http://www.city-cost.comTue, 16 Jun 2026 12:20:41 +0900I am a former engineer who moved to Japan to learn and teach street dance. Now I have been living in Japan for a few years while teaching English.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/PDecs/MqWY8-hobby_home_productScented, dissolving beads for the washing machine to help freshen up the clothes after a load of laundry. These are the blue versions marketed for sporty clothing.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/MqWY8-hobby_home_productFri, 28 Mar 2025 12:54:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/MqWY8-hobby_home_producthttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/GWqa9-livingA while back, I posted about how I accidentally switched electrical companies without realizing how easy it was to do so. After being with that other company for a while (for the sake of avoiding any defamation issues, I’m not going to mention what company they were) I realized that I ended up paying way more for my electricity than I did when I was with TEPCO.And the reason was something sneaky called a fuel adjustment fee.I mentioned in that previously linked article that the electric rate was lower than TEPCO’s. That is true. However, that fuel adjustment fee was much larger than most other companies I saw after wondering why I was paying so much more. Next time I consider changing companies, I will probably look into word-of-mouth reviews regarding this fee.Another thing that drove up the price was a secondary service that was apparently part of the package. I don’t think it was, as I later saw that I could take myself out of that service at any time and decrease the electric bill.What was that service? A phone insurance service, for when I lose my phone somehow. Considering how my phone is my lifeline in this country and how I keep it on me at all times, I didn’t think I needed it.Still, even with that fee removing roughly 2000 yen from my bill, the sum still added up to at least 1500 yen over the monthly average with TEPCO.As of writing this, I have switched back to TEPCO and they have proven that they were the cheaper option. I suppose I’ve learned never to write my information on anything when someone comes knocking.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/GWqa9-livingSat, 21 Dec 2024 11:52:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/GWqa9-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/GyegD-foods_productA frozen treat consisting of sweet red beans encased in strawberry-flavoured milk ice cream on a stick, it is a small but impactful dessert boasting real fruit ingredients.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/GyegD-foods_productMon, 09 Dec 2024 23:14:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/GyegD-foods_producthttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/z1E1V-foods_product_drink_productA 900 mL carton of corn cream potage, advertised as including Hokkaido cream and real bits of corn. The carton has a resealable lid, so it is suitable for refrigerated storage.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/z1E1V-foods_product_drink_productMon, 09 Dec 2024 23:05:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/z1E1V-foods_product_drink_producthttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/z1E2j-foods_productA small bag of strawberry-flavoured soft cookies. Bite-sized and easy to eat, they are an accessible and simple snack from a trusted brand when found in supermarkets or convenience stores.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/z1E2j-foods_productSat, 23 Nov 2024 16:52:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/z1E2j-foods_producthttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/GoWPY-drink_productA 500mL can of bubbly, carbonated energy drink packed with caffeine and other stimulants. It has a unique taste and is competitively priced. Not commonly found, in my experience.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/GoWPY-drink_productSat, 23 Nov 2024 16:36:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/GoWPY-drink_producthttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/z3dqQ-drink_productA 280 mL bottle of grape-flavoured drink warmed up to a temperature that feels almost like tea. It's a sweet, fruit-flavoured way to warm up on a chilly day.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/z3dqQ-drink_productSat, 23 Nov 2024 16:23:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/z3dqQ-drink_producthttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/wZ26Z-drink_productA 270mL screw-top can of “fruit and flower soda” with the flavours of lime and sakura. A small amount of carbonation makes this a refreshing drink with 5% real fruit juice.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/wZ26Z-drink_productSun, 17 Nov 2024 12:25:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/wZ26Z-drink_producthttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/MdqBy-drink_productA 270mL screw-top can of “fruit and herb soda” with the flavours of mandarin orange, lemon, sage, and vanilla. Supposedly has 30% real fruit juice and includes real herbal ingredients.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/MdqBy-drink_productSun, 17 Nov 2024 12:24:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/MdqBy-drink_producthttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/wNPW0-drink_productA 250mL pull tab can of sweet, yellow energy drink. It contains caffeine, vitamins, and several amino acids, making them the prime marketing points of the product.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/wNPW0-drink_productMon, 11 Nov 2024 21:59:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/wNPW0-drink_producthttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/MxeLy-drink_productA metal bottle of peach-flavoured drink with chunks of peach-flavoured jelly floating around. Sweet, yet refreshing when consumed cool in warm weather or after exercise.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/MxeLy-drink_productMon, 11 Nov 2024 21:37:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/MxeLy-drink_producthttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/MY27x-drink_productA 330mL carton of banana and hazelnut flavoured drink. It is advertised as having half of a day’s fiber. There are other nutrients included as well, such as potassium.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/MY27x-drink_productMon, 04 Nov 2024 19:52:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/MY27x-drink_producthttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/weam4-food_kanagawaThe reason I came to Saizeriya this time aroundI go to Saizeriya a bit too often. They're a cheap, quick option for filling food at a reasonable quality, so I don't think it is a surprise for someone to go there often. Recently, Japanese social media has apparently been very interested in their move to change their potatoes from cube cut potatoes to hashbrowns.Since I like me some hashbrowns, I made a point to go this week. I was mildly disappointed. The hashbrowns were tiny and felt much less in comparison to the amount of potatoes they used to serve.These hashbrowns are kind smallGranted, over time they decreased the amount of potatoes they served, so I guess this hashbrown situation was to be expected. They at least tasted good to me.While I was there, I decided to experiment a bit. If you ever order the spicy chorizos and a cheese pizza, try putting the chorizos on the pizza. Doing so gave me a flavour that somehow reminded me of a burrito, so it might be something to try.I wonder if Saizeriya would consider chorizo pizzaI also tried the focaccia and gelato. From the pictures on their new menu, I thought the focaccia had changed. At first glance, it didn't look like it, but I feel like it did. It tastes a lot different from the last time I had their focaccia. That change was for the worse for me, as somehow I felt it tasted like cardboard.Doesn't look too different, but something tastes differentOverall I felt the new menu is okay, I suppose. I didn't get to try the corn soup, which was new, but I assume it tastes just like most other corn soups. How much different would it be?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/weam4-food_kanagawaSat, 02 Nov 2024 18:27:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/weam4-food_kanagawahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/zaJOo-foods_productA frozen treat that not only mimics the appearance of a baked sweet potato, but tastes close to one. It is essentially ice cream with sweet potato sauce encased in a soft wafer shell.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/zaJOo-foods_productSun, 27 Oct 2024 11:50:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/zaJOo-foods_producthttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/MqWp8-drink_productA 200 mL carton of soy protein with the flavour of matcha latte. One carton contains about 16g of protein while being light on the calories. Distinctly made in Japan.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/MqWp8-drink_productSun, 27 Oct 2024 10:52:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/MqWp8-drink_producthttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/Mn4eR-living_kawasaki_shi_kanagawaI’ve never thought of cleaning my air conditioner before, I don’t know why. But after catching a peek into my unit, I decided to clean it, thinking it would probably lead to sickness down the line. I say this because it was genuinely disgusting. Here’s a before photo:Sorry you had to see thisTo make up for it, here’s a photo of a stray catHope this guy makes you feel betterFirst things first, I had to buy some items. I went to the nearest drugstore and bought myself a couple of things:A bottle of aircon sprayAnd a wet wiper setI would have done a product review of both of these but I forgot how much they cost and honestly don’t really know how I would review them past “it clean good.”The first actual cleaning step was to unplug it from its outlet and open up the front of the unit. Perhaps I should have dusted this more while I was living here, but I pinned my hopes on the spray.The opened unitI held the trigger on the spray bottle, moving it around and trying to apply an even coat of the spray through all parts of the fins but trying not to get the liquid on any electronic parts. My finger kept the stream going for about twenty to thirty seconds as I moved the nozzle throughout the fin area. The bottle said something about 90-120 seconds, but I think it was referring to how much liquid was in one bottle.I would have thought the camera could see the spray but I guess notThen, I opened up the wet wiper set and assembled it. This was to get all that black mould out of the inside of the air conditioner. It took a bit of elbow grease and finessing, but I managed to wipe off most of the mould. The wet sheet that came out after wiping it all was disturbingly dark, but I felt I got the mould mostly out of there.I tried my best to get everything outHere’s an after photo.Significantly cleaner than before, I thinkI think I’ll be doing this semi-regularly from now on. So that leads me to the question:How often do you clean your air conditioners?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/Mn4eR-living_kawasaki_shi_kanagawaSun, 13 Oct 2024 15:15:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/Mn4eR-living_kawasaki_shi_kanagawahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/wNvOZ-foods_productA pre-packaged unit of soft bread with chunks of chocolate buried in it and a cookie-like top layer. This particular bread has milk tea flavouring in it.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/wNvOZ-foods_productSat, 12 Oct 2024 21:29:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/wNvOZ-foods_producthttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/MxNo2-foods_productA variation of the old fashioned style donut, this version has a strawberry glaze with a layer of chocolate cream hiding under it. Bits of crunchy biscuit pepper the glaze as well.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/MxNo2-foods_productSat, 12 Oct 2024 21:27:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/MxNo2-foods_producthttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/GlRP8-drink_productA protein drink with the flavours of black sesame and soy powder. Contains 16g of protein with a calorie count of 98cal in one carton. Each carton is 200ml.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/GlRP8-drink_productFri, 11 Oct 2024 15:34:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/GlRP8-drink_producthttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/GB2An-mind_body_productA box of pills meant for fighting empyema. This product comes in two sizes: a big box one with 7 days worth of pills (748 yen) or a bottle for one month’s worth of pills priced at 3280 yen.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/GB2An-mind_body_productFri, 11 Oct 2024 14:44:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/GB2An-mind_body_producthttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/GL7ZN-drink_productA 300ml can of lightly carbonated beverage with the flavours of mint and apple. Aimed to make the drinker relaxed, it touts the inclusion of the chemical ingredient theanine.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/GL7ZN-drink_productWed, 09 Oct 2024 21:57:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/GL7ZN-drink_producthttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/wjKLm-drink_productA 300ml can of rosemary-flavoured soda with a low level of carbonation. The main medicinal ingredient is GABA with the theme focused on adding cheerfulness to your day.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/wjKLm-drink_productWed, 09 Oct 2024 21:55:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/wjKLm-drink_producthttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/zabg9-drink_productA 300ml naringin-centered drink with the flavours of lemongrass and grapefruit. Packaged in a can with a twist cap, it is marketed as a drink for people who want to focus on tasks.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/zabg9-drink_productWed, 09 Oct 2024 21:53:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/zabg9-drink_producthttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/MYq9g-drink_product_mind_body_productA medicinal blend drink that is sold in the colds section of the pharmacy. This has a strong taste of ginger and other herbal ingredients that specifically target congestion in the nose.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/MYq9g-drink_product_mind_body_productMon, 07 Oct 2024 21:32:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/MYq9g-drink_product_mind_body_producthttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/GonZv-foods_productThis is a cup of regular vanilla ice cream elevated by the inclusion of chunks of white chocolate. On the top is a whole Marie cookie with what seems to be crushed cookie bits.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/GonZv-foods_productSun, 06 Oct 2024 13:33:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/GonZv-foods_producthttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/MxNm2-drink_productAn otherwise regular can of beer, this product is designed to fizz and recreate the experience of a freshly poured pint of beer from a bar or izakaya.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/MxNm2-drink_productSat, 05 Oct 2024 22:58:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/MxNm2-drink_producthttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/MP9mg-living_kanagawaI was at home cooking not too long ago, when some guy in a uniform rang my doorbell. He was in an electrical company jumpsuit, so I felt comfortable opening the door for him; I was confident he wasn’t an NHK collector and a home invasion and/or kidnapping would have made a pretty good story.But this is nothing that extravagant. It’s more mundane, really. Comical, almost, in its tedium.The man in uniform wanted to tell me about how my electrical bill was going to go down. He said this in Japanese, but when I asked him to slow down because I’m not all that great at the language, he started sweating a bit. To his credit, he tried to use English to explain things.I was happy about the lower price and I said I’d go along with it. He said that he would need my phone number, which I gave. He called it in front of me and once he saw my phone ring, he was satisfied. As he left, he said that a coworker of his would call me to explain more details of the situation. But first, I needed to write down my date of birth, name in Romaji, and phone number.And apparently, that’s where they got my application -- this is where I done goofed.The guy who called me fifteen minutes after the first guy spoke in lightning-fast Japanese, even after I asked him to slow down. There was a lot of vocabulary that I couldn’t understand, but I could get the gist that he was saying something about a plan and that the prices would be set low. At this point, I didn’t think I signed up for anything, so I just kept replying with “Okei-desu” every time the man stopped talking. When he hung up, I got a text message.Now, this message was a notification that I had completed my application with the new electrical company. What happened to my old power company? I didn’t realize until now how easy it was to switch companies!At least, from my research online, the new company is a bit cheaper than TEPCO. I still worry about what kind of hooks they’ll get me with though. Even my English isn’t good enough to catch all of the hidden terms, imagine how it is for me in Japanese! I hope it ends up alright and with a cheaper bill, as I was told.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/MP9mg-living_kanagawaWed, 02 Oct 2024 23:06:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/MP9mg-living_kanagawahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/w2W2b-drink_productA 410 mL bottle of flavoured soda with the Beetlejuice character on its label. This drink has a particular taste that seems to be touted as “otherworldly.”To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/w2W2b-drink_productFri, 20 Sep 2024 16:17:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/w2W2b-drink_producthttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/wkYKA-foods_productA sweet potato variant of the Fujiya’s Country Ma’am series of soft cookies. One package contains 14 individually wrapped cookies small enough to eat in one bite.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/wkYKA-foods_productFri, 20 Sep 2024 15:10:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/wkYKA-foods_producthttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/GWRkQ-foods_productA regular old-fashioned style donut with pudding-flavoured glaze. On the cover is a character from Sanrio named Pompompurin. Good for a fast treat when leaving a station.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/GWRkQ-foods_productFri, 20 Sep 2024 15:06:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/GWRkQ-foods_producthttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/M9KP2-foods_productA bag of salty snacks labelled as croissants, when in reality they are cookies of some sort. Savoury with the taste of butter, it is a cheap snack that is readily available at Lawson.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/M9KP2-foods_productFri, 20 Sep 2024 01:12:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/M9KP2-foods_producthttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/Gon3A-foods_productA strawberry-flavoured chocolate with crunchy puffed rice inside. Sold in small pieces packaged in plastic for a slightly higher price than some of its competitors of the same size.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/Gon3A-foods_productMon, 16 Sep 2024 22:38:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/Gon3A-foods_producthttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/z3jvk-living_fashion_kawasaki_shi_kanagawaIf you don't know what this is, I'll explain later.Inspired by genkidesu’s post on cutting hair on your own, I commented about two things on their post but felt like I could go into more detail. I couldn’t post pictures in a comment, after all.I started cutting my own hair two years after moving to Japan for a couple of reasons:I am a massive cheapskate and don’t want to spend 5000 yen just to look more or less the same as when I walked into the shopMy experiences at barber shops were always a little uncomfortable for me. I never really liked the shoulder massage or getting my face covered by a towel like a fresh corpse when they rinse my hair.Anywho, there are five things that I feel are necessary for cutting your own hair. The first is probably something that should come at no surprise to anyone: the comb. The comb helps you gauge how long you want to cut certain areas of your hair and where the lengths aren’t even.The comb: useful not just for after waking up.To go with the comb, you’ll want a pair of scissors. I got mine at a hundred yen store and it’s not that great, but it gets the job done. If you can find shears, you’ll probably have an easier time cutting and with less damage to your hair. With the comb, you can cut your hair to exactly how you like, or touch up areas that the next item can’t get to.Scissors. Always beats paper, and hair in this case.The third thing is probably the most expensive, but it makes life much easier: the electric hair clipper. I got my set from Amazon for about 5000 yen, if memory serves me correctly. This one does most of the work when I cut my hair. I use only three of the attachments: the 40mm length, the 30mm, and the 18mm. What I usually do is go over the whole head with the 40mm, then the sides with the 30mm, then around the ears and the nape of my neck with the 18mm. I then smooth out the three areas using the comb and scissors, or for the hair on the top of my head, the next item.Hair trimmer set. This set has been serving me since 2020.This razor/comb combination is the newest in my inventory for haircutting, so I put it up front for this post. I tried it out for the first time when I grew my hair long, and it’s great for cutting longer strands of hair evenly while keeping the cuts looking natural. Admittedly, it’s not an item I use often recently as I like my hair short, but I still use it to even out the top of my head. It also comes apart, so the razor itself is replaceable.The opened version of the photo at the beginning. A razor with an attached comb.All of these styling tools are great, but without a second mirror, cutting your own hair well is next to impossible unless you’re psychic or something. Fortunately, you don’t need anything expensive. Take a look at the 300 yen one I have (sorry that it’s old and dirty!)A mirror with suction cup installation. Necessary for getting to the back of the head.No matter what kind of mirror you have, it’s best to place it across from another mirror. I have a larger bathroom mirror and I use that as my main looking glass. I then turn to this smaller mirror to see the back of my head from the main mirror. It’s incredibly helpful, though it takes some practice to get the coordination to reach and control whatever implements to cut that area.Peek-a-boo! But you can see how useful it is at seeing my nape. And proving that I need a haircut soon...There’s one thing in my haircut toolbox that I NEVER use: the thinning scissors. To be honest, it’s simply because I have no idea how to use it. Maybe it’s because I keep my hair relatively short?Thinning scissors. Looks fancy, but I have no idea how I would use it.In any case, this post went on a lot longer than I thought it would. If you feel like something doesn’t make sense or I didn’t give enough detail, let me know in the comments. More importantly, if you know how those thinning scissors are supposed to be used, PLEASE let me know below!