http://www.city-cost.comSat, 18 Jul 2026 02:43:39 +0900City-Cost is an interesting new way to find and share useful financial and living information in Japan. Make your life easier and help others with City-CostenCopyright © 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/Sanrio/G0vBj-food_teaHave you ever had the feeling of finding a product with no expectations, and you ended up enjoying it a lot that it surprises you?When I found this box of Shizuoka green tea at the food department of a local department store, I didn’t give it much thought before putting it into my shopping basket. I was out of tea at home. This box was reasonably priced. The package didn’t stand out but there was nothing wrong either. So why not?I didn’t really understand the name until doing some translation homework. Apparently the name on the box says: tea factory’s catering green tea. So this was tea they serve in the factory for themselves!Now, I kinda doubted it. For one, I didn’t see this brand’s non-catering tea on the shelf. And two, is it really catering tea when you sell it as a product too?But I couldn’t argue with an affordable tea. For 500 yen, the box comes with 50 tea bags. The packaging also shows that it has 100g of green tea. 10 yen a drink? Sounds good to me!The side of the packaging also sells this as a “mild” flavor tea. Personally speaking, I think this tea is underselling itself. The flavor is not lacking by any means. It does take a bit of time for it to spread in your mouth after you take a big sip. Give it some time, and the taste is quite profound though not so bitter. The taste also doesn’t stick around, and that simply makes go back to drink more. It is a good drink to keep myself hydrated throughout the day.The pre-packed tea bags are great too. They are not fancy or silky or stretchy and there is no need for them to be. The paper label itself doesn’t even have the brand name, but just plain white! Keep the cost low and that makes me happier.I used the tea for hot first, then a few days later I used them for cold. The bag did well in both conditions, though I think it is more suitable for hot. The green tea was kept in and I didn’t feel like I was drinking up the tea leaves when I hit the bottom of the cup. Very clean!A down side I have against this tea is that the amount of tea in each bag isn’t really a lot, so the flavor is gone after the second time I try to dip the tea again. I had no choice but to use a new one if I wanted more, but typically one to two cups satisfy me, so the size is just right.With its blend packaging, I almost missed it and thought some worker forgot to take the product out of the box, and I am glad I didn’t skip on it. I will go back for more the next time I leave my house!This post is supported by Shizuoka Green Tea Guide, one of City-Cost's Supporters helping City-Cost bloggers to enjoy life in Japan and engage in new experiences.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Sanrio/G0vBj-food_teaThu, 07 May 2020 12:41:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Sanrio/G0vBj-food_teahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Sanrio/GWO6e-living_medical_teaI found that I have quite a lot of Shizuoka green tea stocked up at home, as I had been trying different brands and bags of tea. They have been great. I have been enjoying every tea. But before trying the next new bag, I realized I should finish what I have at home first!I remember reading about how drinking green tea regularly is healthy, so I came to the conclusion that I should drink more of the Shizuoka green tea than water for a few weeks. The teas I have been drinking are not expensive, such as Meruko seicha’s cheaper version of their tea, and this allowed me to drink the tea as much as I wanted without thinking about the cost.So, what I have been doing has been to brew jars of Shizuoka green tea and put them into as many thermo bottles as I have at home. Some were kept hot and some had their lids opened to let the green tea cool. The important thing is that I always had tea ready to hand whenever I wanted to rehydrate myself!For almost a month, I have been brewing the tea either before going to bed or right after I woke up. Here is how I feel about it.At first, it felt strange. I usually chuck a whole glass of flavorless water when I feel thirsty, so it was strange that what I downed was not flavorless. Instead it was a drink that left me with a slightly bitter aftertaste. Eventually I got used to it, specifically with the second and third brews where they were less flavorful. I found myself drinking the tea "as water." Maybe it was a placebo effect, but I also felt more refreshed with the tea, a feeling I never got from drinking water.One cool thing too was that because they were teas, I was actually drinking beverages of a temperature that matched what I needed.I had hot tea ready in the thermo mug I bring around with me. There would sometimes be cups of tea in the fridge or at least some ice to cool them down after a workout. This led me to basically drink more fluids, and again, with the two Shizuoka green teas I got, they didn’t cost much at all.Maybe due to the drinks having (a bit of) flavor, I also found myself snacking less when I wanted to some have some flavor in my mouth. Another good thing!The only down side I found was that I would go to the bathroom more often than before, just because that’s what tea does to me. But overall, I was being more hydrated so that was definitely a positive. I am kinda surprised that I got so used to drinking tea. These affordable Shizuoka green teas are especially easy to drink. I wouldn’t use them to serve guests or as gifts, but as something to drink daily, definitely works!This post is supported by Shizuoka Green Tea Guide, one of City-Cost's Supporters helping City-Cost bloggers to enjoy life in Japan and engage in new experiences.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Sanrio/GWO6e-living_medical_teaThu, 30 Apr 2020 15:37:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Sanrio/GWO6e-living_medical_teahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Sanrio/GLy1N-money_teaSeveral users have talked about their experience with expensive Shizuoka tea. While those all sounded great and all, it is not easy putting a thousand yen down for a bag of tea every time, so what I found today really caught my attention.This bag of Shizuoka tea, simply titled Shizuoka Tea, was by far the cheapest bag of tea of its region I have ever encountered! For below 300yen including tax, I got this 100g bag to enjoy! For this price, the tea I could get is typically “made in Japan” tea without its origin mentioned. This is almost half the price compared to the other standard Shizuoka green in the store, and about 35% of the price of the most expensive bag! I haven’t even mentioned how it is including a bonus 10% amount, though I am now curious whether this is one of those “always 10% extra” kinda thing.Okay, I know I know, the price by itself means nothing if the tea itself is mediocre. I had the same thought too when I purchased it, thinking whether this would satisfy my tastebuds as the other ones I have tried, and I wondered if other users who are used to better tea would accept it at all. I poured it for myself one afternoon to test it out. On the smell test, it passes as the tea gives a profound aroma not different from what I had expected based on other Shizuoka green tea I have tried before. The deep rich color that was in the cup also gave me a lot of confidence. So far so good, nothing was really telling me that this is only a fraction of the price. Finally, I went in for the taste test.Okay, this is where the differences come. There are two things I noticed: One, this tea is not quite as strong as the other ones I have had before. The taste itself is very nice, but in order for it to reach the same strength, I would need to use more tea leaves or to let it sit for longer; Two, the aftertaste disappears rather quickly. Considering the aftertaste is what I really enjoy about good Shizuoka tea, this could have been better. But thinking about the price I paid for this again, can’t really complain!I was reading the package while enjoying the tea. On the back of the glossy bag, it says that the tea is a “yabukita-tea”, so it is roasted using the same technique that is unique to Shizuoka green tea. The company that made it is Maruko, which I think is one of the biggest tea brands in Japan. However, it is also interesting to note that the tea doesn’t put the usual “Ocha no Maruko” branding label, although it is from the same company Maruko Seicha!Doing a bit more research, this tea actually isn’t on Ocha no Maruko’s website!!!!! But again, it is from Maruko Seicha. I guess they wanted a share of the cheap tea market without making their brand cheaper? Interesting...For casual tea drinking, I think this is very much good enough, especially if I am having it at lunch with food or something. Since I am not quite the tea master, I am able to recommend this to any readers who want to enjoy Shizuoka tea on a budget!This post is supported by Shizuoka Green Tea Guide, one of City-Cost's Supporters helping City-Cost bloggers to enjoy life in Japan and engage in new experiences.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Sanrio/GLy1N-money_teaWed, 01 Apr 2020 10:01:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Sanrio/GLy1N-money_teahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Sanrio/G7ELe-living_teaEarlier this year, I had an interesting experience. I bought a new bag of Shizuoka green tea for the new year. First of all, please feel free to check out my review of the tea here, and I liked it a lot.<Review here>So the Shizuoka green tea wasn’t just for me. In fact, I brought it to a Japanese family over new years to share. They were preparing the osechi ryouri and told me not to bring anything, so I thought I could at least contribute something nice to tea during our nice chat during the day. I did not expect that the tea itself became a huge talking point.Maybe it wasn’t the tea itself, but the fact that I chose and brought a bag of Shizuoka green tea with knowledge about it. From a visible foreigner, this was something they did not expect. The moment I brought the tea out, they were happy, and when I said, “I brought some Shizuoka green tea to share”, they all went, “Oh what, you know about Shizuoka green tea? Sugoi!!!!!!”I was happy to get compliments for my knowledge. The family started asking me whether I had Shizuoka green tea back in America. I explained that when I was in America, green tea was just green tea, and I had absolutely no idea where Shizuoka was. They asked me what I think about Shizuoka green tea, and I explained the difference in taste and color that I have noticed since doing this project, plus that I find myself enjoying Shizuoka green tea more than other green tea. They were all impressed, but just as much, they were happy that I cared enough to taste the difference enough to have an opinion. They were not from Shizuoka, but I think they were proud of green tea in general as a Japanese drink.Since I brought the tea, I thought I could also brew the tea for them, borrowing their pot and scoop. I told them that I prefer to make the tea stronger, and at that point, I could see the eyes of approval from them on anything I say about green tea, and I felt like a tea master for a moment (who was talking about tea in front of people who have been drinking it throughout their life haha).That was an interesting experience and the one rare time that I was able to present and talk about a Japanese cultural drink. Of course, I knew that they had other drinks at home too, but they were nice enough to drink what I brought to share, and we had a really nice discussion. I would highly recommend anyone here to bring a bag of Shizuoka tea to other Japanese families, both to share delicious tea and to have a lovely topic starter that you have probably built up some knowledge for!This post is supported by Shizuoka Green Tea Guide, one of City-Cost's Supporters helping City-Cost bloggers to enjoy life in Japan and engage in new experiences.