http://www.city-cost.comTue, 09 Jun 2026 22:46:28 +0900I like cycling, hiking and outdoor adventures! Welcome to Shonan!enCopyright © 2015 - 2026 City-Cost All Rights Reserved.webmaster@city-cost.com (CC Team)http://img.city-cost.com/static/blog_campaign_icon.pnghttp://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/KevinC/wj8yv-living_food_tokyoLiving and working in a foreign country can be boring and stressful if you don't understand the culture and history. That is the reason whenever traveling to other countries I often visit the museum and the theater to get a better understanding of the culture and history of the country. In a museum, you can read the stories and see artifacts from the past. In a theater, you can get a deeper and more enriching experience of a culture.Classical Japanese theater (Kabuki or Noh) incorporate singing, dancing, dynamic stage and designed costumes in the storytelling. For visitors who don't understand Japanese, it may be a little bit difficult to understand the story. Modern Japanese theater, on the other hand, incorporates less singing and more dancing in the storytelling.Recently I visited "RoppongiKaguwa" -- a modern Japanese theater themed buffet restaurant in Roppongi, similar to those dinner shows in Las Vegas and the famous "Robot Restaurant" in Shinjuku's Kabukicho. This is by far one of the coolest dinner-shows that I have ever been to, you got to meet the cast before the performance (which lasted around 45 mins) and the entry price (7500 yen) includes food and drink.Roppongi Kaguwa3 Chome-8-15 Roppongi, Minato-ku, Tōkyō-to 106-0032, JapanGoogle ReviewsIf you or your friends are visiting Tokyo and don't speak any Japanese, this restaurant is perfect for you! Make sure to request the free group picture with the cast at the end of the show if you are not shy. This will be one of the best souvenirs/memories for yourself.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/KevinC/wj8yv-living_food_tokyoWed, 27 Feb 2019 19:10:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/KevinC/wj8yv-living_food_tokyohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/KevinC/zD08x-living_medicalI never have hay fever before I come to Japan, and I always love to smell the flowers whenever I see them on a hiking. It never occurred to me that I need to worry about the air until 3 years ago, I noticed that I always have the problem to breathe during the spring every year after I came to Japan. Turnout that I have pine tree pollenallergy, and it is quite common in Japan. 20% of the population in Japan has this allergy.You may think that staying indoor may help but most house and apartment in Japan have poor air sealing and ventilation filtering. Japan is clean, but theair quality is very poor. From PM2.5 flowing from China, pollen from the Japanese pine tree, to the dust from the Gobi Desert.If you have children at home, you should be more serious about this issue. It doesn't matter if you live in the countryside or in the city, the pollen and the dust will get you and your family. I usually change my ventilation filter every month and this is what it looks like. I live in Kanagawa about 1 hour from Tokyo Station, and there is no highway near my apartment. I will coincide my apartment is in the suburban area near Enoshima, many people from the city come here to breathe in the FRESH air ;)First thing you should do is identify the fresh air inlet and measure the size then go to 100 Yen shop and buy an air filter immediately. Then buy a roll of 3M air conditioner filteronline to clean the air inside your house, you can skip the 100 Yen store filter and go straight to cutting the filter from the roll as well but it is cheaper to use the subscription order on Amazon so it takes a week or so to arrive.AQI - Air Quality IndexTo view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/KevinC/zD08x-living_medicalTue, 14 Aug 2018 10:05:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/KevinC/zD08x-living_medicalhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/KevinC/G7v8n-living_shoppingI always fascinated by Japanese's technology and innovation, this is one of the reasons I moved to Japan 7 years ago. My current apartment comes with an automatic lock in the front entrance, heated toilet seat, delivery locker, and 24hr security cameras etc.. This is one of the reasons I never lock my apartment's door.All those technologies are the standard in a recently built apartment in the last 10 years but Japanese companies are starting to lag behind on Home automation in the last few years with products like Nest thermostats, Amazon Echo, and Google Home had become an essential gadget in most modern homes in the US and other parts of the world.With the recent heat wave in Tokyo, I want cool down my apartment a little bit just before arriving home at the same time don't want to waste any energy. I am a geek that loves hiking and care about the environment so I want all my electronics to be eco-friendly and I always carry a reusable shopping bag with me all the time ;) My air conditioner unit hasa timer function but I often arrive home at a different time. I want to turn on my air conditioner unit only when I am near my home since I cannot replace the unit itself, I need an IR remote hub with geofencing function. I started to search for the remote hub a few months back, but most IR remote hubs don't have a geofencing function.After looking around for a while I saw a new product