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/z3jvk-living_fashion_kawasaki_shi_kanagawaMon, 16 Sep 2024 22:25:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/z3jvk-living_fashion_kawasaki_shi_kanagawahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/GWR9x-food_kawasaki_shi_kanagawaSummer has more or less left and autumn is coming in gently (at least from my perspective.) That hasn’t stopped me from binging on frozen treats though. Even though it’s a summer treat, I spent the last week or so gathering every variation of shirokuma I could find.But what is shirokuma?It’s a shaved ice dessert with a condensed milk base, topped with beans and fruits, usually mikan and pineapple. The dessert is generally believed to be from Kagoshima, where a store owner made the condensed milk shaved ice and topped it off with cherries and raisins, which made it look like its namesake, the polar bear. (Link to source)And I’ve tried a lot of these things. They come in bar form and cup form, though you’ll see them most commonly in cup form. Of these, my favourite is probably the one from FamilyMart. The kiwi they include fits in so well with the condensed milk, and the whole thing just works for me. On the other hand, the most underwhelming one is probably the popsicle shirokuma I got at MyBasket, though they seem to be available at most supermarkets.It’s not that hot anymore so I don’t think I’ll be getting these more often, but I certainly gained some weight with the extra calories these things added to my daily diet. Thankfully I couldn’t find the cereal version anymore. That would have given me even more calories, starting in the morning!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/GWR9x-food_kawasaki_shi_kanagawaThu, 05 Sep 2024 09:35:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/GWR9x-food_kawasaki_shi_kanagawahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/MJ2KY-foods_productThe cylindrical shape makes it easy to eat. Unlike the bar-shaped frozen treats, with the cylinder shape, you only have to eat in one direction as opposed to strategically consuming different parts of the dessert as you go. Each popsicle is also individually wrapped, so you can have as many as your self-discipline will allow. The price is also cheap, so this is a decent dessert to have stocked up for a hot day. The price point and the individual wrapping make this a sensible choice to keep in your freezer for when the frozen sweets craving becomes unbearable. No pun intended.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/MJ2KY-foods_productThu, 05 Sep 2024 09:24:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/MJ2KY-foods_producthttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/MgoVW-foods_productA box of six seasonal flavour shirokuma bars, each bar is about 100ml or so and is frozen on a stick. A bar has bits of frozen fruit and red beans, held together by a banana puree and milk frozen ice base.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/MgoVW-foods_productThu, 05 Sep 2024 09:17:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/MgoVW-foods_producthttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/GbbL0-foods_productA box of six shirokuma bars. Each bar is about 100ml or so and is frozen on a stick. A bar has bits of frozen fruit and red beans, held together by a milky frozen ice base.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/GbbL0-foods_productThu, 05 Sep 2024 09:13:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/GbbL0-foods_producthttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/MpPRL-foods_productA 140mL cup of milky shaved ice with a couple slices of frozen mandarin orange, a handful of beans, and a chunk of pineapple as toppings. This has condensed milk swirled in the center.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/MpPRL-foods_productWed, 04 Sep 2024 23:18:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/MpPRL-foods_producthttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/G71W0-foods_productA 230mL cup of frozen milk-based dessert. This is a twist on the standard shirokuma by replacing all of the fruit and beans with two types of peaches and puree.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/G71W0-foods_productWed, 04 Sep 2024 23:16:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/G71W0-foods_producthttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/Mn4Ko-foods_productA 245mL cup of milky shaved ice with frozen strawberries and strawberry syrup topping it. Also has some ice cream dollops arranged in a paw print pattern.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/Mn4Ko-foods_productWed, 04 Sep 2024 23:13:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/Mn4Ko-foods_producthttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/wNvm4-foods_productA cup of milk-flavored shaved ice with some generous swirls of condensed milk. It is topped with various fruits, including kiwi, slices of mikan, and red beans.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/wNvm4-foods_productTue, 03 Sep 2024 23:02:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/wNvm4-foods_producthttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/MxNpW-foods_productA 250mL cup of milk-flavoured shaved ice with a couple slices of frozen mandarin orange, a handful of strawberries, a chunk of pineapple, and a single blueberry as toppings. Pockets of condensed milk sit inside the ice.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/MxNpW-foods_productTue, 03 Sep 2024 22:56:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/MxNpW-foods_producthttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/wZdJN-foods_productA 135mL cup of milky shaved ice with a slice of frozen mandarin orange and some jelly-like colours as toppings. Often found in the shaved ice section, separate from the ice cream section.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/wZdJN-foods_productTue, 03 Sep 2024 09:38:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/wZdJN-foods_producthttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/Md5PJ-foods_productA 330mL cup of milk-flavoured shaved ice with a load of fruits and a chestnut thrown in for good measure. The fruits are found in top and at the bottom of the cup.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/Md5PJ-foods_productTue, 03 Sep 2024 02:21:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/Md5PJ-foods_producthttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/MEkD0-foods_productA 330mL cup of pink shaved ice with a load of fruits and a strong strawberry-flavoured base. The fruits are found on top and at the bottom of the cup.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/MEkD0-foods_productTue, 03 Sep 2024 02:19:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/MEkD0-foods_producthttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/MpP8a-foods_productA salty, cheese-flavoured snack that consists of two biscuits sandwiching a layer of camembert cream. It can be added to a lunchbox or eaten by itself.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/MpP8a-foods_productThu, 15 Aug 2024 14:22:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/MpP8a-foods_producthttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/G71xA-foods_productA chocolate with strong muskmelon flavours combined with the standard milk chocolate taste. Each pack contains about twelve pieces laid on top of a cardboard tray.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/G71xA-foods_productThu, 15 Aug 2024 14:11:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/G71xA-foods_producthttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/MEkOp-living_kawasaki_shi_kanagawaI was sitting in my apartment unit today and a friend of mine in the same neighbourhood messaged me to ask where the local evacuation point was. She was worried about earthquakes and what to do if it hit.That exchange made me realize some things: I have no idea where to go if a disaster hits, and I am quite out of the loop in terms of news and advisories.That corner in the cover picture is where I spend a lot of time when I'm at home, which is not that much time, honestly. Really, the laptop and the smartphone are the only connections I have to what is happening in the outside world. I think a lot of people are the same, but I don't bother with Twitter (sorry, X) and I'm barely on Instagram or other social media. My primary news source is literally some guy on YouTube talking about his thoughts on current events and my secondary source is the articles here on City-Cost. But what about emergency news here in my local area or the country?I realized that I only learned about the government warning of a large earthquake in the Nankai Trough through coworkers. I thought about getting a television set, but I knew that I wouldn't enjoy any of the Japanese programming (and I reallydon't want to have to pay for NHK). I can also only read Japanese at a first-grade level, so newspapers are definitely out of the question.Since I was a bit late on getting the advisory, when I went out to buy some bottled water and canned food just in case, I found that my local supermarkets had run out of stock. So, I realize that television might be the best way to keep up with emergency advisories.How do you get your news?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/MEkOp-living_kawasaki_shi_kanagawaSun, 11 Aug 2024 17:08:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/MEkOp-living_kawasaki_shi_kanagawahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/M9KdO-foods_productA granola-based cereal with dried fruits and red beans mixed in. The assortment of fruits resembles the flavours of the popular shaved-ice dessert, Shirokuma.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/M9KdO-foods_productSat, 03 Aug 2024 17:26:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/M9KdO-foods_producthttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/MpPAB-foods_productA bag of cheap, soft snacks made of soybean and twisted as part of its presentation. Each piece is chewy and has what seems to be a candied outer layer.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/MpPAB-foods_productSun, 21 Jul 2024 15:36:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/MpPAB-foods_producthttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/G71yN-foods_productA bag of cheap, ring-shaped snacks labelled as baked donuts. Each 66 gram package contains about six salty-sweet pieces about the size of an adult’s palm.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/G71yN-foods_productSun, 21 Jul 2024 15:34:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/G71yN-foods_producthttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/z8yKx-living_food_kawasaki_shi_kanagawaI’ve been seeing these machines all over Kanagawa recently. For 350 yen, you can get a cup of freshly squeezed orange juice. You get to see the oranges travel to their destiny too, rolling down some metal guides and into a press near the bottom corner of the window. At the bottom of the machine’s face, a plastic cup comes out with a plastic seal. The machine has a receptacle where you can get straws to poke through the plastic seal so you can get to your nice, cool orange juice.The thing is, they can be at some of the most random places. I thought the one in the picture was a part of the bakery it was installed in front of, but then I saw another machine exactly like it hidden under stairs at the shopping complex in Kawasaki station.Then I saw another machine at a different complex next to the mens’ bathroom.Wherever they’re installed, I guess it’s a good time for them to start popping up. What better time than summer to enjoy orange juice?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/z8yKx-living_food_kawasaki_shi_kanagawaSat, 20 Jul 2024 11:39:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/z8yKx-living_food_kawasaki_shi_kanagawahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/wm8pm-foods_productThis is a bag of soft, chewy cookies made with peach flavours that almost melt in your mouth. The bag contains ten individually wrapped, bite-sized cookies.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/wm8pm-foods_productSun, 14 Jul 2024 18:52:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/wm8pm-foods_producthttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/GyNaD-drink_productA canned fizzy drink with the addition of jelly. This is grape-flavoured and refrigerated by the vending machine you get it from. Shaking is not required before drinking.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/GyNaD-drink_productSat, 13 Jul 2024 17:12:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/GyNaD-drink_producthttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/wkY6r-drink_productA canned drink designed to help you relax with the effects of GABA. It tastes a bit like grapefruit or some other bitter citrus. This drink is labelled as having 10% juice.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/wkY6r-drink_productWed, 10 Jul 2024 21:19:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/wkY6r-drink_producthttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/GWRg9-drink_productA boxed drink from Yakult. This drink is essentially strawberry milk in a box, though there seems to be a hint of the Yakult yogurt in it that differentiates it just enough from a regular box of milk.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/GWRg9-drink_productWed, 10 Jul 2024 21:14:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/GWRg9-drink_producthttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/Mn47O-drink_productA packaged fruit tea drink that is sweet and tangy while providing a dose of caffeine via a black tea base. It comes with real fruit bits in the drink and a wide straw for drinking.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/Mn47O-drink_productMon, 08 Jul 2024 22:23:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/Mn47O-drink_producthttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/wrn9R-drink_productAptly named, this is flan pudding in drink form packaged in a plastic cup. Sweet and creamy, it is perfect for people who like pudding but want to have it on the go and without using any spoons.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/wrn9R-drink_productMon, 08 Jul 2024 00:59:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/wrn9R-drink_producthttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/G0ZXE-living_food_kawasaki_shi_kanagawaA while back I made a post about a chocolate-flavoured snack that has English-Japanese translations on the back of the box. Well, I’m making another post with a similar snack, except this time it’s animals instead of fish.This snack is by the same company that made the sea creature snacks, except these animal crackers are butter-flavoured. I have seen other flavours of these animal crackers, but they don’t come in the box that has translations, so they never caught my eye. Just like the chocolate snacks from the same company, they are sold at most places where you would find snacks.There are a couple of things I noticed now that I look at these snacks through a photo. First, if you’re learning to read kanji, this snack doesn’t teach the kanji for any animal, just the hiragana. I also noticed a difference from the aquarium version of these cookies: there’s an extra English conversation included.This exchange isn’t particularly useful in learning Japanese because a complete beginner in kanji probably won’t recognize the kanji used in the Japanese translation (if the reader notices the tiny print at all) and anyone more learned in the language would probably not need to know this particular set of Japanese. No, I think this is more useful as a teaching aid in the sense that you can see the kana pronunciation of the English and be able to build off that knowledge into other words.Anyway, give these snacks a shot. It’s quite interesting to learn Japanese names for animals via food, and I imagine much more so for the kids these snacks are aimed at.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/G0ZXE-living_food_kawasaki_shi_kanagawaThu, 04 Jul 2024 21:52:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/G0ZXE-living_food_kawasaki_shi_kanagawahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/wZdka-drink_productA beer that has become more common in supermarkets and convenience stores as of late, this alcoholic beverage has a lighter taste with a tangier kick than most of the staple beers like Asahi or Sapporo.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/wZdka-drink_productThu, 04 Jul 2024 21:39:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/wZdka-drink_producthttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/Md5ym-foods_productA bag of medium-thick cut potato chips with a savoury beef flavour. With the name of Kobe on it, you can expect some impact on your tastebuds with each chip.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/Md5ym-foods_productThu, 04 Jul 2024 21:35:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/Md5ym-foods_producthttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/M9K81-foods_productA bag of medium-thick cut potato chips with an olive oil flavour. The manufacturers have specifically mentioned the olives are hand-picked, so it must be special.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/M9K81-foods_productTue, 25 Jun 2024 01:05:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/M9K81-foods_producthttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/w5vyo-foods_productA six-piece package of baked chocolate labelled as brownies. One package contains pieces that are individually packaged into smaller plastic wrappers. Contains nuts.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/w5vyo-foods_productTue, 25 Jun 2024 00:46:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/w5vyo-foods_producthttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/G6oKV-drink_productA carton of refrigerated soy milk with prune juice added to it. Each serving is 200 ml for the price of 130 yen and is noted to have one day’s worth of iron.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/G6oKV-drink_productSun, 23 Jun 2024 16:00:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/G6oKV-drink_producthttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/wX8xv-drink_productA boxed, refrigerated serving of plum juice most recognizable for the cartoon image of a grandmother on the green juice carton. Each serving is 200 ml for a price of 120 yen.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/wX8xv-drink_productSun, 23 Jun 2024 15:45:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/wX8xv-drink_producthttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/MYqx2-living_tokyoPhoto by Tống Kim Ngọc (source link)Picture this: the sun has gone down and the street lights have turned on. You’re on a semi-busy street out in a residential area and happen to walk up to a striped crossing without a signal light while a car approaches the intersection. The driver of the car turns his headlights off completely.What do you do?If you’re anything like me when I first came to Japan, you would probably try to peer into the car and see if the driver’s looking at you (fun fact, in 90% of my experience they did NOT look) before gingerly stepping onto the crosswalk.It has only clicked on me recently that if a driver turns off the headlights, it’s a signal that you’re acknowledged. I managed to piece it together when the car I was watching slowed down before they turned their headlights off. Figuring it out made me a bit more confident crossing the road since I have always had trouble finding the eyes of the drivers to make that mutual acknowledgement check. It certainly doesn’t help that so many of the front windows are tinted here in Japan.I’m not sure if this is just the Kanto area. Perhaps drivers in other prefectures don’t do this, so maybe it isn’t something I should get used to for safety.Do drivers in your area do this? Or if you drive, do you do this?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/MYqx2-living_tokyoThu, 20 Jun 2024 23:06:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/MYqx2-living_tokyohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/z1Wdv-foods_productA twist on the classic melonpan. This bun has puff pastry on top instead of the original cookie dough and is sprinkled with large granules of sugar. Seems to be found only in FamilyMart.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/z1Wdv-foods_productThu, 20 Jun 2024 01:24:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/z1Wdv-foods_producthttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/wNv3x-foods_productA bag of cheap puffed snacks with a creamy centre. The chocolate-flavoured portion is made of puffed wheat and the centre is some sort of milk product.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/wNv3x-foods_productWed, 19 Jun 2024 01:35:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/wNv3x-foods_producthttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/MxNlX-foods_productA bag of cheap, bite-sized chocolate chip snacks in a classic and easily recognizable triangular shape. They’re labelled as scones, but they feel more like cookies.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/MxNlX-foods_productMon, 17 Jun 2024 23:05:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/MxNlX-foods_producthttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/GOqxO-foods_productA bag of cheap, biscuits fashioned in the shape and appearance of the easily recognizable melon-pan. Sweet and crumbly, these biscuits might just be your next guilty pleasure.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/GOqxO-foods_productMon, 17 Jun 2024 23:03:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/GOqxO-foods_producthttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/GB2v8-drink_productA peach-flavoured, carbonated energy drink from well-known energy drink brand Monster, this beverage comes in a bright pink pull-tab can that is easy to find in the spring season.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/GB2v8-drink_productSun, 16 Jun 2024 15:30:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/GB2v8-drink_producthttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/zVY95-foods_productA bag of cheap, brown-coloured, bite-sized rusks covered in anko-butter flavour and a bit of sugar powder. The bag is red, with a tear-away design meant for easy opening.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/zVY95-foods_productSun, 16 Jun 2024 14:03:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/zVY95-foods_producthttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/MJ2YV-foods_productFound among other protein bars at MyBasket, this chocolate-flavoured bar differentiates itself by containing caffeine and arginine. It contains the common element of crispy rice cereal and the common amount of 15 grams.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/MJ2YV-foods_productThu, 13 Jun 2024 23:46:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/MJ2YV-foods_producthttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/MgoZj-shopping_tokyoPlease excuse my low-quality Microsoft Paint job as a cover for this post.Have you ever bought something from Amazon that was incredibly disappointing, yet somehow had great reviews? Have you ever ordered something with loads of 5-star ratings, only to have it cancelled or forced into a conversation with the seller? Have you ever seen a product listing on Amazon that had hundreds of reviews but your scam senses were tingling?If any of that sounds like your experience, let me tell you about something that I wish I knew about when I first ordered from Japanese Amazon. I’m trying not to sound like those bot and AI posts that have been springing up recently, but I’d really like more ex-pats know about this website:Sakura Checker is a website that exists to help buyers figure out if products listed on Amazon are being fluffed with good reviews and ratings.Why the name “Sakura Checker?” From what I’ve been told, “sakura” does not just refer to cherry blossoms, but it also refers to people who are planted to garner positive views of the products. I have no reliable sources to back it up, but I have been told that this kind of practice goes way back to the Edo Period, when merchants would hire people to act as satisfied customers in front of a crowd.Origin story aside and despite my personal opinions of the website’s presentation, the website is actually quite easy to use and very convenient. Simply copy the URL of the Amazon product you’re interested in and paste it into the search bar at the very top of the landing page.You’ll then be brought to an analysis result page that shows how trustworthy the product is. You’ll see the current Amazon rating, and if you scroll down, you’ll see more details such as the product’s price trends, how likely it is the product has fake reviews, and even some more reliable alternatives if the “Sakura Rating” is high.The great thing about the website is that most of the text is compatible with Google Chrome’s built-in translation. In my experience, Japanese websites often try to be fancy and embed their text in the website such that it can’t be accessed by the browser. Sakura Checker has most of the website in plain text, so most of the page can turn into English if you have a translation extension installed in your browser.This is my Chrome browser doing all the work.Happy Amazon shopping!