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Sanrio/G7ELe-living_teaTue, 10 Mar 2020 13:28:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Sanrio/G7ELe-living_teahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Sanrio/GRqnv-food_teaHappy new year, everyone!With the new year, I got to enjoy a brand new bag of green tea from Shizuoka. I have never seen this brand before: Hanbei. Looking at the package, it looks like a small company compared with many other brands of Shizuoka green tea, so I picked up this 150 g bag for 600 yen and decided to let it be my first taste of Japan in the new year. That is a pretty reasonable price for a hefty bag.This tea is quite subtle, and this is the keyword I would use to describe this tea in many ways. The smell is extremely, extremely gentle. It doesn’t rush to my nose like what you would expect from opening a new bag of tea. It matches with its simple packaging design which doesn’t necessarily jump out.One thing unique about this tea is that the bag contains not only leaves, but also the stems and buds. The fact that it includes every thing supposedly helps us taste the tea fully.When I poured the tea into a container for storage, I could see that the tea leaves are really fine as well (which actually caused me to make a mess on the table, so be careful!)We made a pot to share on the table, so I put a couple of spoonfuls of green tea into the pot plus a little more. Again, because the leaves are so refined, you want to be cautious when scooping the tea.The taste of the tea matches with its smell and package. Mild and gentle.Different from many other Shizuoka green teas I have tasted before, this felt more like a green tea for beginners. The color is greener, the flavor is sweeter, and for those who are not used to drinking green tea, this would not overwhelm. I wonder if this different is due to the inclusion of the stems and buds. The bottom of the tea cup collected quite an amount of residue, but even near there was not as bitter as I thought.While I prefer stronger tea this was good for the new year here in Japan. After a heavy meal with everyone around the table, I did not desire anything with a strong impact. Instead, a simple and more “dull” tea like this was helpful in calming me down and helping me relax in zen.I like that this tea doesn’t overpower my taste buds or my feelings. Rather than a beverage, I enjoyed it as a way to let my mind wind down. Again, I think this would make a good introduction for people who are new to drinking Japanese tea.This post is supported by Shizuoka Green Tea Guide, one of City-Cost's Supporters helping City-Cost bloggers to enjoy life in Japan and engage in new experiences.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Sanrio/GRqnv-food_teaSun, 05 Jan 2020 07:12:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Sanrio/GRqnv-food_teahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Sanrio/G6Y1e-shopping_teaI was out for looking to score myself a new pack of Shizuoka green tea to try and visited a supermarket inside a shopping mall. While browsing through their rack full of packages in green, I initially passed by a bag that says “green tea with matcha”, saw the word “Uji” and thought that this Kyoto tea was not what I was searching for.It wasn’t until the second scan on the same package that I realized the package actually displayed “the rich aroma and flavor from Shizuoka”. Confused, I picked up the package and checked out the back.“Green tea with matcha”“Ingredients:Green tea (Shizuoka)Matcha (Kyoto)”The description also said: “This blend infuses the northern Yabu tea from Shizuoka with matcha from Uji so that you can enjoy both green tea and matcha simultaneously.”Until now, I had never seen a blend like this. Typically, blended tea would simply say that the tea is produced in Japan without specifying the exact region. Those blends are usually cheaper, and the area of production doesn’t really matter because the value was all more important. This, however, displaying where the tea is from was the first for me, and it got my attention.The company selling it is Style ONE, which is one of the generic supermarket brands, so this bag was surprisingly affordable at 300 yen! The factory, however, is Maruko. It seems like most Shizuoka green tea I can find are from them, and they make good tea.The bag was a stuffed 160g, containing 40 tea bags of 4g of tea each. This was perfect because tea bags are just so much easier to carry, especially if I want to keep some hot tea in my tumbler on a cold day out.I didn’t wait until a cold day to try it out though. That night I opened it up immediately because I wanted someone to drink alongside the package of supermarket sushi I had purchased along with the tea.The smell itself would tell you that this is different. Not quite macha, not quite green tea, but still a very pleasant smell coming from each tea bag.The package advised that one tea bag could make a whole liter of green tea, but I was just making it for myself, so I put the tea in, soaked it for a minute or so before taking it out and putting it to the side for another brew later.The flavor was surprising! It really was a harmony between the two. The now-familiar and distinct bitterness of the Shizuoka tea was there, but it wasn’t overpowering because I could clearly find the matcha flavor as well that resembles its own bitterness similar to some matcha sweets I enjoy.Rather than one being too much, I could find both flavors in one, and it does make me feel as if I was mixing two types of green tea together. Although my next bag will likely be back to a Shizuoka-only tea, considering the price, how tasty this tea is, and how handy tea bags are compared to tea leaves, I would be just as happy to make another purchase of this after I run out.This post is supported by Shizuoka Green Tea Guide, one of City-Cost's Supporters helping City-Cost bloggers to enjoy life in Japan and engage in new experiences.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Sanrio/G6Y1e-shopping_teaMon, 09 Dec 2019 10:35:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Sanrio/G6Y1e-shopping_teahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Sanrio/wj8O4-living_sustainablelifeYou have probably seen these before, haven’t you?For months in Japan, I had no idea what they were. They weren’t public trash stations, but I see people bringing stacks of cardboard boxes to them. But my area also collected paper once in a while, so why do people bring them here rather than recycling locally? I didn’t understand.After a while, I asked my colleagues and they told me that these recycling stations are great. They often bring their boxes and newspapers to the stations because the local collection of paper for recycling is only once a month. So, rather than letting their home space get filled up by paper, the stations help with that.Based on friends' recommendations I then started using them too, and boy, they really are great! Here are a few reasons.1.The first reason is that these stations are open 24/7, so as I have mentioned before, I can always go there anytime to throw my newspapers and magazines away. Nowadays I find myself shopping from Amazon.jp more and more often. Sometimes the items come together and sometimes they come separately but either way the boxes at home do build up. It makes me feel bad that I have so many boxes at home, and they take up a lot of space even if I try to flatten them, so knowing that I can recycle them anytime at stations like these is quite nice.Oh, sometimes the paper recycling day is on a rainy day, so I also think that it is good that I don't put paper out under the rain just to get it all sodden.2.Another great thing about these recycling stations is that some of them can accommodate items other than paper for recycling. Some of them also take clean, used clothes and even used shoes. Sometimes I try to sell my old clothes to second-hand shops, but many of the overseas I bring clothes are not recognized as having any value at such shops in Japan. Some shops would take your value-less clothes and give you the pitiful 1 yen for each item (and they then try to sell them on too), but some shops return them to you. So if you don't want to throw them into the garbage can, you can bag them up and recycle your unwanted clothes at some of these stations instead.3.One more reason why I like these stations is actually what I could get from them. I remember that one year, when I was moving out of my apartment to a different city, I was looking for boxes. I didn’t want to buy them from the moving company, so I was on a hunt. My colleagues recommended going to the supermarket but those boxes for bottled tea were quite small and weren’t that convenient. So, when I biked by the recycling station I often used an idea came up and I looked in. Being late March, the moving season, I saw many stacks of big moving boxes that people had thrown out after they had moved. I reached in and brought a stack home and I had the sturdiest boxes I had ever used for moving, for free!!My friend told me that he would take used manga magazines from these stations too, instead of buying them. I never did that but he did save a lot of money by doing so.How about you? Do you use these recycling stations?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Sanrio/wj8O4-living_sustainablelifeThu, 18 Apr 2019 10:04:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Sanrio/wj8O4-living_sustainablelifehttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Sanrio/GR4mp-food_badexperiencesEvery time I get invited to a drinking party with one of the schools I work at, I feel uneasy towards it. On the one hand, I am happy to be invited to join my co-workers in one of their bonding sessions, but on the other hand, I have my reasons why I don’t enjoy these drinking parties.Before I get into that, these parties called "nomikai" are usually directly translated as “drinking party”, which is quite a funny name because for me, parties usually imply drinking and there isn’t a need to specify the alcohol involved. It’s like if I invite you to a “swimming beach party”. Yeah…Back to the drinking parties. Schools often have these parties at the beginning of the school year, after sports day or big teacher development days, the end of the year, and whenever else there are reasons for teachers to gather and drink. It sounds like a great idea. A chance for teachers to bond and chat openly…right? Well...My biggest issue with these drinking parties is that not everyone can relax, and there are so many social rules involved even when I was there to get drunk.From my experiences, these parties are always well scheduled and planned. What that means is that each party is organized by a committee at the school where the few teachers in charge of the particular party has to find and book the restaurant, confirm the attendees, collect money etc. Then they have to plan the details too, such as the detailed scheduling of what happens during the 2 hours of said party.It is always 2 hours, which means there is an opening speech, a speech from the principal, a specific moment for a toast, then “eat, drink and chat” only to be interrupted in 30 minutes by games like things you would see on variety TV programs.All the information is printed on a massive poster-size piece of paper and stuck onto a white board or the wall in the middle of the party room of the restaurant or hotel we are in. It is an overkill if you ask me. What happened to just drinking and having fun? Why do we need to follow a schedule to have fun???Speaking of following, even seating is assigned upon entering the venue. Me, as the ALT, I'm usually grouped with the "7th grade teachers", and since there are only 6 grades in Japanese elementary schools, that group refers to the principal, vice principal, administrative head… and me. Needless to say, this usually isn’t that comfortable.Then when the “eat, drink and chat” part begins, that is when food starts arriving and more than half of the teachers, especially the young ones, would ignore the food, grab a bottle of the unlimited beer and go pour beer for another teacher, usually one of a higher status or one who did something great on that day (managing sports day, for example). This pouring gesture is also the initiation of “let me talk to you”, then it becomes a 1-on-1 chatting time.What happens to the food, you might ask? People only eat a few pieces during the gaps between the pouring and chatting. When I was at a party like this for the first time, I didn't get up to pour drinks, and I wanted to eat, but teachers kept coming up to me to talk so I ended up not being able to eat the food that I really wanted to. Looking around, most of the food went to waste.The game time is actually the best chance to eat. A few teachers go up to play a game for prizes (snacks) while everyone else watches and laughs while they eat. It really is like watching a live recording of a TV show but with people you know.Everyone involved seems to have fun after they get drunk enough, but the amount of planning and the social rules of interactions make it not the same kind of “drop our status and chat as equals” party that I am more used to. If you want to have THAT party, it is called the "ni-ji kai" (2nd party) to which not everyone goes. In the first and main party though, restraint and hierarchy is very much in place. For someone like me who is not used to it, I can’t really enjoy these Japanese drinking parties.