on Amazon Japan callLS Mini, it has a temperature and a light sensor built in so you know the temperature even when you are away from home. If you have a pet this is a gadget that you should have to keep your best friend cool and happy. As soon as this product start accepting preorder, I put in my order and wait for a month before it arrived on Aug 3rd, 2018. Disclaimer: I am NOT affiliated with this company or this product, just my own opinion as a geek.Photos from the official websitePreorder Price: 4980 YenRetailer Price: 6980 YenPro:Integrated with Amazon Echo and Google HomeGeofencingIFTTT (In development)Built-in temperature sensorInfrared transmitterRemote controller learningAI temperature controliOS and Android AppsWiFi connectivity (You can turn on devices manually or create a rule tomanage your devices)Temperature accuracy ±1cCon:WiFi only support 2.4Gz, 5Gz is not supportedIf you type in the wrong WiFi password, you have to turn off your WiFi router and reset the LS miniThe remote controller device library is limited, you have to use the learning function to create your own remoteNeed a direct line of sight to the device, so you need more than one LS mini for each roomAI may turn on the heat if it thinks the room is too cold. As of this writing, AI is not working well because the temperature sensor is inaccurate. (The support team is very active, you can ask them on their website or on Twitter)I recommend this product if you are a tech-savvy person or a pet owner, and don't mind the time to play around with the setting and set up the remote for each of the devices. Geofencing function is really good, I set it so that when I am one station away from home my AC turn on automatically, and everytime I got home the temperature it is very comfortable.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/KevinC/G7v8n-living_shoppingFri, 10 Aug 2018 12:53:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/KevinC/G7v8n-living_shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/KevinC/MJEdw-livingI have been living in Japan for the last 7 years, I never have a problem with the NHK collector. They usually come by once a year, and I usually told them that I don't have a television and they usually never visit my home until the next year.Last January, I moved to a new apartment. I didn't expect that I will have to deal with the NHK collector at all. Around July, the collector starting ring my door bell every week for 2 months. I wasn't at home most of the time but the record show up in the door monitor. I never answer the door bell either even I am at home. Once they caught me in front of my apartment building but I told them I don't have a television and I also refuse to give them my apartment number.Now, they are spamming my mail box. I am so angry!Tell me your experience and what do you think?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/KevinC/MJEdw-livingMon, 11 Sep 2017 05:25:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/KevinC/MJEdw-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/KevinC/GQ6Lw-living_food_moneyIf you read the first part of this tax deductionblog and follow the instruction you should get a notification slip about now from the local government office. This slip confirm the deduced amount for each month.Last December, I pay 40,000 yen 'Furusato Tax' and get all the gifts around March, on top of that this upcoming tax year I will get 38,000 yen deduction. All the gifts are great! I got 2 kg of A5 beef steak, 6 unagi and a box of sausage.Good luck and follow my blog :)To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/KevinC/GQ6Lw-living_food_moneyFri, 23 Jun 2017 16:26:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/KevinC/GQ6Lw-living_food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/KevinC/w5dXG-living_moneyHave you ever wonder where your resident tax go and how your resident tax money is spent?Now, you can choose how yourtax money is spent by the municipalities - local government and which municipalities will get yourmoney. At the same time, receive some gifts from them. This system required you to prepaid your tax first by purchasingitems from the stores operated by the municipalities then file a tax return to reduce your resident tax.How much should I buy?The purchase amount will be calculated by the sum of handling fee (2000 yen) andtax reduction amount.For example, If a family with no kids with an income of ten million yen then the reduction amount will be 176K yen and the maximum purchase amount will be 178K yen.* You can use "Reduction rate chart"or "Rakuten reduction rate simulator" to find out your maximum deduction amount.Wait a minute, am I paying extra 2000 yen?Yes, but you will getthose items for free and the remain 176K yen will berefunded by reducing your resident tax each month in the following year, similar to how rebate works.What are the steps?Find out your household income? If you don't know, this is your chance to ask your wife/husband ;)Use the "Reduction rate chart" to calculate your maximum purchase amount (Reduction amount + 2000 yen)Find an official store that is operated by the municipality then select the items, you can buy from different municipalities.The municipality will send you the documents (donation certificate,"One-stop" application form and receipt).If you file your own tax return, you need to keep the"donation certificate" from the municipality and file it together. If the company you work for handle