gardening. There is so much terrible going on I am glad to be productive.

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  • ConeHead

    ConeHead

    on Apr 1

    I’m just excited that it’s warm enough so my family can go across the street to our ‘private’ park. I say private because no one else uses it and it’s right in front of the house. I take their tents and toys along with snacks and just stay until dust. I’m so thanks we can get out the house and enjoy the warmth of the sun.

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  • Kanuba

    Kanuba

    on Apr 7

    I got a new job at a sushi restaurant, even though I bare speak any Japanese. So I am very grateful that the manager is giving me a chance to work there, even if it still a little hard to communicate.

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  • Bella

    Bella

    on May 22

    I'm attending an online class. I was planning on going home to study, but because of COVID, the school I've been interested in has switched their classes to online. So, I was able to join the lessons even though I'm in Japan :) Also, I'm busy tending my garden and baking. Plus, my husband works home sometimes, so I spend more time with him and do some of our projects together.

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Awaiting More Answers

7 Answers

Your donabe reccos, please!

Nuts, I broke my seasoned donabe! It fell off the fridge and snapped in half. I am bereft. If you follow me, you know that I eschew fancy electronic rice cookers and prepare my rice in a donabe. Have you got reccos for a donabe perfect for rice? A go-to for hot pot?

TonetoEdo

TonetoEdo

on Mar 15

5 Answers

What are our consumer rights in Japan?

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?

BigfamJapan

BigfamJapan

on Mar 15

15 Answers

What do you most associate with Ehime Prefecture?

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"!?

BigfamJapan

BigfamJapan

on Feb 20

4 Answers

What do you most associate with Fukui Prefecture?

It is "Hometown Day" in Fukui Prefecture today. Whether you have been there or not, what do you most associate with Fukui Prefecture?

BigfamJapan

BigfamJapan

on Feb 7

8 Answers

Do you have a favorite mascot?

The other day, on "Strawberry Day" I wrote about "Yoshimin", the strawberry mascot of Yoshimi. I thought it might be fun to introduce a few others, so I've just written about "Tokimo" the mascot of Kawagoe. And I plan to introduce a couple of my favorites. It begs the question, do you have a favorite mascot? And how about writing a post on City-cost about your favorite or a local mascot? Pictured "Umerin" who I plan to write about next!

BigfamJapan

BigfamJapan

on Jan 17

4 Answers

Growing Mushrooms

Here's for a weird hobby. I just saw a video by an American Youtuber that I plan to watch about growing shiitake mushrooms. From what I've seen, it probably needs a bit of space. There was a local market in Fukuoka Prefecture that had a "mushroom room" where they grew and sold mushrooms like maitake and eringi. I also saw a video of a couple in Paris that built a mushroom growing shower room! The local hardware store sells "seeded" logs and shiitake mushroom growing kits. I have seen the logs around people's homes on occasion. It seems like a very odd, but sustainable hobby. Has anyone tried it, or is anyone interested to try this? I wonder how involved or beginner friendly it is.

helloalissa

helloalissa

on Dec 29

6 Answers

Hair Color Treatments for Greying Hair

For those of you who have colored grey hair, I'm curious about the hair color treatments available in most drugstores. They seem simpler to use than box dyes. It's been many years since I've colored my hair. It's a chestnut brown and my grey is more silver. I don't hate it but the grey is dry and making me feel like I look older than I am. I'm especially interested in the natural brands that are non-permanent. For example Rishiri Kombu sounds like a decent option. Looking forward to your recommendations and experience.

helloalissa

helloalissa

on Aug 3

7 Answers

Entrance ceremony clothes

Soon my kid will have his entrance ceremony at school, and I'm looking for those typical Japanese style ceremony clothes for myself. I'm 1.80m, not so skinny woman, which has huge problems to even find normal clothes in Japan. Does anybody have the same problem and might have any advice, where to get those ceremony clothes in a taller size?

BlueButterfly

BlueButterfly

on Feb 17

13 Answers

What shampoo brand do you recommend for dandruff?

I have been dealing with this dandruff situation for quite a while now and I still can't seem to figure out how to get rid of this problem. I have tried several shampoo brands/products like head and shoulders, ANGFA organic shampoo and the Honey Deep Moist Shampoo. And none of them worked so far. Some say it's because of hot shower. Well I do shower every day, but I don't use hot shower all the time. I rinse my hair thoroughly after applying shampoo and conditioner. I also tried applying shampoo every other day just to make my hair less dry but I still none of those tricks are working. If there is a product that you recommend that suits every man's budget then I would appreciate it so much.

Ekimsaido

Ekimsaido

on Jun 15

9 Answers

What are the must-sees in your prefecture (beyond the big three)?

Sustainable tourism is a hot topic that some City Cost members have covered in their blogs. For those correspondents outside the Big Three - Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka - what do you recommend visitors must see in your prefecture? My home base is Chiba Prefecture. I highly recommend visitors check out Narita Omotesando to connect with Edo's past and visit Shinshoji to get a sense of the history of Japan. The adjacent city, Sakura, is another I recommend for the National History Museum and Edo to Taisho era streetscapes.

TonetoEdo

TonetoEdo

on May 5

8 Answers

What's in your toshikoshi soba?

What do you put in your toshikoshi soba? One year I sauteed some chicken and naganegi to start a broth augmented with tsuyu, cooked the soba separately, and served the broth with kamaboko slices.

TonetoEdo

TonetoEdo

on Dec 30

2 Answers

Transferring Pension

I'm currently sorting through EVERYTHING I bought back from Japan with me, so you'll get all your new blogs soon. I came across some documents that I actually completed when I came back from Japan, which was to do with pensions. This took me a while to figure out because it was complicated. Would you like to know how to transfer your pension to you from Japan? People say you can't. The things is... you can.

smallbigjapan

smallbigjapan

on Dec 8