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Sanrio/GR4mp-food_badexperiencesTue, 16 Apr 2019 15:03:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Sanrio/GR4mp-food_badexperienceshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Sanrio/Gb32R-living_education_badexperiencesMarch is always the scariest time of the year when you are working as an Assistant Language Teacher in Japan, because you never get told early whether you will stay at the same school for the coming year or not!In Japan, working as an ALT usually means you are on 1-year contract, especially for those ALTs working for dispatch companies rather than those who are hired directly by the board of education.The 1-year contract often means that you may or may not be moved around by the end of the school year. From my experience, unless you have done something bad at the school, they would like you to stay because of how familiar you have been with that school. But things can change.Sometimes the ALT distribution changes. One school may have less classes in the coming year so they have less teaching hours there. This may affect the ALT working there as they might spend some time at another school instead. Or another ALT might come in and teach at your school while you are moved somewhere else.Another thing I have heard of is that some cities actually want to actively rotate the ALTs around their schools every 2-3 years so the students get to meet more foreigners. I see the educational value in that but from the perspective of the ALT, it really sucks. Let me explain.Many of us come to Japan with nothing, and companies place us in a house not far from our schools. With that then comes our neighbor, our community. We build connections with the school, the students, and even their parents when we go around town. For me, my first school was my everything in Japan. So imagine how heartbroken I was when I was told to have to move after 3 years. I taught all the students. I taught kids and their siblings. I knew them all, and I had to say goodbye. The worst part is that we don’t get a say, and we never know until very late March, no matter how sincerely we ask our company for information. They tell us that they don’t know, when I strongly believe that they do.I understand that Japanese teachers go through the same thing. They are often told of their new positions at new schools during the last week of school at their current school. They too have to travel far to their schools and I sympathize with them. One difference between them and us ALTs though is that many ALT contracts with dispatch companies end before the school year is over. We might be done with work a week before school is out, which means by the time we get told that we are changing schools, we are no longer in school, and none of us get a chance to say farewell to our co-workers and most importantly, our students!Our schools sometimes want to have a proper farewell for us, likely in front of all the students we teach (aka the entire school), but because we don't know whether we are leaving, we can't.The principals would ask me directly about next year, as they were gathering information about their team of teachers for next year. I was always the one who had to say, “Sorry, I hope I will be here next year, but I really don't know…” right up until the last day of work. “See you next year, hopefully!”When kids ask us too, we would tell them “…maybe? We will find out!” Some of us ALTs would return next year with our arms in the air, while some others would be sobbing at home after a phone call and then prepare to move apartment and enter new schools a couple of weeks later without a chance to say farewell to the old schools.March is always a scary month.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Sanrio/Gb32R-living_education_badexperiencesWed, 10 Apr 2019 10:04:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Sanrio/Gb32R-living_education_badexperienceshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Sanrio/GW6ko-living_badexperiencesIn a previous blog post, I shared some of the comments I have received from locals here in Japan that I personally find culturally insensitive, and could even be offensive to some. They are comments that I have received largely due to the plain fact that I am not Japanese. They hadn't used to bother me so much. However, as I start to consider Japan more as my “home”, the more I find myself feeling uncomfortable with them. Today I would like to share with everyone three more comments that are often directed to me and ask what the community here thinks about them.(If you missed my previous post, you can find Part 1 under the list of my blog. I would love to hear your feedback on those as well).1.When are you leaving Japan?Boy, oh boy, every time I meet someone new, there is always a possibly that they will ask me this question, assuming that I have no intentions or plans, or even the desire, to make Japan my new home. They are often under the assumption that I am here merely to travel or to experience the country, and since many English speakers (international students and English teachers) do exactly that, I understand why they have that presumption. But can’t there be the exception for people like me who like the country so much that they are looking at ways to stay here long term?My answer to the question is always “…but I don’t plan to leave.” Which will typically result with the other partying saying one of the following,“Oh, that is great!”“Wow, I feel so proud of my country (Japan) that you want to stay here forever!”“Oh, so you will get married and have children here?”“But what about your family back home?”With that said, in my hometown, it would be pretty unbelievable if I met someone from a different country, who is living in my native country, and then I ask when they will be leaving. It would feel as if I was not welcoming said person. Sure, most or even all of Japanese people have no such ill will towards me when they say such things (I hope), but nonetheless, the longer I have stayed in the country, the more this question bothers me.2.Your (appearance) is so (description)!I hear this so often directed towards me and many of my friends.“Your skin is so white!” 
“Your skin is so dark!”
 “Your hair is so curly!” 
“Your eyes are so green!” “Your nose is so high!”The list can go on forever, as perhaps you can imagine. Sometimes it comes as a compliment to show that they think it looks good, but more often than not I hear the comments as, “You are so different!”For example, and no offense to anyone, but I think that when Japanese people say, “Wow! Your skin is so dark!”, they don't personally want it, not in this society where skin whitening is such a big thing and pale skin among Japanese women is praised. Then the comment is just to point out the physical differences between Japanese people and us, and it is not something we have a choice in anyway. In a truly multicultural society these comments would not be appropriate and given that I hear them so regularly, it could take Japan forever to become really accepting of multiculturalism.3.I can’t speak English!Yes, this is a comment about themselves, but Japanese people say it to us to show their weakness in English in the hopes that they will not have to speak English with us. And it comes up almost immediately in most conversations I have with Japanese people, which also translates to, “We are not going to communicate if it is not going to be in Japanese.”Yes, working in the industry I understand that they lack the confidence, and, yes, I know I am living in Japan, but for this comment to be in most conversations I have, and even in ones where I started off speaking Japanese, this wall or barrier some people build immediately feels very alienating.~~~~~~~~~What do you all think? Have you experienced something similar, or am I just too thin-skinned? Looking forward to reading your thoughts.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Sanrio/GW6ko-living_badexperiencesFri, 15 Mar 2019 12:04:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Sanrio/GW6ko-living_badexperienceshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Sanrio/wkpKL-living_food_sustainablelifeIn Japan, every time you go to buy take-out at some gyudon place or get some food from the convenience store, you will probably find a pair of disposable chopsticks or a plastic fork and a spoon in the plastic bag with your food. If you were getting a bento from a supermarket, at least they would ask whether or not you would like a pair of chopsticks. From these take-out places though, the inclusion is automatic -- even if I was going to eat it at home where I have way more than enough chopsticks for one person. But now I also find myself having a drawer full of disposable cutlery as well, and it really is wasteful.Many people enjoy the convenience of throwing the chopsticks away so they have nothing at all to wash afterwards, but I find the effort required to wash a pair of chopsticks is so little that it is certainly not worth the waste or even the cost of production of the chopsticks. I imagine that in Japan not too many people think like me, and the amount of wooden chopsticks thrown out must be an insane number.One very good way to help would be if restaurants start charging people for chopsticks and plastic forks, just like how plastic bags cost money in some supermarkets in Japan now. It(s simple and it certainly would encourage people to "pass" on the plastic if they know they won’t be needing it.Another solution that I do is simply to store an extra set of cutlery at work. Fortunately, I have my own desk so I can have my cutlery set stored right next to my pens and notepads. I also have the benefit of being able to access a sink to wash them in afterwards, and it is the perfect little activity after my meal to keep me awake. Therefore, I have never had the need to split open a pair of disposable chopsticks at home or at work.I am also very glad that my co-workers have a very similar mindset in not wanting to waste things if it is unnecessary. Sometimes one of us might bring in something to share, like a cake or perhaps we wanted to order pizza for a luxurious lunch, and when someone suggested that we need to store some paper plates for those occasions, many of us mentioned that we didn't want to use disposable plates. Instead, one of us took the initiative and bought a stack of reusable plates that are big enough for any occasion, as long as we are responsible fot washing our own plate afterward.I really believe that it is a very good thing to turn our principles into practice. I have noticed that many of us are still using paper cups, particularly when we are drinking instant coffee. Perhaps our next step will be to bring in our own mugs and have them lined up in the office. The less things we have to throw away, the better it is for the environment. That is sustainable living, and there are always ways for us to improve, one pair of chopsticks at a time.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Sanrio/wkpKL-living_food_sustainablelifeTue, 12 Mar 2019 14:49:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Sanrio/wkpKL-living_food_sustainablelifehttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Sanrio/w5jaX-food_tea_shizuokaOh no! Or rather, oh yes! I have found my new favorite drink to have and it is healthier than the soda and juice I am already hooked on.It blows my own mind that I have never done this until recently. Yesterday, I opened the fridge and I had a pack of apple juice and some cold leftover Shizuoka green tea (the Ooigawa River tea that Seijo Ishi produces and sells). Since the tea was not a lot and I was looking for something to settle my thirst from working in an air-conditioned and dried room for the whole day, I looked at the two drinks in front of me, and I joined them in a cup.Apple juice + Shizuoka green tea!!!Before I give my feedback, this is not that crazy. You often see fruity tea, and with the growing trend of street drinks from other parts of Asia, I see more and more fruit + cold tea mix.The result is absolutely awesome. The mixing of the sweet refreshing flavor goes head-to-head with the unique and profound bitterness the Ooigawa tea had, but the bitterness is immediately washed away by the apple flavor. It is like when people drink black coffee and then eat something sweet.I used this apple juice from the drug store nearby, the cheapest one on the shelf. There is no need for something expensive, but I should give premium apple juice a try next time. The challenge was finding the right balance, and it is a matter of preference. I wanted to cut down on sugar, so I started with 70% tea and 30% juice. The result was Shizuoka green tea with a hint of apple.I added more to experience, about 50-50, and that was, honestly the more confusing balance. It was hard to tell whether I was drinking apple juice or tea, and the bitterness and sweetness kinda conflicted rather than one supporting the other.To try the other end, I added more apple juice for a 30% tea and 70% juice blend. That reminded me of a drink I tried in Taiwan. Certainly not as healthy as earlier, but it gave me the street food feeling, and this is a drink I would take on the go (and still healthier than just juice).In fact, my complaint about the Taiwanese apple green tea I had when I traveled was that the tea was not standing out enough, but this is where the Shizuoka green tea's richness really helps. It was very clear I was having "apple green tea", and not just "apple tea". I could even see the green tea's residue at the bottle of the cup.My suggestion is to start with 50-50, then ask yourself whether you are in the mood for a sweet drink or an enforced tea. Either way, you are going to end up with one of the best and easiest drinks you can make at home or at work by yourself for about 80 yen or so, instead of having to pay the 500 yen you would if you got it from a trendy shop.This post is supported by Shizuoka Green Tea Guide, one of City-Cost's Supporters helping City-Cost bloggers to enjoy life in Japan and engage in new experiences.