all your tax filing then you need to request the "One-stop" application form when you purchase the item. ( Maximum of 5 different municipalities)you need to file each municipality separately if you are using the "One-stop" application form.Extra linksOfficial government siteWikipediaRakuten reduction ratesimulatorSimple explanationTo view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/KevinC/w5dXG-living_moneyWed, 04 Jan 2017 19:29:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/KevinC/w5dXG-living_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/KevinC/Mn3Rz-living_food_tokyo_chiyoda-ku"Japanese always eat healthy food" is a stereotype portrayed by the media. In reality, most Japanese eat unhealthy food all the time, especially salarymen. I guessthe small portion help a lot, compare to the portion served in the states. That explain why Japan don't have an obesity problem.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/KevinC/Mn3Rz-living_food_tokyo_chiyoda-kuTue, 08 Nov 2016 10:10:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/KevinC/Mn3Rz-living_food_tokyo_chiyoda-kuhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/KevinC/z4jqw-shopping_education_tokyoWhen people mention Akihabara, the first thing everyone would think of are either maid cafe or otaku related stuff but Akihabara has more things to offer. Like electronic, hardware, and other naughty stuff :P I usually go there look for electronic DIY kits to make at home or do some repairing around the house.If you don't know how to do it, there are many repair shop. Next time, if there is something you need to fix you can bring it there.Photo by KevinCPhoto by IQRemixTo view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/KevinC/z4jqw-shopping_education_tokyoWed, 31 Aug 2016 11:39:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/KevinC/z4jqw-shopping_education_tokyohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/KevinC/GLDYG-foodI am always too tired to cook after work, but I also want to eathealthyfood. Luckily, Japan hasprepackaged food options.Packaged soupSea Grape (some kind of seaweed but they call it sea grape)Packaged chicken breastTo view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/KevinC/GLDYG-foodTue, 30 Aug 2016 10:09:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/KevinC/GLDYG-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/KevinC/GRDWM-foodHave your ever hear washlet before you arrived in Japan?I never use one or seen one before, the first time I use the washlet I feel like someone blasting a water cannon at my butt. The second things that come to my mindthat the water feels like itis boiling hot. At the moment, I try to locate the stop button butit seem disappeared ( the one I used five years agohave no English).After five years in Japan, I noticed that most Japanese use the heated seat function even in the summer. Why would anyone want to turn on the heated seat in the summer! The water pressure always turned to the highest setting, this is crazy.Photo by TravisTo view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/KevinC/GRDWM-foodTue, 23 Aug 2016 12:20:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/KevinC/GRDWM-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/KevinC/wrDyz-living_medical_tokyoI usually workout in a gym about twice a week and go cycling once every two weeks, for the first 3 years I living in Japan I didn't join any gyms because it is really expensive. Most of the gym cost about 12,000 yen a month, that is about 3 times more expensive than the gym I go to in my home country.At the end, I give in and just join a cheap "Fitness club" where most of the people go there to socialize, old lady walk on thetreadmill and do aerobic, you have to signup on a whiteboard to reserve the treadmill machine and other equipment. As soon as the 6 months contract ended I switched to a more standard gym because that fitness club just doesn'thave the machine I need and the music from aerobic is too load.Today, I went to Tokyo Big Sight to check out the SPORTECH event, there are many new training machines and bodybuilder there.Since I like cycling, I tested this cycling machine in one of the group demo session. A demo session turned out to be an extensive 10 minutes workout, the demonstrator or should I say the coach didn't talk about the machine at all. After the demo, I didn't have any energy to try another machine.After the workout, I am so exhausted that I went to a booth nearby to get some protein drink, it turns out that protein drink is not for guys no wonder why that salesmangive me a strange look.Looking at more machines before leaving.Leaving the event on by way back, the weather is good but a little bit hot.