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/MgoZj-shopping_tokyoThu, 13 Jun 2024 23:44:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/MgoZj-shopping_tokyohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/z3jX1-drink_productThis variant of Monster is more of a lemonade, as its name states, than it is an energy drink. There is no fizz and you get the sweet, sour taste of lemons with a kick of caffeine.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/z3jX1-drink_productMon, 10 Jun 2024 22:36:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/z3jX1-drink_producthttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/wNvXx-foods_productA fantasy-themed hard gummy candy. It is energy drink-flavoured with some caffeine included in the recipe. Each packet has about 12-16 bottle-shaped pieces inside.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/wNvXx-foods_productMon, 10 Jun 2024 22:13:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/wNvXx-foods_producthttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/GOq6O-drink_productAn energy drink infused with a yogurt flavour that is almost, but not quite, Calpis. Distinguishable by its white, bottle-shaped can, it is easy to spot among other energy drinks.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/GOq6O-drink_productSun, 09 Jun 2024 17:32:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/GOq6O-drink_producthttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/GlRa2-foods_productAn individually packaged Belgian waffle with a Cookies and Cream flavour. Each waffle is about the size of the average person’s palm and contains distinguishable chunks of chocolate cookies.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/GlRa2-foods_productFri, 07 Jun 2024 01:02:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/GlRa2-foods_producthttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/zDgny-foods_productA package of gumballs with a candy coating and a yellow gummy filling, fashioned to look like an egg. Evidently not for swallowing, even if the gummy center tempts you to.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/zDgny-foods_productFri, 07 Jun 2024 00:47:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/zDgny-foods_producthttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/MpPKx-foods_productA soft, airy, cake that is apparently supposed to look like Mount Fuji. This variant is filled with custard. It is supposedly a popular omiyage and is available for purchase in individual packs or box sets.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/MpPKx-foods_productSun, 02 Jun 2024 18:09:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/MpPKx-foods_producthttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/z1W4j-drink_productA packaged jelly drink with mikan flavouring and pulp, packaged with a highlight on its vitamin C content and real, organic fruit matter. The drink is not 100% gelatin as it is meant to be drinkable.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/z1W4j-drink_productWed, 29 May 2024 00:20:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/z1W4j-drink_producthttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/GOqgv-living_education_izu_shi_shizuokaI was thinking of making a single blog post for the whole Shuzenji trip, but part one ran a bit long. This half of the trip is longer too -- there are a lot of my opinions on this one! So I figured a new post for this part would be best.Anyway, when we woke up, I expected this day to be tame and a bit like a nature walk; something like walking through a bunch of gardens, seeing some trees, catching a view of Mt. Fuji, and so on. Those were the things my significant other used as selling points to convince me to go to Niji no Sato.I was not prepared to be as baffled as I was being there.We took a bus to the theme park, riding for about twenty minutes up rural roads. There was not a cloud in the sky on the day of our visit, so we were greeted by a clear view of Mount Fuji from the bus stop upon getting off. After getting our tickets, we walked in through the only gates to the theme park and into the area labelled イギリス村 (UK Village.) There were a bunch of low buildings here, but it felt scant and widely spaced apart. Most of the buildings here were small, cramped souvenir shops, with the most interesting structure being the double-decker bus serving as a cafe.This is right past the ticket gatesFeeling a bit lonely here, we bought tickets for a train after about only fifteen minutes in the UK village. The train was tinier and slower compared to any mode of transport I’ve ever been on, and I felt a bit ripped off and confused that we had to pay a fare for it as we got on. Upon leaving the station, however, I realized that the fare was probably more for the view of the park than the convenience of transport itself. As the train rolled along, only slightly faster than a moving walkway, we could see a good chunk of the park. We passed by a few gardens and Mount Fuji peeked at us from between trees every now and then.I meant it when I said "few gardens." Maybe it looks better in early spring?For me, the real highlight of the park was カナダ村 (Canada Village.) There’s actually not a lot here, some souvenir shops, a couple of cafes, and a kaleidoscope museum on top of a tribute to the city of Nelson, British Columbia. According to the exhibits here, Izu and Nelson have established a sister-city connection. I have never seen a plastic bag from Save On Foods and a flyer from Safeway held in such high regard and put on display. There’s also a map in here that I thought was wildly inaccurate, but I suppose it was an acceptable mistake as it was a general approximation of the Pacific Northwest.Hope is not in Idaho, if I remember correctly.After perusing the kaleidoscope museum and taking a few rounds on the giant slide nearby (which was actually quite fun as an adult as children under a certain height were restricted from riding it,) we then walked through the lower gardens and to 匠の村 (Takumi Village). On the way, we stopped by a pond that was made famous, at least in Japan, for the Koi fish feeding. If you are disturbed by masses of writhing, scaly mouths opening and closing, demanding whatever crumbs you will throw their way, it’s a good skip.Takumi was at least interesting in the sense that there was a glimpse of history to be seen here. There were displays of pre-war toys, what living rooms looked like in that era, appliances and tools from pre-war and before, and for some reason, an entire room full of anime men cutouts. Sorry ladies, I didn’t take pictures of the anime men. Probably for the best anyway, for copyright.The British Village was not too far from Takumi village. Somewhere between was a small garden with a walkway of precious stones. I was told that if you walk on the stones barefoot, you could get some good spiritual energy in certain parts of your life. The spiritual part meant nothing to me, but I tried because it sounded like a challenge. I’m pretty sure walking on hot coals would have been easier.Upon arriving back at the British Village, we had a snack at the double-decker bus cafe. It was a bit expensive, but it was alright. At this point, it was time to go home, and we left the same way we came in. The bus ride to the train station from here saw me process everything I saw at this park, and I realized how wild and weird it was as an attraction.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/GOqgv-living_education_izu_shi_shizuokaTue, 28 May 2024 02:48:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/GOqgv-living_education_izu_shi_shizuokahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/GB2RR-living_food_izu_shi_shizuokaA while ago, I spent a weekend at a hot spring area in Izu, Shizuoka. The trip there was surprisingly comfortable. The train I rode was an express from Kawasaki station, not a bullet train or anything. It took about three hours of travel before we arrived at Shuzenji station. From there, we boarded a bus to the hotel and we checked in.I wrote a review about the hotel (inn?) here, but I can go into more detail here. Upon checking in, you get either a yukata set or a pyjama set. We chose to get both and headed on in. During check-in, there was a booth by the convenience store where we could pick up as many shaving razors, toothbrushes, tea bags, and other amenities as we wanted. Being the shameless cheapskate that I am, I grabbed handfuls of the teabags. Before you judge me, you should know that I actually took less than what the other visitors took! My shame as a foreigner stopped me, apparently.Once my partner and I found our room and set our luggage down, we decided to take a walk in Shuzenji. On the way out, we stopped by the hotel’s arcade. There were a bunch of claw games and I tried my hand at winning a Nintendo Switch, but to no avail.The area around Shuzenji is quite nice and not as crowded as other hot springs places, such as Atami. At least, that’s what I was told. As written on one of the signs in the area, there was a set of six red bridges. It said that if lovers cross all the bridges together, it would be a sign of a long-lasting relationship. Ever the romantic, my partner wanted to do that. We only found five, though.Here's a view from one of the bridgesOn the walk, we went through a small bamboo forest. There was a round sort of seating area of bamboo that if you lay down on and looked up, you could see a great view of the sky. We also passed by some interesting architecture, temples, and the grave of Noriyori, apparently a significant figure in Japanese history. We had intended to go to some more landmarks, but it began to rain, so we headed back to the hotel.Something you might see if you laid down on in the bamboo pathWe went back to our rooms and got changed into the yukata. There was still time before dinner, so we went about the private baths on our floor. There were a few here, some of them needed lining up for. Thankfully, there was a thirty-minute limit to how long you could stay in one bath, so everybody could get to use them. All of the private baths were clean and the water was hot. I was never a fan of baths, so I only entered the private spaces for five minutes or so -- just long enough to snap pictures of what was inside.Sorry, no naked people hereWhen we had finished our rounds at the private baths, we stayed in our yukatas and went down to the dining hall. They had a buffet-style set-up with a lot of variety. As is my habit at these things, I tried a little of everything. Also with the all-you-can-eat food was an all-you-can-drink bar. That was where most of my stomach space was allocated. We were at the dining hall until they closed which was around 11 pm.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/GB2RR-living_food_izu_shi_shizuokaSun, 26 May 2024 19:37:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/GB2RR-living_food_izu_shi_shizuokahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/GyNK3-foods_productA chilled baked dessert. This is a sponge cake filled with a milky cream. It is a simple fare with simple flavours that have little chance of overwhelming any tastebuds.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/GyNK3-foods_productTue, 14 May 2024 00:20:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/GyNK3-foods_producthttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/weJr4-living_shopping_tokyoI have recently taken up a minor hobby of patch collecting. I am specifically collecting iron-on patches, since I am a) lazy and b) highly unskilled with sewing. This all started when I managed to grab a decent quality denim jacket at a Mode-Off years ago, during the era of closed borders and limited tourism. I got the jacket for about 500 yen, which is nigh impossible now that things have normalized post-2020. Not to mention the inflation of everything. Wages all across the board don’t seem to be keeping up with that either.I’m getting off-topic.Iron-on patches are surprisingly hard to come by if you don’t know where to look. Quite often, however, they’re meant for kindergarteners for use on their uniforms or something. You’ll see Thomas the train engine patches or Anpanman’s face, for example. So, here’s a small list of where I was able to find iron-on patches.Chicago (Harajuku)Kinji (Harajuku)Today’s Special (Futakotamagawa)Yuzawaya (Kamata)DaisoSeriyaOn the list, numbers 4-6 carry mostly children’s patches, although they will have some interesting-looking ones for someone really looking for patches. Daiso and Seriya has some interesting Van Gogh and Route 66 themed patches. There is also a store called Dream that carries cartoonish patches but the designs are probably more for teenagers and above. I can’t find the store on Google Maps, likely because of how common the name is, but it is in Musashi Kosugi, if memory serves me correctly.Those are all the physical stores where I either bought something or was tempted to make a purchase. However, it’s definitely a lot easier to just order online. Amazon has a pretty good selection and I actually use Temu a lot because I can pay for my order at a convenience store. While convenient, the downside of using an online store is that you know these patches are mass-produced. The ones you get in the physical stores, even the Daiso stores, have a bit more of a limited feel to them.In the above picture, only the spaceship patch came from an online order, so I hope that says something about the availability of patches in-person.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/weJr4-living_shopping_tokyoSat, 04 May 2024 14:47:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/weJr4-living_shopping_tokyohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/z4WjJ-drink_productA purple energy drink with what seems to be a grape flavour with zero sugar added. This particular flavour seems to be an early summer seasonal item, although supply seems to be high.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/z4WjJ-drink_productSat, 04 May 2024 13:49:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/z4WjJ-drink_producthttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/MYqDm-foods_productPumpkin in pudding form packaged in a plastic cup with a dollop of whipped cream. This dessert is similar to pumpkin pies and tarts, but without the crust to give it a crunch.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/MYqDm-foods_productSat, 27 Apr 2024 12:55:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/MYqDm-foods_producthttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/zDg9x-drink_productA strawberry drink found in Acure vending machines that stresses its origin from Tochigi prefecture. Sour and a little sweet, this drink will likely take you by surprise with the punch of flavour it packs.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/zDg9x-drink_productWed, 24 Apr 2024 23:32:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/zDg9x-drink_producthttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/GB2QD-drink_productA cherry drink found in Acure vending machines that stresses its origin from Yamagata prefecture. Not too sweet, but not bland, this drink is likely a hit with those that enjoy the cherry flavour.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/GB2QD-drink_productWed, 24 Apr 2024 23:30:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/GB2QD-drink_producthttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/GWRdo-drink_productA packaged drink available in vending machines, this drink combines the flavours of milk and lemon into one, while retaining a fraction of the health benefits of a yogurt drink such as Calpis or Yakult.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/GWRdo-drink_productMon, 22 Apr 2024 22:54:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/GWRdo-drink_producthttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/MJ20D-drink_productA yogurt drink that is commonly found in convenience stores, supermarkets, and apparently vending machines, this drink has a reputation for being a stress reliever and promoting a good environment for gut bacteria.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/MJ20D-drink_productMon, 22 Apr 2024 22:25:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/MJ20D-drink_producthttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/GbbZW-drink_productA cheaper energy drink created by the company owning MyBasket and MaxValu, AEON. It is branded as having the same stimulants as Monster and Red Bull but at a cheaper price.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/GbbZW-drink_productMon, 22 Apr 2024 21:53:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/GbbZW-drink_producthttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/wrnDe-foods_productA chilled dessert pudding with white chocolate and a milk-flavoured base. Also has a whipped cream topping with pink sakura-flavoured sauce drizzled on top.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/wrnDe-foods_productSat, 20 Apr 2024 22:03:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/wrnDe-foods_producthttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/z1WJA-living_food_kawasaki_shi_kanagawaOriginally I wanted to make a review about this snack called Tebekko Suizokukan (たべっ子 水族館) but I wanted to focus more on what I liked about it rather than give an objective list of pros and cons. There’s that and the fact that this snack has been around for a long time and I know it’s a very popular snack for kids. It’s also found all over the place, from the hundred yen shops to supermarkets, it’s almost impossible to miss this blue package of chocolatey, sea creature-shaped goodness.And it’s probably my favourite snack in terms of flavour. It’s chocolate, but it’s got crunch. They’re not like the cereal-filled protein bars or baked chocolate treats you would find here and there. They’re also a cracker, but they don’t have the texture or Ritz or senbei. They’re soft and you can really taste the chocolate in them.As an English teacher, I am also quite fond of these snacks as a teaching tool. If you get the 50g box, the list of possible animals in the package in both English and Japanese. The kids I teach love seeing this and I have to admit that I’ve learned more than a few fish names thanks to this snack.If you haven’t tried these yet, why not drop two hundred yen on a box and try them out?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/z1WJA-living_food_kawasaki_shi_kanagawaMon, 15 Apr 2024 23:18:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/z1WJA-living_food_kawasaki_shi_kanagawahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/GlRNE-living_food_shinjuku_ku_tokyoIt’s interesting how folks living in an area will only really explore when they have visitors. Such was the case for me with Golden Gai. Having lived in the Kanto area for almost years, it has always been on my list of places to check out, but I never got around to it until a friend visited. He was very interested in the place as it was featured in the video game, Yakuza.I don’t know what I expected, but I will say that I was pleasantly surprised.The area is classified as a business park on Google Maps, so that should be one of the indicators of how walkable Golden Gai is. No cars go through its narrow streets (maybe walkways would be a better term) and only people in single file can go through the even narrower alleys between the buildings. Just this alone was enough to give me a pleasant experience, as I am quite fond of grungier places. Indeed, the paths and shortcuts were lined with graffiti and stickers all over. When my friend and I visited, it was a Saturday night, so locals and tourists were all over the place, crowding the bars and paths.And the bars were tiny -- cozy if you will.Each bar my friend and I went to was roughly the same size as my kitchen, if not smaller. Each bar also had us squeeze in with other visitors, filling in every available space in the bar. Often, new patrons would peek in, check for space, and leave shortly after determining that there would be no space for them to sit.The bars themselves were experiences unique from one another. Each had a theme, and each bar master had a different demeanour. The bar called Deathmatch in Hell has a horror movie theme, for example. An establishment on the second floor of one of the buildings simply called Kenzo’s Bar had leopard print wallpaper and its owner was a cheerful fellow. Behind the counter was a lady who knew enough English to help the customers, but did not hesitate to make fun of people if they deserved it, which was a refreshing experience. Adieu Lami was a mellower experience in a dark-lit environment and somewhat of a fancier, almost yakuza feeling, establishment. Even mellower, Buzz, also on the second floor (and the bar that convinced me to write this post) was staffed by an elderly lady with a very calming aura. Here, my friend and I felt the most comfortable catching up.We ended our night after leaving Buzz, buzzed (no pun intended) and at least five thousand yen lighter. I caught my last train home from Shinjuku and he walked home to his hotel. As I travelled on the train, I tried my best to recall the places we went to. Now, as I write this, I think I was quite satisfied with my experience, despite the heftier prices for alcohol. I might come back one day, even if it is by myself.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/GlRNE-living_food_shinjuku_ku_tokyoSat, 13 Apr 2024 14:34:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/GlRNE-living_food_shinjuku_ku_tokyohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/GWRVJ-drink_productA cherry flavored energy drink that celebrates the year of the dragon. Like the average energy drink, it is fizzy and contains stimulant chemicals with a focus on caffeine.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/GWRVJ-drink_productSun, 14 Jan 2024 21:03:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/GWRVJ-drink_producthttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/MPyDV-living_tokyoThere's something unusual that I will miss when I inevitably move back to my home country: the road construction workers.I'm not sure what the attitudes are in other countries, but where I'm from they can get very in your face. I've had a traffic controller pound on my driver's side window for stopping too close to an invisible line and yelled at for not accelerating from a stop position fast enough. Minor things, sure, but I suppose I'm a sensitive person!As a pedestrian, road construction workers basically ignore you back in my home country. If something falls on you, you're out of luck, and you should have followed the signs.Here in Japan, you are directed by traffic controllers even with the temporary barriers set up. I notice that they bow to the drivers for the inconvenience of disrupting their drive. The conduct of the construction workers here is much different and much less confrontational than back home.Somehow, the construction sites are also much cleaner. There's less debris lying around and less personal equipment visible along the roads. In contrast, the home country will have at least spray cans and random steel-toe boots visible somewhere. Torn asphalt would be piled up in a corner of an intersection as well.These are small, almost inconsequential differences for me in my daily life, especially since I don't drive, but I will miss it when I move back. I'll have to have thicker skin when I move back, for sure!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/MPyDV-living_tokyoMon, 05 Jul 2021 23:21:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/MPyDV-living_tokyohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/GyWDa-living_tokyoIs your kitchen sink looking a little stained? Are calcium and soap deposits tingeing the surface of your sink white?I got the chance to try out a "hack" from a guy on TV that I saw a year or so ago. I'm not sure how I remembered it, but the results were pretty good. Say hello to your new friend:The used daikon!If you eat this regularly, it's a good idea for some money-saving. Of course, it's probably less convenient than if you use conventional cleaners, but still, waste not, want not.Here's a photo of what the sink I was working on looked like before.Moistening the cut surface of the daikon, I simply scrubbed the surface of the sink with it. Here's a photo of the same spot after.The guy on TV said (or probably said, my Japanese ability only let me catch some keywords) that this helps get rid of long-term stains too. Unfortunately, I was unable to get coffee stains out of the sink, so this might be limited to soap scum and other residues.Next time you have a bit of daikon that you plan on throwing out, perhaps give it a shot and see if you like the results!