http://www.city-cost.comSat, 18 Jul 2026 02:13:36 +0900A German woman who made several trips to Japan did one year of Working Holiday. Started living in Japan again since October 2016 together with her Japanese husband. Loves music, cats, traveling and food. Check out my Instagram account for your daily Japan vibes: https://www.instagram.com/yoko_lost_in_japan/enCopyright © 2015 - 2026 City-Cost All Rights Reserved.webmaster@city-cost.com (CC Team)http://img.city-cost.com/static/blog_campaign_icon.pnghttp://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/GOq5d-food_makinoharacity_makinohara_shi_shizuokaShizuoka Prefecture is famous for green tea, producing about 40% of the green tea in Japan. And so, many places offer several products including the “green gold”. This time, I got to try green tea goodies from Makinohara City, located in the southwest of the prefecture at Suruga Bay. The city not only has pretty beaches but also mountains rising. And for sure, a lot of green tea plantations!Talking about green tea from Makinohara, the place to be is Grinpia Makinohara, which I really want to visit someday, because there you can learn about green tea production and join a green tea picking experience as well. And for sure, you can taste and purchase green tea products there.When the goodies arrived, unfortunately, I had been in the hospital with a broken fibula, so I had to wait for some time until I could finally try them. However, so I had something nice waiting for me at home when I was finally allowed to leave the hospital. First, we got a pack of Shizuoka Makinohara Sencha (静岡牧之原煎茶), a rich, deep-steamed tea, that you can enjoy either hot or cold. As it is still winter and cold, for sure, we went for the hot version. As it comes in tea bags already, it is very easy to serve the tea. We decided not to let the tea bag in for too long, so that the taste is not getting too strong (and so you can easily use it twice). The flavor was nice and rich – and I really felt I needed something sweet with it.We tried the tea together with some matcha sweets that came in a beautiful package. The black box with the wrapping made it look very elegant and fancy - and I was excited to open the box. Inside were 8 single wrapped sweets called Shizuoka Matcha Leaf Pie (静岡抹茶リーフパイ). And yes, they look as they are named: like leaves, coming directly from the green tea plants. The main pie is very crunchy and delicious. In the middle, you can find a green tea filling, made from high-grade aromatic matcha. I really enjoyed the leaf pie and was about to eat another one right away. The third part of the goodie set is the Shizuoka Matcha Mitsu (静岡抹茶みつ), a matcha syrup with honey. I already love the design of the bottle, with the large green tea plantations with Mount Fuji in the background, and an idea of how to use the syrup at the front. There are several options to use the syrup, like adding it to traditional desserts like anmitsu, on ice cream, on your toast or inside a drink. I decided to enjoy my morning pancakes with it – and it tasted really good. Because of the honey, it is quite sweet, but perfectly goes along with my combination of pancakes and blueberries. I will definitely eat it this way again. Japanese people enjoy traveling for food – and I can relate to this. Trying all these delicious green tea goodies from Makinohara, now makes me want to go there to get even more!This post is supported by Makinohara City, 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/YokoLostinJapan/GOq5d-food_makinoharacity_makinohara_shi_shizuokaSat, 24 Feb 2024 18:05:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/GOq5d-food_makinoharacity_makinohara_shi_shizuokahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/G6a1E-food_kanazawa_shi_ishikawaI recently traveled around Kanazawa City (Ishikawa Prefecture) and we visited a very interesting place for our lunch. COIL is a modern-style restaurant, that mainly offers hosomaki sushi, the well-known sushi rolls. However, the sushi here is not served as in usual restaurants - you are rolling your sushi yourself and get a very unique food experience!There are different options and we chose the "6 dishes + tempura set" for 2,180 yen, where you can pick 6 different ingredients for your very own sushi roll via a tablet. Ordering is available in Japanese and English, which makes it easy for foreign visitors. For another price, it is possible to decide on another number of ingredients. And additionally, you also can add a tea set or monaka soup to your menu.There are many ingredients to choose from for your sushi rolls, even for someone like me who doesn't like seafood!I picked roast beef, raw ham, camembert cheese, cucumber, pickled paprikaand marinated red cabbage, all things I like and there would have been even more combinations. Of course, the others who visited the restaurant with me went with the big variety of seafood which Kanazawa is famous for.Served with your ingredients, you get 4 prepared sushi rolls and a plate with tempura which fitted nicely with the sushi lunch.It was really fun to roll my own sushi rolls, which I haven't done in ages. I rarely make sushi at home. Even though it was also a bit difficult to make a nice roll and mine didn't close nicely all the time, because I probably put too much inside. This made it difficult to eat, because the long rolls were about to fall apart, but this didn't change the taste experience.It was most interesting for me to try sushi in such a different way - not the usual salmon, cucumber, egg, etc! Or would you even think about putting roast beef together with marinated red cabbage inside a sushi roll? Or ham with cheese and cucumber? It was a real adventure in Japanese cuisine which I will never forget and would also like to try out at home.If you come to Kanazawa, why don't you try out this restaurant?COIL is located about 15 minutes walk from Kanazawa station, close to the Omicho Market and opens daily from 11:00 to 22:30. Check out their website for more information, especially about the menu ⇒ coil KanazawaTo view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/G6a1E-food_kanazawa_shi_ishikawaTue, 23 May 2023 10:15:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/G6a1E-food_kanazawa_shi_ishikawahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/w2gn2-food_tokyo_shibuya_ku_tokyoI love going to afternoon teas and decided to visit a Valentine-themed one this year together with my colleague from school. Because my budget is not too high right now, we decided against the expensive afternoon teas for 5,000+ yen and looked for a more reasonable one – and found one!I have been to Café Accueil in Ebisu already twice before. The first time was when they had special mint chocolate pancakes last summer and the second time was for their shine muscat afternoon tea to celebrate my birthday in September. So, this time I was excited to try out the “Slightly Grown-Up Chocolat Valentine” (ちょっと大人なショコラバレンタイン) which they only offer for two weeks, from 1st to 14th February 2023. Price-wise, there are three options:- 2,640 yen for only the afternoon tea stand- 2,970 yen for the afternoon tea stand plus one drink- 3,245 yen for the afternoon tea stand plus all-you-can-drink for two hoursWe decided on the last option with all-you-can-drink and along with coffee and tea they also had some special tea by the brand “amsu tea” - the “relax berry tea” was so delicious, that I am thinking about buying this for me. The afternoon tea stand consists of eleven pieces; two are savory and the rest are sweet. I started with the savory snacks, a minced meat and cheese quiche and a croissant with scrambled egg, tomato and bacon. Both were delicious and a good base for the sweets to come. Café Accueil is known for its pancakes; therefore, a small one is included in the afternoon tea. As for the Valentine's theme, it is a chocolate pancake with a strawberry. You can enjoy it together with some chocolate cream and berry sauce served in a small cup. After finishing the lower plate, it was time for all the sweet treats on the top plate. I really loved the chocolate macaron, the chocolate pudding, and the Gateau Pancake. The last one looked like a tiny cake and came with hearts made of white chocolate. Moving on with a cannelé-style chocolate financier (another tiny chocolate cake) and pistachio chocolate meringue. The chocolate-covered strawberry and the fresh strawberry were nice in between the sweets to have something fruity.The only thing I did not like was the coffee jelly tiramisu, but this is because I don’t like coffee. I ate the upper tiramisu part and left the coffee jelly behind.Overall, I was very happy with this Valentine’s afternoon tea, especially as a chocolate lover. My colleague said it was a bit too much chocolate for her and she can’t see sweets for the next few days – but well, these are all personal views. As this afternoon tea will be over when you read this article, don’t be said, because Café Accueil is always offering nice seasonal afternoon teas. They already announced the White Day special, which will stay for one month until March 14th, 2023. Even on a weekday, people were lining up outside the café, so I recommend booking your seat online beforehand, such as we did. You can do it on the official website or one of the several booking websites.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/w2gn2-food_tokyo_shibuya_ku_tokyoMon, 13 Feb 2023 19:43:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/w2gn2-food_tokyo_shibuya_ku_tokyohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/Mq10l-living_bunkyo_ku_tokyoI actually don’t know why, but I end up visiting the Tokyo Dome City Winter Illumination every year. After so many years, I am not going there anymore only for the illumination, but when I am close by during the event time, I always take a look around and take photos there.The illumination is running for the 18th time this year and it has a different theme every year. The topic for the 2022-2023 illumination is “gifts” and it is running from 11th November 2022 until 28th February 2023.The main highlight of the illumination at Tokyo Dome City is the “Milky Way”, a tunnel of light that extends 140m. It is a perfect photo spot, even though it might be tricky sometimes to take nice photos because the lights are quickly changing and there are surely other people walking around. Furthermore, there is a 15-meter-high tree that is also changing colors and has a little show every 20 minutes. On the screens next to the tree, they showed gifts being unpacked, like a little doggie jumping out of the gift box. Note, that the tree was only there until January 9th.At the inner garden of LaQua, you can find a huge illuminated flower bouquet as a photo spot – and there are four more venues to find in the area! Next to that, Tokyo Dome City is always a highlight, with the lights around. Illuminated trees and buildings are making it a magical place. The huge ferry wheel also lights up at nighttime, such as the merry-go-round, which is one of the most beautiful spots for me. Visiting the Tokyo Dome City Winter Illumination is free and easy to combine with all the other things to do at the amusement area. Go shopping, eat delicious food, ride the amusement park attraction or even visit the onsen spa there. There is always a reason to be back there – even every year like me. More information: https://www.tokyo-dome.co.jp/en/tourists/illumination/To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/Mq10l-living_bunkyo_ku_tokyoTue, 31 Jan 2023 10:04:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/Mq10l-living_bunkyo_ku_tokyohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/MvLod-living_sumida_ku_tokyoThe winter illumination at Ushijima Shrine has already been running since November 2022 – but it is located so far away from the area where I live, that I did not make it there until recently. I was really happy to use the opportunity of a hotel stay in Asakusa to visit this illumination event before it ends.Ushijima Shrine (牛嶋神社) is located on the east bank of the Sumida River, surrounded by green parks and offering a nice view of Tokyo Skytree. The illumination is part of an annual event held in this area, however, Ushijima Shrine is joining it for the first time this year. The theme is “The East Tokyo Light Festival: Where Tradition Meets Innovation.” A great title and for me, it is perfectly fitting with an old traditional shrine, already there since 860, being set in intense and modern lights. The illumination is designed and produced by the bamboo lighting company Chikaken (from Kumamoto Prefecture) and features about 700 bamboo lights with about 1,200 LEDs and projections. I especially loved the bamboo displays and the different colored balls hanging up on the trees with Tokyo Skytree in the background, the latter also changing colors. But also the illuminated torii (shrine gate) is just beautiful and makes for a nice photo spot with the “Tokyo Tokyo” written on it.I visited on a very windy Tuesday evening and there were not many people, just a few other people with cameras taking photos like me. The illumination is held until February 15th, every day from 4 p.m. until 10 p.m., and is free to visit. Walking from Tokyo Skytree itself, is only about 8 minutes. From Asakusa Shrine, you can use the Sumida River Walk, which also offers nice views crossing the Sumida River, and it takes about 10 minutes by walking. You can find more information about the event (in Japanese) on this website:https://www.tokyo-mizumachi.jp/event/92 To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/MvLod-living_sumida_ku_tokyoSun, 29 Jan 2023 18:09:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/MvLod-living_sumida_ku_tokyohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/z8d07-shoppingI love cats and luckily there are tons of cat characters in Japan. One of my favorite groups of cats is the Fuku Fuku Nyanko (ふくふくにゃんこ) – and they have a lucky bag! 2023 is the third year in a row that I got the lucky bag – and this year I even got two because they have different kinds of lucky bags. Let me show you what is inside this time.Fuku Fuku Nyanko Usagi FukubukuroThe fukubukuro itself costs 3,300 yen, however, you have to pay 700 yen for shipping, so in total it is 4,000 yen. It comes in a cute box tho and is always fitting to the new zodiac animal of the year. I pre-ordered my box in the middle of November and it was delivered on December 26th.There are 7 items inside the box:A big plush figure of a cat in rabbit shape for the “year of the rabbit”. I already have the ox version and the tiger version from the last two years – and I guess, I should go on buying the lucky bag until I have all 12 animals?A keyholder version of the big plush figure. This is very cute! And I actually found out that there are different plush figures in the lucky bags from the different kinds of cats. I am happy that I got the mikeneko version. A warm pullover. I expected more of this… It has a warm and fluffy fleece fabric, but that is all. There is no picture or cat on it – just a simple cream color. This could be in any lucky bag – where is the connection to the Fuku Fuku Nyanko cats?Room slippers. These are pretty cute and I will use them. I like the cute rabbit ears they have, and the color!A bath towel. This is quite useful, but even if I like the image on it, I wonder who chose the colors. This combination of light blue, rose and yellow – well, I don’t know. I will use it for a shower anyway, because it’s nice to have some towels at home. A schedule book. This is nice and cute. I already have my usual A5 size schedule book, but it is nice to use it for some other scheduling, too.A IC card case. This is something useful, too, but I don’t like the image that much. Yes, it’s cute how the cats have rabbit hats and drink/eat carrots, but it doesn’t really fit my style.For me, the lucky bag 2023 was so-so. There are some parts I like and some things I will try to sell.Fuku Fuku Nyanko Otomari FukubukuroThe other lucky bag I got is a travel-themed one, which costs 2.200 yen plus 400 yen for shipping. There are five items included in this fukubukuro:The lucky bag itself is a nice small cotton bag to put items in during your travel! Either small items, clothes or other things. I really like the design of the airplane and traveling cats, too.A red bag. This is super cute and here you also can store some things inside easily. The backside is having a net, so you can see from outside if you have everything. A zipper bag with small bottles and boxes, perfect for bringing a small amount of shampoo, soap, spray, or a place to put small earrings or contact lenses.A sleeping mask. Cute cat design, but I never use sleeping masks. Maybe I should try it out during my next long-distance trip.Slippers in a bag. Very light and easy to carry around. Perfect to use inside the airplane or in your hotel room.I love this lucky bag! It has a lot of convenient items for traveling inside and I can’t wait to go on a trip now!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/z8d07-shoppingThu, 12 Jan 2023 15:56:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/z8d07-shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/GRX5e-shopping_fashionEver since experiencing Japan around New Year for the first time (this was 2010/11), lucky bags have been a topic for me. While I don't line up for hours earlier from the morning anymore, I am glad most of my annual lucky bags I can get online now.One fukubukuro I get every year is from my favorite fashion brand Axes Femme. This year they had three different lucky bags to choose from: the usual Axes Femme, Axes Femme Poetique and Axes Femme Kawaii. They were only available online and not sold in the shop this time. First, they released some small parts of the clothes, and thanks to this I decided to only get one, because Poetique and Kawaii included blue colors, which I don't like.My lucky bag arrived at home on December 26th.The normal Axes Femme lucky bag costs 11,000 yen and includes five pieces. They are all "one size." There are two color variations, I get color set A.A short winter jacket in black. In the years before it was always a coat and I don't own a short jacket. Something I had to get used to first.A dress in violet. Well, I like the design with the flowers and lace a lot. However, I feel like the straps are not made for a big chest. When I wear them they look even more huge. A cardigan in cream white. This is actually pretty nice and goes well together with everything. Also, it is nice to hide my problems with the dress. Color set B has this cardigan in black and I got this one, too, on mercari.A pullover in cream color. I already have a lot of cream pullovers, but this is pretty cute. It has a ribbon at the front and I like the frills on the shoulders. A plaid skirt in brown. This one is really pretty. It comes with a belt you can tie as a ribbon. The petticoat is having some frills in the skirt fabric which makes it look very nice. It's only a bit tight for my body shape. The B set has this skirt in red, which I even like a little more, but honestly, I already have about 10 red skirts. All in all, I really liked this year's lucky bag from Axes Femme. Only the jacket I have to get used to and the straps of the dress I probably gonna hide with a cardigan, but everything else is nice. Looking forward to wearing everything outside now.If you want to see more of the Axes Femme fukubukuro, I made a video for Youtube. So feel free to watch!- - - - - - - - - - - - - -Btw, here is what color set B looked like: To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/GRX5e-shopping_fashionTue, 10 Jan 2023 19:44:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/GRX5e-shopping_fashionhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/GQ2L2-living_minato_ku_tokyoTokyo has many Christmas illumination spots that light up the time before Christmas every year and it is sometimes difficult to pick from them all if you only can visit a few when you are in the city. One of the more popular illuminations is the Tokyo Midtown Winter Lightsevent, which takes place from November 17th until December 25th this year.The highlight of this open-air illumination is the huge snow globe surrounded by colorful lights. A light show takes place there with changing colors and sounds. Until December 12th they also added some bubbles to the attraction, but as last year, I missed these again because we just visited there last week. I wonder why they don't keep the bubbles for the last two more weeks of the event?Another attraction is the Christmas tree which is called “Party Popper” this year and also changes color. Between those two spots is a path with light-up trees which is nice for a stroll with your loved ones.As you can see, Netflix is a sponsoring partner and you can't miss all the advertisements for movies and series running on the streaming platform all around the area.You also can show your talent by skating on the ice with the Midtown Ice Rink or have some fun there if you are out with your kids. The skating ring stays there until February 26th, so there is still plenty of time to go this winter. It is open from 11:00 to 21:00 every day and you have to pay for usage.We visited around 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Friday evening and it was quite crowded, but still okay to walk, take photos and enjoy the view. Furthermore, Tokyo Midtown is located in the middle of Tokyo with easy access to Roppongi station with several train lines.Midtown Christmas Light-up✧︎ November 17th until December 25th, 2022✧︎ 17:00 to 23:00 every day during this period✧︎ Official website: https://www.tokyo-midtown.com/jp/event/6282/To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/GQ2L2-living_minato_ku_tokyoThu, 22 Dec 2022 21:06:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/GQ2L2-living_minato_ku_tokyohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/w5E1v-living_food_chuo_ku_tokyoI love going out for afternoon teas and certainly, I had to go to at least one during Christmas. And there are a lot of prett- looking – and sometimes even super expensive – afternoon tea places in Tokyo. After first thinking about going back to a place I know, we decided to try a new place, and we were super happy with this decision.We picked the Christmas afternoon tea at Cascade in Ginza (カスケード 銀座店), which I found via OzMall. The photo of the sweets just looked too cute and at3,900 yen it was a good deal for this kind of afternoon tea. The place is a bit hidden on the B2 floor, but after we found the right entrance, we were guided to our little private sitting area which was nice for chatting in a ladies’ group. The afternoon tea started with an opening drink (sparkling strawberry) and a savory plate, which included a small roast beef burger, smoked salmon, raw ham, and a Caesar salad. Then they brought in the afternoon tea stand with the sweets – and they looked even cuter than online! There were ten pieces for everyone, as we were three there was a lot to see. I especially loved the little reindeer chocolate on the strawberry Baumkuchen such as the Christmas wreath macaron. But everything was delicious and fresh. It was a real joy trying all the different pieces. Furthermore, you could use the drink bar – and this is up to three hours! Even when you finish eating you still can enjoy your time there, refilling your drinks. They had a nice selection of tea and coffee, but also cold drinks and you could mix your own tapioca drinks with about 10 different types of syrup. It was a lot of fun mixing!I am very glad we decided to go to this afternoon tea and I think I also will keep my eyes open about what other seasonal afternoon teas the Cascade in Ginza is offering. To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/w5E1v-living_food_chuo_ku_tokyoWed, 21 Dec 2022 13:51:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/w5E1v-living_food_chuo_ku_tokyohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/wryD3-living_chiyoda_ku_tokyoAs a German, Christmas markets simply belong to Christmas for me, because I went to them several times during each Christmas season while still living in Germany. I am glad there are also some Christmas markets in Japan and that I have the chance to feel a bit more at home even though I am far away.The biggest Christmas market in Japan is the Tokyo Christmas Market, held every year at Hibiya Park in the heart of Japan's capital. I have been there nearly every year now and I am also happy to come back again. However, this year I was a bit hesitant, because you had to book a ticket beforehand and even pay an admission fee. In the end, I was close last week, there was still some free time slot and I had friends to go with - so we went!The tickets for the Christmas market you have to book via the kkday website. You can find the links on the official website of the Christmas market. On weekdays, admission is 1,000 yen, while on weekends it rises to 1,500 yen. With vaccination proof or PCR test you also can book a ticket with a 200 yen discount. Time slots on the weekend and in the afternoon & night hours are gone quickly, so book early if you want to go. We were lucky to still be able to book a slot for 15:00 two hours earlier, but this was the latest we could still get for the day. Everything after 15:00 was already gone.Entering the Christmas market you get a mug as a present and then have two hours you can spend there. You get a colorful wristband with which you can go out and reenter during the time frame (for example to go to the toilet).One of the highlights is the 14m-tall Christmas pyramid imported from Germany, which is located right at the entrance between the stalls selling Christmas products and decorations. On the other side of the Christmas markets you find all the food and drinks, however, we just came from lunch and so we didn't buy anything. I always love the Lindt stall, there you can get a hot chocolate which is pricy, but also delicious. Be prepared that the waiting lines for food and drinks are getting long in the evening hours.Another thing I also enjoy seeing every year is the wreath collection from different designers and shops that are displayed. There are so many different designs.If you have the chance and want to visit a Christmas market in Tokyo, I think the Tokyo Christmas Market is one of the best to go. The others around are way smaller and have less to offer.-------------------------------------------------Tokyo Christmas Market9th December to 25th December 2022Open from 11:00 to 22:00 (last order: 21:30)Hibiya Park, Tokyo⇒https://tokyochristmas.net/To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/wryD3-living_chiyoda_ku_tokyoTue, 20 Dec 2022 10:13:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/wryD3-living_chiyoda_ku_tokyohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/GLqg7-living_sagamihara_shi_kanagawaGoing to all the popular places known for autumn colors is something special, but mostly these places are crowded, because everybody wants to see it and takes photos there. Sometimes it is best to look for a nice spot right in front of your door. In my case, I ended up taking photos just right in front of JR Sagamihara Station, the station closest to our apartment. There are three ginkgo trees next to the train tracks and they just turned nearly completely yellow during the last week. We (my husband and I) stopped there after lunch on Saturday (December 3rd) and I took the opportunity for a little photo shoot. Surprisingly, we were not the only couple taking photos there right at this moment. But usually, this place is quite empty, next to the people waiting for the bus.I loved all the yellow ginkgo leaves lying on the ground and while I was taking some photos of these, some pigeons came closer to take a look. Probably they were hoping that we might drop some food for them. But they ended up as photo models. I also could not resist sitting down and throwing up some of the leaves. It was really fun and I felt a bit like a child. Also, the Yokohama Line is running in the background, so train fans can take photos of it together with the ginkgo leaves. Sagamihara Station also has to offer some sakura trees. These are really beautiful in spring, but the autumn leaves are more of the normal kind, compared to the colorful red momoji and yellow ginkgo. Also, their leaves are falling pretty fast and so all the cherry trees in front of the station are already bald. Just coming back to the topic: it is nice to have a small autumn spot for you close to your home or the area you are often going. I am already looking forward to seeing the ginkgo leaves changing their color in front of Sagamihara station next year. To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/GLqg7-living_sagamihara_shi_kanagawaTue, 06 Dec 2022 12:23:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/GLqg7-living_sagamihara_shi_kanagawahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/wmPba-living_musashino_shi_tokyoOn Monday (November 28th) I visited the Ghibli Museum in Mitaka, Tokyo, again after some years together with a friend – and after the visit we decided to take a walk from the museum to Kichijoji station, passing through Inokashira Park (井の頭恩賜庭園). I had already seen many photos online showing the pretty autumn colors in Tokyo for a few weeks and expected that most would already be over and that I had missed the autumn season this year, but I was positively surprised.Inokashira Park is a metropolitan park that opened in 1917, which means it is already over 100 years old. The park is open all day and free to walk around. And there is a lot to see, such as the huge Inokashira Pond, a shrine, the park zoo, and many smaller parks inside the area. It is a lovely place for a walk with your loved ones, and for couples, families, and friends. We took a while to cross the park while chatting and taking photos. Being around lunchtime, it was rather empty in the park and the atmosphere was peaceful and relaxing. Around the pond the autumn colors looked really beautiful during our visit. Even though it was a rather gloomy and cloudy day, the red and orange colors of the maple leaves were very vibrant and we were really impressed. I loved the reflections on the water. One of my favorite spots at Inokashira Park is the Benzaiten Shrine with its little bridges and the pond around. The maple leaves were mostly in full color on Monday, so I guess they will fall off soon. The yellow ginkgo leaves seemed to be mainly over already. Therefore, if you want to visit Inokashira Park this autumn season, go there as soon as possible. However, this park is also a popular spot during spring with plum and cherry blossoms, but also in summer with fresh green colors. To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/wmPba-living_musashino_shi_tokyoWed, 30 Nov 2022 13:57:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/wmPba-living_musashino_shi_tokyohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/MxkVy-living_tachikawa_shi_tokyoOn Friday (November 25th) we visited Showa Kinen Park (昭和記念公園)in Tachikawa (Western Tokyo) for their autumn light-up event. The event is running from November 3rd to 27th, 2022, and might be over when this article goes online, however, it might still be an inspiration for a visit next year.Our main aim was the Japanese Garden. Even though the ginkgo avenue also had a light-up, I saw on Instagram beforehand that the yellow leaves were mainly gone already, so we didn’t want to waste time on this. For the Japanese Garden light-up, you had to buy an additional ticket, next to the 450 yen park admission. Tickets were available online for 1.000 yen (you receive a QR ticket by email), and at the park gate on the day they cost 1.200 yen.The light-up started from 16:30, running until 20:30 with the park closing at 21:00. Access is best from Nishi-Tachikawa Station for the nighttime event, because the other gates are closed from 16:30. On weekends the Sunakawa gate is opened, too. If you don’t want to walk too much, there are small shuttle buses running every 15 minutes for 300 yen. For a Friday night, the Japanese garden was not too crowded, but still, there were quite a lot of people. I can imagine it is quite packed on weekends. Next to the colorful autumn leave which are lit up around the pond, they have an installation of wagasa (paper umbrellas) and fuurin (windchimes) which is really nice and gives this event a little extra touch. Our stroll around the Japanese garden – with taking a lot of photos – took us nearly 1.5 hours. Even if the light-up event is ending on 27th November, you still can enjoy the autumn leaves during the daytime – especially at the Japanese garden, because some seemed to just have started turning red (they had a nice graduation of green – orange – red). Depending on the tree, some were already losing their leaves at peak, but some even still were green. To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/MxkVy-living_tachikawa_shi_tokyoMon, 28 Nov 2022 10:32:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/MxkVy-living_tachikawa_shi_tokyohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/MgKpA-living_food_tokorozawa_shi_saitamaOn Saturday (November 19th) we visited Tokorozawa (Saitama Prefecture) for an event and ended our trip there with a visit to the Japanese tea garden Saishotei (彩翔亭).Saishotei is located inside the Tokorozawa Aviation Memorial Park (所沢航空記念公園) which is easiest to access from Kōkū-kōen Station (航空公園駅). But it is also possible to take a walk from/to Tokorozawa Station which we did on our way back home.You can enter the Japanese garden for free, but need to watch out for opening hours. It is open daily from 10:00 to 16:00, with the last order at the tea house at 15:45.Enjoy strolling around the paths of the garden, see the Pond with koi carp, small waterfalls and even a little bamboo grove. The autumn foliage was pretty much at its peak during our visit and the leaves are already falling off. Perfect to grab some leaves laying on the ground for taking photos tho. Since we arrived close to closing time around 15:30 it was not so crowded with people walking around even though it was the weekend. Inside the tea house, you can choose between sitting inside the small cafe-like tea house or outside on the terrace. Unfortunately, all the tables outside were occupied, so we chose a table inside. From there you can enjoy the view through the big windows - and it is warmer than outside, too. Saishotei offers a selection of drinks and wagashi, traditional Japanese sweets. We could choose from the different wagashi which all had a pretty design - and were very reasonable! One only costs 220 yen and they are also available for take out. I went for a matcha set (440 yen for both) and my husband had a matcha float which costs 440 yen + the 220 yen for wagashi. Enjoying the drinks and sweets while looking at the autumn colors outside was really relaxing and a highlight of the day. To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/MgKpA-living_food_tokorozawa_shi_saitamaTue, 22 Nov 2022 10:29:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/MgKpA-living_food_tokorozawa_shi_saitamahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/w5EYr-living_fashion_tokyoIt is getting nearly a year since I started a new hobby here in Japan: being a doll mom. I bought my first doll in December last year and I already got a second one by now. While the first plan was to take my dolls with me on trips and take travel photos, now I more and more get into seasonal things. And the Halloween season is perfect for this!Doll Shopping at the 100 Yen ShopHaving a doll is getting more and more popular in Japan. How I noticed this? The 100 yen shops are selling more items on this topic than before. Especially Seria is a place for me to go to check new doll items, but also Daiso sometimes has nice items. For Halloween, I found some nice small costumes like hats and capes, but also a small coffin-shaped backpack and tiny ghost and pumpkin plushies that my dolls can hold up. Also, they are selling backgrounds for taking nice photos at home, which is useful. Furthermore, these shops sell a lot of decoration items that you either can use for your apartment – or as decoration for your doll photos.Make your own Halloween outfitI started sewing clothes for my dolls and even though I am still new to using a sewing machine, it is a lot of fun. At the handcraft shops in my area, I found some nice Halloween-themed fabrics and used these for sewing dresses for my dolls. I wish I had some more free time to sew, but for this year I am happy with two different size dresses and a Halloween skirt I made by myself.Go out for Halloween sweets with your dollI love eating seasonal-themed food, and so do my dolls now. Or at least, they are with me to take cute photos for Instagram. I visited some cafés for Halloween sweets and could take some nice photos. I mean, it is also fun to take photos of yourself with the food, but having a small doll with you and take photos of her is also nice. Especially when you visit a café alone or don’t want to border your friends to take a photo of you, it is a good alternative. These photos were taken at the following places:- QPot Café in Omotesando- Keio Plaza Hotel Shinjuku with the Sylvanian Families Halloween Buffet- CUPS in MachidaI enjoy my new hobby a lot and am already excited about the next two seasons that are coming in now: autumn leaves and Christmas. If you want to see more of my doll mom life feel free to check my Instagram doll account. To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/w5EYr-living_fashion_tokyoFri, 28 Oct 2022 11:25:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/w5EYr-living_fashion_tokyohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/GRXWg-food_shinjuku_ku_tokyoThere are many options to eat out for Halloween afternoon tea in Japan but I have the problem that I don’t like most of the autumn sweets which include sweet potato, pumpkin or chestnut. Finding an afternoon tea without all of these, where I also liked the design and the price was still okay, was difficult this year. And therefore we decided on a sweets buffet this time, where I just can eat what I like several times and leave the things I don’t like behind.We went to the Keio Plaza Hotel in Shinjuku which offers a “Sweets Collection with Sylvanian Families” at one of their restaurants in September and October. The price is 5,500 yen per person, which is close to my limit when going to places like this.First of all, we were impressed by the display with all the small figures of Sylvanian Families in their Halloween outfits. It was just super cute and we couldn’t stop taking photos. The buffet is an “order buffet” which means, you don’t walk around and put everything on the plate by yourself, but you can order as much as you want and the staff will bring it to you. The order was placed online, so you had to use a QR code with your smartphone. This system was the first time for me, but it was actually fun.As a starter, everyone got a plate with a pumpkin gratin and a crepe with a Sylvanian Families print. Well, I would have personally skipped on the pumpkin gratin, and also most of the other savory dishes had ingredients I don’t like, so I mainly stayed with mini potato balls and cheese as a balance to the sweets.The sweet dishes were all very delicious and there was much to try out. I nearly ordered everything on the list. You always only could make sets of four items when placing an order, however, this also helped with not ordering too much at once. Indeed, I was rolling out filled up with sugar after our two hours stay there. The sweets were really delicious and my friends said they also enjoyed the savory dishes. We had a great time there and the staff at the restaurant was all nice. Definitely a place I would go back to for a sweets buffet.If you are interested in going to the Keio Plaza Hotel by yourself, the theme of the Sylvanian Families Buffet will change for Christmas for November and December.⇒ https://www.keioplaza.co.jp/event/autumn-sweets/To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/GRXWg-food_shinjuku_ku_tokyoWed, 26 Oct 2022 12:18:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/GRXWg-food_shinjuku_ku_tokyohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/MgKnB-food_shibuya_ku_tokyoI love the Halloween season in Japan, because next to all the Halloween decorations, there is also a lot of Halloween-themed food to try. Already last year, we visited a place with a nice menu and we have been back this year again!The Q-Pot Café is located in Omotesando, about five minutes by walking from the metro station. We decided on the ghost plate which included a cute ghost, a macaroon, ice cream and a drink for only 2,100 yen. Note that if you want one of the special Halloween drinks, it costs 200 yen extra, but this still is a good price in my opinion. I was very excited to taste everything. We started with the grey-colored ice cream, which had black sesame inside and was really delicious, together with a bit of cream and a little rose chocolate. Next, we went for the spooky macaroon with a Jack-o-lantern face on it. It had a chocolate-cherry filling and even some sparkling sugar extras. The most interesting was the cute ghost, holding a half strawberry. The ribbon was made with cocoa cookies, but what is hiding under its mochi cape? We discovered whipped cream together with a cocoa biscuit cake and the best: a sour cherry filling, not only including cherries but also nuts. It was gorgeous! My friend and I were amazed by the taste and the combination of the sour cherry and the sweet things around. I was close to buying one more of these ghost cakes for take-out if we would have had many other plans that day.Coming to the drink, I went for the devil mocha, even though I am not a coffee drinker, because it simply looked so cute and was perfectly fitting to the sweets plate. The devil wings are made from the same cocoa cookie dough as the ribbon of the ghost and they tasted even better when dipping them into the drink. I especially liked the cream on top, which was quite sweet – and mixing it with the mocha under it helped to sweeten it enough that I could enjoy the coffee drink. The Halloween menu at Q-Pot Café is still running until October 31st 2022. Next to the sweets plate they also offer a cute afternoon tea set for 2,800 yen and there is one other Halloween drink (a soda). Check out their Instagram account for more photos. I always recommend making a reservation online beforehand, especially if you want to visit on a weekend. You can find the reservation website here. To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/MgKnB-food_shibuya_ku_tokyoTue, 18 Oct 2022 22:34:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/MgKnB-food_shibuya_ku_tokyohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/z12lA-foods_productIt is a carbonated cola drink with cherryvand vanilla flavour. I found it by accident at Donki in Shibuya while lining up for the cashier at the food floor.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/z12lA-foods_productThu, 29 Sep 2022 23:30:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/z12lA-foods_producthttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/G0BgK-food_tokyoSummer in Japan can be a big challenge - especially because of the heat. But there are several dishes and snacks to cool you down. While hiyashi chuuka (cold noodles with toppings such as egg, cucumber, ham and soybean sprouts) and zaru soba (cold buckwheat noodles with a dip) are great for savory dishes, I love to enjoy cold sweets in summer. My number one: Kakigori - shaved ice! A must during summer in Japan and something you can find at every summer festival. Also, many restaurants put kakigoori on their menu in summer and the cafés that offer special types of kakigoori are run over during the hot months. Let me introduce three kakigori cafés in Tokyo in this article, so you can enjoy it by yourself.Café LumiereOne of Tokyo's most famous places for fancy kakigori is Café Lumiere in Kichijoji. Next to creative-looking shaved ice, one of their mains is yakigori - flambéed shaved ice. It is amazing to see how your ice is set on fire just right in front of you. And it is even really delicious!Be sure to make a reservation before you visit during the busy season of summer. Booking is possible 7 days in advance on their website. Without a reservation, they ask you to line up for a seat from 5 p.m.Links: Website / InstagramWa Kitchen KannaWa Kitchen Kanna (和kitchenかんな) located about 10 minute walk from Sangenjaya station is a restaurant for Japanese food and shaved ice, however, during summer, you only can get kakigori there as their main. They offer various flavors, such as strawberry yogurt, sweet potato, tiramisu, matcha and more.During our visit in August, they had Okinawa mango and pineapple as premium kakigori and I could resist trying it. It was really amazing and fresh.Reservations for Wa Kitchen Kanna are open two weeks in advance. It is also possible to line up for a seat or get kakigori for take-out.Links: Website / InstagramCUPSLocated in Machida, CUPS is a muffin & bowl café in the western part of Tokyo. In summer, they switch to kakigori with different flavors and timely limited editions. My all-time favorite there is the choco mint shaved ice. I especially like that you get a cup of hot tea served together with your ice - great to warm up your mouth and throat again.It was a well-hidden secret the last years and I never had problems entering it, however, this year they also got an online booking system.Links: Website / Instagram________________________________Are you a kakigori-holic in summer, too?Feel free to comment on your favorite kakigori places!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/G0BgK-food_tokyoWed, 31 Aug 2022 11:28:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/G0BgK-food_tokyohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/Gyke9-foods_productThis is a summer special of the taiyaki brach Gin no An. It is a cold croissant taiyaki where the outside has a chocolate taste and the inside is filled with a choco mint cream.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/Gyke9-foods_productTue, 30 Aug 2022 11:27:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/Gyke9-foods_producthttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/GQoXd-living_food_shoppingWhere did this year go? I wonder if I'm alone with this feeling, but somehow the last months of this year simply rushed by. Suddenly it's December and Christmas is only a few days away. Even though I'm not completely in Christmas mood now, I'm trying my best to get into it. So here are some things I did for getting ready for Christmas.1) Decorating the ApartmentFor Christmas decorations I usually don't do much. We don't set up a Christmas tree, because of missing space and being scared that the cat will climb on it. However, this year I decided to get at least some nice Christmas decorations for our living room.I bought a small hanging Christmas tree at 3Coins for 330 yen and some ornaments at Daiso for 110 yen each. With this I decorated our wall next to the dining table and I really like it. Simple, but nice. And maybe I will get some more within the coming years.2) Advent CalendarA tradition I brought from Germany is having an advent calendar. Opening this brings Christmas joy and I can't imagine a December without it. Usually my mom sends two (one for me and one for my husband) and some Christmas sweets from Germany, so we also went this way this year.But nowadays, more and more shops in Japan are selling advent, too, so it is possible to buy your own.3) Baking Christmas CookiesAnother tradition I brought from my family is baking Christmas cookies. Ever since I can remember we were doing this at home and since we have a microwave oven, I can do it in Japan, too. In Japan you can get the simple ingredients like flour, eggs, sugar and baking powder easily. However, some of the more special ingredients can get quite expensive here, like almond or hazelnut flour, coconut flakes, etc. Those stuff I usually get from Germany. But I love how much decoration the 100 yen shop Seria has to offer. I especially love their icing packages which make it easy to decorate your cookies colorful. 4) Deciding & Reserving Christmas DinnerAn important time on Christmas for me is Christmas Eve, so the night of 24th December. This is the main time for celebrating Christmas in Japan for me and my husband and I have a special dinner on that day. We have our usual tradition of ordering Domino pizza and, for sure, having a Christmas cake. However, the huge question always is: “What cake do we buy this year?” I love to look through all the magazines from convenience stores, supermarkets etc. and decide. This makes me feel ready for Christmas.Hint: Make your reservation as early as possible! Sometimes shops are out of stock or you have to get your cake a day earlier, because there are already too many requests (like us this year).5) Listening to Christmas MusicA main thing to get into Christmas mood for me is listening to Christmas music. Surely, I’m singing Christmas songs at school with the kids – and I keep on singing them at home, because they are such catchy tunes. But I also have had a YouTube playlist for some years already with Japanese songs for Christmas (and winter season), which I like to listen to at home. You can check it out here if you want.- - - - - - - - These are 5 things I do to get into Christmas mood at home. How about you? Are you already ready for Christmas this year?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/GQoXd-living_food_shoppingThu, 17 Dec 2020 10:30:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/GQoXd-living_food_shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/wZ38Z-food_autumnfood2020_tokyoIt's Halloween season in Japan, however the current situation with covid is not allowing us to have the usual Halloween parties as in the years before. Most of the Halloween parades and events here in Japan have been cancelled and if you are into the Halloween season, you have to find another way to enjoy it this year.I am going the foodie way this time - trying out different cafés and take-out offers, which seem to be endless with all the Halloween things around. Here are four places in Tokyo which bring the Halloween vibes into your life.Halloween Sweets Buffet at Conrad Tokyo HotelI always wanted to go to one of these fancy hotels for a sweets buffet and so Halloween was the perfect timing. At the restaurant Cerise on the 28th floor of the Conrad Tokyo, in Minato Ward, they have created pretty treats in the Halloween style - black cats, ghosts, skulls, coffins and much more. I absolutely liked it! It is a bit pricy at about 5,000 yen for a 90-minute all-you-can-eat, but you can taste the quality of all the different pieces. Website: https://conrad-tokyo.hiltonjapan.co.jp/plans/restaurants/sweets/cerise_2009Sanrio Halloween Afternoon Tea Set at Egg & SpumaAnother nice option for cute Halloween sweets is the afternoon tea set of Egg & Spuma at Lumine EST in Shinjuku. They have a Sanrio collaboration running until October 31st which includes different dishes and drinks. For something around 4,000 yen you get the sweets set with two soft drinks - so it is something to share and there are many different things to try out.Website: http://salt-group.jp/shop/egg-spuma/pdf/kuromimenu_after.pdfHalloween Plate at Pokemon CafeThe Pokemon Cafe is also not missing out on a Halloween event, even though you only can get one dish there. The Halloween plate is themed with the Pokemon Mimikyu, which is actually one of my favorites and the reason I wanted to have it. The set includes a savory dish, a fruity drink and a plastic case for masks (or other things). At 3,309 yen it is a usual price for character cafes and at least you also get a little extra. Website: https://www.pokemoncenter-online.com/cafe/news/200904_01.htmlHalloween DoughnutsFor sure, many take-out shops are offering Halloween specials - including the well-known doughnut shops.I already got the Halloween doughnuts from Mister Donut at the beginning of September. They have a variety of five versions with each being quite different - albeit them similar to the chain's usual selection. The only special things are the decorations which make them look like bats, cats, ghosts and mummies with some fantasy.Website: https://www.misterdonut.jp/m_menu/new/200904_halloween/Another shop with Halloween doughnuts in Japan is Krispy Kreme Doughnuts. I got two from their selection - a black cat with a caramel taste and a pumpkin with custard filling. They are more pricey than Mister Donut, but for me also more delicious. Website: https://krispykreme.jp/menu/dozenbox/5385/- - - - - - -This was a small collection of ways how to enjoy a foodie Halloween in Japan this year. For sure, there are a lot more. Especially in regards to the fancy afternoon tea places it was difficult to choose. So, keep your eyes open when you are up for a Halloween treat! Did you have some Halloween food this year already?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/wZ38Z-food_autumnfood2020_tokyoTue, 13 Oct 2020 18:40:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/wZ38Z-food_autumnfood2020_tokyohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/G0vjj-foodRight now Apple Pie flavor seems to be popular in Japan and we even found instant yakisoba with this flavor at the supermarket a short while ago. This weekend we finally took the time to try (my husband had another taste) and I was really excited how it will be.As some of you may know, I'm a sweet tooth and l like apples, so it seemed to be fine! Surprisingly, I found real pieces of apple in the package, when opening it. Preparing the meal is really easy:- Open half, insert the apple pieces and hot water- Wait for three minutes and then pour out the water- Add the apple sauce and mix- Ready to eat!As mentioned before: it's sweet! And it really feels like apple pie!Only that the texture is noodles.I personally liked this combination a lot - I am also the one who ate spagetthi with sugar as a child - and would buy another box of this as a snack. Not for a full meal, because I was still hungry after eating it.My husband tried it, too, but he is rather the spicy type and said it's a no-go for him. So it really depends on the food you like usually.Check out my little video about it here:To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/G0vjj-foodMon, 12 Oct 2020 12:11:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/G0vjj-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/MvjdE-living_health_machida_shi_tokyoGoing to a gym with a pool had been a topic for me and my husband for a long time already - to do something for our fitness. However, most pools in our area belong to gym brands and are too expensive for me with the contracts they offer and who would go there a maximum 4 times a month.When sitting at home during the corona outbreak I was just looking around Google Maps at what is close to our apartment and suddenly found the Machida Pool. It is not so fare away from us, however, there is no direct bus connection. So we have to go there by bicycle which takes about 20 minutes (and involves some hills).It took quite a while after finding this places until we actually went there for the first time, which was at the end of August. And since then we are going once a week if we don't have plans on both days of the weekend. Also, the weather is a point we take into consideration and we already got wet twice riding the bicycle to the pool (although mainly on the way back home, so we could change clothes right away).The price for the city pool in Machida is quite cheap. If you want to use only the pool or only the training room, it is 310 yen each. But they also have a combination ticket for the pool and the gym that costs 520 yen together, which is the option we always take.The training room is on the upper floor and, for sure, they have some special corona measures in place. So, you have to make a reservation for one of the three time slots beforehand, have to fill out a form with your data, your temperature gets checked and and and... you should wear a mask all the time, but are allowed to take it off during training on endurance machines (running, bicycle, etc).We usually stay there around 45-60 minutes, doing some endurance sports and working out on some of the muscle machines.After this we go down to the swimming area. There they have three different pools - one 50m long, one 25m long and a kids pool. At the latter two you mainly can find families. We are only using the 50m pool. This is separated into three areas - left side for walking, middle for normal swimming and right side for more professional people.We spend about 30 to 40 minutes there and, especially for me, swimming is a lot of fun and I love to do it!I really enjoy going to the municipal pool in Machida. It is clean, it is cheap (you don't need a contract) and it is not too crowded even on weekends and public holidays. There are only two minus points for me:- The hilly bicycle ride there which is already a training in and of itself.- You are not allowed to use the hair dryers because of corona. Because my "water proof" swimming caps are not water proof I always end up with wet hair. Going home with wait hair is OK as long as it is still warm outside, but it might get dangerous in winter.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/MvjdE-living_health_machida_shi_tokyoFri, 02 Oct 2020 09:30:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/MvjdE-living_health_machida_shi_tokyohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/z1bdo-food_shopping_autumnfood2020I really love to try new sweets and especially in Japan it's always a new adventure as they have so many seasonal treats here, and because these items change, like, every few weeks and months, it never gets boring.For autumn in Japan, two things are essential: kuri (栗, chestnut / marron) and satsumaimo (さつまいも, sweet potato). In this post I want to show you some autumn treats I had so far this year. However, this will mainly be about chestnut products, because I don't like sweet potatoes that much. 1) Chocolate Marron Frappuccino Starbucks Japan is mainly going with the seasons and events when releasing new drinks. So it is not a surprise that they released drinks with chestnut at the beginning of September. They have a Chocolate Marron Frappuccino and a Chocolate Marron Latte. Because it was still warm recently, I tried the frappuccino. Even though I love sweets I have to admit that it was a bit too sweet for me (I rarely say this), mainly because of the marron sauce which is similar to caramel sauce (which I don't like). Because Starbucks is changing their special offerings quickly, another autumn treat was already released on September 23rd. This time they are picking up the sweet potato theme. 2) Chestnut Dorayaki and Marron Cream BouchéeEspecially at the traditional sweets shops in Japan's shopping centers you can find seasonal sweets. At our shopping center I found some interesting kuri sweets which I wanted to try. One is a chestnut dorayaki filled with chestnut paste, similar to the well-known anko. I really liked this one, because the chestnut paste was a good fit with the dorayaki pancakes. There were even little chestnut pieces inside.The second treat is called a bouchée and was filled with marron cream fitting for the season. The pastry was very soft and made a good match in sweetness with the cream. 3) Seasonal KitKat For sure, also KitKat is not skipping the seasonal flavors here in Japan and the popular brand has two packs: one with chestnut and one with sweet potato. These KitKat are released nearly every year and you can often find them at the supermarkets from middle of August. I went with the chestnut KitKat which has white chocolate with chestnut flavor. Sweet as always, but a nice small treat. 