http://www.city-cost.comThu, 20 Aug 2026 06:16:58 +0900I'm Australian and married to a Japanese (post)man. We live in Chiba with our two children, and I work as a teacher.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/Lyssays/wN1WB-foods_productCold Consomme Soup, or 冷たいコンソメスープ　is another soup from Seven-Eleven's chilled soup range that is currently a standard feature at most 7-11 convenience stores. It cost 178 yen before tax, and 198 yen after tax.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/wN1WB-foods_productMon, 10 Aug 2026 22:54:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/wN1WB-foods_producthttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/MYk7y-foods_productThe crepe with vanilla cream and biscuit (もっちもち食感クレープ　塩バニラ) is part of 7-11's chilled sweets range. I purchased it from my local 7-11 for 227 yen, including tax.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/MYk7y-foods_productTue, 04 Aug 2026 13:43:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/MYk7y-foods_producthttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/MdNJk-foods_productThe lemon sponge cake with lemon diplomat cream and lemon chocolate coating (瀬戸内レモンケーキ) has recently appeared in my local 7-11. It costs 260 yen before tax, 281 yen after.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/MdNJk-foods_productSat, 01 Aug 2026 19:28:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/MdNJk-foods_producthttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/GB4X8-living_educationMy children are now about one week into their six week summer vacation. Given the scorching temperatures we had this week, the start date definitely proved to be good timing!This year, my children are in grade 5 and grade 3 of our local public Japanese primary school. Prior to the summer holidays kicking off, they duly brought home a bunch of summer holiday homework. Fortunately, however, they have much lighter workloads than in previous years. It seems the school and teachers are exercising some discretion over what to assign and since many students in these grade levels are already doing extra classes, attending juku etc., they seem to be aiming more to unnecessarily burden the kids. Nobody even had to lug a plant home to tend and report on over the course of the six week break!They still have a few things they need to attend to, however. They both have personal goals they’re supposed to try to do (e.g. fold the laundry, help their younger sister), and a teeth-brushing tracker they’re meant to color everyday. My grade 5 does have some drills, all assigned on his school-issued gigatab tablet, ギガタブレート. My grade 3 is supposed to do at least one enikki 絵日記, picture diary, about what she gets up to during summer break.Of course, alas, they still have to do their self-determined summer research projects, the jiyu kenkyu 自由研究. Nobody seems to have made a start on theirs, exactly, though my elder child tends to like programming and making games for it and he’s certainly been doing that. It would be nice if this summer’s projects could be painless, although perhaps that’s hoping for a bit too much!Still, not having to sit them down every day or so to work through a many-paged workbook will be nice. I’ll take the small wins!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/GB4X8-living_educationSun, 26 Jul 2026 17:31:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/GB4X8-living_educationhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/z87jv-foods_productPassion Tea (アイスティーパッション) is a non-caffeinated iced tea sold at Starbucks. It is available in short, tall, grande and venti sizes; a short size costs 485 yen.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/z87jv-foods_productThu, 23 Jul 2026 22:26:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/z87jv-foods_producthttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/wrep3-foods_productThis is a summer-themed flavours variation on Morinaga’s Choice biscuits, the Choice Coconut (チョイスココナッツ). One box contains 14 biscuits in total, and it is priced at 198 yen, excluding tax.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/wrep3-foods_productTue, 21 Jul 2026 21:12:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/wrep3-foods_producthttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/GQd82-foods_productThe vanilla old fashion donut (バニラ オールドファッションドーナツ) is part of Starbucks Japan’s seasonal summer range this year and appears to be available at most/all Starbucks cafes. It costs 310 yen, including tax.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/GQd82-foods_productSun, 19 Jul 2026 17:13:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/GQd82-foods_producthttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/GogVY-living_chiba_shi_chibaLast week, I went out to Chiba Park to try and catch a late-season glimpse of Chiba’s Oga lotus blossoms (オオガハス). They seem to peak during rainy season and, what with it being mid-July and the full-blown Japanese summer elbowing its way in, a lot of them had been and gone. Nonetheless, there were a few flowers peaking through the enormous green leaves, and that made the stroll worthwhile. Honestly though, it was pretty interesting just following the walkway through the leaves with these enormous plants towering over me, though it somehow managed to be even more humid amongst them.The Oga lotus is something Chiba takes pride in - they’re over 2000 years old! It’s always nice to check them out when they’re blooming at Chiba Park, even if I’m a bit late to the party this year.Here’s a post I made when I got to visit them in a more timely fashion!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/GogVY-living_chiba_shi_chibaSat, 18 Jul 2026 16:47:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/GogVY-living_chiba_shi_chibahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/GogV2-living_foodWhen I ventured to McDonalds a couple of days ago, I discovered that Cinnamoroll had arrived. In fact, Cinnamoroll actually apparently arrived a week ago when we weren’t looking.My child was especially excited to discover this, rushing over to the display cabinet to just gaze at it, rapt, before announcing that she wanted each and every one of the Cinnamoroll toys shown.The Cinnamoroll toys are part of McDonalds’ happy sets and, until July 23rd, they are one of the four toys a child can choose from to go with their happy set. In addition to Cinnamoroll, there are also Paw Patrol toys available, and the usual picture books and “zukan”, non-fiction books that often come with stickers.Cinnamoroll will be with the happy sets for a pretty limited time, but I’m honestly just glad to see that they’re still available. It indicates McDonalds Japan’s anti-scalping measures are working to some degree, and that’s good news when you have a young cheeseburger and Sanrio-loving person in your home!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/GogV2-living_foodFri, 17 Jul 2026 18:04:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/GogV2-living_foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/MPk1d-foods_productAnother hilled treat from the 7-11 for the summer, the Sponge Cake with White Chocolate (チョコ生サンド) costs 240 yen before tax, and about 259 yen after tax.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/MPk1d-foods_productThu, 16 Jul 2026 16:40:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/MPk1d-foods_producthttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/MqgDR-livingWhile rainy season 2026 has not officially ended in the Kanto area just yet, the summer highs we are experiencing this week indicate it’s very much on its way out.While I have felt a lot of frustration with rainy season in the past, I have been quite grateful for it this year. This is mostly to do with the weather over the last 6-12 months. Summer 2025 was brutal and the rainy season that preceded it was basically a non-event here in Chiba. We had very hot days before June had even fully passed. To have had as many days with tolerable temperatures as we have this year feels like a gift. Then there was winter 2025-26, which was very dry here. Yes, we had snow, but there was barely any precipitation besides that. Wet shoes and endlessly lugging umbrellas may not be fun, but we definitely needed the rainfall that we got.All in all, a normal, even slightly prolonged rainy season has been a thing to welcome this year. As the heat alerts start popping up on my phone and the temperature on second story of my house turns oven-like, I’m particularly sorry to see it go. Here’s to hoping (probably in vain!) that this year’s summer is not too awful, and that next year’s rainy season similarly goes to plan!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/MqgDR-livingWed, 15 Jul 2026 16:25:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/MqgDR-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/MPkmd-foods_productThis tart comes from Fujiya, the cake and confectionary makers, but it is currently being sold at 7-11 convenience stores. The チョコレートタルト costs 208 yen before tax, and about 224/225 yen after.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/MPkmd-foods_productSun, 12 Jul 2026 16:28:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/MPkmd-foods_producthttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/G6XmD-foods_productA range of chilled soups appeared in the 7-11 recently, presumably for the summer. One of them is this, Cold Minestrone (冷たいミネストローネ). It costs 178 yen, or 192 yen after tax.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/G6XmD-foods_productSat, 11 Jul 2026 13:06:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/G6XmD-foods_producthttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/MYaKx-foods_productDoutor’s summer seasonal menu this year includes this, jasmine tea with lychee and mango (ライチ＆マンゴー ジャスミン). I bought it for 480 yen, including tax, at a Doutor cafe at one of my local train stations.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/MYaKx-foods_productFri, 10 Jul 2026 16:15:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/MYaKx-foods_producthttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/zKnAR-foods_productI bought this donut (with an iced coffee) at one of my local Tully’s cafes. The soft 7-grain sugar donut (or ふんわり7穀のシュガードーナツ in Japanese) cost 325 yen, including tax.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/zKnAR-foods_productThu, 09 Jul 2026 17:33:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/zKnAR-foods_producthttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/z87nW-living_shoppingThis came up on a recent question thread by BigfamJapan about things we do not buy in Japan. In my case, one of those things is deodorant.One of the ways I get deodorant is to restock when I’m visiting my home country, Australia. Those little canisters can add up quickly in terms of weight and space in my suitcase, however, so it was quite a relief to discover Makeup.jp a couple of years ago. Originating in Europe, it ships cosmetics, perfume, hair and body care products, and even selected clothing and health supplements to other countries - one of which, these days, is Japan.I am very satisfied with the range of brands available, which includes familiar products like Rexona, Dove, and Nivea, and the cost is quite reasonable, usually averaging somewhere between 400 and 800 yen. While this is a little more expensive than what I pay for deodorant in Australia, it ends up being less than what I’d pay for a lesser product here in Japan.The shipping does take a little while, and my last order took nearly three weeks to arrive. Still, I think it’s worth it. I have tried to buy locally over the years, trying out various brands that people swore were effective, and I’ve just ended up disappointed, wasting time, money, and the products themselves. While I hope Japan does eventually jump a little more onto the antiperspirant bandwagon, I’m going to settle for importing something that works in the meantime.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/z87nW-living_shoppingMon, 23 Mar 2026 19:23:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/z87nW-living_shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/z3R8O-foods_productIt’s spring time and the cherry blossoms are blooming (or about to), which means a whole lot of spring-themed sweets and flavours are about. I bought this sakura rice cake with red bean paste (桜もち, or Sakura mochi) at my local 7-11 for 203 yen, including tax.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/z3R8O-foods_productSun, 22 Mar 2026 17:33:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/z3R8O-foods_producthttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/Mx7NB-foods_productThis is the latest version of Fujiya’s Look A La Mode chocolate bar. I picked it up for 198 yen plus tax, taking it to about 213 yen overall. While I bought it at my local drug store, these are pretty ubiquitous and you can find them in many grocery and convenience stores. Each pack contains12 chocolates, 3 pieces each in one of the four featured flavours.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/Mx7NB-foods_productSun, 15 Feb 2026 15:03:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/Mx7NB-foods_producthttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/MqgRa-livingIt has been another exciting weekend here in greater Tokyo with another round of snow (and some very cold temperatures).I appreciate that people in western Japan may be thoroughly sick of snow, but the novelty has yet to wear off here, particularly since we have been having an especially dry winter here in eastern Japan. Flurries started on Saturday morning here in Chiba and it didn’t really let up from there until mid-Sunday afternoon. Enough snow had accumulated yesterday for my kids to try their luck building a small snowman, but it was nothing compared to the blanket of white we woke up to this morning.It’s been fun while it was lasted, but I’m relieved it seems to be letting up now. I’m a little apprehensive about tomorrow’s commute to work, especially since my workplace has been rather quiet in that front so far, but let’s see what happens?!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/MqgRa-livingSun, 08 Feb 2026 17:17:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/MqgRa-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/wkeo8-livingI went out for a walk this afternoon. Despite the weather forecast saying it would be warmer than most of this week has been with clear skies, it was very windy and that made it bitterly cold.However, I did spy something promising:I’m not sure which blossoms these are, but they made for a nice surprise here in the heart of winter. I may prefer the colder months more these days generally, but winter is draining and the promise that spring will return eventually is nice to see!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/wkeo8-livingSat, 10 Jan 2026 19:35:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/wkeo8-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/GWV9m-foods_productThis is one of Tirol’s many small chocolate squares, a newly released seasonal version. The Strawberry Gateux Chocolate, or Ichigo Gato-Shokora (苺ガトーショコラ) is available at a lot of convenience stores currently, and it cost 46 yen including tax.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/GWV9m-foods_productSat, 10 Jan 2026 19:30:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/GWV9m-foods_producthttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/MYelx-livingWe actually got some snow last night here in Chiba!In fact, it seems like a lot of the greater Tokyo area got some snow.Snow had been forecast for January 2nd for several days, but it wasn’t a given. It’s quite early for snow here, especially since we had several relatively mild winter days before that. As late as 4pm yesterday, I was convinced it would come to nothing - the wind was cold, and there were some very ominous clouds in the distance, but the sun was still out and the temperature just didn’t seem that low. After sunset, though, the temperature plummeted; by 8pm, we had flurries, and by 9pm, the ground was carpeted in white and my kids were out frolicking in it not long afterwards.Snow is a bit of a novelty most winters here. There are usually flurries a few times, but it only typically sticks once or twice a season. Some winters, it doesn’t at all. It gets quite exciting when it does happen!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/MYelx-livingSat, 03 Jan 2026 07:57:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/MYelx-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/GlvZX-livingAside from the solstice being cold and dark, particularly after an unseasonably muggy December 21st here in Kanto/Chiba, did anyone else mark the occasion with a yuzu bath?I read a couple of good posts explaining the tradition (e.g. this one from BigFamJapan - https://www.city-cost.com/blogs/BigfamJapan/zaY6o-living_saitama) and I recommend checking those out if you’re interested in the ideas behind it. Rather than attempt to explain again myself, this is how our personal experience of the event unfolded this year.It’s one of the few traditions my husband is actually into, at least enough to remember it’s a thing to do at the winter solstice, but this year it was my daughter who took the initiative to prepare for it. Well, sort of. While she was out frolicking with her friends a week or so ago, she came across an elderly lady selling bags of small yuzu fruits for 100 yen and took it upon herself to buy some. We have a very large “mikan” tree that grows plenty of very sour fruits that we don’t otherwise have much use for that normally suffice for the “yuzu” bath, but not this year. Last night, she very excitedly unleashed her bag of yuzu into the bath to mark the occasion.The bath was pleasant enough, but not really all that different to any other hot bath in the winter months, if you leave the bobbing fruits aspect of it aside. However, I left the yuzu in the bathroom overnight, though, and it smelled very refreshing and citrusy when morning came round! I definitely recommend doing this (or simply… not doing anything) for the scent alone.It’s been a busy autumn and I’ve definitely been feeling the reduced daylight hours, as much as I might (will) complain when it gets light overly early in just a couple of months. For now, though, fingers crossed for a healthy winter!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/GlvZX-livingTue, 23 Dec 2025 18:36:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/GlvZX-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/Mdm4W-foods_productI’m often pretty hungry by the time I embark on my commute home. Fortunately, New Days is there with a range of treats. The Caramel Pudding Daifuku (プリン大福, purin daifuku) was there to fill the gap (in my stomach) and retails for a reasonable-these-days price of 186 yen (tax included).To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/Mdm4W-foods_productSat, 27 Sep 2025 19:12:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/Mdm4W-foods_producthttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/MAlyQ-foods_productThe 7-11’s ever evolving cold sweets range continues to evolve. The Cake, Chocolate and Whipped Cream (チョコ名前サンド, the choco-nama-sando) appeared about a month ago and continues to be on the shelves. It retails for 190 yen, 205 yen after tax.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/MAlyQ-foods_productMon, 01 Sep 2025 20:49:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/MAlyQ-foods_producthttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/wme5v-livingA few weeks ago, I wrote about how I was trying to take walks and find ways to stay safe and still get some enjoyment from it despite the heat. The effort is still there, but with heat alert after heat alert, I’ve switched strategies; while the weather remains this hot, I’ve stopped taking walks during the day and instead go out walking at night.Taking walks at night was something I got really into during the various Covid case spikes, across all the seasons (the steeets are very peaceful at 11pm on winter nights, and I have a particular fondness for the moonlight on the rice paddies im mid/late spring). In summer, though, it all but inevitably becomes a necessity, especially during these heatwaves.I’m grateful for the various factors that make this possible. Living in the suburbs means there’s plenty of well-lit roads and still some people around without needing to be wary around bars/izakayas or clubs. I also have a renewed appreciation for how safe it feels; this isn’t something I feel comfortable doing in my home country.Still, there are limits. You can’t really go exploring by night the way you can by day, and as safe as Japan relatively is, I still tend to give other people a wide berth and avoid things like wearing earphones. It’s also very much an activity for when Im not working the next day, and not something I can maintain as often when I go back to work.Notably, even without the sun, it is still hot and humid! Still, it’s better than nothing - a lot better! I plan to continue enjoying it while I can.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/wme5v-livingThu, 07 Aug 2025 17:44:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/wme5v-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/wra8g-foods_productThis is a small chocolate bar, pretty much the same size as a Black Thunder and from the same brand. I have spotted it in a number of places and I suspect the price varies, but I purchased it for 75 yen (including tax) from my local 7-11.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/wra8g-foods_productMon, 04 Aug 2025 11:52:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/wra8g-foods_producthttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/weXmJ-livingWell, today has been quite rich in… tsunami alerts.This morning, word came through that there had been a very large earthquake off the coast of Russia and tsunamis were expected. From there, the whole situation seemed to escalate, from advisories to full-on warnings and from Japan to what seems to be every country on the Pacific “Ring of Fire”.Here in Chiba city, we went from an advisory mid-morning to warnings and evacuation orders in three of the wards by midday. As of this evening, the warning has once again been downgraded to an advisory.My family and I did not evacuate. To be clear, this wasn’t just to be belligerent or ignore instructions for the sake of it, nor do I recommend it if you are at all unsure about your area. This was a considered decision based on how far we are not just from Tokyo Bay, but also quite a way from any rivers or other bodies of water. Our suburb is also at a relatively high elevation. The other locals seemed to think the same way; the local high school where we would evacuate carried on with their summer club sports matches with no signs of anyone heading for shelter.That said, we will definitely continue to keep an eye on things (I know my phone will make me continue to do so too; the alerts have barely stopped all day). I hope everyone stays safe out there, particularly those of you who are closer to the Pacific coast of the country!