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Sanrio/w5jaX-food_tea_shizuokaFri, 08 Mar 2019 10:02:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Sanrio/w5jaX-food_tea_shizuokahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Sanrio/GLbr8-food_moneyOh my sweet girlfriend got me some awesome chocolate for Valentine’s Day and I just HAVE to share it with the community here.I wasn’t expecting anything this year because we just have been so busy this week, but last night my girlfriend pulled out a couple of items from her bag and said, “Happy Valentine’s Day!”Of the two items, one was this Brooklyn berry crunch dark chocolate. I was very surprised as I had never seen that before. More importantly, that was right up my alley as a fan of chocolate, berries and anything crunchy. The bag was also 141g, and it will satisfy me for a good while!I couldn't wait and opened it immediately. The texture was very much out of this world. Getting the order of hard chocolate, a squishy berry and some crunchy granola was very fulfilling. The dark chocolate made the berries stand out more.The other gift she got me was this box of mint chocolate thins. She knows that I like the combination of chocolate and mint, but more importantly, she proudly showed me the 20% discount sticker on the box because she knows that I would be happy to know that she saved money on it. This one was more on the sweet side, so I enjoyed them with a glass of milk on the side.I really appreciated that attitude. In Japan, many girls spend crazy money or time just to find or make some elaborate chocolate for Valentine’s Day, but I have always believed that as long as thoughts were put into the gift, it is a great gift.So, knowing how I don’t mind buying discounted goods, or rather, I prefer them, she found another reason why I would like these mint chocolate thins, and she was very right.I gave them a try too. The minty cream was quite sweet, and the chocolate balances it out perfectly. It is difficult to say which I like more since they are so different, so I am very glad that she bought me both!I should add that she got them from Seijo Ishi, a great place for imported chocolate!!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Sanrio/GLbr8-food_moneyWed, 20 Feb 2019 10:12:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Sanrio/GLbr8-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Sanrio/GBg6W-food_shopping_tea_shizuokaSince this green tea project started, I find myself paying more attention to the green teas around me more. One thing I had never looked at before until now is the origin place of the tea, and it is quite interesting seeing how some shops would have a good selection of Shizuoka green tea, while others might have merely one or two bags.I was happy to find that the big high-end (relatively) supermarket, Seijo Ishi, carrying a nice selection of Shizuoka green tea as well! Being the nice supermarket across the Japan that often carry both local and import products not available in your everyday neighbor supermarket, it is not the biggest surprise. The one I visited was the Seijo Ishi in Setagaya area near Seijo Ishi Gakuen. That’s right, it was the original Seijo Ishi!However, what I didn’t expect to see was that these Shizuoka green tea are Seijo Ishi branded, making these teas truly exclusive. In western supermarkets back home and most supermarkets and drug stores in Japan, store brands usually indicate cheaper products. But Seijo Ishi is such a quality establishment, seeing something of their own brand actually gave me more confidence than tea brand names I have never heard of. The pretty packaging helps too.Just like many other brands, the Seijo Ishi brand offers their green tea by dividing them into grades. They start from the basic, then jou 上, and then tokujou特上for the best stuff, which I appreciate as it is easy to tell compare to the brands that use different tea names. They are also easily distinguishable even just from price points. Their teas are grown mostly near the top of the Ooigawa River of Shizuoka, except for the best quality pack which are farmed closer to the center section of the river. They are all identified as Kawane Tea. The back of the packages also give you the idea of how the tea would taste differently.Granted, Seijo Ishi items are generally more expensive than other shops selling the same item. Tim Tams, for example, are around 450yen when they are just 370yen at Kaldi Farm. But again, you can’t find these Seijo Ishi branded ones anywhere else. With the cheapest 100gram package at 699 yen plus tax (there is a 200g package for 1290 yen), and the highest quality one at almost double the price, you are paying a significantly higher amount for the better leaves.With the money I had on me, I went for the cheapest package (the one on the right side in the photos above). I didn't have the more expensive types to compare to, but for my taste, it was what I had expected: good quality green tea to satisfy me and warm me up. Rich in flavor and deep in its color. The bitterness is profound and it doesn't overstay its welcome. As I have said before, I know that Seijo Ishii is always quality, and the slightly premium price gets you good quality assurance. I can only imagine the two higher grade teas being even better, and hopefully I will try them as well once I am done with this pack.Nonetheless, the best news out of this is that since Seijo Ishi is everywhere throughout the country, often close to or attached to big train stations, now I know (and you know too) that Shizuoka green tea can easily be purchased when I want it.This post is supported by Shizuoka Green Tea Guide, one of City-Cost's Supporters helping City-Cost bloggers to enjoy life in Japan and engage in new experiences.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Sanrio/GBg6W-food_shopping_tea_shizuokaFri, 15 Feb 2019 10:20:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Sanrio/GBg6W-food_shopping_tea_shizuokahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Sanrio/MY7bg-food_teaSince I have many different kinds of Shizuoka green tea stocked up at home throughout the winter, I have also been thinking about what items pair well with the sweet and calming Shizuoka green tea. Maybe it is just me, but usually I enjoy having something sweet with tea. It might have just been my western tea habit sinking into my lifestyle in Japan, but anyhow, through countless experimentation of tea drinking and sweet consuming, here are my top 3 Japanese sweets to go with Shizuoka green tea!-Note: my sweet recommendations are really sweet, so I suggest pairing them with a thick brew of green tea by adding more tea leaves than usual3. HigashiIf you didn’t know, higashi is this super-sweet Japanese candy that is very dry, containing very little moisture. It tastes like you are eating a very tense block of sugar, which sounds great to sweet-toothed people like me. The reason why it goes great with the tea is exactly because of how dry it is.As you eat one, the moisture in your mouth goes away, and you can replenish it with the green tea right next to you. Not the mention, these higashi candies often have some beautiful prints on them of flowers or traditional Japanese buildings. Another factor that makes the sweet a perfect match with Japanese tea, naturally.2. Genji PieYou can buy a whole bag of these lovely pastry pies at your local supermarket for less than 300 yen. I love these pies on their own because of the margarine flavour. Yes, they use margarine and it is not the healthiest thing one can eat, I know, but why they go well with the hot Shizuoka green tea I am having is for the same reason.The greasy guilty-pleasure they give me is so strong, and to wash away the guilt to keep only the pleasure, a rich hot sip of the green tea does the job better than anything else. The flakiness of the pie in your mouth can also be cleaned out by a wash of the tea, so you can open another pack and eat more!1. YokanYokan is lovely, but most of my friends disagree with me because they find it too sweet. What is the point of eating sweets if they are not sweet? Anyway, back on topic. What I love about this combination is the mix of the red bean flavour and bits from each bite of the chewy yokan and the rich yet refreshing bitterness you get from the Shizuoka green tea in contrast.The jelly form of yokan that is stuck around your tea can also be melted and washed away by said tea (I really do enjoy the tea and not just to use as mouthwash, I swear!), and nothing beats this combination in the middle of winter.If you are drinking some Shizuoka green tea at home, next time try pairing them with my recommendations, and I hope you will enjoy it even more!This post is supported by Shizuoka Green Tea Guide, one of City-Cost's Supporters helping City-Cost bloggers to enjoy life in Japan and engage in new experiences.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Sanrio/MY7bg-food_teaWed, 13 Feb 2019 10:21:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Sanrio/MY7bg-food_teahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Sanrio/ME5VY-living_money_educationWith the new year of 2019, there is a storm coming towards our work field of English teachers, and it is quite scary.As many of you guys know already, especially those in the industry of assistant language teachers teaching at elementary, junior high or high schools, there is a big reform coming to the English education system in Japan by 2020. They are using the Olympics as a reason to push more English education for the purpose of globalization or “educating Japanese citizens to become global citizens”.To make that work, they are increasing the English classes at the elementary school level, and they are going to employ English specialist teachers in elementary school, and these teachers will take over all English classes so that the normal homeroom teachers will have no need to teach English.So how is that going to change the 2019 market?At the beginning of this year, I have already heard about a couple of the surrounding cities that are making changes. Until this March, they are using direct-hire ALTs to teach at the schools in the city, but from the coming school year, they are switching over to dispatch company ALTs.The reason behind it, from what I have gathered, is a combination of money issues and hassle.By hiring ALTs through dispatch companies instead of direct hiring, they offset a lot of the other money issues such as insurance, pension, and etc. By letting companies handle those extra expenses, the Board of Education can save some money that way, and they need to because of the extra Japanese and licensed English teachers they will be hiring to fulfill the extra classes at the elementary school level.Another place for them to save money is when it comes to holidays. Most direct-hired ALTs get paid during the summer and winter holiday as well, but the ALTs have to come to school despite they are doing absolutely nothing. That has just been the tradition. For dispatch companies, however, the story has been quite different and many ALTs do not get paid or get only a portion of their normal salary during the holiday months, and that is money the Board of Education can get without having to deal with the backfire that the dispatch companies will take instead. It is pretty smart, and it does make sense to avoid paying people to do nothing at school for no productive reasons.The hassle, besides the day-to-day thing, covers a lot more. The hiring process of ALTs has always been a difficult thing for Board of Education to do. They do not have the reach to advertise their positions as well as dispatch companies do, and the interviewers are probably less confident about their decision making if they were to compare themselves to the experienced dispatch company managers. The dispatch companies can easily move or choose not to renew a contract as well, if an ALT was proven to be problematic, while Boards of Education have much harder times doing that with direct hires.Another hassle, and possibly the bigger one, is how BoEs have to hire someone on full term if they worked with the person for more than 5 years. It is just the law, but dispatch companies can get away with that, and it is just much “safer” from the perspective of the BoE when this language reform in 2020 is still so cloudy and scary.So for us in the industry, while the 2020 reform of English education might sound like more job opportunities, so far it looks like the money is going into hiring new local teachers, and this move is actually scaring some BoEs rather than motivating them. If you have been looking at a Direct Hire job that is still available, snatch it up soon because the trend seems like it is having less of those from now on.