4) Satsumaimo Treats Even though I don't eat them, I at least want to show you how popular sweet potatoes are during autumn in Japan. When out and about you can find satsumaimo treats at many places right now. There was a whole booth at Hachioji Station in Tokyo selling various products when I was there last time. Mister Donut got into the sweet potato hype, too, and is offering doughnuts topped with satsumaimo glaze, crispy potato pieces, potato cream and more. All are in the pon-de-ring type. I personally went with the Halloween doughnuts (probably gonna make another post about them later), but even there one of the doughnuts had a sweet potato glaze on top. So, this was my little collection of autumnal treats so far this season in Japan. Autumn is just beginning and I especially have some plans for nice Halloween eat-outs which I am already looking forward to. To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/z1bdo-food_shopping_autumnfood2020Fri, 25 Sep 2020 16:28:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/z1bdo-food_shopping_autumnfood2020https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/MqRd8-foodWhen doing my usual grocery shopping last week, I came by the kiri cream cheese special of choco pie. As a cheese lover I stopped and took a closer look. You could buy them as single snack and didn't need to take a huge pack, so I put both versions into my shopping basket.Today I finally tried them as a sweet breakfast.First I went with the rare cheese cake one, which was pretty nice. It has something like cream cheese inside and a melting sauce in the middle. This had a kind of butter taste.The second one, basque cheese cake, had a more yellow cream inside fitting the theme. Furthermore it was filled with caramel sauce, which made it quite sweet.All in all it was a nice snack. Personally I prefer the rare cheese cake one, because of the caramel which I unfortunately don't like. But if you like caramel it might be nice for you.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/MqRd8-foodWed, 23 Sep 2020 09:35:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/MqRd8-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/GR1ag-foodAs a sweets lover I always love to try out new cafes and sweets. This time I was hunting for the Pudding Sandwich from Lawson. It was already released a while ago, but somehow our Lawsons around never had it. But now finally! There were two pieces left in the shelf.The Pudding Sandwich costs 298 yen which is usual price for sandwich sets in this size. I took it home in the evening after work and kept it in the fridge over night to have it for breakfast.The pack consists of two half sandwhiches. They are filled with whipped cream, pudding slices and caramel sauce. The pudding seems to include a lot of egg that makes up the special texture which is not as creamy as usual pudding, but rather solid.Taste-wise it is not bad. It tastes like actual pudding with caramel sauce - only the texture is different and there is some white bread around. I would give it 6 out of 10 points.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/GR1ag-foodFri, 11 Sep 2020 11:18:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/GR1ag-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/GWOjq-living_transportation_katori_shi_chibaFor our summer holidays this year we decided to make a trip to Chiba Prefecture – exploring some of the not-so-popular places in order to stay away from the crowds. And this worked pretty well. Only on one day of our five-day trip did we see some numbers of other tourists around.One of our destinations was Sawara, a place known for an area of beautiful historical buildings around the river. Staying over night at Narita, Sawara is just a 30-minute train ride away – but it could also make for a nice one-day trip from the Tokyo area. We first went inside the tourism information center and had a nice talk with the lovely woman working there. We told her our plans for the day and she came up with using bicycles and making a nice tour with them, because walking distances between our destinations are quite far and the bus is running, like, only once an hour – and I really liked the ideas and I am still grateful for her nice advice. A few minutes later we had two ebikes (1,000 yen each for the day) and were ready to start. There is a cycling road along the Tone River and it was so nice to feel the wind while riding. We first followed this way until we found a big torii. It is a nice photo spot, because it looks so unique. From there we left the cycling road and went along the normal streets to Katori Jingu which was our intended destination. The place is the head shrine of many Katori Jingu around the Japan and covers a quite huge area. From the parking lot you come by some small shops and restaurants and then follow along a way with many stone lanterns. The main hall is pretty and even though the place is popular there were not that many people during our visit. We moved on to the famous area of Sawara City which took about 20 minutes to reach on the ebikes. Parking them was free and so we enjoyed walking around the city's canal. There are many historical houses to see here and it has a nice atmosphere. Some of the buildings have shops and restaurants inside.After a kakigori lunch break we took a ride on the boat along the canal of the Ono River. Especially during the hot summer day it was nice to have the wind around you there and you could relax and enjoy the 30-minute ride. Sawara is well-known for the two festivals that take place in July and October (unfortunately cancelled this year). Floats topped with huge figures are passing by along the canal and I would really love to see it one day. We visited the Dashi Kaikan Museum where you can watch a movie about Sawara and its festivals and see real dashi and a lot of photos.Right in front of the museum is the Yasaka Shrine which is organizing the city's summer festival. The autumn festival is organized by Suwa Shrine located a bit further away. After spending some time along the canal we also decided to visit Suwa Shrine and the ebikes made it really easy to get up the mountain road. It is located in the forest and has a little mystical atmosphere.After renting the bikes at 10:30 in the morning we made it back to the tourist information around 4 pm. I really enjoyed the time and can recommend using an ebike, especially in summer, because it makes it much easier to explore more rural areas surrounding of Sawara.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/GWOjq-living_transportation_katori_shi_chibaMon, 24 Aug 2020 10:31:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/GWOjq-living_transportation_katori_shi_chibahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/Gojev-livingThe timing could not be worse: the Japanese summer started with over 35 degrees during the day time – and our air conditioner in the living room decided it doesn’t want to work anymore...You can turn it on, but even if we set the temperature pretty low, there is only warm air coming out and this doesn’t help at all. We already tried to clean it, but it seems to be a technical issue (the air conditioner is pretty old) and we need to wait for staff now to check it – and already for this appointment we need to wait for one week because my husband needs to work during weekdays and they don't come late at night. I still have my summer holidays from work this week and mostly spend the days at home, so I somehow need to handle the heat which is stuck inside our apartment. The temperatures are not going under 26 degrees during the night, too, so even keeping the windows open doesn’t help much. Fans everywhereWhen I am in the living room nearly all the time our fans are rotating. We have one we bought already some years ago and this is pretty nice. You have three different levels of power and it is moving around so I always have a breeze of wind coming around. Furthermore, I also bought a small Rilakkuma desk fan on Mercari and this one is really helpful because I have some wind coming directly to my face.Cool drinks & foodDrinking is very important during summer and I have a nice collection of cold-brew teas now. They are easy and quickly to make and I like the taste. Also, I am very happy about our ice cube case in our new fridge. It feels like paradise and it is so convenient!We try to eat cold dishes often, too. Luckily Japanese cuisine has many things you can eat cold - I'm talking about hiyashi chuuka, cold soba, sushi and so on. For lunch I often go with a cold and refreshing salad. Airism clothes & cool towelAt home I often wear Airism clothes from UniQlo. I have bratops and relaco pants and it is really something easy to wear at home. Furthermore I recently bought a cooling towel from Daiso. I bought it to use outdoors, but it is also nice at home and you can keep it on a light wet level to cool. Time on the balconyOur apartment is located like this that we only have direct sun on it for a few hours in the afternoon. Most of the day it is in the shade and when there is a light breeze outside it feels good to sit there. I got some pillows to sit down on and I enjoy working on my phone or notebook there. Aircon in the bedroomOne more time I am grateful we have an air conditioning unit in our bedroom (we didn’t have this in our first apartment). So, we can turn on the aircon during the night so it is easy to sleep. And I sometimes spend some hours during the day working from there, when I feel it’s getting to hot – then I turn on the aircon there to cool down. I really hope they can fix our aircon in the living room soon. But I am also glad I found some ways for me to keep alive in our warm apartment. What are you doing to stay cool at home? To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/Gojev-livingWed, 19 Aug 2020 10:41:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/Gojev-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/z1b55-livingAs soon as summer starts in Japan I always have the same problem: mosquito bites. I mean, they already liked me when I was still in Germany, however, when it comes to Japanese mosquitoes I often have an allergic reaction and the small bites become huge, hot, hard and itch like hell.Over the years I have found some methods on how to handle the bites but, for sure, it would be better if I didn't get bitten at all. For our summer trip, where we spent most of our time outdoors and sometimes close to water (places where mosquitoes often live), I got prepared with a collection of goods from 100-yen shop Daiso which promised to help.Daiso has a nice collection of goods. While some are more for your home most are for use outside and on your body / clothes. They have many different kinds of aroma goods: clips, tapes, stickers, rings, bracelets and so on. The method behind them is the same: insects usually don’t like the smell and keep away. However, it’s also written on the packaging that it is not working on all insects. I bought some clips, an anklet and stickers. The clips have different designs and I put them on my bag. They have a strong lavender smell and also include peppermint oil and more. I like the smell, but if you are sensitive about smells, maybe you shouldn’t use it. The same goes for the anklet, which I put around my ankle on the left leg, and the stickers. The stickers are super cute and actually for kids, but I didn’t care about this. I put them on the ends of my underpants (knee-long), the inside of my skirt and one day on my t-shirt. And they are sticking pretty good! They remained in place after the whole day out.Next to all this, I also bought one of the small bottles of insect spray. I have a big bottle at home, but it is nice to have a small one for your bag so you can spray in between. However, the question is: Did it work?I would say: At least it helped! During our 5-day trip I was not completely free from mosquito bites, but I guess I would have gotten more without any protection. Also, I only got two of my allergic reactions, the other bites stayed small. So maybe the mosquitoes I’m reacting on dislike the smell more than others. I will keep on using the clips and stickers and also keep the spray in my handbag. Only the anklet I think I won’t go on using (or only put it on my bag), because I got two mosquito bites directly next to it – and my skin became green from the metal used.Did you try any of the products yet? What do you use for protection against mosquitoes? To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/z1b55-livingWed, 12 Aug 2020 18:26:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/z1b55-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/wjaEo-livingIt seems like summer is going to start soon in Japan after the long rainy season this year. I was quite glad the temperatures stayed quite cool until now and we just had somewarm days so far. But being prepared for rain every day makes me feel kind of depressed, too. So, now it is time to get ready for summer!My main issue with the Japanese summer, next to the high temperatures,is the high humidity. Weather-wise summer is the season I dislike the most because I spend most of the time sweating, even while doing nothing... However, you have to go out sometimes and leave the air-conditioned rooms; if it's going to work, eating at a restaurant or doing some tourism. For this, I have some things I always keep inside my bag.Drinking BottleJapan is quite a convenient country with vending machines and convenience stores on every corner where you can buy a cold drink. However, I usually have my own drink bottle with me when I leave home. First it's a money reason: Why should I spend money for a drink right away when I can take my first 500ml for the day for free from home?Furthermore I just bought a stainless bottle this winter which is not only keeping hot drinks warm, but also cold drinks cool. Put some ice cubes inside before leaving and your drink stays cold for a while. Same goes for the drinks you buy. Cold drinks in plastic bottles get warm quickly in summer. Just refill them in your stainless bottle and have a chilled drink a bit longer.Electronic FanI was usually that type of person to take a folding fan with me. There are so many cute designs available in Japan and they don't weight much. But last year the small electronic hand-size fans became popular and I don't want to miss mine anymore. There are uncountable different designs and versions of these fans. Some work with batteries, some you have to charge beforehand via USB. Mine is the second type and this is especially convenient when you are out, because I can use my external battery for charging it just like I do with my phone.Small TowelIn summer I am always sweating a lot, because of the high temperatures and humidity. So one item not missing is a small towel. If it's just a normal day out, I just take a normal hand towel with me. When we are traveling and have activities like hiking, I started to take the bigger muffler towel and carry it around my neck.Btw, it's also nice to have some wet towels with you when you feel too sweaty and would like to have a quick refreshment.SunscreenSunscreen became very essential for me in the Japanese summer, because my skin easily gets a sunburn. It is not enough to only paste it on before leaving the house, especially when you spend the whole day outside. So I always get small containers to cary around (they shouldn't be too heavy, either).These are my four essential things to take with me during the Japanese summer.What is inside your bag?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/wjaEo-livingSat, 25 Jul 2020 19:26:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/wjaEo-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/GLQB4-living_moneyMy husband and I always start to plan our yearly travels quite early. Our big plan for 2020 is a trip to Germany at the end of the year around Christmas / New Year – together, so it will cost a lot of money for the flights. Because of this we already decided that we won’t spend much money for our yearly summer trip.A trip every summerMy husband and I, we take a summer trip every year for about 4 to 5 days. Because I have to take care of my summer holidays from school (which are two weeks), it is usually around the beginning or middle of August. Last year we went to the Tohoku area – Yamagata and Fukushima prefecture – for five days. One of the highest costs of traveling in Japan for us is usually the train or airplane ticket. Looking back to our Tohoku trip, we spent about 30,000 yen each on trains – quite an amount for 5 days, but Shinkansen are expensive. Alternative highway buses would have taken away too much time and airports were not close enough to our destinations.Because of this we decided to stay close to our home this time, not using Shinkansen, and there are still a lot of places in the prefectures around Tokyo I would like to explore. After first saying “Let’s spend five days in Chiba and Ibaraki prefectures”, so far I ended up with only Chiba Prefecture, because the prefecture has so much to offer I would like to visit. Some of our destinations will be Narita (not the airport, but the city with Naritasan temple and more) such as Sawara, Chiba Castle and the Boso Peninsula.That was our plan, before all the corona situation started.Actually, it is still our plan, however, there are some new ideas coming up.Go To Travel CampaignThe Japanese government announced plans for the Go To Travel Campaign to help the struggling tourism industry. Through the campaign it looks like travelers based in Japan can receive some money and other benefits towards traveling for leisure and this sounds really nice. Slowly more information ia coming through, saying that “tourists will be given discounts and coupons for shopping and eating at travel destinations worth up to ¥20,000 per person for each they night stay at an accommodation facility. Those on day trips will be given discounts and coupons worth up to ¥10,000.” (from Japan Times)This sounds pretty nice and I would really love to go traveling if I can get some money for that. However, there are still more information missing like how to apply, which accommodations, what time frame and so on. I asked my husband to keep his eyes open for more news, because they will probably be announced in Japanese first. Because of this we are thinking about changing our travel plans for this summer, if it is already possible at the beginning of August. We are considering going up to Tohoku again (this time Aomori and Iwate, maybe even Hokkaido) or down to Kyushu or Shikoku, because these are also areas I would like to explore and traveling there is quite expensive because it is so far away from Tokyo. With a little support from the government, it would be nice. Chiba stays close to us and we can visit the region another time.If the Go To campaign is starting later, we will probably go on some weekend trips in Japan. If you can get money for traveling, you shouldn’t miss out, right? Anyway, I am looking forward to what the second half of this strange year will bring!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/GLQB4-living_moneyMon, 29 Jun 2020 18:20:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/GLQB4-living_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/zVP6P-food_kobayashicityBack in Germany I was never that interested in meat. Usually my mom was cooking and I preferred simple chicken or pork. Even when going out I went with pasta, pizza or Japanese dishes such as ramen. But since I have been living in Japan a lot changed and I suddenly started to love eating meat – outside and at home. Japan has a lot of good and high-quality meat to offer, especially the native breeds called wagyu (和牛) in Japanese. Most famous all over the world is Kobe beef which I was also able to try not such a long time ago. However, Japan has over 200 beef brands and there is still a lot for me to explore.Thanks to City-Cost I was able to try Miyazaki beef which is widely known throughout Japan for its high quality.Kobayashi CityKobayashi is located in the southwestern part of Miyazaki Prefecture. It takes about 90 minutes to go there by highway bus from Miyazaki City. You can enjoy the beautiful nature with a hiking tour, learn more about the true farmer life in Japan with an overnight stay at a farm and for sure, enjoy the delicious food of the area. Check out this English-language website for more information about what to see and do in Kobayashi City:→https://kobayashi-machi.com/en/Miyazaki Beef from KobayashiLet’s come back to the main topic. The beef we (my husband and I) were able to try was sent from Kobayashi City, to be exact from the Beef Cook store (website). The meat comes from Kuroge cattle (Japanese Black), which belong to the four native breeds of Japan. Miyazaki beef even won the best-taste prize at the 2017 Wagyu Olympics (yes, something like this exists!). So we were pretty excited to try it!Our 300g of Miyazaki beef arrived in a cooling box and we directly put it in our freezer to keep it until the weekend. We were thinking what will be the best way for us to enjoy this special meat and we decided to do a small yakiniku home party. So, we prepared our yakiniku plate for dinner, got some vegetables ready and took the Miyazuki beef out of the freezer around lunch to get it to room temperature slowly. My husband’s task was to cut everything nicely. In addition to the meat we prepared potatoes, onions, carrots, green pepper and soy bean sprouts and had a bowl of rice each. And then it was finally dinner time. We started with the beef, for sure, and it was so good! It melts right in your mouth and felt completely fresh just taken down from the hot plate.I ate the meat in three different ways:- with the yakiniku sauce - naturally, without adding anything- with melted garlic butterMy personal highlight was the last one, with the garlic butter, because for me it just perfectly fitted together. My husband preferred the yakiniku sauce version instead. The beef was so delicious and I enjoyed it a lot. I felt like I was in a meat heaven and was really sad when the last pieces were coming closer. If you have a chance, try it out yourself!I ended up filming our little Yakiniku Home Party, so feel free to take a look and enjoy some moving pictures and my happy face while eating. This post is supported by Kobayashi City Promotion Company Inc., 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/YokoLostinJapan/zVP6P-food_kobayashicityMon, 01 Jun 2020 11:27:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/zVP6P-food_kobayashicityhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/G6qAR-living_education_workI am usually working as an English teacher at a preschool and because of the current situation with Covid-19 here in Japan some huge changes happened.First, my school was closed for two weeks at the beginning of March when the coronavirus situation started to get more serious. However, we opened again quickly, with a changed time table and new security methods. But then the state of emergency was declared in the metropolitan area (my school is located in Yokohama) and we closed again at the beginning of April. The April days at home were pretty calm for me when it comes to school work. We only had two meetings to talk about the situation, money issues, etc., still hoping we could open again after Golden Week.However, in the last week of April we already could see that it won't be possible to open again and also the headquarters decided to start with online lessons from May.Now the work has started, because we had only one week to prepare for online lessons which not one of us had ever done before. HQ sent sample curriculums and we were asked to make our own based on these and those at our school. We needed to prepare the materials, too. One of our staff members went to the school and tried to find materials that we can use via video call which she then shipped to our homes. Next to all the preparation there was also the technical point -- we planed to use Zoom such as many companies and schools are doing already, but there were some concerns about the security of the program. We since decided to use Google Meet and had some trial lessons before the actual lessons started.My school decided to start online lessons as early as Golden Week and so instead of having the public holidays off we had to work. Luckily I only have three afternoon classes this school year and so I also only have three afternoons with online lessons. Instead of the usual two hours the kids spend at our school, we set 40-minute lessons for them. My students are aged from 5 to 7, however my colleague has the even smaller students, from one year old!My first week of online lessons wasn’t that bad. I expected worse because it is something new to all of us. However, my first lesson with only one student even went pretty smoothly. It gets more difficult when there are three or more students or when there are network problems, which unfortunately also happens. But we are all doing our best to get used to the new situation. And for sure we are hoping that our school can open again soon.Let’s fight!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/G6qAR-living_education_workTue, 12 May 2020 15:53:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/G6qAR-living_education_workhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/MvjLx-living_healthI am not really a sporty person and even though my husband and I have tried to do some sports in the evenings for a long time now, we always ended up stopping after a few times. When the current situation with the coronavirus outbreak came up and my school here in Japan closed and it was sure that I would be spending the next week sitting around at home, we needed a solution, because if not I would gain even more weight than I already have.We ended up buying a Nintendo Switch (pricy even second hand, because it was already sold out nearly everywhere) and because we couldn’t get Ring Fit Adventure for a good price (which we actually had wanted for a few months), we ended up buying Fit Boxing. It has quite a good review on Amazon and we wanted to give it a try. We got the game software about two weeks ago and started the training right away. You can choose between Daily Workout and Basic Training. While you can do the Daily Workout only once a day, you can do the Basic Training as much as you want. Usually we stick to the Daily Workout as with this you can choose what parts of the body you want to work on. We decided for a full body workout, but you also can choose single parts. However, even if it is called "full body," mostly you are working your upper body. There are some movements with your legs, but not so many. You also can decide about the time of your workout. There you first need to choose if you want to do stretching before and after, or not. We did it the first few days, but then turned it off. Without stretching you can use Daily Workouts for 10, 20, 30 or 40 minutes. We stick with the 20 minutes one and this is usually enough for one session for me, because I already get super sweaty.The daily workout consists of two parts, including different punches and moves, and it is a lot of fun. It is quite fast sometimes and my husband has problems keeping up. I am OK with the speed when I concentrate on it. For the Basic Training you can choose the speed (normal or fast) by yourself, which is better for practicing. I really enjoy doing this kind of workout every day. My husband and I are doing it together in the evenings after dinner and then take a shower afterwards. We have made it through for two weeks now breaking only for one day. I think we can keep it up during Golden Week because my husband is going to have some time off from work then. I am glad we bought the game because it helps me a lot to stay active while I am at home all day. The first days I had muscle ache, but now I am fine and have gotten into the routine. What are your ways to stay physically active when you are at home?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/MvjLx-living_healthThu, 30 Apr 2020 16:01:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/MvjLx-living_healthhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/wk5a8-foodWhen I am at home I usually make a huge pot of tea for me in the morning which I will drink over the day. Since the days are finally getting warmer, it is time to change from hot to cold tea again. I often just make warm tea and let it cool down in my glass teapot, but there are also some nice cold brew options I came over.Last time at Aeon I was looking around the tea area and found the cold brew tea from Lipton with green tea and peach and orange and I took it right with me to try it out. I don't remember the price, but it was something about 300~400 yen for one pack. This includes 12 tea bags.According to the package you can make tea within 3 minutes with only putting cold water and the tea bag. If you use hot water 30 seconds are enough. I only tried the cold one yet and you can really see the color changing quickly. Recommanded size is 280ml, but I am using my 1200 ml tea pot and just keep the tea bag inside a bit longer. And I am even re-using it up to three times. It is btw also nice to put some fruits inside. I put some slice of lemon - and in summer also add some ice cubes - and it tasted really good. But also without it is already fine and I will probably buy another pack.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/wk5a8-foodSun, 26 Apr 2020 16:53:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/wk5a8-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/MJPj4-foodEvery year in spring a new Detective Conan movie is released in Japan and with this many special collaborations are coming up. One of these was released today, on 25th April 2020, and already got my attantion quite early so that I headed out and bought it right away on the release day.Conan and Akai became cute wagashi, traditional Japanese sweets, and you now can find them at Seven Elevens all over the country. They are priced 278 yen each and have different flavors. Conan goes with custard, Akai with chocolate. Which one would you choose? Or would you take both right away?I was actually planing to buy only Conan, but then my husband told me he likes Akai and so I ended up buying both of them. They have so many amazing details!However, we ended up sharing them, so I cut them in half.It's also always interesting to see the inside, isn't it?Personally I prefered the taste of Conan, because the custard gave it a light flavor. The chocolate of Akai was a bit too strong and overwhelming for me, but still ok.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/MJPj4-foodSat, 25 Apr 2020 22:31:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/MJPj4-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/Gl5oj-foodOn Monday, April 13th 2020, McDonald's Japan released a new milk shake and I was already excited about it when I saw the announcement a while ago. The new McShake is a collaboration with the famous Japanese pudding from Glico: Pucchin Purin (プッチンプリン). I really like this one and yes, couldn't wait to try the McShake!The McShake Pucchin Purin (マックシェイクプッチンできないけどプッチンプリン) comes in two sizes. The S size costs 170 yen and comes with an original paper cup. The M size costs 200 yen and stays with the usual paper cups with McDonald's logo.On the advertisment it's said you will get an extra caramel sauce which you can put decorative on top. However, it also says "as long as stock lasts" and probably it was already over at our shop... At least we didn't get it and I just noticed it at home, because my husband took it for take-out on his was home after work.But even without the extra sauce the McShake was really good! I enjoyed it a lot. It really had the typical Japanese pudding taste and since the consistance was nice I ended up eating it with a spoon. Was like a softly melted ice cream.Definately wasn't my last one!(I hope they gonna have it for a while...)To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/Gl5oj-foodSat, 18 Apr 2020 10:49:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/Gl5oj-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/G6qYD-living_food_shoppingPeople who are active on instagram sometimes notice that there are photo challenges going on. In January there was one called #Japanuary which Japan as topic, but unfortunately I didn't had time to join this. The more I was happy to see the #SpiritofSakura photo challenge which took place in March.The topics of the challenge looked pretty interesting to me. Some easy, some more difficult - and I am really happy that I could make it and post a photo every day on instagram account (and also on my other sns). In this article I want to share my posts one more time with you and make up a better overview. Enjoy the Spirit of Sakura!!!-----------------------------------------------------------------------------Day 1 - Early BloomsIn 2018 I went to Miura Kaigan to see the early blooming cherry blossoms and it was so beautiful. I took so many photos on that day. This is one of the first, right at the station.Day 2 of the #SpiritofSakura challengeToday's topic is merchandise and so I want to show you three of the first things I bought during this year's sakura season. - a lovely purse - super cute pierces - nail stickers Do you also get weak for sakura merchandise? Day 3 of the #SpiritofSakura challengeToday's topic is #traditionaltreats and I want to share some delicious Sakura Manju with you which I bought a while ago at a shop close to Jiyugaoka station. Day 4 of the #SpiritofSakura challengeToday's topic is #drinks and after thinking about posting the sakura latte from Starbucks which is my favorite sakura season drink (find it on my @japan_food_diary account), I decided for the sakura cola bottles which have a new design every year. Inside is normal coca cola though.The bottles are from 2018, 2019 and 2020 (from left to right). Which one is your favorite?Day 5 of the #SpiritofSakura challengeToday's topic is #artificialblooms and for this I would like to take you to Tokyo Dome City where we visited the winter illumination. This time one of the attractions was a sakura tree which looked really pretty with the merry-go-round in the background.Day 6 of the #SpiritofSakura challengeToday's topic is #festivals and I gonna go with one of the most famous ones in Tokyo atMeguro. Unfortunately it is cancelled this year because of the virus, but the cherry blossoms will bloom anyway.Day 7 of the #SpiritofSakura challengeYamazakura or Mountain blooms is the topic for today and there I don't have so many pictures in stock. This one was taken three years ago on Mount Matsuda looking down on the same-named city. I have been there a bit too early for the full bloom though.Day 8 of the #SpiritofSakura challengeAnd today we are talking about "in the media". So far, the main topic of cherry blossom in the media is "When are they going to bloom?“. There are many maps and forecasts and the blossoms might be pretty early this year. Seems like there is only one more week to go here in Tokyo.Day 9 of the #SpiritofSakura challengeToday we go with the topic #notsakura which is a nice idea. I want to share this lovely yellow blossoms with you which is called Roubai (蝋梅) or Karaume (カラウメ) in Japanese. Day 10 of the #SpiritofSakura challenge#Advertising is the topic today, and yes, right now you can find nearly everything with cherryblossom design even though there is no sakura in it. Just because it looks nice - and is good for advertising. I really like the sakura design of Mitsuya Cider every year. Do you know that drink? It's one of my favorits.Day 11 of the #SpiritofSakura challengeToday's topic is "photographing sakura" and here is a photo of me doing this xD Sakura season is one of the times of the year when my phone is super full with pink cherry blossom photos. Even though I have so many from the years ago I keep on taking and taking them. The beautiful blossoms never make me tired.Day 12 of the #SpiritofSakura challengeToday is one of my favorite topics: #sweets! So here is a cute sakura cake for you which you can get right now at Sweets Forest in Jiyugaoka during the sakura fair.Day 13 of the #SpiritofSakura challengeToday's topic is traditional buildings. I took this photo in 2017 at the Edo-Tokyo Open Air Architectural Museum. I really enjoyed my visit there during spring time.Day 14 of the #SpiritofSakura challenge"Wearable" is the topic for today and as I first wanted to post a photo of my sakura nails, I now decided for this shot from our kimono day this week in Asakusa. Blossoms are always a nice design!Day 15 of the #SpiritofSakura challengeToday's topic is characters and I decided for Shaun the Sheep. Do you know the series? We visited the theme cafe today and it was so nice. This keychain is a special collaboration for the rugby world cup 2019 in Yokohama which is why Shaun is carrying a sakura blossom.Day 16 of the #SpiritofSakura challengeToday's topic is landscape and because I don't really find a fitting one, I go with the Chidorigafuchi moat in Tokyo. Unfortunately the weather was not so nice when I went the in 2018, but it's still impressive place with all the blossoms.Day 17 of the #SpiritofSakura challengeThe topic for today is #floatingpetals and here we go with two photos of Sakai River close to our apartment. I love to watch the petals floating by, however they are also often a sign for the end of the cherryblossom season.Day 18 of the #SpiritofSakura challengeToday's topic is #Hanami and here is a throwback photo from my first hanami experience in 2014 - the first time I spent spring in Japan. I didn't have a real hanami party since that again and so I hope we can have ours next weekend.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Day 19 of the #SpiritofSakura challengeToday the topic is "temples & shrines" and I have so many photos for this topic... (/o\)' Let's go with the Ryūsenji Temple in Meguro (Tokyo) which I visited in 2017 after seeing the cherry blossoms at Nakameguro river.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Day 20 of the #SpiritofSakura challenge⠀Today's topic is #nightviews and there I have to say, that I don't have that many pics, because I usually like to be at home when it is getting dark. This one I took in front of our local station already some years ago. I like the dark blue background.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Day 21 of the #SpiritofSakura challenge Today the topic is #athome and I actually don't have that much special sakura stuff at home. So here is a photo of this month's calendar page and some other stuff.Day 22 of the #SpiritofSakura challengeToday's topic is #closeup and this is something I really like. I have so many photos of cherry blossoms, but I decided for these two. Which do you like more - white or pink sakura?Day 23 of the #SpiritofSakura challenge⠀⠀⠀⠀Today the topic is #transportation, so here we go with the Tokyo Metro behind cherry blossoms at Naka-Meguro station.Day 24 of the #SpiritofSakura challenge Today's topic is #favoritemoments and it is pretty difficult to choose, because sakura moments always belong to my favorite. I really enjoy cycling under the cherry blossoms, which is why I ended up with this photo. I took it two years ago already, but right now the trees are looking about the same. Along our river are many blooming trees, but also in front of my station. These give me energy for my long working days I gonna have this week.Day 25 of the #SpiritofSakura challenge⠀⠀Today we can choose between #toys & #games and I gonna go with both. Do you like getting toys out of ufo catcher? it's always so much fun (^w^) even though I'm not that good. I also started using a ufo catcher app a while ago and already won some prices there. Unfortunately I didn't get this lovely Sakura Rilakkuma.Day 26 of the #SpiritofSakura challengeToday's topic is #historicalpics and this belongs to one of the difficult ones, too. I wanted to take a photo of a nice sakura wall/door painting, but I couldn't really find a good one in my stock (most are blurry, because of the bad light inside the buildings). So I ended up with some sakura on the kimonos of these nice ladies and put a little bit retro style on it xD I took this photo several years ago at Nikko Edomura where you can get dressed up like this. It was a lot of fun!Day 27 of the #SpiritofSakura challengeToday's topic is #surprises and I actually had one just yesterday. When I arrived at the station on my way to work, I was wondering why whole sakura flowers are falling down from the tree even though it's not that windy. I went closer and found out that a group of small birds was busy picking the blossoms from the twigs, probably drink from them and throw them down after it. I've never watched this before! I felt a bit sorry for the flowers, because so the season will end even faster...Day 28 of the #SpiritofSakura challengeThe topic for today is #UnusualExperience and I actually don't have many of these. I only remember one strange moment back then at the cherryblossom festival at Miura Kaigan. when I was taking photos around these stairs, suddenly an older Japanese started talking to me. The normal "where are you from, why are you here, do you like sakura" etc. He told me he likes photographing flowers and showed me a photo album with his shots - and I could choose one to take with me. You can see the photo I picked on the second pic.Day 29 of the #SpiritofSakura challengeToday's topic is #artwork and I want to show you one of the beautiful manhole covers of Japan. You can find it around Ueno Park in Tokyo. Find more posts from me about Japanese manhole covers under #manhole_lij⠀⠀Day 30 of the #SpiritofSakura challengeToday the topic is #latebloom and I am not sure if it was a late bloom that time or if the tree was just wrong in the season. I saw this blooming tree at Shiba-Rikyu Garden in November 2013 when I was strolling around during my Working Holiday year. In the background you can see the World Trade Center Building which has a nice observatory.⠀Day 31 of the #SpiritofSakura challengeToday is the last day of the challenge and the topic is #fallenpetals. This is always a sign that the beautiful but short sakura season is over. But no reason to be sad - they are going to bloom the next year again as well! Especially after the crazy time this year with the current situation, I am looking forward to see the blooming next year - hoping we can have a proper hanami party then. To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/G6qYD-living_food_shoppingWed, 08 Apr 2020 13:49:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/G6qYD-living_food_shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/MYm5B-livingMany already have this situation that they have to stay at home for a while. I still needed to go out for work nearly every day the last 3 weeks and didn't really feel a lot of a "soft lock down". My school was closed for two weeks at the begining of March, but then opened again and tried to cover up the two missing weeks with bigger classes and lessons during the planed spring break. But now, it is closing again - first until the end of Golden Week. This means five weeks off!Right now I think having five more relaxed weeks are pretty nice, despite the money issue. So I can work on other things again which I didn't had time for lately. Like blogging (yes, I haven't written anything here for a long time...). But also some other stuff. So here is a small list of things I'm looking forward to while staying at home.Sakura tree in front of our balcony.- - - - - - - -YoutubeAlready since a long time I started to upload one video a week on my Youtube channel (take a look here). This is quite busy, especially next to work. And I still have so much unedited content left, such as our summer trip from last year. I want to use that time to make videos out of my material - and film some new talking videos at home. I have so many ideas on my list and usually not the time to work on it. Let's see how much I can finish in those 5 weeks!BloggingSince I am doing more Youtube I got quite lazy with blogging. And I'm also a bit sad about that, because I have so many things to write about. I went to so many places in the last months - trips, theme cafes, restaurants, etc - and I want to share it! Coming back to blogging is also one goal, not only for the days off, but also for this year!Office work for my Shopping ServiceAbout one year ago I started a shopping service, mainly for costumers from Germany. I had many orders and was busy with my teaching work, so the office work in the background was not really done and is piling up. Time to manage this, because the next tax papers are surely coming.Being creative!How I miss this! I am actually a very creative person and love to do any kind of handcrafts. During our two weeks break at the begining of March I already started to make jewellery with resin again and coloring. But there is still a lot of stuff in my closets - like mizuhiki, sewing, felting, amigurumi, ... I want to create something again.Cleaning the apartmentIsn't it a good possibility to clean all the rooms and closets which you usually need a lot of time for? I already started to sort my socks case last weekend and it looks much nicer now. This might also be a nice topic for a blog article.Playing GamesI was never a big gamer, because I usually don't have enough time to play for hours. Now I really would like to. My husband and I are trying to get a Nintendo Switch right now, which however seems to be quite impossible for a normal price. I would like to get some sport games (that I don't gain too much weight at home) and I would like to play Animal Crossing like most of my friends already do. So far I'm sticking to the smartphone game. Wish me luck!- - - - - - - -So much so far. There are still some other things - but there is also a lot of time. Let's see what of all this I will do in the end - or if I just end up sleeping and relaxing all day *laugh*Take care of you and stay healthy everyone!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/MYm5B-livingSun, 05 Apr 2020 18:35:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/MYm5B-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/M9l80-living_food_chuo_ku_tokyoEvery year in October a special tea ceremony event is held in Tokyo and after I visited it twice last year, I was really looking forward to going there again this year. And I enjoyed it a lot!The event I am talking about is the Tokyo Grand Tea Ceremony or in Japanese 東京大茶会. The event takes place over two weekends in the middle of October at two different venues - the Tokyo Open-Air Architectural Museum and the Hama-Rikyu Gardens. I visited both places in 2018. For this year I only decided to go to the event at Hama-Rikyu because here they offer more programs next to the tea ceremonies and it was easier for my friends to join in. Outdoor Ceremony in EnglishThe Tokyo Grand Tea Ceremony offers different kinds of tea ceremonies which you can choose from. They have a normal outdoor ceremony, one with English translation, one with sencha, one done by high-school students and a workshop where you can make matcha by yourself.We decided for the outdoor ceremony in English which was held outside but under a clear plastic tent because it had been raining the day before. A tea master made two cups of matcha at the front for the first two guests. The other guests got their cups prepared in the background. Before this, wagashi was handed out to everyone. For this ceremony they had one wagashi called 月の光, resampling the light of the moon. Explanations for the tea ceremony were held in Japanese and translated into English in between. It was a really nice atmosphere and for sure the green tea and wagashi were delicious. Furthermore, this ceremony only costs 300 yen.Formal Indoor CeremonyThere are also more formal indoor ceremonies held during the Tokyo Green Tea Party. For this you have to apply online in advance, some weeks before the event (I think it was in August) and these ceremonies are pretty popular. You can see many people on the day of the event lining up at the ticket counter hoping to get tickets which had been cancelled or just not picked up. Luckily I could get two tickets right away and we joined the indoor ceremony in the afternoon inside Hobai-tei, a traditional Japanese house in Hama-rikyu Gardens. We all sat down on a tatami roll, creating something like circle around the tea master. Because this was a formal ceremony everyone was sitting in the seiza position - and my legs were so dead already after 10 minutes. I couldn't feel them anymore and it took a while until I was able to stand up again after the ceremony ended. For this ceremony the explanations were all in Japanese. Women dressed in kimono brought plates with wagashi to the room which everyone had to take by themselves with long chopsticks and pass the plate to the next person. The master, in front again, only prepared the cups for the first two guests - it would take several hours for everyone to be served by her. The other guests got their cups from the back. You had to bow several times - to the woman dressed in kimono bringing the cup, to the guest next to you, to the cup, ... I'm unsure of all the rules and concentrated on watching the other guests who got their tea earlier. Even though my friend and I were the only foreigners in the group, I think nobody would have been angry about any small mistakes we might have made. Some guests even started small conversations with us after the ceremony ended.It was the second time for me to be at this kind of more formal tea ceremony and it is really something you should experience at least once while you are in Japan. The tickets for this were prices 700 yen.Other programs at the Tokyo Grand Tea CeremonyNext to the tea ceremonies of the Tokyo Grand Tea Ceremony there was a stage program at the Hama-rikyu Gardens event site which we watched for a brief time. For foreign visitors there were tents where you could try out Ikebana, wearing a kimono and chopstick making. We did the first two things last year and it was very nice.This year at the Tokyo Grand Tea Ceremony we joined the Japanese handicrafts workshops. For 500 yen you could make tsumami crafts (flower hairpins) or a flower herbarium. We went with the second one and it was so much fun and made for a great souvenir.We had a wonderful day at Hama-Rikyu Gardens in the nice autumn weather. Unfortunately it was a bit too early for the autumn colors on the trees. However, I am looking forward to joining the Tokyo Grand Tea Ceremony again next year!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/M9l80-living_food_chuo_ku_tokyoThu, 31 Oct 2019 11:02:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/M9l80-living_food_chuo_ku_tokyohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/G0VRr-living_foodAs you might know, Starbucks Japan goes with seasonal specials nearly every month. For sure, Halloween shouldn't be missing and this year Starbucks had some really nice stuff to offer.Halloween Goods CollectionFirst of all, let's take a look to the goods collection which Starbucks Japan released for the Halloween season on October 11th. There were two mugs, one in a black cat design which was really cute. The other item was a ghost wearing a Starbucks apron and working as a member of coffee chain's staff. Furthermore Starbucks released three plastic bottles in a Halloween design, each with different features. The first one was a bottle in a black cat design including a fluffy tail attached to the lid. The second was a purple ghost bottle with a ghost figure on top. For the last one Starbucks went with an easy Halloween design including orange and black colors such as a black cat and ghosts. The special feature here was an LED light at the top which makes the bottle pretty unique in the dark. The mugs were priced 1,980 yen and 2,200 yen, while you had to pay 2,750 or 3,190 yen for the bottles.Everything was pretty popular and quickly sold out. On the release date I went to different shops in the morning before work to get everything I wanted (for my customers), because they had already ran out of several goods shortly after opening. One week later on October 18th Starbucks Japan released some more goods. You could get Frappuccino stands in two different colors - black and white. However, you couldn't simply buy them. You had to get them together with one of the Halloween Frappuccinos. The price here was 990 + tax (8% or 10% depending if you drink it in the shop or take it out). Starbucks Halloween Drinks 2019And there we already are: the Starbucks Halloween Drinks 2019. They started with a Frappuccino and Mocha on the first release date, October 11th. Another Frappuccino joined the selection on October 18th. And for sure, I tried them all! 1) Halloween Red Night FrappuccinoI first went with the Red Night Frappuccino which was red because of a sweet and sour berry sauce made out of raspberry, strawberry and cranberry. This was mixed together with white chocolate brownie, almond, white cream and topped with black cocoa powder. The taste was pretty sweet and it was quite heavy, but I really liked the combination.2) Halloween Dark Night FrappuccinoThe Dark Night version had similar ingredients, but became black with the help of a quite huge amount of black cocoa. Because of this it was not so sweet and I had the feeling of having a goma (black sesame) drink. It was an interesting combination, however if I could choose between the red and the dark version, I would prefer the red one.3) Halloween Masquerade Raspberry MochaLast but not least, next to the two cold drinks Starbucks also offered a hot option for Halloween. I usually don’t drink coffee and was thinking about whether or not I should give it a try. But my friend told me there is a lot of milk inside so I got it – and surprisingly I really liked it. According to Starbucks' website the drink consists of espresso, milk, white mocha syrup and the same sweet and sour red berry sauce as the Frappuccinos.Even though the goods are sold out at most shops already, the Starbucks Japan Halloween drinks will be available until October 31st. So if you haven’t tried them yet – hurry up!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/G0VRr-living_foodMon, 28 Oct 2019 18:28:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/G0VRr-living_foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/wrvdq-foodWhen it gets October in Japan there is only one topic: HALLOWEEN!You can find decorations everywhere. Shops decorate their shelves, supermarkets are filled with Halloween packages and department stores set up lovely Halloween photo spots. For sure, there are also several Halloween events, but one thing that is most important for me as a sweets lover are all the special Halloween treats. Here I have my top 5 of this year’s sweet snacks. Mister DonutsThe Halloween party at Mister Donuts already started on September 6th with six different treats. If you take a look on their website you can see they all resample Halloween characters which is a cool idea - you choose between mummy, werwolf, skeleton, Jach'o'lantern, witch and Frankenstein. There are nine different versions of eyes and it is really fun to choose the ones you like.I got four of them and they all were pretty delicious. However, my favorites are the dark-red werwolf and the white skeleton.Halloween Wagashi from LawsonAs a huge fan of Rilakkuma I surely was very happy about the announcement of Halloween Wagashi with Rilakkuma theme at Lawson. It took me a while until I could finally find a Lawson there they were not sold out already. The cute bears are made as nerikiri wagashi. Rilakkuma has pumpkin pudding taste, Korilakkuma goes with maple flavor. They cost 280 yen each, but they are super adorable with the pumpkin heads and worth the money.Black Cat Cake from Seven ElevenAlso Seven Eleven has some Halloween treats. I went with the black cat, a chocolate cake made as Sachertorte. It is priced 332 yen. Unfortunately the ears of my cat got a bit damage on my way home.Even though the taste was ok for me, I expected it to be a bit different. It is a choco-spongecake with a chocolate coating and a slim layer of sweet jam inbetween.Krispy Kreme DoughnutsSuch as Mister Donuts the company Krispy Kreme Doughnuts has a Halloween selection, too, and for sure I also had to try those. There they have four different versions: a custard filled Pumpkin, a marron creme black cat, an apple caramel monster and a simple springle donut. They were all delicious, but my favorite here was the apple monster!KitKat Halloween Break 2019Kitkat has uncountable flavors in Japan and for sure there are also special versions for Halloween. There is a version with the simple chocolate flavor, but with Halloween package, which is actually kind of cute. However, they also have a special Halloween flavor. This year it is apple pie and because I like apples I was curious about trying it out.The front image of the package actually doesn't really look much like Halloween, but you can find ghosts on the back side and also a small text telling you that they like to play tricks. Their favorite color is purple, which is the reason why also the Kitkat bars are purple. I personally like the taste very much, because next to the sweetness of the chocolate you also can feel some sourness from the apple. Try it out yourself!These are my top 5 Halloween treats 2019.Have you tried any of these yet?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/wrvdq-foodTue, 22 Oct 2019 10:15:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/wrvdq-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/G7E0Q-living_food_money_yamagata_yamagata_shi_yamagata_yonezawa_shi_yamagataTraveling in summer in Japan can be really hard because of the high temperatures and humidity. However, there are plenty of things to see all around the country: seasonal festivals, beautiful scenery and much more. This summer we made Yamagata our destination for the summer holidays and so I want to share my top 5 summer spots in Yamagata Prefecture with you.Hanagasa Matsuri, Yamagata CityHanagasa Matsuri (花笠まつり) is one of the most famous festivals of this area and takes place over three days at the beginning of August. The Hanagasa Matsuri parade starts at night, when it starts to cool a little bit down, but if you want to have a good view and sit at the front row on the street, I recommend arriving around one hour earlier. Around 10,000 people dance in groups and different colorful costumes with their flower hats and it is really impressive to watch. The parade takes quite long and it feels like there is no end. Especially when it gets dark there is a special atmosphere on the main festival street of Yamagata City. Around this area you can find some yatai (food stalls) selling typical matsuri food such as kakigori, yakisoba, karaage, sausages and more. For sure, you also can purchase a flower hat for yourself, too, and other souvenirs. The Hanagasa Matsuri is definitely a reason to visit Yamagata in summer.Date: 5th to 7th August every year at evening timeAdmission: freeWebsite: hanagasa.jpYamadera, Yamagata CityIf you travel all the way to Yamagata City, don't miss out Yamadera (山寺), a top spot in Yamagata at any time of year. This temple is actually named Risshaku-ji and has over 1,000 years of history. And the number 1,000 appears one more time: you have to climb that many steps to reach it up on the mountain.OK, climbing 1,000 steps in summer is not the best idea, so take a lot of water, a towel and a fan with you. I would even recommend an extra t-shirt to change into if you are sweating a lot. Once you reached the top however, really beautiful scenery is awaiting you. In summer from Yamadera, the surrounding area looks very green and fresh and we could find beautiful flowers everywhere. Opened from 8:00 to 17:00 every dayAdmission: 300 yenHatake Café, Yamagata CityWhen going by train through Yamagata Prefecture you can find a lot of fields and agriculture. The area has many local fruits to offer and is most famous for their cherries which have their harvest season from the end of May to July. However, when you come to Yamagata in summer you also can enjoy fresh peaches.We made a stop at the Hatake Cafe inside the Yamagata station building which had a peach parfait as seasonal offer. The soft cream was super delicious and refreshing and the peach was cut freshly in front of our eyes right after ordering, making this a top spot to enjoy during the summer in Yamagata.Hatake Café actually belongs to a farm in Kaminoyama City, a litte south of Yamagata City, where they get their fresh fruits from.Uesugi Shrine, Yonezawa CityMoving to the north of Yamagata Prefecture you find the city Yonezawa. There are some festivals taking place throughout the year, such as the Lantern Festival in winter and the Yonezawa Uesugi Festival around Golden Week. The most popular sightseeing spot is the Uesugi Shrine (上杉神社) which is devoted to Uesugi Kenshin, who was one of the greatest warriors during Japan's Warring States period. At the tourist information center in the shrine grounds you can find several historical goods. While Uesugi Shrine is worth a visit in all seasons, in summer you can enjoy the surrounding greens and the water lilies blooming in the Japanese garden, making this a top summer spot.Admission to all areas of Uesugi Shrine is free.Yonezawa Beef, Yonezawa CityLast but not least, when visiting Yonezawa don't miss out on trying the famous Yonezawa beef -- one of Japan's three major beef brands along with Kobe beef and Matsusaka beef. We chose the restaurantGyunabe Oki,close to Yonezawa station where we had a Yonezawa beef steak set and a shabu shabu set. It was just simply amazing. The meat was melting in my mouth and I was a bit sad when my plate was empty. A little bit pricy, but definitely worth a try!Website: oki-gyunabe.comHave you ever been to Yamagata prefecture? Got any top spots in Yamagata of your own?I can recommend a visit there, because I enjoyed our trip a lot.