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/weXmJ-livingWed, 30 Jul 2025 19:29:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/weXmJ-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/GLpdy-living_food_shoppingJapan’s rice prices have skyrocketed over the last year or two. This led my husband and I to something of a dilemma recently when we came upon imported rice for sale at the supermarket.Up until last summer, we always bought not just Japan-grown rice, but rice grown in our prefecture of residence, Chiba. Not only was it locally grown (yay!) but it also was the cheapest rice for sale, a 5 kilogram bag costing less than 2000 yen or sometimes even less than 1500 yen.Those days seem well and truly gone lately, however. Not only can we not find Chiba rice on the supermarket shelves, but most 5 kilogram bags cost more than 4000 yen. I’ve been buying what I can when I have to.In the end, it wasn’t much of a decision. Whatever discomfort we might have about current politics and rice being used as a bargaining chip in a trade game, the rice imported from America is substantially cheaper than most Japanese rice currently, with a 4 kilogram bag costing 2200 yen before tax. Our wallets did the talking in the end, and here we are.For what it’s worth, we haven’t noticed any difference in taste, texture, or quality - or I haven’t, anyway, but I’m not quite the discerning rice eater my husband is. When I used the last of our Japanese rice and refilled the rice container with the American-grown rice, I did notice that the American grains were visibly larger.Japan not being able to take care of itself in regard to such a core staple makes me uneasy, but it seems we may have to just get used to it. The local rice prices don’t seem to be dropping to any major degree, and I’m seeing more and more imported rice in the supermarket shelves. I suppose it’s something that we can still get what we need, wherever it may be from.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/GLpdy-living_food_shoppingTue, 29 Jul 2025 19:59:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/GLpdy-living_food_shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/Go0XA-foods_productWraps form a key part of Starbucks Japan’s food menu. While the exact choices vary throughout the year,one of those currently available is theMexican Avocado Salad Wrap, priced at 520 yen.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/Go0XA-foods_productThu, 24 Jul 2025 17:45:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/Go0XA-foods_producthttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/GLp0y-living_education_chiyoda_ku_tokyoLast week, I visited the the “Echoes Unveiled: Art by First Nations Australian Women” exhibit. It is currently on display at the Artizon Museum, an art museum near the Yaesu side of Tokyo station, and I kept seeing it advertised on social media because I guess the algorithm gleaned, correctly, that this would be of interest to me.The art on display was in a variety of mediums by Aboriginal women from all over Australia, ranging from more traditional dot paintings on canvas to an animation featuring woven figurines to glass blown fruits made of uranium glass.I’m Australian myself and a lot of the darker historical subjects were not new to me (actually, it was the part that interested me). I think if you know something about how things have typically gone for First Nations people around the world Enoch uteri g colonizers, the topics at hand won’t be as surprising as they might be in a better world. Still, this is something you should be aware of before you go. There is a balance between the heavier, darker historical subjects and the works with subjects that relate more to nature and everyday life, though, and the museum itself is lovely, lights and airy.The special exhibition is up in the fifth and sixth floors, and there is an interesting selection of permanents works by Japanese and foreign artists alike on the fourth floor. I visited on a weekday morning and it was quiet, with plenty of space to wander around. There is a very user-friendly multilingual reservation system online to ensure you have a ticket, and the whole exhibition was bilingual, with English information provided right alongside the Japanese descriptions.Calling the exhibition “enjoyable” doesn’t feel right given much of the subject matter, but it’s a worthwhile and interesting experience and I would definitely recommend it.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/GLp0y-living_education_chiyoda_ku_tokyoMon, 21 Jul 2025 18:05:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/GLp0y-living_education_chiyoda_ku_tokyohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/G6A2Q-foods_productFrom the chilled sweets section of my local 7-11 comes another summer treat, Pancakes with Salted Vanilla Whipped Cream (ホイップどら焼き塩バニラ, hoippu cream dorayaki shio banira ). They are sold for 205 yen, including tax.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/G6A2Q-foods_productFri, 18 Jul 2025 15:25:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/G6A2Q-foods_producthttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/MY28o-foods_productA new Black Thunder flavour has appeared, apparently this week or not long before. These come in a packet of small Black Thunder cubes, and retail for 138 yen (including tax), which is currently a bit less than similarly sized chocolate bars and bags of chocolates.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/MY28o-foods_productThu, 17 Jul 2025 15:47:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/MY28o-foods_producthttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/wrW0D-foods_productAnother of Starbucks’ seasonal summer sweets is the lemon cube cake. It cost 300 yen and I ate mine with an iced black coffee, a pairing that worked very nicely. More info is available here: https://menu.starbucks.co.jp/4524785595347To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/wrW0D-foods_productSun, 13 Jul 2025 12:23:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/wrW0D-foods_producthttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/zDW4l-foods_productA fun new addition to 7-11’s seasonal chilled sweets has appeared! The castella with salted vanilla whipped cream (aka the ふわふわカステラ塩バニラホイップ, the fuwa fuwa kasutera shio banira hoipu) has a base price of 220 yen, coming to a total of 237 yen with tax included.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/zDW4l-foods_productFri, 11 Jul 2025 10:53:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/zDW4l-foods_producthttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/wjnLo-living_foodIt seems like the all-too-limited window of time in which you can easily get apricots at supermarkets around here is upon us!Fresh apricots, or anzu (kanji: 杏, though I have been seeing the hiragana or katakana used more, あんず　or アンズ) are one of my favorite fruits. They are mild in taste and easy to eat - you just pull them into halves and sway you go! I also admit to valuing them more since I don’t see them all that much. While dried apricots are not particularly challenging to find, fresh apricots only really seem to be widely available (relatively!) in the early half of summer.They aren’t cheap, and the ones in the photo cost 888 yen (plus tax) for a pack of eight. I did come upon a pack of ten being sold at Maruetsu for 498 yen (plus tax), which is basically a bargain as apricots go.I don’t expect they will be around much longer, so I’ll be enjoying this little summer treat while it lasts!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/wjnLo-living_foodThu, 10 Jul 2025 10:56:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/wjnLo-living_foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/GbNJ0-livingIt’s hot and humid, and today there have been isolated rain showers and storms just to add to it. Yet, the real icing on the cake is the strange haze that has been hanging over us for the past couple of days.(Screenshot from my phone this afternoon)When I went outside late yesterday afternoon, it looked as though a fog was settling in for the evening, and the same thing happened again today. The idea of fog seems quite fantastic in the current climate, but that is definitely not what is going on.There doesn’t seem to have been any public health alert or anything like that, so presumably the weird haze is the result of “standard” industrial pollution and the still, humid weather. There’s definitely not been much of a wind to blow things along.I am assuming I’m not one of those (… currently) who are especially sensitive to mildly unhealthy air pollution, purely on the basis that I don’t feel any different to usual healthwise. Still, I hope it dissipated and the air clears soon! The heat is quite enough to contend with without finding things to make it even worse!Stay safe out there! Alternatively, stay safe inside instead!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/GbNJ0-livingTue, 08 Jul 2025 21:40:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/GbNJ0-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/wmq42-livingIt’s another year, and another horribly hot July 7th has rolled around for, here in Chiba city, Tanabata 2025.We live in the sort of area where there are plenty of new housing developments and yet there still manages to be space for ride paddies, small hobby farms, and a fair bit of wild bamboo. Every year, my husband takes a large bamboo branch to the nursery school where he used to work. This year, he had sufficient leftovers that I got up this morning to find a decently-sized branch sitting in my genkan.I just checked my post for last year and, sadly, it doesn’t feel like things have gotten any better - if anything, things feel a bit worse. I find myself once again wishing for the basics as a result - I want good health and peace, for me and my loved ones, but it would be nice if we could get that for all. I wouldn’t say no to a cool breeze right now, either :/In any case, I hope anyone reading this has a lovely Tanabata - feel free to share your wishes if you have made them!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/wmq42-livingMon, 07 Jul 2025 17:29:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/wmq42-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/z8Zg8-livingOne of the things I have always really liked about Japan is being able to take a walk with no particular destination in mind and find something interesting. Here in suburban Chiba is no exception, and the meandering little streets mean I don’t have to walk that far to get off my usual course and somewhere new.I was (and am!) determined that I would try to go for walks this summer and just relax. There’s nothing like walking to help with thinking some things through. The summer heat, however, has kicked in earlier and more harshly than usual. Walking in this weather can become decidedly unpleasant decidedly quickly, if not outright dangerous.I’ve been trying to set out relatively early. My current goal is 8-ish in the morning, though I would probably recommend going out earlier if possible. There is a very clear temperature difference between 7 and 8am (and 8 and 9, and so on). Cold drinks are essential, and I’ve embraced carrying a parasol. There is an also a discernible difference in temperature when walking on older roads with fewer houses and more trees compared to very clear, newer neighborhoods. I’m trying to limit how much time there is between me leaving home and my arrival at an air conditioned building “rest stop” (basically, my local convenience store).I have been enjoying these walks despite the heat and humidity, and I would argue it’s still worth it. That said, it’s still early July, and I don’t think rainy season has even been declared over here in Kanto yet. I don’t know viable this will be when it gets even hotter and the more alarming red and purple heat alerts start arriving on my phone. I guess I’ll enjoy it while I can!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/z8Zg8-livingFri, 04 Jul 2025 09:57:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/z8Zg8-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/z1ENn-living_shopping_fashion(Screenshot of my discount vouchers in the H&Mapp)I’m on my summer break from work and, in what is rapidly becoming a summer tradition, I have been sorting through old clothes.I don’t like throwing out clothes and in my own wardrobe, I tend to err on the side of wearing things out thoroughly (and let’s not talk about my husband and how old some of his garments are…). With two children under ten, though, we tend to go through clothes whether we want to or not.When the clothes are still in good shape, there are a few options to choose from. When they’re not, though, because they’re stained or just plain worn out, I tend to go with H&M’s clothing recycle program. I think the key thing is that it’s just easy. You take the clothes to your nearest H&M, put them in the recycling bin they have there, and voila. Done. You will need to take them out of the bag and probably even put them in the clothing bin yourself (under the watchful eye of a store staff member). They don’t want the bag your brought your stuff in, so you can take that home with you.Then, you can get a 500 yen voucher to use on your next purchase at H&M when you spend 3000 yen or more. The coupon is valid for one year, and you will need to have H&M app installed on your phone to receive it. While I haven’t tried this, I get the impression that they will accept your clothes even if you don’t have the app; you just won’t be able to receive the discount coupon.Is this a gimmick? Probably. While probably more than half of my 500 yen recycling coupons go unused, I did turn around after dropping off my stuff and actually buy some new clothes yesterday (see: growing children). Is it greenwashing a fast fashion brand? Oh yes.But I like to think that there’s a chance that my stuff can be recycled this way, and just throwing it out certainly doesn’t allow that.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/z1ENn-living_shopping_fashionThu, 03 Jul 2025 09:47:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/z1ENn-living_shopping_fashionhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/GWqQJ-foods_productNow found on Starbucks’ pastry menu is this, the tiramisu malasada. It’s been awhile since I was at Starbucks, but it looks like it is now a regular part of the line-up rather than a seasonal special. I ate mine with an iced coffee, what with the weather being hot and me being sleepy.I ate this at the cafe itself and cleverly sliced photos of cakes are beyond me at the best of times; I recommend going here if you want to see a cross-section shot of this snack: https://menu.starbucks.co.jp/4524785588851To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/GWqQJ-foods_productTue, 01 Jul 2025 11:39:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/GWqQJ-foods_producthttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/zaJrN-foods_productIn a lot of decent-sized supermarkets, you can find a small sub-section of the snack aisle where there are a lot of small, cheap and often kid friendly snacks set up. Nearby, some of the supermarkets around here even have little baskets for kids to put their shopping in.Jyagashio Bata chips are a regular feature of these sections. Priced at a very reasonable 51 yen (59 yen including tax), they are a packet of four flat, large chips generously flavored with salt and butter.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/zaJrN-foods_productTue, 11 Feb 2025 16:52:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/zaJrN-foods_producthttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/w5Ae9-medicalIn one of those turns of events that makes you wonder what, precisely, you did to deserve this, my family and I have been hit by a stomach virus.We are unlikely to find out if it’s actually the dreaded Norovirus or one of its charming counterparts, but it has been making us varying degrees of miserable. I haven’t heard or seen any news of a massive outbreak like those that have hit other countries in the northern hemisphere lately, so I’ll assume we just got unlucky.We have a few things that help get us through it. There’s Aquarius and Dakara to help with restoring electrolytes, and I’ve learned that the 7-11 has its own version of Aquarius now (pictured above). My husband, who often tends to be the least affected by these bugs, has made us okayu, the bland rice porridge dish that is quite gentle on stomachs. Finally, we have been able to move our futons to the rooms with heaters and easy access to the bathroom, which has made dealing with everything a bit (I stress a bit) easier.Beyond that, I guess we will just keep pushing through and hope for some relief sooner rather than later.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/w5Ae9-medicalMon, 10 Feb 2025 15:55:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/w5Ae9-medicalhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/G71DA-living_foodI just wanted to give a quick shoutout to the Coco’s summer dessert menu, because it has been making my summer that little bit easier.My family like Coco’s generally. It has a very varied menu, whether it’s their lunch-set-rich lunch menu, the kids menu with the range of available dishes, or their broad-ranging “grand menu” for dinner. That solves a lot of dilemmas when we are looking to eat out and want different things. It isn’t the cheapest of family restaurants, but the food is pretty high-quality for the price.My children and I have been particularly enjoying the range of desserts on offer on the seasonal dessert menu lately. There are a number of kakigori (shaved ice) dishes that come with a variety of syrups. My son is a particularly fan of the “pop blue” kakigori, which involves lurid blue syrup in a sweet lemony flavor and comes with a package tiny candies to sprinkle on top. Particularly helpfully, the kakigori dishes come in two sizes, the large/regular size and a smaller “mini” portion. My daughter and I have also been enjoying the ice cream on offer, which you can choose to have with or without a macaron.We all have been taking advantage of the drink bar, too!Lots of family restaurants have seasonal offerings that can be a great way for you enjoy a variety of traditional and modern treats in an air-conditioned restaurant. While Coco’s has become a family favorite this summer for us, it may be worth checking out whatever your local family restaurant has on offer too!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/G71DA-living_foodSat, 03 Aug 2024 11:12:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/G71DA-living_foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/wX8ob-foods_productKit Kat Golds are a variety of Kit Kat, in this case utilizing caramel white chocolate. I purchased this multipack of eleven chocolate bars at my local Sun Drug drugstore for 289 yen, including tax.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/wX8ob-foods_productSun, 28 Jul 2024 20:40:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/wX8ob-foods_producthttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/MYq11-livingLet’s face it, it is horribly hot. Outdoor activities can be challenging at best during the daytime right now or even feel downright impossible, especially on the many days lately when extreme heat alerts have been issued. The local parks are looking quite abandoned most of the time.Instead of visiting the park during the day, therefore, one of our solutions is to instead visit the park at night.To be clear, I don’t mean we’re heading out at midnight or anything like that. We usually set off at about 7:30 on or so and we head back by about 8pm or shortly thereafter. It’s late enough that the sun has set and we have missed the worst of the heat, but early enough that it feels fairly safe with people are still coming home for the day and plenty of joggers and dog walkers also about. It’s also early enough in the evening that any noises of playing are unlikely to trouble anyone nearby too greatly, though I discourage my kids from getting too carried away.Lately, it’s hot enough even with the sun gone for the day that I enforce time limits on how long we can play, and it’s not quite the unrestrained play that my kids are accustomed to in milder weather with their friends. But it does them good to get out and active outdoors, whether it is through a quick turn on the swings, playing on the slide or, as unappealing as I personally find it, running around to play tag. We even get to enjoy looking up at the sky and checking out the planes using the Flight Radar app on my phone. While we may spend only for 15 or 20 minutes at the park playing, “night park” has rapidly become one of our summer traditions.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/MYq11-livingSat, 27 Jul 2024 21:11:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/MYq11-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/GlRWb-hobby_home_productSo, it’s very hot and one of the few things reliably keeping my kids entertained is water play. Fortunately, we have a yard, we have a wading pool, we have a hose… and we now have chicken sprinkler shower. Called the sprinkler shower hiyoko, スプリンクラーシャワーひよこ, in Japanese, I purchased it from Homes for 1780 yen (including tax).To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/GlRWb-hobby_home_productWed, 24 Jul 2024 15:48:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/GlRWb-hobby_home_producthttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/zVYZP-drink_productA new range of Starbucks tea drinks are available at the 7-11 for the summer, priced at a not unreasonable 168 yen per 500 ml bottle. The Starbucks website has details (in Japanese) here: https://www.starbucks.co.jp/press_release/pr2024-5164.phpTo view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/zVYZP-drink_productFri, 12 Jul 2024 10:02:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/zVYZP-drink_producthttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/wjKXe-living_educationMy children are one day shy of starting their summer holiday. In advance of their own sojourn at home, they’ve brought home their school plants to dutifully care for over the summer. Well, technically, my husband brought them home following their parent-teacher interviews last week. In a similar vein, the person caring mostly for the plants so far is me.Still, they’re here.My son, who is in grade 3 at elementary school this year, has a ホウセンカ, a housenka. In English, it’s called a balsam plant, or garden balsam. It’s a nice, sturdy plant so far, and I’m curious about its flowers. He doesn’t seem to have any summer holiday homework associated with it, aside from keeping it alive.My daughter, who is grade 1 at elementary school this year, brought home this water-guzzling monster of an アサガオ an asagao, aka a morning glory plant.Based on my photos from two years ago, my daughter’s plant is about a month ahead of where my son’s was when he brought his home for the summer, probably due to the heat this year and whatever has become of rainy season.Unlike my son, my daughter has to do some homework related to her morning glory plant as well as keep it alive. She has two picture diary pages, one for when the flowers bloom (ie. now), and one for when the flowers die off and you can see the seeds. She also has to track the number of flowers growing each Saturday and Sunday until the end of summer break.I quite like the idea of taking care of a plant as part of a kid’s education, and I’m quite behind this part of their summer holiday homework. Now I just need to have them start doing the plant tending!