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Sanrio/ME5VY-living_money_educationSun, 03 Feb 2019 11:57:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Sanrio/ME5VY-living_money_educationhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Sanrio/wr3dr-living_badexperiencesIf you have lived in Japan for some time, you will have probably heard some of these comments being said by a Japanese person to a foreigner living in Japan, possibly you. Maybe I am extra sensitive but talking to people around me, I am not the only person who feels uncomfortable with some of these comments, or possibly offended. I am sure the people had no ill will when they said them to my face, but I can’t help but sometimes feel like some Japanese are being a bit insensitive and didn’t think about how foreigners would feel about their comments. What do you guys think? Is it just me who feels uncomfortable with these comments?1.“Your Japanese is really good!”Without a doubt, I know that they -- co-workers, friends of friends, the people at the city hall or whoever else -- said it with the intension to praise me for using Japanese with them. However, it makes me feel bad because I know that my Japanese isn’t that good. I have studied it for a couple of years back in university before coming to Japan, but I haven’t really brushed up my skills since I started living here. There are still tons of things I can’t communicate without help, and I was more likely than not using extremely basic Japanese with them. Yet, they say that my Japanese is “really good”.It makes me question how low their standard must be. Surely, if someone asks me in English, “Can I get the form to apply for the calligraphy class?”, I wouldn’t suddenly stop the conversation to compliment on their English, especially if the other person was stuttering and messed up the word “apply”. Sometimes I feel like they were praising me for my effort, which also degrades my actual language skills (or the very little that it already reflects). Either way, I know that I don’t deserve to be praised, and until I can actually carry out a conversation in Japanese, I don’t deserve the compliments that I always get just by being a foreigner who tries.2.“You use chopsticks very well!”Almost every time my co-workers and I have a bento day and everyone eats together, someone who I don’t usually have lunch with comments on my chopsticks skill when, in fact, I am not holding them properly. We had Asian restaurants back home as well, so I certainly didn’t start “learning” it after coming to Japan.Similar to the first point, I seriously feel like they treat me like a kid sometimes by having such low expectations while thinking that using chopsticks is such a highly technical skill. Alternatively, I wouldn’t comment on their skills of holding a knife in one hand and a fork in the other, going, “Wow, you can use both hands! Good job!”. Not only do I think that I wouldn’t, I feel like I shouldn’t. But I guess they see it differently.3.“Can you eat natto? Sashimi? Umeboshi? Wasabi?... Sugoi!!!!!”Speaking of food, one of the most common topics that comes up during those bento days is what I can eat and what I can’t eat. I am always interviewed about my food habits, with my co-workers doing their best to look for the one thing that my stomach cannot bear.Sure, natto was an acquired taste that I hadn’t tried back home, and I DO know that even some Japanese people can’t stand the taste or even the smell of it. But again, just because I can eat them doesn’t mean I am “sugoi”. They then move onto the next food item, confirm that I can eat it, then give me another round of “sugoi” around the whole table. At first, I thought it was cool that I could show them how I appreciate almost everything in Japanese cuisine, but really… so what if I can eat some pickled plums? They too are able to appreciate the dark water created by rinsing some roasted beans early in the morning without adding milk or sugar to make it easier to drink. It is just another culture’s slightly stranger thing, but I feel like I keep getting praised for the tiniest thing that is remotely part of Japanese culture.In the end, I just feel like I am NOT “sugoi”, at least not for the things they complement me for.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Sanrio/wr3dr-living_badexperiencesMon, 31 Dec 2018 19:15:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Sanrio/wr3dr-living_badexperienceshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Sanrio/z3ZLj-livingI have one very specific image of the ideal Japanese New Year's countdown set-up:There is a kotatsu in the middle of the living room, and the whole family gather around it with their lower bodies tucked in for warmth. There is an extra heater in the corner of the room as well, for our upper bodies. A basket of bright orange mikan is placed on top of the kotatsu for everyone to enjoy, and the peels of the mikan are left on the kotatsu right next to the cups of green tea or genmaicha being shared. It is just tea, because all the beer and sake were already consumed during dinner time before the countdown.The family then chat and chat with the TV on. The TV is showing, of course, the good old Kouhaku (the singing battle between the red and the white teams), but no one is paying attention to it until someone’s favourite musician is on. In fact, for the ones we dislike in conformity, we would even mute the TV and proceed to make fun of or complain about the musicians with reasons why we don’t like them, just for good family fun.When someone gets sleepy, that is fine, because they can take a quick nap in the kotatsu. Others will wake them up right before the actual countdown. Minutes before the countdown, everyone would wake up and get ready to say the first “Happy New Year and let’s enjoy each other’s company this year as well” to everyone around the kotatsu, even though they are family members.The point of being in the kotatsu, really, is just to have the family gather around it. The kotatsu becomes the center piece that everyone automatically becomes drawn towards, both for the warmth and for the gathering. Okay, maybe for the TV too.Before I came to Japan, this had always been the image I had. After coming to Japan, I was trying to recreate that scene in my little apartment by myself, minus the kotatsu because my small room could fit only my futon laid out.Oh, and minus the family part, too. I have not had a chance to spend New Year's with my family ever since I came to Japan years ago. The ticket prices during this season are just way too expensive. While they are back home counting down, I am here by myself, hiding in the futon with a drink and the TV on. New Years is usually one of the times when homesickness hits the hardest.It was not until I started getting invited by co-workers to join their family for the New Year's gathering that I felt like I was able to “celebrate” the end of another year, and experiencing it in person confirms to me that the image was right. In fact, sometimes it is more than just mikan, but the family would bring out some supreme fruits they received from their families and friends, such as some strawberries or the best green grapes I have ever eaten.After moving to a different city here in Japan, I was back to jumping into the next year alone again, but I made the move to purchase a kotatsu almost immediately, so that when I eventually got a girlfriend, we were able to enjoy that with just the two of us.Nowadays, whenever someone asks me where I usually like to go during New Year's or even during the winter, my default answer is always “inside my kotatsu and nowhere else." It is not only because it is cozy and keeps me away from the cold, but also the idea of the family countdown during New Year's that is and will always be my ideal image of the loveliest and warmest way, both my body and my heart, to enter a new year.So this year too, I will be hiding in my Kotetsu like a cat from the New Year's countdown until the holiday is over. Happy New Year to you all!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Sanrio/z3ZLj-livingSat, 29 Dec 2018 17:27:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Sanrio/z3ZLj-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Sanrio/Mx3xW-living_foodIf there is a particular food to eat for New Year's in Japan, it has to be nabe.Nabe, if you are not familiar with it, is the soup dish with all sorts of ingredients put and cooked inside the pot. The word “nabe” itself is “pot”, and this dish is perfect for New Year's for several reasons.For one, this constantly cooking pot cuisine is great for the winter. Because it is basically a dish based on hot soup and it is often left on the table to keep it boiling either by a gas stove or by an induction heating stove, you are constantly enjoying something warm or hot through the entire meal. After you went out to the cold for a shrine visit or a family visit over the new year, there is nothing better than a dinner to warm yourself and your family up.Secondly, a nabe dinner is really healthy. Most, if not all of the ingredients used in nabe cuisine are fresh. Fresh vegetables, fresh meat, fresh fish cake… everything is fresh and new, which sounds like a very nice way to start the new year with. Compared to the fried chicken and cake that were consumed the week before as “Christmas dinner” or whatever other junk food people have been eating at the numerous winter end-of-the-year parties, nabe is a great refresher for some real healthy food.Not to mention, it is great for the fact that people can bring essentially anything to add into the nabe dish. If someone grew some vegetables or received some high-grade meat from their relatives as a new year gift, for instance, they would go perfectly into the nabe dish. Not only does this make the preparation process for the host a lot easier, it is also a great way to encourage sharing, adding a different level of warmth to the meal.Another reason why I love having nabe over the new year is that it often stretches over more than one meal. Since nabe is essentially a big pot of soup with different ingredients, more often than not, I would have left overs so that I can keep eating it the day after or even for another few more days to come. You might think, “Doesn’t that get boring quickly?” The lovely thing about nabe is that you can easily change the flavor up by having different dips or soups. Yuzu ponzu, soy sauce, raw egg, sesame dressing, tororo, daikon oroshi… whatever you prefer, and with a similar switch of the dip, the meal immediately feels different. Of course, you can also offer the pot different kinds of vegetables, different kinds of meat, have udon for the first day, rice for the second, and mocha for the third. The variations with nabe just keep coming based on whatever you feel like putting in, and the soup only gets richer everyday! It is definitely much easier than preparing different meals everyday, especially throughout New Year's when I have plans at the shrines or to visit different friends.If I may share one more reason why nabe is the perfect dish for New Year's, it would be the reminder than New Year's is a time of family. There is nothing better than the feeling of everyone gathering around the same table, looking at and cooking the same pot of dish. While in Japan, it is not good to have chopstick interactions among people, the gesture of putting some food onto a little dish and then handing it over to the person next to you is a really warm gesture of caring and sharing.When I think about what New Year's in Japan is about, it always comes back to this feeling of gathering in harmony, and a nabe dinner, for me anyway, is the perfect meal to have this harmony at the dining table over New Year's.