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/G7E0Q-living_food_money_yamagata_yamagata_shi_yamagata_yonezawa_shi_yamagataThu, 15 Aug 2019 08:51:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/G7E0Q-living_food_money_yamagata_yamagata_shi_yamagata_yonezawa_shi_yamagatahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/wmxBv-living_food_fashion_chuo_ku_tokyoThe Japanese summer is known to be hot and humid. One reason why I rather prefer to stay at home, do some inside activities or only go out at night. However, there are also so many things to explore during the summer season. In this article we take a look to Nihonbashi, a district in Japan’s capital Tokyo which is known for its history as “the center of Japan” and nowadays has many commercial buildings to offer. Nihonbashi Station is located on the east side of Tokyo station. From there you can reach this area within a 10 minute walk. Easier access is possible with the subway lines from Nihonbashi Station and Mitsukoshimae Station. But now, let’s enjoy the summer spots in this area!ECO EDO DISPLAYS AROUND COREDOECO EDO NIHONBASHI is an annual event which is taking place during summer around the COREDO Muromachi complex. These three buildings (COREDO 室町 1 to 3) have been completed in 2014 and house many shops and restaurants. During the event, which is held from July 5th to September 23rd this year, the Naka-dori Street becomes a walkway with goldfish lanterns which looks very beautiful and brings you back in the old times of Tokyo. Especially at night, when the sound projection starts, it is really worth a visit. You can see it from 7 p.m. until 11 p.m. every night while the event is taking place.Right next to Naka-dori you can find the Fukutoku Shrine which also joins in the event with a Wind Chime Forest Path. On the way to the Fukutoku Garden you can find about 200 lovely colored wind chimes. When there is some wind you can hear the typical sound of summer. The Garden area, where you can sit down and relax, is decorated with festival lanterns, too. At the evening from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. a special light up is taking place.ART AQUARIUMThe ART AQUARIUM is taking place in Nihonbashi every summer since 2011 and really is a piece of art. Inside the exhibition hall you can find several water tanks filled with gold fish creating a very special atmosphere. The lights are kept dark and there is music in the background. You can enjoy watching the different shaped tanks such as a lotus flower, to so-called Oiran and lanterns. In 2019 they even have a bathtub as fish tank. The general admission costs 1,000 yen. There are also special events taking place when ticket prices get more expensive. The entrance of the Art Aquarium is located at the 4th floor of COREDO Muromachi 1 and is opened from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. for normal visitors. From 7 p.m. the Night Aquarium and events are taking place. Find out more on the official website.WAGASHI BREAK TIMEAfter walking around for a while it is a nice opportunity to have a small snack in between. Surely, there are many cafés and also collaboration dishes of the ECO EDO event, but I can recommend enjoying some nice wagashi there. Tsuruya Yoshinobu is located at the first floor of COREDO Muromachi 3 right at the entrance, so you can’t miss it. The wagashi café only has seven counter seats from where you can watch how the traditional sweets you ordered are made. This is really impressive and a great experience. The set of matcha and one fresh-made wagashi costs 1404 yen. You can choose between hot and cold matcha and the wagashi you want. Usually there are four different versions to select which are changing seasonally. In summer you can find a lovely one with firework design and different flowers.NIHONBASHI RIVER CRUISEFrom the Nihonbashi Pier, located right next to the famous Nihonbashi Bridge, there are some opportunities to start a ship cruise. There are different courses to choose from, including Nihonbashi River, Sumida River, Tokyo Bay and more. Prices vary by which cruise (location, length, …) you want to make, but usually are about 1500 to 3000 Yen. We enjoyed a cruise to Tokyo Bay at a sunny summer day with Nihonbashi Cruise (Website) and it was really refreshing to have the wind in your face and sometimes get some water splashed on your skin.YUKATA EXPERIENCETo top your time in Nihonbashi - and take some nice photos - you can get dressed up in a Yukata and get into the complete Japanese summer feeling. Surely, you already can come in your own Yukata (or get dressed at a public bathroom such as we did). But there are also other opportunities offered during summer time.The shop Kyoraku Tei located at the 3rd floor of COREDO Muromachi 3 is offering a Yukata service every Saturday until September 21st. For 3,000 Yen a professional will dress you into your own yukata. For 5,500 yen you can rent a yukata from there. It is opened from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., however, you should make a prior reservation there.These are my highlights for a visit to Nihonbashi in Tokyo during summer season. I hope you could get some ideas. Enjoy your summer!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/wmxBv-living_food_fashion_chuo_ku_tokyoSun, 28 Jul 2019 15:26:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/wmxBv-living_food_fashion_chuo_ku_tokyohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/MnmbR-living_galleries_hino_shi_tokyoSince living in Japan I really fell in love with hydrangea. First I didn’t like them, mainly because I don’t like the color blue. But hydrangea, or ajisai (紫陽花) as they are called in Japanese, are just simply so beautiful and there are so many colors (and I also started to like the blue ones now). So even though I don't like the rainy season with its moody weather, I am looking forward to the ajisai season every year which takes place around the same time.After I couldn't go last year, because of rainy weather and time management, I finally wanted to visit the Takahata Fudoson Temple in Hino City this year, which is located in the western part of Tokyo. However, my first attempt on a day off was "washed away" by heavy rain... Luckily I could find another date when I could visit the temple before work and I am really glad I went.Takahata Fudoson Kongo-ji (高幡不動尊金剛寺) is one of Tokyo's oldest temples and also one of the three biggest Fudo temples in the Kanto area. However, it is rather famous as being the family temple of Hijikata Toshizo, the vice commander of the Shinsengumi. You can find an impressive statue of him at the beginning of the temple area. That is also why the Shinsengumi Matsuri is taking place there every year in the beginning of May (read more here). But Takahata Fudoson is also well-known for its Yama-Ajisai (山あじさい), mountain hydrangea. The whole mountain behind the pagoda is filled with ajisai plants and it is really beautiful when they are blooming. Because of this, the temple belongs to the top spots for hydrangea viewing in Tokyo area.I visited the temple on June 19th and for sure, I was not the only one who wanted to see the blooming flowers. You can easily reach it from Takahatafudo station by walking a few minutes and the admission is free. First I took a look around the usual temple area, starting with the Bentendo (弁天堂) on the left side next to the entrance. It looked so beautiful. The color contrast between the red of the small building and the bridge with the blue flowers was really nice. After a stroll around the stone paths I went to the three-storied pagoda which is located at the center of the temple area. You can find many hydrangea blooming there that make a nice photo spot to take pictures of the pagoda framed by flowers. Furthermore, there are some benches to take a rest, too. Next to this the highlight of Takahata Fudoson temple during this season is the Yama-Ajisai Path (山あじさい鑑賞路) behind the temple. Many people were walking there, but it was still not too crowded. Hydrangeas are blooming all around the way and you can find some of the 88 statues of Kobo Daishi.I really enjoyed walking around there and can recommend visiting the temple. In the gallery you can find some of my photos. Furthermore here is a small video about my visit during ajisai season. Feel free to take a look (English subtitles available).To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/MnmbR-living_galleries_hino_shi_tokyoFri, 26 Jul 2019 14:32:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/MnmbR-living_galleries_hino_shi_tokyohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/GQPgm-living_hanno_shi_saitamaIn March this year the Moomin Valley Park (ムーミンバレーパーク) opened in Saitama Prefecture and for sure it quickly got my attention. When a friend then ask me if we could go there together, I promptly said yes and we tried to find a date comfortable for both of us. We chose a Wednesday at the end of June, hoping that the rainy season would take a break for us. And yes, the weather gods were in a good mood and a day filled with sunshine was promised to us.The Moomin Valley Park is located in Hanno City and with public transport it's easiest to access from Hanno Station by bus. There are many signs telling you where to find the bus, so don't worry. Just take a note that you can’t pay with your IC card in the bus. The one-way ride costs 200 yen, so it would be perfect if you have this in coins. At the entrance of Metsä, the Finland themed park, where the Moomin Valley Park is located, we were welcomed by a beautiful installation of umbrellas between the trees. The first spot to take some nice photos. You have to walk a few minutes to get to the entrance of the Moomin Park. Admission costs 1,600 yen for adults. That sounds cheap for a theme park, however, inside you have to pay extra money for some of the attractions - and this can get pricey. We arrived just in the time for the first show of the day. The seating area was covered with a roof which I was very grateful for because the sun was already pretty strong. The show was nice and I enjoyed it a lot; especially because the actors also walk through the visitor's area. It lasted about 25 minutes and takes place three times a day. After taking a look around we decided to try out the Merenhuiske attraction. The "orchestra of the ocean" is one of the attractions where you have to pay extra. You can get the time ticket for 1,000 yen close to the attraction exit. Most of the time a member of staff was there to help you. The attraction looked pretty nice on the photo on the official website, but it was not as exciting as I expected. Mainly you have a huge screen, a boat and airplane appearing in the middle of the room and some splashing water. It was not bad and for fans probably interesting, but I wouldn't go in a second time for 1,000 yen.Next we went to the free exhibition inside the Kokemus Building. The exhibition is located on the 3rd and 2nd floor and was really amazing. There was a lot to see and experience and we spent quite a long time inside.On the 2nd floor you also can find a cafe and on the 1st floor a restaurant. We wanted to enter the restaurant, but had to get a number ticket with a waiting time of about one hour. However, the ticket has a QR code and while walking around you could check with your smartphone how much time was left until you could enter. This was really useful. We decided to just have a few small snacks there, but the main dishes also looked nice. I especially like the interior of the restaurant.Before we left the Moomin Valley Park we took a look around in the different shops. They have many Moomin goods and if you are a fan you should definitely bring a big wallet with you. We ended up having some delicious pancakes at the restaurant close to the park entrance before we went back to the bus stop. It was a really nice day and I will probably go there again with some Moomin fan friends in the future. I liked the nature around and the calm atmosphere. Definitely worth a visit.Website: https://metsa-hanno.com/moominvalleypark/- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -For sure I had my video camera with me on this day and made a short video about our visit there for my Youtube channel. Feel free to take a look. English subtitle is available.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/GQPgm-living_hanno_shi_saitamaWed, 24 Jul 2019 15:41:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/GQPgm-living_hanno_shi_saitamahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/w5lkl-food_shoppingAbout every month Starbucks Japan is releasing a new special drink and a new goods collection. After I didn't like the two latest Frappuccinos that much (talking of the Pudding A Mode and the Lemon Yogurt), I was quickly curious about the new announcement: Peach on the Beach Frappuccino.You can get it at Starbuck shops all around the country since yesterday, July 19th 2019, and for sure I went there right before work to get my hands on one of the drinks. This time I really like the taste. It is super fruity (and sweet) and gives you a nice refreshment in the now humid days of the Japanese summer. I especially like the small pieces of white peach inside, even though it was sometimes difficult to get them through the straw and I ended up drinking them from the tumbler at the end.The Peach on the Beach Frappuccino costs 620 yen (+tax) and will be available until August 29. I will definately have it again once or twice.Together with the new Frappuccino the new tumbler collection was released yesterday. It has a nice summer theme with watermelon, sunflowers, fireworks and more. Some of the goods really look cute and I am totally into the colorful hanabi tumbler. I probably would have bought it if I wouldn't already own three tumblers.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/w5lkl-food_shoppingSat, 20 Jul 2019 10:48:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/w5lkl-food_shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/wmxX2-living_inagi_shi_tokyoWe are living not so far away from Yomiuri Land and so I often can find advertisement for events taking place there. One got my attention, because I saw the famous Nebuta figures on it. It is on my bucket list to visit the Nebuta Festival in Aomori someday, but if you can already get a chance to see a small part of it – why not. Furthermore at the event watching fireflies was promoted, so what could be better?The event 「ほたる・ねぶたの宵」 is taking place only in June on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays in the evening and will end this weekend with an additional opening on July 1st. Because it is located next to Yomiuri Land and we walked there from the Keio station – which is a good hike, because you have to walk all the way up the mountain. The entrance fee for adults was 500 yen and since it was a bit rainy there were not so many people even though it was Saturday night. However, when we entered around 6:30 pm we got a F-ticket, meaning a lot of waiting time coming up for us.Around the park you could find some Nebuta figures which started to look even more beautiful after it became dark and I really enjoyed looking at them. It made my wish to visit the festival in Aomori even bigger. The official firefly view started from 7:30 pm, but we had to wait for over one hour until we were allowed to enter with our ticket. They made groups and let them in every 10~15 minutes. And when I said we had a F-ticket, you can guess what it meant.We spent the time sitting on the benches and eating some food from the three or four available food stands, because we saw everything around the small area. There was a free quiz rally, but because it was all Japanese we didn’t really were in the mood to do it. Unfortunately the fireflies didn’t like the rain that much, because we could just see a few of them. And we were always asked to go on walking and don’t stop on the way for too long. However, especially my husband was happy because he never saw fireflies before. All in all, it was a nice short trip – and I am happy it was not so far away. I expected a little bit more, but probably the weather is the reason why it didn’t work out. Welcome to Japan’s rainy season. Website: http://www.yomiuriland.com/sp/hotaru/To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/wmxX2-living_inagi_shi_tokyoSat, 29 Jun 2019 11:26:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/wmxX2-living_inagi_shi_tokyohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/GokJW-living_yokohama_shi_kanagawaAlready when I heard the first announcements about a poop museum opening in Yokohama I was really curious about it. The Unko Museum, how poop can be called in Japanese, sounded pretty fun to me and I definitely wanted to go. The museum already opened since 15th March 2019 and now we finally found the right timing for a visit. And it really was insane!If you want to go there, you can buy pre-sale tickets online on the official website or via eplus for 1,600 yen for adults. Pre-tickets are recommended for the Unko Museum Yokohama especially on weekends and public holidays. When selecting the date of your visit you also need to choose a time frame when you want to enter. We went on a Wednesday afternoon and decided to get same-day tickets, even though they cost 1,700 yen, but we wanted to be free with our plans on this day. The tickets are sold on the first floor of the ASO Building next to Yokohama Station. We went there around noon and got our timed-entry tickets there for entry between 14:00 and 14:30 (earlier would have been possible, too, but we wanted to have lunch first).The museum itself is located on the second floor together with some other interesting looking indoor attractions such as an escape room and VR. Depending on your time ticket you have to line up.Be aware that there are no toilets inside the museum - or at least no toilets you are allowed to use as usual. So before you enter be sure to use the toilets on the other floor. At the beginning of your visit to the museum you get some instruction from the lovely staff members in an unko-language, which makes you laugh. Also, a short movie is shown which puts you in the right mood. With a loud UNKO shout you can enter the adventure.In the museum you can find three areas, all renamed, called unstagenic, unteractive and untelligence, where you can explore different things. But first, sit down on a colorful toilet and make your own unko! It is made out of plastic and comes in random colors – and best: you can take it home!Unstagenic comes from insta-genic and is an area with fun spots to take photos. You can take photos with flying unkos, a table filled with unko sweets, inside the Unko Love Room and more. My highlight was the lamp room which reminded me of the Digital Art Museum borderless in Odaiba. At the unteractive area you can become interactive. Enjoy jumping on digital unko, shout unko in a microphone or play one of three mini games at the unko game corner.Untelligence lets you get creative, because you can draw your own unko on the wall. At the gallery next to it you can find unko drawings from famous and not so famous people. Unko goods from around the world are displayed, too.Next to these three areas you can see the Unko Volcano which has a light show from time to time and a ball pool on the ground, rest on unko chairs at unko tables and see (or not see) the invisible unko. At the end you find a gift shop with many unko goods.We had a lot of fun during our visit and stayed for around one hour. For sure, you have to love such crazy places if you want to visit. It was a bit smaller than I expected that’s why I think it is a bit pricy when you go as a family. But as an individual or with some good friends it is something you definitely can still laugh about in several years.- - - - - - - - - - - -UNKO MUSEUM YOKOHAMA15. March – 15. July 2019Official Website- - - - - - - - - - - -Here we go in moving pictures! English subtitles available!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/GokJW-living_yokohama_shi_kanagawaThu, 20 Jun 2019 18:32:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/GokJW-living_yokohama_shi_kanagawahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/wXrOQ-foodLately I started to go to Starbucks regulary - like once every one or two weeks before going to my afternoon classes. Today was that day again and I actually was curious about the new Teavana Drink which was released just a few days ago.The drink called ティバーナ™ フローズン ティー 香る煎茶 × グリーン アップル in Japanese or Teavana Frozen Tea Kaoru Green Tea × Green Apple sounds like a perfect collaboration for me. I love the sourness of green apples and green tea is always nice. Combined as a frozen drink during the warm summer days sounded to good to be true. I had to try it!So today was the big day. I took my own tumbler with me, so I could get it in tall size. And yes, the first sip was incredible for me! I first had a little taste of cool green tea and then I suddenly felt an apple-like sweetness until the sourness of green apple came trough. Surprisingly for me I also found small pieces of apples inside my drink which made it even more special when bitting on them.If you love green tea and green apples you should try this drink out. I hope it will stay in their menu for a long time because right now I feel like I want to have it again and again and again.Website: https://www.starbucks.co.jp/cafe/green_frozentea/To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/wXrOQ-foodFri, 14 Jun 2019 22:29:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/wXrOQ-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/MqjgA-living_food_setagaya_ku_tokyoLately I started to set my appointments with friends before work. Because I am mainly working in the afternoon we are ending up having lunch somewhere and this is a chance to explore new areas, new cafés, restaurants and more. I enjoy this opportunity to have a chat with my friends while eating some delicious food. At the end of May I ended up meeting a friend in Futako-Tamagawa. This is a station on the Den-en-toshi Line between Shibuya in Tokyo and Chuo-Rinkan in Kanagawa Prefecture. I am working at an English school twice a week on this line, too, so it's a convenient location to meet up before work. Our main reason to go to Futako-Tamagawa is the Baumkuchen Café which I saw during my last visit in March for a Rilakkuma collaboration café. Because I am from Germany, the same as Karl Joseph Wilhelm Juchheim who brought Baumkuchen to Japan, I really wanted to visit this cafe.The Baumkuchen Café is located in a small building on the second floor of the Takashimaya SC Building in the middle of green trees and plants. The dishes are very delicious and it was hard to choose which we should take. I was thinking briefly about the matcha parfait, but ended up with a berry Baumkuchen plate, together with a cup of mocha which I actually only took because it looked so beautiful. Normally I don’t drink coffee, but with the right amount of sugar it was OK.We spent a nice time there, eating and chatting and then decided to go for a walk before we would go to another café. The dishes at the Baumkuchen Café are rather small and we were still hungry. So, walking should leave enough space in our stomach for the next round of sweets.Close to Futako-Tamagawa Station is Hyogojima Park (兵庫島公園). I have often seen it from the train and always wanted to go there. The weather was perfect – sunny, but not too hot because of a fresh wind – and so we decided to go there. It is really nice to walk along the ways. It smelled like fresh grass and everywhere you could see water, stones, nature, … so beautiful and relaxing for your soul. After walking around we sat down on some benches in the shadow, watching the river flowing by. There are constructions for wisteria and I wish they would already have been blooming. Back at the station it was time for our second lunch. We chose the HARBS Café which is located on the opposite side of the Baumkuchen Café on the second floor of the Dogwood Plaza. The motto of the café is, “cakes that can fill your heart with happiness”. I have been there once in Shibuya several years ago and was happy I could finally visit it again. The pieces of cakes at the café are really huge and very fresh. They are handmade and to prevent deterioration they keep the cakes whole and only slice it when one piece is ordered. During my last visit I had the Mille Crepe with fresh fruits and I still remember how much I loved it. This time I went with the Fresh Fruit Cake which was really delicious, too. It was filled with crème and several fruits, such as strawberries, kiwi, blueberries, oranges and more. My friend went with the chocolate cake which was amazing, too. The cakes are expensive, but because the pieces are so huge it is completely OK. The only point of contention I have with HARBS Café is that you have to order at least one drink. I chose a cold green tea, which was a nice refreshment, but actually I planned to stay with the free water.We had a nice time in the Futako-Tamagawa area and I am looking forward to going there again and explore the area more. There is still so much to see. To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/MqjgA-living_food_setagaya_ku_tokyoFri, 14 Jun 2019 16:34:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/MqjgA-living_food_setagaya_ku_tokyohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/zay4L-food_chiyoda_ku_tokyoI already heard about the Galaxy Donuts a while ago, but since I am living quite far away from Akihabara, I didn't had a chance to get them easily. Because we had a girls meeting yesterday in Akiba, it finally was the right time to buy some.The shop with the Galaxy Donuts is called Jack in the Donuts and located right next to the Akihabara Yodabashi together with some other foody shops. Find the website here.They have many different colors of the galaxy donuts and you can choose the ones you like by telling the staff member the number you want. All the numbers even have a tiny drawing.Each of the galaxy donuts costs 200 yen. A little bit pricy, but is it worth it?When I got home I was especially curious about the taste. And yes, I think they are really good. The galaxy topping is quite sweet, but nicely fitting together with the dough which has a mochi-like texture I really like.I enjoyed eating my donut and my husband liked his, too. Unfortunately I finished it quite fast and I would have wished for another one. At the shop they have quite many different donuts and they already looked very delicious. Let's see when I will be back to Akihabara.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/zay4L-food_chiyoda_ku_tokyoSun, 09 Jun 2019 16:32:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/zay4L-food_chiyoda_ku_tokyohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/zK132-foodIt is that time of the year again. Since yesterday, May 21st, Lawson is selling Rilakkuma Wagashi again and as a huge fan of this lovely bear and its friends for sure I had to buy it right away.As always this little dessert is not cheap. Each wagashi costs 280 yen, so if you want to try both you have to pay 560 yen.Rilakkuma has pudding taste and I really liked it a lot. The taste is not too strong and nicely fitting with the paste of wagashi.Kiiroitori has chocolate taste and actually, I think the chocolate taste is quite strong and I didn't like it that much. However, it was also an interesting sweets to try.I always look forward to the character wagashi at Lawson. They also released other characters like Kirby from time to time. So keep your eyes open (^w^)vTo view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/zK132-foodWed, 22 May 2019 11:55:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/zK132-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/wk4Ym-foodA while ago it was announced that one of the new KitKat version will be Mint Yogurt. It was released in Japan on April 1st 2019 and I was a bit sad that I would be in Germany for my holidays during that time. And this actually became a problem in the end. This limited version is sold only at Don Quijote and I ended up going to six different Donki around Tokyo and Kanagawa area and it always was sold out. Luckily I finally got it in Akihabara during Golden Week and for sure, I was very curious about it now.KitKat Mint Yogurt belongs to the more expensive versions, coming in a paper box including 12 Kitkat bars. The regular price is 800 yen + tax.I really like the taste of this KitKat. It is very refreshing. You can taste the little sour part of yogurt, which is combined with the light taste of mint and the sweetness of white chocolate.For me it is a nice KitKat for summer with the mint. However, it is quite pricy and rather a special snack. Now I am excited how the other two new (and cheaper) mint KitKat will taste which were released this week.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/wk4Ym-foodTue, 14 May 2019 20:58:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/wk4Ym-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/G6Yae-education_machida_shi_tokyoMy husband and I were thinking a lot about what we should do during the very long Golden Week this year because we could already expect that it will be crowded around all the touristy spots in Tokyo and we don't really like crowded places. We ended with the decision to stay at home and do some smaller things like going to the cinema, eating at some restaurants, and simply relaxing. But then, my husband found something nice we always wanted to watch: SUMO!Even though my husband is Japanese he has never watched a sumo match other than on tv. And because I am interested in all cultural things about Japan, I always wanted to see sumo at least once in my life. So, this was the perfect chance, because it also took place close to our apartment in Machida. First, some information about Sumo (相撲). Sumo something like Japanese-style wrestling and also Japan’s national sport. With this it also has a pretty long history, dating back to the 8th century. There are six official sumo tournaments (lasting 15 days each) taking place over the year – three times in Tokyo and once in Osaka, Nagoya and Fukuoka. Between this there are smaller tours traveling around the country. We joined the Spring Tour 2019 on April 28th, a sunny Sunday during Golden Week.Because it was our first time we were quite excited. We went there early in the morning, because the doors of the Machida City Gymnasium (町田市立総合体育館) already opened at 8 a.m. and we wanted to see as much as possible. It started with a short handshake-event of some sumo wrestlers, called Rikishi in Japanese. It was amazing to see those big men in front of you. After this we went to our seats and could watch the training session which lasted for several hours. We took a look around the event area, too. They sold a lot of merchandise and there was a corner with bento boxes and drinks. You could always see some of the Rikishi walking around and were able to get autographs and take photos with them. The actual matches started from 11 a.m. with the lower ranks moving up to the high ranks until 3 p.m. – quite a long time for many matches (I think there were about 60). You could feel how the atmosphere got better and better depending on the ranks. And also the seats got more crowded over time. We bought some expensive tickets, because it was out first time watching sumo, and were sitting in the 9th row from the ring on cushions. We were even allowed to take the cushions home as a souvenir. In between there were some other programs, such as a sumo comedy show which I really enjoyed. Two rikishi showed the rules and what you are not allowed to during the matches in a very funny way. You could watch Rikishi standing in a circle and singing their own songs – most had something to do with food.I especially liked the break when they showed how the hair styling of Rikishi is done. It takes 20 minutes each day and was really interesting to watch. We enjoyed our first sumo tournament a lot, however, after 7 hours at the venue and standing up early, we were also super exhausted after it. Now, one day I want to see one of the official tournament which is taking place at Ryōgoku Kokugikan (両国国技館) three times a year in January, May and September – but probably not so soon, rather in a few years and with some higher priced seats again. Have you ever watched sumo?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/G6Yae-education_machida_shi_tokyoTue, 14 May 2019 10:09:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/G6Yae-education_machida_shi_tokyohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/wrvyr-food_galleriesThe Golden Week 2019 was something special with the long 10-day holiday. And because my husband and I decided not to travel anywhere and rather spent some nice days at home or around Tokyo, it was the perfect time to eat some delicious food! Looking back now, we really had some nice stuff. So let's take a look together here.Picture No. 1Let's start with a cute panda-shaped chocolate bread I had on the day of the sumo tournament. Because we got up early we bought something at the supermarket and I couldn't resist getting it. It was really delicious and I especially liked the chocolate inside.Picture No. 2After the sumo we stopped by Machida and finally tried a cheese dog that we had already wanted to eat for some time. Usually, many people are lining up there and now I can understand why. It was amazing with all the cheese and I want to eat it again! They even have a version with french fries.Picture No. 3 & 4Still in Machida we had pancakes for a late lunch at Shiawase no Pancake (幸せのパンケーキ). I just found out that this cafe is located in Machida (close to the Odakyu Line) a few days ago. The waiting time on Sunday afternoon was one hour, but the pancakes were fluffy as always. On one plate you can see the fruity version, on the other plate is cream cheese and berries. I really like this pancake chain and can only recommend it.Picture No. 5Girls' Day in Akihabara. Unfortunately it was raining and we had to change our original plans. To do this we started at Beck's Coffee Shop which is located right next to the Electronic Town exit of the station. I chose the hot Matcha Latte and enjoyed it. However, the small cup was emptied too fast.Picture No. 6 & 7Have you ever tried the famous Honey Toast? When we were changing our plans in Akihabara we found out that 3 or 4 of us haven't and so it was perfect timing. We ended up at Bar Rhythm which belongs to Pasela Resort and had a nice choice of Honey Toast toppings.I decided to share one toast with five balls of chocolate ice cream with one of my friends. One of the other girls took up the challenge to eat one alone.Picture 8Another Akihabara food. After all the sweet toast, it was time for something small with meat - and what could be better than a kebab?Picture 9, 10 & 11One of my highlights was the Shabu Shabu all-you-can-eat with my husband. We visited Onyasai (しゃぶしゃぶ温野菜) in Machida and had two hours to fill our stomach. A lot of meat, but also vegetables and at the end some sort of Japanese noodles we could add to the soup. Furthermore, one dessert per person was included to the tabehodai plan, so we had chocolate cake and yukimi daifuku.Picture 12Last but not least, Golden Week also includes Children's Day on May 5th. One of the traditional sweets for this festival is Kashiwa Mochi (柏餅). The mochi are filled with red bean paste and wrapped up with an oak leaf. Soooo delicious.I hope you all enjoyed your Golden Week, too o(^w^)oTo view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/wrvyr-food_galleriesMon, 13 May 2019 10:30:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/wrvyr-food_gallerieshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/Mx11X-food_toshima_ku_tokyoEvery year a new Detective Conan movie is released in Japan and to celebrate this it also became a tradition to have Conan Cafés opened. In 2019 you can find 11 cafés in 9 cities around Japan, including Tokyo, Osaka, Sendai, Hiroshima, Fukuoka and more.Because I was a huge fan of the small detective in my teenager years I am still going to at least one cafe every year and because there are two cafes in Tokyo I decided to go to both. For the Conan Cafe in Shibuya you need to make a reservation - for sure, weekends and the Golden Week were booked out quickly, but there are still free seats on weekdays. I got my reservation after Golden Week in the beginning of May.If you want to go without a reservation you can visit the café in Ikebukuro which is located at 7th floor of PARCO. On weekends and public holidays you might need to line up or get a waiting number, but I went on a Wednesday morning and it was not crowded at all.The menu of the Conan Café has some main dishes, desserts and drinks. If you go there regulary such as me you will remember some of them from the years before. All dishes have their unique design and there are some time limited dishes for special events, too, such as opening desserts or a special menu for Shinichi's and Kid's birthday.I decided to get the blue Conan drink with ice cream, which was very refreshing. Furthermore I ate the 5th anniversary pancakes which were only available until April 12th. The pancakes themselves were a bit dry, but I liked the filling with ice cream, fruits and chocolate sauce.For your visit you get a free lunch mat paper. With every drink you order you receive one random coaster.I liked my visit there and I am looking forward to go to the cafe in Shibuya with my friend in a few weeks. Then I gonna try something from the Kaito Kid menu.I also filmed a little bit there. You can watch the video here:Official Website: conan-cafe.jpTo view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/Mx11X-food_toshima_ku_tokyoSun, 14 Apr 2019 11:49:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/Mx11X-food_toshima_ku_tokyohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/M9mJN-foodHave you ever heard of Boneless? If you are using the messenger app LINE you might have seen some of the cute stickers with the fatty dog and cat. They became quite popular - you can get merchandise and there is even a character café! I visited it with a friend who is a huge fan at the begining of March and here is a small report.The Boneless Cafe in Tokyo is located close to Takeshita Dori and is opened from 28th February to 14th April 2019. You need to make a reservation beforehand on the official website which costs 702 Yen per person. However, for this you will get a small present on you visit. There is another Boneless Cafe located in Osaka, too.The menu is quite small. There are four main dishes, including a roast beef sandwich, pasta, fried rice and yakiudon, and three sweet dishes - two kinds of donuts and a chou a la creme. As a side dish you can order a small corn potage.Your decision you already have to make before entering the cafe. There is a list in Japanese which you have to fill out and give to a staff member.My friend had the roast beef sandwich and really liked it. I went with the sweet dishes, which were pretty good. I was surprised about the cat donut which had a goma creme as toping. Strange at the first bit, but then really nice.I enjoyed our visit to the café and even though it is a bit pricy (as all themed cafes) I would go once more when they are opening it again next year.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/M9mJN-foodWed, 13 Mar 2019 15:40:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/M9mJN-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/GlpnE-living_chuo_ku_tokyoValentine’s Day is coming closer and especially when you are in a fresh relationship the day can be something really special. The big question is always: what can we do to make this day a special one? Having a lovely date at a romantic location usually works best for this and right now there is a limited-time-only exhibition in Tokyo which could help out with the perfect setting.Wouldn’t it be nice to walk under the blooming cherry blossoms, surrounded by lovely music and some soap bubbles playing around you in the air? Yes, it is still February and the sakura trees in the Kanto area are not blooming yet. However, you can find exactly this at digital art exhibition FLOWERS by NAKED. The exhibition is taking place at the Mitsui Hall in Nihonbashi. You can find the entrance at the 4th floor of COREDO 1 Building. The event started on January 29th and will only stay open until March 3rd, so it is perfectly fitting and in time for a romantic Valentine’s date. FLOWERS by NAKED is open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. every day with a few exceptions. The ticket prices vary between weekday and weekend / public holiday. On weekdays you have to pay 1,600 yen, on weekends and public holidays it is 2,000 yen. You can buy the tickets at the venue or earlier via Lawson Ticket, Pia Ticket or Peatix. Take a look on the official website for more information.But now, let me tell you what to expect inside.The whole exhibition FLOWERS by NAKED consists of 12 different parts which smoothly overlap into each other. It all starts with a huge book, symbolizing the beginning of spring. The wind is blowing the pages and takes you along the way where all the flowers are explained. Now, you have to open a big black door to enter the world of digital art.Walk over a digital flower carpet and through an arch decorated with cherry blossom petals. Next, you find some water basins. In the dust you can see digital pedals flowing above your hands all surrounded by a fresh fragrance of flowers.Behind round Japanese style windows poems and flower art are hidden. Open them by touching the display and become one with the creations. Inside the bamboo thicket you can relax – and put your ear on the bamboo to hear the voices speaking with you. The tearoom symbolizes the theme of ichigo ichie – one in a life time. First, the tree inside the room looks very simple, but stay tuned until the show inside the microcosmos starts. Next, dive into the yellow light of the rapeseed flowers which move in the wind until you go over to the spring path where uncountable cherry blossom petals are dancing on the floor.Moving mirrors are finally bringing you to the main room with Japan’s earliest hanami space, including cherry blossom installations, flying bubbles and a huge screen display. Next, you can blow digital dandelions and explore the secret garden. There is really a lot to explore! Next to seeing all those digital art installations you can use the visit to take some unique photos together with your partner and get a great memorial photo of your Valentine’s Day date. After the visit to the exhibition you can enjoy some of the dishes at the collaboration café together. DO TABELKA is located on the 2nd floor in the neighboring building COREDO 3. Also, some other shops are offering special merchandise and flower goods during the time of the exhibition. Maybe something of this also makes a lovely Valentine’s gift or a souvenir of the day.How are you going to spend your Valentine’s Day?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/GlpnE-living_chuo_ku_tokyoMon, 11 Feb 2019 18:15:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/GlpnE-living_chuo_ku_tokyohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/z4rP9-foodEvery year the same question comes up: what shall I give my husband for Valentine's Day? Because I am not earning that much money, my husband doesn't expect something expensive - and always when I ask him what he wants for Christmas / birthday / etc, there comes the same answer, "Nothing!". My husband doesn't like chocolate that much. If it is there, he eats it, but he would never go to the supermarket and buy chocolate for himself. Last year I made some cute chocolates for him as a Valentine's gift, though. He liked it and ate them quickly, but this year I was thinking I should do something else. Just a few months ago I made many Christmas cookies. Too many actually, so I gave some to my friends and colleagues. And with this the idea was born! Together with my best friend in Japan we decided to have a Valentine's Baking Day to make some lovely cookies for our Japanese husbands.This day took place on Friday. I prepared the dough the evening before so we just needed to roll, cut, bake and decorate the cookies. The dough was pretty easy, just flour, eggs, butter, sugar, backing power and smashed almonds. The cookie cutters I have already been collecting for a while, so I have a big collection. My husband likes Rilakkuma and cats, my friend’s husband likes Shiba-Inu and so we ended up making many cookies in this style. For sure, we also made hearts and, because spring is near, many cherry blossoms, too. For decoration we used simple chocolate pens which you can buy at 100 yen shops and in the supermarket. It took some hours to finish everything, but we got two boxes filled with cookies – one for each of us. Some of those I choose as a Valentine’s gift for my husband. The rest are for me, haha, and after Valentine’s Day my husband is also allowed to eat them.How about you? Are you giving any self-made presents on Valentine’s Day? To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/z4rP9-foodSun, 10 Feb 2019 21:48:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/z4rP9-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/GW6eQ-living_transportation_jal_okayamaOkayama Prefecture, located in the western part of Japan, is still an area missed by most foreign tourists. Unfortunately, because there are so many great spots to explore. I want to introduce some to you with this post.How to get to Okayama and aroundDepending on where you are starting your trip, there are several ways to get to Okayama Prefecture. One is using the Shinkansen (or any other train) to get to Okayama City. For sure, there are also highway busses going there. Another convenient way is using an airplane, going to Okayama Momotaro Airport. I wrote a detailed article about it earlier here. This is also the way I used for my round-trip from Tokyo Haneda Airport. We had a relaxed flight with Japan Airlines (JAL), lasting about one hour and costing a bit less than the Shinkansen ticket. Getting around in Okayama Prefecture can be a bit tricky, especially when using public transportation. Sure, there are trains going to the more popular places, but for others you have to use local busses or even a taxi. I recommended using a rental car, especially for the more hidden spots. Highlights of Central OkayamaOkayama City is one of the main attractions of the prefecture. There you have the beautiful Korakuen (後楽園), which belongs to the Three Great Gardens of Japan and is totally worth a stroll around. From there you can also see another nice spot: Okayama Castle (岡山城). The castle is also known as “crow castle”, because of its black color. Unfortunately the original building was destroyed during World War 2, but the reconstruction is nice too. Leaving Okayama City you easily can get to Kurashiki (倉敷) which I totally fell in love with. I especially liked the Bikan Historical Area with the canal and the original architecture. You can rent denim kimono there, which is unique to this area, and there are a lot of great shops and restaurants to stop by. Highlights of Northern OkayamaHeading to the north you can find Takahashi City which is mainly famous for its castle. Bitchu Matsuyama Castle (備中松山城) is also called Castle in the Sky because it is located on top of a mountain and when the morning mist is rising up it looks like it is floating in the clouds. If you drive further into the mountains you should stop by Fukiya Furusato Village (吹屋ふるさと村), a small village with a special charm. The place is known for bengara color. Many houses are painted with it such as other things like clothes, dishes and more. Another great area is Hiruzen Highland (蒜山高原). The plateau is great for a bicycle ride to see the beautiful wide landscape. Also in winter it has some nice winter sport resorts. We stopped by the Hiruzen Winery where they use local mountain grapes to produce not only wine, but also juice.Let’s round up the northern area with Okutsukei Valley (奥津渓) which allows you to see some amazing scenery. We visited during the autumn foliage and were impressed by the light up in the night. Furthermore they have nice onsen there. You should definitely spend a night at Meisen Kagiyu Okutsuso (名泉鍵湯 奥津荘), a great ryokan with history.Highlights of Southern OkayamaTime to go to the south. On our trip we stopped by a city called Inbe (伊部) to get to know the famous Bizen-yaki (備前焼), a type of Japanese pottery. In this area you can find a museum, a shrine filled with bizen-yaki, and even take part at workshops to create your own pottery.Another great place in southern Okayama which you should visit if you are interested in Japanese swords is the Osafune Japanese Sword Museum (備前長船刀剣博物館). There you not only can see swords in the museum and learn about the history – you can also see how the swords are produced!Last but not least, there is the Seto Inland Sea (瀬戸内海). We visited Ushimado with the small harbor, an olive garden with a great view over the small islands – and Greek charm. Staying at Hotel Limani with a Greek atmosphere, you really could think about a short trip to Europe. There are a lot of great places to explore in Okayama and I hope I could give you a small idea what to do there. Are you ready for your trip?For more information about flying with JAL from Tokyo to Okayama: Welcome to Okayama Momotaro Airport!This post is supported by Japan Airlines (JAL), 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/YokoLostinJapan/GW6eQ-living_transportation_jal_okayamaWed, 06 Feb 2019 10:33:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/GW6eQ-living_transportation_jal_okayamahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/wj8Dm-foodIt is still January and very cold and spring still feels so far away, but on Monday, January 21st, a very pink item came inside the Japanese supermarkets. As in the years before, Coca Cola released a Japan exclusive cola bottle with cherry blossom design. The only special about this cola for sure is only the design. Inside you find the usual Cola.I really like this year’s design because the colors are so strong and catch your eyes. Last year’s bottle was rather light and went with rose. This year is a real pink.You can find the bottle at some supermarkets and convenience stores such as tourist spots. I got mine at Itoyokado. The price for one bottle is 135 yen. If you want to have your own bottle, I would recommend to buy it soon. It is getting more and more popular and in 2018 it was rather difficult to still find one of the design bottles in March. Only some shops were selling them for 250 yen back then.Do you collect Cola bottles?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/wj8Dm-foodSun, 27 Jan 2019 09:48:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/wj8Dm-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/wmV3d-foodI am always interested in trying new drinks and so I also got myself a bottle of the new released and time limited Fanta Yogurt Banana. Already the names sounds a little bit weird for me because I can't really imagine how a soda drink with yogurt would be like. However, I really like banana flavor, so I gave it a try.When opening the bottle you already can smell the banana flavor. When drinking this is going into the background first, but is coming back as after taste. The only think I am not really getting warm with is the yogurt taste. It gives the drink a certain freshness, but you also have this little sour taste you know from real yogurt.During drinking the whole bottle I still couldn't get a clear mind if I like this drink or not. On the first sip I would have said NO, but it somehow got better when keeping drinking. However, probably I wouldn't buy it again.You can find the new drink in Japan at most supermarkets and many convenience stores right now, so feel free to try it out youself. And tell me what you think about it!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/wmV3d-foodSun, 20 Jan 2019 09:15:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/wmV3d-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/G7vDe-livingI am looking back on an amazing year for 2018 where I got more used to my life in Japan, got another job where I can make new experiences and got further with my passion of introducing Japan to other people. That year was really great and it will be hard to get even better. However, I have some plans and goals for 2019 and I hope everything is going to work out.Being more than a hobby bloggerWho is not dreaming of being a so-called “influencer”. I don’t like this word so much, because I don’t want to tell people what they HAVE to do or where they HAVE to go. I would rather say I want to introduce new things to people and give them new opportunities. in 2018 I already had some great opportunities and could go on some amazing trips to Hokkaido, Yamanashi, Okayama and inside Tokyo – mostly not payed, but I am already thankful for the experience I could make which I would probably not to be able to make by myself. I hope in the 2019 I can work together with more great people, go on my trips and even make some money with this work I really enjoy. The first cooperation trip for this year is already in the planning and I hope I can get it. There is so much to explore in Japan and I want to show this to many people – with photos, blog articles and videos.Starting my own businessI have another big goal this year: I want to start my own business in Japan. My husband and I have already been working on it for a while, but we want to officially start in spring 2019. What my business will be? A shopping service for goods in Japan. People outside Japan tell me what they want and I buy it and send it to them. I often get such requests already through my social media accounts and I hope I can make a small business out of it starting this year.For sure, there is a lot to do – paper work for registration, opening new bank account, getting a Japanese credit card, creating a website, social media accounts, name cards and so on. It’s much work, but I am motivated and hope I can make some money with it in the future.Travelling and EventsI love travelling and because my goal is to visit all 49 prefectures of Japan, we already have some destinations we want to visit in 2019. I finally would like to go to theTohoku area, because my most of the prefectures I'm missing are there. The trip will be together with my husband and probably during my summer vacations, but we don’t have much more decided, yet. Furthermore, because a new Rilakkuma Café is opening inMiyajima in April, my husband and I are planning to travel to Hiroshima in the autumn. I have been to Hiroshima before, but my husband has never been and so it is a great opportunity to go there together. Probably we are also gonna connect this trip with one day at the Universal Studios Japan in Osaka.I am looking forward to joining some events this year again, such as the Pokemon Event in Yokohama and I want to visit firework festivals this summer, because I didn’t have a chance to wear my yukata in 2018. I also applied as a volunteer for the 2020Olympic Gamesin Tokyo and hope that already in 2019 I will have the possibility to get in touch with all these things if I am chosen, because it was written down that there might already be some training and events the volunteers can join this year to get prepared for the huge event in 2020.These are my plans for 2019 – next to learning more Japanese, doing more sport and so on – and I hope this year will even better than 2018. Wish you all a great year 2019, too!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/G7vDe-livingSat, 12 Jan 2019 13:31:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/G7vDe-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/Gy6Z9-shoppingThe last one of this years Fukubukuro articles for me. I got to know Axes Femme through a friend at the beginning of December. Usually I don't even look inside brand shops in Japan, because they often only have one size and I will never fit in. Surprisingly I got a really nice dress there in December.I got interested and decided to try out their Fukubukuro this year, first talking with my friend who would take some of the clothes if they are too small. They were selling an Axes Femme and an Axes Poetique Fukubukuro, each with two different color styles and each for 10,800 Yen (a usual price for clothes Fukubukuro). You could see the clothes on their website, but couldn't choose the one you like. I ended up buying both. For the Axes Femme Lucky Bag I got the color I like, for Axes Poetique not. However, that was no problem because the thing I was mainly carrying about the color was the coat - and this was too small for both Fukubukuro... The dresses and skirts fit luckily, the tops are ok if I wear them under a dress. For the thin jackets I only gonna keep one. The other stuff I try to sell soon and hope to get back at least some of the money I spent.Because I got so hyped, I ended up buying the dress of this year's Axes Femme Online Fukubukuro and the one from the Lucky Bag 2018 on Mercari. They arrived quickly and were not so expensive - and they fit, too. However, slowly I should stopp clothes shopping.What is your favorite clothes brand in Japan?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/Gy6Z9-shoppingWed, 09 Jan 2019 12:02:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/Gy6Z9-shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/Go4OA-shoppingUsually I buy one or two Fukubukuro with accessories every year. I prefer cheap ones here, because accessories are always a matter of taste and if you don't like what is inside at least you didn't waste too much money.Accessories Fukubukuro from 3Coins3Coins is a shop there I always like to take a look around. Nearly everything costs 324 yen there. They had different versions of Fukubukuro this year and the waiting line at the cashier was quite long compared to other shops I've been on the lucky bag sale day.I decided to get the accessories lucky bag and yeah, the stuff inside is ok. It is all for your hair. Hair bobbles, scrunchies and hair grips you can use everytime, so there is nothing wrong about it. Even though I wouldn't have bought it in the shop directly. Pierces Fukubukuro from BananaI always want a pierces Fukubukuro and the first jewellery shop I found at Ario was Banana. They were offering two versions of lucky bags: pierces and hair for 1,080 yen each. I bought the pierces one and was pretty lucky with it. Inside my lucky bag I found 13 pairs of pierces and there are many I like. For sure, also some I won't wear and I already gave 3 pairs to friends as a present, but at least I have many new accessories for my ears to wear and will probably buy it again next year. What do you think about getting random accessories?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/Go4OA-shoppingTue, 08 Jan 2019 18:41:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/Go4OA-shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/MAnDq-shoppingReady for the second part of my Fukubukuro Shopping? Next to Pokemon Fukubukuro my husband and I also bought Rilakkuma Lucky Bags, because we are huge fan of the cute bear. Unfortunately SanX is not selling official bags at the Rilakkuma Stores, so we had to find some alternatives.Our main Fukubukuro we bought online on Rakuten there they actually offer many things. The bag arrived quite early, already before Christmas and so it felt more like a Christmas present than a New Year's lucky bag.The bag costs 5,400 Yen + shipping what made up about 6,000 Yen. Inside we found many cute things including two pillows, a blanket, an interesting bag which can change size, three small towels, two pairs of home shoes and two cups.I liked the things inside, but I would really love to get an official bag with stuff from the Rilakkuma store itself. Maybe they are offering someday.Together with my husband I made an unboxing video. Feel free to take a look ♥When looking around out AEON I found another corner with Fukubukuro. I got interested in a character lucky bag for 1,080 yen, which was advertised with SanX plushtoys. Luckily there was noone around and I could spent some time to feel which bag has a Rilakkuma inside.I opened the bag at home and was pretty happy with it. Inside was a Rilakkuma plush toy I wanted some time ago, but didn't buy because it was quite expensive for over 2,000 yen. Now I got it for the half price and some other nice things with it. This includes a Rilakkuma notebook, a small notepad, eraser and different pencils and pens. I also like the small Coronyan plush and probably gonna give the stuff of the other SanX characters to some friends.Do you have any favorite character you would like to have a Fukubukuro from?