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/wjKXe-living_educationThu, 11 Jul 2024 16:48:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/wjKXe-living_educationhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/G6oQV-livingTanabata has rolled around again! It seems hotter than ever as we think of wishes and celebrate with starry things and bamboo.My daughter, now 6, is especially into Tanabata this year as it coincides with her ongoing interest in making paper “snowflake” decorations out of origami paper. I’ve been told I must leave her creations up until August.We’ve also been ordered to make wishes, my husband and I at the requestof our daughter and both my children at the request of their elementary school. Their wishes are mostly like an extension of their birthday/Christmas wishlists. My husband made my daughter choose for him, and she wished that he would come home early from work!As for me, I don’t know where to start. I open up a news website or even a weather app and I can immediately see so many things that I wish would just stop. The world feels like it is in a bad place lately.I told my daughter I’d like a lot of chocolate, though, and that would be something, anyway!In any case, I hope you all have had a nice star festival!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/G6oQV-livingSun, 07 Jul 2024 21:37:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/G6oQV-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/MYqWy-shopping_shibuya_ku_tokyoOn Thursday, I accidentally stumbled into the first day of Kinokuniya’s summer foreign book sale.The Takashimaya Times Square branch of Kinokuniya in Shinjuku is a long-time favorite of mine for getting foreign books. Living out in Chiba and usually having a pretty fully schedule means I don’t tend to get there that often, however. While I was dimly aware that they had a summer sale,I hadn’t kept track of the specifics and it certainly wasn’t something I’d planned for. The whole thing was quite a pleasant surprise!While I was mostly oblivious, however, quite a lot of people were clearly not, and the place was unusually crowded around the piles of books that were on sale. A broad range of books across multiple genres, fiction and non-fiction, and both classics and recent releases were marked down. While children’s picture books aren’t part of the sale, a separate bunch of chapter books for young adults and children were also discounted.Squeezing in to peruse the books without hitting anyone was no small feat, but it was worth the effort. I was able to get 3 books, one of which had been on my wishlist for quite awhile, all of which were discounted. Two of them were marked down to 1600 yen, while the third was marked down to 880 yen. All in all, it was a pretty good deal for new foreign books in Japan!The Takashimaya Kinokuniya book sale will run until July 15th, and numerous signs told me that they will add new books to the discounted collection each day. If you’re in the greater Tokyo area and looking for some summer reading, it might be worth stopping by!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/MYqWy-shopping_shibuya_ku_tokyoSun, 07 Jul 2024 10:58:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/MYqWy-shopping_shibuya_ku_tokyohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/wrnk0-livingIt seemed to take forever this year, but the cherry blossoms have finally started to bloom here in the greater Tokyo area!I’ve always found March in Japan rather disappointing. It promises spring but it seldom delivers all that you hope for. This year, it was even worse than usual! We were hit by A LOT of cold days. Yes, the daylight hours got longer, but it felt like I would never be able to put my scarf and coat away.Then last Friday happened. The morning was as cold as ever, with lashing rain and wild winds to cap it off. But sometime during the rain, a hint of humidity crept started creeping. Then, as the rain slowed and finally tapered off, the skies completely cleared and it began to feel… warm. Very warm.And that evening, someone checked the flowers on a designated tree and cherry blossom season was declared to have begun.We had an incredibly warm weekend, and the last couple of days have been mild, all of which has resulted in more and more blossoms blooming, and I hope all interested people are getting a chance to enjoy them. The next few days seem to feature a lot of rain in the forecast, but I’m sure there are some lovely photos to be taken anyway - I’m quite fan of pale blossoms against moody grey skies myself.Happy sakura season!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/wrnk0-livingTue, 02 Apr 2024 19:32:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/wrnk0-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/GOqdx-living_education_familylifeWe are at the end of our journey with the Japanese childcare system, with our youngest child having graduated this month and getting ready for elementary school. This seems like a good point to reflect on our overall experience. Please note that this is my experience of hoikuen only, and I am not an expert on the system.What is hoikuen?I have found the easiest translation for hoikuen is childcare. It's for preschool children, from babies through to 5 years old, to spend their days while their parents are otherwise occupied, often with work. Hoikuen should be differentiated from yochien, which is a kindergarten/preschool system for children from 3-5 years old. They are also overseen by different areas of government, with yochien being managed by the education department and hoikuen overseen by child welfare.Finding hoikuenWe applied for a hoikuen when our eldest child, our son, was a few months old. We set about seeking a place for him in January/February with an eye to starting out in April, when the new school year began. This was already a bit late - while we were still welcome to apply, a lot of the places got zapped up in November.We are in Chiba where there’s still quite a high demand for hoikuen places, but it’s not quite as bad as I understand parts of Tokyo are. The hoikuen where my kids ended up spending the past 8 years combined wasn’t our first choice when we realized we would be needing one. In fact, we handed in a list of our top 9 preferences only for the man at the ward office to hand it back and ask for another 9. The hoikuen we ended up at was somewhere in that second list of names - so top eighteen, anyway. We applied quite late, originally, and my husband’s theory on how we got a place is that while the area where our hoikuen is located has a lot of apartment buildings/condos, it also a lot of stay-at-home parents.Our hoikuen is run by a private company, but complies with government regulations and is subject to government requirements, thus falling under the category of ninka-hoikuen, 認可保育園. The ward office also takes responsibility managing places at hoikuen and determining who goes where. About halfway through my younger child's time there, the management changed from one company to another, which resulted in a few procedural changes but the overall system has remained the same.The hoikuen is located near one of the major train lines, quite near where my husband works. This wasn't all that helpful for our first few years there, since I did the majority of hoikuen pick-ups and drop-offs hence it only being our top 18 hoikuen choices. That said, the proximity to the train line meant it was almost always on the way to wherever I was working on a given time. The convenience level increased markedly once I returned to full-time work and my husband did the drop offs.Entering hoikuenHaving secured our son a place, we started out at hoikuen at the beginning of the school/business year in April, which is when the majority of children start out. We attended a brief meeting with the head of the hoikuen (enchosensei) in March, where we were introduced to the three carers, hoikushi, who would be tending to our son (while he rolled around jabbering on the floor). We were given an information booklet at that time, which contained all sorts of information about what to bring, the daily schedule, a daunting list of contagious illnesses and how much time he would need to be away from hoikuen, and so on.Entrance CeremonyI attended my son’s entrance ceremony at the start of that April; two years later, I attended my daughter’s hoikuen entrance ceremony at the same place/time. It was a short affair, featuring:A reading out of the list of the new entrants to hoikuenA welcome speech by the enchosenseiA song - for my son, it was performed by the senseis themselves; when my daughter started, they had tasked the oldest kids at hoikuen with this instead.On the way in, I was given a large paper bag which included things we had been expected to purchase for my children, including their colored hats (each age group has a different color), their recommended bibs (for the baby class only), a a communication notebook (renrakucho), and security card keys for my husband and myself to enter the building. Each of my children got a picture that was used to label their items throughout their whole time at hoikuen. My daughter’s group were using flowers and transportation, and she got a tulip (yes, it was divided by gender). My son’s group had animals and they made a point of showing me that they had assigned him a koala. I'm Australian and I think he was the only mixed-race child at hoikuen at the time, and I was - and still am - quite moved by this simple but kind gesture.After the ceremony itself, the senseis took us to the room my child would be using, where the babies are. They gave us a tour of the room and showed us where and how this things would be stored.Narashi-hoikuChildren don't typically jump straight into full-time childcare, but instead must undertake narashi-hoiku, where they attend for short periods of time in order to adjust. I don't know if the older hoikuen children (i.e. 3 year olds or older) need to do it as well, but it's definitely done with the younger children.My son was supposed to do narashi-hoiku for a few days. On the first day, he attended for about 1 hour. On the second day, he attended for 2 hours. Then, he attended for a morning. This was all going pretty much to plan. If I recall correctly, he was supposed to do another morning, but we had (to avoid going off on a long and upsetting tangent) a family emergency and suddenly returned to Australia for 3 weeks, so we had to restart the whole process when we got back.My daughter was young when she started hoikuen and the dates I was supposed to return to work were later than the dates she was supposed to start hoikuen. She didn't exactly do narashi-hoikuen so much as sporadically attend hoikuen over a couple of months, progressively more often as time went on.While neither of my children ended up doing narashi-hoiku exactly the way they were supposed to, I appreciate the logic behind it. It helps set everyone for a successful relationship and provides a way for the children - and parents! - to gradually get accustomed to hoikuen life.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/GOqdx-living_education_familylifeTue, 02 Apr 2024 10:26:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/GOqdx-living_education_familylifehttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/GL7jN-foodAfter visiting a couple of Daisos a couple of times during the last fortnight, I’m very pleased to share (what I think is) some fabulous news:Milky Ways are BACK!It’s always exciting to find some foreign chocolates, particularly ones from Australia. Milky Ways are part of Daiso’s 2 for 100 yen candy range (108 yen with tax) which makes them a very reasonably 50 (or 54) yen each.They were around for a few months last year before disappearing as mysteriously as they arrived. I don’t know when they got back or why, and who knows how long they will linger this time. I’m not complaining, though; I’m too busy consuming them.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/GL7jN-foodMon, 25 Mar 2024 09:55:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/GL7jN-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/GRoN2-living_foodI’m a sucker for Starbucks at the best of times, aided and abetted by people giving me gift cards for the place (please don’t stop!). It’s something about it being so universal; there’s a feeling that I could be anywhere in the world when I’m there, perhaps even my hometown.I’m an especially big sucker for the Starbucks cherry blossom range, though. I can resist the allure of the pretty merchandise and the lovely looking frappucinos, but the sweets… the sweets, I cannot go past. I will always recommend the Sakura chiffon cream cake, and today, I enjoyed a sakura donut. Starbucks donuts are enjoyable anyway, but there's something about the mild cherry blossom flavour that just works wonderfully with the chewiness of the donut itself.I wanted to give a shout out to the especially pretty wrapping in which Starbucks are encasing their sweets this season. They're not only pretty, but they evoke something nostalgia, which seems very much in keeping with the symbolism cherry blossoms have anyway.With sakura season itself mere days away, I know the sakura sweets will only be around a little longer. Here's to enjoying them while they last!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/GRoN2-living_foodTue, 19 Mar 2024 08:50:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/GRoN2-living_foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/GB2q3-foods_productEach of these cookies is small and round, made up of two biscuits and a cream filling in the middle that is said to be maple cream in flavour.The package is made up of sixteen biscuits, one large pack split into two columns, each eight biscuits. Even though I actually like a lot of YBC’s other biscuits, I remain somewhat puzzled by this arrangement. They want me to eat eight biscuits in one sitting? I mean, done, but that’s not the usual portion control one goes for.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/GB2q3-foods_productTue, 07 Nov 2023 07:23:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/GB2q3-foods_producthttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/z4v5o-foods_productThe Saint Etoile bakery/cafe at one of my local train stations is one of those places I walk past quite frequent without paying it a whole lot of attention. Recently, however, something did catch my eye, and that is the Fuwa Fuwa Edamame Cheese Bread, aka ふわふわ枝豆チーズパン.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/z4v5o-foods_productSat, 15 Jul 2023 22:37:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/z4v5o-foods_producthttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/wN4lZ-livingHappy Tanabata, everyone! Tanabata, or the star festival, occurs every year on July 7th. If where you live is anywhere like here, there are bamboo branches at the nursery schools, kindergartens, supermarkets, shopping malls, and even the smaller local train stations, and all of them are crowded with wishes.What is there to wish for in 2023? There are all the usual nice stalwarts regarding health and happiness. My personal wish is health-related: I have a tooth problem that has been plaguing me since last autumn and has not fully resolved, despite numerous visits to the dentist. This year, I would like That Tooth to finally be fine. You could also wish for a resolution to your pick of the problems plaguing the world now. Or, maybe, like my children, there’s a really specific thing you want and your Tanabata wish is an extension of a birthday or Christmas wish list.Whatever you want this Tanabata, I hope you have a lovely day and your wishes come true!There’s more about the story behind Tanabata hereand this lovely picture book is great for telling the story and sharing some common festival traditions too.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/wN4lZ-livingFri, 07 Jul 2023 12:45:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/wN4lZ-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/wmPp2-livingPretty chalk art, found at the park (my photo, not my drawings)Golden Week 2023 is drawing to a close, and a return to regular life is imminent. I’ve got issues with Golden Week, which I wrote about here a few years back, and I’m fortunate enough to other vacation periods at other times of the year. For my own peace of mind, I decided to treat Golden Week like a kind of elongated weekend this year (which it kind of is).Here are 7 ways that I passed my time:1. Visited parksSo. Many. Parks. My children have been out a lot, and I have been escorting them and/or trailing along behind as they pedaled their bicycles into the horizon. I have supervised them. I have pushed swings. I’ve run around. Sometimes, I’ve even been able to leave them to it with the other neighborhood kids and return home.2. “Enjoyed” the outdoorsA bunch of spiky caterpillars decimated the soramame (broad bean) plants, our weird mikan tree has decided to blossom and its strongly scented blossoms are doing a serious number on my sinuses, and wow, the wind. But I’m just being grumpy. While it was windy throughout and bookended by a couple of rainy days, the weather has been outstanding here and it’s been lovely to get outside.3. Took walksI walked by day. I walked by night. I walked by myself. I walked with others. I followed my children. Less willingly, they followed me. I walked for fun. I walked to get from point A to point B. My phone is happy with my step count, and so am I.4. Read booksA couple of rereads, a library book, and one hardcover that I got for just 410 yen on Amazon, perhaps due to the Golden Week sale? It's been a good week for reading, anyway.5. Cleaned my houseIt wasn’t the epic cleaning I’ve done in the past, but I did air futons, unclog a drain, and do a lot of picking up of stuff.6. Caught up with family and friendsThis is always nice, and an elongated weekend is a good time to do it.7. Went out for coffee/lunchYes, really, and by getting there early and not trying to go anywhere too popular, we managed to avoid most of the crowds.And, to round things out, here are three things I did notdo:Visit a theme parkTravel outside my prefecture (not even another member of the greater Tokyo cluster)Visit any large shopping centersI hope everyone else had an enjoyable Golden Week, however you may have spent it, and all the best with your return to everyday life! :)To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/wmPp2-livingSun, 07 May 2023 21:17:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/wmPp2-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/z12p1-food_shoppingWhile I was stopping by 王様のお菓子ランド (Ōsama no okashi rando, or King's Candy Land) at Shin Urayasu last week, I got a pleasant surprise!Goods from my home country of Australia are not exactly easy to come by in Japan. It’s not impossible, but it can be a challenge and the range is basically limited to a few popular goods. Cadbury Milk Chocolate bars and Cadbury Fruit and Nut bars are regulars in that limited range and are a fairly common sight at international supermarkets. They have even been known to put in infrequent appearances at my local supermarket/s. But they’re usually priced at 200+ yen, which is almost double what most local brands of chocolate cost, so seeing them for 98 yen (excluding tax) was a very nice surprise!It’s now May, and we’re well into what I think of as the summer chocolate exodus - i.e. where lots of chocolates and chocolate flavored snacks disappear from the supermarket shelves for the warmer months - and I’m not sure how long this will last. Still, I expect I’ll be enjoying it while it does!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/z12p1-food_shoppingSat, 06 May 2023 18:02:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/z12p1-food_shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/MgKxY-living_shoppingRecently, my daughter’s childcare announced a small policy change. From this school year (I.e. the start of April), all of the children would be required to bring 口拭きタオル, kuchifukitaoru, or mouth wiping towels.From the baby class through to the latter third of the two year old class, this has always been the case. Once they reached that final part of the year in their two year old class, though, the mouth wipe towels were transitioned out (along with bibs) in preparation for entering the 3-5 year old class.Now, though, they’re making a comeback? I wouldn’t say I’m opposed to this. My children have become progressively tidier eaters, but I wouldn’t say they’re flawless, and having some manner of napkin with which to wipe one’s mouth doesn’t do anyone any harm. It did mean that I had to go out and buy some new towels for my daughter to use, though, having gotten rid of the ones she last used when she supposedly stopped needing them.Fortunately, our local Sanki has a decent range of exactly the sort of towels I had in mind. The ones I grabbed for her have Sanrio characters on them, which made them an instant hit. Anything with Kitty tends to yield a positive response, but throw in Cinnamaroll and it’s a sure win.The size and style of these also means that, should they still be in decent condition at the end of this year, she will be able to use them when she starts elementary school next year, repurposed as hand towels for her to carry around to dry off her hands after washing them.One week in, they seem to be getting the job done, though my daughter and I might need to do some extra work on figuring out how best for her to get the very damp things home. Still, so far, so good!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/MgKxY-living_shoppingSun, 09 Apr 2023 16:24:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/MgKxY-living_shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/MxkP2-foods_productAs someone who isn’t a big fan of the Japanese summer, it’s very nice to see the local shops and cafes rushing to embrace the arrival of autumn. Starbucks is no exception, already featuring a number of autumn-themed drinks and sweets.One of these is the marron (i.e. chestnut) pound cake. Pound cakes of some variety are often in Starbucks’ line-up and this one, as the name accurately suggests, has a chestnut theme happening.