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/GyWDa-living_tokyoSun, 27 Jun 2021 21:51:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/GyWDa-living_tokyohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/GbPWE-living_shopping_shibuya_ku_tokyoI have recently started going back to dance practices, and one of the places I go to is located in Shibuya. It has been roughly a year and a half since I last visited, and I can say that the place has changed a lot in that time.The first difference I encountered was the updated station itself. Exits are a lot more confusing now that they have expanded and shifted the pathways underground. It still seems like there is construction going on, so I wonder what the final labyrinth will look like. The exit I usually go out of, the Hachiko exit, took me a bit of finding, even though it was just at the end of the platform. Seeing the gates rearranged and expanded also confused me for a bit.Getting out of the station and wandering around a bit, I was in awe at how many people still came out to Shibuya. It seemed that there were even more people than before coming out. In thinking about it, though, it could be that everyone simply decided to go home at the same time, seeing as I made it out of the station just after 8 pm. This was the time when Tokyo's dining and izakayas were slated to close due to the coronavirus, for those who don't know at the time of reading this.The biggest change I encountered on my first time returning to the area was the new shopping building curiously called Miyashita Park (pictured.) Of course, the shops inside were closed when I visited, but there were still many people hanging around the area. This building was a big change for me because it stood in the same spot where a drunk guy tried to fight me years ago. Interestingly, the graffiti-decorated tunnel of bike parking remained, so I had some confirmation that this was where my memory took place.I'm not sure who is going to be out in Shibuya after not visiting for a length of time, but if you do go, prepare yourself for some large updates!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/GbPWE-living_shopping_shibuya_ku_tokyoSun, 13 Jun 2021 21:05:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/GbPWE-living_shopping_shibuya_ku_tokyohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/MpYxQ-food_tokyoI haven't had Mister Donut in a long time. My usual order is a glazed old fashioned and a coffee, but this month they have the matcha specials. Curious, I decided to try a couple out.The first one I tried came in its own box. It had some red bean and mochi sandwiched in the middle, kind of like a green bagel with cre cheese. Of course, it tasted nothing like that. It was not bad, but I was not a fan of the texture. I felt the donut and mochi textures didn't match my preferences.The second one I tried was a white chocolate topped matcha donut. This one was less complicated, but much more enjoyable. The first bite of it was really good, but its flavour is easily overpowered by coffee. I don't think these matcha donuts were meant to go with coffee.There are some other matcha donuts, but I think I've satisfied my curiosity now. The matcha donuts aren't bad, but to me, they aren't worth the extra hundred or so yen each.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/MpYxQ-food_tokyoFri, 11 Jun 2021 22:11:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/MpYxQ-food_tokyohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/MxWB8-living_tokyoTaken from the Immigration Services of Japan websiteAfter having recently moved (for the second time since I came to Japan), I had to change my address by myself. Changing the postal address at the post office was not a big deal, and I somehow got through the interaction at the ward office. We know that Japan is at the top when it comes to customer service.Yet, for some reason, I had to change my address for the Japan Post Bank as well. I didn't know this, so I had to go on a different occasion. The last time I moved, I had my ex-girlfriend help out with the procedure, but now, I was on my own. My Japanese improved enough to catch the gist of what the staff was saying to me, but I still struggled with the procedure. Despite this, I got through the whole process.Unfortunately, they rejected my paperwork. They said that they could not use the zairyu card I gave them because it was damaged. Weird, because it was in the same state as it was the last time I changed my address. A letter on my last name had rubbed off. I had spent an hour doing the paperwork and went home with nothing to show for it.In the end, I started to carry the card in a plastic sleeve in my wallet, to prevent further damage to it. It seems that the printing on the card is done on its plastic surface, as opposed to the card itself and then covered over with the film. Despite the fact that the information on the card was still readable, and my face was on it, I suppose staff here will always follow proper procedure.You'd think after living here for four years I would have ingrained the idea in my head by now!Anyway, the purpose of this post was to remind readers that you should probably take better care of the zairyu card. Avoid having it exposed to other cards, and have it in its own section wherever you keep it. Also avoid any exposure to leather, rubber, or other abrasive surfaces. The wallet I keep the card in is made of fake leather, so I do think that the card rubbed with the wallet material while it was in my pocket.This card is quite important, but somehow also very susceptible to damage. If you think you're taking good care of it, it's always a good idea to check how you do it, just in case.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/MxWB8-living_tokyoMon, 07 Jun 2021 18:46:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/MxWB8-living_tokyohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/MEArP-living_tokyoI got caught in a delay after working today. The notice from JREast's website said it was due to a "human-related injury." This was on a line that was infamous for said incidents, and it was the second (maybe even third) time it happened this week.And the first thought I had was, "again?"I hated it.When I first came to Japan I thought I would never end up thinking like that, yet here I am. I was more concerned with the inconvenience rather than the harm to someone.I'm even writing about it in the public domain. Is this even ethical?But it made me think of how frequent such an event happens here in Tokyo, especially now, just before the start of a new fiscal year. It was a moment, four years into living in Japan, that made me realize the difference in mentality here.And it made me realize that I do have to be aware of how the local environment can change me.As a parting note, if you're going through things and you have Japanese ability, there are mental health clinics around. English speaking clinics are harder to find and are more expensive, but it's better to harm your wallet than yourself, I think.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/MEArP-living_tokyoTue, 16 Mar 2021 22:13:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/MEArP-living_tokyohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/GQKjq-living_food_tokyoJust one of the many types of faux food sets.My little brother had a birthday back in the home country, and since he liked making things, my girlfriend suggested sending several mini faux-food kits. These things look like miniature versions of regular food such as sushi, hamburgers, or takoyaki.They're meant for kids, and the instructions on how to make them were all in Japanese, so my girlfriend and I went on to make our own manuals to send back to my family with the meal kits.These kits took a surprising amount of work, requiring the microwave and some precise measuring of water. The takoyaki set saw us mixing water with some powder to create a pair of fake octopus tentacles, then pouring in a thick mixture of batter in a small plastic tray before throwing the whole thing into the microwave. Surprisingly, the takoyaki turned out well. While the texture left something to be desired, the flavour was quite close to the real thing.The finished takoyaki set.In terms of texture, the fake sushi set was impressive in its replication of rice. All of the sets only came with trays and powders, so naturally, the rice was created from mixing a specific amount of water with the provided powder. The result was a mochi-like chunk of white food. The salmon that was made from this set was also interesting because it had a gelatinous texture, although not quite as close to the real thing as the rice was.Most impressive was the fish roe. We had to make a mixture and use a dropper provided to place small droplets into a solidifying agent. The resulting balls looked and felt like the real thing.Making the fake roe.Understandably, the set didn't use fish, and fake fish flavours probably wouldn't go over so well, so the creators opted to go with a fruit flavour palette for this set.In any case, if you're looking for a gift idea for a younger person with a bit of a hands-on personality, these sets might be a good candidate.The finished sushi set.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/GQKjq-living_food_tokyoFri, 12 Mar 2021 10:21:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/GQKjq-living_food_tokyohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/Mv8NE-living_medical_tokyoPhoto by Thirdman from PexelsA while back I had to go to the hospital to get my stomach checked out. I was having some stomach pains that caused some concern for my girlfriend and her family.I'm not fond of hospitals, mostly because I absolutely hate waiting. If you've been to a Canadian hospital, a visit can take quite a bit of time. This was still true with my visit to the hospital in Japan, but at least it was relatively comfortable. Hospital staff were very accommodating to foreign people and the seating is ordered. In the waiting areas, there are numbers assigned to the people waiting, and a monitor at the front of the screen notifies patients of which doctor they will go to, in which room. Of course, being accompanied by a native Japanese speaker provided some peace of mind too, and it definitely smoothed out the process.The staff had varying degrees of English ability but they all tried very hard to communicate directly to me. I remember the doctor I was seeing would make sure he directed all of his questions directly to me, and then direct his attention to my girlfriend when she translated for me. This doctor got me set up for a gastroscopy, for which I had to come back on another day. I was given the choice of going under or taking the camera conscious. Since I was curious to see the procedure, I chose to take it while conscious, to the surprise of both the doctor and my girlfriend.On the day of the gastroscopy, I was led to a clinic chair by a nurse who, in the general Japanese fashion, downplayed her strong level of English ability. She gave me a numbing gel to hold in my throat for about two minutes before I was told to move to a waiting room, where I sat until I was called into the testing room.In the testing room, I was greeted by the camera operator in fluent English. Accompanying him were two female nurses and one guy who I assumed to be a trainee. One of the nurses laid me down on the bed and set up some paper towels under my head. The other took my shoes and got the camera ready. While all of this was happening, the operator told me what was going to happen and advised me to try not to swallow.The camera operator gave me a countdown, then gently inserted the camera into my mouth. I'll save you the detailed description, but it felt as if I was trying to hold in a massive burp the entire time. It wasn't exactly painful, but I suppose the foreign feeling had me in tears. Throughout the whole process, one of the nurses was massaging my back. I still can't decide as of writing this if that was comforting or awkward.When the camera finished its investigation, the operator had me cleaned up and he gave me a rundown of what he saw: nothing! He was great in explaining what the camera images meant, all in English and with hardly any trouble at all.Afterwards, I was sent off to the doctor that set up the gastroscopy. My girlfriend explained the findings and I left feeling relieved. When we finished wrapping up with the doctor, we headed to the payment area.A photo of the payment machine at this hospital.The payment was interesting to me. I had always paid a person when I had visited a hospital in the past, but this hospital had it automated. The payment machine seemed like an ATM; I had to insert a slip into the machine to start the process, and then place money into a receptacle to pay. It was a very smooth, intuitive process and I went home feeling like I had a good experience.To end this post, my experience of a Japanese hospital was a very good one, and they are very accommodating of foreign people. As an additional piece of information, don't try to take a gastroscopy without anesthesia if you have the choice. Interesting experience, but definitely not fun.Thanks for reading!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/Mv8NE-living_medical_tokyoMon, 08 Mar 2021 13:00:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/Mv8NE-living_medical_tokyohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/wZ62v-food_tokyoI'm not particularly fond of lemon sours. I don't usually like lemon-flavoured drinks, for that matter. The ones I've had tend to taste like battery acid and have a stronger alcoholic taste to them or accentuate the lemon flavour such that the drink tastes like I'm sucking straight from a lemon.Kirin's lemon sour, however, somehow manages to hit the sweet spot in between. It's managed to taste just like lemonade, even though it has 7% alcohol content. If you're looking for a decent, lemon-flavoured drink, this one might be up your alley.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/wZ62v-food_tokyoMon, 08 Mar 2021 12:06:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/wZ62v-food_tokyohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/MJO2k-living_tokyoOne of the things I used to get fussy about was the amount of packaging on Japanese products. Why does something have to be packaged in three layers of plastic bags?!Although there seems to be less packaging these days, there is still one piece of packaging that I feel is a godsend for medium-sized purchases: attachable plastic handles. Depending on your perspective, they might not be packaging at all, but I've categorized them as such because they become part of the package once you make your purchase.I bought a new printer some time ago. While it wasn't particularly heavy, it was cumbersome to lug around. It was awkward to have to carry it on the train for about twenty minutes. Thankfully, the staff at the store had a handy machine to help out the customer.This machine wrapped plastic straps around the box at strategic places as guided by the staff. It melted the straps together, forming the structure that would support the temporary plastic handle. This last bit was attached manually, its hooks latching onto the plastic straps.This isn't the first time I've seen this machine in action, but I am grateful to see it used every time. It saves a lot of effort and prevents sore muscles in odd, unexpected places!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/MJO2k-living_tokyoThu, 04 Mar 2021 01:29:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/MJO2k-living_tokyohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/wm18g-food_tokyoI came across an unusual can while I was shopping. It looks like this:This smug visage caught my eye on the liquor shelves. Since it was a lot flashier than everything else on it, I had to pick it up. Looking on the other side of the can, I saw this:Nineteen percent. And I assume that's alcohol content.Alright, I thought, I've had Everclear and absinthe before. I can take the burn.But it wasn't the burn that made it a horrible experience, it was its horrible flavour. In my experience, the strong liquor I have consumed was relatively tasteless, with the burn being the only unpleasant factor. This drink managed to make that experience even more unpleasant. I didn't know what I was expecting in terms of taste, but I certainly wasn't expecting the taste of rusted metal.All in all, if you ever see this thing and you're curious about how this thing tastes, go find a metal fence somewhere and lick it. That's what you'll be missing out on if you choose not to pick this up.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/wm18g-food_tokyoMon, 01 Mar 2021 15:04:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/wm18g-food_tokyohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/z36q9-living_food_tokyoI have been incredibly lazy as of late.Well, maybe not lazy, but disorganized.What makes this a relevant piece of information? It's because this means I have had little time to get decent food. That, in turn, means I've settled on McDonald's many, many times.And recently, they've been selling a burger that they have returned from the past: the Chicken Tatsuta burger.I'm not a fan of the burger itself. This post isn't even about the qualities of the burger, but rather, the characters that are associated with it.During a recent visit to McDonald's, it was explained to me what the connection was. You see, "Tatsuta" is a style of frying similar to kara-age that results in a lighter outer surface of the piece of chicken. This is what is used for the patty of the McDonald's Tatsuta burger.The characters on the menus and signs for the burger are from a high school baseball manga from the 1980s called "Touch." This intellectual property spawned an anime series, five films, and two live-action films.In its era, it was a big thing, so it was only natural for McDonald's marketing team to find the connection between "tatsuta" (タツタ) and "touch" (タッチ). The phonetics were close enough for the campaign to make at least a little bit of sense to people, even if it is a bit random to us ex-pats and those ignorant to anime.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/z36q9-living_food_tokyoFri, 26 Feb 2021 00:25:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/z36q9-living_food_tokyohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/MAynq-living_tokyoI work on Saturday mornings, and I usually end up arriving to work early, ending up waiting in the outdoor stairwell on the fifth floor. With a coffee in hand, I surveyed the nearby rooftops. Most of them had something curious in common. If you've come from a place where it doesn't snow so much, and you've come to Tokyo (or someplace further north in Japan, I assume), you might have seen these things before:Even though I'm from Canada, I'm from the one part that the rest of the country makes fun of for not knowing anything about snow. So, I didn't know what these were either. Using the power of Google, I did some research.These things are called snow guards, and they are kind of important in areas with high pedestrian traffic, such as Tokyo. Snow guards are there to ensure that heavy snow won't avalanche onto unsuspecting people or property below. The fall of the winter precipitation gets controlled to smaller amounts, decreasing the chances of injury or damage. There are a few variations of their design, but the common ones I've found were L-shaped sheets of metal arranged in two rows.It's quite a simple concept, but I was a bit confused as to why so many buildings in Tokyo have them. Snow doesn't happen so often here, only having seen it pile up once in the four years I've stayed here. I suppose that people prefer to be safe than sorry.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/MAynq-living_tokyoTue, 26 Jan 2021 23:11:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/MAynq-living_tokyohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/w2qEb-food_tokyoIn case you haven't noticed, Mister Donut shops have been busy recently. This month they started selling a collection of six donuts in collaboration with chocolatier Pierre Marcolini. Apparently a big name, these donuts sell out fast, with smaller shops running out of stock within hours of opening.I knew these facts, but I didn't understand the significance of any of this when I lined up this morning.I accompanied my girlfriend to a busier area of Tokyo to provide her with moral support while she visited the doctor for a routine check-up. I wasn't allowed to wait with her for social distancing reasons, so I decided to wait at a nearby Mister Donut. There were about seven people already lined up, and I knew this particular branch didn't have a lot of seats, so I lined up to save myself a seat. I picked up all six of the seasonal donuts, knowing my girlfriend wanted to try one, but not knowing which one she wanted to try. When I met her later on, she told me that it was a fairly difficult thing to pull off, buying all six together.In any case, these were the six:Fondant Chocolat - ChocolatFondant Chocolat - Caramel Fondant Chocolat - Framboise Fondant Chocolat - HazelnutDanish Chocolat - Framboiseand Danish Chocolat - Hazelnut.If you're ignorant like me, fondant chocolat refers to the donuts with a molten centre, and if you don't know french so much, framboise is raspberry. So, the fondant donuts have chocolate, caramel, hazelnut cream, or raspberry jelly in the centre. The danishes are heart-shaped sandwiches with chocolate whipped cream and either raspberry jelly or hazelnut cream in the centre. Since this is a collaboration with a chocolatier, these donuts all use chocolate dough as their base. To really emphasize the chocolate, the fondant donuts have a layer of dark chocolate on the bottom.I'm not so fond of chocolate donuts, but the raspberry and caramel fondant donuts were very good. I probably won't be buying these again, but if I can enjoy these donuts without being too partial to their standard version, they're probably worth buying for chocolate lovers. A fair warning though: the caramel and chocolate fondant donuts are incredibly sweet, so I do recommend getting something to wash it down if you're not such a sweet tooth.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/w2qEb-food_tokyoMon, 25 Jan 2021 15:48:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/w2qEb-food_tokyohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/GWOyx-food_tokyoTokyo takoyaki is a bit different from Osaka takoyaki. Anyone from Osaka will probably say that the takoyaki here in Tokyo isn't really takoyaki because it isn't as soft as they think it should be - the outside of a Tokyo takoyaki is a bit crispy.Anyway, Gindaco is the one place I know that you can find anywhere in Tokyo. They have four items on the menu: classic, green onion, cheese mentaiko, and teritama. I don't know what the teri part of the last one is, but as the tama part says, it's egg on top of the takoyaki. Gindaco has a seasonal variation out at the moment: cheese consomme.I don't really recommend it.It's one of the saltiest things I've had in Japan. I believe the consomme part is very overpowering and it's the strongest flavour in the package. I think the cheese added to the saltiness as well and the savoury part of its flavour didn't come out.If you're looking for a snack, you have better choices.