Jan 21, 2026
How about a challenge?
Reading the daily blogs, product, and place reviews on City Cost makes my day. I love seeing what you find novel and enriching. But what do you think of a challenge week - one week of blogs on a particular interest or location that reveals our insights into our lives as foreign residents and "experts" on the things we nerd on? Some things I do: The periodic TtoE food blogs, regional posts in Chiba Prefecture Charms blogs, and fieldtrips in the Kanto region where I live. Got 5-7 day challenge ideas?
-
1 hour ago
I love this idea and it reminds me of the old theme posts we would have! A handful of ideas off the top of my head: - Ways that Japan isn't living in 2050. A theme that debunks all the social media stuff where travelers make Japan seem so futuristic. I'm thinking like the faxes that still get used, not being able to pay some bills online, and so forth. - Our 10 minute radius. A little look into our day-to-day within about a 10 minute radius from home. Maybe that's a look at your work station, your local supermarket, your city office, local library. A different place each day to give newcomers (or even old hats!) a glimpse into our regular lives here. - Things we learned in Japan the hard way. I think this could be another good theme to help any newcomers, since there are a load of things I wish I had done differently, known ahead of time, and so forth. - Following the weather. This could be a week-long theme about doing what the climate forces you to do. Very apt in my neck of the woods right now with some very heavy snow! - A week of tiny joys. This challenge could be just identifying something uniquely Japan in your day that brought you joy. Maybe it's a hot coffee from a vending machine, maybe it's a new goshuin stamp, maybe it's a new food you tried! Basically, a theme that makes us all feel a bit happier for having read each blog :) - What makes us stay?! I know that most of us have more than one reason for this. I'd love to hear from others about their varied reasons on why Japan has become home, especially for those of us who have been here a prolonged period of time. Those are some of the ones off the top of my head to start with, but I would love to hear everyone else's ideas, too!
-
about an hour ago
@genkidesu About the radius - say a 30-minute cycle or train ride from home to reveal how walkable/bikeable our neighbourhoods are. Or not! And I hear you about Japan "living in the future". I'd love to read about how foreign residents confront the realities of retro and problematic systems that make the daily life of foreign residents challenging.
-
about an hour ago
3 Answers