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/KevinC/wrDyz-living_medical_tokyoThu, 04 Aug 2016 16:45:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/KevinC/wrDyz-living_medical_tokyohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/KevinC/wevdM-livingGetting a job in Japan is hard if you're a newly graduated from a Japanese University, you have to go to multiple orientations before you get a change for the group interview. After that, you have to interview with the HR, the department manager,and the CEO or board member. The process is so complicated that a lot of Japanese students have to skip many days of class in order to go to those job orientations, as far as I know most of the students apply for at least 5 different companies. If you apply for those brand name companies, you may have to take 2 hours long exam (Hikishiken - 筆記試験 – ひっきしけん) before the interview. No joke,Right! As a foreigner, you get some advantages because you can speak English or your native language. You are more stand out from other candidatesand the interviewer will remember you.Let prepare for job hunting!Prepare your resume in Japanese and EnglishGet your own business card, even if you don't have a real job yet you need a business card in Japan.Get a suit, unless you already have years of job experiences. Business casual (polo shirt, brown pants) should be fine if you have more than 3 years of real job experiences.If you have anytattoos, you need to cover it withband-aid. If the interviewer saw any tattoos on you, the chance of getting hire is automaticallyreduced.Prepare your Japanese self-introduction.Be confidence, don't be afraid to ask the interviewer to speak English if you don't know what they are asking. They will be more nervous than you, this gave you a little more time to prepare for the perfect answer.Even if you don't speak much Japanese, learn the greeting phrases.For fresh graduate, you should apply to the company directly. For those who have professional experience, you can use any job-hunting websites.Why are you still reading this? Go and get ready NOW!Here is alist of job-hunting website."Daijob" A Japanese job hunting website with English support."HelloWork" Employment Security Bureau official employment support website, many companies who want to hire foreigners registered there. You go in and fill in a form then they will arrange for the company to call you and then arrange an interview."Rober Walters" Recruitingcompany specialized in hiring foreigners.photos by D**k Thomas JohnsonTo view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/KevinC/wevdM-livingMon, 04 Jul 2016 15:32:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/KevinC/wevdM-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/KevinC/wjq1G-living_food_shoppingIf you visit Japan and didn't check out the convenience store or vending machine you are missing a lot! Japanese don't like to drink the same things over and over again, that is the reason why most of the beverage manufacturer in Japan release a limited edition of their normal product every 3 months.On the left:Fizzy jelly in a can with natate coco, it thinks this drink is odd at the same time I like it a lot.You supposed to shake it like 10 times before you drink it.On the right:Mango yogurt tastes like India mango lassi.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/KevinC/wjq1G-living_food_shoppingFri, 01 Jul 2016 11:37:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/KevinC/wjq1G-living_food_shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/KevinC/zavLG-living_shoppingJapan is great! You can get anythings you need from a department store, sometimes even in the convenience store nearby your home. When you need something from you home country, it maybe a little bit difficult.The best way to get those things is to ask your family for help because it is easy and cheap, here is the list of things what you should tell your family when they send you a care package:Do not write anythings about leather in customs declare form.Declared it as agift.Declare every item in the package and detail information. For example, a pair of shoe should bedeclared as a pair of plastic shoe.Only send meat product that is pre-sealed and pre-approved by the Japanese Customs.Never send any seeds! nuts or beans! It is illegal.Use your national post services, because it is cheaper and faster. Actually, it may be slower but you should support your country right ;)If you have any tips, leave in the comment section below.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/KevinC/zavLG-living_shoppingWed, 29 Jun 2016 16:45:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/KevinC/zavLG-living_shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/KevinC/MEdyw-living_moneyAccording to Kyodo News, LINE planned an IPO in Tokyo Stock Exchange early July and possiblysynonymously in the US Stock Exchange.I personally feel LINE have too much advertisement and getting into my way, but if you are living in Japan you have to use it. In Japan, if you don't use LINE you will be isolated from your peers like cavemen. Anyone feel the same way? Or am I being a weirdo.Tell me what you think! Leave your comments below.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/KevinC/MEdyw-living_moneyThu, 02 Jun 2016 10:39:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/KevinC/MEdyw-living_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/KevinC/GWNOz-living_food_shopping_moneyBefore I came to Japan, the definitionof cake for me is sponge cake cover with colorful icing.Most of the cakes sell in chain stores (Walmart etc...) are frozen. When you order the cake they unfreeze it and decorate it as your request. A normal sized custom order cake cost around $30, nothing fancy and it tasted like styrofoam covered with sugar. I never like this kind of cake, I rather eat cranberry pie, apple pie etc...