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/GWOyx-food_tokyoMon, 04 Jan 2021 11:04:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/GWOyx-food_tokyohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/zKPKD-medical_suginami_ku_tokyoA while back, I posted a review on a particular dental clinic in Tokyo's Asagaya area. It was my first visit to a dentist in Japan, and I have to say that the experience there gave me a very good impression of Japan's dental care. It was so good that it became one of the factors that made me consider staying in Japan for the rest of my life! Here's more or less how my experience turned out:I was there on a regular check-up. When I arrived, the front staff got me set up with a new account with them. They gave me a card specifically for this clinic. The staff didn't seem to know much English, but I knew enough to navigate and had a native Japanese speaker accompany me for good measure.Once I finished up with the paperwork, I was led to the largest room in the back where Dr. Kansaku checked on the status of my teeth. He took a look around and gave me a quick x-ray on one section of my mouth, then gave his advice and information on what the clinic can do, all in English. After I decided on what I wanted, he called in the dental hygenist. There was an awkward silence between the three of us, as the hygenist didn't know much English, but Dr. Kansaku broke the ice with a chuckle. "Go, talk!" he said to the hygenist.To her credit, Nakaya-san (I think that was the name on her name tag; I can't read kanji too well) tried her best to communicate with me what she was doing every step of the way. Her work was a lot better compared to my experience with dental cleaning in Canada. I didn't feel any pain whatsoever, whereas the clinic I used to visit would always leave me walking out with smarting gums.I had to come back for a second visit a couple of weeks after for a more thorough cleaning. There was no paperwork on my second visit, and the front staff simply took a look at my card before I waited for my turn to go in. I didn't wait long and Nakaya-san brought me into a smaller room to do a more thorough cleaning.There was another difference between my experience in this clinic and that of my previous one. In the last clinic I used to visit, I would often be asked to hold onto some of the equipment while the specialists did their work. I was so accustomed to it that it had become a reflex whenever I went for a routine cleaning. Nakaya-san, however, looked like she nearly had a heart attack when I instinctively reached for the suction tube when she gave me the fluoride.After checking my teeth for cavities with a fancy laser (which was a completely new thing for me,) I was booked for an appointment three months later and sent off on my way. The best part of it all was the cost of it - the cost of each visit was about half of what I would have paid in Canada under my last company! I paid about 1,640 yen here, while I paid something like 3,500 yen in the last clinic.Needless to say, with this experience, I am fairly confident in saying that the Japanese people really do take care of their teeth. And I say that as a person who witnesses the lunchtime rush around the sink for time to brush teeth.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/zKPKD-medical_suginami_ku_tokyoMon, 09 Nov 2020 17:00:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/zKPKD-medical_suginami_ku_tokyohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/G0vDr-living_urayasu_shi_chibaCompliance fatigue has hit me at full force. After months of hiding in my apartment like I have an international bounty on my head, I've broken my streak of following advisories.And I went to Tokyo Disneyland, of all places.I was expecting the park to be a hotbed of viral activity, with hundreds of people congregating in one area. This was especially true since they had just opened a new area: the beauty and the beast village and castle.But the park seemed to manage the visitors quite well. They lowered the sales limit on tickets and had a temperature check at their security gate. The new attractions were also controlled by a lottery system on the Disneyland app.The regular attractions had extra staff controlling the line, pointing people to wait at certain points and making sure that groups stayed together in manageable sizes. I was in a group of four, and every time we were given our own space. Attractions that used cars made sure we were the only ones in the car, where possible. Splash Mountain, for example, had the four of us in our own car. In attractions that had multiple seating, there were empty seats to space out the groups.Eateries that were open in the park also followed the empty seat strategy. Every other table was labelled off-limits and the registers had shorter operating hours. Even popcorn stalls had operating times that made it so that not too many were in operation at the same time. Some places didn't open at all, such as the egg roll stand in Toontown.I do question if any of this matters though. While the staff did their best to control the crowd, there was a good chunk that just didn't care about the social distancing thing. The new areas were also very crowded, so I wonder if the distancing measures have any effect.My group managed to get into the new Beauty and the Beast area. The waiting area was very immersive and it was like you were going on tour in the Beast's castle. There was even a cinematic introduction to the ride in an open atrium (in Japanese of course,) where squares were taped onto the floor to indicate where guests should stand.The ride itself was a lot like Pooh's Hunny Adventure, where you board a vehicle fitted with clear partitions to keep the distancing thing in effect, and you ride through a course following a story. The Beauty and the Beast course had elements of animatronics and holograms, and it was a delight to follow even if it was all in Japanese.The other parts of Disneyland that are lottery-based include the new Baymax ride and a meet and greet with Minnie. The Baymax ride didn't seem all that great, in my opinion, but there was a significant lineup for it. The ride looked like it consists of going around in a circle and listening to music, but since I didn't experience it firsthand, there may be some other aspects that make the ride better.All in all, despite the pandemic, Disneyland still seems to be going strong. Attendance is still consistent and the park is still being updated. It seems that business is still sustainable for the park runners.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/G0vDr-living_urayasu_shi_chibaWed, 28 Oct 2020 12:40:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/G0vDr-living_urayasu_shi_chibahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/MgaQB-living_tokyoIf you've been in Japan for an extended period of time, you've probably seen one of these election boards in your neck of the woods. Maybe you've looked at them and then promptly ignored them. Maybe you're a bit curious about them.I was certainly part of the latter. So, in my infinite boredom and ignorance, I went ahead and polled my students about its purpose and how the numbering works. Funny enough, the majority of people I asked didn't have much information to share about this board.The one in the picture above was for Tokyo's governor election, and you'll notice that the incumbent, Koike-san, is in the second position. We know she was reelected into office, so it's quite apparent that the numbering on this thing isn't a by popularity. From what my students have told me, it's really just an advertising board. It's a list of the candidates for whatever number of people running for office, and the numbering is based on who buys which position.And it seems that there is a strategy to these positions. Koike-san, I've been told, was smart to buy the second position. According to a student that was particularly invested in the election, the number two position is the most eye-catching for people that cared about this board. I've also been told that the centre of the board is more attention-grabbing, and that's why the edges tend to be the last to be filled.So there you go. Hopefully, your curiosity has been satisfied and my month of interviewing unsuspecting students was validated!Thanks for reading!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/MgaQB-living_tokyoMon, 31 Aug 2020 15:41:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/MgaQB-living_tokyohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/z830a-food_tokyoI haven't written in a while on this site, largely due to several major events in Japan and North America.So, I find it really odd that the thing that made me come back to writing here was a cookie flavour.I recently saw two flavours of cookies that I've never seen before. They were by a brand that I've come to trust since I moved to Japan. Here's a photo of the two flavours:I thought they would be interesting to try since they were on sale for about 200 yen a pack. The opportunity cost was fairly low, I thought, and I absolutely love mint chocolate ice cream (don't judge me!)It turns out that the flavour only works on ice cream. The common complaint I hear about mint chocolate ice cream is that it tastes like toothpaste. That's absolutely true for this cookie. I felt like I took a hardened chunk of Colgate and shoved it into my mouth.The other flavour, houjicha latte, was only marginally better. With latte in its name, you'd think that it would have a creamy taste to it. It actually does, but it's overpowered by the taste of the green tea. If it was just green tea flavoured it would have been alright, but because the hint of dairy was on the palette, it really made it unappealing and just plain odd.There you go. If you ever come across these two things, understand that there's a reason they're discounted. My encounter with them gave me an impression strong enough to find the time to complain about them.If you made it all the way through, thank you for reading!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/z830a-food_tokyoWed, 05 Aug 2020 16:04:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/z830a-food_tokyohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/MdveO-living_tokyoPhoto from Twitter at @FromKytoTokyoGeorge Floyd's death at the hands of some police officers has sparked discussion and action all over the globe. The protests in the Western world are not exactly news by now; the coverage for the general chaos that has been occurring has been plastered all over the internet. They're even covered in Japanese news broadcasts.So why am I making this post?Simply put, I just wanted to make an observation in the areas of Japanese life that I have experienced. The protests seem to be having an effect here in Japan as well.I'm going to be forward and say that there are people in Japan that can be incredibly ignorant in regards to other cultures. I've heard some (and I want to stress, SOME) of my students marvel at how everything is big in North America, comment on how Filipinos are always friendly no matter what happens, and complain about how Chinese people are loud and obnoxious. Sometimes, they can really take the cake with their ignorance.And one of the baffling things that quite a few people are ignorant about is black culture. As an observer, the portrayal of black people by the Japanese entertainment sphere appears to be one of novelty and triviality. Did you ever catch Hamada-san's Eddie Murphy bit?How about this ill-advised and poorly-informed segment on the George Floyd protests?I'm marginally involved with Japan's street dance scene. The black people that I know in this scene have, at best, a discomfort for how they are portrayed and how ignorant Japanese dancers are of the origins of the very dance styles they take part in. I've seen some dancers put on blackface as part of their routines in competitions. Last year, an event in Osaka caused a bit of outrage in the international street dance community for parroting 'the gangsta life.'I did some censoring. I'm not going to put derogatory terms on this domain, and I'm certainly not going to advertise names.But it seems that times are changing. The protests have made their way to Japan, and while the participants are mostly foreign people, I can see some Japanese faces in photo coverage of the marches as well.Photo from Twitter by @discocigs, taken from this linkOn a smaller scale, I've also been involved in transcribing an interview with someone considered to be a leader in the dance world of Japan. This person is involved with the organization of Japan4BlackLives, and they recently held an online panel discussion over Zoom about the issues of African-Americans. Over a thousand people joined across Japan and the discussion was translated in real-time into Japanese.Changes seem to be happening, and the younger generation of Japanese people seem to at least be interested in moving that change forward.If you've read this far, thank you for reading.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/MdveO-living_tokyoWed, 17 Jun 2020 01:22:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/MdveO-living_tokyohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/MqRv4-living_fashion_medical_tokyoSome time ago I wrote a small list of suggestions of what you could do to while away the time. One of those things I listed was making a mask. So, as a follow-up, I figured I'd write about how my girlfriend and her mother make their masks.This how-to will create a mask with a pocket inside where a filter layer can be placed. It uses a paisley bandana for the outer layer cloth, gauze for the inner lining, a supermarket twist-tie for the wire support, and elastic string for the ear loops. The gauze was folded over to provide thickness. These materials can be changed.Step 1) Cut out some pieces of cloth in a similar shape to that of the picture. You're going to want to cut four pieces: two pieces of heavier cloth to form the outer side, two pieces for the lining. To help, there are some dimensions in the next few pictures. Add 5mm of cloth on all the edges for a larger size.Step 2) Stitch together the outside pieces about 7-8 mm away from the edge of the curved edge. Do the same for the lining layers. These stitches will face the inside later.Step 3) Cut towards the stitch for both assemblies at roughly 1 cm intervals. This is to allow the final piece to be flipped inside out.Step 4) Take the excess cloth that you used for the outer layer and cut two strips of roughly 2x1 cm in dimensions. These strips will be the anchors for the wire that will be stitched in.Step 5) Curve the wire to follow the peak where the fabric is stitched. Place the wire about 1.5 cm away from the edge.Step 6) Take the strips that you have just cut and fold them over the ends of the wire.Step 7) Stitch the wire and its anchors onto the lining assembly using a zigzag stitch. Make sure not to hit the wire with the needle.Step 8) Next, take the sides of the lining assembly and cut a strip off 1.5 cm from the edge of both sides.Step 9) After the strips are cut off, measure another 1.5 cm from the resulting edge at both sides. Fold this amount of cloth towards the centre twice.Step 10) Stitch the centre of the flaps to secure it.Step 11) Take the cloth that is meant for the outside and line it up with the inside layer. The areas where you have cut at intervals in step 3 should be facing away from each other. Stitch the top and bottom edges together. Use a reverse stitch if you are using a sewing machine.Step 12) Flip the whole thing inside out. You will have the outside layer sticking out of the sides.Step 13) Fold the extra fabric 1.5 cm from the end. Do this twice. Make sure that this fold doesn't enter the opening.Step 14) Stitch the edge of the fold closest to the opening. Don't stitch the middle of this fold.Step 15) Take a safety pin or some other hook to pull through the centre of the fold a string that will act as your earloops. This recipe uses elastic strings.Step 16) Tie the string together to your preference.There's your mask! In the pocket, my girlfriend and I have been putting a sheet of kitchen paper to act as the filter. I'm not a doctor, though, so I'm not sure if this is medically advisable.Stay safe and thanks for reading!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/MqRv4-living_fashion_medical_tokyoSun, 03 May 2020 11:41:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/MqRv4-living_fashion_medical_tokyohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/GOW3v-living_tokyoThe product of an extended period of time staying home.With the international pleas to stay home, a lot of people across the map have been keeping themselves indoors. People have been doing all sorts of things at home in the western world. Here in Japan, the activities available to us are a bit different, isn't it? If you've chosen to stay inside it can be mentally draining. Yet, I've somehow kept myself from going crazy and peeling the paint off of my walls from boredom. Here's some stuff that my girlfriend and I do that might just keep you focused on something:1) SewingMy girlfriend and her mom have been sewing together masks like crazy. They're almost at a factory level of production at this point, making about fifteen to twenty masks a day. The most impressive part is that they do it like it's nothing. I haven't tried it myself, but it looks like they have it down to a system. There are a bunch of recipes for these things available online, so trying one of those tutorials might be good.2) Learning somethingThankfully, we live in an age of information. There's so much informative content out there now that it can actually be overwhelming. There are apps available on the smartphone or on the internet where you can sign up for a course for free. I've been learning about programming and squeezing in Japanese from these apps. It wouldn't be a bad idea to learn something from a digital library like a wizard in the cyber-age.Coursera and Udemy are good platforms for learning. They have free courses as well as paid courses available.3) WritingWe all bloggers here right? We all write either for our entertainment or for a little side hustle.But I'm not talking about that kind of writing. What about keeping a journal? Or even fictional writing? I've challenged myself a few times in the past few weeks by giving myself five randomly generated words and trying to write a story out of it. There are also writing prompts all over the internet that can help jog your imagination.I'm also chipping away at a novel that I'm not shameless enough to plug it. My point is, something creative goes a long way.4) Learn to DanceSpeaking of something creative, why not take a dance class? If you have an Instagram account, this is incredibly easy to get information on. Recently, a lot of street-style dancers have started offering dance classes online via Zoom, a video conferencing app available on both the computer or smartphone. Most of these dancers are offering the classes for free, but some are asking for a fee of $10 or something equally cheap.There are a lot of dancers out there, so if you've got Instagram, some digging would give you some good results. Starting with the hashtag #onlinedanceclasses is a good way to go about it. Instagram should give you some alternative hashtags to help you search.4) Playing gamesMy girlfriend and I have a gaming console, and I'm sure many readers do as well. It's a fairly common item these days, isn't it? Something we both enjoy doing is playing games together, and anything with couch co-op capabilities is a good thing to do. I'm going to go ahead and plug Overcooked 2 for this section because it's a great team-building game revolving around the idea of cooking food and serving it as a team. It's also incredibly challenging, so there's a lot of game time that can be poured into it if you don't devolve into fighting.Another game that's popular right now is Animal Crossing: New Horizons (あつまれ どうぶつの森) and it's one of the most relaxing things to play. You build and customize your own island in this game, and there are seasonal events that take place.5) Learning to cookI'm a terrible cook. I've tried to use this time to learn how to cook things from different recipes I found on the internet. I've also tried to learn what my girlfriend cooks when she does. Both of us are students in the art of culinary arts, so maybe it's a case of blind leading the blind, but her stuff turns out way better than mine.Before the stay at home request hit, we managed to pick up a cookbook in Japanese. This one taught us how to make various healthy side dishes to last a week. If you don't have access to a recipe book, the internet is always a good option. I've found that Googling okazu yields some good results, but anything you want to cook is fair game!Naturally, this is just what my girlfriend and I do, so there are tons of other activities you can do. Maybe you do something I don't!Thanks for reading!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/GOW3v-living_tokyoWed, 29 Apr 2020 10:29:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/GOW3v-living_tokyohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/MnxxE-living_tokyoThe old apartment after I "cleaned" it.I recently moved to a new apartment outside of Tokyo's 23 wards. The place is much nicer and roomier than my old, box apartment. The room can be divided into two rooms and the building itself is brand new. My only complaint is that it's stupid cold inside.As the title suggests, I actually moved during the period where the Tokyo governor asked everyone to stay home. I'm sorry to say that I didn't, but everybody else seemed to ignore the request as well. There were a lot of people out during moving day, and it felt like it was business as usual for these people.My girlfriend and her mom helped out with the move. Her mom drove large boxes of personal belongings over to the new apartment, leaving me to clean the old room. During cleaning, I found a bunch of other stuff hidden behind appliances that were going to be collected later on by apartment management. I had to bag these smaller items and take them on the train with me to the new place, so I ended up carrying about six small plastic bags onto the train.I'm not sure if it was because of the virus situation or not, but I was stared down pretty hard. I did my best to stay out of everyone's way but the rustling of plastic bags was apparently enough to disturb the peace. On my side, I was a bit annoyed at the other passengers for not staying home. There were a bunch of what I think were university students and elderly people riding in my car.Maybe they were on the way to something important they had to do, but it still bothered me. I guess in my situation it was a case of the pot calling the kettle black. In any case, I think the stress of the current global situation added to the annoyance on both sides.Setting up everything took another day. My girlfriend's dad helped me assemble all of the IKEA furniture that we bought, while my girlfriend and her mom unpacked everything. Throughout the whole time, we had masks on, so physical labour was a bit more difficult from the restricted oxygen intake. I could see it affect my girlfriend's dad, but he didn't complain.All in all, the actual move was as if there was no crisis happening, although there were some minor things that might have differed a bit (I'm not sure if my girlfriend's parents regularly wear masks, but I wouldn't be surprised if they did.)Now the next issue to tackle is paying for rent in this new apartment, with decreased income thanks to the current situation.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/MnxxE-living_tokyoWed, 15 Apr 2020 11:56:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/MnxxE-living_tokyohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/Gl5XX-medical_tokyoI had a bit of a debate with a South African on how to actually wear masks. This made me realize that, unless someone had strong connections to someone who grew up in a Korean, Japanese, or Singaporean culture, masks are probably a baffling piece of daily equipment for the average person. So I did a bit of research and decided to share the optimized method of using the masks (and win my petty debate.)1) Identify the top of the maskThere are a few informatics out there, and they all say that the wire is the top of the mask. This wire may or may not be visible depending on the mask that you have, but you can tell pretty easily where it is as it gives a bit of support. Some masks have text on the cover in print, embossed, or even cut through. Don't trust the orientation of those.Case in point: this text is upside-down.2) Identify the inside of the maskThe inside of the mask is usually the side that is white or uncoloured. However, masks can get pretty fancy with their patterns and aesthetic designs. If you can't tell by the colour, the material should indicate the inside; the inside of the mask is the thinner, fluffier material. The outside of the mask is more dense.The fluffier material is supposed to absorb the moisture that comes out of your face and prevent the spread of contagion in the air. The dense material is for keeping the mask water resistant, so you aren't breathing in any contagion. Technically, wearing the mask inside out would also stop airborne diffusion, but if the absorbent material were outside, your chances of touching a plethora of contagions go up.This is the inside. Thinner material is here.This is the outside. This material is only slightly more dense for this mask.3) Apply fastenersThe common masks sold in Japan are ones with ear loops. Take the mask and handle it by the loops only. Use your ears as hooks to keep the mask on your face.4) Secure the mask on your noseRemember the wire that indicates the top of the mask? That should go over the bridge of your nose. Press the wire down on your face such that the wire follows the outline of your face. This would ideally be the only time you touch the top of the mask.5) Cover your face completelyWith the wire holding onto your face and the ear loops keeping it in place, pull down the bottom of your mask to about the top of your neck. If your mask is a proper size, it shouldn't reach your neck. The point is to keep that area enclosed. This would ideally be the only time you touch the bottom of the mask.That's it. This would be the ideal way to apply a mask. Medical professionals don't recommend touching it ever again unless it's to take it off. Once it comes off, it's best not to reuse it, although in Japan it seems most people do.Thanks for reading, and stay safe!