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/MxkP2-foods_productFri, 09 Sep 2022 12:11:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/MxkP2-foods_producthttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/Glx4b-foods_productOne of my favorite wagashi (i.e. Japanese-style) sweets has to be karinto manju, and I have been very excited to find them in New Days convenience stores in the various train stations I pass through.Manju are a type of soft cake with anko, or sweet bean paste, at the centre. Anko is smooth, sweet and somewhat sticky texture, and can be found as a filling in numerous Japanese sweets. Karinto is a deep-fried dough snack that uses brown sugar and ends up with as a crispy, biscuit type snack that is sweet but has a richness that has an burned, bitter edge too.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/Glx4b-foods_productTue, 31 May 2022 11:48:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/Glx4b-foods_producthttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/MYXK2-foodFor better or worse, one of the chocolate flavors of the moment in the convenience store aisles of Japan seems to be butter. Having spotted the yellow boxes reminiscent of what I might normally find in the dairy section a few times now, I decided today was the day to finally find out what was happening with this.I opened the box - featuring a loved-up cow - to find 12 gold-wrapped rectangles of chocolate. There was also the overwhelming smell of almost cheesy (faux) butter, kind of reminiscent of what I’d expect from a popcorn packet rather than a package of chocolates. The scent got stronger when I opened an individual chocolate and found a pale yellow rectangle of the stuff.The flavour was… interesting. The butter taste really overwhelmed the mild white chocolate, and I wouldn’t say I loved it. I think if the chocolate makers could find a way to feature the butter with milk or even dark chocolate, it could work, but this just felt way too buttery for something purporting to be chocolate.I wouldn’t say I’m a fan. I like my chocolates to have more in the way of a chocolate flavour. That said, it was definitely an interesting taste experiment!Bought at: 7-11, Chiba City, Chiba PrefecturePrice: 141 yenDate of purchase: 4/4/2022To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/MYXK2-foodMon, 04 Apr 2022 19:18:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/MYXK2-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/MvrWV-living_foodI heard of this phenomenon several months before I got to experience it. I heard muttering amongst other expats about crumpets at the more central Tokyo branches of Seijo Ishii and started to check my local Chiba branch but to no avail. By the time I actually laid eyes on my objects of desire, I’d almost given up.But there, one day, they were!Crumpets! Real crumpets! Dense, spongy, and somehow far more filling than other breads!It’s such a little thing - I like crumpets, but I wouldn’t say I outright loved them - but it’s so nice to enjoy something here that I had been missing. Or largely enjoy them, anyway - there’s a bit of an over-preserved feel to these that I’m not sure I noticed in the ones I bought when I lived in Australia? Maybe I’m not remembering properly. It’s not a dealbreaker, anyway; I keep buying these regardless!How about you? Have you had any pleasant surprises (or otherwise!) at the imported food shops lately?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/MvrWV-living_foodMon, 11 Nov 2019 22:16:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/MvrWV-living_foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/MAmY0-foodDespite it still being fairly hot here, it is indeed October and that means the Halloween merchandise, which began creeping into shops sometime in late August, is now absolutely everywhere and the symbols of the occasion are on just about everything, or so it feels. As usual, Mister Donut is fully on-board the Halloween bandwagon. I’ve been seeing these cute little creations for awhile now, and when I was there a couple of days ago, I couldn't resist giving one a try:They are called Bone Bone (white) ボーンボーン (ホワイト), a naming choice I find a bit questionable even if I can figure out where they were intending to go with the whole theme. In any case, it turns out to be quite a nice doughnut, coated with white chocolate icing/frosting and decorated with a scattering of colour full, sweet sprinkles and a pair of chocolate eyes. The doughnut itself is in the Mister Donut old-fashioned style, which always tend to be very nice. They’re not the cheapest doughnut in Mister Donut’s range, but they’re definitely enjoyable and I know I’ll be buying one again - tax increase or not - before Halloween and I are done with one another!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/MAmY0-foodWed, 02 Oct 2019 22:41:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/MAmY0-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/zDRL0-medical_healthA virus that is alarmingly popular at this time of year is te-ashi-kuchi-byou, 手足口病気 or 'Hand Foot and Mouth Disease' and like it or not, it’s coming to a childcare centre, preschool or elementary school near you!What is it?Not to be confused with Foot-and-Mouth Disease, which can have a devastating effect on livestock, Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease is a usually minor but annoying sickness typically caused by the coxsackie family of viruses. It gets its name from the watery-looking blisters that appear several days after the victim has caught the virus. The spots appear - you guessed it! - on the hands, feet and around the mouth, and sometimes on the rear. It is most problematic when the sores appear inside the mouth, because they are painful and can affect food and water intake.SymptomsYou won’t know you or your offspring has caught Hand-Foot-Mouth straight away, for it takes three to six days for symptoms to even appear. The first sign is often a moderate fever that can be accompanied by a general feeling of being unwell, a sore throat, loss of appetite and sometimes diarrhea. The fever tends to pass within a couple of days. It’s only one or two days after the fever has dissipated that the telltale spots actually appear. The spots can take awhile to clear up entirely and those inside the mouth and possibly on the bottom of the feet can be somewhat painful at least initially. Both my children have been lucky so far in that the spots were pretty mild; the fever stage was far more unpleasant for them.TreatmentLike most viruses, you simply have to let it run its course. Unless dehydration is an issue from lack of water - in which case, seek medical help - there isn’t much a doctor can do beyond prescribe fever-reducing medicine. My daughter got given a choice between suppositories, and a powdered form of paracetamol (acetaminophen) that can be mixed in with juice, milk, yogurt and anything else liquid-ish but is otherwise no stronger than over-the-counter medicines. Doctors can’t even say for sure what it is until the spots appear.The one thing the doctor is good for is issuing medical certificates - and you will need a medical certificate. Trust me, we tried to avoid yet another pointless visit to the doctor’s. Called a chiyu-sho-mae 治癒書前, the literal translation is 'certificate of healing' and it tells your education or care provider that your child is recovering well. Doctors are definitely familiar with this document and it will cost you about 500 yen. It may feel a bit pointless, given that the doctors can’t even diagnose the sickness until you’re no longer even contagious, but everyone likes to feel (and appear) as though they’re managing things even when it’s all but impossible to do so.ContagionHand Foot and Mouth is highly contagious. You can catch it from other people’s body fluids (charming, yes) and it is particularly common in children under 10 years old.At my children’s childcare, over two thirds of the baby class and one third of my daughter’s one year old class have had it. While it’s impossible for me or anyone else to say for sure, my daughter had it at around the same time as everyone else did and within about a week of them starting water play, so you can probably join the dots…There is a bit of a question over when it is contagious. The general consensus is that it’s definitely contagious before symptoms appear, but after that it depends on what resource you check. The US CDC, for example, advises you're contagious for… well, ages, especially during the first week and then for some time afterwards. Other sources, however, advise that once the fever is gone and as long as the patient is eating and drinking well, they are fit to return to care/school/work, and it’s this ruling that a lot of education and care providers hereabouts go with.TimelineFor both my children, the timeline has been pretty similar. My son’s bout with Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease was a couple of years ago, so I’ll just go with my 1.5 year old daughter as an example here:ThursdayMorning: Pretty normal, a bit sleepy but nothing out of the ordinary. By mid-morning, she had developed a fever and had to be picked up from childcare early.Afternoon: Very sad/sleepy, fever continued. No appetite, though she did drink juice and milk. Three or four rounds of diarrhea.Evening: Slept, woke up a few times cryingFridayMorning: Fever lower, ate some of her breakfastAfternoon: Fever gone, appetite a bit off but eating. Behavior largely normalSaturday Morning: NormalAfternoon: Woke up from her nap with some spots on her feet and hands, and most noticeably on her backside. Behaving normallySundayNormalMondayNormal. It was a public holiday or we would have gotten the medical certificate then.TuesdayNormal, obtained medical certificate.How to avoid itWhile Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease is more annoying than serious, it’s still not something you’re going to want to catch. This is a compilation of advice I’ve come across:Wash your hands well with soap and warm water.Hand sanitizer works on this one.Practice good hygiene and keep surfaces etc. cleanThe virus can survive in water, so don’t go swimming when you have it.Don’t share towels.Avoid people with itAnd…Hope for the best.Good luck!How are you going with summer viruses in your household? Have you had the pleasure of hosting Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease yourself? Do you have any tips for sufferers?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/zDRL0-medical_healthTue, 03 Sep 2019 10:08:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/zDRL0-medical_healthhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/Mx1B2-living_chuo_ku_chiba_shi_chibaRainy season certainly brings a lot of rain to Japan, and along with the cool, misty humidity comes a great deal of plantlife. One flower that does particularly well in the early summer is the oga lotus flower, and one of my city’s more famous parks holds a festival to celebrate it.Chiba Koen (千葉公園, Chiba Park) is located in the center of Chiba City. The Oga Lotus Festival kicks into action when the lotus flowers start to bloom, typically sometime in June with their peak in late June and early July, i.e. in rainy season. The park’s website tracks the specific number of flowers in bloom and while the festival doesn’t seem to have a specific start or end, the timing of it seems to correlate with the number of flowers and that, consequently, is when the highest number of visitors arrive.The oga lotuses are, of course, the stars of the show. Named after Doctor Oga, a paleobotanist who discovered some 2000 year old lotus seeds in ancient ruins in nearby Kemigawa in the 1950s. From these, the oga lotuses were germinated and these days, they are widespread in Japan. Given they were discovered in Chiba, Chiba City is particularly passionate about them!As well as being ancient, the oga lotuses are very pretty! At Chiba Koen, they cover a pond of their own. By the time they are blooming, they are very tall; when we visited, they loomed over my three year old! There are paths lacing between them and while a number of them are best taken on foot, it is possible to maneuver something with wheels as well.We went on a weekday and while it wasn’t overcrowded, there were still quite a few people there, many of them elderly and many of them lugging cameras and tripods. There are a couple of permanent cafes in the park and there were also a number of market stalls set up to cater for the influx of visitors, lending something of a festival atmosphere to the whole event. There were even some cute lotus flower souvenirs available.I don’t think there’s enough to do in the park to make it a full day trip, but it makes for a nice morning or afternoon outing that would suit a variety of ages. Mornings are particularly recommended as this is when the flowers are blooming at their best. In addition to the lotus flower festival, there’s quite a lot of other stuff at Chiba Park. There’s lots of greenery and other beautiful examples of flora to see, a decent-sized playground, a swimming pool, and a sports field. The main lake/pond also has duck boats that you can hire and pedal around in, and the park is walking distance to a shrine and to the Chuo branch of Chiba City Library. The park even offers a particularly excellent view of the monorail if trains and/or particularly Chiba-esque symbols are your thing!AccessChiba Koen (park) is about a ten minute walk from JR Chiba Station. There is a bit of a slope involved, though, and if you don’t fancy that in the rain and/or the humidity, you could try accessing the park form Chiba Koen station on the Chiba monorail line. It’s one station up from Chiba station on the line going towards Dobutsukoen or Chishirodai. Getting off at Chiba Koen will almost put you directly in the park itself, but the park isn’t small and you will still have to walk a bit to get back to the pond with the oga lotus flowers. Entrance to the park is free of charge.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/Mx1B2-living_chuo_ku_chiba_shi_chibaWed, 31 Jul 2019 15:17:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/Mx1B2-living_chuo_ku_chiba_shi_chibahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/wk4OL-food_shoppingWith the weather warming up, I’ve been a bit more inclined to order cold drinks when I visit cafes than usual. As a result, I’ve discovered that Tully’s has introduced something quite good…Glasses!It’s a small thing, but I think it's important. It’s so nice to get a drink in a reusable glass rather than a pointless plastic container that will just be thrown out. At the local branches I frequent, they're not much as offering a choice between a disposable cup and a glass as confirming that the glass is fine, which is definitely a great step.Sure, there’s still a lot of other waste happening, and I’m sure some branches will still just give me a plastic cup when they see my face to be on the safe side rather than try communicating and find out if I’d actually prefer to use a glass. But I think it’s an excellent start and I hope other cafes (HELLO STARBUCKS) follow suit with their iced drinks!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/wk4OL-food_shoppingTue, 30 Jul 2019 22:30:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/wk4OL-food_shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/MJoe2-foodWith Tanabata (aka the star festival, held on July 7th) disappearing behind us last weekend, it seems the chocolatiers of Japan have decided that it's time for an influx of new chocolates ahead of actual summer kicking into gear. As I write this, we're still very much trudging through rainy season, but I appreciate that this is likely to end any day now. There are a few new, interesting chocolates about and one is Fujiya's new Look flavor, Hinyari Salted Ice Cream. It contains two “ice cream” flavors, salted vanilla and vanilla with salted caramel sauce. They’re both... alright. Salt is meant to be one of those refreshing flavours that tends to crop up in the summer months, and it's definitely very prominent here. In some chocolates, it can add a nice edge but I found it a little too strong here, making the caramel a bit too bitter and leaving the salt vanilla with a weird aftertaste. They’re not my favourite Look flavors, but they’re nice enough that I can see myself eating them again!Has anyone tried any of the new midsummer sweets that have suddenly sprung up? I haven't yet been brave enough to test out the Dars Salty Lychee flavour, but it's somewhere on my agenda. How about you??To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/MJoe2-foodWed, 10 Jul 2019 22:51:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/MJoe2-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/MnmJo-foodI am somewhat fond of Matsuya, especially when lunchtime rolls around. Recently, though, I'm finding myself visiting even more than usual, for they have introduced a new dish to their menu, Japanese Style Tartar Sauce on Grilled Chicken (or 和風タルタルチキン in Japanese), and I am a little bit addicted.Matsuya restaurants are all over the place around here and while they're not the healthiest option out there, they aren't the unhealthiest either. They are also cheap and easy, with ordering done by a ticket machine that you can put fully in English. Since bringing my own lunch to work isn't something that is easy for me to do (for a variety of reasons I won't get into here), Matsuya tends to be a restaurant I head to periodically. I do stick out as a Caucasian woman amongst the almost all-male Japanese workers who are also engulfing their food, but I'm used to that.The tartar chicken that is keeping me coming back for more isn't super remarkable. It's not gourmet or anything! But it is just really, really nice. The chicken itself is cooked in a typical Japanese soy sauce/mirin combination with translucent onions included. On top, they put tartar sauce - which I love anyway - and dust it with little shreds of nori. I don't strictly need that nori, to be honest, but maybe it contributes something to the whole "Japanese-style" they're going for. Being Matsuya, it comes with a choice of side dishes and rice sizes. I opt for small rice, for I find the whole thing pretty filling, and the green salad. I find the whole thing decidedly satisfying!I don't know if this dish is a seasonal offering or not. In fact, at the time of writing, they're already promoting a new beef curry dish. I hope that it sticks around for awhile longer, though, or gets to stay on their main menu!How about you? Are you a Matsuya fan? Do you prefer any of the other cheap Japanese restaurant chains (e.g. Yoshinoya, Sukiya), or is none of this your thing at all?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/MnmJo-foodTue, 18 Jun 2019 11:33:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/MnmJo-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/GBbkj-living_transportation_fashionRainy season has once again arrived in Japan! Last Friday (7/6), the Japan Meteorological Agency declared that rainy season had started here in Kanto, with a bunch of wet, grey days and cool humid temperatures officially descending upon us.Known as tsuyuin Japanese, rainy season can be more than a little hard to deal with. Here are ten pieces of advice that have helped me weather the deluge (I like puns) year after year and I hope they can help you survive and even enjoy it!Find a reliable weather forecast
This sounds simple, but there is quite a lot of variability when it comes to rainy season in Japan and not all weather forecasts are created equal. This is especially the case when it comes to non-Japanese forecasts for Japan. You'll also want forecasts as specific to your local area as you can. I live in Chiba, for example, and while the forecast for Tokyo is usually reliable, there can end up being some important differences, particularly when it comes to rain. Find a good weather forecaster and keep updated. While it’s less than helpful for weekly forecasts, I find the Japan Meteorological Agency’s website good for detailled daily information.Look out for rainy day dealsThis means that shops and restaurants will try various techniques to try and lure in what customers they can and you can sometimes get a good deal. An example is my local St. Marc’s ChocoCro, who offer double points on my point card when I come in on rainy days. It’s a small thing, but it’s nice!Hit up tourist locationsOn especially rainy days, a lot of people - understandably - stay home. If you’re wanting to avoid the crowds, then get your rainy weather gear sorted and head on out! While traipsing about in a downpour might not appeal to you either (again, understandably), look out for the days when lighter rain is forecast. Often, these showers are intermittent and light enough to be tolerable.Take a walkNobody likes staying in all the time so take the chance to head on out! Old Japanese buildings can be especially atmospheric under heavy grey skies, and all that rain does mean there’s a lot of greenery to be enjoyed, and hydrangeas in particular are a celebrated marker of the rainy season in Japan. Get your gear together, watch your step, and enjoy!Keep an umbrella handy...It sounds simple, right? If it's pouring, you're going to notice fairly quickly that you've forgotten your umbrella. It's the days where the weather is a bit trickier to decipher that are a problem, though. Even if it looks clear when you're heading out, consider carrying a fold-up umbrella in case of the weather suddenly changing. Also, know where to buy an umbrella if you do get caught without one. Convenience stores often have them, as do 100 yen shops and their three coin cousins. There is a pretty decent correlation between price and quality, but that 100 yen piece of clear plastic and feeble metal spokes will suffice when you're desperate!... and take care of it!Once you're out and about, there are all manner of ways to store your umbrella. There are umbrella stands outside stores and some places for public use (e.g. libraries, museums) have special umbrella "lockers", a stand of hooks with keys to hire for 100 yen and leave your umbrella in. A lot of places also have special plastic bags at the entrance with which to cover your umbrella (if the waste of plastic bothers you, you can find reusable ones at some discount shops).Get your footwear sortedThe rain is bad news for your shoes, there's no way to soften it. In more bad news, it's not acceptable to wear flip-flops/things/beach sandals anywhere other than the beach or your home in Japan, though Crocs are oddly popular for casual public settings and young children can get away with more than adults can. Your approach to footwear is probably going to depend on how easily you can get your size here. Rainboots are readily available for women and sometimes men, though not in larger sizes and they can be quite uncomfortable on warmer rainy days. Otherwise, consider sandals, leather, less open shoes and/or something that dries fairly quickly. Beware the smell. Consider taking another pair to change into if shoes are required at your indoor destination, and take spare stockings or socks either way. You might even consider buying a pair of shoes purely for use during this season, a sacrifice to the rainy season powers that be!Prepare for your commute