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/MAnDq-shoppingSat, 05 Jan 2019 11:06:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/MAnDq-shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/Mvv4k-moneyEver since I visited Japan for the first time for New Year 2010/11 I was interested in the hype about the Japanese Lucky Bags, called Fukubukuro (福袋). My obsession stayed over the years and the Fukubukuro Sale is something I look forward every year.Even if the bags I am buying changing a bit from year to year, because there are always new interesting things I learn about, there is one fukubukuro that I wanted to get again in 2019, too: the one from Pokemon Center. Last year, my husband was lining up for it at the Pokemon Center in Yokohama from 7:30 a.m. and he was lucky to get one of the last bags (I was lining up at the Ghibli Store during this time). This year, I was luckier, because I was able to get one bag at the online pre-sale which was taking place around the middle of December. The bags were sold out there within about 2 hours.The Pokemon Center Lucky Bag costs 4,000 yen – I additionally had to pay shipping – and has a lot of merchandise inside. One is a big plush toy. I got a hug and fluffy Eevee! And some other small plush toys, a huge laundry basket, a Flareon cape and many, many notebooks. The goods inside are quite nice, but I liked last year’s bag a bit more. The Pokemon Center is not the only place to get Pokemon related fukubukuro this year. Mister Donut also has a Pokemon collaboration and is selling cute lucky bags with lovely goods. They actually already started selling them on December 26th and they were sold out quickly. However, they had another sale on January 1st.At Mister Donuts you could choose between three different price categories: 1,080 yen – 2,160 yen – 3,240 yenThe goods inside were different for all the bags and there were even two designs for each thing. I really love the blanket, because it is so soft!My 1,080 yen bag:My 2,160 yen bag:Next to the Pokemon goods you also got coupon cards for donuts, valid until March 31st. I am looking forward to eating all the sweets!I made a video about opening my Pokemon Fukubukuro for my YouTube channel. It is in German, but includes English subtitles. Feel free to take a look there, too! (^w^)To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/Mvv4k-moneyFri, 04 Jan 2019 10:06:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/Mvv4k-moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/MY71o-foodAfter writing an article about "My Year 2017 in Japanese KitKat" last year - take a look here - I decided that it is a nice tradition and so I am going on with it this year, too. Last year, I tried 20 different tastes of Japanese KitKat - this year I couldn't get that many, but at least I bought 14 new ones to my collection.Here you have the overview!KitKat Chocolatory Special: Matcha & Kinako; 抹茶&黄粉KitKat Ruby; ショコラトリー サブリム ルビーKitKat Aki Kuri (Autumn Chestnut); 秋栗 - see reviewKitKat Ama Sake (Sweet Sake); 甘酒KitKat Every Day Luxury Strawberry Cheesecake; 毎日の贅沢ストロベリーチーズケーキEaster KitKat Banana; バナナ45th Anniversary KitKat Strawberry Tiramisu; いちごティラミス - see reviewKitKat Ikinari Dango (Kumamoto Special); いきなり団子KitKat Onsen Manju; 温泉饅頭KitKat Mint; ミントKitKat Sakura Masamune Daiginjo Sake; 櫻正宗 大吟醸KitKat Ume Sake; 梅酒KitKat Kikyo Shingen Mochi; 桔梗信玄餅Otoshidama KitKat (normal taste); お年玉This is my list of 2018. Did you try any new KitKat flavors this year?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/MY71o-foodSat, 29 Dec 2018 12:48:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/MY71o-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/w5jbO-living_educationThe year 2018 is slowly - or rather fastly - coming to an end. While the main topic of December is still Christmas, during all the jingle bell vibes, it is already time to get your home ready for New Year. Because, as you may already know, as soon as Christmas is over, everything is set up for the Japanese Oshogatsu (お正月) and it is nice to be prepared beforehand. New Year's DecorationsJapan is a country full with decorations and traditional ornaments for each festival throughout the year. New Year plays a big role in Japan as one of the most important family festivals next to Obon. So for sure, you can find a lot of decorations for it.Kadomatsu (門松) Especially in front of business buildings you can find huge Kadomatsu before the new year is coming. But also families set up smaller ones in front of the entrances to their homes or inside the house itself. Kadomatsu usually consist of bamboo stamps, pine tree branches, ropes, and white paper. They are used to guide the god of the New Year into the house and bring luck to it.Shimekazari (しめ飾り)At the entrance door of many Japanese houses you can see a decoration called Shimekazari. Same as Kadomatsu, they are also made with pine branches, rope and white paper. You often find other beautiful materials like mizuhiki inside, too. Furthermore, it is very common to include an orange into the decoration.Shimekazari have a similar meaning to Kadomatsu - to guide the good gods into the house. Furthermore they are said to keep the bad spirits outside.Especially with small versions of Kadomatsu and Shimekazari, you can find these cheaply at supermarkets, drug stores and 100 yen shops across Japan. For more exclusive versions take a look in department stores. Because both are pretty popular you even can find special designs of your favorite characters and can decorate your house with it. Kagami Mochi (鏡餅)Another thing to set up during the new year in Japan isKagami Mochi. They are made of two different sized mochi balls and an orange and you usually find them at the family altar inside the house. The two mochi show the old and the new year.Nowadays you can buy plastic Kagami Mochi, too. They have mochi balls hidden inside. The figure on top is not always showing an orange, but also can be the zodiac animal of the new year or even your favorite animal or character. New Year's Traditions Next to putting up decorations for New Year, there are also some traditions you should get ready for. One of these are Nengajo (年賀状), the Japanese New Years Cards. Usually you send such a card to everyone you have been in business and private contact with during the last 12 months. However, this means you can get very busy. For me, I normally send nengajo to my family and friends. For nengajo you can find an uncountable amount of different designs and it is really hard to choose which one to take. Because 2019 is the year of the boar, most cards include an illustration of the animal. But for sure, there are also cards with other characters, dogs, cats and more formal ones. You even can print your own. If you are searching for nengajo, take a look in book stores and stationary shops. I can recommend LOFT, because there is a really huge collection in the chain. But you also can find them at supermarkets, convenient stores and the post office.When you have a family and relatives with children in Japan, you should also get some small envelopes for Otoshidama (お年玉). It is usual that children get a certain amount of money for New Year depending on their age. And even if you don't need to give away any Otoshidama, the small envelopes are often very cute and you can still use them for other opportunities or as small presents for your overseas friends and family. So don't miss your chance to take a look around.Did you already do all your preparations for the Japanese New Year?Do you have any special traditions?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/w5jbO-living_educationFri, 21 Dec 2018 10:26:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/w5jbO-living_educationhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/Mx3RW-living_tama_shi_tokyoLiving close to Sanrio Puroland for already over two years, I always wanted to go there, but somehow never had the right timing for it. I finally did my first visit for the Halloween event and it was so much fun that we decided to go again for Christmas. We had our Christmas Girls Day on 14th December and I want to tell you about it here.This year’s theme at Sanrio Puroland is “White Christmas” and they put together some themed decorations and special shows for the Christmas time which you should check out. First of all, you can find the lovely decoration at the entrance hall. They set up snow on the small houses, white flowers and Christmas presents. They also have a special Christmas photo spot at this corner where you can take a picture with the Sanrio characters in their snowy outfits. Around the amusement park area you can find bigger and smaller decorations. The Christmas trees with the Sanrio characters is especially lovely.However, the main area for taking nice snow photos is the Kiki & Lala Twinkling Tour which got a great renewal in cooperation with the Creative Company NAKED Inc. You can take photos under the white twinkle tree or sitting on the twinkle moon. For the second spot a staff member is ready to take the photo for you, taking care of the changing lights and colors. Furthermore, you can find white Christmas trees, a Merry Christmas arc and a big Sanrio Christmas wall inside the attraction.More highlights of the Christmas event are the shows which are taking place in the afternoon. The main program is the Musical Show “The Puro Christmas” which takes about 25 minutes. Kitty and the other Sanrio characters are meeting up to celebrate Christmas together – all wearing their special Christmas costumes – and for sure they want snow. It doesn’t work at first, but wait for what is about to happen.Another show is “Blue Snow Christmas”. Kitty-chan, wearing a Santa costume, appears from the sky and sings Jingle Bells and other songs with everyone and a mainly blue illumination brings you into a Christmas wonderland with snow falling down on everyone. The show takes about 15 minutes.To bring to an end the Christmas day, the last 10-minutes show is another illumination called “Miraclusion ★ Happiness“. Kitty and Daniel appear in their Christmas costumes and show you a fantasy illusion.For sure, a Christmas event wouldn’t be complete without a special Christmas menu. Sanrio Puroland has various restaurants and next to the usual dishes they are offering time-limited dishes – everything in a snowy design.At the Character Food Court you can eat a cute Kiki & Lala White Curry or a Pompom Purin Cream Udon. They also have sweet Christmas dishes there, such as a snowy Hello Kitty doughnut and a Pompom Purin snowman cream-filled pastry. Things get even cuter at the Cinnamaroll Café on the 4th floor, there you can get a doughnut or ice cream Christmas Tree, a My Melody roll cake parfait and a milk drink. Also, the Buffet Restaurant and the Sanrio Rainbow World Restaurant are offering a special Christmas menu including white omelet rice, cream pasta and more.If you are planning to go to Sanrio Puroland during the Christmas event try to go until the 25th of December, because the event is ending after this. The usual admission tickets cost 3,300 yen on weekdays and 3,800 yen on weekends, public holidays and special holidays. You also can purchase afternoon tickets and get some discount tickets. Opening hours are changing every day, so take a look at the calendar on the official website for this.I really enjoyed my Christmas day at Sanrio Puroland.What are you doing to get into the Christmas mood?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/Mx3RW-living_tama_shi_tokyoMon, 17 Dec 2018 14:15:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/Mx3RW-living_tama_shi_tokyohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/wZN8N-foodWhen you are from Germany, food is always a big topic when Christmas comes up. There are three days for special dishes and usually you gain some weight around this time of the year. Now, living in Japan and being only two persons (and not six as in my family in Germany) I personally am not into making a big traditional dinner - also some ingredients and a real oven are missing here, too.But there are some traditions I still stick to and some new traditions my Japanese husband and I came up with the last years celebrating Christmas in Japan - and this is a mixture of German and Japanese. So in this article, let's take a look at our foody Christmas.Christmas CookiesA very old tradition for me is baking Christmas cookies around the beginning of December. I did it with my mom and grandma since I was a small child and I can’t imagine the time before Christmas without self-made Christmas cookies. However, Japan is not the country of self-made cookies and ovens don’t belong to a standard kitchen. One reason, then, why I wanted a microwave with an oven function – and it is actually working pretty well for baking. Another big point is the ingredients. For sure, in Japan you have flour, sugar and butter, but then it starts to become difficult and expensive. From my summer holidays in Germany I brought most of the ingredients I need with me to Japan – including coconut flakes, powdered almonds and powdered hazelnuts and so on.I spent one day off making this year’s Christmas cookies and luckily they turned out pretty delicious and cute.German Restaurant & Christmas marketBecause I don’t like cooking that much, my husband and I usually visit a German restaurant for a nice dinner. Lately, we ended up going there on the evening of 23rd December, because it is a public holiday in Japan (not anymore in 2019 unfortunately… wonder what we will do then). Our favorite is SCHMATZ, a German-inspired restaurant which has some shops around the Tokyo / Kanagawa area. They have some really yummy dishes and I always enjoy our visit there.Another nice German way of celebrating the Christmas time is visiting Christmas markets. Most of the Christmas markets in Japan are German-inspired and you can find some German food and drinks. Unfortunately they are quite expensive, though. I like to drink a cup of hot wine there and eat a Bretzel and just enjoy the atmosphere. My personal top three Christmas markets in Japan are the Tokyo Christmas Market at Hibiya Park, the Yokohama Christmas Market at Akarenga and the Osaka Christmas Market around the Umeda Skybuilding. Fried Chicken, Pizza & CakeThe Japanese Christmas food is fried chicken and Christmas cake. For sure, we also join in this Japanese tradition, but in a little other way. I don’t like Kentucky Fried Chicken that much, so lately we ended up buying chicken at the supermarket or even ordering pizza and chicken from a pizza service. We have done this last year and are currently thinking about ordering pizza again this year. But you have decide early. Many shops take reservations for Christmas or decrease the menu to just a limited amount of the pizza version, so they can handle the many orders easier (we are not the only ones ordering pizza for Christmas *laugh*).One of my favorite Japanese Christmas traditions is the Christmas cakes, because I simply love sweets and I enjoy eating strawberry short cakes. However, after having the usual Christmas cakes during the first years of living together, we have ended up looking for other cakes now. Last year, we had a Christmas roll cake with a Rilakkuma design. Again in 2018 we have ordered a Rilakkuma cake – this time a cheese cake and I am excited about how it will be.This is our foody Christmas. I hope you didn’t get too hungry. Wishing you all a happy Christmas Time!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/wZN8N-foodSat, 15 Dec 2018 21:10:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/wZN8N-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/Gy6da-transportation_jal_okayama_shi_okayamaHave you ever been to Okayama Prefecture? It is located in western Japan, between Hiroshima Prefecture and Hyogo Prefecture. Unfortunately, most foreign tourists miss out on stopping by the are when they are following the Golden Route, insteadheadingdirectly from the Osaka area for Hiroshima.I just had the chance to explore Okayama Prefecture a bit deeper and found many great spots. Even though you can go to Okayama by Shinkansen, my trip started at Haneda Airport in Tokyo. For me it is rather rare to use an airplane for travel within the main island of Japan. I have only flown to Hokkaido and Okinawa so far, because going there by train is either pretty annoying (Hokkaido) or impossible (Okinawa). But by now I also learned that traveling domestic by airplane can save time and can be cheaper than a Shinkansen ticket.Yes, so we went from Haneda Airport to Okayama by airplane and landed at the Okayama Momotaro Airport (岡山桃太郎空港). The flight is quite short and deducting the time on the runway, we were in the air for less than one hour. Unfortunately, I often have some trouble with my ears when flying, but luckily we got some fruity candy from JAL which we could eat during takeoff and landing. If you are lucky and have a seat on the right side of the plane you even can have a nice view down on Mt. Fuji and take some stunning photos. No luck for me this time though, because I had a seat in the middle on our flight to Okayama and it was already dark and raining in Tokyo on our flight back...We quickly arrived at Okayama airport and everything else was fast, too. Our suitcases were already waiting for us when we came back from the bathroom and because it was a domestic flight there are no further security checks and you can leave the airport right away. On the conveyor belt even a small Momotaro was waiting for us between all the suit cases and welcomed us to Okayama!Okayama Momotaro Airport is located about 18 km northwest of Okayama City. Going to Okayama Station takes about 30 minutes by bus from there. The airport was opened in March 1988 to replace the former Okayama Airport. Nowadays, it operates a few domestic and international flights. For destinations within Japan you can fly to Tokyo-Haneda, Naha (Okinawa) and Sapporo (Hokkaido). International flights go to Shanghai, Hong Kong, Seoul and Taipei. The main route going to Tokyo is served by JAL. This is also the route we took and it is really a nice way of traveling the distance from Japan’s capital down to Okayama. We left Haneda on a morning flight at 10:20 a.m., arriving at Okayama at 11:40 a.m., and on our way back we left 16:45 p.m., arriving at Haneda around 17:55 p.m. – a good time for traveling home.The airport itself is not so big which makes it easy to go everywhere and also waiting times were not too long. On the first floor you can find the Check-in Counters and Arrival Lobby and a small souvenir shop. The Departure Lobby is located on the second floor along with some small restaurants and more souvenir shops. I took the chance to by some last-minute omiyage for my husband and colleagues. The most famous omiyage from Okayama is Kibidango (きびだんご), a sweet made out of small mochi balls. It is very delicious. You can find different varieties there. The airport has an English website which has all the important information like flight schedules and maps. You even get some ideas about sightseeing in the area. What do you think about traveling domestic by airplane? Do you like it or do you prefer trains, cars or buses?This post is supported by Japan Airlines (JAL), 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/YokoLostinJapan/Gy6da-transportation_jal_okayama_shi_okayamaFri, 07 Dec 2018 11:39:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/Gy6da-transportation_jal_okayama_shi_okayamahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/GR4xv-foodKitKat has always be a topic for me since I started traveling to Japan, because all the different tastes are not only a great souvenir for the people back home, they are also a nice treat for myself. Being at the end of my 20th, it sounds unbelievable that KitKat is in Japan for 45 years this year already!To celebrate the 45th Anniversary an international voting was held earlier this year. First you could make suggestions for a new flavor and later some were picked up so everyone could vote. About 500,000 people from over the world took part and the winner is: KitKat Strawberry Tiramisu. This Monday, on November 18th, the new flavor was released nation-wide in Japan and for sure I quickly went out to get it. There are 2 packings - one with 11 KitKat bars inside (which you can find in supermarkets and other stores) and one with 3 KitKat bars inside (which is usually sold by convenience stores). I got the bigger one for me. The design of the outside is made by Noritake Kinashi. He made some illustrations showing how KitKat connects people including a man and a woman giving a chocolate to eachother. Furthermore there is the image of a glass filled with tiramisu and some strawberries on the package. So, how do they taste? The inside of the new KitKat bar is a slightly bitter what comes from a coffee and cocoa cream put between thw waffles. The white chocolate outside has a strawberry aroma and also includes some tiny strawberry pieces. It gives the bitter taste some sweetness what is quiet nice. The first bite into the new KitKat Strawberry Tiramisu might be a bit weird, because of the bitterness, but as soon you know what to expect the next bites will go with this interesting combination.Will you try it out?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/GR4xv-foodWed, 21 Nov 2018 22:24:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/GR4xv-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/MAno5-foodI am a big lover of the sour cream onion flavor especially when it comes to potato chips. That made me even more excited when I heard about the collaboration of Pringles and Super Cup at the beginning of October. There are two new products:Jalapeño and Onion flavoured Cup NoodlesPringles Sour Cream and Onion YakisobaFor sure, I went out to get the yakisoba at the supermarket right away after it was released on October 15th, but I couldn't find it. After a while I finally could get my hands on it at a convenience store.Preparing the yakisoba is very easy. There is an explanation in Japanese on top of the lid. First, open it from A to B and get the two small bags out. Put hot water inside until the line inside the cup and wait for three minutes. After this, open the hole on the other side of the lid and pour out the water.After taking off the lid you should mix the oil into the noodles. Next comes the seasoning packet which brings out the Pringles Sour Cream and Onion taste. You already could smell the chip-like flavor! So it was time to mix it with noodles and ... finished! Ready to eat!Actually, it didn't look anything special at all, so I crushed and added some more real potato chips. Now it was finally time to eat and - yeah, the taste was OK. It didn't knock me over, but it also was not bad. I like the sour cream and onion flavor, however, I wish it would be a little bit stronger. Rather, adding two packets of seasoning would sound nice to me.To sum up, if I find it again for a reasonable price, I would buy it again - I prefer this flavor to the usual one - but I wouldn't run out to stock it up at home.Have you already tried it or would be interested into it?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/MAno5-foodSun, 28 Oct 2018 19:16:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/MAno5-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/w5j0v-living_education_workAfter moving to Japan nearly two years ago I started working as an English teacher for children. By now, I am working as an English teacher for three different companies which are all totally different. Some I enjoy more, some I enjoy less. The first place I ever started working at was a position as foreign visitation teacher at an eikaiwa for children. The ages there are between three and twelve years, but the kids are in groups depending of their English level. Usually they are taught by a Japanese teacher and twice a year a foreign teacher comes to the classroom and they can try out what they have learned. This foreign teacher is me.There are some points I really like about my work there, which I want to tell you about in this post. Less preparationThe courses have mainly four levels – kids, elementary, intermediate and advanced – which I get to know before going there. The things I need to do during class are nearly the same for the three upper classes and only differ significantly for the 'kids' class. I ask them easy questions, introduce my country, join in the usual class topics, play one or two games, and sing some songs and do dances with the smaller class. It is always the same, so I don’t need to do any preparation anymore, because you get used to this cycle after a few weeks. Every time new facesBecause I am visiting different classes I always get to know new students. This is quite interesting because I can get in touch with many different kinds of characters – not only the students, but also the teachers. Some of these interactions are pretty nice because they are very interested or have a high language ability or are just super nice to talk with. Some are the completely other way, but this is also a good way of learning for a fresh teacher such as me.Every time new placesBeing a visitation teacher means always going to new places. For someone like me who likes to see more of the country and enjoys discovering new areas, this is a really nice opportunity. Classes are usually in the afternoon, so you can go earlier and take a look around before you have to go to work. Sure, sometimes the schools don’t have interesting spots around them, but I already had to travel to Odawara, Sakuragicho in Yokohama, and other cities where you can easily spend some time walking around. I also found some nice places I would have never visited on my own. As you can see, being a visitation teacher here in Japan has some good points. But for sure, this is not all. There are also dark sides which I will talk about in another post. To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/w5j0v-living_education_workTue, 16 Oct 2018 17:16:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/w5j0v-living_education_workhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/G7vPW-food_money_transportation_galleries_kusatsu_machi_gunmaI always wanted to go to Kusatsu Onsen ever since I saw a picture of the famous Yubatake for the first time. But somehow we never found the right timing for it. This March I asked my husband about making a weekend trip for his birthday and because we hadn't been to an onsen for over six months our destination was quickly decided. The only point: we didn’t want to spend so much money for it.How to get to Kusatsu OnsenKusatsu Onsen is located in Gunma Prefecture, up in the mountains. There are many ways to get there from the Tokyo area. The easiest might be riding a highway bus for about 4 hours and paying about 3,500 yen for the one way trip. However, my husband isn’t good with long bus rides, so we decided on using the train.The train from Tokyo can become very pricy if you use the limited express train from Ueno to Naganohara-Kusatsuguchi station. From there you have to take a bus to the Kusatsu Onsen bus center. We calculated the journey to be about 6,500 yen one way for each person. There are even Shinkansen connections for a part of the way, but these make it even more expensive.Since we had time, we ended up using local trains. We had to change trains a few times and it took quite a while, but we only paid about 3,500 yen in getting to the station close to Kusatsu, which was fine. The Highlights of Kusatsu OnsenFor sure we wanted to see something of Kusatsu Onsen. Seeing the huge Yubatake (湯畑) is free of charge and it looked pretty nice with the hot steam rising up in the cold air. We also wanted to watch the famous Yumomi (湯もみ) which was used to cool down the water back in the day. Now they have six performances a day. Usually the admission is 600 yen, but we could save 50 yen by using an online coupon. Another nice place to visit is the Sainokawara Park (西の河原公園). It is located just a few minutes walk from the Yubatake and has many hot springs. I enjoyed some time warming up my feet in the hot water. There are also outdoor baths you can use for a fee, but if you are reading my articles regularly you know that this is nothing for me. On the way between the park and the Yubatake there is a nice shopping street. We had onsen steamed eggs there. Suddenly one of the shop members started talking to me and I had an onsen manju in one hand and a cup of tea in the other hand. He was quite nice and surprised I could speak Japanese. He asked me how to say delicious in German and was then running around the shop saying “LECKER!” in a loud voice to all the costumers. We later also bought our omiyage there.At night there was a candle light up at the shrine next to the Yubatake. They built Gunma-chan, the prefecture character, with lights and it was a pretty nice atmosphere with some live music on a small stage close by. Staying overnight with OnsenFor sure, an onsen resort like Kusatsu has uncountable hotels and places where you can stay overnight and enjoy the hot springs. Most of these that are located around the tourist area are super pricy. I spent a long time researching on the internet because I wanted to find a reasonable accommodation with private onsen. And I found it.We stayed at Misago Pension, a small familiar hotel with tatami rooms or western style rooms and shared toilet. They have three private onsen which you can use anytime during your stay. The fee for each of us was about 7,500 yen for one night – and breakfast was included, too.I totally enjoyed our visit to Kusatsu Onsen and would directly go back there if it wouldn’t be so far. For me, it is definitely a place in Japan you should at least visit once.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/G7vPW-food_money_transportation_galleries_kusatsu_machi_gunmaWed, 26 Sep 2018 18:19:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/G7vPW-food_money_transportation_galleries_kusatsu_machi_gunmahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/we8rO-foodSome months ago I tried the drinkable shortcake drink which was really not good - read more here. When I now saw a drinkable chocolate cake inside the vending machine of our station I was hesitating what I should do. Try it out or keep away from it? Luckily my curiosity was bigger and so I spent the 150 yen to give this drink a try. I kept in the fridge until drinking and shaked it for a long time before opening. It looked very creamy on top.The first sip was pretty sweet and filled with chocolate taste. It felt like a really deep cocoa. It was not bad, but quite strong. After drinking half I mixed the rest with milk and so it got perfect for me. I liked this drink, however, it was also nothing really special besides its lable saying that it is drinkable chocolate cake with Belgian chocolate.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/we8rO-foodMon, 24 Sep 2018 16:05:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/we8rO-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/G6Zd3-foodIn the supermarkets of Japan autumn has already started, even though it is still warm outside. The shops are filled with Halloween decorations and special autumn treats. And since KitKat is famous for its different versions of seasonal (and regional) flavors they also have a version for this time of the year. I got the latest KitKat version and tried it out.The autumn KitKat Aki Kuri was actually released at the end of August, but I could only find them in the shops a few days ago. In bigger supermarkets and shops like Don Quijote or sweets shops you can get the big packs with 12 KitKats inside. At some convenience stores they also have small packs with only three KitKats inside, if you just want to try it out.The packs have a really nice design bringing the first autumn vibes. It is held in orange, brown and red and you can find autumn leaves and chestnuts. Aki Kuri (秋栗) ispretty popular during this time of the year and you can find it in many dishes right now.But let's get back to the actual KitKat. These are a combination of white chocolate and chestnut taste together with the typical KitKat wafers. As usual the KitKat is sweet, but because of the chestnut it also gets a slightly nutty taste which I enjoy very much. It is something different to the other KitKat I have tried so far.Especially because it is still warm on some days, I recommend putting them into the fridge before eating. This gives them a special freshness.The KitKat Aki Kuri is probably not my new favorite, but it does rank high on my top list of Japanese KitKats. You should give it a try!PS: I also wanted to get this years new Halloween KitKat, but unfortunately it is the same taste as last year, going with caramel pudding.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/G6Zd3-foodWed, 19 Sep 2018 12:33:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/G6Zd3-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/GlpQ8-foodIf you ask me what my favorite food is (actually a question I always get asked in my English visitation classes), I would always say sweets. I totally love sweets. And if you then ask me what sweets I love best, I would shortly think about it and then end up with PANCAKES.I don't know why, but I really fell in love with pancakes and here in Japan I can find so many restaurants serving different kinds of pancakes that I feel like in heaven. I love to have pancakes when I am out and need to have something for lunch (yes, sweet stuff for lunch is pretty fine for me).When I normally go out for pancake lunch once a month, this month I freaked out about it a little bit. I went to four cafés and even had pancakes at home. But let me only show me the ones I had outside (^_~)First I went to J.S. Pancake Café in Machida. It was a Sunday and I had morning classes, so it was pretty nice for lunch. I chose the one with banana, strawberries and blueberries. It was pretty nice! However, I got full pretty fast because I was still sick (because of the heat) at the beginning of the month.Next I went to the Pokemon Café in Tokyo with a friend and I decided to eat the cute Eevee pancakes. They were also yummy with the cream inbetween and the fruits next to it.My third stopp was Butter Premium inside Lalaport Toyosu. We visited there after the digital art museum teamLab Planets. And this were definately the best pancakes this month. Sooo delicious! They were fluffy and the combination of cream, fruits and ice cream was just great!My last one for this month was at Honolulu Coffee at Ario Hashimoto. There I decided for the fruity pancakes, too, and it was pretty huge, but also yummy.What is your favorite food when you go out?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/GlpQ8-foodTue, 31 Jul 2018 21:24:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/GlpQ8-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/MP8Kg-shoppingWhen you go on a trip, in Japan it is a tradition to bring Omiyage (お土産) for you family and even co-workers. When you go back to your home country do you do the same for the people waiting for you there?We are up for leaving to Haneda airport in a few hours and are ready to fly to Germany tomorrow morning. I am super excited because it is also the first time that I am flying to Germany together with my husband. Our suitcases are packed and I hope the weight will be ok. However, most stuff inside is not for us. I think about 3/5 of the things packed inside are for our friends and my family. But what do you give to them?I went the easy way this time and simply asked everyone - only point: it shouldn't be too heavy and not too big, because we are only allowed to take one suitcase for each person. And since my big one is broken from my last flight, I only have a small one this time.Surprisingly this time most of my friends told me they wanted chopsticks. Their chopsticks are old or broken and they would like to have new one. Nothing easier than this. I bought so many cute chopsticks, you can't imagine.Another friend asked for a nice Japanese tea cup and some green tea. I found a nice one with Mt. Fuji on it and I hope she will like it.This time they also said they don't need to many sweets. Chocolate is difficult in summer anyway. However, I made small packs of four different kinds of Japanese KitKats again so everyone can try it out.Some more small things from 100 yen shops are bought and some personal things and I hope everyone will be happy.I bought some paper bags and stickers and decorated them by myself - so they have a more private note - and I really like the result. Can't wait to give them to my friends in a few days!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/MP8Kg-shoppingTue, 31 Jul 2018 18:27:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/MP8Kg-shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/MY7ag-food_shoppingI am a sweets lover and sometimes it is really nice to make something at home and not always buying sweets at supermarket or department store. However, I am also a pretty lazy person and cooking or baking after a complicated recipe is quite annoying. And sometimes I also want to have the things done fast. So, what is better then using a prepared baking mix which you can get as cheap as 108 yen from the Japanese 100 yen shop?Ok, you don't only need the mix. Depending on what you want to make you also need eggs, butter and milk - and a form you can put the dough in. So at the end it will cost you more than 108 yen, but at least it is easy to do.Last time I decided to make some cupcakes, so I bought two packs of cupcake mix. To give it some extra taste I also added almonds, chocolate crunch and chocolate chips.At the end I only needed to put everything together and mix it. Then the dough needed to be put in the paper muffin cups and put all into the oven for about 20 minutes. The muffins came out quite well and with all the extras were super delicious - only a little bit dry maybe.I made them to celebrate the 2nd birthday of our cat together. For sure, my cat didn't get the cupcakes - these were for me and my husband - but she got some yummy cat food in exchange and we had a nice time.By the way, cupcakes are not the only ones you can find a mix for. You also can make different kinds of cakes and cookies and more. So why don't you take a look at the backing corner of your 100 yen shop next time? Have you ever tried it out?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/MY7ag-food_shoppingMon, 30 Jul 2018 15:23:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/MY7ag-food_shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/zK9nK-livingIt is already two years now that the game PokemonGo was released all around the world. I started playing it right from start and still lived in Germany back then. I had a lot of friends around me who were playing, too, so we had a lot of fun playing together.After moving to Japan, I don't really have a lot of friends around me who are playing, too. Now I rather play alone and for myself and only share my process and success on social media. But there are some things different in Japan, too.PokemonGo is still pretty popular in Japan. My friends back home always tell me that it is difficult to get enough people together for a legendary raid around my living area even tough they are in the middle of the city. Now, here in Japan I just need to go to the station or any other place where people walk around in time for a raid and everything is fine with enough people to fight. When I was in Shibuya a while ago it was even crazy how many people were there to fight in an arena.When I went to the Community Day in June in Machida it was totally crazy that the streets were packed of people and you nearly couldn't move. I also went there just for playing, but that still so many people play - in all ages and working genres - that was really impressiv!But there are also some points, I have a little bit trouble with. I am using the app in German on my phone and so I only get the German news. If there are world-wide events, there is no problem about it, I just need to find the right time. But if there are local news only for Japan, the game is not telling me it.One example was the cancelation of the last Community Day and Freezer Day, because of the heavy rain and flooting in Western Japan. I went outside that day and nothing happened... Now I follow the Japanese Twitter account for news, however, there are still all in Japanese.The last few days was a unique event only for Japan called PokemonGo Special Weekend. Luckily my husband helped me to get the information how to join.Are you playing PokemonGo?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/zK9nK-livingMon, 30 Jul 2018 14:26:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/zK9nK-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/z4r8o-living_chuo_ku_tokyoHave you ever heard about the ART AQUARIUM? I visited it for the first time in 2014 when I was traveling to Fukuoka. The exhibition was held there right at this time and some of my Japanese friends asked me to go there together. I enjoyed it a lot and went there one more time a view weeks later in Osaka with my husband back then.For three years I didn't think about it anymore, but last year we have been around Nihonbashi on my birthday and so we visited there. Unfortunately it was a rainy Sunday afternoon and so it was super croweded. We had to line up outside for more than 30 minutes and inside you couldn't really enjoy it.However, I didn't give up on it. The new exhibition of this year opened on 6th July and I went there with a friend last Wednesday - much better than the weekend! We could enter right away and even though there were still many people you could easily walk around and take a look to everything.There are some unique exhibits you can see at art aquarium. I really like the so called Super Oiran, which is part of the exhibition for the past ten years.It is simply amazing to see the huge bowl with goldfishes. But also all the other bowls are impressive. And I like the funny looking goldfishes with big eyes and other strange faces.Even if some of the exhibits are always (nearly) the same every year, I enjoy walking through the art aquarium and will probably go there again next year. Also the ticket price of 1,000 yen is not too expensive.Before we left my friend and I decided to have a break at the café and bought the super cute goldfish jelly which is nearly too cute for eating. My friend also had the blue goldfish soda. This was really a great ending for our visit there.If you are interested and around Nihonbashi take a look there. The Art Aquarium will be at Nihonbashi Mitsui Hall until 24th September.Website: http://artaquarium.jp/en/nihonbashi2018/To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/z4r8o-living_chuo_ku_tokyoSat, 28 Jul 2018 14:45:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/z4r8o-living_chuo_ku_tokyohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/MP8kg-living_food_sagamihara_shi_kanagawaComing from Germany I was pretty surprised when I first time saw the cucumbers in Japan. In Germany cucumbers are usually around 25~30 centimeters long and have a diameter of about 4~5 centimeters. In Japan it goes with 15~20 centimeters in length and a diameter of 1~2 centimeters. They are quite small, though, they are pretty crunchy, which I like about them.However, back in Germany I was a big fan of cucumber salad and since we had our own cucumbers in the garden I ate it very often every summer. When I try to make cucumber salad with the tiny Japanese cucumbers it is simply not the same...So, last year I started to plant my own German cucumbers on our terrace and it went pretty well. I could get some nice cucumbers until late August when some bugs came up and ate them.This year I wanted to do the same - and went the exact same way as the year before, but somehow it didn't went out...First I grew 14 sprouds inside our apartment and then set them outside and watered them. The days passed and the sprouds got less and less. Something was eating my sprouds! I couldn't see what it was and couldn't do anything about it.Four sprouds survived, but somehow they didn't want to grow... They kept being small. Only one had a little bit energy, but not much.I already gave them up and decided not to invest anymore (I was thinking about buying some fertilizers, but the plants were too weak anyway), because July was way too hot. One of the cucumber plants kept fighting a bit and had three small flowers and even a very tiny cucumber, but for sure you couldn't eat it.I am thinking about giving it another try at the end of August, because September might probably still be warm enough for it. Let's see if it works then.Do you plant your own vegetables in Japan?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/MP8kg-living_food_sagamihara_shi_kanagawaSat, 28 Jul 2018 14:01:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/MP8kg-living_food_sagamihara_shi_kanagawahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/MqeVp-living_food_yokohama_shi_kanagawaI can't believe it, but this month my Japanese husband and I are already married for two years. Time is running by so fast! Two years ago we have been in Germany for the wedding ceremony and it will always stay a special time for us. So, now that we are in Japan, what should we do to celebrate our anniversary?To be exactly, our wedding anniversay was on July 16th, this year a public holiday in Japan and we needed to expected that all places are pretty crowded because many people had days off - such as we. At least we were lucky we didn't need to work on our anniversary.We started that day relaxed at home. We had an easy lunch and I made a wedding anniversary cake for us. Half of it we ate as dessert during lunch time. Because we had some plans for the evening, we ate the rest the next day. I planed to make it a strawberry cake, but around this time you can't find strawberries in the normal supermarkets. So I changed it to a banana chocolate cake and it was also very yummy.We actually planed to visit Zoorasia, the zoo in Yokohama, but because it is too hot outside, we only went to the cat cafe Mocha in Yokohama. After this we made anniversary purikura at the game center.Our main destination for this evening was a German restaurant. We usually go to German restaurants in Japan if there is a special anniversary, but we never tried this one in Yokohama. It is called Grimm and located close to Yokohama station.It was quite different than what I expected, because it was not a single restaurant. Inside one room three restaurants were set together and it was even possible, if you sit in one area to order dishes from the other one. However, we stayed with the German styled food.The potato dish was very yummy and I want to try it out at home soon, too. I also liked the Schnitzel which was pretty nice. My husband went with sausages. We spent some nice time there and had a drink for anniversary.What are you doing on special anniversary days?Do you visit restaurants with food from your home country?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/MqeVp-living_food_yokohama_shi_kanagawaMon, 23 Jul 2018 16:51:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/MqeVp-living_food_yokohama_shi_kanagawahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/w5jA9-livingI am a huge cat lover and my husband shares this interest. So, when I moved to Japan we already knew that we want to live together with a cat. However, this is not always easy and there are some things you have to take care about. Here are some points about our life with a cat in Japan.Finding a pet-friendly apartmentThe first thing we had to take care about was finding an apartment where we are allowed to have a cat. We wanted one that is not too old and not too expensive and this was really hard to find. Surprisingly more apartment owner accepted dogs and didn't want cats (what I can't understand, because cats are more easy going). We didn't had many places to choose from, but luckily we found a nice apartment where we could live with a cat - a little bit over our planed budget, but for this it was completely new when we moved in.Cleaning, feeding and other dutiesHaving a cat brings many duties. For sure, giving food to her and cleaning the cat toilet are not the only ones. Depends on your cat it wants to play or it wants to be hugged - and our cat can become pretty annoying if you don't do so. When I sit at my PC working and my cat wants to play, she first starts to meow, gets louder when I don't react and later even jumps on me or my pc. When cats want attention you have to do so. However, it also can be very lovely when your cat wants to be close to you. And it is even relaxing for the human to pet a cat. I really can relax when I have the time to share love with our cute feline. For sure, sometimes things go wrong, too. It can happen that something falls down and gets broken when the cat is jumping around. Our cat often spills the water and dry food at her feeding area when she is running around and we have to clean up then... What about traveling?Having a cat means that you always have to be there - going home at least over night. But what happens when you are planing a trip for several days? Luckily our vet is offering the service of a pet hotel and so we can bring our cat there when we are off for some days. I actually feel more relaxed when I know she is with the vet. We once had to give her to the pet hotel of a pet shop and our cat was not so well mentally when she came back home...All in all, I love our life with a cat a lot and I don't want to miss our little princess for one day. Even if she can be a little evil from time to time.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/w5jA9-livingMon, 23 Jul 2018 11:00:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/w5jA9-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/M9mK2-livingWhen you decide to move abroad there are always some people you leave behind - your friends and family. And especially when you move from Germany to Japan such as me the distance is really huge, knowing that a visit back home means at least 11 hours in the airplane and more than 80,000 yen only for air plane tickets.I left Germany for living in Japan in October 2016. Even though I already knew I would visit my family again one year later in September for a birthday party and I could see everyone again, there was one goodbye I had to say which was forever. My grandma (mother of my mom) was not healthy for several years already, but it got worse quickly. And yes, two months after I left my home country my grandma died. What do you do know? I had a long discussion with my family if I should come back for a few days for the funeral or not. My grandma was important to me because we lived together my whole live in the same house and saw us nearly every day. Not being able to say the final goodbye was really hard.We decided that I stay in Japan because it would be to much stress for everyone and also cost a lot of money to get a flight so short in time. My mom send me photos from the funeral and that was it.When I came back to Germany in September 2017 it felt not real that my grandma was not here anymore. My head didn't understand it until now, because I still see her in front of me sitting in the living at home.Now we have the same situation again like about one and a half year ago. My granddad (father of my dad) died last Friday. I got the information through a short message from my mom. This time we don't need to think about a flight back to Germany, because I already booked my summer holidays for August there. Even the funeral is taking place while I'm back home. However, I can't go because I have to bring my husband to the airport on this day. But this time, at least I can visit his home and my grandma and be part of saying goodbye.Did this happen to you before? What would you do if a loved one dies back in your home country while you are living your life in Japan?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/M9mK2-livingFri, 20 Jul 2018 11:43:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/M9mK2-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/zD0Yl-living_yokohama_shi_kanagawaYesterday was our 2nd wedding anniversary and we actually planned to visit Zoorasia, the zoo close to Yokohama, because I've never been there before. However, because it is super hot outside right now we gave up on that plan and searched for something we could do inside. At his last visit to Yokohama my husband got discount coupons for a newly opened cat cafe close to Yokohama station and this is what our decision was at the end.I already know the cat cafe chain MOCHA for a while and visited some of their shops. But the one which opened in June this year in Yokohama is quite different from what I have seen before. First, it is called MOCHA Lounge and it pretty spacious and looks quite elegant. There are many seats to sit down and even blankets you can put on your legs. Next, there are a lot more things to do than watching cats inside this cat cafe. Surely, they have a huge number of manga to read, but this is quite common nowadays at cat cafes. I was rather impressed by all the games they had you can play at the tables together with your friends or partner. Furthermore they have a corner with four Nintendo Switch. My husband and I had to try it out, because we never used a Switch before and so we played a round of Mario Kart. It was so much. And this is still not all. They even have massage chairs you can use freely! That was a nice chance to get some power on my back, too. MOCHA also offers free Wifi and charching spots for phone, tablet and so on. Even if you don't have the cable with you, you can get it there. So, it is pretty easy to spend a long time there - if it wouldn't be so expensive, because you pay 200 yen (+tax) for each 10 minutes.For sure, the cats there are super cute too, and some are really fluffy. They even have some kittens who are pretty active and wanted to play around. It was really nice to be together with cats in this atmosphere.Even though we have a cat at our apartment, it is nice to go to a cat café from time to time and cuddle some other kiddies. Have you ever visited one of the animal cafés in Japan?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/zD0Yl-living_yokohama_shi_kanagawaTue, 17 Jul 2018 17:35:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/zD0Yl-living_yokohama_shi_kanagawahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/zVRvp-living_food_katsushika_ku_tokyoOne think that was always on my to do list since living in Japan was making wagashi. I really love the beautiful Japanese sweets you always get when drinking a cup of matcha somewhere. I ate so many of these and always wanted to try making it by myself.Now, finally I had the chance to join a wagashi workshop for foreigners in Shibamata, a lovely town in northern Tokyo. We went to a shop called Takagiya (高木屋) located on the shopping street of Shibamata which is leading to the temple. The workshop took place in one of the upper rooms which was looking very traditional with tatami floor and small tables. I was the first to arrive, because the other group was late, so I could relax in the room and cool down my body from the summer heat outside.When everyone was there we started. First we made dango. For this a bigger ball of warm mochi was prepared which we had to form in six smaller balls and put on two sticks. Finished this, the dango were grilled on a small table grill. When we thought it was fine for us we could add brown sugar, sweet soy sauce and kinako powder as we like and eat it together with some cold tea. It was pretty yummy to have the freshly made warm dango. Our second project was nerikiri wagashi. The one I was most interested in, because this is the one made out of shiroan in beautiful shapes. We were making a cherry blossom and got four different colored balls of shiroan for it. The staff told us all the steps how to do it, with combining the different parts, pressing shapes with your finger and using a sharp tool for making lines. I was very impressed to see it and do it with my own hands. After doing one together we did one more by ourselves, remembering what we just learned. Both cherryblossoms came out quite well for me. One of the wagashi flowers we could enjoy together with a cup of matcha. The other one we could take home and I shared it with my husband the next day. First, he didn't believe me that I made it, because it looked so nice, though. I really enjoyed the wagashi workshop and now I want to do it again, trying out making other shapes if nerikiri wagashi. If you have never done it before, you should definately give it a try!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/zVRvp-living_food_katsushika_ku_tokyoTue, 17 Jul 2018 16:55:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/zVRvp-living_food_katsushika_ku_tokyohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/w5KWo-living_galleries_sumida_ku_tokyoIf you are a cat lover in Japan and don't have your own cat at home, you sooner or later end up inside a cat café because you simply need some cat love. Even though I have a cat at home, I sometimes visit cat cafés - and this time I went to a really special one, which is also opened just for a limited time.The Edo Neko Chaya (江戸ねこ茶屋) is open from June 15 to August 31 this year and located inside a tent just next to Ryugoku Station - fittingly on the way to the Edo Tokyo Museum.The inside of the cafe is decorated in style of the Edo period. You can find a lot of ukiyoe pictures including cats which is really adorable. They built up a bath house, a red light district, the Nihonbashi bridge and more. It is really fun to walk around and take a look to all the details.For sure, because it is a cat café there are also cats. Most of them are from shelters and are looking forward to being loved. So, if you are looking for a cat, you might even give one of the cats there a new home.The cats have different colors and sizes and there might be one for everyone. Three kittens were walking around and are the stars beyond the visitors. So cute!Because it is a chaya, meaning "tea house," for sure, you also can have some tea there. You can choose between green tea and hojicha, cold or hot. Additionally they also sell mitarashi dango. To save some money they have discounts if you buy sets.There is also food for the cats in heart-shape form which the cats love to eat. And it really looks so lovely when they are licking it.A visit to the Edo Neko Chaya is not so cheap. You have to pay 1,500 yen for 60 minutes. If you want to stay longer, they sell 20-minute tickets for 500 yen inside the cafe.I enjoyed my visit at the end of June very much. It was not so crowded and you really could relax and have fun with the cats.