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Sanrio/Mx3xW-living_foodFri, 28 Dec 2018 18:01:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Sanrio/Mx3xW-living_foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Sanrio/Mg6W6-living_money_sustainablelifeOh, flyers, how much I hate receiving thee. I would often come home to open my mailbox for excitement, and inside I find nothing but advertisements about open house showings near my area (which I don’t have the money for, even for the down payment), some local clinic reminding you to go to them when you are sick, and politicians wanting to make me remember their faces. And right next to the mailboxes at the apartment, there is a trashcan for everyone to immediately dump the pages of flyers into. I cannot see how this, in any way, is good for the environment, and it is nothing but wasteful.Often, the flyers are repeated, too. Just in case I missed the first one, pizza shops would send out seconds and thirds to grab my attention or to remind me of their existence. Every single time I visit them or place an order online, I want to tell them, “I remember you guys, so you don’t need to send me paper to remind me of you anymore!” (but of course, I have never done that and I doubt it will make a difference as they wouldn’t take the time to ask their delivery people to skip one certain room number in one particular apartment).It is quite bizarre if we really think about what is happening: postmen and postwomen are being paid by companies to put books worth of flyers into mailboxes daily across Japan just to have them tossed into the trashcan almost instantly. They are essentially delivering garbage. I certainly certain more flyers than actual mail, and I wish people recognize that garbage is being printed, delivered and then tossed out in an extremely unnecessary manner.What can we do? You may think, and I am glad that you are thinking! I don’t have any magic answers, but I believe that every single voice counts, even the small ones. One thing I do now is to use online coupons rather than printed ones, sending companies the idea that we (or at least I) don’t need you to waste paper because the same digital advertisement would get us to come to your business, too.I also often do their online survey. Partially it is for the free bottle of soft drink I get, but another part is me looking forward to checking the “saw your promotion online” box and not the “saw it in flyers” for the question asking about how I got to notice the shop.One more thing I try to do is to reuse these flyers in any small way I can think of. Wrapping garbage with them instead of using another plastic bag, using them as mats here and there… they are a bit silly, but I just feel bad for throwing them out directly! At the very least, I make sure I recycle them instead of mixing them in with normal combustible garbage.I am hoping that if people realize the amount of garbage these flyers equate to, something will change. As long as companies in Japan think that they are still effective, even if it means getting 2 customers out of every 100 prints, they will never stop, so it is up to the consumers.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Sanrio/Mg6W6-living_money_sustainablelifeWed, 28 Nov 2018 10:41:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Sanrio/Mg6W6-living_money_sustainablelifehttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Sanrio/zK9VD-food_shopping_money_teaI went splurging on green tea from Shizuoka the other day and bought the most expensive kind I could find. Well here are two side-notes about it: 1. It was just a local drugstore and not a tea specialty store, so I know the real supreme quality stuff weren’t stocked there; and 2, one big reason I let myself make such a “significant” purchase was because the pack was half priced! What was normally a thousand yen for the 100g (about double of the Shizuoka tea I have had before) was only 500 yen! So I put it into my basket along with other drinks I was getting. I gotta treat my liver and give it a rest from the alcohol, so I thought the best green tea there would do the job.That tea was the most expensive of its kind, so I assumed it was the best. The same brand sells two other low level types in the store too, one at 800 yen per bag and another at 600 yen per bag.Once I brought it home, I made myself some Shizuoka tea. While there is still some warmth in the air, I thought this might be the last chance for me to enjoy cold green tea, so I made a cold brew in a jar and stuck it into the fridge. I left it there over night and the next morning, it was ready for my enjoyment. I also popped open a bag of consommé potato chips to go with it. Got youtube opened too, and my perfect late morning chill time was good to go.The tea was great. The flavor was richer than anything else I have tried. I put in the same amount of tea leaves as usual, I left it in the fridge for just as long as usual, and the flavor was just piles more than the tea I have previously tasted, even the fresh local matcha I had at my friend’s place! (link here to see my journey: Matcha experience in Inaka Shizuoka).The flavor was rich, very very rich, and that was the best part. The first run was excellent, giving me the delightful bitterness I wanted to wake me up in the morning. I refilled the cup and left it for another day, and it was still impressive! By the third brew, the flavor understandably weakened, but it was still at a level that I would enjoy as normal green tea. If I consider how many runs I could do with one batch of leaves, this one is quite cost-effective.I definitely feel like I got what I paid for and thoroughly enjoyed it, especially when I got it half priced!This post is supported by Shizuoka Green Tea Guide, one of City-Cost's Supporters helping City-Cost bloggers to enjoy life in Japan and engage in new experiences.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Sanrio/zK9VD-food_shopping_money_teaTue, 20 Nov 2018 14:35:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Sanrio/zK9VD-food_shopping_money_teahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Sanrio/wkpL0-living_medical_badexperiencesI can still recall clearly this training presentation that my manager gave us one summer. He titled it “Culture Shock”. While many other people working there were expecting him to talk about language gaps, mannerisms in Japan and other things that we likely have already witnessed and experienced first hand, the talk was entirely about something else, something more internal, an anxious feeling that we have and will stick with us and surface every once in a while, ultimately due to the fact that we are foreigners living in a country that is not necessarily easy for foreigners to live in. He called it 'culture shock'. At that time, many of my colleagues simply wanted to get out of the office and go back to enjoying their summer, but his message stayed with me.The concept is basic: we moved from a country that we have grown up in to Japan, a nation with a very different way of living. No matter how long we have been in the country for, there would still be some discomfort we face on a micro or macro level. The discomfort builds up in us, according to my manager, it overflows about once every half a year (and right after the first three months, for those new to the country), and often takes the form of depression.He explained that it wasn't just the conflicts of lifestyles, but another factor is homesickness. Since we are not quite accessible to our family members back home, most likely an ocean away, we don’t get to see our family as often as we mentally need to. Sure, there is Skype, Facebook and other ways to keep in touch, but by not sharing the same physical space, the feeling is different. Also, we would miss the homemade food, our bed back home, our rooms, our pets, and everything else that gives us the “comfort of home”, and even if we eventually set up another “home” here, it would still be a home that cannot fulfill every gap we feel.One more factor is loneliness. Japan is still quite a mono-ethnic country with not a lot of people sharing our mother tongue. We can, of course, learn Japanese, but there would still be a lot of things we want to express but can’t, whether due to our lack of knowledge of the right words, the directness of some things being inappropriate in this society, or just that we don’t feel the same in expressing the same things in Japanese as we do in English, or whatever our mother tongue is. This most certainly plays into the difficulty of us getting real friends. Partying is not difficult, especially if you are a foreigner drunk in a bar. Likely there would be a group of drunk businessmen more than happy to have you join them temporarily, almost like a clown service. However, where can you meet real friends that you can connect with who you can openly share everything? Most likely, foreigners like us first form circles with our colleagues, but sometimes when I hang out with friends, I don’t want to be with anyone that would make me think about work. And honestly, the choices are very limited, and I find myself hanging out with a group with a couple of people who I would never interact regularly with back home. But to resolve the loneliness, there aren’t really many options. It might resolve the loneliness on a daily basis, but it adds to the pool of anxiety that has been building up.While the term 'culture shock' might be a bit misleading, I really do understand what my manager was telling us and was preparing us for. The different lifestyles, the homesickness, the language barrier, the loneliness, they all bond together to create this force that we are finding ways to cope with everyday, but we do have regular times that it overflows. The point of my manager, besides offering us the help we need when we feel depressed or anxious, was to make us aware of it so that when we experience the breakdown, we would understand why.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Sanrio/wkpL0-living_medical_badexperiencesMon, 29 Oct 2018 10:52:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Sanrio/wkpL0-living_medical_badexperienceshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Sanrio/Go4b9-living_food_teaOver the summer, I was invited to Shizuoka to visit a friend from back home. She is married to a Japanese person, and we took a trip to visit her in-laws in the more rural area of the prefecture. They thought it would be a good and rare experience for me to get out of the country and to leave modernism for a while.Her in-laws’ place really was in the inaka. The 1-story house was surrounded by rice fields, and all the other houses visible were certainly also decades old. We had a peaceful lunch (soumen and homemade tempura) and went out for a walk. After we came back, they led me into an empty Japanese room with tatami. It was the tea room, as I was told.They thought that it would be peaceful for us to enjoy the zen of the tea ceremony, as if the inaka wasn’t peaceful enough. They also knew that I had never tried it, so it was an opportunity for me to learn. I was rather excited about it.We sat in the room, my friend’s husband and I facing each other. His mother slowly and silently brought out a tray, and one by one placed the items onto the tatami. A bowl, a can of tea powder, a mixer (?) and a scoop. My apologies for not knowing the proper terms, but it was also my first time seeing them.My friend then scooped some matcha powder into the bowl and added some hot water and started mixing it. The greenness swirled and swirled into a whirlpool. I could also see that it started to foam up. I was impressed and wanted to react on it, but he had such a serious face, I decided not to break the silence.Quietly placing it in front of me with two hands, he turned it twice to have it facing me. I had no idea that the bowl had a “front”! He also placed a little manju next to it, and took a bow, signaling that I could go ahead.I was confused though. Was I supposed to start with the sweet, or the tea? My gestures displayed my confusion, but his parents with a smile (and a bit of a laugh) gestured back that I could start with whichever. I lifted the bowl of matcha with two hands, thinking that I should start with this because it was hot and fresher. I was expecting something hotter, but it was more of a comforting warmth. It was, however, undoubtedly bitter. So, I took a bite of the manju and that balanced it out quite pleasantly. They quietly enjoyed my form of enjoying the matcha until it was all gone. I took a bow in return, and placed the bowl back in front of him and turned the “front” back to face him. Not knowing whether I did it properly, his parents clapped and broke the silence, and we went back to chatting.It was quite a pleasant experience. The tea was bitter, but the formality of the event was refreshing and very different from the busy day I go through. Rather than checking my phone for news or looking up when a new movie comes out, something like this once in a while could really refresh my mind. Perhaps it is the Shizuoka production of green tea, they were quite proud of doing tea ceremony at home, enough to serve it to guests like me.Oh yes, I was indeed doing seiza the entire time. I had a more difficult time standing up than figuring out how to handle the bowl.This post is supported by Shizuoka Green Tea Guide, one of City-Cost's Supporters helping City-Cost bloggers to enjoy life in Japan and engage in new experiences.