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/Gl5XX-medical_tokyoSat, 04 Apr 2020 18:19:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/Gl5XX-medical_tokyohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/M96m8-living_tokyoThe past weekend saw an unexpected snowfall in Tokyo that really made walking around inconvenient. Despite this and the soft lockdown that the governor had asked for, there were still quite a few people out and about.I've already mentioned in my last post that people were still coming to eikaiwas. I had a shift on Saturday and I was actually busier than I usually would be on a Saturday. Interestingly, most students were of senior age - the demographic that it's actually most at risk with the current situation. Perhaps they wanted a sense of routine? Or maybe they proceed themselves in keeping a commitment despite the looming threat? Either way, I felt that they were too responsible for their own good.In my last post, I also wrote something about hoping for the company to close down the schools for the time being. I've learned since that piece that Tokyo actually subsidizes companies that do close, and that workers are entitled to 60% of a regular salary. Knowing this, I now have a stronger hope that my schools close.However, I went out for an appointment I couldn't cancel on Sunday when there was an inconvenient amount of snow sticking around, and I realized that it might actually be really difficult for Tokyo to go on full lockdown. I assumed that most people in Tokyo were indoors on Sunday, and if that were true, then the people I saw outside were working people or somewhat irresponsible. I imagined that if everyone actually stayed indoors and used online services, the infrastructure might actually be bogged down with the sheer amount of people.Thinking about this, businesses both big and small would be crippled in their operations and not much would be done; servers might just be inundated. I'm pretty sure this is why there is such hesitation for the government to impose such a procedure. But seeing this in my head wasn't enough to convince me that a lockdown was off the table.What really discouraged me from believing a lockdown would happen was how ingrained daily life was for so many people. I've already mentioned students at eikaiwas, but in my area, people were out playing with the snow and others were doing casual shopping. I heard news of someone bring interviewed at Shibuya 109, and she said that the building's closure really brought hardship onto her. Granted, the last news story was paraphrased, so I'm not sure if that's what she really said, but the fact is that there were people out trying to do non-essential activities.With that said, the virus in Tokyo seems to be contained mostly within a certain hospital, so hopefully it doesn't break out.Thanks for reading. Stay safe and wash your hands!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/M96m8-living_tokyoMon, 30 Mar 2020 16:16:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/M96m8-living_tokyohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/GR14g-living_tokyoThe governor of Tokyo has asked for people to stay home over the weekend of March 28th and 29th. A lot of supermarkets were selling large amounts of longer lasting food items such as instant noodles and frozen foods. Bread also seemed to be in short supply as people in metropolitan Tokyo stocked up (or hoarded, depending on your perspective) for their time indoors.So, as someone who isn't really connected to any form of local news except by way of City-Cost, I would have though that a good chunk of people were taking the virus thing seriously. However, it seems that about an equal amount of people don't give a [insert expletive here.]Parks still have a lot of kids running around, teenagers are out and about in groups, an d full-grown adults are out partying or hanging out in izakayas. But most importantly, eikaiwa schools still seem to be operating. People are still attending, and they're letting their kids come in as well.I'm aware that people not taking pandemics seriously are found all over the globe; I've seen pictures of Canadian people still hanging around beaches and photos of Americans gathering around backyards for barbecues, but it seems like eikaiwa students are a different breed of stubborn. These people really want to learn English, and the companies really want their money.This seems like a recipe for an exponential increase of virus cases.Eikaiwa schools are in no way essential services, so I'm personally quite annoyed that we're still asked to go to work. I believe that if the government were to ask my schools to close during these times, my company's employees won't be getting any income either. It's all well and good that I'm getting a somewhat stable income during these times, but it would honestly be nice to have points of propogation close down.At this point, I feel like things are going to get worse. I do hope I'm being paranoid, though.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/GR14g-living_tokyoFri, 27 Mar 2020 19:16:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/GR14g-living_tokyohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/MJP9k-living_tachikawa_shi_tokyoPhoto taken from Wikipedia JapanAs people already know, April is the start of a new fiscal or school year here in Japan. But even with the measures in effect all across the country, there are still "new life" deals going around at the bigger stores. Apart from some slight differences, it seems to be business as usual.IKEA had it's opening hours shortened this past weekend, with customer entry starting at around 11 am. There was already a large crowd waiting at the entrances, and many cars were parked (sometimes illegally) in the nearby area, waiting for the parking lot to open. There were enough people idling around that there were security guards patrolling the area to shoo away people from where they shouldn't be.Yodobashi Camera was in operation as usual. There seemed to be the usual amount of people inside the store nearest to where I live. The only precaution taken by the staff looked to be face masks and not all of the employees looked to be using them. Most of the customers were wearing masks themselves, so perhaps the chances of infection were reduced.The deals both of these stores were good enough to coax people out of homes, from what I could see. IKEA had furniture that was almost half off; one of the best deals I saw at the Tachikawa store was a four-piece dining table and chair set for about 10,000 yen. Yodobashi Camera had a package deal for a washing machine, a microwave oven, and a refrigerator for roughly 80,000 yen for a limited time.Despite the virus scare, it seems people are still after good deals, myself included.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/MJP9k-living_tachikawa_shi_tokyoMon, 23 Mar 2020 11:08:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/MJP9k-living_tachikawa_shi_tokyohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/MYm4m-living_tokyoI'm (un)fortunately still at work with my schools, despite the fact that most students university-aged and younger have cancelled their lessons due to the new virus strain that has the same name as a known beer.The school I work with had sent out masks to all of their locations in an attempt to calm down everyone working and attending lessons. And while I said most students have cancelled, the middle-aged and senior folk haven't. I'm not complaining; I could use the money. However, this does mean that I have a lot of downtime, and I get bored really easily. So I ask about things to my students.As of writing this, all instructors are required to wear them, so it's an easy subject to bring up. I asked a senior man what he thought of the masks.Quite bluntly, he told me the current trend of buying masks is pointless. He said he uses two masks: one of cotton, and the standard medical masks sold over the counter on top. He said he washes the cotton mask after every day and the usual mask he reuses until the end of the week. I thought it was particularly resource efficient.Another person I asked was an actual doctor. This guy was the head of a hospital and runs his own private clinic, so I REALLY wanted to ask him his opinion. He also mentioned that it was a bit of a waste.His opinion was that if I was worried about catching the virus, I was wasting my time wearing one. If I was already infected, then it would be more useful, but even then, he mentioned that washing hands was far more effective than the masks.I also learned that in general, despite how common they are, masks can be seen as rude if talking face to face. Apart from that, I just reaffirmed what I hope is common knowledge: wash hands regularly to avoid contamination, and wash equipment that is used often.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/MYm4m-living_tokyoTue, 17 Mar 2020 22:57:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/MYm4m-living_tokyohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/Mdv2K-living_tokyoDespite recent crises, there are still things that go on as usual. One such thing is White Day. I got Valentine's chocolate from my girlfriend and I thought it was a good idea to observe the cultural idea of giving back on White Day.While I have a lot of experience eating sweets, I have no experience with making any sweets. I tried to shape some white chocolate in the shape of a popular character called Rilakkuma, but I made a very fundamental mistake: I put the chocolate directly into the pot. My ignorant self was really confused at why that happened, and what was supposed to be cute, relaxing bears turned out into miniature zombies.So I kind of panicked. I didn't have other opportunities to try again in secret as we spend a lot of time together, so I went out to try to find something within twenty four hours. I ended up buying a tin of stroopwaffels. I figured anything in an elegant-looking tin would fly.I still didn't think it would be enough. From what I know of White Day reciprocation, what is given back is supposed to be at least three times more in either value or effort, and my girlfriend had given me gourmet chocolates from a French chef. This tiny thing wouldn't cut it.Time was running out for me, and there morning of White Day saw me trying to find something in a department store in a very residential area. The best I could get was a box of chocolate sandwiches from Cozy Corner.I presented these to my girlfriend, who apparently forgot it was White Day. She was happy enough that I tried and she was greatly amused at my carcinogen-laden chocolate bear. Looking back, I guess as an expat in Japan I already did put in three times the effort, but I'm not sure if that's a valid statement.Thanks for reading!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/Mdv2K-living_tokyoSun, 15 Mar 2020 18:02:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/Mdv2K-living_tokyohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/z31pP-living_tokyoI've never really cleaned a washroom before. At best, I've scrubbed some porcelain with a used sponge and called it a day. Recently though, life in Japan has instilled in me the methods of cleanliness.Initially, I had wanted to post this piece with a before and after comparison, as a testament to how different the washroom looks after being cleaned. However, I forgot to take photos of the result, and the before photos by themselves look really disgusting. So I've settled on showcasing the products I used, and the process I went through. So here's what I did the last time I cleaned my washroom:The grossest part of my washroom, arguably, is the floor. Somehow it gets a lot of random particles down there that I don't want to know where they came from. Fortunately, this is easy to clean. A lot of standard Japanese apartments have a sort of mold for the washroom, so many units have a washroom that looks suspiciously like any others. What this means for us is that the floor is usually made of some kind of plastic, not tile or stone. It makes it easy to wipe up using a regular Swiffer-like cleaning sheet.I'm not picking up poop off the floor (I hope,) so this should be sufficient.My apartment is sort of a budget one: a 1R in Japanese apartment classifications. What this means is that it's really a box with a sink in it. By extension, the toilet, sink, and bathtub are all in the same room. Why am I mentioning this? Well, in Japan, most people opt for the toilet actual bathing areas to be in separate rooms. What I have in my apartment is the poverty edition of washrooms in Japan. The advantage of this, though, is that there can be slightly less effort in cleaning.With that sorry self-justification and exposition out of the way, my next step is to set up the bath area for cleaning. I have shampoo and soap bottles set up on the sink, and toothbrushes and other toiletries set up on the toilet cistern, so I temporarily moved all of that out of the washroom and sprayed the sink and bathtub with a cleaning agent. I left the bathtub and sink to soak the cleaning agent while I worked on the toilet.With a brand name like Scrubbing Bubbles, you can be pretty sure it's a cleaning agent.I used to use a traditional plunger toilet scrub, but it was tiny and was equipped with a sponge as opposed to an actual brush. My toilet cleaning with that wasn't very effective. So, I was introduced to this thing:The future is now.This grabby-looking thing requires another bit, and it's the actual cleaning thing. They come in sheets that you have to rip apart to use.The cleaning sheets that you need to tear apart.These things are flushable, and they have their own cleaning chemicals embedded inside each piece. I don't know it affects the environment, but hopefully, Tokyo does something about its sewer water. I at least hope the scrub is degradable. After tearing an individual square off, it gets attached to the handle and off I go cleaning.The future is most definitely now.With the bowl done, the next part is the outside of the toilet, the cistern, and its seat. This part is easy, I just wipe it down by hand. I was given a scented, antibacterial wipe, and it does fairly well with small particles. It at the very least makes the toilet smell a little bit nicer. It's also flushable, so any fecal matter it picks up from the underside of the seat doesn't have to be transported to the nearest garbage bag.Makes your toilet smell like roses. Literally.There's one more step with the toilet. I use a small handle with a tube that squeezes out a chemical into the toilet bowl. The handle has notches so the portions are always exact. The tube has to be replaced when empty, but the recharges aren't too expensive for how often they are used.A magic wand, but for your toilet bowl.It's a sort of sustained cleaning and deodorizing chemical, kind of like a urinal cake, from what I understand. It's applied to the shallow area of the bowl. To show you what it looks like, here's a photo of the inside of the toilet bowl. Don't worry, there's nothing in there!Your toilet cake. You know what I mean.With the toilet done, the cleaning agent would have done its work on the sink and bathtub, so I started scrubbing them down with a sponge thoroughly. This part is pretty much standard, I would assume, as every other washroom in developed parts of the world. Once I got through that and rinsing (I used water for the bathtub, a wet sponge for the sink,) I went ahead and wiped the mirror with another sheet of antibacterial scented wipes. It probably wasn't meant for that, but the wipe took out most of the dirt and left no streaks.The last part for me, was spot-checking for mold. I feel dealing with mold is an uphill battle, so I've accepted that I would never be able to get rid of them completely, especially since I have no means to open the fan vent and clean that out. So, I've resorted to using a small block advertised for mold removal. I just go around spot-checking the walls and scrubbing the mold off with the dampened block.This blue block sort of does the job.It works temporarily, but I find that the mold comes back the next month or so. In any case, I end off with putting everything back in, cleaning out the drain catchers, and letting everything dry off with the washroom fan running.That's it for my washroom cleaning routine. This wasn't too in-depth with cleaning the washroom, but how do you deal with it?Thanks for reading!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/z31pP-living_tokyoWed, 26 Feb 2020 17:14:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/z31pP-living_tokyohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/Mx1mB-living_tokyoFrom Wikimedia Commons.Gokufushudo came out as a live-action recently, and I was quite entertained by it. For those that don't know, the manga follows the main character "Immortal" Tatsu, who is a reformed yakuza member and is now a married house-husband. It's a very out-of-the-ordinary story, yet I can relate to Tatsu in at least one way: his encounters with the police as he goes about his daily, mundane, housekeeping-related errands.The very first time I had an interaction with the police, I was dancing in a popular practice spot near a park. I wasn't the only one there, and the police stopped everyone in the area, so I chalked it up to a random patrol check. The people that were stopped were asked questions and had their bags checked. For me, my limited Japanese prompted them to ask to look at my wallet, and they checked my Zaryuu card (or foreigner ID card.) No problems here, they were just doing their job, I thought.However, this happened frequently, in roughly the same area. It got to the point where I was being checked about one or two times a month. Sometimes I could understand why I was stopped: I was dancing in an area that was closed for the public, or I was alone in a really dark corner of a park, for example. One time I was stopped and asked what my job was in Japanese in a shopping arcade for laughing too loudly wearing a suit with a Chinese-Canadian coworker. Both of us were in suits, so maybe we set off yakuza auras. I learned at some point that a black waistcoat with matching pants paired with a wine-coloured shirt and solid black tie is basically a yakuza uniform here in JapanThose instances made sense, looking back at them, but sometimes the checks didn't. Once, when I used to frequent Shibuya, I was standing by a vending machine, waiting until I finished the drink I had bought before I started walking again when a pair of police officers on patrol singled me out in a relatively dense crowd. I guessed that my clothes at that time screamed at my foreign origins, especially since I was alone in the middle of a lot of Japanese pedestrians. Maybe they thought I was trying to hide from them, I wouldn't know.I was even stopped on Christmas Day one year, by another pair of officers. I saw them down the street about a stone's throw away, and I guess they saw me too as they made a bee-line straight for me. This instance, I tried to weasel my way out of the bothersome interaction, and heavily relied on my lack of Japanese, even if I knew exactly what they were saying. I tried on my most non-Japanese accent and used as difficult English words as I could, but even with the language barrier, they insisted on checking my bags and wallet.These police checks haven't happened to me recently. It could be because I've updated my clothing to be more local, or it could be because of the updated IC chips in the cards that could be scanned by a smartphone. In any case, I at least know what the routine is if it ever happens to me again.Also from Wikimedia Commons.If you get stopped, don't panic. The officers will usually have some level of friendliness (although I heard officers in Fukuoka can be a bit intimidating) when starting the interaction. They will usually pardon themselves for interrupting you when they approach you, and I think this is their way of gauging your character. Once they figure out your level of Japanese through some short exchange, they will ask for your Zaryuu card and ask if it's okay to look through your wallet and bag. The wallet and bag check usually happens simultaneously.If you look particularly suspicious, you might get patted down. It's happened to me almost every other time I was checked, but not always. Hold your arms out to your side and keep your feet at shoulder width. The officers will end the interaction with an apology for taking your time and a thank you for your cooperation after they are satisfied. You can give them an "otsukaresama desu" if you want to be polite, but I find that with any law enforcement in any country, the less you say the better.There are other articles out there on police interactions, but the point is that you don't want to escalate in any way. The process I outlined above seems to be a normal thing, so do try not to be as outraged or annoyed as I was after the fact.You don't want this to happen. From the Yokota Base website.May your police encounters be peaceful and lawful! Thanks for reading!