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/w5KWo-living_galleries_sumida_ku_tokyoSun, 15 Jul 2018 11:59:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/w5KWo-living_galleries_sumida_ku_tokyohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/z8828-medicalIt is exactly two weeks now since I suddenly had pain around my stomach area. I didn't know why and also didn't care that much about it, because stomachache sometimes happens and it even felt more like a muscleache which was not so far away, because I was busy walking around the day before.I went to my afternoon work and the pain slightly got worse. Inside the trains back home it got horrible, not only hurting my stomach but also my back. Wtf is that? I had to stand during the two train rides of about 20 minutes each and was closely to crying when I finally got a seat on my bus home. Arrived there I layed down and it slightly got better. Luckily I had days off and so I spent the next three days sitting around at home, not leaving the apartment. The pain was still there, but not as horrible as on the first day. It was rather feeling like a muscleache going around my stomach, back and sides. However, that was not the only thing. I got headache, nearly all day long, and didn't had any appetite and felt super weak and tired. I still decided to work at Kindergarten on Tuesday, taking pain killer in the morning. This at least helped for my headache, not for my stomach. Thursday I went to my afternoon work again. One week had passed and the pain was still there. This couldn't be muscleache... After spending Wednesday and Friday lazy at home, too, we finally went to the hospital last Saturday, not expecting what they will find out.Usually I hesitate to go to hospital in Japan, because a) you have to pay and b) I always feel unconfortable with the language. But my husband was with me, so it was ok. We told the doctor about my pain and how I was feeling the last days.They did x-ray first and then an ultrasound examination which took nearly 20 minutes because the doctor couldn't find the reason first. I was thinking maybe something happened to my kidney or pancreas, but the doctor said everything looks ok. And then, he found something. The assistent took some pics of it and I had to wait to go to the doctor's room again."Seems like something on your rib is broken" was what I couldn't believe. When? How? That stays a mystery.Now, the doctor can't do much. It has to heal by itself. I just got a waist band to wear when I'm outside. Pain killers don't work for it, what I already found out. Furthermore, all my other trouble came from the fact that I started breathing only in a flat way, because breathing deeply hurts. So, not enough blood is transported in my body and I feel weak and get headache. Knowing this, I can handle. When I feel that headache is starting, I concentrate on breathing and it gets better.Two weeks have past, maybe it will take two more weeks. I hope then I am fine again. With my suddenly broken rib in Japan.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/z8828-medicalThu, 12 Jul 2018 23:23:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/z8828-medicalhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/w5jlq-living_koto_ku_tokyoWhen living in the Tokyo area for a longer time, the thought can come up that after a while you must have seen everything. Luckily this will never be the case, because they are always bringing up something new. The latest highlight to see in Tokyo is the Digital Art Museum teamLab Borderless which opened on 21st June this year. I asked a German friend I got to know on Twitter to go there with me just right in the first week after opening, so we headed for Odaiba in the early morning of 27th June. One of the reasons was that there are early bird tickets for a cheaper price of 2,400 yen until 31st July. After this, you have to pay the regular price of 3,200 yen which is actually quite pricy, but totally worth it. It is recommend to buy your tickets online beforehand, because the museum is very popular. Many days are already sold out and you can’t get same-day tickets at the venue. But now, let us finally take a look inside!First I was scared that it would be too crowded, but they are letting you inside in groups and right at the beginning there are three different ways you can choose to go, so it is really relaxed. However, as it got afternoon you felt that more and more people came inside.There are many different areas inside the museum which all are very impressive. You can become one with the digital art and experience it in so many ways. I gonna tell you my three highlights here:Forest of LampsAs the name says this room is filled with lamps. Because there are mirrows everythere it looks really huge, but it isn't. You can walk inside and enjoy the illusion with the changing colors and take some nice photos.There is a time limited to stay inside and we even needed to line up. But it is definately one of the best parts of the museum. Sketch AquariumOn a huge wall a aquarium is shown and you are able to color your own sea creatures. They have some samples of fishes, jelly fishes and more. Then the staff scans it in and after a few seconds your drawing will get to life and swim around in the aquarium. I draw a Rilakkuma jelly fish.En Tea HouseCombining tea and digitial art? We ordered a cup of green tea and were brought in a dark room. With the digital art flowers were drawn on the tea cup and it took me a long time until I finally drank it, because it was too beautiful to touch. And for sure, it was also very delicious.The two and a half hours we spent at the Digitial Art Museum in Odaiba were really great. I can really recommend you to crab your family or friends and take a look there. A new attraction in the Tokyo area you shouldn't miss and promisses a lot of fun!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/w5jlq-living_koto_ku_tokyoMon, 09 Jul 2018 11:39:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/w5jlq-living_koto_ku_tokyohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/GWP79-food_tea_kakegawa_shi_shizuokaJapan is the country of green tea and you can find shops which are specializing in tea everywhere. Going to these shops you aim for a good quality and a great taste which sometimes also comes with a high price.But what if you just want to enjoy some of Japan’s green tea and don’t want to lose too much money from your pocket? For sure, you also can find cheap teas. Just take a look around the supermarkets. Or at the 100 yen shop. Yes, there are even packs of green tea you can get for only 108 yen. But are these really good and tasty? I gave it a try!For my experiment I decided for a pack of Kakegawa Green Tea (掛川緑茶). Kakegawa is a city in the western part of Shizuoka prefecture surrounded by green tea fields which are known for their high quality. So this might be a good deal. On the package some older men are smiling to you, showing the tea fields around them. The pack includes 12 tea bags which are filled with 21.6g of tea in total according to the package. Next to the tea leaves from Shizuoka it also includes some Uji Matcha from Kyoto.When opening you quickly get the strong smell of green tea, which is pretty nice. However, you also get green fingers probably coming from the matcha powder that is inside. As instructed on the package, you should use 90-degree water for pouring the tea and take the tea bag out after about 30 seconds with moving it up and down for about 10 times inside your cup to get more of the taste from the bag.Because I wanted to take a closer look this time, I cut one of the tea bags open and filled everything inside my small tea can. Different to the more expensive loose tea which usually has longer pieces of leaves, everything is quite tiny here. I poured the hot water inside and waited a few seconds, excited how it will be. At least the smell was already good.Drinking the tea was good, too. I liked the taste which was quite similar to the normal green teas I have drunk before. So, I couldn’t find a huge difference to the more expensive teas. Probably you need to be a tea expert to taste the difference, but for me, as a normal person who likes to drink green tea from time to time, it was quite nice to have it.My Japanese husband liked the taste, too, despite saying he is not so into it. Also, the thought did occur that that the filling of these cheap tea bags might be the leftovers from the regular tea production. But who knows~ 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/YokoLostinJapan/GWP79-food_tea_kakegawa_shi_shizuokaFri, 06 Jul 2018 17:55:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/GWP79-food_tea_kakegawa_shi_shizuokahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/Mx3X6-livingWhen you are walking around the streets of Japan where are your eyes looking? Do you take a look to the Japanese houses or the trees and flowers growing in the corners? Or do you look up to the sky to see the sunshine or the people passing by?How about taking a look to the ground - on the street? While traveling through Japan you sooner or later notice that all the cities have their own unique manholes and some of them are really great and went viral. You can see castles, bridges and more. But have you ever took a look around your local area? Every time when I walk from our apartment to the station I can see mainly three diffent versions. So let me introduce the manholes of Sagamihara City which I have seen so far. There are even more, because the area of Sagamihara City is quite huge and I haven't seen so much of this location so far.My favorite manhole is the one with the hydrangea flower, because I love this flower very much. In Japanese it is called Ajisai and known for blooming durring the rainy season in June. The hydrangea is also the flower of Sagamihara City and so you can find it as a symbol very often.On the second one you can see the three of Sagamihara City: the Keyaki tree (or Zelkova serrata). I like the way how detailed the put down all the leaves on the manhole.Third and last one in my smalll collection is this one. Unfortunately I couldn't find any information about it. It includes a flavor, probably a gingko leaf and a special symbol. If you know anything about it, feel free to write a comment (^_~)Unfortunately I couldn't find the colored versions of these manholes so far. Especially for the hydrangea one I hope I can find it soon and take a photo of it.Are you interested in manholes? What pictures do they have on it in your area?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/Mx3X6-livingThu, 05 Jul 2018 11:34:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/Mx3X6-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/G098O-living_foodIn one of my latest articles I told you that I am working at a Japanese kindergarten once a week and they are preparing their own food there. In the afternoon the children are always having a snack which is not always sweet, but also sometimes hearty. One of these were potato gyoza where I could try one piece and was totally in love with it. I ended up asking one of the kitchen staff about the recipe and tried it out at home last week. The result was great, so I want to share it with you!Making the potato gyoza is quite easy, just taking a lot of time. You need some minced meat, potatoes, curry powder and the gyoza wrappers. Last one you can make yourself, but if you are living in Japan it is the easiest way to buy the ready ones at the supermarket.So first, cook the potatoes and then smash them. Let them cool down a bit in a bowl. Next fry the minced meat in a frying pan with some oil. If you like, you can put a little bit soy sauce and mirin inside, too.Mix the smashed potatoes and the meat and add some curry powder (taste it in between so you find the right amount for yourself.When you finished the filling it is time to put it inside the gyoza wrappers. You can do it with simple folding the wrappers. I am using the gyoza former from 100 yen shop which makes it pretty easy.After filling all your gyoza it is time for frying. Fill your pan with oil and slowly put your gyoza one by one until they are fried gold-brown. Get them out and set them on kitchen paper to get off some of the oil.FINISHED!! That's it!Normally my husband and I eat 50 of the normal gyoza for dinner together, but because these are filled with potatoes it made us full more quickly and we needed two evenings for eating them all.What is your favorite Gyoza filling?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/G098O-living_foodThu, 05 Jul 2018 10:17:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/G098O-living_foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/wZPn5-living_money_howtoAs you might have already noticed from my article about Pursuing my Concert Lifestyle in Kanagawa Prefecture, I am a big fan of going to concerts in Japan. Recently I settled it down to about one concert a month and this is quite easy to fill up. But for sure, there is always the same question: how to buy concert tickets for the musicians I like. Here I put some of my experiences together.Buying concert tickets in Japan can be either pretty easy or pretty difficult. This really depends on the musician and their popularity. For the smaller bands I like, I always easily got my tickets. For bands such ONE OK ROCK, which I really would love to see live in Japan I couldn’t make it until now, even though I have tried several times. Even though I am not interested in seeing their concerts, I know that concerts of, for example,AKB48, Johnny’s Entertainment groups and so on, are very hard to get. So for the following points, I will talk more about the rather easy ones. Regular SaleWhen a concert is announced there is usually a regular sale date (from my experience this is often a Saturday morning at 10 am). If the concert is not sold out quickly, you can get your ticket anytime after this date. However, if it is a popular band, try to be fast, also to get a better seat or entry number.Regular sale tickets are mainly found at conveniences stores (Lawson, Seven-Eleven, Family Mart, Ministop, …) where you can get them from the ticket machine and pay at the counter. I usually use ticket website such as eplus and Lawson ticket. You simply purchase the tickets online and then can pay for them with a credit card or at the konbini where you later also get the paper ticket from.Usually it is announced before which shops and website are used for the sale on the artists website. Presale LotterySometimes there is a presale lottery before the regular sale. You can apply for tickets beforehand for a limited time (mainly at an online website) and, if you are lucky, already get your ticket before the official sale starts.Fanclub Ticket LotteriesIt is common that some musicians nowadays have their own fan club and these give you the priority to order concert tickets before others. If you like an artist a lot and know the ticket sale could be difficult, join the fanclub and get your tickets there. They usually do one or two ticket lotteries before the regular sale.Second Hand TicketsIt happens: the concert you want to go is sold out and you couldn’t get a ticket. Usually reselling tickets is not allowed, but there are still a lot people doing it. Take a look around second hand shops such Mercari, Yahoo Auction or Ticket.co.jp and maybe you are lucky to find something for a reasonable price. Especially popular artists can be very expensive, remembering I got two tickets for NEWS for a friend this year for 64,000 yen. There are also some stores around bigger stations (I often looked around the one in Shibuya and Harajuku) selling second hand tickets, too. At the VenueIf the concert is not sold out, you normally can still get tickets at the venue. However, I would always be too afraid that it is sold out by the time I arrive… For popular artists and sold out concerts you can sometimes get a ticket at the venue – from a normal person who has a ticket left over because someone cancelled shortly before. Or from the people of the black market. Be sure, both are not officially allowed and you should take care no policemen or security staff are around. That is why the sellers are mostly a few meters away from the venue.I did this once for a concert I really wanted to go. You can easily find the guys who are asking people passing by the venue if they need a ticket in a super small voice. Talking to the man was strange and you really could feel that it is something illegal. I ended up paying the triple price for the ticket, but at least I had nice seats. To wrap up, as you can see there are many ways to buy concert tickets in Japan. Sometimes it works out, sometimes not. But always try to be quick if you really want to attend a certain concert. To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/wZPn5-living_money_howtoSat, 30 Jun 2018 19:24:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/wZPn5-living_money_howtohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/MdJkk-foodSomen are a quiet popular dish in Japan. These are very thin, white noodles which are usually made from wheat flour. During the hot summer days somen are eaten cold while dipping them in a cold broth, which makes them really refreshing.But, there is also a fun way of eating somen called nagashi somen (流しそうめん). Here nagashi doesn’t mean anything else other than floating. The somen float down the inside of a water slide, made out of bamboo, and you have to catch them. This really makes for a lot of fun, especially when you are with a group of people. However, only a view restaurants are offering this experience. So, let’s come back to nagashi somen at home. Just a while ago my husband and I were looking for such a fun gadget which you can put on your kitchen table. For sure, the ones with a water slide are a bit pricy, so I also was fine with just a rotating one. It was just super timing, that my husband found a Rilakkuma Nagashi Somen Gadgetat our game center a few days ago. He got it out of the ufo catcher using 1,000 yen and I was so excited to try it out! The nagashi somen gadget here consists of four items:the bowl with Rilakkuma face printthe rotator systema tiny cover plate where you can put green onionsa cup, also with Rilakkuma face printIt is pretty easy to use, too. You just need to fill the bowl with a certain amount of cold water and turn the rotation on. Batteries are used for it. Then, put the cold somen in and round and round they go. We only needed to take care not to put to many noodles inside at once, because the small rotator is not strong enough for this. But, being just for two people, the size is just right. I had a lot of fun catching the somen and it is a nice way of eating if you have some spare time to spend. To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/MdJkk-foodFri, 29 Jun 2018 10:18:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/MdJkk-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/MEqeN-living_education_workWith the beginning of the new school year in Japan (it starts in April), came some chances that were presented to me. After having several classes at my international preschool every week, these were reduced drastically and I decided to get another part time job. I ended up as a dispatch teacher for a Japanese kindergarten for one day a week – and this is a nice new experiences! In this article I will tell you how a day there looks like for me.My classes are separated into circle time and lesson time, each taking 15 minutes. During circle time we usually sing and dance to the "hello song," the "song of the month," the "goodbye song" and two or three other songs. In between I do a short game with the children to let them have fun. During lesson time, as the name suggests, everyone sits down on a chairs. We learn the vocabulary and the sentence of the month and then practice these with a game. For the last five minutes I read the book of the month and try to let them interact with it. I arrive at the kindergarten at around 9.50 a.m. and have a short time to get ready for my first class. I start at 10 a.m. with the smallest group where the children are aged up to 2 years. We only do circle time, so singing and dancing to English songs. After this I have two more groups, one aged 3 to 4 years and one for the 5 year olds. With each group I do circle time and lesson time.After the classes I have some free time to interact with the children. I usually go to the smallest group who already finished lunch and have playing time until about 12. Then I go to the next group, play with them until everyone gets ready for taking a nap. Around 1 p.m. they lay down and I help out with making the 3 to 4 year old children sleep. This usually takes about 30~40 minutes.I have a one hour lunch break. When I come back some of the youngest kids are already awake and I start playing with them again. The others get up at 3 p.m. and get ready for their snack time. They get tea, milk and a small snack prepared at the kindergarten’s kitchen. This can be sweet, but also a hearty dish. If the weather is fine we go out and play at the playground in front of the building. From 4 p.m. I do another circle time with the smaller kids. Then, the bigger kids are combined and we do circle time and lesson all together. For me, then it is time to clean up and get ready to leave around 5 p.m.The first weeks I was totally exhausted after the whole day at the kindergarten, because there are so many active children around me and everthing was new. But it is getting better. I got into the routine, got to know the children better and it is more and more fun. To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/MEqeN-living_education_workThu, 28 Jun 2018 10:31:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/MEqeN-living_education_workhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/wk7D0-living_education_galleries_hino_shi_tokyoHave you ever heard about the Shinsengumi (新選組) before? They are considered to be Japan’s last samurai, a special force who once policed the streets of the ancient capital Kyoto in the late 19th century. So, usually you would try to find their remains in Kyoto. But if you are in Tokyo, surpringsingly, you also can find them. Just about a 30-minute train ride away from Shinjuku you will find Hino City, where the young men came together before being sent out to Kyoto. And even some of the Shinsengumi leaders came from the cityOnce a year, in the middle of May, the Hino Shinsengumi Festival is held to remember this. I had the chance to visit the festival this year, with organizers already celebrating the 21st anniversary of the festival. There are two main locations for the festival. One is the Takahata Fudoson Temple which provides really nice scenery with its red pagoda. You could see the different groups customized as members of Shinsengumi all around the area, also including a small parade through the streets. For visitors it was possible to rent a yukata for free or get a whole make-over with kimono, make-up, and hair styling (which costs some money). I choose a free yukata and took the chance to take some nice photos around the temple area. The other location is the city of Hino itself. From Hino Station you can walk along the festival road including several food stands where you can take a break. The main parade was held there including a competition between the teams shouting “Ei-ei-o!”. It was great to watch it, especially because some groups made special performances. Unfortunately, it started raining during the parade this year, so we decided to leave…All in all, I enjoyed the Hino Shinsengumi Festival a lot. Especially, because it was not as crowded as you might be used to with the big festivals in Tokyo. It was super relaxed and I am thinking about going there again next year. To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/wk7D0-living_education_galleries_hino_shi_tokyoFri, 22 Jun 2018 10:17:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/wk7D0-living_education_galleries_hino_shi_tokyohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/M9pJ0-food_shoppingJapan is famous for all the unique food combinations which come out for a limited time only. When I tried the strawberry short cake drink a few months ago, I thought there couldn't be anything crazier ... until now when I saw that a cup of ice cream with dried ramen topping was released. Yeah, you are reading that right: ramen on ice cream! So strange that I had to try it myself. Because it is so warm lately and my husband is into ice cream because of this, I bought two cups from a convenience store close by so we could try it together. The cup only fits 100 ml and is pretty small, so this was a good decision. We made it our dessert after dinner. The cup has a cute and colorfum design including the character of Baby Star Ramen. When opening the cup, these are also the first things you see: a lot of dried ramen! The ice is covered beyond them. But let's try! The baby ramen have a very strong taste which is really nice and I enjoyed it. But how would it be with ice cream? The mix was... strange. I mean, it was not that bad, but I was also not sure if I liked it. However, this was probably not the fault of combining dried ramen with ice. As a fan of crazy combinations I would even think it goes well with vanilla ice cream. But the ice cream taste of the ice here was butter caramel - something I had never tried and now I know I don't like. The ice is not really sweet, going more into a salty corner because it is said to be mixed with some soy sauce. I was strong though and ate everything, still hoping I would get into it. The ramen were yummy anyway. But I decided that this was definately the only cup of ramen on ice I would buy. The Baby Star Ramen on Ice was released nation-wide in Japan on May 29th and so far you can only find it at Seven Eleven convenience stores. The price of 219 yen for the tiny cup of ice cream is a little bit high, but still ok if you want to give this unique combination a try. Maybe you can enjoy the combination more than me. Have you tried it yet?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/M9pJ0-food_shoppingThu, 21 Jun 2018 11:30:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/M9pJ0-food_shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/MJ9KJ-food_tea_shizuokaSince I started living in Japan I was able to try many types of different tea. I also quickly realized that most tea bags in Japan are either green tea or black tea – and I totally dislike the taste of black tea which is a reason why I usually don’t come close to any dark looking tea.On our visit to Shizuoka in November last year (read more here), we visited the tea shop Osadaen Hoten ( おさだ苑本店) and got to try some of their teas. Osada Seicha Co. started their business in 1948. They are well known for their natural organic teas and received several awards at tea competitions within the last year. During our visit we even got some souvenirs from them. One was a pack of tea bags; Yamabuki Nadeshiko (山吹撫子). When hearing the name I actually first don’t think about tea and rather have the image of Nadeshiko Japan, Japan’s women national soccer team, in my mind. Or of some flowers. Where we come back to the tea package which has cute pink flowers as a design – probably showing that this tea is good for women. Yamabuki Nadeshiko is a new Japanese tea, made from organic green tea produced in Haruno Town in Shizuoka Prefecture. A whole new technique called Microbial Fermentation Control is used to produce this tea. The organically farmed tea leaves are fermented in a sterilized room using a unique strain of black koji mold which has been patented and passed food safety testing. Pouring hot water on the tea bag you get a brown tea with a fresh and floral aroma. I could even find a light sweetness. At least it is not bitter at all, which makes me like the tea a lot. And I am not the only one who likes it. Yamabuki Nadeshiko is an award-winning tea. For example, it received th 1st place in the Bishoku Joshi Grand Prix, the 1st place in the 2015 World Green Tea Contest, the 2010 World Green Tea Contest Frontier Award and it is placed in the top 100 Fuji-no-Kuni Mountain Teas.Looking over all the teas I could drink within the last months, it is difficult to choose which one I like the best. But on the list of the best five Yamabuki Nadeshiko will definitely be there. The pack I tried includes 10 tea bags with 2 g of tea in each. You can find it at the online shop of Osadaen Honten for 648 yen. But you also can buy it loose, filled in a pet bottle. So why don’t you try it out?Osadaen Honten WebsiteYamabuki Nadeshiko WebsiteTo view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/MJ9KJ-food_tea_shizuokaFri, 08 Jun 2018 10:50:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/MJ9KJ-food_tea_shizuokahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/MxXvy-foodI am a person who is not good with eating breakfast in the morning, right after getting up. Normally I need at least one hour until I can eat something. And when I watch my husband, who enjoys rice, soba, curry or natto in the morning, I get close to vomiting (unfortunately...). Back in Germany I had two apples during the morning break at my office and over-slept breakfast on weekends. But here in Japan apples are too expensive for this.However, especially when I need to go to work at the kindergarten in the morning, I have to eat something which also keeps my stomach full until my lunch break comes around 2 pm. And I found something what is working out really well! A while ago my husband asked me about trying granola for breakfast and we took a look around the assortment in the supermarket. Most sorts I can't eat though, because I totally don't like raisins. So it took a while to find something without them. Now I have three different packs of Nissin Premium Granola ごろっとグラノーラ. All are including the usual granola cereals, but are without raisins and are very delicious!Matcha Version (いちごと小豆の宇治抹茶)The first one I got was granola with matcha, because I wanted to try it out. There is Uji matcha inside together with azuki beans and dried strawberries to give the whole combination some sweetness.Kinako Version (きなこ仕立ての充実大豆)I am a big fan of kinako, soy bean flour, and so I am pretty happy about this version. Futhermore, the mix includes yellow, black and green soy beans, so it is not so sweet.Strawberry Version (いちごづくし)The sweetest versions of all three for sure is the strawberry one. It includes two types of strawberries and the cereals are said to be seasoned with strawberry fruit juice.I like all three versions very much, but lately I ended up filling my bowl half with the matcha version and the other half either with kinako or strawberry. The mix is really delicious! Try it out!I started buying the 200g packs at the supermarket, but then found the 500g packs on Amazon. They sometimes also have these at bigger supermarkets. I saw they are even offering 1000g packs of some versions online, too. However, when I buy them I take care not to pay more then 600 yen for the 500g pack or it would be too expensive for me.What are you having for breakfast?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/MxXvy-foodTue, 05 Jun 2018 10:11:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/MxXvy-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/MEqKg-food_toshima_ku_tokyoSan-X is known for opening their Rilakkuma Cafés only for a limited time. Currently the Rilakkuma Town Café is opened in Ikebukuro and it will stay there until 19th June 2018. I visited it and give you a look inside.Character Food & DrinksThe main thing about a character café for sure is the food. However, this time the menu is quite small. There are three main dishes, two dessert and one drink. They all look super cute and some are even colorful.Three-colored Rilakkuma stew (リラックマのあったか３色シチュー)Korilakkuma fluffy curry udon (コリラックマのふわふわカレーうどん)Kiiroitori omurice (キイトロイトリのふわとろオムライス)Dream rainbow tower pancakes (夢のレインボータワーパンケーキ)Rilakkuma Town sweets burger (リラックマタウンのスイーツバーガー)Rilakkuma happy pastel drink (リラックマのハッピーパステルドリンク)The food prices rank between ¥ 1,190 and ¥ 1,490 plus tax. The pastel drinks comes for ¥ 990, but you also can get simple drinks such coffee or tea for about ¥ 500. On our visit our orders arrived very quickly and everything was pretty delicious. Only the pastel drink was a little bit too sweet.LocationThe Rilakkuma Town Café is located inside the dining park of the Seibu Ikebukuro on the 8th floor. You can't miss it because of the cute decoration. Outside you find walls with pictures of Rilakkuma town which are all pretty unique and super cute. Inside you find the same pictures and many plush toys.ReservationIf you want to visit the Rilakkuma Town Café a reservation is needed. You have to make it online on the official website, however it is not so difficult. The reservation costs ¥ 500 plus tax for each person and you can pay it via konbini or credit card. For this you get one of three random badgets durring your visit.I enjoyed my visit there a lot and if you are a fan of Rilakkuma and are around Ikebukuro until 19th June definately visit there.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/MEqKg-food_toshima_ku_tokyoMon, 04 Jun 2018 10:16:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/MEqKg-food_toshima_ku_tokyohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/Gb2LJ-foodSummer in Japan is starting soon. Or already has when I check my weather map where Tokyo is hitting 30 degrees already from time to time. For these temperatures you surely need something to cool your body down and what would be better than having an ice for it?In this article I recommend you some of my favorite ice versions in Japan.1) KakigoriThe best thing about Japanese summer for me definately is kakigori (かき氷). Actually it is only shaved ice with different kinds of sirup, but depending on the place where you buy it, it can even have some specials like milk topping or fruits. Ever thought about a matcha sirup kakigori with kinako topping? Yummy! But you also can stay simple and take one of the most popular flavors such as strawberry, melon, lemon, cola or blue hawaii. You usually find Kakigori at Japanese summer festivals, but also some restaurants and cafes serve it durring summer time. Because I am a Kakigori lover, I ended up buying my own machine for at home.2) Soft Cream Paradies Japan is a paradies for soft cream lovers. Next to the usual tastes of vanilla, strawberry and chocolate, in Japan you can find a big variety of soft creams mainly depending on the area and the season. When traveling through Japan I could already try out many different tastes such as grape, mango, sweet potato and a lot more. And what is better on a hot summer day than a short break with a refreshing yummy soft cream.One of my personal highlights was a soft cream shop in Iwakuni, Yamaguchi prefecture, where they served 100 different soft creams. But also when you stay in Tokyo, Daily Chico inside Nakano Broadway is also a good place for trying an 8-layered soft cream cone. 3) Special Ice CreamFor sure, when summer season is coming, many shops are serving special ice cream creations. Last year one of the social media highlights was the What-a-Melonfrom Dominique Ansel Bakery Japan where they put watermelon flavoured ice cream inside a slice of watermelon. It looked really photogenic and something like this will probably come up this year, too, in the summer months.Another special ice cream dish you can find at a shop called World's Second Best Freshly Baked Melon-pan Ice Cream (世界で２番めにおいしい焼きたてメロンパンアイス). As the name says, they serve ice cream inside a warm melon pan - and that is really yummy! They have a few shops around Japan (e.g. in Shibuya and Yokohama), so try it out this summer!4) McDonalds Japan For sure, McDonalds is not unique to Japan and you can find it all over the world, but sometimes they have their Japan-only specials, too.And tell me the truth: if it comes to ice cream, McDonalds was always a nice choice when I was still living in Germany. The McFlurry ice creams are pretty yummy. In Japan you only can find it with Oreo Cookie flavors, though. Furthermore, soft cream lately is also served in crunchy waffle cones! For 150 yen you can get a simple vanilla soft cream. Paying 50 yen more it is topped with chocolate sauce and almonds or with strawberries. Yummy!Are you ready for your summer in Japan now?Let's enjoy it with a cool ice. Or two. Or three (^__~)vTo view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/Gb2LJ-foodSat, 02 Jun 2018 17:47:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/Gb2LJ-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/M9p2N-medical_healthDid you ever have athlete's foot? Medically it is called tinea pedis. In Japan it has the rather cute name mizumushi (水虫), literaly meaning "water insects."A few weeks ago I felt something itchy between my toes on the right leg and I checked where it was coming from. The skin between my tiny toes was broken, it was white and some liquid was coming out. I didn't know what this could be nor where this could come from, so I researched on the Internet. Discribing my symptoms I ended up with mizumushi. Mizumushi is a skin infection caused by fungus. You often get it through walking barefood in public showers or pools. Something I haven't done for a while, but for sure there are also other ways to get infected. As a prevention it is recommended to keep you feet dry, keep you toenails short and wear socks that can enable your feet to breathe easily.A website was telling me that this is not even rare and that over 2/3 of the people have it at least once in their lifetime. Some stronger, some pretty weak. So, it seemed like it was my turn.According to the fact that it is a common infection, I decided to take a look to the drug stores to find something that can handle it. And right, we ended up standing in front of a shelf filled with mizumushi medicine. Luckily I took my husband with me, so he could check what is different between the products. At the end we bought Damarin Liquid (ダマリンL液). For the 20ml bottle we payed about 500~600 yen, what was still one of the cheapest we could find there.Inside the tiny bottle is a clear liquid with a quite strong smell which lasts for a few minutes. You drop it on the mizumushi affected area once a day. The first days it was burning like hell! You are asked to keep doing it for one month even if you can't see anything on your foot anymore. So you can really destroy all the fungi which have settled down on your foot. And it really helped. Already, after about one and a half weeks, the space between my toes started to look healthy again. The pain stopped after a few days, too, and now everything seems to be alright again.I can really recommend Damarin L to you if you ever have athlete's foot. But for sure I hope you won't.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/M9p2N-medical_healthThu, 31 May 2018 11:49:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/M9p2N-medical_healthhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/GRvrg-foodRilakkuma and Lawson often come up with new collaboration goods, which also includes wagashi (和菓子), traditional Japanese sweets. One of the current Rilakkuma themes is Strawberry Party and it was taken for the latest wagashi version. It was released yesterday, on May 15th 2018 and I could get it right away.The latest wagashi sweets are really cute. One is Rilakkuma holding a strawberry. Also the taste inside is strawberry and it really is very delicious. The second one is Kiiroitori which looks like hiding inside a strawberry which its green hat and the strawberry dress. This one has a honey maple taste.You can get the new cute wagashi at Lawson all over Japan for a limited time for 395 yen. A little bit pricy, but worth it if you like the little bear Rilakkuma and its friends.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/GRvrg-foodWed, 16 May 2018 09:26:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/GRvrg-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/z1ADA-educationWhen I was still living in Germany I was joining an evening meeting for Japanese people and Germans interested in Japan, once a week. It was pretty nice to get in contact with other people with the same interests and also a good opportunity to practise each others language.One time a German guy came up with a book he recently bought: D!RTY JAPANESE - Everyday Slang from "What's Up?" to "F*%# Off!". For sure, everyone was interested in this book and it was the hottest topic that night. For German people and Japanese people the same way.By now I got it myself. Second hand, so just for a few yen. And it is actually not as bad as the title might make you think. It is mainly a book that goes away from all the formal Japanese language aspects and dives into the world of talking to close friends - your buddies - or in special situations where formal Japanese is not fitting. But for sure, there are also some dirty pages inside the book.The book has nine chapters, including titles like Howdy Japanese, Angry Japanese, Poppy Japanese, Horny Japanese, Hungry Japanese and more. The chapters usually have a short introduction and then you can find several vocabs. In the begining it is, for example, explaining the different ways to say "hello," "goodbye," "sorry" or "I" in Japanese and even some ways of making compliments to find new friends.The Body Japanese part first talks about body-types but then goes over things in the dirty way - talking about peeing, popping, farting and so on. But taking a look in the book most people might want to see the Horny Japanese. This introduces many words for this topic, including words for different types of female breasts up to a short quickie sence.All in all, the book is quite nice to have a laugh together with your friends - especially when you are meeting close Japanese friends and can "discuss" about it together. Maybe you can also learn a few things from it, but remember, you should not talk in this way to you boss or co-workers (^_~)To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/z1ADA-educationMon, 07 May 2018 10:24:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/z1ADA-educationhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/GoxOX-food_shoppingJapan is famous for its unique drinks and limited edition items. Especially with drinks such as Coca Cola, Fanta and Pepsi, there is always something new to find. The latest release comes from Pepsi: the J-Cola! But what is this all about?Pepsi J-Cola was launched in Japan on 17th April 2018 and should be a new step inside Japan's world of coke. To produce this latest version of their drink, Pepsi collected the feedback from over a hundred Japanese cola lovers and tried to make the best out of it. The result is a "deeper Pepsi with a refreshing aftertaste".There are actually three versions of the new J-Cola. One is the regular version, one the zero version and the last one might be the most interesting, the midnight version. This is said to be enjoyed at night, because it has a nice flavor next to the usual cola taste which is coming from cassis.I especially like the design of the bottle. Next to the regular Pepsi logo you can find a Japanese-styled wave symbol reminding one of the famous painting The Great Wave off Kanagawa.But let's come to the taste. Because I usually don't like zero drinks, I only bought the regular version and the midnight version. The first one is quite nice, but nothing really special for me. It just feels like a normal Pepsi coke with a little bit of a deeper flavor.The midnight version promises a cassis flavor, but checking the ingredients it is actually grape. At the beginning I couldn't taste anything special, however, it really is the aftertaste here, which comes up with something fruity. I actually like this version quite a lot and already drank a few bottles by now.You can find Pepsi J-Cola everythere around Japan in 490 ml bottles. The price is depending on the shop but usually ranges between 80 to 150 yen. So, take a look in your nearest supermarket or convenience store and try it yourself!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/GoxOX-food_shoppingWed, 02 May 2018 10:45:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/GoxOX-food_shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/MxXRo-living_food_machida_shi_tokyoWhen moving to our current apartment the rental company was advertising our smaller station, Tamasakai on the Keio line in Tokyo, as a nice area with many great places to eat out. A lot of restaurants are lined up along the main street and there is something to cater to all different tastes. Living here for over 1 ½ years now, for sure we have tried out some of those restaurants and with this article I want to give you a little view inside my three recommendations.Most of the places are chain restaurants and you can find them in other parts of Japan, too, but I am mainly talking about the shops around Tamasakai station.So, let’s start! Yuzuan - Shabu Shabu RestaurantYuzuan (ゆず庵) is a pretty nice restaurant close to the station. When we go there we always take the shabu shabu & sushi all you can eat menu which costs 2,680 yen for adults and lasts for 100 minutes. For sure, there are also more expensive courses there, but for us this one is completely enough.The tabehoudai (all-you-can-eat) includes a few different kinds of meats and a big selection of vegetables. You also can order tofu, sausages, gyoza, udon and more for the shabu shabu pot. Next to this there is a variety of sushi and other side dishes such as edamame, soba, French fries and more. For dessert you can choose ice cream. Everything is pretty delicious, the atmosphere is nice (even a bit elegant), the staff often are busy, but friendly, and when we leave I am always rolling home, because I ate too much. We even invited my mother-in-law for lunch there. Website: shabu-yuzuan.jpGrazie Gardens PizzaThis restaurant we found by chance when we were walking around. It's a few minutes’ walk from Tamasakai station, next to the Super Alps shopping center. They usually have a French styled menu with pasta, pizza, grilled dishes and more, but we usually go there for the pizza all-you-can-eat. The pizza tabehoudai costs 1,299 yen (+ a few ends depending on your order) and doesn’t have a time limit. First you can choose a main dish or two side dishes and get this together with a small salad. Next to this you can use the soup bar and drink bar freely. Talking about pizza, they usually have about 14 different kinds, however you can not simply choose which one you want whenever. A staff member is walking around the restaurant with a plate and gives you a piece if you say, "Yes." On your table is a small sign which tells the staff you want more or if you want a break. I like the system because you can try out many different kinds of pizza. They even have sweet versions which I like very much. Website: Grazie GardensRed LobsterI am actually no fan of seafood, but for the year-end-party we got invited to this place by my husband’s company and so I gave it try. The Red Lobster (レッドロブスター) restaurant itself looks pretty nice and is – at least for me – a little bit more expensive. They have a huge variety of seafood which everyone enjoyed. I went with the other dishes on the menu and ate things like cheese fries and the crispy pie pizza which was simply amazing. I never had a pizza like this. However, the highlight in the end were the huge pieces of cake we got as dessert. It is impossible to eat it at once, so we could take it home. So, if you like seafood and want to try out something new, I can totally recommend this one. Website: redlobster.jpTo view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/MxXRo-living_food_machida_shi_tokyoTue, 01 May 2018 15:21:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/MxXRo-living_food_machida_shi_tokyohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/GO0v8-living_food_transportation_kanagawa_yokohama_shi_kanagawa_yokosuka_shi_kanagawaI am a huge fan of the cute bear Rilakkuma and his lovely family. This year they are celebrating their 15th anniversary with many events here in Japan. Usually I have to go to Tokyo for these kinds of events, however, recently I could join an event that was mainly held in Kanagawa Prefecture (and a little bit in Tokyo). Not only Rilakkuma is celebrating its anniversary, but also the Keikyu train line is up for their 120th anniversary. A good opportunity to celebrate together.Since March 5th until May 13th you can find several places celebrating the cooperation event between Rilakkuma and Keikyu Line named 一緒にごゆるりお祝い (Issho ni Goyururi Oiwai, Celebrating together relaxedly). In this arcticle I want to introduce some of them. Rilakkuma-themed trains and stationsOne of the highlights are the three trains which were designed for the event. One for each of the characters such as Rilakkuma (blue train), Korilakkuma (red train) and Kiiroitori (yellow train). They are operating on the Keikyu Line every day and are super cute.Furthermore, three stations got renamed fitting in the Rilakkuma-theme and were decorated accordingly. These are Kamiooka which became Kamigaooooka (上がお大岡), Otorii which became Ookiiroitorii (大キイロイ鳥居) and Kurihama which became Rilakkurihama (リラッ久里浜). It was really fun to take photos of the decoration and they even have a special photo spot at every station.Even some bus stops and Keikyu buses have a limited-time Rilakkuma design, too.Stamp RallyThe stamp rally was taking place from the beginning of the event until April 15th. The earlier ending has one reason: you can win a special Rilakkuma-themed train travel on the last day of the event. For this you needed to collect five stamps, one each at the Rilakkuma stations I mentioned earlier and two more stamps at Yokohama station and Haneda airport. For this you could buy a special set for 1,500 yen including a special one-day-ticket for the Keikyu Line, a flyer and post card for collecting the stamps and a unique clearfile you can use as bag. Traveling to all the stamp spots takes some time, but it was also nice, because you could stop by places you normally don’t go. Furthermore, many Rilakkuma spots were on the way where you could take a look. And if you are lucky you can win a prize at the end. Rilakkuma CaféA time-limited Rilakkuma x Keikyu Line Café was opened at Kamiooka station. They have some special dishes which all look really cute and it is hard to choose between them. The decoration inside the cafe is pretty nice, going with the train theme. We went on a Sunday and it was quite crowded. At the entrance you can get a time-ticket for your entry. When we have been there the waiting time was about 1 to 2 hours but if you are lucky you also can enter right away.All the food and drinks we tried were very delicious, but also a bit expensive.Rilakkuma Station Soba & Sweets CalenderBut that was not all about food. At three station of the Keikyu Line (Shinagawa, Kita-Kurihama and Koganecho) you could by a special soba menu in the Rilakkuma theme with a different version at each station. The price of 580 yen is totally OK for it and you get the chance to eat in one of the small soba shops.Furthermore, there is a colaboration with the Sweets Calender shops at Yokohama and Kamiooka station. There are all kinds of different sweets in the Rilakkuma design, each available for a limited time. This includes donuts, rollcakes, macarons, cookies, cheese cake and more. They are all quite pricy, but I tried a few and they are all incredibaly delicious.Special MerchandiseFor sure, for an event like this plenty of merchandise was released. Not only cute, plush toys and key chains, you can also find pens, notebooks, clearfiles and more. They even have cute bath mats. The goods are partly different depending on the location and sometimes limited to the place. Also, special sets of train/bus tickets, food menu and a plush toy are available at some stations.And moreThat is still not all. There is a Rilakkuma x Keikyu Line themed cruise ship which is a nice idea. There were also several events where you could meet station master Rilakkuma and take a photo with him and so on. Find all the information on the official website.I really enjoyed the event and I think it is a great collaboration. If you have spare time left until May 13th and are interested in Rilakkuma, why don't you take a look to the stations and the cafe?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/GO0v8-living_food_transportation_kanagawa_yokohama_shi_kanagawa_yokosuka_shi_kanagawaTue, 01 May 2018 10:08:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/GO0v8-living_food_transportation_kanagawa_yokohama_shi_kanagawa_yokosuka_shi_kanagawahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/MPOLn-living_fashionA while ago I was talking with a friend about souvenirs and products to buy your family and friends back in your home country. She told me about a 100-yen-shop product which all her female friends are crazy about: Foot Mask Pack. I was curious and tried it out myself – and yes, I also had six packs of this in my luggage while visiting my home country.But what is so special about this foot mask?There is a big amount of foot masks outwhere, so why should you buy this one? Easy: it doesn’t only give your feet a special care, it even makes your dead and hard skin peeling off after a few days so that you feet become super soft and get a light pink color. Isn’t this amazing? Furthermore it smells really nice with all the essences inside.I heard from friends, that there are foot masks like this in Germany, too, however the price for them start around 10-20 Euro. In Japan you can get this mask for 216 yen at Daiso, what is really cheap. Another plus point for this foot mask.How do you use it?This is really easy and explained in a few simple steps. You will need around one hour time for it when you can sit down and relax, because it is really dangerous to walk while using the foot mask.Wash your feet! You also can soak them in hot water for a while first, which might cause in a better result. Then dry you feet and sit down.For opening the foot mask you need scissors. Cut along the dotted line, but take care not to cut too deep, because the liquid might be spill out.Put your feet inside the masks and close them with the small sticker. Now it is time to wait. You should keep the masks on for around one hour.After removing the masks, you can gently rinse your feet. That is all for the day. You might already feel a small difference.After around 3 to 5 days the skin on your feet will start to peel off. You can help with taking a hot foot bath every day for around 10 minutes. The whole process should be completed after 10 to 14 days and you have beautiful feet. Maybe if your hard skin is really thick, you ought to repeat it one more time.What do you think of this Daiso beauty product?Would it be something to put in your suitcase on your way back home?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/MPOLn-living_fashionSun, 29 Apr 2018 10:42:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/MPOLn-living_fashionhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/G08j1-food_aoba_ku_yokohama_shi_kanagawaI really love strawberries. Back in Germany we were planting them in our garden and each summer I could eat plenty. My mom and I made delicious strawberry cakes and I often took them with me as snacks for work.This unfortunately changed when I moved to Japan, because I had to realize that strawberries are very expensive here. Especially when you look around upper-range supermarkets and department stores it's not unusual that you see a pack of 12 nicely packed strawberries for about 1,000 yen. What the…? For sure, there are also cheaper ones and I am very happy that I found a grocery store close to my work selling packs of small strawberries for 200 yen. For sure, these are not the huge pretty onces, but they are still very delicious.Last year we went on a trip to Kofu with my husband’s colleague and we stopped by a strawberry farm. They wanted to introduce this kind of place to me, because fruit picking actually is quite popular in Japan. I ate 60 strawberries within 30 minutes and we decided to visit a strawberry farm next year again. Now, 2018 has already been up and running for nearly four months and it was time to do so!After some research on the Internet we found a strawberry farm close to my parents-in-law’s house and we decided to visit there on a Sunday morning. Actually, it was a super warm sunny day, 28 degrees outside, which made the trip a little bit troublesome, but more about this later. The farm I am talking about is the Tokue Strawberry Farm (in Japanese: 徳江いちご農園) located in Ichigao on the Denentoshi line in Kanagawa. We went there by bus which takes just a few minutes and costs 220 yen one-way. If you are good on foot, you can walk there within 20 minutes from Ichigao station, but we decided for the bus because it was too hot. They also have free parking if you go by car. The strawberry season at this farm mainly goes from the middle of January up to the middle/end of May. For this, the prices are also dependent on the season. During the high season from the beginning until the beginning/middle of April you have to pay 2,000 yen for a half hour of strawberry all-you-can-eat. We went in the middle season, paying 1,800 yen for it. The ending season this year starts at the end of Golden Week costing 1,400 yen for adults. Children from 2 years to the end of kindergarten pay half price. We went on Sunday for the 11:30 session and I was surprised that many people were waiting there for it. But luckily it was not too many people, so you could still enjoy the picking. The farm has a lot of different sorts of strawberries and it was interesting to try them out even though I couldn’t find big differences. You get a plastic container with sweet milk to dip the strawberries in which is really delicious. Because the sun was burning down it also got super warm and humid in the greenhouse and the sweat started running. Everyone was complaining about the heat, but we kept on eating. I got my new record: 71 strawberries in 30 minutes! The Tokue Strawberry Farm has uncertain opening times so it is better to check their website / blog beforehand, or call them. A reservation is not required but might be helpful especially when you plan to visit on weekends or during Golden Week. I also recommend going there in the morning, because it can be difficult to find good strawberries when many people have already picked them – even though they have different sections – and also, it can happen that the farm is closing earlier, because of this. All in all, I enjoyed my visit there and am looking forward to visiting a strawberry farm next year again. Let’s see if I can make a new record then! Tokue Strawberry Farm (徳江いちご農園)Address: Yokohama-shi, Aoba-ku, Ichigao 4-10 浜市青葉区市が尾4−１０Website: http://tokuenouen.jp/index.htmlTel: 080-6789-7356To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/G08j1-food_aoba_ku_yokohama_shi_kanagawaTue, 24 Apr 2018 11:38:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/G08j1-food_aoba_ku_yokohama_shi_kanagawahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/wZPxR-living_adachi_ku_tokyoIt is already some years ago that I lived in Adachi-ku (足立区), one of the 23 wards in Tokyo located on the northern part of the metropolis. While at the time on a working holiday visa I lived there in a small share house for a while. It is a quite nice area for living, in my eyes.You have a good train connection from Kita-Senju station (北千住駅) where five different train lines are running (JR East, Tokyo Metro and more). Right in front of the station there is a small shopping street with the most important shops you need for living such as supermarkets and 100 yen shops. Some restaurant chains have their shops there and also smaller restaurants from local people can be found. The share house was located only five minutes from Kita-Senju station and another five minutes walk brought me to one of my favorite spots of the area: the banks of Arakawa River (荒川). The river comes from Saitama and ends up in Tokyo Bay. The famous Sumida River is a branch of it. I enjoyed walking around the banks of the river from time to time to escape the crowds of Tokyo’s big city life.One morning in October I woke up to the sounds of drums. I am actually a big fan of Japanese traditional festivals and so I like to hear the taiko drums. I was curious where the sound was coming from so I got into my clothes and went outside. Guided by the drums I ended up at the river. The huge meeting place which was normally empty, or with baseball teams or other people doing sports, was suddenly filled with many colorful tents and people. A-Festa is the citizen festival of Adachi which is already held for some years at the Niji no Hiroba (虹の広場, Rainbow Plaza) on the banks of Arakawa River. It usually takes places on a weekend at the beginning of October. Made for adults and children, you can find different zones to enjoy your time at the festival. For sure, there are many places for children with games and sporting activities, so it is a great festival for families. But also as an adult you can have fun there!At the festival stage is a program on both days. Mainly performances and dances from local organizations by children and amateurs, but it is fun to watch them. Last year even a fashion show and contest was taking place there. A special shopping zone is build up, too. There you can find local products, but also a bazaar and children’s flea market. For sure, food shouldn’t be missing at a Japanese festival, too. When we have been there some years ago we ate three-colored dango and kakigoori (shaved ice with sirup). But you can also take a look to the restaurants around the river area and at the shopping street. Some have special offers while the festival is on. Being on the river banks, eating kakigori and listening to the music in the background really brought one back to one of the summer festivals in Japan. Even though it was the beginning of October. I enjoyed the festival a lot and we took a look there on both days of the weekend. It is always nice to think back to this time and maybe I can go there again, just because of the nostalgic feeling. Event Website: http://adachikanko.net/a-festaTo view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/wZPxR-living_adachi_ku_tokyoTue, 10 Apr 2018 18:06:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/wZPxR-living_adachi_ku_tokyohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/z4l1v-living_medicalBack when I was living in Germany I never really used lip balm. For sure, as a woman I always had a few sticks with me (always losing them somewhere, too), but my lips were mostly in quite good condition such that I didn’t need to use them anyway. When I moved to Japan this changed. Maybe I am just getting old, but probably it comes from the different climate conditions. Especially in winter my lips become very dry and burst at some corners. Everyone who had this happen to them before knows that it really hurts and usually doesn't heal easily by itself.This winter one thing I always had in my bag and jacket pocket – yes, usually I always had at least two sticks with me – were Mentrum Medicated Sticks (メンターム薬用スティック).This lip balm is made by the Japanese company Omi Brotherhood (近江兄弟社) and is – as the packing says – for dried, chapped and cracked lips. It is medicated with menthol and camphor through which it is aimed to keep your lips healthy and give them moisture. As some advertisements say it even is the most popular lipstick in Japan. My husband was using these already and when I told him about the problem with my lips he recommended I try out this one. When I first put it on my lips I felt so surprised. It has a cooling effect and also started burning a little bit on my sore lips. But it stopped quickly and after my lips started to feel well again. I like the menthol inside very much actually. If you haven’t tried it out yet and are interested: Mentrum Medicated Sticks are sold nearly everywhere! I have seen them at supermarkets, drug stores, convenience stores and even 100 yen shops here in Japan. So, keep your eyes open and give them the blessing I got, too. To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/z4l1v-living_medicalFri, 06 Apr 2018 17:29:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/z4l1v-living_medicalhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/MAWQq-living_foodWhen we moved in together, my husband brought a takoyaki machine with him which he had already had for several years but never used. We made takoyaki once (for me without octopus) and I really enjoyed it. When I asked him about making takoyaki again, he told me we first need to by a new takoyaki plate because the current one was so dirty from the last time that he couldn’t clean it anymore (it was one machine which you couldn’t separate into parts and yes, that’s difficult to clean). So we needed a new one…It actually took a while until we bought a new gadget, because we didn’t want to spend too much money. One day, when we were looking around a second-hand shop for a heater for our bedroom, we suddenly found it: our new kitchen wonder!The takoyaki machine includes two plates. One with the round slots for the takoyaki balls which is really nice and easy to handle. The second plate is a regular flat plate which you can use for everything else you want to fry. We already made yakiniku and gyoza with it, but you also can make yakisoba and much more. Especially for gyoza it is nice that the edges of the plate are curved up, so you can easily put water inside for steaming and nothing spills over.The plates are loose on top of the heater, so when you've finished your little frying party you just need to wait a bit to let them cool down and then you can easily remove and wash them. A point we took care about mostly this time. The machine works with electricity, so you just need to plug it in and turn it on. The only improvable thing would be different stages of heating (you only can turn it on and off), but because we only paid about 1,000 yen for it, I won’t say anything. And even though it was second hand, the owner before us never used it. So it was completely new when we tried it out. Now we are using it at least twice a month and it might become more often in the summer months. Did you also find such cool things at second-hand shops in Japan before?