(Photo by The Lamb Family)In Japan, cake come in different shapes and tastes, some covered with whipped cream and other covered with fruits and chocolate. Most of the cakes taste good but it cost around $6 for 1/8 of the whole cake. (Photo by Kevin)(Photo by Danny Chapman)To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/KevinC/GWNOz-living_food_shopping_moneyThu, 26 May 2016 16:41:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/KevinC/GWNOz-living_food_shopping_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/KevinC/Gy3aM-foodI love cereal because it is easy to prepare and tasty, so when I came across this bag of Matcha taste cereal I know I have to try it. It turns out that it taste kinda funny, a little bitter and sweet. I will say it is interesting and edible but I will not buy it again.I tried many things with matcha, like KitKat, chocolate, bread, but I think this bag of cereal crossed the line.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/KevinC/Gy3aM-foodMon, 16 May 2016 12:59:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/KevinC/Gy3aM-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/KevinC/Mx46M-living_shopping_moneyAfter all the planning, job hunting and visa document gathering, you are now working and living in Japan. Congratulations! give yourself a pat on the back, but wait we are not done yet. Your mail and packages still waiting for you back home, no matter it is your credit card invoice, or just junk mail if you shouldn't rely on friend or family to handle all your letters and packages. If you are from U.S., here is what you need to do to in order to digitalize your letters and forward the packages to Japan.Enable online statement/invoice for all the finance institutions/services that you use.Signup with one of the virtual postal services that can scan your letter and forward your packages.-Virtual Post Mail-Traveling Mailbox-Earth Class MailFollow the instruction from your virtual postal service provider and fill in the USPS Form 1583 (An agreement that allows them to handle the mail for you ).You need to notarize the 1583 form before submitit to the virtual postal service that you signup.- Make an appointment with U.S. embassy to notarize the document ($50 per document)-Online notarythat use webcam to verify your identity ($25 per document if you are in U.S./ $75 for international)- Contact your lawyer, bank officer, etc ...Send back the USPS Form 1583 along with 2 IDs back to your service provider.Submit "change of address" form to USPS to forward your mail to your service provider or change the address for all the services that you use.Now sit back and wait for the mail to arrive in your inbox! When you get anotification that you have mail arrived, you can sort them then forward them to you in Japan. Voila!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/KevinC/Mx46M-living_shopping_moneyFri, 13 May 2016 18:55:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/KevinC/Mx46M-living_shopping_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/KevinC/MqJoz-living_medicalI didn't know I have allergy reaction for pollen until I came to Japan, I have not idea how that happen.That explain why everyone in Japan wearing a mask, but I hate to wear a surgical mask because after an hour or so it start to get smelly and it didn't help my eyes because my eyes are itchy and watering.Here are some tips that I learned:Wear a good surgical mask or better like the N95respirators. I am serious, no joking.Use anti-allergic eyedrop, after using this my eyes stop watering.Take anti-allergic medicine, after using this medicine I don't have to any mask and still feel okay.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/KevinC/MqJoz-living_medicalFri, 18 Mar 2016 10:56:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/KevinC/MqJoz-living_medicalhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/KevinC/MA80w-transportation_kanagawa_yokohama-shiA weird train that you can only see in Japan, a few weeks ago I saw this train in Yokohama station. After I go back home and do a search it turns out that the name of this JR train is "Irotori".You can find more about this train in this Japanese website.http://www.uraken.net/rail/kokutetsu/485joyful.htmlTo view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/KevinC/MA80w-transportation_kanagawa_yokohama-shiMon, 08 Feb 2016 12:13:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/KevinC/MA80w-transportation_kanagawa_yokohama-shihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/KevinC/zabWG-living_food_hokkaidoWhat are those! look like monkey brain and taste like butter. Those are cod fish sperm sac, it is considered a delicacy in Japan. Next time you go fishing and catch a cod fish, you know what to do with it. Put it in your mouth!The next dish on fried nattou, this one is not that bad. It didn't smell at all, and the outside is crunchy and the inside is soft.Fresh sea urchin is better than you think and it taste very different from the frozen one.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/KevinC/zabWG-living_food_hokkaidoMon, 18 Jan 2016 20:06:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/KevinC/zabWG-living_food_hokkaidohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/KevinC/MgoOM-living_transportation_hokkaido_sapporo-shiThis year Tokyo is a little bit warming then usual, and many ski/snowboard resorts cannot open due to lack of snowfalls. In Hokkaido, it is the opposite of Tokyo. The hug snowfall came a bit too early according to the local residents.Coming from Minnesota I know a little bit about driving on snow.First things I will tell people that you don't needto use chain on your tires and in many state it is illegal to use chain on highway. Your should put in low gear to gain more traction.Second you should warmup your car before you drive it, and make sure your heater is off during warmup.Third make sure you have some good tired.