Unfortunately (or fortunately, maybe!), particularly heavy rain has a way of disrupting and/or delaying trains. If you can read Japanese, services such as the Yahoo transit informationwebsite will give detailed information about train issue, and even simply using Google Maps will let you know if there's a delay afoot.Before you can catch a train, though, you have to get to the station and some planning ahead might come in handy here as well. Even if you’re accustomed to getting there on foot, an ongoing deluge might be off-putting enough to get you considering other options. Find out if there are any buses around that might be helpful. If you use them or if you’re going by car, remember to add extra time - once the weather gets bad, it seems like everybody is driving, and traffic slows accordingly.Deal with your laundry
An extremely annoying aspect of rainy season is certainly the laundry. Assuming you are responsible for your own and/or other people’s, getting it dry can be painful. Keeping track of that weather forecast and choosing appropriate days to get your clothes outside is helpful, but when the rain goes on and on and on, alternatives might be necessary. Even if you don’t have a dryer at home, your housing might have drying facilities of some variety, whether that be a function in the bathroom for drying clothes or a setting on the air conditioner. Figure out how and where you’re going to hang up laundry indoors. I find that hanging a rack from the tiny ledge above the door on some of my doorways works just fine, but the ever-reliable Daiso and other discount stores have other ideas for you too. If all else fails, start looking out for coin laundries - type コインランドリー into your maps app (literally "coin laundry" but katakana-ized). There are more around than you might think - remember, rainy season isn’t the only time of year that Japan’s weather turns laundry-unfriendly - and they can be very helpful on wet days.Finally, remember that rainy season doesn’t last forever! Even when it feels like the mist will never lift and the rain will never stop, it will. The full wrath of the Japanese summer is just around the corner and who knows, you might even look back on these wet days longingly once the humidity really kicks in! In the meantime, take care and stay dry!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/GBbkj-living_transportation_fashionTue, 11 Jun 2019 10:11:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/GBbkj-living_transportation_fashionhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/wekBd-foodGetting excited about French things happens just as much in Japan as elsewhere and Tirol have channeled that interest into their Chocotto France Kibun multipacks. Kibun, 気分 means mood, while chocotto seems like a bit of word play, with the Japanese chokottoちょこっとmeaning a little, or rather, but spelt with a c to be more reminiscent of the word chocolate (or choko チョコ). Basically, it seems Tirol wants to is aiming to provide a taste of the mood of France - pun intended.Each pack contains about 7 chocolates, a mix of three flavors: creme brûlée, gateau au chocolate cake, and chocolate eclair. The wrappers are in the colors of the French flag and, as you can see, are rather cute. The chocolates themselves are quite nice too. The chocolate eclair flavor actually manages to be quite eclair-like, smooth and very creamy with the dark chocolate outer layer only just breaking through the creamy inner taste. I have tried quite a few creme brûlée chocolates this year and I enjoy the flavour very much. This is no exception, suitably bitter and caramel-y. I find the gateau au chocolate cake probably the weakest of the batch with a mysteriously crunchy texture, but it still tastes quite nice. Whether you like French sweets or not, these are definitely worth a try!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/wekBd-foodMon, 10 Jun 2019 22:22:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/wekBd-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/wmxex-living_shopping_familylife_ichihara_shi_chibaOne rainy day recently, I had a scheduled weekday off, a headache that wouldn’t quite go away and my two children, aged 3 and 1, to somehow entertain. I decided it was time to check out Yu Kids.Yu Kids is located at Unimo shopping centre in Chiharadai. The mall itself is about a 12 minute walk from Keisei Chiharadai station, though many people seem to visit it by car instead. Yu Kids is conveniently situated on the first floor of Unimo, near the Yaoko supermarket and across from Muji.It is, quite simply, an indoor amusement area, full of colorful, moving attractions for children to climb in and/or on and run around. It doesn’t occupy a huge amount of space, but it is cleverly laid out so as to maximize what space it does have while still managing to look and feel quite spacious. A variety of things are available to do, including but not limited to roundabouts, a swaying jungle gym, a few things to jump on, and a ball pit. For kids seeking something quieter to do, there are corners with picture books, a drawing/colouring area (and collaborative display on which to display the work), and a selection of baby toys.The highlight for my pair - and, if I’m honest, me too - was the balloon lofts. Perched above the other attractions and accessible by a set of stairs, these two low-ceilinged “rooms” are full of balloons that bounce endlessly about care of the clever placement of some fans. One “room” has balloons that are simply large, while the other room contained balloons that can only be described as gigantic.I won’t lie, adult me was quietly cringing at the sheer amount of plastic and electricity the place used, though I guess it would still be considerably less than the game centre upstairs uses. The aesthetic also didn’t really help my headache! Parental/guardian supervision is also required at all times, which could make it a bit tiresome as you are most likely to get tired of it before your minions do.All in all, though, I found the place a pleasant surprise. It is designed to entertain children from infancy through to the first couple of years of elementary school, which is surprising in itself as many indoor play areas tend to focus squarely on preschoolers alone. The entry fee prices are reasonable as well, costing 500 yen per child for a thirty minute session and 700 yen for sixty minutes. Adults are free of charge. You have to guess how long you might stay at the beginning, which is a bit of a pain as going overtime incurs an additional 100 yen fee per 10 minutes, but it doesn’t seem especially unfair. All of the attractions therein are otherwise free of charge. There were even some signs with English translations, which was another pleasant surprise!Most importantly, though, it’s just plain fun. If you happen to be in the Chiba/Ichihara area with young kids to entertain and your own shopping to do, I highly recommend it.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/wmxex-living_shopping_familylife_ichihara_shi_chibaThu, 06 Jun 2019 10:03:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/wmxex-living_shopping_familylife_ichihara_shi_chibahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/MJord-livingLast Sunday, my neighborhood held its twice-yearly local clean-up event. We received notice of this about a month ago via our local community group (my husband signed up for it when we bought our house) and were expected out at 8:30am to voluntarily embark on a clean up of the roadsides and open spaces, weeding and clearing away overgrowth.The whole community most certainly was not out for the occasion, but a lot were - quite a few senior citizens, in fact, showed up well before the 8:30 start time. It was a muggy day, the threat of rain low and the temperature not yet at a summer high. Still, the conditions weren’t entirely pleasant.I have mixed feelings about the community clean-ups - and I got to stay home with my one year old daughter rather than head out myself! On the positive side, I like the idea of the local community taking care of itself. I think it’s nice to see people taking pride in and responsibility for the public spaces, and that it fosters both respect and a sense of community.It thus feels a bit mean-spirited to question the value of it and to ask why this is our responsibility, yet I find myself doing so. We do pay tax, after all, and this seems to fall into the category of things our local government should be managing. Furthermore, the idea that these spaces are even public ones sometimes feels a bit questionable. The land in the photo I’ve included that the locals are working on actually belongs to a railway company, and railway companies turn quite a profit hereabouts. It’s not land we can actually use ourselves and it is well within the company’s means to actually pay someone to do this rather than rely on the goodwill of a bunch of elderly ladies.Still, there’s a bit of a Scrooge-ish feeling to even thinking that.An aside shared by my husband during the last clean-up day helped me better put my finger on what my problem was. He had returned early (I was once again on baby-watching duties) and explained to me that while he and some of the locals were diligently clearing overgrowth at their community centre (i.e. definitely a communal space and justifiably a communal responsibility), one of the other neighbours had shown up. This neighbor farms a lot of vegetables and consequently owns a whole lot of gardening tools and equipment specifically for doing this sort of work. He duly got to work and finished up the cleaning of the community centre’s land far more quickly and easily than the others could.And that’s the thing that gets me about the whole thing. There are professionals out there to do this work, or at least amateurs who actually have the skills and equipment. It doesn’t feel fair or necessary to push people who have and are neither of those things into doing the work. In the end, it feels like work for work’s sake and if the goal is actually community-building, there are plenty of other ways that it can be done.Oh well. At least I didn’t have to do it myself? Also, it’s a definite plus that they do this in June; in our old neighbourhood, they did it after rainy season, which was a whole new level of awful!What are your thoughts on the community clean-ups? Do you like them? Do you participate yourself?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/MJord-livingTue, 04 Jun 2019 14:02:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/MJord-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/MJoWo-foodRecently, one of my students presented me with a box of unusual sweets:No, that is not a burger. It’s actually a very curious little pastry!Made by a company called My Captain Cheese Tokyo, the Cheese Chocolate Burgers are about as close to what their name indicates as one could hope (?) for. Each little “burger” is made up of two sweet pastry pieces for the burger bun. Between them is proportionately decent amount of sweet whipped cream and a square of what looks like cheddar cheese. It isn’t, or not exactly, though it certainly smells like it. Instead, apparently, it is cheddar cheese flavored chocolate and it is a lot milder in taste than the look and scent lead you to expect.They're... well, they’re different, and not in a bad way. I am not the world’s biggest cheese fan, so these are not really my thing. They are also allegedly inspired by the west coast of the US, though I’m not sure in what way or how well that works. But they taste alright to me and they are definitely unique. It’s not something I’d seek out myself, but I wouldn’t say no if they were offered to me again either!Has anyone else seen these or tried these? What did you think?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/MJoWo-foodMon, 27 May 2019 13:41:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/MJoWo-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/wr3re-living_foodFebruary 14th has once again rolled around and I have once again embarked on a quest to "make" chocolates for my charming husband. I haven't always been a fan of the day, and I wouldn't say I'm entirely on the bandwagon now. Still, I kind of enjoy it here in Japan. A significant part of that is, no doubt, because I'm not single. I also like that it's not entirely about romantic love alone, especially with tomo-choco - chocolate for friends - becoming such a thing. The major appeal, though, has to be the emphasis of chocolate. I love chocolate and Valentine's Day gives me an excuse to try out new varieties of it, including preparing my own. Sure, they're a gift for my husband, but I get to sample them. Thoroughly. To be really sure they're alright, you know?I have to admit that I've forgotten where I learned this technique for making honmei-choco, the more expensive and/or handmade chocolate that is given to males you love. I believe it was one of my English students, though, and I am very grateful to her! It results in delicious chocolates but it doesn't break the bank, it isn't overly difficult, and it doesn't take especially long.IngredientsBars of regular chocolate - this year, I opted for:One bar of dark chocolate (~ 50 grams)One bar of milk chocolate (~ 50 grams)Two bars of white chocolate (2 x ~50 grams)Cream (~ 2-3 tablespoon, give or take)Decorations - I used flaked almonds and chocolate chips this yearThe chocolates and decorations are available all over the place in the lead-up to Valentine's Day, and they're still around ahead of White Day as well. You can get the cream at pretty much any supermarket, though I suggest buying it at least a couple of days in advance just in case there's high demand. I bought mine at Maruetsu.EquipmentOne bowl, medium-large for each type of chocolateOne smaller bowl for each type of chocolateBoiled waterMixing spoonsTeaspoonsSmall cups/molds for the chocolateOne suitable pretty gift boxGift boxes and cups/molds, again, are available all over the place at this time of year. I personally opted for Daiso, picking up my stuff from a display like this one:DirectionsBreak up all the chocolate bars into pieces and put them into smaller bowls.Put the smaller bowls into the larger bowls, and pour boiling water into the larger bowls so it's around the smaller bowl. This is to melt the chocolate.Wait, probably less than 15 minutes. You can cover the bowl to speed things along. If the chocolate still hasn’t melted, replace the water with more boiling water.Mix the melted chocolate and add in the cream. I used about 1 tablespoon for the milk chocolate, 1 tablespoon for the dark chocolate, and about 1/2 tablespoon for the white chocolate.Combine the different chocolate flavours in whatever way you wish. I strongly recommend the milk chocolate/dark chocolate combination; I only used white this year because it provides a nice contrast.Use the teaspoon to spoon the chocolate into the cups/molds.Put the molds into the fridge to cool.When the chocolate has just started to set, press the decorations onto the top of each one. You want the chocolate to still be malleable enough that the decorations set in, but not so fluid that they sink into chocolatey oblivion. Depending on the temperature of your room, you might be able to skip the previous step, decorate, and then cool the chocolates.Leave the chocolates to finish setting (at least one hour, more to be on the safe side).Extract from fridge shortly before gifting and arrange in the box!Bonus tipsYou'll need to work fairly quickly with this recipe - the chocolate sets fast. The February temperatures really don't help matters. Be prepared to keep boiling more water.In lieu of the above chocolate setting problem, you're not going to want to leave your dishes sitting around indefinitely after you're done. Wash up!Check that the size of the chocolates and the size of the box work alright together. It might be a good idea to buy the tiny chocolate cups and the gift box from the same place just to make sure everything fits.And that is how I do Valentine's Day! It may not be how the master chefs do it, but it works for me. So far, my husband has thus far been very happy with the chocolates and if he suddenly becomes less than happy, I am more than willing to deal with the chocolates myself.Happy Valentine's Day!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/wr3re-living_foodThu, 14 Feb 2019 17:01:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/wr3re-living_foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/MpVQa-living_shoppingGift shopping in Japan can be easy in some ways and difficult in others. Christmas poses challenges of its own that differ from even birthday shopping and the like, however, not least that you are possibly in the market for a lot more presents for a lot more people. Here, however, I am less concerned with the gifts themselves than with the various accessories you need to present them and where on earth you can get them hereabouts!Wrapping paperWrapping paper is a bit of a challenge whatever the occasion in Japan. Despite the Japanese being renowned for their beautiful wrapping skills, the variety of wrapping paper readily available is actually quite limited, especially if you’re after something that isn’t pink and flowery. Christmas wrapping paper is also limited in terms of supply, though the variety isn’t bad and it’s getting steadily better year after year. That being said, it sells out quickly and it’s not the sort of thing you want to be caught without come Christmas Eve, when the Christmas decorations will already be making way for New Year’s goods.Where to get it: discount shops (e.g. Daiso), gift/variety stores if you want something more expensive (e.g. Loft)Personal favourite: SeriaTips:Get it fast! Finish reading this article and go out and buy it!Buy more than you think you need. There often isn’t very much at all on a roll of paper.Alternatively, consider getting the shops where you buy the gifts to wrap them for you. I can only speak for myself, but the presents typically look far more amazing than anything I can do myself! While the fancier and decidedly Christmas-themed paper may incur an extra fee, there's almost always something free on offer that could work just as well.CardsThe good news about Christmas cards in Japan is that they are lovely. The places that stock them, which include stationery stores, book stores and gift/variety stores, will often stock a variety of both Japanese and imported Christmas cards to suit your needs, and there are a lot of little extras involved depending on how much you’re willing to pay, such as pop-ups, music, cards made of puzzle pieces… the list goes on. The Japan-exclusive versions even feature pretty Japanese landmarks and scenery sometimes!The bad news, however, is that all of these are individual Christmas cards. It’s not easy at all to get a box of Christmas cards in bulk - the Japanese tend to channel mass greeting card send-outs into New Year (post)cards, a whole other story. You may need to strategize as best you can - decide who really needs a Christmas card and who doesn’t, consider jumping on the New Year card bandwagon, go for something electronic instead, or be prepared to pay considerably more than at home.Where to get them: Individual - Loft, Plaza, bookstores; boxed - Flying Tiger Copenhagen, Amazon, Costco, and I think Daiso may have a couple of boxes of identical cards available too?Personal favourite: Maruzen (individual); I’m still waiting for somewhere to consistently stock boxes I like before I claim a favorite for boxes of Christmas cardsTipsIf you’re going home this Christmas and expecting to be in Japan next year and giving out Christmas cards, especially if you’re thinking of giving them to Japanese locals, pick up a box there!If you’re buying a box on Amazon or at Costco, pay careful attention to the size of the card. I was delighted to buy a box of beautiful cards at Costco one year only to discover that they exceeded the weight and size limits of standard letters when I went to mail them.A lot of the Christmas cards do not have a message printed inside.Christmas in Japan is very light on the traditional religious meaning of the occasion and the Christmas cards reflect this.Gift tagsGift tags are another item that can be hard to find. Giving piles of presents isn’t really the done thing here, so the need to label them isn’t as strong. It is getting better, though, and there are more and more gift tags showing up, typically at the same places where you buy wrapping paper. Like with the wrapping paper, I recommend not delaying and buying some when you see them.Where to get them: Discount stores (e.g. Daiso); gift/variety stores (e.g. Flying Tiger Copenhagen)Personal favourite: DaisoTips:Like with Christmas cards, the cheapest and least painful strategy is to plan ahead for next year and get them when you are at homeConsider getting creative! There’s no shortage of Christmas stickers and the like, and the Internet is full of printable gift tags to investigate.Whatever particular gift-wrapping accessory you're in the market for this year, the most important advice I can offer is to be on the lookout! Check out wherever you see Christmas-themed merchandise, particularly if it's a gift-oriented shop, and you might find exactly what you need waiting for you.Happy shopping, everyone, and merry Christmas! Do you have any comments on this list, or are there any additional recommendations you might make?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/MpVQa-living_shoppingMon, 03 Dec 2018 10:13:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/MpVQa-living_shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/MvvlX-foodIn recent years, a sure sign that the cooler months have begun has been the influx of one of my favourite cheap chocolates into the convenience stores of Japan..That's right, Yaokin's Bon O Bons are back! I am a huge fan of these little treats. Not only are they cheap, usually priced at around 32 yen for one, but they are also delicious! Essentially, they are milk chocolate balls with soft cream filling inside a light wafer shell. There are two main flavours for the cream filling, Cream (the above-pictured pink and silver "Suave" one) and Choco, the "Chocolate" flavoured one that comes in bronze and brown wrapping. Other unique versions have shown up in recent years, though, such as the Mix variation with cookie pieces thrown in, the Black flavour that uses bitter chocolate, and even a Matcha flavour got sighted a year or so back. When I do have to choose, though, my ultimate favourite is the original Cream flavour with the Choco a close second.As delicious as the chocolates themselves are, though, I think their whole effect is only enhanced by their beautiful presentation. Wrapped up in their shiny wrappers like traditional Christmas "bon bons" or Christmas crackers, they even manage to look a little festive. I have tried to give them as souvenirs before, though I confess quite a few got eaten before they made it to my home country!Bon O Bons tend to only hang around from mid-autumn through to about mid-spring, so I fully intend to consume them while they last! How about you? Are you also a Bon O Bon fan? What's your favourite flavour?