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Sanrio/Go4b9-living_food_teaThu, 20 Sep 2018 17:19:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Sanrio/Go4b9-living_food_teahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Sanrio/Mqeq8-living_shopping_galleries_tokyoI really enjoy visiting Odaiba. It never seizes to amaze me with what it has to offer. Good food, good sightseeing places, good views. There is also one thing about Odaiba that I particular enjoy. Everything feels larger than life.Ever since the very first time I got off the monorail from which you can access Odaiba (which in itself is already a novelty that you can experience before your actual arrival), everything felt soooooo massive. I remember leaving the train at the seaside park stop, and I found myself surrounded by a ton of tall buildings, many of which took on various and strange shapes and designs. There is a huge metal ball in the middle of the building! The set of stairs leading to it is wide! The bridge leading back out to Tokyo is so long! All the roads are so wide! There is a life-size (not larger than life, I guess) Gundam! I can see some massive cranes from a far! They look like machines from Horizon: Zero Dawn from here! The roads are so wide! The lamp posts are so tall (not sure if it is a true or if it was just my impression)! That feeling never stopped coming to me in Odaiba.The city feels very artificial, but artificial in a way that was made to impress, and honestly, I was very impressed. Every single shopping mall is packed with stores and restaurants to enjoy. I could easily spend hours in each one, and there are several malls to visit! Each one also has its “amusement attraction” too, such as Joypolis, Round 1 with Sport-challenge, the VR theme park, Gundam Front, an alley full of gachapon. As long as you bring enough cash, you can no doubt find satisfaction in food, play and shopping in any of the many malls there.Nowadays, Odaiba seem to be less packed than it used to be. Perhaps many visitors are drawn to the newer Soratown at Tokyo Skytree instead, and Odaiba is a bit out of the way. What this means, however, is less crowds for me, and I thoroughly enjoy that. With less people in Odaiba, everything only feels even bigger! There are shorter lines to try out anything at the Toyota Museum, you can hop onto the Ferris Wheel anytime, there is no need to wait for an hour to enter a restaurant, and to attract people, the shops in Odaiba tend to go on sale more often too! It might be selfish, but I am glad that less people are going to Odaiba now.With that said, I can’t imagine myself living here. 1. It must be expensive. 2. There are too many tourists for me to feel relaxed and at home. 3. There are only two trains that head back out to Tokyo and they aren’t cheap. It feels disconnected from the rest of Tokyo. 4. Being right by Tokyo Bay, I do have worries about tsunami.For visiting though, I am still far from bored with Odaiba, so you can definitely find me there often, usually outside admiring at the Gundam.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Sanrio/Mqeq8-living_shopping_galleries_tokyoFri, 07 Sep 2018 14:47:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Sanrio/Mqeq8-living_shopping_galleries_tokyohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Sanrio/wXkP4-living_food_shopping_sustainablelifeAnyone living in Japan who buys snacks regularly must be aware of this too. When you buy a single bag of snacks, you can often find 18 other tiny snacks within the bag that packages each piece of thing individually. I used to think that it is a very thoughtful design that allows people to bring just one piece of an item, to limit themselves from how much they eat, or best yet, to share it with other people.Sure it is a little bit annoying that I have to rip another package open before I can eat the next chocopie (and no way I am eating only one), but there are the 3 other benefits mentioned above. Plus, it keeps the snacks fresher and perhaps keep your fingers cleaner too! There are so many benefits to it, right? Well…If we consider the amount of garbage it produces, it is quite shocking. If you are eating those little individually wrapped chocolate, you are creating one piece of junk for every tiny cube of chocolate you eat (and no way I am eating only one).The senbei I had recently was delicious, and I ate the whole bag in one go because it was so addictive, but when I finished, I realized that I had stuffed all the individually packaging into the original bag, which I put into another bag in the trash can. Within 10 minutes, I finished an entire bag of senbei and created an entire bag of garbage. That is quite sad.So what can we do? One thing that we can support is rather than buying individually packaged food, we go for the versions or similar products that has everything in one bag.This package of cheese I bought recently was, for example, had the cheese individually wrapped. The idea was nice, because it kept the cheese fresh and made sure that they will turn bad later rather than sooner. But I realized that by purchasing this new packaging design of the cheese I am used to buying, I was sending the message to the company that I support of their idea, but I don’t really support of the creation of garbage. From now on, I will avoid those products. Consumers can vote with our wallets, so if we show disinterest in something, companies will stop making them.If we think about it, the cost of factories making all the extra packaging is placed on the customers too! So theoretically, companies that use less packaging should be having cheaper products, and that sounds good to me.Some people might argue that the individually packaging helps with limiting ourselves. Well, I think self-control is something we can do by ourselves, and even if I am bad at it (which I am), the result shouldn't be that more garbage is produced because of my poor self-control.Even if the idea of voting with our wallet is not 100% effective, we are at least immediately reducing the garbage we are personally making. It is something I can do right now and it isn’t really a challenge at all, so why not? When I am eating some chocolate or senbei, I know that there is no way I am eating just one, but I can try to keep the garbage to just one.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Sanrio/wXkP4-living_food_shopping_sustainablelifeTue, 28 Aug 2018 14:05:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Sanrio/wXkP4-living_food_shopping_sustainablelifehttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Sanrio/zK93V-food_shopping_teaFor the purpose of this campaign, I went out once again to look for more Shizuoka green tea at the local supermarket. This time, however, rather than picking up the first pack in sight with the words “from Shizuoka”, I thought I would look through the entire section slowly. I am curious, how many of the green tea here are from Shizuoka?I went to a new supermarket this time, one that is more of the average price-range, as I thought the shops importing only the cheapest things (i.e. where I usually go) focus more on quantity over quality, so their available options might be tilted.So there I was, standing in front of an entire rack of green tea leaves. To be honest, for someone who is not so educated in green tea, it was quite intimidating. If I was to pick buy some green tea as souvenir, I would not know which ones are the “good stuff” to get and resort to my standard “get the most cost-effective option”. Not to mention all the Japanese on the packages.My mission began. I started picking up each package and turning them around to see what they say on the back. I wanted to figure out how much of the green tea in this supermarket in Tokyo are from Shizuoka and how easy is it to identify them. I picked up package after package, bag after bag, and… honestly, I was a bit surprised.The majority of the green tea packages just simply said “made in Japan” without specifying which part of Japan they are from. Given how much prefectural pride Japan usually has, I did not think that the packages would just write in huge characters “made in Japan” without mentioning which part. In fact, if the green tea sold in Japan aren’t from Japan, where else would they be from?The next discovery was not as much of a surprise, with many many bags of green tea from Uji, Kyoto. Uji is famous for their green tea production, so I see why the name of the place is written on the packages to attract people. So wait… where are the Shizuoka tea?I started to go through each row to pick up every single bag for answers. Japan, Uji, Uji, Japan, Japan, Japan, Uji….Finally, at the top left corner of the entire rack, I found a brand that says “tea from Shizuoka”! Out of something like 30 plus brands, there was only one. But it also hit me, these Shizuoka teas were the only tea other than the Uji tea that wrote its origin on the bag! Meanwhile, all the other ones simply say made in Japan. Although the supermarket didn’t stock a lot of them, this shows me that Shizuoka takes pride in their tea, enough to tell us about it in a market dominated by Uji tea.This post is supported by Shizuoka Green Tea Guide, one of City-Cost's Supporters helping City-Cost bloggers to enjoy life in Japan and engage in new experiences.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Sanrio/zK93V-food_shopping_teaWed, 08 Aug 2018 20:52:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Sanrio/zK93V-food_shopping_teahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Sanrio/Mg6od-shopping_galleriesJapan loves these little gachapon machines, and I love them too. When a new set of Kirby figures comes out, I just want to collect them all! But, there are just as many gachapon machines that I will look at completed puzzled, not understanding who it is that is buying them! Here are just some of the most bizarre ones I’ve ran into in Japan.The beautiful kanji character sides series: similar to prefixes and Greek/Latin word roots of English, certain parts of kanji characters might tell you what the word is related to (ex. Plants, flowers, heat, etc.). So here is a collection of those roots in a transparent shape so you can display them.(The idea is actually kinda cool, but the fact that they are randomized means I might not get the one I want. It is like having a huge letter “S” on my desk but it doesn’t relate to me in anyway.)The squishy sashimi series: have you ever thought to yourself that the raw tuna last night was delicious, and you wish you can have an inedible version of hung on your bag so you can squish it with your fingers any time……(Uhhh….. why???)Squirrels with random objects in their mouths series: look at these cute little creatures and the shape of their cheeks to figure out what they just ate! Was it a fish or was it a wrench? Put your coins in and see which squirrel you will get!(The squirrels are cute, but not a chance in a million years would I have thought that this would be a great idea as gachapon prizes. Those guys who came up with the idea were absolutely mad geniuses.)And if you check out my gallery, you will see even more examples of these ridiculous ideas. I definitely don’t hate them, but they are just so out of the blue, I wish I can work in a toys company and be the one suggesting “let’s make tiny hats for cats” and see it become a product. Share with me your "favorite"!