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/KevinC/MgoOM-living_transportation_hokkaido_sapporo-shiWed, 13 Jan 2016 22:54:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/KevinC/MgoOM-living_transportation_hokkaido_sapporo-shihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/KevinC/G6aDz-moneyI first arrived in Japan 6 years ago, the first thing I did was to get my prepaid phone, I recharge my prepaid phone card every 3 months. Back then I was using a feature phone, so it is about 1000 yen per month for text message and phone call.Nowadays with all those smartphones and data plans, those cell phone carriers can easily slap you with a ten thousand yen phone bill in the face each month. At first, I thought there are nothing you can do except take it with a bitter smile, but I was wrong you can actually save at least 50% if you look for it.Follow the follow rules to cut down on your phone bill:1. Do not go to the official cell phone carriers' store, they will sell you those overpriced data plans.2. Remember to change your carrier when the current contract end, your new carrier will give you a new phone for free plus special discount and cash back.3. For some extra saving, search "一括" and "MNP" on twitter to get those store limited campaigns.4. March is the best month for changing phone carriers because it is the end of the fiscal year for most of the cell phone shops, they will push out all the campaigns to match the sales quota they needed.5. Having multiple phone line is cheaper than having one phone line because you can share your data plan at the same time use the family discount.Here is the English translation for one of the deals I found:40000 yen for 2 iPhone 6s 64Gb if you trade in your old iPhone 5 or 5s and use MNP discount (change from another carrier).I will skip the detail and give you an overview about this deal, 1-year total cost is about 10 thousand yen and 2-years cost is about 22 thousand yen. Without this discount, cell phone carrier will charge you 24 thousand yen for each 2-years contract with one phone, with this discount you get two phones and 10GB data usage per month.Family Plan with 2 iPhone 6s1 Phone Basic unlimited phone call 2,916円 Landline Broadband discount + change carrier discount -2,916円 broadband fee 324円 Family share data pack 10,260円 Broadband set discount -1,296円 Phone monthly discount -3,456円 Second phone monthly discount -2,592円 Total included tax 3,240円2 Phone Basic unlimited phone call 2,916円 Landline Broadband discount + change carrier discount -2,916円 broadband fee 324円 Family share data pack add-on 540円 Phone monthly discount -3,456円Total monthly charge is 3240 YenTo view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/KevinC/G6aDz-moneyMon, 04 Jan 2016 16:18:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/KevinC/G6aDz-moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/KevinC/GoP2w-food_tokyo_minato-kuOne of the must do touristy things in Tokyo is visit the Tsukiji Fish Market in the morning, wake up around 4 am, hop on the cab and wait in line to see the tuna fish auction.After a busy morning, you must be tired and hungry, and it is time for some lunch. I recommend this restaurant in Shiodome Royal Park Hotel's 24thfloor.This restauranthavea nice view of Tsukiji Fish Market and the food is really good. Their spicy seafood noodle is one of my favorite.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/KevinC/GoP2w-food_tokyo_minato-kuWed, 30 Dec 2015 20:53:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/KevinC/GoP2w-food_tokyo_minato-kuhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/KevinC/zD2jw-living_moneyTokyo is the largest cities in the world by population, many people from neighboring provinces travel to Tokyo for work. If you don't want to stand on the train with 10 sweaty salaryman shoulder to shoulder, you should find a property in the center of the city.Things that you need to know about property in Japan:1. Properties near terminal stations are preferred because you can easily find a place to sit on the train.2. Japanese like to live in a new property.3. You need to pay deposit, keymoney and rental agent fee in order to rent a place, the total cost is close to 3 months worth of rent.4. Renting an apartment almost the same as loan repayment.Here is a list of frequently asked questions about buying property in Japan:Q: Can a foreigner buy a property in Japan?A: Yes, you can if you provided your own funding.Q: Can a foreigner get a mortgage from a Japanese bank?A: Yes, if you have permanent residency or your spouse is Japanese or you need to pay 10% to 30% initial deposit and work 3+ years in Japan in order to get a mortgage. Another requirement is you must live in that house.Q: Can a foreigner get a loan for investment property.A: No, unless you have permanent residency.