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/MAWQq-living_foodThu, 05 Apr 2018 11:58:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/MAWQq-living_foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/wr8x0-food_shopping_yokohama_shi_kanagawaThe cute bear Rilakkuma is celebrating its 15th Anniversary this year with many special events and collaborations. As a big fan I try to visit as many of these as possible.Right now a collaboration with the Keikyu Line is taking place with a stamp ralley, photospots, themed goods and restaurants. The "Sweets Calendar" located inside Keikyu Yokohama and Keikyu Kamiooka are taking part, too, with different cute sweets. From today for only one week you can get very cute Rilakkuma donuts inside Keikyu Yokohama station. The combination is different every day. I went there on the first day and got a cute set of Rilakkuma and Korilakkuma. This Thursday, for example, you will get a set of Rilakkuma and Kiiroitori. The sets are super cute, but a little bit pricy. One set of two donuts cost 993 yen. The shop has even more cute animal themed donuts and a few more Rilakkuma sweets as long the event is lasting. But if you want a set of Rilakkuma donuts hurry up, they will only be there until next Monday, 9th April 2018.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/wr8x0-food_shopping_yokohama_shi_kanagawaTue, 03 Apr 2018 17:11:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/wr8x0-food_shopping_yokohama_shi_kanagawahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/G63K9-shopping_chiyoda_ku_tokyoThe new movie of Detective Conan will start in Japan's cinemas next week. Celebrating this some events are taking place right now. One highlight might be the Conan Café which is opened in several cities all over the country right now. Check out the website for menu and reservations. Only for two weeks a pop-up store is set up at the event space of the Character Street inside Tokyo station. The so called Detective Conan Plaza (名探偵コナンプラザ) is opened from 27th March to 10th April 2018 every day from 10:00 to 20:30 (on the last day only until 18:30). There you can find many different goods, most related to the new movie. Decide between many clear files, keychains, pens, notebooks and sweet boxes. They even have towels, T-Shirts, bags, plush toys - and a lot more. As a big fan surely you can leave a lot of money there.So if you are in Tokyo right now, don't miss the chance to shop there and take some photos. And if you are there anyway, you also can take a look through all the other shops of the Character Street.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/G63K9-shopping_chiyoda_ku_tokyoTue, 03 Apr 2018 16:59:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/G63K9-shopping_chiyoda_ku_tokyohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/GlkdQ-living_money_yokohama_shi_kanagawaIn 2004 I became a fan of Japanese pop music for the first time and my love to Japanese music became bigger and bigger over the years. Back in Germany, I was happy when some of the Japanese musicians came abroad and I could go to three or four concerts a year. Now, living in Japan, I am living at the source of my beloved music and actually could visit a concert about once a week.For sure, this not possible – once because I still have other things in my calendar schedule, too, and on the other hand, compare to the concerts the Japanese band held in Germany, the concerts in their home country are often a lot more expensive. Including the system fees and more of several ticket websites, I lately mostly have to pay about 8,000 to 10,000 yen for one concert ticket of well-known artists. Additionally there is even a drink fee of 600 yen when entering the venue. Thinking about buying band merchandise at the concert hall and calculating the train costs, a concert can become quite expensive here in Japan. At the end, I made the decision to go to a concert only about once a month. Meaning 12 concerts a year, that sounds pretty nice.At the moment I am living in Hashimoto district, Sagamihara City, in Kanagawa prefecture. For sure, I have a good connection to Tokyo and easily can go to concerts in the Shibuya and Shinjuku area. I even have a direct connection to Chofu where the Ajinomoto Stadium where often huge events such as the a-nation in summer are held. However, many of my favorite bands play in Odaiba, the area of the Zepp Tokyo and Zepp Diver City, two quite famous concert halls. The train connection there is not that bad, but especially in the evening when the concert takes more than two hours you have to take care and sometimes hurry to catch your last train home to Kanagawa. Some goes with the popular Studio Coast where many bands are like have their concerts. Located in Shinkiba, it is on the other end of Tokyo and it takes me over 2 hours by train to go there. Lately I resist going to concerts there…But for sure, concerts are taking place in Kanagawa, too!The best example probably is the Yokohama Arena. It is located close to Shin-Yokohama station and has a capacity of 17,000 people. Many events and concerts are taking place there. I have been inside for several times already, for example for lives of X JAPAN and Ayumi Hamasaki. Another big location is the Yokohama Stadium in the center of Yokohama City. It actually is a baseball stadium, but also used for concerts from time to time with a capacity of about 30,000 people. LUNA SEA and ONE OK ROCK had some concerts there, but I couldn’t get tickets so far…For sure, there are small venues, too. One of my favorites – because of the nostalgic factor that I joined my first ever concert in Japan there in 2010 – is the Yokohama Baysis. The tiny live house only fits for 300 people and mostly indie or not so well known bands are playing there. It has the good point, that even if you are standing in the last row, you still have a good view on the stage.As you see, I enjoy my concert life here in Japan. Even though it is expensive and I have to decide where I should go or not, it is a lot of fun!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/GlkdQ-living_money_yokohama_shi_kanagawaFri, 30 Mar 2018 16:51:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/GlkdQ-living_money_yokohama_shi_kanagawahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/MvPdk-food_shopping_teaSince I drank my first Matcha in Japan, I was interested about the tradition behind making it. Watching a small tea ceremony for the first time was back in 2012 during my visit to Kyoto at the Gion Corner there they provided special shows for foreigners. Within the years, I could drink fresh matcha more often and even could sometimes watch how it was made.In November last year when we went to Mori Town in Shizuoka, we had the opportunity to try out the simple traditional way of making Matcha. It was great to learn all the steps and do it with our own hands. For me it went well and didn’t felt as difficult as it always looked like anymore. So this was the point, when I finally decided to buy my own Matcha Set.But what is the best set for a starter such as me? I looked around some shops from time to time and later ended up on Amazon Japan. There I found some nice Matcha Starter Sets and it was difficult to choose from. I compared the utensils and prices – and for sure the different designs of the tea bowls – and then ordered one of them. It arrived quickly and I was totally excited to make my first cup of Matcha at home. So let us take a look what is included in my little set:1) CHAWAN (茶碗)First is the tea bowl. The one I got is quite big and heavy, but I like the cherry blossom print on it.2) CHASEN (茶筅)Next is probably the most important utensils for making matcha: the tea wisk. It is made out of bamboo and as the name says you need it for wisking the matcha powder and the water.My set also included a whisk rest where you can put the chasen on. You don’t necessarily need it, but it is nice to have one. 3) CHASHAKU (茶杓)Third utensil is a tea scoop. Also made out of bamboo you use it to put the matcha into the tea bowl. (For sure, you also can use any spoon to do this, too.)4) MATCHA (抹茶)For sure, you need matcha powder to make your own bowl of matcha at home. The set came with 20g tea powder from the tea shop Kanbayashi Shunsho in Uji / Kyoto. It is one of the cheapest sorts, but still has a nice taste. Especially for practicing it is a good beginning. I am happy that I have a set at my home now and hope I more often find the time to sit down, make my own bowl of matcha and relax. This post is a special tea blog report, part of our Shizuoka Green Tea Guide, and a chance through City-Cost for bloggers in Japan to engage in new “Japan” experiences about which to create posts.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/MvPdk-food_shopping_teaWed, 28 Mar 2018 17:18:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/MvPdk-food_shopping_teahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/zVO92-livingMaybe all of you know this situation: you get a fresh bottle of juice, tea or water on your way at the convenience store or out of the vending machine and, because it is nicely cooled, the bottle quickly becomes very wet on the outside through condensed water. Especially when you want to put the bottle in your bag, this can be very dangerous, because everything inside your bag will get kind of wettish, too.But what can you do to guard against this problem? There is actually a very cute solution: Bottle Covers!Bottle covers are mostly made out of the same materials as socks, towels or other fabrics that easily absorb water. They are elastic and fit over different sizes of bottles. You can find different designs at the 100 yen shops and some more expensive versions at department stores here in Japan.For sure, there are also bottle cover designs featuring popular characters. I am a big fan of Rilakkuma and am always waiting for the recurrent campaign of Itoen, which includes a bottle cover with every green tea bottle you buy at the convenience store. Mostly they have six different designs. These are often very popular and you have to be quick to get the design you want.The design is changing every time and is often based around a certain topic. I personally really like the onsen pictures on the bottle covers. This year they had a very cute cherry blossom design, but unfortunately I could only get two of them… The bottle covers have even one more useful attribute. They hide what is inside the bottle. Especially for me as a teacher who should be a positive example for my students, I shouldn’t drink any sweet juices in the classroom. But I like to have some sparkling sweet drinks in between times when I have to talk a lot. So, with my cute bottle covers I can easliy hide what I am really drinking.Pictured above are the cute little covers I don’t want to miss anymore in my household! To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/zVO92-livingWed, 28 Mar 2018 10:17:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/zVO92-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/wemdJ-living_shopping_sagamihara_shi_kanagawaIn October 2016 I moved back to Japan to start my life living together with my Japanese husband. It was difficult to find an apartment, especially because our budget for the monthly rent was not that high. We ended up moving to Hashimoto – without any particular reason, just because the agency in Yokohama showed us the apartment and we liked it. Living here now for about one and a half years, I really got used to my life here and I am happy with it. These are some reasons why!What to know about HashimotoHashimoto (橋本) is a district of Sagamihara City (相模原市) located in Kanagawa prefecture. I lately found out that Sagamihara is the third most populous city in Kanagawa right after Yokohama and Kawasaki, even though I have never heard of it before.Hashimoto is one of the major train stations in the area. With the JR Yokohama Line you can travel to Hachioji within 10 minutes in the north and to Machida within 10 minutes in the south. Following the JR Yokohama Line you also have a direct connection to Yokohama (45 minutes) or Shin-Yokohama and the Shinkansen line from there. Furthermore the Keio Line brings you to Shinjuku in 40 minutes with the express train. Because of this, the train connections from Hashimoto are quite nice.Shopping, Food and everything else you needAround the station you have a lot of shopping opportunities including the three shopping centers Aeon, Mewe and Ario. They house all the shops you need for your daily life in Japan. Along with different supermarkets, there are three 100 yen shops, many fashion stores such as UniQlo and GU and even a Nitori furniture shop as well as some book stores. We even have a building with a Don Quijote in the basement and cinema and game center above it.Also, the range of restaurants is really huge. Next to famous cheap chain restaurants such as Kura Sushi, Saizeriya, Gusto, CoCoIchi Curry, each of the three shopping centers has its own food floor with many unique restaurants. We even have a small Rascal character café. So there are a lot of choices when you want to go out for lunch or dinner!By now, I have found nearly everything I need for shopping and entertainment around the Hashimoto station area. And if not, you just need to go a few minutes by train.Our lovely apartmentAs I mentioned before, our main reason to move to Hashimoto was the apartment we found here. Back in November 2016 it was just opened and we are the first people living in the small building with six different apartments. Everything is very modern; we have many technical supplies and even quite a big terrace. For sure, you can find such apartments elsewhere, too, but mostly no pets are allowed. But because we have a cat, this was an important point, which often raises the monthly rent. In the Tokyo area we couldn’t afford the rents at all, so moving to Kanagawa Prefecture was a nice alternative for us. Furthermore, the work place of my husband is close to our apartment which decreases his daily commute time a lot! I enjoy my life in Hashimoto. For sure, living in Tokyo or Yokohama directly would be nice, too, but thinking about the costs of living, Hashimoto is all that I need.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/wemdJ-living_shopping_sagamihara_shi_kanagawaTue, 27 Mar 2018 11:24:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/wemdJ-living_shopping_sagamihara_shi_kanagawahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/MdJbJ-living_foodShortcakes are very popular in Japan. The combination of a fluffy sponge cake, whipped cream and strawberries just seems to be perfect and also looks great. But have you ever thought about the possibility of drinking this mix? In Japan you can!The drink produced by DyDo was already released at the end of November 2017, fitting for Christmas time when strawberry shortcake is very popular in Japan. It consists of the flavor of Amao, a popular variety of strawberries from Fukuoka prefecture, and fresh cream from Hokkaido. Sounded pretty interesting in my ears. However, it took a pretty long time until I could finally get my hands on it a few weeks ago. Nowadays, I seem to find it at nearly every station. Station? Yes, because the drink is only available at vending machines inside JR East stations. The price for one can is 160 yen.I was pretty curious when I got the drink, because I couldn’t really expect how drinkable strawberry shortcake would taste. As recommended on the back of the can, you have to shake the drink first. When opening the small can I already sensed a sweet smell. I poured the drink in a glass, but for sure you can drink it also directly from the can. While pouring I already saw the bigger pieces looking like pudding inside the drink. The whole drink has a quite thick texture anyway (maybe it gets better if you shake it more). It more reminded me of a shake-like drink and to tell the truth, I don’t like it that much when there are bits in my drinks. The taste while drinking it was also rather disappointing for me. It was super-sweet, too sweet for me even though I usually love sweet things very much. I couldn’t really stand the taste and even ended up throwing away the rest of the drink after a few sips… Too bad. Have you tried the Strawberry Shortcake Drink for youself?Or do you have such experiences with non-yummy drinks, too?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/MdJbJ-living_foodSat, 17 Mar 2018 18:17:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/MdJbJ-living_foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/G63pE-educationIn the summer of 2015 I stayed at a nice Airbnb room in Nagoya. The owner had a huge collection of books, magazins and other materials introducing Japan's culture. Unfortunately I only had one night there and couldn't take a look to all the books. However, two of them go very well together and got my attention - so much so that I later bought them myself.LIFE IN JAPAN (日本で暮らそう)This book is quite interesting especially when trying to start living in Japan. It teaches a lot about Japanese customs and etiquette and even gives you a lot of Japanese vocabulary and some sentences that you can use. The Japanese words are held in kanji, but the romaji written down too, so you know the pronunciation.The book is brocken down into seven topics:Getting StartedGetting OutGetting ThingsGetting a BiteGetting AlongGetting UnderstoodGetting ProficientIn most cases a double page introduces to readers a certain topic and the range of these is pretty wide. Learn about riding trains, buses and taxis in Japan, what to take care about when staying at hotels and hot springs. and all about shopping at convenience stores, drug stores and other locations. For sure, eating out is also a huge topic. Most interesting for expats might be the "Getting Along" section about housing, moving, socializing with neighbors, school life, workplace etiquette and much more.I really like this book, because it has much information inside. The price for this book is ¥1,500.絵でわかる英語で紹介する日本文化The second book is based around Japanese culture and tries to introduce it through pictures. All text is in Japanese and English. The book has six parts and covers many topics. Next to annual events and some sightseeing spots readers can get an insight into Japanese temples and shrines, Japanese swords, tea ceremony and food culture. Also, traditional performances such as kabuki, bunraku and kagura, and even sports like karate, judo and sumo are featured as topics and you can get a lot of information about each as well as learn some of the related vocabulary.Especially, when you want to get a big overview about Japanese culture, I can really recommand this book. The price here is ¥1,650.Do you have books like this, too?Which can you recommend?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/G63pE-educationWed, 07 Mar 2018 11:50:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/G63pE-educationhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/Mp7ra-food_mombetsu_shi_hokkaidoIn the beginning of February I had the chance to make a trip to the eastern part of Hokkaido. Looking through the itinerary there was just one point that made me skeptical: there are many spots to eat seafood. As you may know from one of my older posts, I am not good with seafood. But because I don’t have an allergy to it, I wanted to give it a go and at least try out some of the food offered to us.One of the spots I was impressed with the most of was the Mombetsu Ryoshi Shokudo (紋別漁師). This is a small seafood restaurant is located in the city of Mombetsu. It is owned and operated by a seafood processing plant. Because of this they serve seafood bowls with fresh and local ingredients. Probably the most popular dish there is the snow crab bowl and we were able to try out the snow crab for ourselves. But not only this – we had to prepare our own bowl! For me, who has never eaten nor even touched a crab, it was a really exciting experience. When we entered the restaurant we were welcomed by the owner and staff members heartfully. We got to our prepared seats - waiting for us with a snow crab and all utensils to take it apart. But first we had to put on aprons, because we still wanted to look good when we were able to start our meal.The chef of the restaurant, standing at an extra table, explained and showed to us how to break the crab in the middle and rip off the legs. It looked easy, but when you do it for the first time, it's quite difficult. Luckily the staff member always had an eye on us and helped when it was necessary. We ripped off the legs, cut them and took off the crab meat from all the legs. Using the shell of the crab as a bowl, we were asked to put everything in it. My crab shell bowl looked a little bit messed up, but the chef made another round and put some professional pieces on top. But in the end, the taste was more important anyway. The person sitting next to me could make it a lot better than I and had a dish that already looked very good for an amateur. The shell was set on a fire place and grilled. During this time we could design our own seafood rice bowl at the buffet. They offered scallops, crab meat and fish eggs which we could put on our bowl freely. I didn’t take too much, because I was not sure about the taste. Furthermore, we also got a bowl with crab soup.Dinner was ready! I tried the crab and it was quite delicious. I didn’t expect this actually. It is nothing I would need to eat often, but having a bit of crab sometimes might be nice. I especially liked the taste of the soup. The seafood bowl was OK, however, it was not my favorite – I definitely don’t like fish eggs, that is what I found out that day. Anyone who wants to try out eating snow crab should definitely make a stopover at the Mombetsu Ryoshi Shokudo should you be around that area. It was a great atmosphere and, even for me, a delicious experience. Address: 北海道紋別市 40−55 | Hokkaido, Mombetsu-shi, Shinsei 40-55Website: Japanese | EnglishTo view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/Mp7ra-food_mombetsu_shi_hokkaidoThu, 01 Mar 2018 17:09:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/Mp7ra-food_mombetsu_shi_hokkaidohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/MvPpX-living_matsuda_machi_kanagawaLately I often hear people complaining that they really would like to see the cherry blossoms in Japan, but because of their circumstances (work, holidays, family, other appointments or events), they need to come to Japan already in February. Even though the cherry blossoms for the Kanto area around Tokyo are announced for the end of March / beginning of April every year, there are a few spots around where you can enjoy early blooming sakura.Kawazuzakura (河津桜) is an early blooming variety of cherry trees. They usually start opening their flowers at the beginning of February up to the beginning of March. This happens quite slowly (it is still cold outside anyway) and so the flowers might last for up to two weeks. The best viewing time is mostly around the end of February, but for sure, this is changing every year depending on the temperatures and weather.As is typical during the regular sakura period, also while the Kawazuzakura are blooming Cherry Blossom Festivals are held. Some of these are quite popular, such as the one along the Kawazu River in Shizuoka Prefecture or the Miura Kaigan in Kanagawa prefecture, where many tourists come to see the first cherry blossoms of the season. In the middle of February I made a stop over at a rather unknown spot: Matsuda. Matsuda City is located just a few minutes from Odawara and is connected to the Odakyu and JR Lines. This year the Matsuda Sakura Festival (まつだ桜まつり) is held for the 20th time, dating from 10th February to 11th March 2018. The area of the event is the Nishihirabatake Park (西平畑公園), which is located up the mountains. During the festival a shuttle bus departs for the park twice an hour from the north exit of JR Matsuda station (if you arrive at Odakyu Shin-Matsuda station you need to walk about 5 minutes to the stop, but there are many festival signs that guide you there). The one-way ride costs 150 yen and I can recommend using the bus, because it is really going up the mountain and walking might be very exhausting – because you can still walk a lot when you arrive there. The cherry trees are located around the Matsudayama Herb Garden and are really beautiful. My visit was a bit early, so the flowers were not in full bloom yet. Visiting at the end of February or early March might be the best timing. If there is clear weather, you even have a nice view of Mount Fuji. But even without Fuji, you have a great view over Matsuda City until the sea far away. A small train called Romancecar is running through the park underneath the cherry blossoms a few times a day. This is probably not only fun for children, but also for adults. As it is a festival, surely, you can also buy food and drinks there. Different traditional meals such as soba, udon and more are sold. I had a delicious sakura soft ice that included some pieces of mochi.Don’t miss taking a look into the Children’s Hall (子どもの館) just right next to the bus stop. Fitting to the upcoming "Hinamatsuri," the Japanese girls festival, they have a huge exhibition of traditional dolls and cute handcrafts. It is free of charge.If you have enough time to explore the area, definitely walk up the mountain. After about 15 minutes you arrive at the Aguri Flower Park (あぐりパーク嵯峨山苑). It costs 300 yen in admission, but you can enjoy a huge field of yellow mustard flowers in combination with pink cherry blossoms. Even some plum trees are blooming there, too. There were not many people inside, so you could sit down and enjoy the peaceful atmosphere, with tweeting birds around and an amazing view. I enjoyed my visit to the Matsuda Cherry Festival a lot. So, if you are early in Japan, go out and catch the early cherry blossoms!Official Website: Matsuda TownTo view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/MvPpX-living_matsuda_machi_kanagawaTue, 27 Feb 2018 13:15:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/MvPpX-living_matsuda_machi_kanagawahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/Gox8Z-living_food_tea_kanazawa_shi_ishikawaKanazawa is the capital of Ishikawa prefecture in the center of Japan. Lately it becomes more and more popular with tourists also coming from oversea, not only because of the famous Kenroku-en Garden (兼六園) which is classified as one of Japan's "three most beautiful landscape gardens". The city has three old tea house districts called Higashi Chayagai (東茶屋街), Nishi Chayagai (西茶屋街)and Kazuemachi Chayagai (主計町茶屋街)where up to today Geisha are still working and entertain you in the night. But even when you are there at day time, you can enjoy your stay. With this article I take you with me to the first mentioned district: the Higashi Chayagai. Dive into the unique atmosphere of the tea house districts while working through the old wooden houses and take a break with a delicious green tea. Shima Tea HouseBuilt in 1820 the Shima Tea House (志摩) has a history of nearly 200 years. Nowadays it became a museum and expect only the electric lighting and modern toilets the building remains much the same as when it was built. It has been designated as important cultural property by the Japanese government.The admission is 500 yen for adults and you can take a look around freely. At the tea room you can enjoy a cup of Matcha for some extra money: 500 yen with dry confectionery or 700 yen with fresh-made sweets. The staff was pretty nice, taking photos of the costumers upon their request. I also met some nice Japanese women there and had a nice conversation with them. A wonderful experiences together with a green tea. Address: 石川県金沢市東山一丁目13-21 Ishikawa-ken, Kanazawa-chi, Higashiyama 1-13-21Opening Time: 9:00 ~ 18:00Website: http://www.ochaya-shima.com/english/index.htmlKaikaro Tea House Just a few meters down the street you find the Kaikaro Tea House. It was built the same time as the Shima Tea House, but it is much bigger, being the largest chaya of the district. Even nowadays the tea house is still operating and you can enjoy unforgettable nights with a Geisha parties. On day time you can take a look through the rooms with many details and get a light impression of the past time. The regular admission is 750 yen. At the huge tatami room you can enjoy the café menu which gives you some options, even in combination with the admission fee. The menu is available in English, too. I decided for a set of cold matcha and wagashi (traditional Japanese sweets). The cup of matcha which was cooled down with an ice cube was very delicious. Because Kanazawa is famous for gold leaves the top of the wagashi was decorated with some sparkling gold pieces.Address: 石川県金沢市東山一丁目14-8 Ishikawa-ken, Kanazawa-chi, Higashiyama 1-14-8Opening Time: 9:00 ~ 17:00Website: http://www.kaikaro.jp/eng/My visit to the tea districts of Kanazawa was really great and I can totally recommend you to take a look there, too, if you are in the area. This post is a special tea blog report, part of our Shizuoka Green Tea Guide, and a chance through City-Cost for bloggers in Japan to engage in new “Japan” experiences about which to create posts.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/Gox8Z-living_food_tea_kanazawa_shi_ishikawaMon, 26 Feb 2018 10:41:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/Gox8Z-living_food_tea_kanazawa_shi_ishikawahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/wr86y-livingWhen thinking about traveling to Japan many people come up with the metropolitan area of Tokyo: the huge skyscrapers, the sparkling lights in the night and something to explore around every corner. But next to the human made attractions, Japan offers a lot of natural highlights that you shouldn’t forget, in between all the modern life. For these natural highlights you don’t even need to go far. Here I have some great spots around the Kanto and Chubu regions which you can easily access from Tokyo.Mountains70 % of Japan’s landscape is covered with mountains, probably the best known of which are Mount Fuji, with its 3776 meter height, and the Japan Alps. You can enjoy hiking in the mountains and explore many different sceneries. Especially in the heat of summer, it is a great opportunity to escape to the refreshing mountains of Nagano and the neighboring prefectures. But even in western Tokyo and Kanagawa Prefecture you can find a lot nice hiking trails around Mount Mitake, Mount Takao or the Kamakura area. OnsenMany mountains in Japan are volcanoes and some are still actives. This makes Japan a dangerous country, because you never know if they will erupt again, and when. However, because of this volcanic geogrpahy there are a lot of natural hot springs making the onsen culture in Japan very popular. There are many famous hot spring towns around Tokyo you can visit easily. One of the closest is Hakone which also has a lot of other sightseeing spots. But you also can visit popular onsen areas such as Kusatsu Onsen, Shibu Onsen, Ito Onsen, Kinugawa Onsen and more. BeachesJapan is an island, so for sure, you can expect plenty of beaches around. Some of the most beautiful beaches close to Tokyo can be found on the Shonan Coast (Kamakura, Enoshima, Chigasaki), the Miura Coast (Zushi, Morito), the Izu Peninsula (Atami, Nagahama, Shirahama), the Boso Peninsula (Katakai, Onjuku) and more. Especially on weekends and during the summer holiday season these areas can be very crowded.But did you know, even within Tokyo you can find a beach area! Walk down to Odaiba and take some cool photos at the beach with the Rainbow Bridge in the background. Lakes & RiversAnother opportunity to enjoy the water is by visiting one of the numerous lakes or rivers all over the country where you can walk along at the shore, play in the water, go fishing or explore the lake in a boat, canoe or kayak. There are a lot of activities you can join. Or just enjoy the amazing scenery at places like Ashinoko in Hakone, the beautiful Fuji Lakes or Sagamiko.Seasonal FlowersWhat would Japan be without its famous vegetation: cherry and plum blossoms bring masses of tourists to Japan every spring season. But that is not all. There are many different flowers blooming throughout the year, just listing the beautiful hydrangea in the rainy season, wisteria in early May and the stunning red colors coming up in autumn. Next to this, you can find beautiful bamboo forests any time of year, which have a special atmosphere. What do you like about traveling?Do you like to see the nature or visiting buildings such shrines and temples, castles and cites? Probably a well-balanced combination of both is best, isn’t it?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/wr86y-livingFri, 23 Feb 2018 14:38:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/wr86y-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/MY4jL-food_shopping_education_nanjo_shi_okinawaOkinawa World (おきなわワールド) is a theme park located in the southern part of Okinawa’s main island. It is a touristy spot to introduce Okinawan culture, but not only this – there is also a huge cave to explore.Attractions of Okinawa WorldThe theme park has many attractions you can visit. Here I have an overview for you. Gyokusendo CaveThe Gyokusendo Cave probably is the highlight of Okinawa World. The beautiful natural scenery here was created over 300,000 years ago. 850 meters of the cave are open to public and you can walk through it. Plan at least 30 minutes for this, because there are many unique spots you can see inside the cave. It is really impressive!Kingdom VillageKingdom Village is a replica of a traditional Ryukyu village with many buildings and Okinawan architecture. You can see and take part in different craft workshops such as weaving, indigo dyeing, paper making, playing traditional instruments and more for some extra money. You can take a look through the Kingdom History Museum and take memorial photos in colorful costumes. Four times a day the Super Eisa Performance is held at the Eisa Plaze where you can get an impression of Okinawan dance and even join the dancers at the end. Habu ParkHabu is the name of the poisonous snake which is found in Okinawa. At the Habu Park you can find a museum which gives you an insight into this reptile’s life. You can see some real snakes (and turtles and bats) in the small zoo and even a Habu Show is held five times a day. At Kingdom Village you even can take a memorial photo with a snake.Nanto BreweryAt the Nanto Brewery the liquors are made of local ingredients. Next to Okinawa Sango Beerthat includes 100% coral water from the cave, they also produces habu sake – liquor including snake! Taste these and other products at the brewery.Tropical Orchards & Fruit KingdomOne part of the Kingdom Village is the tropical orchards where tropical fruits such as mango, papaya and pineapples are growing. Depending on the season, you can see rare flowers, too. At Fruit Kingdom you can enjoy some delicious fruits and fresh coconut juice. Watch how the coconuts are opened right in front of your eyes!How much does it cost?There are different tickets you can purchase at Okinawa World, depending on what you want to see. The "free pass" for all attractions costs 1,650 yen. If you want, you even can get a premium ticket for 2,300 yen which includes a 1,000 yen voucher. A cheaper ticket which includes only the Kingdom Village and the cave costs 1,240 yen. If you want to visit only Kingdom Village or only the Habu Park, single tickets are available for 620 yen each. How to get to Okinawa WorldAs I mentioned in an earlier article, if you are needing to use the public transportation in Okinawa, you should plan carefully. From Naha Bus Terminal you can take bus number 83 or 54 which leave about once an hour. Depending on the traffic, it takes about 60 minutes to go there, and costs 580 yen one-way. Here you have the copy of the bus timetable I got from the information center. To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/MY4jL-food_shopping_education_nanjo_shi_okinawaThu, 22 Feb 2018 14:17:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/MY4jL-food_shopping_education_nanjo_shi_okinawahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/Mn534-foodOn 12th Februaty 2018 a new Cup Noodles version went on sale and I needed to buy it right a way. I am a huge lover of french fries and I like to eat chicken nuggets. But hearing about a ramen cup including those both ingredients sounded so weird. Luckily I just found it right away at the convenient store on my way to work (by now they also have it at my local supermarket).When opening the quite big cup, I already could see a lot pieces of nuggets, just a few of potatoes and I liked the fact that it is combined with eggs. Looks great for my taste so far.After brewing the water and waiting for the usual three minutes and gave it a try. The nuggets were pretty nice surprisingly. The potatoes were soft, more like usual potatoes and not really reminding me of french fries, but ok. I like the combination with the ramen noodles. My only minus point went to the soup. It has a black pepper shoyu taste which is strong. I am not good with pepper, so I ended up trowing the rest of the soup away when I ate all other ingredients.All in all, I like the idea of combining instant ramen with nuggets and potatoes. If they put another soup, I would by it again.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/Mn534-foodTue, 20 Feb 2018 11:56:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/Mn534-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/MPOYV-livingAlways since my first visit to Japan seven years ago I was thinking about going to a public onsen. Still now though, I can't seem to find the courage to make that step into one. I am super-shy, I don’t like my body and I simply can’t imagine being naked together with other people.At the beginning of February I had the chance to stay at a wonderful ryokan in Hokkaido. When I checked their website, I saw that they have a huge onsen area that looks very beautiful - especially now, when the snow is laying everywhere. I felt like going there, but then my fear of entering a public onsen came back. I thought about it a lot and decided to make this my challenge for the trip.On the way to the ryokan I got more and more nervous about it – and during dinner time it got even worse, because I knew after this I should visit the onsen area. Already, before the dinner, we shortly visited the changing room of the big onsen with our Japanese guide and she explained to us everything about the different areas. They even have a mixed bath where women and men dip into the water together. That would probably be a no-go-area for me. But there was another problem. When we were standing there, listening to the explanations, we could already take a look into the washing room. I could see the naked women there and felt completely unwell. I couldn’t imagine me going inside this area… I don’t know where this feeling comes from – and if it is normal or not – but seeing the naked women inside the onsen area is not something I think I could handle. Also, that they will see me and my naked body which I don’t want to show to anyone. What will they think about that fat foreigner who is probably doing something wrong with the onsen manners?I still had the plan to go after dinner, but I got more and more unsure about all this. After dinner I met up with my friend and we made some yukata photos. Another great point about this ryokan which has a huge selection of colorful yukata in different sizes you can choose from. For sure, you could also simply take the common ryokan yukata which was cute with the owl print. When we finished our small photo shoot we both were too nervous to go to the big onsen area. I ended up with the idea of looking downstairs to the smaller bath which is in the new building, where our rooms were. Luckily no one was there. My friend went back to her room and I quickly entered as long as I was all alone.At least I could say that I completed my challenge of going in a public onsen. However, nobody was there and this was the only reason why I could do it. I felt nervous all the time, afraid that someone could come in. I tried to relax – my body could, but not my mind. I found out that the small onsen area had another small bath outside, where I was hiding most of the time. If anybody entered, they wouldn’t see me right away and later I could just catch my towel and quickly walk back to the dressing room. I don’t know if I will ever be able to enter a public onsen. I tried and didn’t feel well. There is something that is saying NO in my head. Probably I will stick with the private onsens in the immediate future. To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/MPOYV-livingMon, 19 Feb 2018 14:17:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/MPOYV-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/w2E0g-foodThis weekend Setsubun (節分の日) was celebrated in Japan. While this festival you throw roasted soya beans to clease away the demons and bring luck to you for the new year. For sure, next to beans you also can find a lot demon-related food around this time in the shops.Already in the beginning of January we found the flyer about the Rilakkuma offer at Lawson where you could order special food. For sure, we ordered all three of them and got them on Saturday evening.Rilakkuma Ehomaki SetFirst we tried the Ehomaki Set. Ehomaki (恵方巻) are long sushi rolls which you eat on Setsubun - you should eat it in one bite looking in a certain direktion to get luck. The Rilakkuma version went in Omuraisu style with egg around and ketchup flavored rice, chicken, egg and corn inside. It was pretty yummy.Furthermore the set included a Japanese towel with Rilakkuma Setsubun print which is really cute - and rather big with its 36 cm & 90 cm. Surely, because of this the set was kind of pricy with 880 yen.Setsubun Long Rilakkuma RollNext is a long roll cake - and yes, it was really long: 30 cm!! The sweet roll was filled with cream. In the middle the filling was splitted to nuts on the one side and chocolate on the other side. I shared the roll cake with my husband, but to say the true, it was so delicious I could eat the whole roll at once. The price for this was 450 yen.Setsubun Rilakkuma Mini Mochi RollsLast but not least are two small mochi rolls. This time the design doesn't goes with Setsubun, but with the latest Korilakkuma Cat collaboration. The rolls are filled with strawberry cream and chocolate cream and were also very yummy. For the 475 yen you also get some cute stickers.Did you had some special food for Setsubun this year?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/w2E0g-foodTue, 06 Feb 2018 21:33:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/w2E0g-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/wemrk-living_workBefore moving to Japan in October 2016 I researched a lot in the Internet. Sure, it wasn’t my first stay there, but starting a new life in a foreign country is nothing easy and you can always get new information while searching online.One of these topics I looked up was “finding a job in Japan”. Actually, you can find a lot of information about it. There are websites with job offers or websites providing information about the Japanese resumes (履歴書 Rirekisho) and how to fill them out. Some personal blogs are even telling you about their work life in Japan.Something I read very often was the fact that most of the foreigners living in Japan, I found on the Internet, are working as an English teacher – some even saying that this is one of the easiest jobs you could get when you come to Japan and don’t speak Japanese well. So, when I moved to Japan and got my visa I tried to become an English teacher. The problem of being a non-nativeWhile searching for an English teaching job at the well-known "eikawa schools" in Japan (English conversation schools) I quickly found out that I cannot even apply online, because you have to mark that you have a passport from an English-speaking country and that English is your native language. Because of this the many possible job offers shrunk very quickly. Sure, some companies are fine with “business level” or “equal to native level” English, but to prove this you often need some documents and certificates (which I also don’t have). The difference between having a visa and needing a visaOne thing I also realized while searching for a job was the following: it is a big bonus point if you already have a visa. So, coming here to Japan with a spouse visa, working holiday visa or student visa makes it much easier for you to find at least a part time job. Why? Actually it is really a lot of paperwork that a company needs to do if they want to sponsor a visa. This takes time and can be annoying. Also, getting a proper working visa for Japan is difficult. If you don’t meet the requirements, the immigration office quickly can say "No" and "Good-bye" to you. Two of these requirements often are a university degree and working experience in a certain field. For me, I have neither. So, I knew right from the start I will probably never be able to get a working visa (lucky I could get the spouse one).My ResultsI ended up writing many applications to many different companies, mainly searching for a part-time job teaching English to children, because I was new to being a teacher and wanted to learn more about it with just a few lessons a week. Most of my letters remained unanswered. However, I was lucky enough to get jobs at two different companies where I mostly have classes in the afternoon. I have been doing this for nearly one year now and enjoy it very much.But I also have to say that the “At least you always can work as an English teacher” is not really true. First, you have to enjoy teaching yourself. Furthermore, especially around cities like Tokyo, there are so many foreigners now that the schools are able to choose who they want to employ - and don't just take any foreigner who comes there. That is why it is not always as easy as some people say.How were your experiences?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/wemrk-living_workMon, 05 Feb 2018 17:33:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/wemrk-living_workhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/MvPDV-education_shinjuku_ku_tokyoThe Samurai Museum in Shinjuku’s Kabukicho belongs to the rather new attractions of the area. It opened its doors in September 2015 and quickly became pretty popular with foreign tourists to Japan. And I also think, especially if you are new to Japan and want to get into the samurai topic for the first time, it is a really nice opportunity to visit the Samurai Museum.Samurai ExhibitionAt the Samurai Museum you will find out more about the 700 years of samurai history, starting from the end of the Heian era up until their end in the Edo era. The museum has two floors and a staff member will guide you through it in groups. With this you will get a lot of information and are even able to ask questions which are more than welcome. The staff we had spoke English very well and helped us enjoy the tour very much. At the first floor, you can see a display of original armour from the Muromachi to Edo periods which are very impressive. Upstairs you will find six smaller rooms which all have a certain topic such as helmets, swords and matchlock guns or different time periods. Some of the exhibits you are allowed to touch or even try on, like samurai helmets. On the ground floor they have a souvenir and gift shop with many things to buy. Lately, they also offer some of the articles in an online shop, too. Performances & ExperiencesThe end of the guided tour is not the end of the museum. There are more things to explore! Four times a day a sword battle performance is held. This lasts about 10 to 15 minutes with explanations and you are again free to ask questions and later even some guests are allowed to join the performance.At the small photo corner you can try on helmets and samurai costumes and take photos with your own camera. However, be prepared that it might be crowded on weekends. While the experiences above are included in the admission fee, there are some more activities you have to pay extra for. At the Samurai Museum they offer a samurai calligraphy lesson twice a week lead by Shiho Kurabayashi who designed the logo of the famous horror movie Sadako. Futhermore, they have a Japanese sword course with the Japanese sword ex-curator Paul Martin who will teach you everything about Japanese swords. These lessons all last around one hour and cost 5,000 yen each (admission fee to the museum included). Be sure you have to make a reservation for it before your visit. Access & AdmissionThe Samurai Museum Shinjuku is located in Kabukicho, Tokyo’s largest red-light district with uncountable host and hostess clubs, bars and love hotels (but don’t worry about it when you go during daytime). It takes about 8 minutes to walk from JR Shinjuku station (East Exit) or 4 minutes from Seibu Shinjuku station. Opening times are from 10:30 to 21:00, with last admission at 20:30.At 1,800 yen for adults (800 yen children under 12 years; free for children under 3 years) the admission fee is quite high, but for this you will get an English (or Japanese if you want) guided tour, can ask many questions, see a sword performance and dress up. So, for a one-time-experience, I think it is still ok. Website: English | JapaneseAdresse: Tokyo, Shinjuku-ku, Kabukichou 2-25-6 (東京都新宿区歌舞伎町2-25-6)To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/MvPDV-education_shinjuku_ku_tokyoFri, 02 Feb 2018 11:44:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/MvPDV-education_shinjuku_ku_tokyohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/z1AJV-food_shopping_money_transportationWhen you are planning your first trip to Japan there is always one important point you have to think about: How much will traveling in Japan cost? For sure, this is a big topic and very difficult to round-up because everyone is different and has different plans for their trip. Here I try to give you a few hints about what costs you have to expect in six easy steps.a) Flight ticketsb) Hotel stayc) Transportation costsd) Food & drinkse) Admission fees f) Souvenirs & shoppinga) Flight ticketsThe first topic is the price of your flight ticket to Japan. That depends on where you are flying from and if you want a direct flight or you are also OK with stop over flights, which are often cheaper. For me, when I flew from Germany to Japan the costs mainly was around 700 to 1,000 Euro with a direct flight from ANA or Lufthansa. The ones over Dubai, China or Korea can be found under 500 Euro, too, and you should keep your eyes open for special offers sometimes offered from different airlines. b) Hotel stayNext to the flight, this is the second big amount of money you have to factor in, however, the prices here really differ depending on what kind of place you are staying it. If you are an easy-going person and plan to stay at hostels, share houses or guest houses with shared facilities you can get the night's stay for about 1,500 to 4,000 yen. Sometimes, these places even offer private rooms for just a little more money. Another cheap option is staying at a business hotel where prices vary between 4,000 to 8,000 yen for a small room. Some even include a simple breakfast. For sure, you also can stay at expensive hotels and Japanese ryokan for a lot of money. Find out more about it in my article about “Places to stay overnight in Japan”. c) Transportation costsThe transportation costs for Japan will vary depending on what you are planning. For sure, it is cheaper when you are just staying around Tokyo, but if you want to explore the country you have to calculate the costs for shinkansen and other trains. Maybe even the Japan Rail Pass (or one of the area passes) is worth buying it if you plan on covering long distances within Japan. Some companies even offer day-tickets or special regional passes for tourists. You can calculate the train costs on "Hyperdia." If you want to save many on long-distance-trips you even can use highway or night buses which are much cheaper than using the shinkansen.d) Food & drinksIn Japan you can eat very expensive and very cheap. If you want to save money on your food, you can visit family restaurants such as Gusto and Saizeriya or go with ramen, udon and curry. Also, the sushi chain restaurants with 108 yen for each plate of sushi are often cheap and you quickly get full. Buying bento food at convenience stores or supermarkets is also a cheap option. If you want to experience some more - such as themed restaurants - or if you eat at other special or luxury places, for sure, it will get more expensive.When buying drinks, stay away from vending machines. Sure, they are very convenient because you can find them everywhere, but they are also expensive. Mostly, soft drinks cost 160 yen from vending machines. Convenience stores are a little bit cheaper, but the best way is to buy drinks at supermarkets or Don Quijote where the soft drink bottles are about 90 yen. e) Admission fees What are planning to do while in Japan? Many tourist spots have admission fees that you have to pay. Famous temples and shrines, museums, gardens and castles typically cost around 300 to 1,000 yen. Observatories can be more pricy - think Tokyo Skytree with its 3,500 yen entrance - and for sure, theme parks admissions are also very expensive if you want to enjoy those. Visiting themed cafés such as animal cafés, maid cafés and so on costs about 1,000 yen per hour in addition to your food there. If you plan to take in a concert or the theater, show tickets can cost about 10,000 yen, too. So, before going on your trip to Japan, think about what you plan to do and calculate all admission fees together. But don’t worry, there are even some free opportunities to enjoy your time in Japan.f) Souvenirs & shoppingThe last point is totally up to you: if you don’t buy any souvenirs you can keep things very cheap, but if you have a special interest or hobby (anime, manga, Lolita fashion, kimono, etc) you can end up spending several hundred thousands of yen. If you just need a few, not so expensive, souvenirs for your friends and family at home, you even can find some nice things at 100 yen shops. To end up: if you are planning your trip to Japan, calculate your expenses beforehand – and think about it if you want to go the cheap or expensive way. To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/z1AJV-food_shopping_money_transportationWed, 31 Jan 2018 15:47:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/z1AJV-food_shopping_money_transportationhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/GBOQ3-transportation_okinawaI really enjoy traveling in Japan, because mostly it is pretty easy to get around and you can reach nearly everywhere by train – at least if you are on the main islands of Japan and are interested in the touristy spots. When planning our trip to Okinawa, I already heard from some friends that the public transportation is not the best. I didn’t worry too much at the beginning, but ended up quite frustrated when we have been there just a few weeks ago.In Okinawa there is only one train line: the YuiRail – a monorail which is operating in the center of Naha City, the capital of Okinawa. It starts at Naha Airport, going along the shopping street Kokusaidori and ending close to Shuri Castle. This makes it about 13 km in length with 15 stations. That is all.For the rest of Okinawa you have only one more choice of public transportation: the bus network. For sure, this covers many areas of the main island, but because of this it already comes up with the first problem, for me – there are actually too many bus lines such that it makes finding the right bus very complicated.At least our hotel was not so far away from the Naha Bus Terminal, but when we went there the first day to check our bus time table for the next morning, I was suddenly stood in front of a chart with around 150 bus numbers for buses all going in different directions from several different bus stops around the bus terminal (which is a big construction site by itself at the moment).I picked up the Okinawa Bus Routemap to understand the structures of the lines a bit more, ending up with a map of Okinawa with many colorful lines and numbers. Probably, when you are in Tokyo for the first time and take a look at the train map, you will be as confused as I have been with the Okinawa buses – and might get used to it while spending time there. But yes, if you are a tourist, you don’t have the time to get used to it, because you are usually only there for a few days. Btw, for traveling around in Japan and for checking train and bus time tables I normally use the Google Maps App. The big problem was that Google Maps doesn’t know the Okinawa bus lines, either. The data is not saved and so Google Maps was pretty useless – at least for finding the right bus.We ended up at the Bus Information Center there we got some papers with time tables for out destinations and the staff tried to explain to us where all the different bus stops around the bus terminal are. So far, it felt good.Our plan for the next day was to go to Okinawa World, back to the bus terminal and then to Shuri Castle. With the time table we knew the bus for Okinawa World goes roughly once per hour – and it takes around one hour. When we were back at the bus terminal we waited for the bus going to Shuri Castle – according to the time table there were different stops to go and since we missed one bus, because our bus back from Okinawa World was late, we decided to wait around 15 minutes for the next. When this arrived, it was late by a further 10 minutes, the bus driver told us we should use another bus… Another 20 minutes of waiting – and when the bus finally arrived it took about 45 mins to go to Shuri Castle because of the traffic. To sum up: it took us nearly three hours (!!)to make the around 20 km between both attractions… and we needed to hurry because you know, most attractions in Japan close around 5 to 6 pm.We had quite similar experiences the next day when we tried to do several spots by bus again. So, if you are going to explore Okinawa by bus, prepare yourself and try to collect as much information as you can in regards to time tables, bus stops and so on. Plan your daily spots close by each other, so you don’t have to go long distances in between, and also calculate in traffic delays.If you have a chance, I can totally recommend renting a car, because it makes traveling around Okinawa much easier (it was my first time driving in Japan and all went well). And if you can’t do it: a friend rented a bicycle and made a 80 km tour within one day (^_~)vTo view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/GBOQ3-transportation_okinawaTue, 30 Jan 2018 18:47:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/GBOQ3-transportation_okinawahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/Mp7xQ-living_education_okinawaThe Second World War is a big topic in Japan’s history. Most of you might only know about the atomic bombs that destroyed large parts of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, killing a huge number of people. But also the island of Okinawa has its own stories from the war time. In the so called Battle of Okinawa more than 200,000 people were killed from April to June 1945.I visited three War Memorials in the southern part of the main island of Okinawa, which you really shouldn’t ignore next to all the fun things the island has to offer such as beaches and food. Take a moment to remember and get to know a few details behind the culture of the people in Okinawa. Memorial Peace Park One of the most important war memorials in Okinawa is the Memorial Peace Park. In this huge area you can find several monuments, such as the impressive Cornerstone of Peace. It shows a collection of stone plates where all the names of the fallen soldiers and civilians are written down. There are so many that you can get a small feeling about how big the number of “200,000” really is. Main building is the Okinawa Prefectural Peace Memorial Museum, which is bigger than I expected. The permanent exhibition is located on the second floor and has five different rooms. Learn about the historical facts of the war and see many samples. You even can read the testimonies of eyewitness which will bring you out in goose bumps. Another site is the Okinawa Peace Hall, which was opened in October 1978. With its unique shape it is not only impressive from the outside – inside you will find the Okinawa Peace Prayer Statue and a collection of Peace Stones from all over the world. Admission Fee (Museum): ¥ 300Admission Fee (Memorial Hall): ¥ 450Address: Okinawa, Itoman City, Mabuni 614-4Website: Japanese | EnglishHimeyuri MonumentNot so far away from the Memorial Peace Park the Himeyuri Monument is located. Inside the museum here you can learn about the Himeyuri – that is how the female students of the Okinawa Women’s Normal School and the First Women’s Prefectural High School were refered to. The young women were assigned to work as nurse assistants in the army hospitals located in caves. Most of them didn’t survive the Battle of Okinawa. Medical instruments and personal belongings such as photos are exhibited – even a display with 227 portraits and names. You can see a cave diorama which gives you an impression of the life in the caves. The testimonies are touching as well and brought up some tears to my eyes thinking of how young these students were. Admission Fee: ¥ 310Address: Okinawa, Itoman City, Aza Ihara 671-1Website: Japanese | EnglishThe Former Japanese Navy Underground HeadquartersThe third place we visited was the Former Japanese Navy Underground Headquarters located not so far from Naha City. At the entrance you first find a small museum, telling you the history of the battle and the Underground Headquarters featuring several exhibits. After this you can enter the tunnels. Back in 1944/45 the tunnel complex was 450 meter in length. Nowadays a section of 300 meters has been restored and is opened to the public. Walk through the tunnels - see areas such as the commanding officer’s room, generator rooms, staff rooms and more – and get this special feeling you only can get at places like this. Admission Fee: ¥ 440Address: Okinawa, Tomigusuku City, Aza Tomigusuku 236 Website: JapaneseFurther AdviceTo get to all these locations you can use Okinawa’s bus system, but check the time table beforehand, because they don’t run too often (partly only once an hour). It is easiest to use a rental car when you are traveling around the main island of Okinawa – all facilities have free parking space. Also, check the closing times, which are between 17:00 and 17:30 depending on the season.