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/Mx1mB-living_tokyoThu, 13 Feb 2020 18:50:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/Mx1mB-living_tokyohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/M9lP2-living_shinjuku_ku_tokyoMy point in making this post was mostly for my own digestion of the information I have uncovered on this topic during my stay in Tokyo. I know many people that have never been to Japan idealize the country, and perhaps believe that homelessness isn't a thing here. But it is definitely a thing here.From Wikimedia Commons: Homeless cardboard shacks in Nishi-ShinjukuThe homeless situation in Japan, specifically Tokyo, is an interesting one. As a foreign person living in Japan, it's difficult for me to determine whether the 'homeless' label is a blessing or an albatross on the neck. In North America, homelessness is without a doubt a difficult situation to be in, but in Japan, I hear mixed stories.As an eikaiwa (English conversation) teacher, I get to meet a lot of people of different ages across many walks of life. I asked my students, from university students to elderly seniors, about homelessness after having been around Shinjuku enough times to see the underside. Specifically, I asked if there were homeless people in Japan, playing the "ignorant foreigner" stereotype. Bafflingly, almost all of the students I asked in private responded in the negative. I only remember maybe one or two people sullenly nod in response to my question.What this tells me is that either most of the people I've talked to are blissfully ignorant, or the Japanese culture's inherent aversion to talking about anything openly negative pushes the issue under the rug to be left to fester.Before writing this post, I did some very cursory research on homelessness in Japan. What I found is that 95% of the homeless population are middle-aged or elderly men, and in that statistic, the senior-aged men are rising in number. I can somewhat attest to that figure. In my two years of living in Japan, I've only ever seen a grand total of two homeless women, and many, many gray-haired men.Where I live just outside the official limits of the Shinjuku ward, there are two elderly men and one woman that I often see in the local park, sleeping on cardboard and sheltering themselves from insects and the wind with blue tarps. If you're ever out at the east side of Shinjuku station past the last train, you'll find rows of cardboard boxes set up next to buildings. The boxes are actually small spaces of privacy for the homeless, cleverly put together to look either like garbage waiting to be collected in the morning or delivered packages left at storefronts.But there is something about the homeless in Japan that might explain, or at least factor into, why the Japanese people I've talked to don't mention homelessness: homeless people are relatively well connected with technology compared to other countries in the world. Many of the people have smartphones with them and some even have their own portable television sets. I've even seen some set-ups in Yoyogi Park with their own radios and hotplates.I've been told that a fraction of the homeless population chooses that lifestyle. With their access to such equipment and the horribly expensive rent prices in Tokyo, it makes a lot of sense. I've actually seen a man in a full business suit, clean and accessorized with a briefcase, crawl into one of the cardboard rooms found out in the streets of Shinjuku. I think it's unlikely, but it is plausible that some people would choose that lifestyle.If you've been in Japan for a while, you've probably tried the internet cafes at one point. They exist to serve as spaces where you can access the internet, read comic books, or play games in a somewhat private setting. These establishments accommodate another class of homeless people unique to Japan: the net cafe refugees. There are a number of documentaries out on the internet on this subject. These people stay in internet cafes for extended periods of time, some for years. Having been a net cafe refugee myself for a few nights, I can easily see how one could resign themselves to this arrangement, especially if someone has lost hope for the society that they are in. However, I do think an extended stay in these cafes would prove detrimental to one's mental health.I've observed the homeless in Tokyo for some time now. My Japanese isn't proficient enough to directly help them, nor am I noble enough to find an indirect way to help them. Even if I did, I doubt they would accept my help anyway. Many of these people put up a wall around them as if walking on a different plane of existence. If you walk in a crowd in Shinjuku, the crowd will flow around the slow saunter of the homeless as if they were rocks in a river. There is a distinct lack of interaction between the homeless and the rest of society, and it is due sentiments from both parties; the homeless don't beg to keep their dignity and avoid being a burden onto others, and the rest of society views them as eyesores that won't pull their weight in Japanese society. My research has given me accounts of welfare offices acting in the same mindsets.I am curious to see how Tokyo will handle this issue with the Olympics coming this year. I do hope they don't do what Vancouver, Canada did and simply sweep them elsewhere, but at the same time, I'm doubtful that they will do something I would see as beneficial in the long run.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/M9lP2-living_shinjuku_ku_tokyoMon, 03 Feb 2020 13:45:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/M9lP2-living_shinjuku_ku_tokyohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/z4ybq-living_food_tokyoThis image is the result of me not knowing how to edit thumbnails on City-Cost.When I first came to Japan, I was worried about having some jet lag from the hop over the pond from Canada. I read that melatonin, a sleeping supplement that supposedly helps by adjusting the body's circadian rhythm, would cause problems at customs on arrival in Japan. I read that melatonin wasn't available in stores, but a bottle of pills would be alright with a doctor's note. I didn't have the time to get the doctor's note, and I didn't want to risk getting barred from the country, so I chose not to bring any on my trip.There are sleeping aids available over the counter without any doctor's subscription. Drewell for example, is one of them. If you do any cursory research, you might come across some scientific words that might intimidate you. Using Drewell as an example again, its main active ingredient is diphenhydramine. This is an antihistamine that can be taken by injection or by pill.That cat does NOT look like he took sleeping aids at all, by the way.My point is, it sounds complicated, and it's the act of taking medicine. I don't mind downing pills, but I would rather not bother myself with the discomfort that comes with swallowing one (or a cocktail of them.) Luckily, there's a chocolate form, and this is where GABA comes into the conversation.GABA stands for Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid. Now you know why most references to it don't mention its full name. This chemical is also produced in the body like melatonin is, and a lack of it is said to create anxiety, insomnia, and high blood pressure. Japan had the idea to put this chemical into chocolate form, and it is readily available in convenience stores. These things are delicious, and even if it is psychosomatic, I do feel relaxed after eating a pack of them. They're common enough to have two flavours: milk chocolate and dark.This is the one you'll find commonly in stores all over the place.There is also a stronger version of the chocolate, advertised for sleep. They come in blue boxes with giant letters in English, "GABA for Sleep." Whenever I stay up too late or just can't get to sleep, I eat three pieces of these and I am sleepy in the next half hour or so. I'm usually awake the next morning feeling like I got a decent quality of sleep. If you look at the back, it does say (in Japanese) that the maximum recommended consumption in a twenty-four hour period is three pieces. This suggests that perhaps one piece, maybe two, would be sufficient for most people.Low-quality photo for proof of realness.That being said, GABA doesn't really have any strong scientific evidence of being effective if taken orally, or even by injection. Arguably, melatonin has the same criticism. Studies have not shown any conclusive evidence of them actually working as supplements, although their presence in the body is confirmed to have the effects of relaxation when produced naturally. Even in anecdotal testimonies, there are a lot of mixed reactions from both random voices on the internet and people I know. The chemicals work for some, and not for others.If you're still interested in trying these, despite the disclaimer paragraph above, these blue boxes containing twelve pieces of sleepy-time chocolate are found in most grocery stores I've seen. Oddly, they're difficult to find in drug stores around my area, so that might be a red flag for some people. So, if you have a few hundred yen to spare, and want to try a not-so-intimidating sleeping aid, the GABA chocolates are available if you look for them. Even if they don't work for you, you'll at least get a chocolate fix instead of a bottle to waste space.Thanks for reading!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/z4ybq-living_food_tokyoFri, 10 Jan 2020 18:32:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/z4ybq-living_food_tokyohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/zK1E2-living_money_tokyoCity-Cost readers are probably aware of LINE points, but for the uninitiated, here's a quick rundown: LINE points are the free currency that you get credited with for doing things. There are other articles here on City-Cost on how to use them, and some of them outline methods on how to get them as you go about your every day activities. I personally use them to get free stickers, but they can be spent other, more useful things as well.However, I haven't seen anything in detail on how to get them without spending a dime. As a disclaimer, they do take a bit of time and effort, so what I do to 'farm' these points is probably not the most efficient. That said, I am a relatively lazy person, and I am not keen on buying anything, so here's what I do to get them.In the LINE app, you can go to the wallet tab to see your current balance of Yen, LINE Coins, and LINE Points. You can also see a lot of other options that are available to you, such as coupons, online shopping, and even insurance. I've personally never used any of these services as my limited Japanese keeps me from taking advantage of them. The only features I've used on this screen is the sticker shop, the theme shop, and the LINE points. Going into the LINE points menu shows you a bunch of ways you can earn points.Option 1: Application trialsFor me, the best option is the application option. This option lets you download featured apps for free and earn points for it. Payouts can be as high as 300 points, or as low as 10. Either way, it's a great way to find new games and apps for free currency. Each app has different conditions for getting points though, and the conditions would all be written in Japanese, so Google Translate is a good friend for this situation if you're as illiterate as I am. Some apps do have multiple day conditions, so be sure to check with Google-sensei often.Option 2: Watch VideosAnother easy way is to simply watch the video advertisements that LINE offers to hand out LINE points for. As of writing this post, there's been a bit of a drought in this field, but there was a time where there were dozens of videos available. The payout for watching these is quite small, however, so it really does feel like a grind watching the videos. Still, if you want to have them running in the background its a really easy way to do it.Option 3: Reading Comics and ArticlesThe third easy way is by reading some comics and articles. I can only read a handful of kanji, and my Japanese vocabulary is limited to the point that my girlfriend thinks I talk like a toddler. In any case, you can access the reading material by tapping on the picture featured on the details page. There's a bit that says 'wait time', but that usually doesn't mean much. Once you go through the material you are given a screen with the option to get points or close. Side note, it can be a good way to practice your reading.The other options available look to be very good, but again, I have very limited Japanese. The 'free' menu looks to be for trials of a service, and I am hesitant with those conditions for gaining points. Trials, in my experience, are a good way for companies to hit you with monthly fees if you're not careful, and I am not the kind of person to dig through the terms and conditions of cancelling a service in English, let alone Japanese. The 'mission', 'quick rewards', and 'big rewards' options look to be more or less the same, but with different conditions for the trial periods. Again, with these menus, Google Translate is your best friend.That's it. That's the run-down of getting LINE points. I know a few people that haven't bothered with these options, mostly because they don't have the time or patience for it, or they have disposable income (another possibility is that they have more self-respect and dignity than I do.) Now you know the ways to get points so you don't have to spend money on stickers or themes. Obviously these methods take some time to be worth it, but in the long run its still good to save a yen here and there.Thanks for reading!This article was originally posted on my personal blog were I also post some mobile game opinions, but I've edited it to be more appropriate for City-Cost.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/zK1E2-living_money_tokyoFri, 20 Dec 2019 10:23:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/zK1E2-living_money_tokyohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/zK122-living_money_howtoWhile Tokyo is a really convenient place to live in, financing is a bit difficult. With interest rates in the negative, it's fairly reasonable for expats to have investments in other countries, and as such, need money transferred internationally. Locally, some money might be owed to another and a direct transfer is the preferred method.Whatever the reason, it's highly probable that people staying in Japan for an extended period will end up with a Japan Post Bank account. Personally, every other banking institution rejected me because I didn't have a hanko (or official stamp seal,) and JP Bank was the only one that didn't care. Unfortunately, that apathy also extends to their ATM service. For some reason, while their ATM's do have an English option, as of November 2019, you still can't make a remittance to an account in a language other than Japanese. Allow me to try to help you through this thing if you know little or no Japanese.Step 1: Finding a Transfer Service (for international transfers)I use a currency transfer service, and it makes it a lot easier to send internationally. This is because I can track the status in English, and I don't have to pay high charges to send directly. Once you find a service that you trust, they will have a Japanese bank account for you to transfer money to. I personally use WorldRemit, but it would be best for you to find a service out there that works for you. A quick list of services I've seen:GoRemitWorldRemitTransferWiseCurrencyFairOFXTorFXStep 2: Starting the Actual ProcessI've highlighted in the next picture the Japanese remittance button. You'll want to touch that to continue on. This is where the actual money-sending starts.Step 3: What Kind of Transfer?The next screen shows you what kind of transfer you want. There's a JPBank to JPBank transfer, something that I can't read in the middle, and the external bank account transfer at the bottom. I use WorldRemit, and they have a Sumitomo Mitsui Bank account, so I choose the external bank account button.You'll be asked to insert a card or bank book to continue. The last time I tried to use a card, my process got terminated, so I recommend using a bank book to make a transfer. Punch in your bank pin number, and you'll find the next step.Step 4: Which Bank to Transfer to?How is your kanji? This part I needed a lot of help with. Luckily, Google Translate had a live translation using my phone's camera, so it was able to pick up Sumitomo's name. It seems that the major banks are all on the left side of the screen.Once you choose which bank you're sending to, the ATM will show you a keyboard of katakana. This screen wants you to choose which phonetic character is at the beginning of the branch name you are going to send to. WorldRemit uses the head branch, which starts off with ホ, so this is what I choose.The next screen is the filtered list of branches with the same phonetic beginning. WorldRemit uses the head branch, so I use the button with 本店.Step 5: Transfer DetailsI legitimately had no idea what was on the screen after choosing which branch to send to the first time, so the first few times I did this, I did through trial and error. I've been told it's what type of account you want to draw from. I only have a regular savings account (普通預金) with JP Bank, so the top button is what I choose. If I were to choose the other buttons, the process terminates and I have to start over again.The next screen after that is a number pad. This screen asks for the account number to send to.Naturally, the next page would be the amount to send.You'll see a page showing you the amount you'll be charged for making the transfer, and the expected completion date of the transfer. Simply touch the button to continue.Step 6: Confirmation DetailsAfter you see how much you're going to be charged, your name in katakana will be shown. I think you can edit this by tapping on the yellow button, but I've never tried. The green button will take you to the next page.I believe this next part is optional. The number pad here is for your phone number, which I believe is so that they can call you if there is a problem.There will be a wall of Japanese that comes next. Press the button to continue, and you'll reach the summary page. You can touch any of the yellow buttons beside the fields to edit the information. Press the green button to continue.You'll see another wall of Japanese. I never bothered to learn what was on this page, but it may be prudent to. I tap the green button to finish of the process and print out a receipt. I'll be honest and say I have no clue what pressing the yellow 'no' button will do.Step 7: Go Home and WaitThat's the end of the process. The money should be making its way to your transfer service's bank account. Usually, my money appears in the foreign account in three days, and in that time I often stress out if I've sent the money to the right place. If that sounds like something that might happen to you, let me know what you use instead of this method!Thanks for reading.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/zK122-living_money_howtoMon, 02 Dec 2019 10:36:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/zK122-living_money_howtohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/Mvr2V-living_shibuya_ku_tokyoPhoto by Jezael Melgoza on UnsplashBeing a Westerner in his twenties who dances almost as a second job, clubs are a pretty big part of my life. Or at least, they should be. When I first moved to Japan, I made it sort of a goal to hit the clubs and try to get out of my shell a bit, and Shibuya was where some of the more popular clubs that my friends knew of were located. It's well known that Shibuya can get crazy, especially from the posts seen here on City Cost about the Halloween events and a particular Twitter account that readers may or may not know about. The place is one of the big three nightlife areas after all. Japan overall has an image of being clean and polite, but my time in Shibuya has given that statement a caveat. Let me give you a small glimpse of some of the things that could happen in Shibuya.As I mentioned, I wanted to go out and do more clubbing when I was fresh in Japan. As it so happened, I had a friend from Okinawa visit Tokyo at the same time as another friend from Canada. The three of us knew each other through street dance, so naturally we wanted a place to jam out. We went to Atom in Shibuya, and like other clubs in Tokyo, this place had multiple levels. Each floor inside was playing different music, and we settled on one of the upper floors with a beat we all liked.We came in early to avoid the raise in entry fee, so it was still relatively empty. We each grabbed a drink and decided to enjoy the music the way we knew best: by throwing down some moves. We went for a couple of minutes, and out of nowhere a man with an African accent pushed his way past the people already there. Sternly, he grabbed myself and another friend by the shoulder and wagged a finger at us. "No breakdancing," he commanded. "You dance, you leave." People have the impression that breakdancing involves the moves that go on the ground. All three of us knew that such moves were inappropriate for the setting, so we weren't dancing like that in the first place, so in our minds, we weren't 'breakdancing' at all.It was kind of a mood-killer, and I wasn't confident enough to approach anyone in Japanese, so the rest of the night I spent nursing the same drink and watching the rest of the people at the venue. No one was actually dancing. People were either just bobbing their heads or standing completely still. At most, a few people were stepping side to side on the beat. There was no expression in their movements.I found out later that Japan actually had a ban on dancing that was lifted only recently. On doing some light research, the ban was supposed to curb prostitution and drug use after World War II, but it wasn't really enforced until 2010. It was a weird, archaic law, but it seemed that Atom in particular had been taking care to cover their bases, just in case the police came knocking.The encounter eliminated a big part of my list of reasons to go to Shibuya, but I still had occasions to go. Street dance events and performances are often held at around midnight in smaller clubs in Shibuya, so I used to go and watch or compete. It was one of these occasions that I witnessed something called nanpa for the first time, and I absolutely hated seeing it. Nanpa is the act of the pick-up. For expats, this usually involves talking someone up, flirting and making moves, but what I saw was extreme.I was waiting for a Japanese friend at Shibuya station near the always-crowded Hachiko statue with some other Canadian friends. We were going to go to a dance showcase, which for some reason almost always starts at midnight. During this time, I watched as three guys tried to work their "magic." These three literally ran after girls as they left the train station. I saw multiple times where they actually grabbed a girl's arm as she tried to get away, and the girl had to wrest her arm away by force. There was one time where the girl was being pulled in one direction by one guy, and the other direction by her friend.Eventually, one of the guys chased a girl as she passed behind me with her head down, walking at almost a jog. My lack of self-discipline allowed me to stick an arm out to stop the guy from following her. The guy was livid that I stopped him, and I just shook my head at him. "What!?" he repeated. It was all he could say to retaliate. He looked like he wanted to start something, but he saw that I was with friends, so he backed down. If I was alone, I would have been ready to take a few punches, so I was lucky my friends where there. It was a moment where I was pretty sure I would have lost my residency!This wasn't the only time my nosiness almost got me in trouble. During another club night in Shibuya, I was sitting outside chatting with a friend. We had gotten tired of being inside a club that we didn't particularly enjoy the music of, and we had missed the last train, so we were waiting for the first train to start up. At some point some guy started stumbling around us, running into things and knocking stuff over.Cue my nosiness.I asked him in my limited Japanese if he was okay, and it made him confrontational. I didn't understand anything he was saying, but he was pointing fingers at me. At one point he grabbed my chin, and I had to swat his hand away multiple times. He balled up his and into a fist and pressed it against my face. In response, I moved his hand away and told him in English to not touch me, but he kept trying to provoke me. The guy baffled me at one point when he asked me in English, "How much?"It was at that point where my friend and I got up to leave. I could take a scrap, especially against a guy that couldn't even stand, but once money gets involved, there is no telling what that could lead to. We walked towards the train station and he hit a traffic signpost as he tried to follow us, falling over to the ground. I had to try not to laugh in order to prevent escalation. He kept following until he fell over again, and he settled on giving us the middle finger as he watched us leave from the steps of a McDonald's.These experiences has shown me that while Japan is a lot safer than any place I've ever been to, confrontations still do happen and I still need to keep my wits about me. If I was back in Canada, I would never have ended up in any of the situations I've mentioned, but I had the impression that Japan would be polite about everything, and those that were unruly were weak and easy to take care of. My experiences tempered my hubris, at least a little bit.Thanks for reading.I also keep a personal blog where I write about other experiences as well as mobile game reviews.Feel free to check them out!