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/KevinC/zD2jw-living_moneyMon, 07 Dec 2015 18:55:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/KevinC/zD2jw-living_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/KevinC/MpO5w-foodOn top of my list is banana bread, it is so hard to find good banana bread or any whole grain bread in Japan that is affordable. They used to sell it in one of the convenience storesnear my office, but they stopped selling it for some reason. I suspected that most Japanese don't like traditional bread, they like breadthat is covered with sugar, chocolate and stuffed with cream.Bread is a staple food, so it should be affordable and you shouldn't have to search for it.There are many French bakeries in Japan, in those stores a 70g bread costs about ¥500.If you are on a budget youronly option is to buy Japanese breadlike Melonpan or cream stuffed bread for about ¥100 in convenience stores, but I don't think it is good for your health because it is mainly composed of sugar.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/KevinC/MpO5w-foodThu, 19 Nov 2015 11:19:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/KevinC/MpO5w-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/KevinC/z83YM-living_transportation_tokyoRiding a train in Tokyo is not an easy task, especially during the rush hours. If you are living in Tokyo, you must know what it's like to be got pushed into the train. In summer, you can smell and touch the sweat from 10 different people around you. You may think it will get better during winter months, nope it turns out that the heaters on the train are on full blast that everyone are sweating and you can see it dripping off their face and almost drop on your shoes.To ride comfortably on a busy train take some planning, eachnon bullet trains' car in Japan have 4 doors on each side.Rule #1:Avoid Door #1 and #4 because at each end there arereserved seats for the disabled, andolder people.Rule #2: Pack light! Unless you are looking for the ultra-jam-packed plus luggage experience train ride, please don't bring your rolling luggage on the train during rush hour.Imagine the train station's staff doing the sumo push while you are on the otherside with 10 people around you.Rule #3: Plan your train route first! In Japan, multiple lines will use the same platform, so make sure you follow the route and get on the right train at the right time.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/KevinC/z83YM-living_transportation_tokyoFri, 30 Oct 2015 12:43:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/KevinC/z83YM-living_transportation_tokyohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/KevinC/G638w-living_food_tokyo_minato-kuMaguro head is one of the foods you must try when you visit Japan. Japanese never waste any things, not even the head of the fish.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/KevinC/G638w-living_food_tokyo_minato-kuFri, 29 Aug 2014 15:53:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/KevinC/G638w-living_food_tokyo_minato-kuhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/KevinC/Aza0M-living_foodIn the US, if you feel like you have bad breath you properly just chew on gum or go brush your teeth. In Japan there are products that make your breath smell like mint. You just need to swallow it and wait for a few minute. It is a very interesting product.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/KevinC/Aza0M-living_foodTue, 27 May 2014 16:28:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/KevinC/Aza0M-living_foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/KevinC/YGWoG-food_tokyoCoffee is big part of my life, I usually drink a cup of latte with my breakfast and another cup after lunch. When I came to Japan 3 years ago, I noticed that a cup of Starbucks coffee cost about 15% more compare to the US. For example, with the same amount of money you can buy 3 cups of coffee in the US, but in Japan you can only buy 2. For a coffee lover like me, I am not willing to pay 5 dollars for a cup of Starbucks coffee with syrups. I prefer a cup of coffee prepared by a skilled barista, handmade according to my order. It usually cost about the same as a Starbuck coffee. Another reason, I prefer not to drink at Starbucks in Japan is because the atmosphere, you usually have to wait for a long queue before getting your cup of coffee, after that you have to wait for a table.About a year ago, convenience store start to sell coffee at an affordable price (150 yen) from a coffee machine with a build-in-grinder and milk steamer. When you press a button it start to grind the coffee bean, while the milk foam come out of the machine first and then the freshly brewed coffee. Since then I never buy an overpriced Starbucks coffee.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/KevinC/YGWoG-food_tokyoMon, 28 Apr 2014 16:48:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/KevinC/YGWoG-food_tokyohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/KevinC/lw5XG-living_food_money_tokyoJapan is one of the most expensive country to live in, no matter it is food, housing or transportation. After you live in Japan for a while you may want to eat traditional food from you home country, but there aren't many options. You have to cook it yourself or go to eat at a restaurant, either ways are expansive. Most of the time you cannot find the ingredients or it will cost you a fortune, restaurant usually cost twice as much as you pay in your home country. One of the best way to save money is to go with the flow and eat Japanese food, that is the reasons you are here right?Gyudon(beef bowl) is one of the cheapest food you can find in Japan, you can fill up your stomach for about 400 yen.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/KevinC/lw5XG-living_food_money_tokyoWed, 12 Mar 2014 21:04:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/KevinC/lw5XG-living_food_money_tokyo