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/Mp7xQ-living_education_okinawaFri, 26 Jan 2018 10:36:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/Mp7xQ-living_education_okinawahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/z8QYb-food_teaWhen we talk about matcha and other green tea sorts such as sencha, you often come up with Japan as the country of origin. Because the Japanese lifestyle is recognized as very healthy, it becomes more and more popular in the Western countries – in my home country Germany, too. And so, the food companies in Germany are up to release many products including green tea. When I went back to visit my family and friends last year, I collected some of these products and tried them out.1) Tea bagsEspecially in the tea bags section of the supermarkets the variety of packs with green tea is huge. When you look through the shelves you can find easy versions with only sencha or some matcha inside. But also green teas with jasmine, ginger lemon and other extras are very popular. Certainly these tea bags don’t taste as good as brewing your own Japanese green tea leaves in a tea pot, but for a quick break in between or at your work place it is a cheap alternative in Germany. 2) Matcha LatteLatte drinks are popular in Germany, too, and so one of the most popular branches released several Matcha Latte drinks. I got the classic one, which is pretty yummy actually and I like it more than the Macha Blendy Stick I bought here in Japan. They even have a version with coconut taste, which sounds pretty interested in combination with matcha. 3) Green bio snackIt is said that green pack is a super healthy power snack including caffeine out of matcha. It consists out of horseradish tree, buckwheat, lemon extracts and more – and is not delicious at all. I don’t like the snack and couldn’t eat it. The matcha taste inside is rare, lemon is the main taste here.4) Sparkling Green TeaCarpe Diem Matcha is a very interesting drink. The main basis is a combination of green tea and matcha, paired with nashi pear juice, ginger and lemon. It is carbonated which gives the mix a sparkling freshness. Personally, I can’t identify the taste very well – I also can’t say if I like it or not (it doesn’t taste bad, but also not super good), but it was a nice opportunity to try it out. Bonus) Sweet desserts with MatchaWhile my visit in Germany I even was able to eat some delicious matcha desserts. First I went for lunch at our local Japanese ramen restaurant and we had a matcha ice cream. Together with the berries it was a great combination. Furthermore my second-family made a wonderful matcha cheese cake for me, which was also a foodie highlight of my trip. Do you also have matcha or green tea related products in your home country?This post is a special tea blog report, part of our Shizuoka Green Tea Guide, and a chance through City-Cost for bloggers in Japan to engage in new “Japan” experiences about which to create posts.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/z8QYb-food_teaThu, 25 Jan 2018 11:25:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/z8QYb-food_teahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/wr8Bq-food_shoppingTokyo Banana is a very famous sweet in Tokyo area and perfect as a souvenir from your trip to Japan’s capital (find more info about it on my Tokyo Sweets article). They have many different versions and tasted in their assortment, but it took several years until Tokyo Banana came up with a matcha flavor. Since 14th October 2017 you can get the Ginza Matcha Cake!The Ginza Matcha Cake, in Japanese called 銀座のお抹茶ケーキ or in English also THE MATCHA CAKE from GINZA, consists of the fluffy outside known from Tokyo Banana. On top you find a little green heart. Inside you find a mix of Uji Matcha and a sweet red bean paste cream from Hokkaido. All this completed with a layer of matcha milk cream. Sounds too good to be true, especially for me as a lover of Tokyo Banana. This sweet souvenir comes in three different sized gift boxes, starting with 4 pieces for 560 yen, 8 pieces for 1,080 yen and up to 12 pieces for 1,620 yen. Unfortunately, it is a little bit difficult to get the Ginza Matcha Cake, because it is only on sale at Tokyo Tower. Luckily, they also started to sell it at several airports all over Japan (Haneda Airport, Narita Airport, Kansai Airport, Shin-Chitose Airport and Chubu Centrair Airport), so I could get my hands on it when we went to Okinawa from Haneda Airport at the beginning of January. I bought myself a box with four pieces, in mind that you should eat them within seven days. The box is really cute and I like the design with the little green heard and the green ribbon. The taste is also nice. As I mentioned before, I like the fluffy sponge cake from Tokyo Banana and it is exactly what you get here, too. The matcha & red bean filling is a nice combination. The matcha taste is rather strong, but together with the sweet beans and the sponge cake around it goes very well. I enjoyed the snack and couldn’t resist eating a second one right away after I tried the first.Yummy~ ♥More information on the official website: Japanese | EnglishTo view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/wr8Bq-food_shoppingSun, 14 Jan 2018 10:19:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/wr8Bq-food_shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/z8Qn7-livingI already wrote an article about the differences between working full-time and part-time in Japan before. You can find it here if you missed it. This time I will go deeper into the topic of how you can find a part-time job in Japan. In my opinion, finding a part-time job is much easier than finding a full-time job, because part-timers normally don’t have much responsibility and don’t need to comply with many requirements for getting the job. This is main the reason as to why they get less salary than full-time workers.Here I am talking about finding jobs in restaurants (hall / kitchen staff), shop staff in convenience stores or other shops, hotel staff, and so on. There are all the typical part-time jobs here in Japan. And they all require one thing: a certain level of Japanese language knowledge. So, if you start searching for a shop be sure about your own level of Japanese and assure yourself it is enough for the work you want to do. Surely, there are also jobs where you don’t need Japanese such as English teachers or the computer / gaming sector, but already for your everyday life in Japan it would be good to study the language. Ok, let’s come to the main point. Here I have four ways of how to find a part-time job in Japan I used myself and actually got jobs with!a) Using the InternetNowadays the Internet becomes ever more important and so websites with job opportunites are booming. In Japan I used Gaijinpot and Craigslist a lot, but there are many more, especially looking for foreign parttime workers. One of these is NihonArubaito which has new offers nearly every day on their Facebook page. I got an English teaching job via Gaijinpot and another one while someone was asking in a FB group what was a really good timing. Use the Internet and social media to get new contacts and find a job!b) Free magazines with job offersGoing to printed papers you can use magazines such as TownWork, Recruit and so on. You can often pick them up at the stations and other public facilities and they offer jobs in the local area. Be sure, these magazines are generally aimed at Japanese people, so an ability to read Japanese is important. I applied at a hotel as cleaning staff. After a short interview in Japanese on the phone I was invited to an interview (I canceled it later because I found another job at around the same time). c) Ask directlyAre you planning to work at a certain restaurant or shop? Just go there and ask! They can easily tell you if they are looking for new part-time workers right now and what requirements they have. You can also often find information papers at restaurants, supermarkets, convenience stores and so on that show they are searching. When I came to Japan on a Working Holiday visa (and my Japanese language level was still very low) I went to a German restaurant and asked for work. The owner could speak German and, because another staff left a short time before, I got a part-time job right away.d) The Japanese employment officeWhen my search for a job didn’t go well, I went to the Japanese employment office called Hello Work. In Tokyo they have a special section for foreigners and I made an appointment there. The staff there were very nice. We looked through possible job offers after I said what I am interested in. When we found a possible job she called the company and made an interview appointment for me. I could go there right after my visit to Hello Work and got the job. Might have been luck, but I also can recommend this method. I hope I could help you with this article and wish you good luck with finding a job!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/z8Qn7-livingThu, 11 Jan 2018 17:47:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/z8Qn7-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/MY4N2-food_shopping_tokyoI am totally a sweets lover. When we go out around daytime and I have the choice between something savory and something sweet, I nearly always go with the sweet option. Also, when we just have a snack in between meals – something sweet is always a great thing for me! In this article I introduce three sweet snacks you can find in the Tokyo area!1) Korot Wrapped CrepeKorot (コロット) opened its first shop in March 2011. Nowadays they have a few small shops around Tokyo, mostly at metro stations or other places close to train hubs. Other than the famous Japanese crepes from Harajuku, Korot offers the wrapped crepe. They have a smaller size and are pretty handy and easy to eat. The menu undergoes small changes depending on the season, but normally they offer sorts like choco banana, rare cheese, matcha warabimochi, strawberry, choco strawberry, choco cookie and more. Prices are between ¥160 and ¥220. If you take 5 or 10 wrapped crepes you even get a unique transport box for free. I often stop by when I see a Korot shop – you can see the locations on their website – and get one or two for me and my husband. I have tried out several sorts now and they are all very yummy. So, if you get to see one of the small Korot stores on your way through Tokyo, definitely get one of these delicious sweet snacks!2) HachiyakiHachiyaki (手招きハチ焼き) is pretty new in Tokyo and you only get it at one spot: the ground floor of the Shibuya Mega Don Quijote. It opened on 1st July 2017 and is a new shopping mekka for tourists. Shibuya is famous for the story of the dog Hachiko who was waiting for his owner in front of the station for many years. Tapi Café took up this story and is selling pancakes shaped like the well-known dog. You can choose between different fillings such as Mentai Tamagoyaki Spam (roe, egg & meat), Ogura (bean paste) Custard Almond and more. The prices are between ¥100 and ¥130.Next to Hachiyaki they also have other food. You can buy a HachiDOG, Tamagoyaki, sausages, softcream, drinks and more. They don’t have any seats inside, but you can sit down on a bench at the back entrance behind the shop. 3) Tokyo Banana Third in my collection is probably the most famous one: Tokyo Banana (東京ばな奈). It went on sale already back in 1991 and is a popular souvenir nowadays. This confectionary consists of a fluffy sponge cake filled with banana custard and is really yummy. Because of its popularity new sorts are released from time to time. Next to the regular banana filling you also can find them in combination with chocolate, maple, almond milk, caramel and more. They all come with a unique print which makes them not only yummy but also an eye catcher. To celebrate the birth of the panda baby in Ueno Zoo they just released a new version with a panda print! Next to the banana-shaped sponge cakes Tokyo Banana also sells other confectionaries like cookies, wafers and more. Take a look on their website. The prices for Tokyo Banana are around ¥500 for a 4-piece box, going up to ¥1,600 for a 12-piece box. You can get them at souvenir shops around the Tokyo area, at bigger stations and the two Tokyo airports. Some international shops and duty free shops all over Japan are offering them, too. Check that some sorts are limited to certain shops. Have a sweet time in Tokyo ♥To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/MY4N2-food_shopping_tokyoTue, 09 Jan 2018 18:20:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/MY4N2-food_shopping_tokyohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/Gyp2k-living_moneyOnsen (温泉) are one of the best things in Japan for me. Dipping in the hot water and relaxing is especially great on cold winter days. But there is one problem: I am pretty shy, not happy with my own body and in an onsen you have to be naked. Because of this I never visited a public bath before.There is an opportunity for shy people like me. Or for people who have tattoos, because these are often also, in most cases, not allowed in public onsen, because tattoos are still associated with the yakuza, the Japanese mafia. Furthermore, onsen are often gender-separated, so you can’t enjoy the time together with your partner or with your family. The solution is: private onsen!Especially in onsen towns such as Hakone and Beppu larger onsen facilities and even hotels offer private onsen rooms. Ask for Kashikiri Onsen (貸し切り温泉) or Kazoku Onsen (家族温泉; family onsen) and you will get a separated room including an onsen bath which you can use all alone. These private rooms are often more expensive than a regular onsen (depending on the place, size, etc) and most have a time limit. Costs can be between the cheap - ¥1,000 - up to ¥6,000 or more for one hour. Check the rates beforehand. Depending on the place, you can/should make a reservation before, in some places it is on a first-come-basis and you can enter when it is free. My husband and I combine all of the upper points: I am shy, my husband has a tattoo and we would like to take our bath in the hot water together. That is the reason we are always looking for private onsen when we travel somewhere. Here I have three recommendations for you. Hakone Yuryo (Kanagawa Prefecture)Hakone Yuryo (箱根湯寮) was the first onsen I ever visited. For sure, Hakone is famous as an onsen town and you have many opportunities to dip in the hot water. Hakone Yuryo is probably one of the famous ones; including a huge public onsen area and 19 private baths. It is located close to Hakone-Yumoto station where a free shuttle bus brings you up the mountain. The entry fee for the public area is ¥1,400, but you can also just use one of the private rooms. Prices per hour vary between ¥3,900 for the smallest up to ¥5,900 for the biggest room. It is recommended to make a reservation here, because they are often very busy. → WebsiteDaitokan in Ito (Shizuoka Prefecture)This summer we made a short trip to Ito in Shizuoka and stayed at a nice hotel with several onsen in Ito - Daitokan (大東館). They have public onsen in the building and even an open-air rotenburo one which is open for 24 hours. However, for us the private rotenburo was of most interest. It was really nice and I enjoyed relaxing there very much.For hotel guests all the onsen are free. But you also can go there and just dip into the different onsen for ¥1,000 yen. Reservations are not needed here. The private rooms are on a first-come-basis and you have to wait until it is free to use. → WebsiteKoishiya Ryokan (Nagano Prefecture)Our winter holiday 2016 brought us to Nagano where we stayed at a nice modern style ryokan called Koishiya Ryokan (小石屋旅館) in Shibu Onsen. This is an onsen town, too and as a guest of Koishiya you can use the Yudanaka Onsen Yoroduya close by for free, because they don’t have an onsen themselves at Koishiya. Furthermore, they offer a rotenburo onsen for private use which has an amazing location up the mountain with a beautiful view down to the city. It costs ¥500 for each person and you will be brought there by car from the ryokan staff. Reservations can be made at the front desk. → WebsiteHave you been to an onsen before? I totally recommend this experience in Japan. You will like it – and your body as well!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/Gyp2k-living_moneyMon, 08 Jan 2018 11:35:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/Gyp2k-living_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/Gox7Y-living_money_transportationWhen planning a trip to Japan you have to decide if you are going to plan everything on your own or you would prefer to make a round-trip of Japan with a travel agency that organizes your flights, hotels and trips while in the country. Personally, I always preferred the self-organized way, because you simply have more freedom to do what you want and go where you want. But there is a way to combine both: plan your trip to Japan yourself and join some organized tours when you are in the country! I have already made such tours twice and the next one is only one week away. Here I give you an insight into how it can be done.How to find organized bus toursThere are many companies that offer bus tours in Japan nowadays, even in English. So there are different ways to search for them. The easiest still is using Google which I often use, too. But you can aslo take a look around the websites of companies such as Yokoso Japan, JTB Sunrise Tours, Hato Bus, JapanBusOnline, TabiOne and so on. This is especially nice when you are thinking about making a trip to somewhere and have not decided yet. They offer a lot of tours you might get interested in. For sure, there are always some points you have to take care about.Is it worth the money? I am a person who has much travel experience from traveling by myself and organizing everything. I mean, it is nice that someone else is doing the organization, but if I have to pay too much for it, it is not worth it for me. Check out the entry fees of facilities, the travel costs etc., and compare them to the price of the bus tour that is offering the same route.I especially like to use such bus tours for destinations I can’t easily get to by public transport or when I have to change trains often in between destinations when the bus could make it in around the same time. Just an example: I went from Shinjuku to Hitachi Seaside Park, Ashigawa Flower Park and back to Shinjuku with a bus tour – a trip that would be troublesome using public trains, but easy by bus or car.Where does the bus depart from? Another important point is the departure point. If we talk about Tokyo, this is mostly around Shinjuku, Ueno or Ikebukuro. Other cities have certain points, too. Often the tours start at bigger hotels where everyone meets and gets picked up with the bus. When you book your tour, check out the place and time – can you find it easily and how long does it take to get there from your home or the place you are staying?Is there enough free time at each spot? One very important point for me is the time at each spot. I mean, when I go somewhere I also want to see something there. I don’t want to be there just for 5 minutes, take 5 photos and can say “Hey, I have been there!”. At least one hour would be nice – also that you can spend this time freely and don’t have to be in the group all the time. When I was looking for a bus tour in Okinawa, in the end I chose the one offering the longest time at the Churaumi Aquarium, because I would like to see a lot there and don’t want to run through it with the time limited around my neck.My experiencesAs I mentioned before, I joined organized bus tours twice before. Both were organized by Yokoso Japan and I was happy with them. Our tour guide was very nice and gave us a lot of information. Surely, the time was kind of short at our stops (we went to Grinpa & Fuji Shibazakura for one tour and Hitachi Seaside Park & Ashikawa Flower Park for the other one), but we still could see a lot. As a group we could enter quickly and didn’t need to line up at ticket counters. The tours included a lunch buffet which was also nice, unfortunately it was very short on the second tour because we had some traffic delay. However, all in all, I enjoyed it and would always do it again!Have you ever joined an organized bus tour or do you prefer organizing everything by yourself? To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/Gox7Y-living_money_transportationSun, 07 Jan 2018 12:19:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/Gox7Y-living_money_transportationhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/MJ9B4-shoppingWhen I started traveling around Japan, for sure, I wanted to take a souvenir with me from every place I went to – just so I have to something I can take in my hand to remind me of my trips, next to photos and my memory. But what should I take? It shouldn’t be too expensive, it shouldn’t be too big, and it should be something I can get all around the country, too. I found a solution for all of these requirements: keychains!By now, I have visited 34 prefectures (of the 47 prefectures Japan has) and from each one I have at least one keychain. In deciding which one I should buy, I go with my favorite characters. Certainly, there are always those keychains that aren't in character form, as well. So far I have collected keychains from Pokemon, Rilakkuma, Hello Kitty, Chopper from One Piece, Koro-sensei from Assassination Classroom and Detective Conan. I wanted to choose only one of these characters, but the keychains are always so cute that I can’t resist buying them. Especially because all have something special reflecting the particular prefecture. So, let us take a closer look to my collection.Hello Kitty CollectionLet’s start with Hello Kitty, my biggest collection. Here we also have the keychain I started my collection with: a Hello Kitty in gothic Lolita style (16) which I received from my former penpal (now husband) in 2008. Today, I already have 17 keychains of the cute cat. I give you a list about them here:(1) Nagasaki – a beautiful window of the Urakami Cathedral(2) Osaka – okonomiyaki, yakisoba and negiyaki (3) Nagano – a Kitty bride from Karuizawa(4) Ishikawa – kimono style from Kanazawa (5) Kagoshima – the famous kurobuta (black pork)(6) Kumamoto – Kumamon & Kumamoto castle(7) Shimane – Izumo Taisha and Shimanekko (8) Oita – Beppu onsen style(9) Gifu – traditional houses from Shirakawago (10) Kanagawa – from Enoshima(11) Hiroshima – paper crane(12) Yamaguchi – Kintaikyo bridge in Iwakuni (13) Kanagawa – wooden style from Hakone (14) Mie – Ise Jingu shrine(15) Tokyo – Sensoji in Asakusa (16) Tokyo – Harajuku Gothic Lolita(17) ??? – Kimono stlyePokemon CollectionI love Pokemon and I am so happy that there are such keychains all around Japan. You can mainly find them at the Pokemon Centers and Pokemon stores, but sometimes also at tourist souvenir shops. (1) Ishikawa – stome lantern at Kenrokuen Garden(2) Kyoto – traditional sweets Yatsuhashi (read more)(3) Osaka - Okonomiyaki(4) Nara – Yoshino cherry blossoms(5) Tokyo – Tokyo Tower(6) Okinawa – traditional style(7) Kagawa – Sanuki udon(8) Nagano – Shinshu apple(9) Kobe – Kobe Tower(10) Kanagawa – Kamaboko (fish paste)(11) Fukuoka – cake with amaou strawberries(12) Nagoya – Hitsumabushi (grilled eel)(13) Fuji area – Mount FujiChopper CollectionI am not such a big fan of One Piece – that is my husband’s hobby – but somehow I fell in love with the cute Chopper. Looking at them now, I am very surprised that I have so many keychains of this character. Here you get the list:(1) Kanagawa – ship from Yokohama (2) Kanagawa – ship from Ashinoko (Hakone)(3) Kyoto - Kiyomizudera(4) Kumamoto – regional fruit melon(5) Kanagawa – Hydrangea flowers at Kamakura(6) Hiroshima – Baseball team Carp(7) Miyazaki – regional fruit mango(8) Ehime – regional fruit orange(9) Fukuoka – Hakata ramen and street food(10) Kagoshima – regional reddish from Sakurajima(11) Kumamoto – Kumamoto castle(12) Tottori – camel at Tottori desert(13) Hiroshima – shrine gate at Miyashima(14) Hyogo – Kobe TowerRilakkuma CollectionEven though my favorite character is Rilakkuma, I just have a few regional keychains. First I have the Hyogo one (1) with Himeji castle, some goes with the Aichi (4) and Nagoya castle. For Okayama (2) they choose a big peach fruit and for sure, Kanagawa (3) goes with Hakone onsen. Detective Conan CollectionI am a fan of Detective Conan, but unfortunately I have only found a few regional keychains so far. The Kyoto one (1) shows Conan in a Shinsengumi Samurai outfit, the Osaka one (2) goes with the famous Takoyaki which is really cute. Because of the desert in Tottori (3) Conan is sitting on a camel and the last one form Oita (4) shows the little detective with Kabosu citrus which is famous for this area. Koro-Sensei CollectionThe manga and anime Assassination Classroom became popular over the last few years and so new prefecture keychains with Koro-sensei have been released. I just have a few so far. First we start with Aichi (1) where Koro-sensei hugs a sashihoko from Nagoya castle. The one from Miyagi (2) presents the yellow monster as Date Masamune, while the one from Gifu (3) shows the famous Shirakawago houses. I even got one from Kanagawa (4) with Koro-sensei styled for Yokohama Chinatown. The last one here is from Nagano (5) with the famous shinshu apples.I counted up these keychains with my husband a while ago, but I already forgot the number again. It was something over 50 anyway. This makes me come to the price. Mostly one keychain costs 580 yen, but this price can go up and down depending on the place and how the keychain is made. If you want to buy some yourself, take a look around the tourist shops and other places with omiyage (souvenir) goods. They also often have them at bigger stations and airports. What do you think about collecting keychains? And which of my collection do you like best? I would be glad to hear something from you!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/MJ9B4-shoppingThu, 04 Jan 2018 12:00:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/MJ9B4-shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/MgPYO-living_fashion_kyoto_shi_kyotoKyoto is famous for its long traditional history of Geiko and Maiko. Many tourists visit Kyoto judt to see one for real, even though this is really difficult. But next to seeing a Maiko you even have the chance to look like a Maiko yourself! I made a photo shoot in July 2012 and still have wonderful memories of this.What is a Maiko?A Maiko (舞妓) is an apprentice Geiko (how the Geisha’s of Western Japan are called). Their age typically ranks from 15 to 20 years and they become a Geiko after having learned all about the traditional dances and songs, the playing of Japanese instruments such as shamisen and koto and all the other things important to entertain their guests.When you are walking around Kyoto, you often can see “maiko”, but in most cases these are tourists who did a make-over. Seeing a real Maiko or Geiko on the streets of Kyoto is, unfortunately, a really rare moment.Our Maiko make-over experience We went to the Yumekoubou-Maiko Make-over Studio, back then it was called Studio Kyo. My Japanese friend found out that they just opened a new location around Kiyomizudera and offered some cheap photo plans. She made a reservation for us and we were welcomed warmly. First we talked with the member of staff about what exactly we want to do. Because it was summer and around 35 degrees outside we decided to just stay inside the photo studio and not take photos outside. We could choose from a big variety of kimono which one we wanted to wear. It was a hard decision, because they were all so beautiful.After this it was time for the make-up. Your face and neck are colored white and also your eyes and lips become a wonderful color. While this was being applied, the other staff members prepared everything for getting us dressed up. Even though I had already worn a kimono before, it was an interesting experience to get dressed into all the layers. Also, the around 5 meter long obi belt was something special. To finish up, you get a Japanese style wig to put on you head. Next it was finally time for taking the photos. The place was pretty small, but they still had many accessories such as parasols, fans, balls and more. It was a lot of fun to take photos, but the time went by so quickly. Taking off your make-up and getting back into your every day clothes – after this we already got our small collection of five printed photos which we could take with us right away. A great memory and wonderful souvenir from your trip to Kyoto.Yumekoubou-Maiko Make-over Studio As I said before, we visited the Yumekoubou-Maiko Studio at Kiyomizudera. They have three more studios around the Kyoto area and are offering different plans for make-overs as Maiko, Geisha and Oiran. Nowadays the prices are around 10,000 ~ 13,500 yen for the kimono, make-up, shooting and 8 shoots in digital form on a data CD. They offer walking plans for taking photos outside at higher prices, too (which must be a great experience). You can even just rent a kimono for a day and take pictures at Kyoto’s sightseeing spots by yourself. Plans for men dressing up in a kimono, as shinsengumi samurai or shogun are also available. Be sure to make a reservation before your visit. You can find all information on their English website. More Photo StudiosTaking such photos is becoming more and more popular and new studios are opening regularly. You can find them not only in Kyoto, but also in Tokyo and other places in Japan. Surely, the plans and prices are different everywhere. A nice list of studios that don’t have too high prices you can find on Cheapo Japan. Yumekoubou is also listed there. Have you ever tried out a make-over photo shooting? Or did you wear a Kimono in Japan? Please share your experiences!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/MgPYO-living_fashion_kyoto_shi_kyotoWed, 03 Jan 2018 17:20:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/MgPYO-living_fashion_kyoto_shi_kyotohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/z1AYv-foodSome people might already know that I am crazy about Japanese KitKat and plan to try as many as possible. Because I lived in Japan for the whole year in 2017 I was able to get a lot. When I looked back I was even shocked that I tried SOOOO MANY!Yes, in total I ate 20 different sorts of Japanese Kitkat this year. This includes seasonal versions but also regional ones. Here you have the overview!Custard Pudding (Easter Version); カスタードプリンSakura Kinako; 桜きなこCookies & Cream; クッキー&クリームStrawberry Cheese Cake 2017; ストロベリーチーズケーキGinger; ジンジャーIyokan; 伊予柑Caramel Pudding (Halloween Version 2017); キャラメルプリンBaked Ice Cream; 焼いておいしいアイスクリーム味Kyoho Grape; 巨峰Nodo-ame; のど飴味Youth Citrus; あぁ青春のシトラス味Everyday Luxery Rum; 毎日の贅沢 ラム酒の香りEveryday Luxery Rose; 毎日の贅沢 バラ＆紅茶Everyday Luxery Matcha; 毎日の贅沢 抹茶ダブルベリー&アーモンドJapanese Sake; 日本酒 (2017)Momiji Manju (Hiroshima Version); もみじ饅頭 (広島県)Zeitaku Matcha (Onsen Area Version); 贅沢抹茶 (温泉地限定)Uji Matcha (Kyoto Version); 宇治抹茶Uji Houjicha (Kyoto Version); 宇治ほうじ茶Tokyo Banana; 東京バナナThere is still one sort missing I am searching right now, the Sweet Sake (甘酒味) one, but I gonna start my list of 2018 with this.How many sorts of KitKat have you tried so far?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/z1AYv-foodSat, 30 Dec 2017 09:50:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/z1AYv-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/wemee-money_transportationTraveling in Japan can easily become very expensive, especially when you are using the highspeed train, Shinkansen, to go from one place to another. But there are also some cheap alternatives. One of these is using a highway bus.What are Highway Buses?Highway buses are called Kousoku Bus (高速バス) in Japanese and connect many destinations all over Japan. The travel time often is longer than taking a train, but that is why they are not so expensive. The network of highway buses in Japan has grown in the last few years. There are several daytime and nighttime buses running every day operated by different companies from the major bus terminals. Routes going from/to Tokyo are especially popular. Let us take a look at an example. If you want to travel from Tokyo to Osaka, the Shinkansen often is the first choice, because you can go there within 2 hours and 30 minutes, however, the costs here are around 14,000 yen (one way). Using a highway bus, the costs are around 3,000 to 4,000 yen, but the average time required is about 8 hours. Very long, but if you take a night bus from Tokyo to Osaka you even save on the hotel costs.Sometime the bus can even be the better option, not only when it comes to money, but also depending travel time. When I traveled from Hiroshima to Matsue in 2014 I could go there directly by bus in around three hours for 3,900 yen. With the trains, it would take over 3 hours and 30 minutes, cost more than double and I would need to change trains in between. So the bus was a really nice deal. I can recommend checking out the routes you want to travel while being in Japan for finding a cheap way. On the way to FujiQ / Lake Kawaguchiko with the highway bus from Shinjuku.How to get your ticket for a Highway Bus?You can usually buy your tickets at the major bus terminals, but also at convenience stores and travel agencies. Indeed, you often need a certain level of Japanese knowledge to do this. I recommend booking your ticket in advance online, because some companies are providing their websites in English or you can at least use some apps for translation. The reservation process differs depending on the website, but usually you just need to select you route, date and time. Then enter your name and contact details and choose a method for payment. The last of these can have several options, from paying only by credit card, at a convenience store, or even at the bus terminal before entering. Regarding the prices of Japan's highway buses, look out for discounts and changes between the days – often Friday evenings and weekends are more expensive. If you are flexible you can choose a weekday. Some companies also offer different seat types in the bus which can be more relaxing, but cost a little bit more. On my night bus from Ikebukuro (Tokyo) to Fukuoka - takes around 14 hours.What bus company goes where?For me the easiest way to find a highway bus in Japan was always "googling". Just enter “PlaceA PlaceB Highway bus” (Tokyo Osaka Highway Bus) in your search and you will find what you are looking for. Take a look on websites such as Highwaybus.com, JapanBusLines.com, Kousokubus.net, Highway-Buses.jp and so on. You can check the websites of the bus companies itself, too. Popular with foreign travelers is Willer Express. It offers many routes all over the country and an English-language website. Furthermore, they have the so called Japan Bus Pass which makes travelling even cheaper for holders of non-Japanese passports. Next to this, also the JR group is offering buses in the different sections of the country. A good point here, you can book your seats at the major JR stations, too. But as you might find out while researching, there are dozens of highway bus companies, so just try one out. Night bus time table in Ikebukuro.Have you ever used a highway bus in Japan?Share your experiences! To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/wemee-money_transportationSun, 24 Dec 2017 17:13:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/wemee-money_transportationhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/GLd47-living_workMoving to Japan – or any other foreign country – is always a big step and brings new challenges. Finding the right place to stay, getting used to your environment and all the new things around you. Especially, finding a new job is a big topic, too. When I moved to Japan, in October 2016, I wanted to start slowly, first have around three months to arrive in Japan and settle into my life and then start to search for a job at the end of the year. I decided to start working part-time initially, because having a full time job can be very busy in Japan and I still wanted to have some free time for me.Part-time jobs are also called Arubaito (アルバイト, coming from the German word Arbeit which means "work“) in Japan. But what is the difference between working part-time or full-time?One of the most important differences might be the visa. If you want to get a part-time job in Japan you need a visa allowing for this in advance. Part-time jobs are normally not enough for getting a proper working visa in Japan. So, if you are searching for a part-time job, be sure you have a visa that allows you to work, like a spouse visa, student visa or working holiday visa. Notice that you are only allowed to work 28 hours a week with a student visa. Also, some visas prohibit working at adult entertainment business, such as night bars and clubs, and even pachinko parlors. Let’s come to the salary. As a full-time worker you often have a fixed amount of money at the end of the month. As a part-time worker you get paid by the hours you worked. Often, you can decide the number of weekly hours by yourself depending on the job – you can work just a few hours a week, but also up to full-time. The hourly wage in Japan is typically around 1,000 yen, depending on the branch / place of work. It can be a little bit higher for night shifts. Also, working as a teacher often starts from 2,000 yen per hour. In contrast to full-time workers, in most cases, part-time workers also don’t get bonuses at the end of the year.One big difference comes up with the topics of health insurance and pension. If you have a part-time job in Japan, these are often not covered. You have to take care of it yourself, like getting into the National Health Insurance and enroll for the National Pension System or something similarAs a part-time worker you normally can’t take paid days off. If you are not working, you don’t earn money. However, you can often be more flexible about taking unpaid days off while deciding your monthly schedule. This also can be a good point.You might have noticed that there can be big differences. As a full-time worker in Japan you might have a regular income, insurances are covered and you have around 10 days of paid holidays per year. However, as a part-time worker your income might be changing from month to month, but you are more free in planning your free-time and other things in your life. For sure, everyone has to decide for theirself what is personally better. I enjoy my life as a part-time worker right now, even though I don’t have so much money I can enjoy my life next to work. But maybe in a few years I will try to get a full-time job, too. To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/GLd47-living_workThu, 21 Dec 2017 18:40:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/GLd47-living_workhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/wk788-food_shoppingIt is Christmas time and everybody is busy about the presents. Luckily I already finished this topic and can be relaxed for the upcoming Christmas Eve in Japan. Most of my presents are traveling to Germany and one of these is filled with green tea products this year. Here you can see what I put inside.For sure, most gifts inside the box are food. I bought most of them at the local supermarket or at 100 yen shops (they have a surprisingly big assortment). One if the highlights might be the Matcha Mame Beans which I got from a special shop located in Kamakura. Food:Uji Matcha CreamMatcha Milk SnackCountry Ma’am Ocha Kaoru WapafaitMatcha Mame Beans from KamakuraKoi-Matcha YoukanUji Matcha AzukiChocoChip MatchaEveryday Luxery KitKat Matcha Double Berry & AlmondTalking about green tea products, we also shouldn’t forget drinks. It is hard to choose a green tea but I got an simple instant tea this time which is easy to brew. And some Matcha Ore for the sweetness together with the Christmas cake.Drinks:Blendy Stick Matcha OreInstant Green Tea with MatchaI hope my friend and her family will be happy about the green tea Christmas present and I am also thinking about some of the products for myself one more time. What presents do you give for Christmas to your friends and family back in your home country?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/wk788-food_shoppingWed, 20 Dec 2017 09:53:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/wk788-food_shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/Mp7nY-living_food_yokohama_shi_kanagawaFor me it is a tradition to visit a Christmas market around Christmas time every year - even if I am living in Japan now. In Germany you can find Christmas markets in nearly every city. In Japan you have to search a little bit more. There are some in Tokyo, but I personally like the one in Yokohama very much.Last Friday we were a little group of German and Japanese women who wanted to spend some time together. We met at 4 pm at Sakuragicho station and walked to the Akarenga (赤レンガ倉庫), also known as Red Brick Warehouse. It slowly started to get dark and the lights were really beautiful. They have a "tunnel of lights" this year that looks so amazing, just right in the combination with the Christmas tree and the stalls with Christmas decorations.We bought some Glühwein (hot wine) with different tastes - red one and apple. Luckily it was not as crowded as last year, when we went on a Saturday and we even got a table to sit down. The Glühwein was really yummy, but also expensive. Because of this we also decided to have our dinner at another place and don't eat the over-priced dishes. Especially when you know the prices from Germany...However, because the Chrismas market is for free, it is always worth a visit just to get the right Christmas atmosphere. If you want to go there, the Christmas market in Yokohama is opened until 25th December this year.What do you do in Japan while Christmas time?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/Mp7nY-living_food_yokohama_shi_kanagawaTue, 19 Dec 2017 11:18:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/Mp7nY-living_food_yokohama_shi_kanagawahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/Mp7g5-food_teaStarbucks Japan is pretty well known for their changing Frappuccinos and other drinks all over the year. Especially now, with the beginning of winter and shortly before Christmas they brought out a big range of new products. When I was still thinking about buying the super yummy Pistaccio drink one more time, they suddenly announced a new matcha collection which I should give a try, now being so interested in everything related to green tea through the great possibilities given to us as Green Tea Reporters by City-Cost. The new matcha collection at Starbucks was released this Wednesday, on 6th December 2017. It includes a Matcha White Marble Frappuccino (抹茶ホワイトマーブル フラペチーノ), which looks pretty nice with the mix of green and white. Next to matcha it consists of whipped cream, white mocha syrup and white chocolate to give the rather bitter green tea a sweet taste. It is only available in tall size and cost 540 yen (without tax). However, it is winter in Japan now and I don't like drinking cold drinks when it is cold outside. That is why I went with their second new drink: the Matcha White Latte (抹茶ホワイト ラテ). If you drink it in the shop, you can get it in a pottery mug, which looks really nice with the pattern of the the syrup on the top of the green colored foam. Because I was busy, I got it to go in a Christmas-style paper cup. This one is available in four sizes, starting with 420 yen for the short size up to 540 yen for the Venti size (prices without tax). But yes, how does it taste like? First it feels very sweet, but then the slightly bitter taste of Matcha comes through and stays in your mouth. I also liked the creamy foam on top. For me, the warm combination of matcha, milk and white chocolate is definitely a go, especially now when it is getting cold outside. For sure, drinks are not all they have at Starbucks. Next to the Matcha White Latte I also got the Matcha Creamy Pudding (抹茶クリームプリン) which costs 320 yen (without tax). When opening it, the pudding has a nice matcha smell even so the taste of matcha is not as strong as I expected it. The pudding is slightly sweet and has a nice creamy texture. On the ground of the small cup you even find some matcha sauce. All in all it makes a nice dessert or a snack for in between.The Matcha White Marble Frappuccino and the Matcha White late are only on sale for 20 days, until 25th December. So, if you want to give it a try, don’t miss your chance. And even if you can’t make it in time for these limited products, Starbucks has a few other matcha related drinks in the regular menu. Maybe you can try it out someday. This post is a special tea blog report, part of our Shizuoka Green Tea Guide, and a chance through City-Cost for bloggers in Japan to engage in new “Japan” experiences about which to create posts.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/Mp7g5-food_teaFri, 08 Dec 2017 21:31:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/Mp7g5-food_teahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/G63A8-living_moneyWhen planning your trip to Japan one of the main topics is your accommodation. And surely where are many places you can spend your night. Here is a quick overview for you.Hotels & Business HotelsHotels are the most usual places to stay on your trip. There are many hotels all over the big cities and for sure, there price range can be very different. You can find a few cheap ones, but often the prices start from 10,000 yen for a night with an open end. For this you get a nice looking, often luxury hotel interior including a breakfast buffet and more. A cheaper version of this are business hotels. Other than the name says these hotels are not only for business people, also tourist stay at these places. Popular chain hotels are Toyoko Inn, APA Hotel, Super Hotel and Dormy Inn. Here the prices normally lay between 5,000 yen to 10,000 and often include a simple breakfast. The rooms are rather small, but if you are only there for sleeping that it is fine.Hostels & GuesthousesA good place to stay on a budget are hostels and guesthouses. The prices can start form a cheap 1,500 yen per night up to around 6,000 yen. However, be ready to stay at a dorm room with other people – a good way to get to know people and other travelers indeed. Most hostels and guesthouses have shared bathrooms, kitchen and common areas which you share with all other guests. Some hostels have private rooms, too, but these are a bit more expensive.Capsule HotelsIf you are ok with small places, you also can stay on a budget at one of the capsule hotels which are located around the bigger stations nowadays. For around 2,000 yen to 5,000 yen you get a small capsule where you can sleep in. You can close these with a curtain or a small door, but for sure privacy is missing there like in dorm rooms. Take care while booking, because most capsule hotels are separated between men and women. Ryokan & MinshukuRyokan are the Japanese style hotels including tatami mat rooms and sleeping on a futon. You can spend our time there very yukata and sometimes they even have an onsen you can dip in and relax. In very traditional ryokan you get a fabulous dinner and breakfast served inside your room. For sure, this has its price: for a stay in a ryokan start planning from 15,000 yen for a night with an open end.Minshuku are the cheaper versions of a ryokan and are often family operated. You can get the same traditional experience with tatami rooms and futon but in a more easy way. These accommodations you can get between 5,000 yen and 10,000 yen. AirBnb In recent times AirBnb becomes more and more popular with foreign tourists. Probably you know the concept that private persons rent rooms in their apartments or private rooms for a suitable price. If you stay together with locals you can get a completely new experience of Japan which is really great. However, lately the offered rooms are more and more private. When I stayed at an AirBnb apartment in Nagoya I didn’t even see the Japanese host. The prices can be very different here as you can see on the official website. Love HotelsAs the name says Love Hotels are made for couples to have their little private time. You can book them at the entrance (without seeing a staff member behind a blind window) for a view hours or the whole night. The rooms mostly look very nice and sometimes even has a special theme. It is fun to find it out, even if you just go there for sleeping and not for having a private relationship with someone. The prices differ, but are mainly around 8,000 yen to 10,000 yen for a night. For the crazy ones: Internet & Manga Cafés, McDonalds & Co.Doesn’t want to spend your money for a hotel, because a place to sit down and sleep is enough? You can spend your night at an Internet & Manga Café. For some coins you can get a cabinet with a PC and take a nap, some cafés even have a shower room. My husband was already thinking of staying at one of these when we missed out last train on New Year’s Eve, but we found another solution. Another option to get a few hours of sleep is to stay at one of the 24-hours chain restaurants such as McDonalds. For sure this is not the nicest way and it can happen that you are kicked out after a while, but if you really can’t find a hotel, just buy some food, get a book out and fall asleep above it. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -That is my small list of accommodations in Japan. For sure, there are also other possibilities like spending your night in the highway bus and combine sleeping and traveling. What is the best place you stayed at so far?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/G63A8-living_moneyWed, 06 Dec 2017 19:51:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/G63A8-living_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/zVOa7-food_shopping_tea_shibuya_ku_tokyoJapan is known as a country of tea. There are uncountable tea plantations all with various sorts of tea plants and tea producing processes which all result in different tastes and aromas. But what is the best tea of Japan?A good question which brought up the Nihoncha Award (日本茶AWARD), or Japanese Tea Award, that started to find the best tea of Japan - for the first time back in 2014. This year is already the fourth time and a jury of experts and tea specialist selected the best 18 teas over several stages out of 405 different teas from all over Japan. Now, the finalist teas were presented to the public at the Tokyo Tea Party, which took place at the Shibuya Hikarie 8 Court from 1st to 3rd December 2017. You could apply beforehand to become one of the around 500 judges who could taste all the teas and rate them. After the two-day final judgment the one tea with the highest points was awarded. Thanks to City Cost we could be part of this. Tea Tasting EventWe joined the tasting period on 1st December at 14:15 – actually they had seven time slots for each of both days. Separated in different groups, we sat together with six other tasters at a wooden table. For the event we got a small porcelain tea cup we later could take home. A nice souvenir from the event. The tasting went very quickly then. We got around one minute to smell, taste and rate the single teas on a prescribed form. After every tasting a new tea was poured inside our cups by nice women licensed for it by the NPO Nihoncha Instructor Association. For not getting confused which cups belong to who we got some colored seals at the beginning we could mark the cups with. In between each tea tasting you could rinse your mouth and cup with provided water. Small sugar candies were provided, too, coming from Kyoto and giving you a sweet taste in the middle of the mostly bitter tea. For me, it was a bit difficult to judge all the teas which had a big variety of all tea sorts, including several versions of green tea, but also black tea. They all had their own smell and the taste of most of them was going with a herb and rich note. However, a few of them were special to me and at the end I had five favorites to choose my personal number one from. After the tasting we could take a look around the event area, where teas categorized in three groups were presented. You could see the different leaves, get information about their origin, and buy them. The 18 finalist teas had their own area there, too. The Results of the AwardThe winning tea was announced at the Premium Tea Party which was held on Sunday, 3rd December. And the winner is… drum roll – a little bit difficult to tell. Actually there is not only one winning tea, but six awards given out with all kind of difficult Japanese names. The “Nihoncha First Prize / Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Minister Award” (日本茶大賞／農林水産大臣賞) is the winner of this years tasting and comes from Nagasaki. It is a steamed green tea called Bessen Yamagiri (別煎やまぎり) produced by Okada Shokai Co., Ltd. (有限会社岡田商会).The second place, here called “Nihoncha Second Prize (Runner Up) / Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Production Director Award“ (日本茶準大賞／農林水産省生産局長賞), went to a Houjicha from Shizuoka. The semi-fermentated roasted green tea (半発酵のほうじ茶) was produced by Marutaka farm (丸高農園) and I remember that I really liked this brown-colored tea. These are probably the most important prizes. The four other awards went to teas from Kyoto, one more time to Shizuoka and twice to Miyazaki prefecture. Next to the winners also the numbers and names of all 18 finalist teas were published. You can find a list (in Japanese) with all information on the Nihoncha Award Facebook site.Being part of the Tokyo Tea Party 2017 was a wonderful experiences and I am grateful that we were able to join. Thank you!This post is a special tea blog report, part of our Shizuoka Green Tea Guide, and a chance through City-Cost for bloggers in Japan to engage in new “Japan” experiences about which to create posts.