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/MvvlX-foodFri, 23 Nov 2018 22:42:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/MvvlX-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/Go4yl-living_chiba_shi_chibaA current major cause of irritation in my life is this form:It looks fairly innocent and it should be. My children are enrolled in public childcare because my husband and I work. To confirm that we are still doing so, we get these forms twice a year to give to our employers. Their task is to list the amount of days and hours we have worked each month during the past six months, and indicate that we are going to continue working into the future. It’s bit annoying for everyone involved and the value of it all is a bit questionable. Still, it shouldn’t be terribly complicated.Yet it is. I work part-time for three separate companies and that means three copies of the form need to go out, get filled in, returned to me, and then submitted. That already triples the likelihood of there being an issue, and there are always issues.For one, all of my companies have, at some point or another, insisted that they need the original copy of the form. There isn’t an original copy. I’m not sure who prints out the form, childcare or the city, but it is most assuredly just that - a printout. It’s even available for download on the city website (there you go, hoikuen users of Chiba city). The additional copies I personally need are done by me. There’s nothing original about it but getting it off the internet themselves? Or even typing the information in and then printing it? Keeping a copy from last time and just updating the dates? Absurd!A far bigger gripe, though, is getting my employers to accurately note the hours I work for them. I need to work a minimum number of hours a month, 60, to keep the childcare places, so getting this right is important. There is no question around what I’m paid or anything like that, just a need to record my actual work time. Yet this is also problematic. One company sometimes includes clean-up time and sometimes doesn’t. One company notes only my teaching hours and will not put in the one hour break between classes, let alone the preparation time required to teach each lesson. The other company has somehow said that I only do two days of work for them per week even though it is now three. All of these oversights add up and there is nearly always someone to follow up and remind of my actual workload.Because of these points and my work involving lots of dispatches and not a lot of time at head office, getting the forms back in time can also become difficult. More than once, I have been on the brink of spelling out that if i cannot keep my children in childcare, I cannot work for them.If you work full-time for a single company, it’s probably easier to manage all of this though you’re possibly not completely immune to the above mentioned problems. The original document issue isn’t solely for part-timers and my husband’s company will write that he finishes work at 4:45pm each day, which is laughable.Unfortunately for me, these problems are unlikely to go away. As irritating as this is, it doesn’t counter the benefits of working part-time into the short-term future and until my children are older, that means needing childcare services... and that means this accursed piece of paperwork will need doing and my employers, it seems, will need nagging.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/Go4yl-living_chiba_shi_chibaSun, 11 Nov 2018 11:12:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/Go4yl-living_chiba_shi_chibahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/wmVWm-foodHalloween fever swept over Japan this year, as it has for a number of years now. Starbucks Japan was no exception. To celebrate the occasion, they released two special frappuccinos and gave their customers quite a choice - are you a witch, or a princess?The Halloween Witch Frappuccino is both darker and richer in flavor. It uses dark chocolate sauce and has a stronger coffee flavour. The apple taste is quite tart, and the pureed chunks of it lend it an unusual texture. The topping also involves caramel cookie crumbs, though the mix of flavours in the drink itself made me almost forget about this part!The Halloween Princess, on the other hand, is a far smoother, creamier drink. The apple is completely smooth and far more subtle, while the white chocolate and the cream make it visually appealing too. The little edible silver beads also make it an enticing treat. As a caffeine hit, it's not all that effective, but as a sweet treat, it's wonderful.As might be clear from the descriptions, I enjoyed the Princess more. It's something of a shock result for me, as I'm a lover of both bitter coffee and all things chocolate, but the Princess just flowed more nicely for me. That being said, the Witch was quite nice in itself and still worth a try if its flavours appeal to you. I'm not sure if I'm meant to infer something about my personality from that, or what it might be, but there you go!As I type this, it is October 30th and if you’re reading this shortly after I post it, that means you have a bit over 24 hours left to go and try these! If you miss out, though, don't worry. Starbucks also have a lovely-looking Christmas range starting up on November 1st that are also likely to be worth checking out!(Main image courtesy of SoraNews)To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/wmVWm-foodTue, 30 Oct 2018 13:12:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/wmVWm-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/Gy6V7-living_transportation_medical_badexperiencesI was ten weeks pregnant with my son when I was issued a special pregnancy badge by my local children’s welfare department. Round in a distinctive pale pink, it features a cute graphic of a smiling mother-to-be and a smiling baby in a rounded curve that turns out to be her stomach. “おなかに赤ちゃんがいます,” it declares. Onaka ni akaachan ga imasu. There’s a baby in my belly. It was intended to be attached to my bag and, upon sighting it, other people using public transport would then give up their seats for me.I didn’t have to commute during peak hour especially often, so I was often able to find a seat on the buses and trains I used. More often than not, the badge’s key use was to ensure I wasn’t asked to give up a seat myself, whether it be a regular or a priority one. On the few occasions I did board a bus or a train and discover the seats were full, I had the unusual experience of suddenly feeling invisible. Standing in front of the priority seats and trying to make eye contact with the passengers occupying them, they suddenly seemed to fall asleep or become very, very absorbed in their smartphones. Only twice was I offered a seat during my first pregnancy. In both cases, I initially refused the offers, because they were both made by women who were entitled to the priority seats themselves. The first time was by a woman with a young toddler, who gave me a look of profound sympathy and insisted. The second time was by an elderly lady, with a crane no less. I refused repeatedly, and she gave up, instead spending the remainder of her trip looking in disgruntlement at the two young women next to her who were pointedly ignoring us. The situation was no better during my second pregnancy. I had to use the crowded peak hour trains more often, but I still only got only a total of five seat offers. A couple of those, however, were from commuters about to exit the train at their home station and simply pointing out their vacant seats which, while better than nothing, isn’t quite the same thing. Again, all the offers came from women.Was it because I was a foreigner? I can imagine that being used as a justification, the idea that communicating that they wanted to let me sit down being deemed impossible. I doubt this is the reason, though. I often see other people who are obviously entitled to the priority seats similarly being ignored, whether they are also pregnant or with another special need. In one memorable incident, I saw a pregnant Japanese woman on a peak hour train, clinging to one of the overhead straps and swaying in a way that had little to do with the train’s movements. The seat immediately in front of her got vacated at a station but, before she could sit down, a businessman in his 50s or 60s rushed to sit in it himself.The politeness exhibited by the Japanese collectively is often marveled at, and this lapse is somewhat shocking. One possible reason is the anonymity that commuting offers. One commuter blurs into another and it is highly likely that you will never see your fellow passengers again. It’s somewhat connected to the whole chikan problem of groping on crowded trains. It doesn’t matter if your polite facade disappears and you behave badly for a bit if no one knows that you did.It’s also harder to feel empathy for complete strangers and easier to justify ignoring it if you do. Maybe that elderly man will get angry if you offer him a seat and remind him that he’s old. Maybe that parent with the baby is more comfortable standing. Maybe that wasn’t actually a pregnancy badge you saw on that woman’s bag and how embarrassing for her if you imply she looks pregnant when she isn't. If they really wanted a seat, they would just ask, right?More Japan-specific cultural and social factors possibly likely come into play as well. Japanese work culture is grueling, and with stagnating wages, the idea that even the most difficult of customers are kings and complicated hierarchical systems, it can also feel pretty thankless. A seat on the commute home doesn’t seem like that much to ask for given all the other rubbish they have to endure. Perhaps it is also the culture of gaman, the idea of enduring whatever comes your way.To return to the treatment of pregnant women in particular, there’s also the idea of women’s place in society. Sexism is hardly specific to Japan, nor are complicated ideas about precisely how much or little you should talk about pregnancies, but there is still a deeply entrenched idea that women with children are about to become, or already are, housewives. They belong at home, not on a Tokyo train at 6pm. Among salaried men in particular, it is popularly considered a much easier life than that of the harried Japanese worker.So what can be done? Short of major social shifts, with most evidence indicating they are depressingly not happening, there are two seemingly simple solutions to the problem. The first is education and public awareness, making it glaringly and unavoidably obvious that the priority seats are for people with special needs. Unfortunately, that is already happening. There are plenty of signs in and around public transport, verbal announcements (often in English as well as Japanese!) and posters line the stations, all of which are reminding passengers that priority seats are for those in need. Obviously, this hasn’t fixed the problem.The next solution that gets thrown about whenever anyone complains is that all we need to do is ask. If you need the priority seat, ask for it. Get the attention of the occupant however you can, regardless of how “asleep” they are, and ask for the seat. Contrary to whatever excuses people dream up, you do not even need all that much Japanese to make it clear you are entitled to sit there. Be the change you want to see! Of course, it isn’t really that simple. Amid all the suspiciously healthy-looking people that tend to occupy the priority seats, there could be someone who actually does have a disability. Not all of them are obvious to a casual stranger on the train, after all. Even I, obviously foreign in appearance and manner, felt reluctant to ask someone to give me a seat when there’s a chance they may have been as entitled to it as I was. Japanese people who have been culturally engrained to put up with whatever comes their way are even more unlikely to be risk that confrontation.Short of some sort of big, public embarrassment happening, other solutions are rather limited. The failure to give priority seats to people who actually need them is an unfortunately widespread problem and disappointing behaviour for a country that is lauded, and lauds itself, for its politeness.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/Gy6V7-living_transportation_medical_badexperiencesMon, 17 Sep 2018 09:54:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/Gy6V7-living_transportation_medical_badexperienceshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/Go4D2-foodAutumn has arrived at last! Summer 2018 was a particularly awful one and while warm weather is still quite likely in September and even October, most of Japan is ready to get well and truly into the spirit of autumn instead. Bring on cooler days, rich colors, falling leaves, and all manner of delicious food! The chocolate companies of Japan are well and truly behind the push into autumn as well. Since obon, the mid-August festival to honor the dead, the candy aisles of stores have been inundated with new season flavors.One of them is this, Fujiya’s Look "Aki no Umaimon Hitorijime" chocolate bar, or "Good Taste of Autumn" chocolate bar. As is typically the case with the Look range of chocolates, it offers multiple flavors to try in a single pack. In this case, there are three quintessential Japanese autumnal flavors included - sweet potato, chestnut, and kabocha (Japanese pumpkin/squash), all packed into compact milk chocolates.Another thing that is typical for Look is the beautiful presentation of the chocolates and, again, this version is no exception. The box is beautiful, using images that channel autumn days, and chocolates themselves are subtly decorated, each flavor bearing a slightly different pattern to make it easy to differentiate between the three types.Even the insides of the chocolates are quite attractive, pastel versions of the colours of the foods that inspired the chocolates.The most important aspect of the chocolates, though, is the flavor. Working my way from top to bottom, the first flavour is sweet potato. While I’m fond of the vegetable itself, especially the baked variety lugged about in the back of small trucks by the local ojiisans, I haven’t really enjoyed it as a flavor for sweets. Unfortunately, while they weren’t as bad as some of the sweet potato sweets I’ve tried, these were still a bit too musky and just odd for my liking. The faux sweet potato flavor didn’t overpower the chocolate as it does in some other chocolates, but it didn’t complement it either. They were definitely my least favorite of the three.The second flavor is chestnut. I expected to like this one the best of the three, enjoying chestnut as a flavor in all manner of sweets such as the oft-sighted mont blanc, and imagining something nutty. Instead, this channeled something more akin to the cream of the mont blanc than that of the actual nut. They weren’t bad, but they weren’t what I was hoping for either.Lucky last and my surprise favorite are the kabocha chocolates. I did not expect pumpkin to go especially well with chocolate, but these are actually quite delicious. Kabocha is a subtle flavor, and its creaminess actually seems to match the milk chocolate really well!For me, almost all chocolate is good chocolate but as much as I enjoyed the kabocha flavor and found the others at least edible, I probably won’t buy these again. Two out of the three flavors weren’t what I wanted, and when there is so much else to try, I will probably look elsewhere instead. Still, they’re worth eating at least once, if only for the novelty factor, and who knows? Maybe you’ll enjoy the small chocolate version of the Japanese autumn more than I did!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/Go4D2-foodThu, 13 Sep 2018 10:34:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/Go4D2-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/zD0v0-living_familylifeWithout a doubt, summer in (most of) Japan can be an endurance test. The relentless humidity can try the patience of just about anyone and this summer has been particularly rough, so much so that it even got declared a natural disaster in and of itself. Trying to keep my toddler son entertained throughout has definitely been a challenge, with the bonus issue of his baby sister coming along too! A lot of our usual outdoor parks are just not viable during the summer, what with the temperature, humidity, lack of shade and the overgrowth. With summer finally dragging itself towards a conclusion, here are some of the things we’ve been doing!OutdoorsWading poolYes, this is probably an obvious one, but we’ve definitely spent a fair bit of time in and around the little wading pool with the baby acting as something of a lifeguard. One of the upsides of my toddler’s age is that he finds so much about this exciting, whether it be splashing in the pool, filling his bucket of water, or making handprints on the ground.Water sprayerI picked up a water sprayer early in the season and it has been great fun, whether it be from spraying ourselves or, for my son, from spraying whatever he feels like. It’s not enough to counter the really hot days, but it was good at the beginning of summer and I expect it will get used as the weather slooooowly cools down too. It also made a great pool toy!Rainy daysWhile I’m not about to endorse anyone heading out into a typhoon, the days where the rain was heavy enough to make puddles have been pretty fun. Who cares about getting wet when it’s this hot?Evening walksAgain, this wasn’t something that I felt like we could do on the hottest days, but it has been good for everyone on the slightly cooler ones. Just getting out of the house does everyone some good and there have been fewer mosquitoes around this year to spoil the fun.IndoorsWhoever coined the phrase about there being no bad weather, only bad clothing probably didn’t live somewhere this humid. Sometimes, spending time outside just doesn’t work that well and staying indoors is better for everyone.Public transportMy son loves anything to do with transport and we are lucky enough to live in an area where there are a number of forms of transport around. On quite a few days this summer, you could have found us on Chiba city’s various trains, buses and - my son’s favorite - the monorail. There was seldom a particular destination in mind, just a couple of hours spent riding around, and the time out of the station platforms was more than enough time outdoors.Shopping centre playgroundsA lot of the larger shopping centres have indoor play areas that are specifically targeted at preschoolers with slides, climbing equipment, and sometimes toys. Shopping centres with decent play areas will also often have other things for small children to do as well, which is also a win.JidokanSimilar to shopping centre playgrounds, these tend to be bigger and with more stuff to do, and are often free to residents of the local area.At homeDaiso gamesDaiso is wondrous in many ways, and one of them is definitely budget friendly toys and games for young people to entertain themselves during long summer days. My son currently loves the Daiso sticker books and jigsaw puzzles, and so does my wallet.Rainy day activitiesA quick look at Google will give you plenty of advice on what physical activities you can do indoors on rainy days. Not all of this works well when you’re living in the one room of the house that has an air conditioner, but they can often be adapted to some degree for a smaller space.BooksBooks are always fun. When my son is a bit older (and maybe his sister is as well) and he has a bit more respect for public property, I fully expect the library to make an appearance on this list. In the meantimes, we have a lot of picture books, plus ample blank paper and coloring pages to keep him going.And that’s what we’ve been up to! While there has been fun to be had, I admit to having a renewed appreciation for our local parks and I’m very much looking forward to some cooler autumn days on which we can visit them. In the meantime, there are still plenty of hot days to get through and I’d love to hear some more ideas on how to entertain the kids. Tell me what you’ve been doing with the children in your life!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/zD0v0-living_familylifeTue, 04 Sep 2018 14:49:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/zD0v0-living_familylifehttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/z1BP4-living_moneyA couple of weeks ago, I opened up the letterbox to discover a letter to me from the Japan Pension Service. The thickness of the envelope surprised and worried me, and I opened it up to discover a new pension book. This was just baffling, but then I pulled out a wad of invoices. They were spread out in installments, but added up, it became clear that the pension service had decided I owed them several hundred thousand of yen.I was horrified. I was only just coming off unpaid maternity leave. I didn’t have that much money lying around! I took the whole lot in to my Japanese husband. Firstly, this was because I knew he would be better able to decipher the large amount of kanji contained within. An explanation, I hoped, would be forthcoming. Secondly, and more importantly, my pension is through my husband. I work part-time and my yearly income is below the 1.3 million yen cut-off, and that means I get classed as a dependent spouse. My pension payments are paid in part by his company, with the other part deducted from his salary each month.To my intense relief, my husband looked through the contents of the envelope and informed me almost straightaway that I did not have to pay that money. This was not because he was going to pull some money out of thin air and pay it on my behalf, either. There was a mistake somewhere. He called his company to try to find out what could possibly be going on, but they didn’t have any answers.The next step, as annoying as it was, was to go to the Japan Pension Service office in person. Luckily, my husband actually had another day off the next day and so, with baby and toddler in tow, off we went. We suffered through the usual problems - a bizarre car park, an elderly “guard” needlessly directing us into a space, a frowning woman at reception who was not at all happy to see us and definitely didn’t know how to help, my son deciding the benches looked ideal for jumping on - and then we were off to another numbered counter and another employee.After confirming my ID and checking everything out, including my husband’s own pension-related documents, the man took the invoices and the newly-issued pension book away. He returned only my regular pension book and embarked on an explanation, of sorts. The Japanese pension department is indeed on the hunt for more payments (my words, not his!) and the system is flagging “foreign-sounding names” (his words, not mine!). The documents had indeed been issued in error.It appeared to be relatively easy for the pension office worker to sort it out from there, but he did want to know if I had my passport. This was so he could put a notice in it in case I got flagged again for pension payment evasion, but this time at the airport when I was trying to enter or exit the country! I didn't. I live here and shouldn't technically need my passport for every little thing. Still, I kicked myself a bit over that one; requests for my passport are annoyingly common when it comes to government departments, unfortunately, and I should have been ready. My husband is convinced I’ll be fine and this isn’t likely to happen, while I’m a bit more uncertain. Hopefully, my husband is right about this one!I wanted to share this story not to complain about Japanese government departments (however justified or not this might be) but in case this happens to someone else. Whatever your feelings are about the pension, it still pays to have everything in order. If you unexpectedly get issued a bunch of bills from the pension service and you have every reason to believe you shouldn’t, like I did, try to follow it up and get it sorted!