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/Mvr2V-living_shibuya_ku_tokyoFri, 22 Nov 2019 17:03:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/Mvr2V-living_shibuya_ku_tokyohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/wXrJv-living_minato_ku_tokyoI'm not much of an art aficionado - I don't even know the difference between Manet and Monet. However, my girlfriend has quite an interest in the subject, so I proposed we visit the exhibition while it was in Tokyo. A cursory Google search of Jean-Michel Basquiat showed me that he was related to a lot of the culture in New York before his death, so I had an interest in the exhibition myself. We caught it at the last week or so, with the Roppongi exhibition closing on the seventeenth of November.The Mori Art Museum is an interesting building. Situated near Roppongi station on the Hibiya line, we walked up the entrance stairs to the box office. These stairs had multi-coloured tracks, presumably used to organize visitors on busier days of business. The day we went was a Wednesday though, so the line was quite minimal and we only waited five minutes to get our tickets. Once we purchased our tickets, we were pointed to an elevator that was operated by staff members.The elevator went up to the fiftieth floor smoothly and quickly. I felt the pressure in my ears as if I was taking off on a plane, but I didn't feel like I was moving at all. It's a small detail, but one I remember vividly. Once the doors opened, more staff pointed us to the entrance of the actual exhibition.Before entering, there was a bag check. I couldn't understand anything the Japanese security staff said, but it seemed that they were on the lookout for liquids. They pointed to a bottle of water that was in an outside pocket, and gestured for us to put it inside the backpack.Past the bag check, yet another suited staff member handed out cellular devices. This was for the audio tour, they explained. Once again, I only had a vague inkling of what they were talking about, but they gestured to a numbered sign with a logo of headphones and a sign that universally meant no photos. My girlfriend clarified to me later that the headphone signs were for the audio tour, and that we input the number on the sign on the device to listen to what it had to say. She also explained that certain pieces had a sign to indicate that they could have their photos taken. These are the benefits of a native Japanese significant other.We went along the exhibit, taking our time to look at the installations in detail. I didn't know much about Jean-Michel Basquiat, and while the audio tour tried to explain everything about the artist, it was all in Japanese, so I could only understand superficial bits and pieces of what the narrators were saying. However, I had an interest in graffiti art, hip-hop, and the history of New York as a teenager, so I felt I could understand some of what the deceased artist was trying to convey with his art.I could see with some pieces a heavy emphasis on the segregation of African-American population and the conflict against the New York authorities. I felt that there was a lot of effort put into trying to convey the struggle of early 1980's New York and into trying to promote the African-American culture. There were a lot of spiritual references, and while I don't know what system of beliefs Basquiat subscribed to in his life, I knew there was a strong presence of The Five-Percent Nation during that time, so it seemed like some of his works alluded to their teachings. That said, I could also be looking too deep into his artwork, as some of his work were completely abstract to me.While all of his artworks were interesting in their own right, I got a great deal of amusement at observing the other visitors that night. There was one heavily-tattooed man dressed in a beret and leather pants walking around with his girlfriend while talking in a very loud voice. I couldn't understand anything he was saying, but he sounded like he was confident in explaining his opinions about the art pieces. There were also a bunch of other younger couples walking around, and they seemed to have the same attitude towards the art: brash confidence in their opinion, and perhaps not a lot of real appreciation.My girlfriend caught snatches of their conversations, and it made me realize the disconnect between some of the visitors and what they were seeing, which is what led me to believe that they didn't really appreciate what was in front of them. She overheard one of the women asking why everything Basquiat wrote was in capital letters. Her date replied in a matter-of-fact tone that it was just what foreigners do. Still others looked blankly at the paintings, and I watched as two men literally looked at each other, shrugged, then posed to take a selfie with one of the paintings behind them.On top of that, it seemed that the audio tour sometimes focused on explaining some incredibly superficial things about some of the paintings. My girlfriend briefly translated one of the tracks, saying that they explained the meanings of random English words on the installations. There were some valuable explanations though, such as when they explained Basquiat's collaboration with Andy Warhol, or his inspiration from Louis Armstrong.I don't blame them for not appreciating the art; Basquiat lived in a different world after all. I can't say I fully appreciate everything in his art either. It was simply interesting for me to observe how people reacted to something completely foreign, whether it was with over-enthusiasm or with dismissive disinterest. Overall though, I enjoyed my experience at the exhibition, and the people added to my enjoyment.Thanks for reading! This post was made for City Cost first, but will be posted on my personal blog as well, where I write about my experiences in Japan and other countries, as well as mobile game reviews.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/wXrJv-living_minato_ku_tokyoThu, 07 Nov 2019 16:39:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/wXrJv-living_minato_ku_tokyohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/GyyvD-living_food_toshima_ku_tokyoIt's no secret that I am a heavy sweet tooth, to the point that I have been called "The Candy Man" in my office. I once bought a kilogram of gummy worms and finished the bag of candy in the same working day, and it's an absolute mystery why I don't have any form of medical ailments. So, it should be no surprise (especially with the title) that I went and tried Sweets Paradise.As the title explicitly states, Sweets Paradise is a chain of buffet restaurants specializing in desserts. I went to the Ikebukuro branch in Tokyo before going to a planetarium show with my girlfriend some time in August. Undeterred by a bout of torrential rain as we left the station, we walked (well, more like 'I wanted to walk'. My girlfriend has the patience of a saint sometimes) toward the building it was situated in. Located on the fifth floor, the only visible way to get up to it was by taking a relatively nondescript elevator in between some unrelated shops, as shown here in this random Google Maps screengrab.On getting out of the elevator, we were greeted by one of the workers, and we were asked which set we were in for. My kindergarten level Japanese picked up that the sets had different time limits, and some sets had restrictions on what we could pick up. If memory serves me correctly, we got the one and a half hour set with gelato for about 2,600 yen each. It sounds a bit pricey if you're tight on cash, but if you think you have a pretty big stomach, I highly recommend this set.Walking to our table, I took stock of what was around me: lots of high school girls, lots of middle-aged women, and a lot of anime and food inspired decor. I realized that if I wasn't with my girlfriend during this visit, I would have looked like a fish out of water. To any readers that plan on going: go in a group, especially if you're a self-conscious guy. The other guys in this restaurant were with their family or friends. I can imagine a single man in his late twenties being stared down hard in this place.The lady in the centre was already staring me down for taking this not-at-all-suspicious photo.Setting our stuff down at our table, I went to work filling my gullet. I started off with the actual food. There wasn't actually a lot of stuff in the way of a meal. There was a selection of pasta sauces to go with spaghetti noodles, some rice with two choices of curry, and a giant tub of popcorn with a selection of powdered flavouring. There were also some salads that I completely ignored. I came for the sweets, not leaves. I'm fairly particular when it comes to pasta and I like savoury, meaty flavours. Considering the selection of sauces, that meant I was kind of limited to two: the napolitan and meat sauces.I paired the pasta with the "Sweets Paradise special recipe" curry. I don't recommend doing it, but it didn't taste bad. Having the two foods on their own would have been average, which is fair as the establishment is an all-you-can-eat place, after all. Even if it wasn't, the main even was the desserts. I polished off the food and went straight for the dessert racks.They had a much wider variety of cakes and cheesecakes. I wasn't able to try them all before getting too full, but I did try ones that looked interesting to me. The desserts were all presented as whole cakes, but were cut into much smaller pieces. The serving size was very modest, so I think it is manageable to control yourself at the dessert buffet. The cakes were in slices, while the cheesecakes were in squares. Still others came in their own individual pieces.I hit my limit with the desserts pretty fast, even if the portions were relatively small. I wasn't able to try all of the options, so I strategically picked out ones that I thought I would be able to enjoy. The ones I ate weren't from five-star restaurants by any means, but they were still quite tasty. The cakes had a mild, but solid flavour and their icing wasn't overpowering. The different cheesecakes had the same base flavour, but had very different accents. Some were subtly fruitier, while others were heavier with their cheesecake taste.Although I was almost filled to the brim, I still had the gelato to try. I didn't pay an extra charge to skip out on them. The gelato section was placed in the centre of the dining area, and there were three freezers-worth of the frozen treats. I couldn't read some of the flavour names, as they used more kanji in this section, but they all looked pretty good. Some of them were touted as Haagen-Dazs, and all of them had a creamy texture that you'd expect from higher-middle end frozen desserts. The ice cream scoop they provided was again quite small, limiting your portion sizes, but at this point, I didn't mind. The flavours I sampled were all quite good and they went down well.I sat at the table trying to digest everything for at least ten minutes, and we were still finished long before our time limit. The next time I go, (and believe me, I do plan on going again) I plan to take a bit more time and actually plan my route. The time limit you are given is actually quite generous, and even if you had room to demolish everything in the restaurant, you would probably still have some minutes to spare.So, if you want a good bang for your yen and you have a sweet tooth, Sweets Paradise is a pretty good option. Thanks for reading, and I hope you try the place out if sweets are your slice of pie!This post was originally posted on November 5th, 2019 on my personal blog where I write my own experiences outside of Canada, as well as mobile game reviews.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/GyyvD-living_food_toshima_ku_tokyoWed, 06 Nov 2019 14:30:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/GyyvD-living_food_toshima_ku_tokyohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/z1m6v-living_minato_ku_tokyoI went to a permanent exhibition that I have wanted to go to since I moved to Tokyo. TeamLAB Borderless in Odaiba, not to be confused with the smaller, wetter TeamLab Planets in Toyosu, is an exhibition based solely on projections and lighting. Being inside of the exhibits places you in surreal, interactive worlds that test your perception of reality. I hesitate to write this article because this is truly one of those things that one should experience for themselves, but at the same time I want people to know that it's worth every yen. As a compromise between my conscience and my desire to share, I've left out some details that you might want to find if you choose to go.August in Tokyo is disgustingly hot and humid, and the walk from the station to the exhibit was a slog despite the short distance. The day we went was particularly busy, and we waited some time to get our pre-ordered tickets checked. After they checked our e-tickets, we were briefed in the lobby by a multi-lingual video of what to expect and some etiquette to observe inside the area. Staff will politely stop you inside of the exhibit if you break any of the conventions, but if you do visit, it would be nice if you followed them in the first place. Don't be that tourist that tries to be an exception.Ahem.Anyway, after the briefing, we were allowed into the darkness of the exhibit. There were three pathways to choose from at the beginning, and we chose one that none of the others seemed to be interested in. We ended up in a room of projected flowers. It was beautiful and interesting to see initially, but it was worth it to stay in the area as birds and fish flowed through the rooms at certain periods.We moved on towards another area, stopping by a small cave-like room where time and space seemed to be anomalous. People were stopped restricted from going into the centre of the room, but at the entrance of it you could see projections of shapes spinning around, making the viewer feel as if they were travelling through time and space. Ambient music played in a similar vein to the Art Aquarium, but the music they used here was more minimalistic and eerie.Continuing on, the projections became more monochrome, and the images became representations of traditional Japanese culture. Bipedal frogs and people in attire from feudal era Japan slowly traveled along the walls in slow-motion. Following the train of humanoids, we entered into a room of glass panels in rows. The same figures were projected onto these glass panels, giving the impression that they were manifested in the physical realm in front of us in the dark room.We moved on from the room and made our way back through the hallway of animated feudal era Japanese imagery, and proceeded to the central part of the exhibit. This was one of the more popular parts of Borderless, and I knew this not from the dozens of people crowding around it, but from the multitude of Instagram photos I've come across before visiting Borderless. The waterfall projection took up the entire room, with a large mound with the images of rocks and water projected into it. I figured it wasn't worth the time to line up for a photo, under the waterfall, but it was still nice to see.Since this was a central room, it had three exits. One went back into the area of flowers, another was the entrance from the feudal area, and the third led to a more abstract area. This third area is a bit difficult to describe. As of writing this I am of the impression that this area was just an extension of the flower area, as the patterns somewhat remained as a colourful, yet more abstract. We navigated our way through the maze-like area of abstract projections and went to the stairs leading to third main area.This third area is essentially the kids area. Entry was relatively controlled, with staff stopping groups of people to brief them on some safety advice that I definitely, totally listened to. When they finished communicating to us through verbal instruction and through a flip board with multiple languages written on it, we went up a flight of stairs. There were many children running about in this area, and the layout of the installations here were very much like a playground. There was a balloon room, a slide, and even planks suspended by chains that resembled the bridges on playgrounds in Canada. They were still art pieces at the end of the day, so they had some interactive projections on them, or at least had colours that were appealing to the eye. We didn't spend a lot of time here, so I didn't take a lot of pictures of the place.On the way out, we stopped by the tea cafe. The menu was small, with only about three choices of tea and two choices of ice cream available. While the two types of tea we ordered were delicious, the drink itself was not the attraction. When the staff clad in brownish lab coats brought out our drinks with a fancy, scientific-looking cart and placed them on the tatami countertop in front of us, a projector generated flowers in the clear glass bowls our tea was in. The flowers grew in the bowls, and when you lifted the bowls to drink, the flowers would wither away and its petals scatter all around. It was truly a dream-like experience.One of the last things we did was line up for the installation that TeamLAB Borderless was known for: The Forest of Lamps. It was more or less an hour long wait at the time of our visit, with the line snaking out from the installation's entrance, then down a flight of stairs, and finally ending in a hallway near the waterfall room. One of the other visitors in front of us commented out loud to his wife and child after reaching the top of the stairs, "That's it?" We had a bit more waiting to do before entering the installation, and we entertained ourselves by listening to one of the staff instruct the guests to "right side walk" down the stairs. We were amused at how confident he was in his delivery, while simultaneously respecting him for it.After at least fifty minutes of waiting time, we were let into a smaller room with a multitude of hanging, colour-changing lamps, and we were only allowed a minute and thirty seconds inside the room. I found the room to be more interesting from the outside, but the inside was where the better photos could be taken; the Forest of Lamps was the premier Instagram backdrop of Borderless, and it was easy to see why. The walls and floor were all of glass, so it made it seem as if the lamps extended into infinity. Even with the other guests inside, the mirrors made it feel as though you were off on your own.The lamp room was one of the last things we saw on our visit, but there were other rooms there that were worth seeing. I thought about writing about those rooms, but as I mentioned earlier in this post, I've chosen to leave them a mystery. I've also refrained from adding and videos to this post for that same reason. After all, part of the magic of this place is how you explore it.If you, dear reader, ever choose to visit (or re-visit), I recommend you take your time and try to interact with everything. Some of the rooms are hidden behind curtains that blend perfectly with the walls, and some halls are obscured by darkness. If you aren't supposed to be somewhere, the staff will probably stop you or you'll see some sort of sign. You might also want to stick around some of the rooms and hallways for a little bit. There are some animations and interactive images that appear if you wait long enough in some areas.Anyway, thanks for reading!This article was originally posted on my personal blog on September 24, 2019.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/z1m6v-living_minato_ku_tokyoSun, 03 Nov 2019 18:00:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/z1m6v-living_minato_ku_tokyohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/z4y1x-living_fuchu_shi_tokyoI had some time to myself during Golden Week, a series of national holidays at the end of April and the beginning of May. I was at a loss on what to do during the five consecutive days of no work, so I was really happy to get a tip from one of my students. It just so happened that a particular festival was also being held at the exact same time in Fuchu, a city in the western part of Tokyo prefecture. The Kurayami Matsuri, or Darkness Festival in English, is a six-day event that was originally held at midnight as it was believed that ordinary humans should not see the holiness of the deities the festival celebrated.I am a bit of a lazy person, and Fuchu's Okunitama Shrine is about a twenty-minute train ride from my apartment, so I chose to only go on the last day of the festival. If this last day is anything to go by, the people in Fuchu really like to go out with a bang. The festival really left an impression on me, especially as it was my very first festival in Japan.Fuchu was known to my students as a place for horse racing, and not much else. I had a student that expressed surprise at my intention to go there by saying, "I didn't see you as the type to gamble." As such, I was a bit worried that I would accidentally find myself at a racing track on the way to Okunitama Shrine, but it turns out the shrine was an incredibly short walk from Fuchu Station. I found the shrine in about thirty seconds, its outermost concrete arch being visible from the station if you know what you're looking for. It also helped that there were a bunch of people in festival attire standing under it, taking photos.I entered through this gate and followed the locals around. It turned out that this entrance to the shrine grounds led to the rear of the shrine itself. I stopped by a small viewing area where the participants of the festival were gathered. My understanding of Japanese was weaker then than it was now, so I had no idea if they were being briefed or if they were praying. I observed for a little while and snapped some photos off before heading off and exploring the rest of the grounds.As I continued on, more and more people appeared as more and more stalls popped up. Before I knew it, I was waddling alongside the throng of festival attendees through the narrow walkways between the stalls of food and games. The food looked and smelled absolutely delicious, ranging from skewered beef to yakisoba (fried noodles) to skewered cucumbers. Children and adults alike tried their hand at various games like paper net fishing or pop gun shooting. I took a limited lap around the area to check out what the stalls had to offer before settling in at a position near the front of the main building.I had settled in just in time as well, as the area I was in already had reserved seats filled, and only standing room remained. I got lucky and ended up near the front of the standing room as the initial procession came along with a loud fanfare of chimes and cheers. There was one group that spun in a circle as they moved toward the shrine, but most advanced in an orderly fashion. There was some lull after the large number of people entered the shrine before anything happened again.When the festival continued, the shrine's main gates opened, and six massive drums with men standing on them were rolled out. The men standing above held lanterns, and they periodically held it over the area that someone else on the ground would strike with a baton. The drummers on the ground really put effort into their strikes, some of them coming at the drum skin with a running start. There was always a guttural yell before each strike, and the sound of the drums really made a grand, almost war-like atmosphere. It felt like I was in a scene out of a Lord of the Rings movie.Following the drums out were mikoshi, or portable shrines, said to house the gods as they were carried by people to bless the town. There were eight of them, and from the announcer's booth it sounded as if they represented shrines from elsewhere in Tokyo. Each mikoshi was bounced up and down on the shoulders of dozens of men and women, and they seemed to have no control which direction the mikoshi would travel in. The holy palanquins constantly retraced its progress and moved back and forth and side to side, but they eventually did make it out to the streets.I pushed my way through the crowds of people once again to follow the drums and mikoshi out into the actual city. Many people were already gathered outside lining the streets. The most densely populated area was a nearby intersection where two of the mikoshi were bounced around, vast numbers of people joining the dozens of carriers pushing around and jumping up and down around them. On the intersecting streets, three of the six giant drums idled, men still standing on top and people still whaling on them.I watched the scene for a while. A drunk man tried to converse with me in slurred Japanese, but I responded to him with a blank stare. Having had my fill of the frenetic energy and the awkwardness of a drunkard trying to communicate with me, I left to explore the area some more.Throughout the streets there were also various carts of seemingly random performances. Some had actors in masks, others had musicians playing classical Japanese music. Still others had percussion ensembles. I passed by loads of festival-goers and looped back into the shrine grounds. By now, the inside of the shrine had cleared a little, so I could see more of what the stalls had to offer. There was also a small noh performance inside, so there was definitely a lot going on at this festival. I lingered around a bit longer before getting tired of navigating through the large amount of people.I think I left a little too early, having walked back to the train station at around eight p.m. I believe the festival continued until at least midnight, but I felt that I had experienced all that I could as a solo traveller. I get tired of large crowds easily, but the sights and sounds of the festival are definitely something to experience, so if you are around at the end April, the Kurayami Matsuri is something to see! Thanks for reading!This article was originally posted on my personal blog on October 22, 2019. Some edits were made to fit with City-Cost's format.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/z4y1x-living_fuchu_shi_tokyoFri, 01 Nov 2019 15:55:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/PDecs/z4y1x-living_fuchu_shi_tokyo