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Sanrio/Mg6od-shopping_galleriesMon, 06 Aug 2018 16:58:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Sanrio/Mg6od-shopping_gallerieshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Sanrio/MAW15-food_tea_shizuokaI’ve never gone out to purchase green tea leaves before. Yes, I have drunk plenty of green tea during my time in Japan, but they were either bottle cold green teas, or those served to me at restaurants. In other words, I have never brewed green tea by myself, and that realization honestly came to me as a surprise!Anyway, with this supporter campaign, I set out to purchase my first package of green tea leaves, particularly those from Shizuoka. I wasn’t sure how to find a “good one”, so I just picked up the first green packaged tea I saw at the closest supermarket.“A mild sweetness with a refreshing after-taste.”“Grown in Shizuoka.”“548 yen for 100grams.”Everything sounded good, so returned home for a relaxing Sunday afternoon. Since it was my first time brewing green tea, I thought I might as well read through the instructions carefully, starting with the hot brewing. The 4-step instructions are as follows:1.Put about 2 teaspoons of green tea leaves per person (about 4 grams) into the tea pot2.Pour in some slightly-cooled boiled water (of about 80 degrees) into the tea pot (and use the tea cups to measure the amount of water).3.Brew the tea for about 40 seconds (and gently shake the tea within the pot to break up the leaves and let even more of the flavour release).4.Evenly pour the tea into the cups (and pour until the final delicious drop).First of all, I find it quite funny that each step has little fine prints for further instructions. And also, underneath everything there were two extra notes:1.The tea leaves have been grinded finely, so it is recommended that you use a tea pot with a fine net strainer.2.You can also make a more dense tea and then add ice for some cold green tea.It is quite nice that the package included so many details to help me make the tea as good as I can. It definitely was more than just “pour it and soak it”.I read on to see how the process of making coldbrew green tea differs from making it hot. The “4” steps instructions are like this:1.Put 3 tablespoons of green tea leaves per person (6 grams) into a glass jar.2.To avoid the tea leaves from floating onto the top of the water, pour the water very slowly into the pot (of about 500mL).3.Shake or stir the tea slowly and put it into the fridge for cooling.4.Use a strainer and pour the tea evenly into glass.Honestly, I am a bit confused as to how much water I am supposed to use, since it recommended 500mL for the 6 grams, which is for one person. At the same time the instructions said I should pour them evenly into different glasses, implying that I am serving it to more than one person.Anyway, the extra instructions also say:1.Use water that was boiled once to avoid bad tastes, making it more delicious.2.Just as the length of cooling, adjust the richness of the flavour to your liking.Both sets of instructions result in a very wordy piece of reading with some redundancy. While it can be bothersome, it did also educate me a lot on how green tea should be brewed. Here comes a new habit for my summer days in Japan!This post is supported by Shizuoka Green Tea Guide, one of City-Cost's Supporters helping City-Cost bloggers to enjoy life in Japan and engage in new experiences.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Sanrio/MAW15-food_tea_shizuokaTue, 10 Jul 2018 10:51:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Sanrio/MAW15-food_tea_shizuokahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Sanrio/M9pq1-living_shopping_galleries_tokyoGame Centers are everywhere in Japan. You can find them in almost any crowded districts that young people would visit, and you can enjoy an assortment of electronic entertainment by putting in 100 yen coins one after another. But game centers and arcades are just not like what they used to be. Nowadays, they are populated by music rhythm games, card collecting games, medal pushers, and of course, UFO catchers. What about the less digital and more mechanical machines from the 70’s? Those are hard to find nowadays, but if you go to the Odaiba Icchome Shotengai, you can get your fix there.The indoor-street inside the DECKS shopping mall is decorated with Showa manga and characters to help you travel back in time. Upon walking in, you already feel like you are in a different era. However, the star is of course the machines. There is an impressive selection of vintage arcade machines being kept and taken care of here, but it is also not a museum as you can play them all you want (for a 100 yen each as well)!If you are a fan of pinballs, this place has loads of pinball machines for you with different themes. Old school video game fans will enjoy the retro games like Super Hang-on, Super Mario Brothers and other coin-eating frustratingly difficult games here. I am personally a fan of those physical machines that require you to hammer objects as they pop-up (kinda like wack-a-mole), and Wani Wani Panic is my favourite! I also love the feeling when you see a machine that you have never seen before so you try to guess how its played. You are trying something old for the first time, and you just don’t get that feeling often nowadays. Not to mention, quite a few machines can be enjoyed with another person, doubling the fun!All in all, this Odaiba Icchome Shotengai is definitely a great place to visit. You might be getting bored of the game old gimmicks at modern game centers, so come here instead and game like the 70’s!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Sanrio/M9pq1-living_shopping_galleries_tokyoThu, 05 Jul 2018 07:44:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Sanrio/M9pq1-living_shopping_galleries_tokyohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Sanrio/zD6VZ-money_transportation_okinawaWhen you visit a big city in Japan like Tokyo, Nagoya, or Osaka, you do not need to get a car in order to travel around since the public transportation system is so well established and easy to use. In fact, many people would advise you against the idea of driving, as the traffic in big cities is usually terrible and driving could end up taking you longer than if you took the train. Also, parking fees may be an unexpected expense that might shock you at the end.In Okinawa, however, I would highly recommend you to consider renting a car for your trip.1. Inaccessible placesMy biggest reason as to why it might be important to get a car is that the public transportation in Okinawa is not the most extensive, and there are many sight-seeing spots, especially spots of nature that would be rather inconvenient for you to go to using public transport. The beautiful Cape Manzamo by the seaside and the hundred-year-old restaurant Hyakunen-koya Ufuya are just two examples that would be much easier for you to reach if you had a car. As you check your guide book or do research online, you might find more and more destinations that would benefit if you had a car, so consider it a method to expand or ease your travel, even if you have to be behind wheel yourself.2. Enjoy drivingWhenever my uncle visits Okinawa, and he visits really often with his family because they love the place, he ALWAYS rents a car. His reason, as he told me is that he just enjoys the process of driving itself, and Okinawa has some of the widest and most relaxing roads he has ever driven on. Drivers in Okinawa are relatively friendly compared to other countries and big cities, including those in Japan, but also, thanks to the wide roads, you feel the freedom as you step on the pedals, and he considers it one of the best activities to do on the islands. Almost all rental cars come with a GPS system that is easy to use as well, so he feels very little stress even though he is a driving in a different country on a different side of the road. As for the passengers (and the driver too), many of the routes are along the seaside or in mountains, providing you with plenty of beautiful scenery to enjoy. I usually sleep when I'm on a road trip, but I whole-heartedly enjoy the rides in Okinawa.3. It really isn't expensiveReally, driving in Okinawa is more affordable than you might expect. You can simply book your rental cars online before your travel so that someone from the rental car company would pick you up from the airport and bring you to your rental car. If you book early, you can get a full day for as cheap as 4,000 yen. If you have a family of 4 or are traveling with 3 other friends, that is just a thousand yen per person per day.The last time I was in Okinawa we used OTS. The car was very clean, the service was friendly. They were people speaking English as well. No complaints at all. Here is their website: OTS Car RentalAnd it is just one of the many available.At the end of the day, I believe that using a rental car in Okinawa will bring you a better travel experience on the main island (Okinawa Honto). It brings you to cool and beautiful places directly and affordably, while also letting you enjoy the process itself. The next time you book your flight to Okinawa, look into booking a rental car plan, too! To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Sanrio/zD6VZ-money_transportation_okinawaFri, 02 Mar 2018 14:18:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Sanrio/zD6VZ-money_transportation_okinawahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Sanrio/MY4O9-living_food_okinawaIf you know some things about the history of Okinawa, you might have heard about how this southern part of Japan used to be its own kingdom called Ryukyu Kingdom. The kingdom consisted of a group of big and small islands, had strong relationships with the countries nearby: Japan, China and Korea, doing a lot of trade with them and thus taking in a lot of culture from various countries. As a result, although Ryukyu is now a part of Japan as "Okinawa" and a lot of cultures are now shared, Okinawa still contains a lot of uniqueness. In this post, I will examine some aspects of Okinawa that make the region and its people differ from the rest of Japan.When I ask other Japanese people about Okinawa, they often mention how the people from this southern part of Japan have different personalities: they are more open and honest. This might be a projection of Japan’s impression of “southern countries” in general, but from my personal experiences, they are in fact different. It is generalizing, but the Okinawans I know show more emotions, more openly, and they are louder than average even during my first time meeting them. Apparently Okinawans also look slightly different. Besides having “more yellow” skin than the typical Japanese shade, their facial features are also “strong”. I put these terms in quotes because those were words used by the Okinawans I know. The differences likely came from the relationship Ryukyu Kingdom had with other countries back then. Either way, the interesting thing is that Japanese people can often identify people from Okinawa just from how they look.Of course, Okinawa is very different in its climate too. Being down south, Okinawa is much, much warmer than the rest of Japan. It NEVER snows there (Hi, Hokkaido!). Even in winter, the temperature in Okinawa can hit around 20 degrees while the rest of the country is experiencing single digit temperatures. Of course, in summer, Okinawa is hooooot. The tropical weather makes swimming a lovely activity in the summer, so you definitely should enjoy the beautiful ocean and beaches there in summer.Speaking of the tropical weather, it also gifts the region very different fruits than the rest of Japan. Pineapples are extremely popular and delicious, but most important, the mangoes! Crowned by many as the king of tropical fruits (and personally, the ruler of all fruits), the red mangoes from Okinawa are amazingly sweet! Granted, they are also much more expensive than those you can get from other countries, as one single mango can reach thousands of yen, but if you ever get a chance to taste one, that lovely flavour is hard to forget.These cultural differences are a great reason for anyone in Japan to visit Okinawa, to see something different. It is also why it is such a popular travelling location for many Japanese people, because they can experience a different culture without leaving their country or facing a different language. Therefore, if you have been in Japan for quite some time and you want to experience somewhere different without going far, consider Okinawa to be your next destination.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Sanrio/MY4O9-living_food_okinawaTue, 02 Jan 2018 17:31:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Sanrio/MY4O9-living_food_okinawa