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/z1BP4-living_moneySat, 01 Sep 2018 21:28:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/z1BP4-living_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/w2X1n-living_chiba_shi_chibaOne day, when my son was about a month old, the doorbell rang. My husband scurried off to answer it and found a delivery person standing outside. After a quick exchange, my husband returned, carrying a box."Look, it's for our son!" he exclaimed. "His first parcel!”"What, for our son? Who is it from?"It was from the ward office, about the size of a shoebox and heavy for its size. Baffled, we opened it up.I'm not sure what my husband was expecting, but I thought it might be sort of like the showbag I'd gotten when we registered the pregnancy, full of discount coupons that I'd not gotten around to using and information brochures. It was not.It was full of garbage bags.Really. About twenty packets of garbage bags were packed tightly into the box, all of them in the specific design Chiba City requires for burnable waste - light green with ARIGATOU printed in large, bold Romaji across the front.As a congratulatory present for a newborn, it was quite a letdown. Still, they were free and I wanted to make use of them. Unfortunately, we quickly discovered they were a bit problematic in that department as well. Every last one of them was 20 litres in size. We deduced that they were meant to help us dispose of our newborn's nappies. It seemed a bit presumptuous, but we were (and are) using disposable nappies so I gave them a try. It turned out they were too big for the bin we had allocated for nappies, however, so I tried to use them for regular household waste instead. This also didn’t work out as well as I hoped. Trying to get out rubbish into a 20 litre bag sounds nice in theory, the sort of thing I might have tried to do before I had children. It certainly wasn't something I was about to aim for when I was a new mother and working on just getting through the day!I don't remember how we did it in the end, but we must have ended up using them eventually. They were long gone by the time our second child arrived. Unfortunately, there's been no change to the practice in meantime and so, once again, we had a box of garbage bags arrive not long after she was born. As of today, there’s still a barely touched box rubbish bags sitting in my tatami room. I can’t say I fully understand the reasoning behind them, but I assume some local politician somewhere feels like they’re doing us a good deed!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/w2X1n-living_chiba_shi_chibaSat, 11 Aug 2018 21:18:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/w2X1n-living_chiba_shi_chibahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/wmVJv-living_medicalFevers are universal, the immune system’s response to a threat such as a bacterial or viral infection. It can be uncomfortable, but a body elevating its temperature can be quite effective at dealing with a problem. In Japan, fevers get treated with a bit more significance than I was accustomed to back home. Here, they are not just one possible symptom of an illness. Instead, they are the ultimate marker of ill-health. If you have a fever, you are sick. If you don’t, you are not.I learned very early on that if I needed to call in sick for work, for example, I needed to state that I had a fever. It didn’t matter if I felt sick or had a host of other symptoms that told me I was sick. It didn’t really matter how debilitating the sickness might be for work - for example, I am prone to losing my voice, which makes me nearly useless in my line of work (teaching conversational English) until it returns. Unless I could say I had a fever, I was probably not really sick. Even some ugly symptom of a stomach bug wouldn't get quite the same weight.The actual temperature is also given more importance here in deciding whether or not a person has a fever. Before living here, i would have identified myself as having a fever by either 1) feeling hot and unwell or 2) enduring shudder-inducing chills followed quickly by spikes of heat. I didn't need a thermometer to qualify whether or not I really had a fever. I would just know. Here, however, we need a specific number. I know that identifying how high a fever might be is important diagnostically and I understand a medical professional using it. Growing up in Australia, though, I don't think we even owned a thermometer. The exact number wasn't all that helpful unless the fever was persisting and/or you were really unwell, and in both cases you would be at the doctor's by that point.It wasn't until I had children that I understood just how much weight the number on the thermometer was given... and I learned to live in fear of the number 37.5. 37.5 degrees Celsius is the cut-off at my children's childcare. If their temperature is higher than 37.5 degrees, then it is decreed that they have a fever and home they must go. It is not just when their heads feel hot or they appear unwell, though, that their temperatures get checked. We have to check their temperatures every morning before they go to childcare. Then, in case we're tempted to make something up (mornings are a rush and there's only so much variation a person's temperature has anyway), we have to take their temperature again when we arrive at childcare. As a parent whose child's temperature tends to hover a bit over 37, especially in the summer, this is rather annoying.I suppose I understand where the inclination to give a fever weight comes from. Feeling sick can be subject to individual experience, and a number on a thermometer provides a more objective means of determining whether or not that it is the case. I personally find it a bit simplistic and just as subjective as any other symptom, but whatever I think, I doubt the Japanese collectively are going to get any less feverish about fevers any time soon!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/wmVJv-living_medicalMon, 30 Jul 2018 23:29:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/wmVJv-living_medicalhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/w5jv9-livingMy first Japanese futon, neatly folded and very pinkThere are many things to worry about when it comes to moving to Japan. Many of my personal concerns were allayed by moving into a company-owned and furnished apartment, but I was more than a little worried about one thing: I would most likely end up with a futon, not a bed. How could I sleep on the floor for a whole year? I was supposed to stay that long, after all. I don’t do well when I sleep badly for one night!How could a futon possibly be an adequate replacement for my bed?When I arrived at my new apartment in Japan, sure enough, a futon was waiting for me - the ludicrously bright pink futon pictured above, no less. It was also minus an under-mattress, an extra layer between me and the floor, because my new roommates didn’t have a spare one and had forgotten to ask the company to order a new one for me. A bed it most certainly was not.Yet on that particular day, I didn’t care as much as I might have. I was so tired after my long-haul flight in economy to get to Japan that just lying down seemed like a huge gift. The futon would suffice.As it turned out, it did more than that. Even without the under mattress (which arrived the next day), it was surprisingly comfortable. Sleeping turned out to be no problem at all and even the bright pink became something of a running joke between my roommates and myself. I also discovered that I liked being able to just fold away my bedding for the day and create a large, open space in my room. Sure, I might just end up putting more stuff in that space, but creating a space for my futon come nighttime would ensure that I put all that stuff away too! Cleaning became much easier, and not having a bed to shove things under has also meant a slight reduction in clutter on my part!As the years went on and I ended up staying in Japan, my needs changed and I discovered ever more benefits to futons. They were cost effective, for one, a cheap set costing less than 10,000 yen even when the under mattress, pillows, covers and blankets were thrown in. They were also more temporary than beds, perfect for when you were living in a place for a relatively short or unclear amount of time, and considerably easier to dispose of when/if you were done with them.My futon is also much more mobile than a large piece of furniture like a bed is, a blessing at the more extreme ends of the Japanese seasons when my residence has limited heating and cooling facilities. My “bedroom” and its lack of climate control might be all well and good when the weather is fine, but when it snows in the dead of winter or we experience a heatwave in the middle of summer? I can just move my futon into the room with the air conditioner and sleep there for the night in comfort.Finally, having children now has made me especially appreciative of futons. As @candiajia pointed out, I don’t have to worry about my children rolling out of bed when they’re already on the floor to start with, and it has made sleeping with them as babies relatively easy - I just put their baby-sized futon next to mine and away we go.While I have always enjoyed sleeping in beds when I go traveling and being able to flop straight onto one whatever the time of day, I’ve come to really appreciate using futons at home. Since I expect to be staying in Japan for now, I imagine my family and I will be continuing to use futons into the foreseeable future!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/w5jv9-livingFri, 20 Jul 2018 11:32:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/w5jv9-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/Mx336-foodSummer is well and truly under way and the season has brought all manner of seasonal sweets with it. Let's look at some of the flavours that are dominating cakes, cookies and chocolates in summer 2018.Mint chocolateAfter years of hankering after mint chocolate and not finding a trace of it outside of the occasional international food store, it seems that mint chocolate is finally having its moment this summer and it's a big one. A huge variety of mint-flavoured chocolates have sprung up across all the leading brands to satisfy a broad range of minty chocolate tastes, but that's not all. There are ice creams, cakes, crepes and even some curious mint cakes with chocolate chips - and yes, they are duly colored a soft shade of mint green!Personal favoritesI love Fujiya's Salon de Look Mint Sorbet and while this year is not the first time mint-flavored Dars has cropped up, I sincerely hope it won't be the last.LemonLemon is another favourite of mine and it's definitely appearing in a lot of sweets this season. It tends to get paired with cheesecake a lot, whether it involves an actual cheesecake or something that is cheesecake flavoured, like Country Ma'am's Lemon Cheesecake cookies, but there's a lot of stuff where lemon at the moment gets to be the star flavour in its own right!Personal favoritesI like lemon cakes and I'm finding the broad range available at FamilyMart convenience stores very satisfying just now! Dars has once again gotten in board with the flavour, and their Setouchi lemon chocolates are gorgeous.HojichaHojicha, a roasted green tea that has an earthier, less bitter flavour than some of its green tea counterparts, has been gaining popularity for at least a year now as a flavor for sweets. While it is often served iced in its original tea form during the summer months, it is also getting particular attention from confectioners this season.Personal recommendationsStarbucks Japan has been leading the way with shining a spotlight on hojicha and this season is no exception, with danishes glazed with hojicha-flavoured icing and hojicha lattes and frappucinos. If you like your sweets small, chocolate and cheap, then Tirol's Hojicha Warabi Mochi is definitely worth tasting!BananaGiven that chocolate-coated bananas are such a ubiquitous sight at Japanese summer festivals, it's less surprising that banana is a theme of this summer than it not having been so before. As well as festival food and the usual sight of fresh banana slices in parfeits and crepes, there are banana-flavoured chocolate ranges to try out this year.Personal recommendationsI like banana itself by itself, so the crepes and festival bananas don't really do it for me. That said, I actually quite like banana flavoured chocolate - try Fujiya's Milky Chocolate Ripe Banana squares, and Bourbon's Banana Blanchul.Also look out for:Other fruit flavoursIt's not just lemon and banana but many fruits that tend to feature heavily in summer sweets. Peach is a popular cake flavour and Pocky is using it as a flavour this season, and Lotte's Mango Charlotte are a nice treat. While strawberry is always popular, particularly so in spring, it's hanging around even longer than usual this year.Coconut and saltBut not together! Popular in recent years, these two are not putting in that much of a show this year. However, you can still find them here and there, and Bourbon's delicious Alfort cookies have both salty vanilla and coconut milk variations currently available.Ice creamFinally, as curious as it might seem, ice cream is not just an item in its own right but used as a flavouring. Lotte's Crunky chocolate bar has an ice cream-flavoured version out that is being promoted quite a lot.So there you have it, the popular flavours of summer 2018! Are you enjoying them as well? Do you have a favourite sweet treat to recommend?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/Mx336-foodMon, 09 Jul 2018 11:11:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/Mx336-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/wk7A0-living_familylifeThere's no getting around it - your kid needs to take a bunch of stuff to Japanese childcare, hoikuen. Some of it only goes to childcare at the start of week and returns at the end of the week, some of it depends on your laundry practices, and some of it comes and goes every day.Here, I'm going to outline the things my son needs to take to childcare each week. Because he is still fairly young, the focus will therefore be on what the younger children (i.e. 0-2 year olds) tend to use. I'm expecting some variation when he hits the older class next year, but not a reduction!The Basics1. A “futon”This is not a full-on futon set, which you might be able to tell without even looking that closely! It’s actually made up of a quilted cot cover and a simple bath towel. Yes, a bath towel. It serves as a blanket for nap time and is more than adequate on even the coldest days. From 1 year old onward, he sleeps on a “cot”, and that is what the cover is for. The cot looks a bit like a stretcher, still very close to the floor but providing just a bit of elevation and a clearly delineated space for him. The cover was available for order at the start of the school year for about 2200 yen, though it is possible to sew some elastic to the corners and convert another bath towel to serve the same purpose.2. Oshibori (hand towels)These are a collection of small hand towels used to wipe hands before meals (and, given his age, probably after meals as well). I use actual hand towels, but I’ve seen other parents using gaze (muslin cloths) and even tea towels. He uses two per day, one with his lunch and one with his snack.3. Changes of clothesExactly what it says! The number of outfit changes recommended depends on the age of the child. The babies, for example, are supposed to have five outfits on hand, whereas the older children are only required to have one or two. On any day when the weather is fine enough to go outside, my son will change his clothes at least once, namely when he goes inside from his morning play. This might not always seem necessary, but I suppose it does give him the freedom to get as dirty as he wants when he’s playing outside and still be reasonably clean when I pick him up!4. BibsUsed by the younger children from 0-2 years. They’re worn at mealtimes and we were required to purchase a specific style at the beginning of the year he started. While they weren’t expensive, I did raise my eyebrows a bit at the choice of pure white material! They also came with his identifying koala picture ironed on them, but they didn’t hold long beyond the first couple of trips through the washing machine and I needed to sew them back on.5. Shoes This is one that definitely varies between childcare centres and isn’t necessary at all of them. At my children’s childcare, though, they are required to have a pair of shoes that they keep at childcare during the week and use while they are playing outside there. The children go barefoot inside and they keep the shoes they go to and from home in at the entrance, whereas these ones live on a shelf on the verandah near the yard. A shoe bag for transporting the childcare shoes to/from home is expected, though the size is unspecified. I think I picked up that bag from Daiso.6. HatEach age group wears hats in a particular color. The children are thus not just protected from the sun when they’re playing outside, but also easy to keep track of! These are also available to order upon enrollment and at the start of each school year. The children keep their hats through all the years they are at childcare, using the same color each year. By pure chance, my son has ended up with a pink one and my daughter a blue one.7. A cup (and accompanying bag)The one and two year olds are required to bring a plastic, one-handled cup (not pictured, I think it was still in the dishwasher!) with a bag to transport it to/from home. The cup goes home each day.8. Renrakucho (notebook)This is where the parents and childcare teachers write notes each day regarding the child that it definitely goes to and from home each day! A pretty cool website concerning these can be found here.Nappies/DiapersFor the younger children, nappies are essential. The policies on how to bring and keep them vary a lot between childcare centres and it’s definitely something to confirm with your specific one. Beware,if you're really unlucky, you might be required to take the dirty ones home with you. Last year, we were required to send a full pack of nappies, each one labelled with our child’s name in either hiragana or katakana. If you’ve ever really looked at how tightly a packet of disposable nappies is packed, you might be able to appreciate just how annoying this task was. When the packet started to run out, the childcare would let us know and we would have to bring in another one.This year, they have changed their storage arrangement and we’re only required to have a few nappies there at a time that are stored with the rest of their things. The labeling is still required, but the packing is not! The number varies and seems rather approximate; think the amount your child needs to get through the day at a minimum.We’re also required to provide a packet of oshirifuki (bum wipes). Again, the childcare lets us know when they are running out and then we send another one.Other ThingsA bag for carrying all that stuff!While the 3-5 year olds are required to have a backpack, it's entirely up to the parents of the little ones as to how they get all this stuff to (and from) childcare. This is another instance where Daiso came through for me (you might be noticing a theme here) and I picked up what is basically a reusable vinyl shopping bag. It zips closed, which stops things from falling out and is especially useful when the weather is bad.Earthquake shoesThis might be another thing that is unique to my children's childcare. In the event of an earthquake or other natural disaster, the staff keep pairs of shoes stored with their emergency kits, presumably to save time in the event of an evacuation. These shoes basically live at hoikuen; they only come home during the new year's clean-up or if we request them.Plastic bagsThe children's dirty clothes, oshibori and bibs are put in these each day to make transport home easier. They're put in a basket assigned to each child - imagine a bin liner sort of thing. I've observed some parents using laundry nets instead.Towels and swimwearIn the summer, water play is a big thing at childcare. As the weather gets warmer, the children need to bring towels to use after they shower off when they return from playing outside. As the weather gets even hotter, they get to play with water a whole lot more. What they do depends on their age, but swimwear is required for ages 2 and up.And there you have it! You get used to it and figure out what works for your family but the fact remains - it's a whole lot of stuff to be named, lugged to childcare, and lugged home again!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/wk7A0-living_familylifeTue, 26 Jun 2018 18:30:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/wk7A0-living_familylifehttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/wZPb5-livingAfter attending the one month health check for my baby daughter, I found myself needing to clear one final stressful hurdle before we could depart - the paperwork. Had I received my daughter's insurance card yet, the smiling receptionist wanted to know. I had not, but to my relief, this was not a problem. The receptionist told me that was fine and to just provide a copy when it arrived. I could bring it in for them to copy. Alternatively, I could fax a copy of it.
Yes. Fax it. It is 2018 and in Japan, a country reputed for its technology, faxing is still a thing. I consulted my in-house expert on all things Japanese, i.e. my Japanese spouse. He attributed faxing still being an important means of communication to a fondness for hard copies of documents. This was also deemed the reason why they needed a copy of the actual card rather than just the number. The Japanese are not alone in this, and you might encounter a similar wish for hard copies in other countries as well; sighting the actual card is likely an important security measure, after all. Why a likely blurry faxed copy is fine, though, remains something of a mystery. While altering a digital copy of an identification card might not be that difficult, it would surely be even easier to alter a paper copy, but this is not an opinion shared by the Japanese bureaucracy. There seems to be a widespread mistrust of computers, however questionable the logic might be, and that is that. Faxing is deemed a safe option.
By the time the insurance card finally arrived, I had all but decided to just take it to the hospital directly and get them to do it. It wouldn’t have been much more inconvenient than all of this proved to be, but I figured knowing how the whole faxing thing worked might end up being useful for the next time someone decides this is the best way to obtain my documents.
So, for anyone else who is suddenly asked to send a fax, here is a quick guide!Unless you have regular dealings with the Japanese fondness for the facsimile, you probably do not have a fax machine set up at your house. If you work, you may have access to a fax machine at your office; if you’re lucky, your coworkers may even prefer that they manage the fax machine for you and you need not read any further!
If neither of these are options, however, fear not. As is the case with many things around here, the solution can be quite easily found at the convenience store of your choice.
First, gather whatever it is you need to send. Depending on what you’re faxing and why, it may be appropriate to include a cover sheet with important details such as intended recipient, the number of pages, and the subject of the fax. Bilingual fax cover pages are available for download online. I found a free onehere, but just Google “Japanese fax cover sheet” for other options.
Next, find a convenience store with a copier. While most have them, I’d suggest staying on the safe side by choosing one of the major chains and using a store with plenty of floor space; the convenience store tucked into your nearest train station might be particularly… well,convenient, but it possibly won’t have the space needed to house one of these machines. They tend to be towards one or another of the corners of the shop.
For this particular task, I found FamilyMart and Lawson to be best. The copiers at most convenience stores tend to be pretty amazing, able to perform all manner of functions, and a lot of these functions can be performed in languages other than Japanese. While the 7-11 machines I tried let you print and copy in English, faxing in English wasn't available and neither were several other things. Lawson and FamilyMart didn't just provide all the functions, but also in a wider variety of languages.Faxing thus becomes fairly straightforward. Simply change the language and follow the directions. There are a number of simple steps, but paying attention to the screen will yield the results you want. Double check the numbers, make sure your papers are aligned properly and... you're done! You can exit the convenience store, go forth and live your life, maybe half expect a phone call telling you that whatever you sent isn't quite right and please resend it, whatever! I know I walked away feeling somewhat accomplished, and I hope that if you should try faxing, you will too!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/wZPb5-livingFri, 15 Jun 2018 23:18:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/wZPb5-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/Glknj-living_education_familylifeIf you live and work in Japan and have young children with you, there is a definite possibility that you will need to utilize the services of the sometimes complicated Japanese childcare, or hoikuen, system. While I stress that this is all my own experience and getting into the system can pose all manner of challenges, the quality of care is often very high. My son attends a privately-owned but government-managed childcare centre and my baby daughter will soon be joining him. Being a bit further from our house than ideal, it wasn’t our first preference, or even our tenth, but it’s worked out really well for us and I continue to be pleasantly surprised by the level of care provided.In this post, I’m going to attempt to describe the building’s location, layout and facilities. A lot of urban life in Japan can be somewhat cramped, with lots of things crowded into very small spaces. Childcare facilities, however, are a strong and sometimes surprising contrast to this, making and providing as much space as they can to allow the children to play and grow.The LocationOur childcare centre is located very near one of the local train stations, making it easy for me to travel on to my various workplaces after dropping my children off. My husband’s workplace is located in the same area as the childcare centre.Despite the presence of the train station, the area itself is actually quite residential. There are several quite large parks nearby, and the children regularly get to visit them.The BuildingThe sizes of childcare centres vary considerably, as does the style of the building. Some might occupy part of an office building or other multi-story building, and others are stand-alone. Some might be two stories high, and others might be single story. In our case, the building is stand-alone, consisting of one long story.SecurityTo get inside, we have to enter through a front gate and walk along a short pathway, a garden that the older children help with along one side. We then reach the main entrance. Upon enrollment, each family can purchase swipe cards that allow us to get into the building. My husband and I each have a card.The InteriorOnce through the main doors, you find yourself in a large entrance area where the children take off and store their shoes before going into the main part of the building. The children are divided into groups according to their age at the start of April, the beginning of the school and business year, and their next step is to go to the room that belongs to their year group.The RoomsThere is a strong emphasis on light and space in each of the rooms. If you are familiar with Montessori educational practices, you will notice a lot of those ideas being utilized, such as natural colors and furnishings, child-sized furnishings and shelves and clearly delineated areas for different functions. There are enough toys to ensure variety but not enough to overwhelm, and a strong emphasis on toys with multiple functions.Each child has their own allocated space for keeping their belongings, identified not just by their name but by an identifying picture that they keep the whole time they are at the childcare. The theme for my son’s group is animals and they made his sign a koala because he’s half-Australian, which I found quite sweet!Each room has a bathroom attached with small child-friendly toilets included, even the baby’s room. For the younger children, changing facilities are included as well.Other RoomsIn addition to the staff lunchroom and office, there is a multi-purpose room, storage room, and a large and honestly pristine on-site kitchen where the children’s lunches are prepared.The YardIn the manner of many Japanese parks, it is completely grassless and basically a large open space of packed dirt. It definitely makes running about easy, though, and there are shared toys such a sand pit with toys, balls and tricycles with which the children can play. There are also plants and greenery bordering the whole space, so it isn’t entirely colorless!And that’s a physical description of the childcare centre itself! In future blogs, I’m planning to describe other aspects of childcare life as well. Let me know if you have any questions and I’ll try to answer them as best I can!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/Glknj-living_education_familylifeSun, 03 Jun 2018 18:37:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/Glknj-living_education_familylifehttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/GQbEq-livingGolden Week is one of those things that sounds wonderful on paper and actually is pretty cool the first couple of times you experience it. Basically, Golden Week is a series of public holidays that start in late April but mostly happen in the first week of May:April 29th: Showa DayMay 3rd: Constitution DayMay 4th: Greenery DayMay 5th: Children's DayIf any of the days fall on a Sunday, you will also get a make up holiday on the Monday. Depending on how the calendar falls, you can end up with two long weekends or one super long one. Either way, you have at least one mini-vacation and, all over the country, people take full advantage of it. They head off on short trips. Public places often have special events, designed to draw in visitors. Shopping malls have sales. May is one of the few months of the year that's largely pleasant, so the weather often plays nice as well.It sounds great, doesn't it? Unlike my time off from work as much as the next person. There's one more thing you need to add to the picture, though.The crowds.Everybody is off doing everything, everywhere, and everyone else is in the way. The sad truth is that doing nearly anything during Golden Week is actually just plain stressful. Whether it's at a particular place, ranging from a popular traditional tourist attraction through to the more banal suburban shopping malls, or simply trying to get somewhere, you are constantly fighting the tide of humanity who are also determinedly trying to "enjoy" themselves. Add to that the price hikes that accompany the sudden surge in demand and the overbooked destinations, and the whole thing becomes more effort than it's worth. For me personally, Golden Week has become a collection of days where, sure, I don't need to work, but where I must proceed with great caution to even the most boring of places lest it turn out to be one where an influx of people has decided to have a good time.While there's a particular theme to each of the days of Golden Week, however vague some of them might be, there's no central holiday around the events of Golden Week. It's simply a vacation time, a time where schedules are clear even if locations are not, and people are out to try and do something together. There's no need to request time off from work; the time off is simply waiting for you to fill as you will!And therein, to my mind, lies the problem. This is a country with an issue with people taking leave from work; namely, they don't. There are laws in place that require leave to be given, yes, but that rarely translates into reality. Workplace culture far too frequently prevents people from even considering taking leave, let alone going so far as to apply to use that which they've accrued. Even when annual leave does get taken, it's very rarely all of it.Instead, Golden Week becomes the holiday period. It's certainly better than nothing, but when everyone else is doing the same thing and it becomes an expensive exercise in filling one's personal time with stress, it loses a lot of its value. Sure, a predictable period where everyone takes their holiday at the same might be lovely for businesses who have to manage employees, and it must be nice for those working in tourism-related industries, but it's a bandaid solution to a huge problem with overwork, stress and pressure to constantly perform that pervades a lot of Japanese organisations.I know it's a bit low to take a shot at one of the holiday periods a country full of workaholics allows. It feels a bit Scrooge-ish, even, to whine about how annoying everyone else is. Yet if we take vacations to refresh and restore ourselves, it might be worth tackling the more difficult task of encouraging people to actually use the leave that is owed to them at their leisure instead of leaving one narrow, exhausting window open in which everyone gets their break.I don't believe Golden Week is inherently a bad thing. I just think it would be nice if people could enjoy having actual holidays a bit more.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/GQbEq-livingFri, 04 May 2018 14:36:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/GQbEq-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/G63EV-shoppingNew Year’s lucky bags (fukubukuro) tend to be one of the highlights of each new year’s period for me. Many of Japan’s major retailers start selling these bags on New Year’s Day or sometimes even just before, and they contain an assortment of merchandise from the shop in question. The goods were traditionally old or out-of-season items that the sellers couldn’t get rid of easily from their shelves. A lot of what you’ll find in them these days still is, and there’s definitely an element of hit or miss to the whole thing. That being said, though, you can also get some surprisingly good stuff at a discounted rate if you pick your retailers carefully, and the chance element can just make the whole thing more fun.In recent years, I’ve been limiting myself to three lucky bags for the sake of my budget and this year was no exception. Behold what I ended up with in 2018!1. The Body ShopSmall bag - 3240 yen (3000 yen plus tax)The Body Shop is a long-time favourite of mine, but their goods tend to be a little too expensive for me to buy on a really regular basis unless there is something in particular I’m after or there’s a bargain to be found. Their New Year’s lucky bags definitely do the latter and manage to be high enough in quality as well that they have found their way onto my must-have list each year.Being one of the big name retailers of Japan, The Body Shop tends to remove chance from the equation and announce the contents of their bags ahead of the new year via their website and/or social media pages, so I had some idea in advance as to what the contents would be. When I arrived at the shop, I discovered that they had information about the contents available there as well, and that it was not just easy but perfectly fine to look inside the bags to confirm what they contained ahead of buying them.This year’s small size lucky bags were pink and made of thermal fabric, a fitting look for the winter season. I opted for the Pink Grapefruit set and wound up with these items:Bottle of shower gelBar of soapTube of hand creamTub of body creamOne pink spongeOne 500 yen discount voucher, to be used by February 28th 2018 (not pictured)I’m more than satisfied with this purchase! If I’m honest with myself, I don’t really know what exactly I’ll do with the bag itself, but it’s nice to have anyway. The Body Shop lucky bag will more than likely end up on my to-buy list next year as well. The products are perennial favourites of mine, the coupon will be useful, and it’s very good value for money.2) Aunt Stella’s CookiesLarge paper bag - 1080 yen (1000 yen plus tax)As well as selling boxes of cookies, Aunt Stella’s Cookies has a number of small stores of their own throughout Japan and they had a selection of lucky bags/boxes of cookies, themed with symbols of the New Year. They were very cute and the cookies contained therein sounded promising, but I wanted all the cookies and thus I was drawn to the large paper bags full of cookies from their regular range instead.The flavours featured were:Chocolate chipOld-fashioned sugarSesameDouble chocolate nutsButterscotchCaramel custardThis was also a pretty good sampling of Aunt Stella’s range and while there were some of these I liked better than others, it was good to get a chance to try a number of different options. Each bag contained two of these bubble-wrapped cookie packs. With each pack contained 12 cookies, this made for a total of 24 cookies which was pretty decent value for Aunt Stella’s.I’m not sure if I’ll buy them again, though. I belatedly discovered that these are not actually lucky bags, or not New Year’s ones anyway. You can actually get them and enjoy them at other times of year and now that I know which of the cookies I especially like, I might just go and buy them instead! However, I’m more intrigued than ever by those New Year’s special edition boxes now, and I might seek those out instead.3) Olympic Snack bagOlympic is one of my local supermarkets and, each year, they offer up a number of lucky bags. One of them, tightly stapled and ambiguous in appearance to offer little clue as to what is inside, is basically a bag of snacks. It’s certainly not the healthiest of options, but it’s definitely enjoyable.With the surprise factor high and good odds that I’ll enjoy at least something that the bag contains, this tends to be another of my favourite lucky bags and this year definitely did not disappoint with the following snacks contained therein:Bourbon Alfort biscuit share pack (milk and original flavours)Bourbon Everyone cookies share pack (vanilla and cocoa flavours)Bourbon Hi-Chocolate variety packSembei (salt/soy sauce flavoured)Tohato Caramel CornEbi sen shrimp crackersNatsume Karinto sweetsDried peachesBox of caramel toffeesBox of Pretz (salad favour)Bar of Ghana milk chocolateI have been extremely pleased with basically all of the sweets I found inside, especially the collection of Bourbon’s Hi-Chocolates, and the savoury ones have also included some good surprises. While I’m not actually a huge fan of the shrimp crackers, my husband and son are, and the caramel corn is about the only thing nobody in my house particularly enjoys. Everybody has been happy! This is a fun lucky bag and in keeping with the traditional theme of them. If you like your Japanese snacks, I can only recommend trying out your local supermarket’s equivalent.So, there you have it, a good haul of lucky bags to kickstart 2018! If you're a lucky bag buyer yourself, I hope you had some similarly good finds yourself or perhaps got some ideas for your hunt next year. Happy new year, everyone!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/G63EV-shoppingWed, 17 Jan 2018 10:10:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Lyssays/G63EV-shopping