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/zVOa7-food_shopping_tea_shibuya_ku_tokyoMon, 04 Dec 2017 12:16:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/zVOa7-food_shopping_tea_shibuya_ku_tokyohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/wN9vK-food_shopping_kyoto_shi_kyotoKyoto is one of the most visited tourist spots in Japan. It has many tourist spots and you can easily spend some days there exploring the city and the area around. But for sure, sightseeing is not everything. You shouldn’t miss the regional food and especially one sweet is very famous for Kyoto: YATSUHASHI (八ッ橋)!Origin of Yatsuhashi Let us first take a short look on the origin of Yatsuhashi. Actually there are two legends I found about it. The first one already dates back to the year 1689 and the musician Kengyo Yatsuhashi. He told people not to waste rice and use to leftovers in the rice cooker to make crackers. Four years after the death of the well-known koto player, a confectionery shaped like a koto was invented and named after him. The Yatsuhashi were sold at the entrance of Shogoin temple to visitors and pilgrims and later called Shogoin Yatsuhashi because of this. The other legend says that the shaped of Yatsuhashi was inspired by the eight planked bridges you sometimes can find in Japanese gardens. That would also explain the literally meaning of Yatsuhashi (八ッ橋) standing for eight bridges. Also the curved shape reminds on a bridge.Yatsuhashi became popular as a souvenir from Kyoto after the beginning of 1990 and got even more famous by now. New versions were invented in the last decades including Nama-Yatsuhashi. In 1960 the triangle shaped version brought new life into the confectionery sales and made it to what Yatsuhashi is today: THE SWEET from Kyoto. Shapes & Tastes of YatsuhashiThere are generally three different versions of Yatsuhashi, but the main ingredients stay the same: rice flour, sugar and cinnamon.Yatsuhashi (八ッ橋)First we have the original traditional version. The dough made out of the main ingredients is flattened and then backed. The Yatsuhashi becomes hard and gets its unique shape. You can buy it in the usual length but also in easy to eat half-size pieces.Nama-Yastsuhashi (生八ッ橋)At the second version the dough has the same shaped, however this time it is not backed but steamed. So the texture stays really soft and it is easy to eat.An-iri-Nama-Yatsuhashi (あんいり生八ッ橋)This version of Nama-Yatsuhashi is probably the most famous nowadays. The dough formed into a square is steamed and folded to a triangle. Traditionally Anko (sweet bean paste) is filled in the middle which you can see from outside.Especially within the last years many new flavors were created. Talking of the still traditional looking one with match, now you also can find Nama-Yatsuhashi with all kind of tastes. Look around the shops and you see chocolate, banana, peach, strawberry and more. The flavors are also changing through the seasons. Last time I even got small Crêpé Yatsuhashi which were filled with cream and other flavors. While the original baked Yatsuhashi is lasting for around three months, you need to eat the raw versions quickly. These typically only last for one or two weeks. Where to get YatsuhashiIf you now want to get Yatsuhashi you should prepare your trip to Kyoto, because normally you only can find them there at certain Yatsuhashi shops or the many touristy souvenir shops and at the station. I personally always enjoy visiting the Yatsuhashi shop close to Kiyomizu temple where you can try out several flavors for free.Famous Yatsuhashi shops are, for example, Shogoin Yatsuhashi, Izutsu Yatsuhashi and Otabe. While last one began manufacturing in the 1950s, the other two already have a 200 and 300 years long history. Outside of Kyoto it is getting difficult. For sure you can order Yatsuhashi online, too - Amazon Japan and Rakuten have a big selection - but here you have to calculate the shipping costs. Rilakkuma with the famous souvenir...Information Sources: The Kyoto Project |This is Japan | Japanese Products BlogTo view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/wN9vK-food_shopping_kyoto_shi_kyotoSun, 03 Dec 2017 11:23:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/wN9vK-food_shopping_kyoto_shi_kyotohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/GO038-living_money_okinawaI traveled to Japan for the first time in 2010, already having the dream of visiting all the 47 prefectures of the country one day. Nearly on top of this list was Okinawa, but I still couldn’t manage to visit there. At least I had the chance to visit 33 other prefectures so far. When I got married last year, I had one wish to my husband: let’s go to Okinawa for our honeymoon – and now, after nearly one and a half years of married life, we are planning our trip! Let me make you a part of our preparation.When to go to Okinawa?One of our big questions surely was about the time we should go to Okinawa. I am working as a school teacher, so I have to take care of the holidays. My husband normally doesn’t get a longer vacation, only around New Years time. Because of this, the decision was made up easily: we would go in the first days of January. Because Okinawa is located in the south, it is kind of warm in winter and the weather might be nice. Also it is not typhoon season. We are not planning to go swimming, too, so there is no problem about that. So for us, January sounds pretty nice! We ended up with booking a hotel for four nights and a late flight back on our last day. So we will have three full days and two half days for exploring.Where to stay?Normally we try to stay as cheap as possible and mostly end up in Toyoko Inn. For sure, there are hotels of this business hotel chain in Naha, too, however, because it will be our honeymoon we decided to take a better hotel this time. On Facebook I asked some people and got a recommendation. We now booked our stay at the LOISOR Hotel Naha, which looks pretty nice on their website. I am excited how it will be, especially because I have never stayed at such an expensive hotel before.What are we going to do?After my husband took care about booking the hotel and flights, now it is my turn. I have to find out what we will do during our stay. We are planning to stay only on the main island and want to explore the area around there. Okinawa has a lot of smaller and beautiful islands, but these I want to visit some day in the future.So now travel guide books and the internet are my best friends for research. For sure we are planning to go to the most famous spots around the island:Churaumi Aquarium (美ら海水族館) and the Ocean Expo Park (海洋博公園)Shuri Castle (首里城)Okinawa World (おきなわワールド) with its amazing caveFor sure there is a lot more to see. I am also interested in the Hiji Waterfall (比地大滝) and especially the castle (ruins) around the island. By now, we are also thinking about joining an organized bus tour and renting a car for a day. This will be my first time driving in Japan. I am already so excited about this. There is still much to do, but we also still have over one month left until our honeymoon trip. I only hope for good weather.For sure, I will report about it here when we are back.Have you been to Okinawa before?Do you have some recommendations? To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/GO038-living_money_okinawaTue, 28 Nov 2017 16:39:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/GO038-living_money_okinawahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/GBO2D-living_food_shopping_tea_mori_machi_shizuokaJapan is known for it's green tea all over the world and for sure, there are several regions inside the country where you can experience the local tea. Thanks to City Cost we were able to go to Mori Town (森町) in the Enshu area of Shizuoka on a wonderful day trip. I want to take you with us in this article.Meeting up at Tokyo station in the early morning of 15th November, we headed to Shizuoka station with the shinkansen around 9. The members of the Green Tea Association welcomed us there and we quickly changed to the bus which was taking us around the whole time on our trip. An hour passed by quickly with nice talks and first amazing views on the tea fields outside the window. Teashop Osadaen Our first stop was the Osadaen tea shop (おさだ苑本店). After a warm welcome we went into the shop and could take a look around. You can find many tea supplies there and for sure several sorts of tea. If you are not sure which tea is the right for you, the friendly staff will help you find it out. We started our first tea tasting of the day here. First eating a delicious matcha cream cookie and then having a sip of sencha. Next to this, we also could try the Yamabuki Nadeshiko tea, which has a brown color but comes from the same leaves as the green tea version. They are fermented in a process quite similar to that of black tea and get the special taste through this.But this was not all. We were introduced to the easy traditional way of making a cup of matcha and could try it out by ourself. It was very interesting for me, because I already had seen it some times before, but never mixed the green tea powder and hot water by myself. For sure, this tea was also very delicious. Osadaen are producing their own matcha powder, what you can see with a special machine inside the shop. I enjoyed my visit there very much. Especially the English support there was great. On top, the tea taster of Osadaen, Natsumi Osada, is a well-known champion of the nation-wide tea tasting competitions. Kotomachi Yumei Komichi and Teashop Yamacho The second stop was Kotomachi Yumei Komichi (ことまち横丁夢小径), a small market in front of the Okuni Shrine. You can find several food shops there including fresh dango and senbei. We visited the brand new tea shop of Yamacho (ヤマチョウ), which was just opened at the beginning of November. It looks very great and the staff members treated us sincerely. We could try three green teas there, including Asamushi Sencha with a very strong taste and Mori no Yawaraki, a Kabusecha which has a longer steaming time. Together with this Warabimochi with matcha were served that were very delicious. You can buy them just next to the tea shop and watch how they are made.Okuni ShrineThe Okuni Shrine (大國神社) was built back in 555 and became quite popular with Japanese people not only from Shizuoka prefecture. Tourists are coming from all over the country to see the shrine which was worshipped even by the Tokugawa Shogun family. At the shrine area you find many beautiful stops, starting with the big shrines gates at the entrance, the long alley to the shrine lined up with stone lantern and the beautiful moon bridge.We were taught important manners at shrines, like when we need to bow, not to walk in the middle of the way (because this is where the gods walk) and the right way of washing your hands. The priest took us inside the shrine and we held a formal worship. I experienced this for the first time and it was very touching. I feeling I didn’t had before and I am grateful to be able to experience this.After this we got together with the chief priest for another cup of green tea, sweet sake and some sweets. He told us more about the history of Okuni Shrine and the tradition of giving out a special tea called Shinsencha (神饌茶) every month which is coming from local tea farmers. This one is offered to the god of the shrine, Daikokusama.Enshu Mimoroyaki Bessho Kama & LunchOur next stop is located just a few meters next to the Okuni Shrine. At the Mimoroyaki workshop (遠州みもろ焼き 別所窯) we could see many tea cups, tea pots and other supplies which were produced here. These ceramics all include something found at the grounds of the shrine, for example the ash of cedar trees. It was really amazing to see all these pieces of art which are all one of its kind. To close up we stopped by at Kume Kichi (久米吉), a restaurant which has many dishes including the Japanese konnyaku (こんにゃく). We had a very delicious lunch with a wonderful view on the bamboo forest in front of the window. If you are visiting Okuni shrine it is really a nice place to round up your visit. We got many presents from all the places we went. This includes several sorts of tea, but also a ceramic cup, a tea pot, beautiful chopsticks, kaki fruits and more. I am very grateful for all the kindness and hospitality we received on our tour to Shizuoka from all the people we met. I can’t thank you enough for all these experiences. A big thank you also to City Cost who invited us on the tour and the Chamber of Tea Association of Shizuoka Prefecture for organizing and accompanying us.On this day I took a video camera with me and made a video out of this wonderful tour. You can watch it on my YouTube channel. Even though I am speaking German in the video, you can find English and Japanese subtitles going with it. I hope you enjoy watching the video. Want to know more about this tour?→ Shizuoka Green Tea Guide→ Article from Saitama→ Article from genkidesuWebsites of the shops & locations→ Tea Shop Osadaen Honten→ Kotomachi Yumei Komichi→ Tea Shop Yamacho→ Okuni Shrine→ Enshu Mimoroyaki Bessho Kama→ Restaurant Kume Kichi- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -This post is a special tea blog report, part of our Shizuoka Green Tea Guide, and a chance through City-Cost for bloggers in Japan to engage in new “Japan” experiences about which to create posts.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/GBO2D-living_food_shopping_tea_mori_machi_shizuokaThu, 23 Nov 2017 21:35:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/GBO2D-living_food_shopping_tea_mori_machi_shizuokahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/z1AvD-living_money_tachikawa_shi_tokyoYesterday I was at Tachikawa to pick up my new residence card. Because I still had some time before I needed to go to work, I dropped by the Showa Kinen Koen (昭和記念公園) to see the autumn colors. I already have been there last year, but also this time it was impressive again. The yellow and red colors are so beautiful and even if there are many people, you always find a place to sit down and relax. Also the park is sooooo huge, you can spend hours inside. I have been there for over two hours and just could see some corners.If you like autumn colors, I really recommend to go there soon, because many leaves already felt down from the trees. The admission is 410 yen.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/z1AvD-living_money_tachikawa_shi_tokyoSat, 11 Nov 2017 11:03:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/z1AvD-living_money_tachikawa_shi_tokyohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/Glko8-foodI like to try out new drinks and was really excited when Starbucks Japan announced a new konbini drink: the Banana Creamy Milk!! It was released on November 7th 2017 and today I finally could get me hands on it.The yellow banana packing promises you, as the name is already saying, a creamy banana milk. Furthermore you find small crushed almonds and mascarpone cheese inside. For me, it was really yummy, a nice sweet taste, and I really loved the small almond pieces inside.Unfortunately the 180 g pack is finished super quickly. It is really just a small drink to enjoy in between. I like the taste very much, but probably won't buy it again, because for the 219 yen (237 yen incl. tax) you have to pay for it, it is quit expensive.Find more about it on the Starbucks website.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/Glko8-foodThu, 09 Nov 2017 21:16:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/Glko8-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/GLdON-moneyI often went to Japan for like two or three weeks of traveling – in total four times before moving here. And for sure, there was always the one question: WHAT SHALL I PACK IN MY SUITCASE?!?!?When I went to Japan for the first time, I took a lot of things with me. Too many, for sure. Later it got less and less and on my last travel journey I was more like, “Oh, there is still so much space in my suitcase!” And that is actually the way it should be, because when you are traveling to Japan, you surely want to take some souvenirs home with you. And for this you need space. But have talked enough. Here are my tips about the most important things you need to pack inside your suitcase for Japan.1) Passport + DocumentsFor traveling abroad you will need your passport – probably the most important thing to have with you. Depending from which country you come from, you may need a visa for entering Japan. (For me as a German citizen I don’t need to prepare anything. I get a temporary visitor stamp in my passport at the airport in Japan). And just for your own safety: take a copy of your passport with you (or at least take a photo with your smartphone), so if you lose it you still have a proof.The other documents you need depends what you have planned. Do you want to use the Japan Rail Pass? Then you shouldn’t forget the exchange voucher. You can take print outs of hotel reservations with you and other things you have booked in advance. And don't forget your travel insurance!2) Money + Credit CardI always exchanged some money in my home country to Japanese yen before travelling, but you can also change it after you arrive in Japan. If you don’t want to take too much cash with you, or are not sure how much money you will need, take a credit card and withdraw money at the ATMs in Japan.3) Clothes + ShoesThis is a little bit dependant on the season and your type of person. Don’t take too many clothes with you, especially when you plan to buy new ones. Also, think about using a coin laundry to wash your clothes during your trip, so you only need half of the amount of clothes. When it comes to shoes: take the ones you can walk best in. Normally, when traveling around Japan, you will be walking the whole day and this will be a horror when you don’t have the right shoes. 4) Toiletries + personal hygieneJust take the most important things! You don’t need your whole huge make up case, girls, just a few pieces are enough. Same goes for accessories like pierces, sunglasses and hair clips. Furthermore, you will probably find a lot of these things you want to buy in Japan.Depending on where you are staying, most accommodations have shampoo, body soap and so on provided, so you don’t need to take it with you (only if you really need to use your own one). The same goes for towels and brushes, which you can get at most of the hotels or rent at hostels. If there is anything missing, you can always get it at the konbini (convenience store), supermarket or 100 yen shop close by. 5) MedicineIf you need to take medicine you surely shouldn’t forget this. Some things you also can get in Japan (especially if you suddenly get a cold), but when you don’t speak Japanese well it can be a challenge to get. So be prepared, but don’t take a big first aid set with you.6) ElectronicsAs it is common nowadays I always have my smartphone with me. But what other electronics do you need on you travel? For me, it is my camera and that is all. I can pass on my pc while being on a trip and for surfing the internet and social networks my phone is enough. Surely, you need the chargers for your electronic gadgets – and for this an adapter! I bought mine back home on Amazon, but you also can get them in Japanese electronic shops. If it is just about your phone and a USB connection, you even can buy cheap plugs for USB cables at 100 yen shops. 7) Presents Depending on who you meet, you should take some presents from your home country with you. Something for friends or maybe some sweets for the nice people in the hostel or ryokan where you are staying. The Japanese people will be super happy and this is a great way to make yourself happy, too, and maybe make some good connections with the country. These are – in my opinion – the most important things you should think about when packing your suitcase. And don’t worry if you forgot something. It is not like you are traveling to a jungle – Japan is a civilized and modern country where you can buy nearly everything. Anything left? What shouldn’t be missing in your suitcase while traveling in Japan?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/GLdON-moneyThu, 09 Nov 2017 17:50:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/GLdON-moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/wjpam-livingOctober has ended and winter is coming closer and closer. Depending on the area you are staying at in Japan, it can get very cold, just thinking of the northern parts with walls of snow that are several meters high. Luckily I am not living in these areas, but also here around the metropolitan area of Tokyo it is getting cold, especially for me who is freezing easily.So today, let us take a look on five ways I try to stay warm at home while Japanese winter.1) Warm Clothes Already a few weeks ago I started wearing long clothes at home, just like pullovers and long pants. My husband started laughing at me because he is still running around in tanktop and shorts at home telling me that it is warm. In this case I totally love shopping at UniQlo. They have a collection of Heattech clothes which are made for keeping your body warm. I already have a lot of this clothings including thin pullovers, undershirts and leggins which I can use every day. Also socks with cute prints are a must at home now. You can get them everywhere and they not only keep your feet warm, they also make you smile when you see them. At least me. 2) Blankets I am a big fan of blankets and we have a lot in different designs. Always when I sit down I put one on my legs and one on my back and I feel super warm. Also my cat likes to sleep on me this way what is warming even more. Recently we found a really useful thing at the second hand shop. It is a Rilakkuma blanket which u can use not only as blanket, but also as small cushion and - best for me – as poncho. So I have a blanket over my shoulders all the time and doesn't need to worry that it drops down. 3) Kotatsu and heating carpetIn my eyes, kotatsu are a really great invention. You have table which you can cover with a blanket and a dinning plate on top. Under the table you have a heater, so you can hide under the blanket and stay super warm. Unfortunately we still don't have one, because these could be quite expensive. But I could convince my husband to at least buy a heating carpet. We put it under our table close to the tv. If we are sitting there, we can turn it on and quickly get warm. Covered with a blanket it is a really nice place in winter.4) Warm drinksA good way to keep your inner body warm are hot drinks. I don’t like coffee and prefer tea. But making a new cup of tea every time you want to drink something is really annoying. Lately I bought a thermos bottle for my home. It keeps my tea warm the whole day and is really convenient. For sure, also hot dishes just as ramen and udon soups and different nabe are a must in winter. 5) HokkairoLast but not least, one of my all-time favorites: Hokkairo! You can get them everywhere (supermarket, drugstore, konbini, 100 yen shop) and they are not too expensive. Normally we use these heating pads when we go outside, however, if you easily get frost bitten as me, you can simply stick them inside your clothes and warm your body up. These are my five tips to keep yourself warm at home in Japanese winter. Do you have any other ideas?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/wjpam-livingSun, 05 Nov 2017 18:34:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/wjpam-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/MY45g-living_money_nara_shi_naraNara (奈良市) was the capital of Japan back in the Nara time from 710 to 784 and many temples and shrines were built in this period. Today, Nara is still very popular for tourist, especially because it is easy to go there as a one day trip from Osaka and Kyoto. Here I have the five best things to do if you are planning to go to Nara, too.1) Visit the Great BuddhaProbably the most famous tourist spot in Nara is Todaiji Temple (東大寺). It was constructed in 752 and was the head temple of all provincial Buddhis temples back then. Inside the main hall you find the Daibutsu (大仏), the Great Buddha which is 15 meters tall. Seeing this one is really impressive and you shouldn’t miss. Admission costs 500 yen. 2) Temple and Shrine hoppingNara has many temples, shrines and other such buildings next to Todaiji that you can visit during your trip. A lot you can find around the Nara Park. One is the Kofukuji (興福寺) which includes many buildings. Especially the Five Story Pagoda and the Southern Octagonal Hall are very interesting for tourists. If you want to enter the Easter Golden Hall it costs 300 yen, viewing the other buildings is free. Another one worth of seeing is Kasuga Taisha (春日大社), which is considered Nara’s most celebrated shrine. It is famous for the uncountable number of lanterns which are donated by worshipers. Walking around the shrine area is free, for the inner area you have to pay 500 yen admission. There is also a museum and botanical garden belonging to Kasuga Taisha. 3) Visit beautiful Japanese GardensIf you have enough of temples and shrines, there are two beautiful Japanese gardens in Nara you shouldn’t miss. First is the Yoshikien Garden (吉城園). Here you can find three different types of gardens at one place: a pond garden, a moss garden and a garden for tea ceremonies. Normally the admission costs 250 yen, but it is free for foreign tourists. Located just next to it there is the Isuien Garden (依水園), another Japanese garden with water elements, small hills and the houses. The admission here is 900 yen, quit expensive, however, you also can enter the museum next to the garden which is showing a collection of Korean and Chinese pottery, seals and more.4) Feed the wild deersWhat would Nara be without its deers? You can find them everywhere, mainly around Nara Park. The Japanese deers called shika (鹿) are very confiding and you can touch them. But take care, they also can bide or kick you. For 100 yen you can buy some food for them and feed them, but don’t be shocked if they are following you all the time then. 5) Visit the old Imperial PalaceAs I told you in the beginning, Nara has been the capital of Japan, so for sure, there is also a palace for the emperor. At the Heijo Palace (平城宮)area you will find three major buildings that were reconstructed and able for tourist to visit. One of this is the Former Audience Hall which is really impressive. Also the East Palace Garden gives you a special atmosphere. The admission to the palace area is free. For sure there are even more things to do and see in Nara, but for me, these are the best so far. Enjoy your trip there!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/MY45g-living_money_nara_shi_naraTue, 31 Oct 2017 15:13:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/MY45g-living_money_nara_shi_narahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/GRvqk-shopping_shibuya_ku_tokyoIf you ask me about my favorite anime/manga from Japan, I will probably answer Detective Conan (名探偵コナン). Unfortunately, there is not really something around Tokyo what you can visit permanently. The happier I am that from time to time special events are held, just like themed cafés for new movie releases or, as right now, a time-limited Halloween store.The store is located at the eight floor of Shibuya 109. It started on 7th October and already will be closed again next Tuesday (31st October) with the end of Halloween time. Special merchandise with anime characters in Halloween costumes are on sale there, including clearfiles, keychains, buttons and even sweets like candy, cookies and marshmallows. Coming to this, if you buy goods worth more than 1,500 yen you will get a post card for free.Next to the Halloween merchandise they also have a lot of other goods, such as plush toys, mugs, book marks, several clearfiles, posters, pens, clothes and much more. So if you are a fan of Detective Conan, take a lot of money with you.More photos on my instagram account.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/GRvqk-shopping_shibuya_ku_tokyoThu, 26 Oct 2017 22:21:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/GRvqk-shopping_shibuya_ku_tokyohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/w2EXb-food_shopping_tea_kyotoIn the beginning of October my husband and I went to Osaka and Kyoto for a weekend trip. As it is typical for Japan we bought a lot of Omiyage (お土産) there, presents for your family and colleagues. Ok, I only bought a few things for them and a lot for me, but who cares.Kyoto is a very traditional city and green tea famous for Japan, so it is a great idea to combine most of the snacks there with green tea. Especially because the Uji region close by is also famous for its green tea. Coming to the point, I bought a lot of sweets including matcha and other tea and don’t want to keep it from you. So here we go!1) YatsuhashiI am a really big fan of Yatsuhashi (八ッ橋), traditional Japanese sweets in a triangle form. Normally it is filled with anko, but now there are uncountable varieties of it. I bought a small pack including five matcha yatsuhashi. Surprisingly, the matcha taste of this was not so strong, but they were surely delicious with the anko filling. However, my favorite yatsuhashi might stay choco banana one.2) Espri de KyotoStaying with yatsuhashi, I also got a pack with yatsuhashi filled like crepe. Here we also have different tastes, one including matcha jelly. When opening the box I had a really fruity smell, for sure, coming from the sorts. The matcha one doesn’t have a certain smell, but the taste of the jelly inside is very interesting. Next to the jelly there is also milk crème inside which gives a nice taste together.3) Matcha DangoFinally a real omiyage! I gave this to my colleagues at work, luckily I could try one, too, while break time. You find two small dango on a stick for eating. The mochi-like outside has a green tea taste and inside you find anko. It is a really yummy combination and also my colleagues seemed to like it.4) KitKat Kyoto versionsAs a KitKat lover I had to buy the new KitKat versions of Kyoto. One is Uji Matcha KitKat that has a nice green color. It is very sweet at the beginning, but later you can find the slight bitter taste of matcha in your mouth. The second one is Uji Hojicha KitKat, another version of tea from the Uji area. For me the taste of tea was stronger and it was not as sweet as the Matcha one. 5) JagadosueLast one in my list is a potato snack called Jagadosue. On the outside it is said that Uji matcha is included and this sounded very interesting. When opening you could find a bit green powder on the potato sticks, but to tell the truth, neither me nor my husband can find a matcha taste inside. It’s a pity… All in all, I am happy with my personal omiyage from Kyoto and have fun eating them. A nice way to enjoy your trip one more time when you are already back home.This post is a special tea blog report, part of our Shizuoka Green Tea Guide, and a chance through City-Cost for bloggers in Japan to engage in new “Japan” experiences about which to create posts.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/w2EXb-food_shopping_tea_kyotoSun, 22 Oct 2017 15:17:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/w2EXb-food_shopping_tea_kyotohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/GQbml-livingBack in Germany I never celebrated Halloween that much. I only made a Halloween party with friends once. Also the hype about Halloween is not big in the rural area I lived, so it never really was a big deal for me. Living in Japan, you are not able to miss this autumn event. Halloween is everywhere! In the supermarket, at cafés and restaurants, in TV and advertisement. EVERYWHERE! There is no choice: my October is covered with Halloween. To get an overview I split it into three parts.A) Halloween at the USJMy husband and I love the Universal Studios Japan in Osaka and we try to go there once a year. This time we went there in the beginning of October for the Halloween event and it was really great (apart from the weather). They have a lot Halloween decorations and merchandise and even most of the park food has a design fitting for the scary time. In the night zombies come out in the park area and scare the guest. Because it was raining we even could see the zombie pirates who had amazing costumes. While the Halloween events they have special attractions, too. We tried out two mazes connected to the horror movies "The Exorcist" and "A Nightmare on Elm Street". Both were really scary and my heart was beating fast afterwards. We watched a Sadako-make-over of the Terminator attraction, too, which was nicely staged and scary at the same time. If you have a chance and like horror attractions you should make a visit to USJ until 5th November!B) Halloween at workI am working as a part time teacher at an international preschool in Japan. For sure, Halloween is a big topic while October. We are making different Halloween themed art projects like a trick or treat bags, shiny spider webs and funny pumpkin masks. With one class we even make a Jack-o-lantern with a real pumpkin! The children learn vocabulary all about Halloween, we read Halloween story books and move our bodies to the skeleton dance. And for sure, we are also talking about and drawing our favorite costumes. Not forgetting about the big Halloween party at the end of the month there the parents can join, too. It seems like the children really enjoy this topic. C) And what to do on Halloween weekend? That's a big question. Actually, I haven't decided yet. My husband and I were thinking about going to one of the small Halloween events around our living area, depending on the weather. Everyone tells me to go to Shibuya, but yeah, everyone will be there and it will be too crowded for me. I want to enjoy this day and not be stucked within 2 or 3 million people which are expected there according to some websites. Another big Halloween event is taking place in Kawasaki on 29th October, belonging to one of the events I always wanted to visit. There will be a big parade which might be interesting especially because of all the create costumes. One more alternative would have been one of the many Halloween concerts, for example held by Kyary Pamyu Pamyu or other Japanese rock and visual kei bands.If we can't decide we probably end up at home - or doing something completely else. For sure, that is not all. I probably could do a whole report about Halloween themed food. I already tried Halloween Pepsi, Halloween Donuts, Halloween Pizza and Halloween burger. Until the end of October I wish you all a happy Halloween time!!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/GQbml-livingSat, 21 Oct 2017 20:10:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/GQbml-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/G08lV-living_chuo_ku_tokyoOn my birthday I wanted to go to a zoo with my husband. Unfortunately it was the weekend a taifun was heading to Tokyo and so we ended up with an all rainy Sunday. We canceled our plans to go to the zoo and ended up at the Art Aquarium in Nihon Bashi. I already visited this kind of exhibition in 2014 and was excited what it will be like this time.When we arrived we first needed to line up for around 30 minutes to buy a ticket. For sure, it also was crowded inside and this made the visit a little bit annoying, but yeah, that is what tourist attraction are like. The topic of the Art Aquarium was Old Edo: The Refreshing Cool of Goldfish and one of the main highlights was the building of the underwater castle Ryugu-jo. But also other tanks looked really impressive. Here you can see it yourself.This year's event in Tokyo ended on 24th September, but the next exhibition will take place in Kyoto soon as Art Aquarium Castle from 25th October to 11th December 2017. But it will probably back to Tokyo again next year, too. Find more information here. To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/G08lV-living_chuo_ku_tokyoFri, 29 Sep 2017 19:27:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/G08lV-living_chuo_ku_tokyohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/GBAjz-foodPeople who are already following my posts here for a while might already know that I don't like fish or any other seafood. Surely, that is a reason that there are many Japanese dishes I can't eat. One, my husband is always complaining about is Takoyaki (たこ焼). He really loves it and is sad we can't have it together, even though he has his own electronic Takoyaki pan.But do we really have to put octopus (tako) inside takoyaki? The name and recipes say so, but who says we have to follow? So around two weeks ago it was finally time for us to try outTakonashi no Takoyaki (たこなしたこ焼), takoyaki without tako. First we wanted to make the batter by ourselves. But then we found a ready prepared takoyaki mixture at the supermarket where we only needed to add eggs and water. Because it was our first time making takoyaki we went the easier way and bought this. For sure, my husband bought himself some octopus as filling. For me we bought ham, cheese and corn. We also took tenkasu (天かす), which is also called agedama (揚げ玉) and consists of crunchy tempura pieces. So, that's our filling. There could have been more, however for our first try we were ok with it. On top of the finished takoyaki we only put takoyaki sauce and mayonnaise, but you also could add aonori (青のり) and katsuobushi (鰹節). Just as you like. How to make Takoyaki?If you have all the ingredients, for sure, now comes the question how you make your own takoyaki. First, you will need a takoyaki pan. There are simple ones you put on top of the stove and even electronic ones like we have, which is especially nice if you want to sit around table and make the takoyaki there. You can buy these easily at department stores and Don Quijote, or purchase them online.Next you cut all the things you want to put inside your takoyaki inside small pieces – just the right size to fit inside the balls. Put them on small plates and set these next to your pan. To make the batter you can use an already prepared mix as we or you need dashi, eggs, flour, baking powder, soy sauce and salt to make it yourself. There are several recipes on the Internet. If you are finished with the preparations it’s time to heat up the pan and put some oil inside the holes of the pan. Then fill some of the batter inside, add the filling you wish and a bit more dough. After it is baked a bit, use a wooden stick to turn the balls around and get them baked from all sides. At the beginning it is a bit difficult, but after you find out how to flip the balls it becomes really easy and you will have a lot of fun.I really loved my takoyaki with ham, cheese and corn and will probably try out some more things next time. My husband also liked his octopus filled balls. By the way, takoyaki tastes best, when they come straight out of the pan and are still hot. But take care – inside they are really hot and you can easily burn your tongue. And with this: いただきます！To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/GBAjz-foodTue, 26 Sep 2017 10:18:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/GBAjz-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/MJxdG-living_transportationIf you are moving to Japan, there are many things you have to organize. One of the last things I took care of was my driver’s license, because I didn’t intend to drive a car in Japan soon. But I finally made the step to exchange my German driver’s license to the Japanese one in July this year. Here is what you should know!Take care! Japan has different rules according to the country where your driving license is issued. I am talking about the process for the following countries: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Monaco, Norway, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, The Netherlands, The United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Taiwan, South Korea, or USA (only Maryland or Washington). If you are from another country there might be another procedure including a written test and a driving test.Japanese translation of foreign licenseThe first thing you should get if you want to drive a car in Japan is a Japanese translation of your foreign license. Especially people from Switzerland, Germany, France, Belgium, Slovenia, Monaco and Taiwan need it because the international licenses issued in these countries are not accepted in Japan. However, for me it was super easy. The translation is made by the Japan Automobile Federation, short JAF, and you can find a list of the offices on their website. At the office you only need to show your foreign driver’s license (they make a copy) and have to fill out a short form, including your address in Japan. To be sure, I took my residence card and passport with me, they made a copy but didn’t really need it. The translation costs 3,000 yen.I was told everything is finished within two hours. Sometimes it can take longer, up to a few days, but if there are no problems it normally works quickly. If you don’t want to come back to the office, they also can send it to your address for an extra fee.Exchange at Driver’s License Center Next step is to visit the Driver’s License Center in your prefecture. Better to go there early because there might be long waiting times (we spent over 4 hours there, including around 3 hours of waiting). Also if you don’t speak Japanese well, it is recommended to take someone with you who can help.Following documents you need to bring:your foreign driver’s licenseJapanese translation of itresidence card (Zairyu Card, 在留カード)current valid passportresident certificate (Juminhyo, 住民票) pass photo (3 x 2.4 cm)proof that you lived in your homecountry at least 3 months after the license was issued (work contract, school certificate, etc.)All the documents will be checked. If these are ok, they will conduct an easy eye check with you, just about seeing colors and the opening of small circles. Next you need to fill out a form and go to the konbini or stamp shop, which is normally inside the building, to buy stamps worth the fee for the Japanese license. For me this was 4,250 yen. After this I had to go to another corner to take a photo which will then be printed on the license card.When you have finished everyting, you just need to hand in the payment form with the stamps and wait. After around 30 minutes, finally my name was called and I was handed my Japanese driver’s license! Yes, I did it! I hope you can manage it, too!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/MJxdG-living_transportationThu, 21 Sep 2017 11:11:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/MJxdG-living_transportationhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/G03nz-living_ito_shi_shizuokaIto is famous as an onsen town located on the upper eastern coast of the Izu Peninsula. Luckily, Ito is not so famous among foreign tourists and so you still can enjoy the relaxed and not so crowded atmosphere there. I went there this summer and picked up five of the best spots in this area. Let’s take a look!1)Tokaikan Former RyokanThe Tokaikan (東海館) is a former ryokan which was built in 1928. It was operating as a ryokan until 1997. In 2001 it was reopend as a museum where you can explore all the guest rooms and even find some exhibitions inside. The admission is only 200 yen and unlike normal sightseeing spots it is open until 9 pm. On weekends and public holidays you even can use the baths inside Tokaikan for 500 yen. On your walk to the Tokaikan you can enjoy the streets along the town. Ito still has a kind of old feeling and you can find some interesting shops and restaurants on the streets. Especially the area along the Matsu River is very nice.2)Jogasaki CoastThe Jogasaki coast line (城ヶ崎海岸, Jōgasaki Kaigan) has wonderful scenery which you really should explore when visiting the Ito area. There are hiking trails along the coast line, but the most interesting part might be around the Kadowakizaki Bridge. The red suspension bridge is a great photo spot and just next to it you can find a lighthouse which you can enter for free. It is a bit far from Ito City– you can go by train to Jogasaki Kaikan station and walk around 25 minutes from there or take a bus from Ito station or Izu Kogen station – but it is totally worth it. 3)Relaxing inside an OnsenIto is an onsen resort and that is why you should also take some time to dip in the hot water. There are several public baths and ryokan which are not too expensive for a short visit. You can find a nice list here. We stayed at the Daitokan over night in a Japanese room and enjoyed the private open-air bath. 4)Mount OmuroMount Omuro (大室山) is a volcano with an interesting shape. It is not active anymore and is all green. For going up to the 580 meters high point you have to take a chair lift (500 yen round trip) and then you can walk around the crater. There you can find several traditional statues and on a clear day you even can see Mount Fuji.Mount Omuro is a 40 minutes bus ride away from Ito station. The one way ride costs 710 yen, but to save some money you can buy the 1-day bus pass for 1,300 yen. With this you also could hop out for a short stop at Lake Ippekiko (一碧湖). 5)Marine Town Ito Marine Town is a road side station including several shops and restaurants. Inside the buildings you can find bazaar like shopping streets with a lot of fresh products and souvenirs. There is even a Seaside Spa with hotsprings, jacuzzi and massages. Outside you find a free foot bath or you can join a sightseeing boat tour.For sure, there are even more great spots in the Ito area. I noticed there are many small museums covering several topics. However, it is best if you go there by (rental) car if you want to explore these spots, because the bus connection is not as convenient as you might know from Tokyo. I enjoyed our time in Ito and hope you will explore the area someday, too.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/G03nz-living_ito_shi_shizuokaThu, 14 Sep 2017 14:05:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/G03nz-living_ito_shi_shizuokahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/z1NnG-food_shopping_tea_yokohama_shi_kanagawaJapan has many sweet dishes which I really like to eat, such as mochi, daifuku, melonpan, manju and more. However, one of my favorites will always be Taiyaki (たい焼き) - the fish-shaped cake you often can find as a snack at some small shops at the street. I have one of these on my way to work at Nagatsuta station, where I have to change between JR Yokohama line and Denentoshi line, and trust me, for me it is always an inner fight not to buy something there all the time. The shop is called Gin no An (銀のあん) and there are several shops of this brand all over Japan. I even have one more at Tamaplaza station where I work. At my Gin no An shop in Nagatsuta they have a standard menu of Taiyaki with azuki (red bean) filling or custard creme filling, which I really like, for 150 yen each. Next to this they also have Crossaint Taiyaki (ムクロワッサンたい焼き) that is super crunchy and sweet outside. This they offer with the same fillings, too, for 210 yen each. Furthermore, they always have some seasonal specials, which is the main topic of my short article. This month they are selling a Hinyari Maccha Cream Crossaint Taiyaki (ひんやり抹茶クリームクロワッサンたい焼き). I tried it out this week and it was really nice. The outside is very crunchy and sweet with the sugar pieces inside. Also some red beans are inside the dough which give a great combination to the matcha green. As I expected, the matcha cream inside was not so sweet and even had a slight bitter taste. That was really nice and yummy, especially as a great contrast to the sweet outside. We ate our Taiyaki after dinner, my husband decided for a normal one with azuki inside. As a dessert it was a lot and I was super full after eating everything. But for a snack in the afternoon when you are out for something it is nice, I think.The Hinyari Matcha Cream Crossaint Taiyaki costs 250 yen and should be eaten cooled. If you take more time to carry it home, a cooling pack will be put to your paper bag, however, you should put it in the fridge for a while before eating, because it is most yummy when the matcha cream is cool. To end up, some more information about the Gin no An at Nagatsuta station:Address: Kanagawa-ken, Yokohama-shi, Midori-ku, Nagatsuta 4-1-1 Nagatsuta Station, 2nd floor (神奈川県横浜市緑区長津田4-1-1 長津田駅 2F)Opening times: 9:00 ~ 21:00 from Monday to Saturday, 9:00~20:00 on Sunday and public holidaysClosing days: no holidays, open all over the yearWebsites: Gin no An | Tabelog--------------------------------------------------------------------------This post is a special tea blog report, part of our Shizuoka Green Tea Guide, and a chance through City-Cost for bloggers in Japan to engage in new “Japan” experiences about which to create posts.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/z1NnG-food_shopping_tea_yokohama_shi_kanagawaSat, 09 Sep 2017 02:33:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/z1NnG-food_shopping_tea_yokohama_shi_kanagawahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/Mnqqw-living_tokyo_chofu-shiSummer time means festival time. But Japan doesn't only have festivals with fireworks and traditional performances, in Japan you also can find really great music festivals. Summer Sonic and Rock in Japan are just a few to mention. This summer I finally had the chance to go to a-nation, a music festival from the music company avex presenting some of their artistsI have been a fan of Hamasaki Ayumi for several years now and Ayu mostly is one of the main acts of a-nation. This year it lasted for two days (Saturday & Sunday) at the huge Ajinomoto Stadium in Chofu, Tokyo. I went there on Sunday to see not only Ayu and had a lot of fun in the sun! Outside the StadiumEven if you didn't have a ticket, there was a lot going on outside Ajinomoto Stadium at the Community Area. For sure, that was also a nice opportunity to spend some time before the show begins. I first went to the goods area where several goods of the artists were sold. I got the beautiful Ayu uchiwa and some bracelets. After this I wanted to get my hair done at the Beauty Area, but too many people lined up for it, so I skipped this.While a boyband was performing on the small stage, I lined up at the photobooth of dTV. Here you could take a super sweet angel photo with your phone. If you uploaded it on your SNS account with a certain hashtag you could get this pic printed on a small card. I got a second one to put on the big moments wall with a personal message. I think that was a really nice idea and liked it a lot. For sure, there was a lot of food to buy there, too, including yakisoba, okonomiyaki, sausages and more; also a lot of different sorts of kakigoori for cooling you down. Wilkinson was even doing a promotion by giving out free water bottles! And if you brought some garbage to the Eco Stations you got a colorful ribbon. The more you throw away, the more ribbons you could collect! Inside the StadiumThe a-nation show officially started at 2:30 pm. The first acts held their shows for around 20 minutes. Later the show times increased to 30 and 40 minutes with the more popular acts. In between they also had shooting acts performing just two songs.Personally, next to Ayu I knew only two acts: VAMPS and MY FIRST STORY and it was so much fun to see them live. However, I also could get to see a lot of other acts I didn’t know before. One or two I might listen to again. You always could leave your seats, buy something around the food area and spend the afternoon and evening which was quickly rushing by.Ayumi Hamasaki was the final act and played for one full hour including many highlights. One of these was definitely her going around the arena on a small truck. Because I had a seat at the last row of the arena (I was so disappointed about this) I was at least able to see her close for a few seconds. It was a great show – and a great day, too – which ended with a big firework display over Ajinomoto Stadium. Even though the tickets are expensive, I am thinking about going there again next year. Have you ever been to a music festival so far?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/Mnqqw-living_tokyo_chofu-shiThu, 31 Aug 2017 10:31:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/Mnqqw-living_tokyo_chofu-shihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/GLP4G-living_money_tokyoTokyo is a great city for spending money. Especially if you want to do a lot of sightseeing, entry fees and train costs are quickly eating up your budget here. But there are also some spots which are for free and which you shouldn’t miss. Here are five popular temples and shrines in Tokyo for you!Meiji ShrineOne of the most famous shrines in Tokyo is the Meiji Shrine (明治神宮) located just next to JR Harajuku station. The shrine is dedicated to the Emperor Meiji and his Empress Shoken. It was completed in 1920, however, it was destroyed in the Second World War and rebuilt after this. The shrine area is pretty huge and includes its own forest. Especially during the first days of New Year it is super crowded and you need to line up for a long time to get to the main complex. But normally you can walk there easily and enjoy the walk under the trees. If you are lucky, you may even run into a traditional Shinto wedding there.After your visti to Meiji Shrine you can dive into the colorful Harajuku life on Takeshita Dori or take a relaxing walk inside Yoyogi Park, which you also can enter for free.Note: The treasure house and inner garden cost 500 yen admission each.Address: 東京都渋谷区代々木神園町1-1 (Tokyo, Shibuya-ku, Yoyogikamizonocho 1-1)Sensoji TempleThe Asakusa area is especially popular because of the big Sensoji Temple (浅草寺). Starting with the impressive entrance gate called Kaminarimon, you already get a wonderful impression. Also the temple itself, which was completed in 645 and is Tokyo’s oldest temple, is a wonderful photo spot. Don’t miss the pagoda and the beautiful garden around.You also can buy some gifts for your family and friends at home at the over 200 meters long shopping street Nakamisedori. Address: 東京都台東区浅草 2-3-1 (Tokyo, Taito-ku, Asakusa 2-3-1)Nezu ShrineGet a bit of Kyoto feeling at Nezu Shrine (根津神社) with its tunnel of vermillion torii shrine gates. The way leads to a viewing platform which is also held in red. With the greenery around it is also a good spot to relax.If you can make it, visit there around April, when the azalea are blooming. Around this time also the Bunkyo Azalea Festival is taking place, including that festival feeling that comes with food and handicraft stalls as well as dance and music performances.Address: 東京都文京区根津1-28-9 (Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Nezu 1-28-9)Zojoji Temple When you are planning to visit Tokyo Tower, don’t miss a visit to the Zojoji Temple (増上寺) close by. It was built in 1393 and later became the family temple of Tokugawa Ieyasu. Next to the nice photo spot with the temple and Tokyo Tower in the background, you should walk through all the jizo statues. They have a sad background, but really look so cute.Address: 東京都港区芝公園4-7-35 (Tokyo, Minato-ku, Shibakoen 4-7-35)Gotokuji TempleAs a cat lover, the Gotokuji Temple (豪徳寺) is one of my favorite temples in the Tokyo area, even though it is very small. The temple is famous for all the maneki neko figures there, which you also can buy at the temple office. Next to the cat figures, there is also a nice pagoda and some green corners to see.Address: 東京都世田谷区豪徳寺2-24-7 (Tokyo, Setagaya-ku, Gotokuji 2-24-7)There are so many shrines and temples to visit in Japan. Make yourself a good selection first and also look at the price: for some you have to pay a view hundred yen in admission. If you visit several spots a day it can become expensive. But luckily, some are also free! To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/GLP4G-living_money_tokyoMon, 28 Aug 2017 13:00:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/GLP4G-living_money_tokyohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/GBJWG-living_money_howtoIf you are planning to live in Japan for a longer time, you sooner or later have to open a bank account. For me, when I was doing my Working Holiday year in Japan a while ago, I had a job where I got my salary in cash and so didn’t need a bank account. But after I moved back here last year, it was time to open one. I have several jobs now, one of my companies even wanted me to open an account at a certain bank, the others didn’t care what account I have. So now, I have two bank accounts in Japan, and I will tell you, how you can get yours. What do you need to open a bank account?The things and documents you need to open a bank account are different between every bank, but there are some they all have in common. First you need a valid visa. As a tourist you are not allowed to open a bank account in Japan. Coming with this, you have to take your Residence Card (在留カード, Zairyu Card) with you to proof you have a visa for Japan. Some banks have their own rules (visa must be valid for more than one year, you must have stayed at least six months in Japan, etc.), so take care of this when choosing a bank. A Japanese address. It is written on the back of your Residence Card, even though some banks want to see the official residence certificate (住民票, Jyuminhyo) from your city ward. A Japanese phone number. The bank needs it to get in contact with you if there is any issue. My bank was ok with the number of my husband, I can’t really communicate with them in Japanese anyway.These are the things you will definitely need. Some banks require a personal name seal (印鑑 inkan or 判子 hanko) and don’t accept a simple signature. You can get one at certain shops in Japan or online. Some banks require more, so get the information from your bank before applying for a new bank account there.What bank should I take? There are many different banks in Japan, some are bigger and some are smaller. It is said that probably Shinsei Bank (新生銀行) is the best for foreigners, because of their english phone service and their online banking opportunity in English. They even have English speaking staff members at some of their bigger bank offices.Also getting an account at the JP Post Bank (ゆうちょ銀行) is very common and easy and I got my first account there, too. But for sure, you can feel free to open your bank account at any bank you – or your company – like to.What to do at the bank?After you decided to which bank you want to go and have all documents together, you can go to the bank to open your bank account. There you have to decide what kind of account you want, fill out some forms and decide for a pin number and more. For sure, this differs from bank to bank. There are several guides online in the internet. If you feel unsure, you may should take a Japanese friend with you who can help you. When finished the procedure, you will get a bank book and a cash card which you can use at the ATM all around the country. Take care, that some ATMs are not opened at night or weekend and that there might be extra charges if you use an ATM of another bank brand. I hope you are prepared now! (^_^)To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/GBJWG-living_money_howtoMon, 28 Aug 2017 11:17:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/GBJWG-living_money_howtohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/Mn8qG-living_kanagawa_yokohama-shiAs with every summer the Pikachu event was taking place in Yokohama from 9th to 15th August this year. I went to the first event in 2014 and enjoyed it very much. Finally, after three years I could join it again this time and it was totally worth it.We first made a short visit to the event on Saturday because we had some other plans for this day in Yokohama. I was surprised so many people were there, but for sure, the sunny weather was inviting for a walk around the Minato Mirai area, see some Pikachu around and catch a lot of Pokemon while playing Pokemon Go. We spent a good hour there and were lucky that a small Pikachu parade with 20 Pikachu passed by. I also could see my beloved Mimikyu! ♥I actually wanted to buy the event towel at the Pokemon Center. However, so many people were lining up that it would have taken hours to get inside… We watched the dance show at Queen’s Square which was really nice. But that was it for the day and we left the event again.Our main day was Monday. My husband took a day off for it, I had a summer break anyway. After standing up we realized it was raining and we were afraid what will happen that day. At around 10:00 we arrived in Yokohama, the rain was annoying, but many other people were already there. We planned to visit the Pokemon Center in the morning, but also this day, the queue was too long – not worth waiting for me for just buying a small towel. After looking around for a while we wanted to watch the Umi no Carnival show at 12 am, but it was cancelled because of the rain. Luckily, we at least could meet the Captain Pikachu in this area. I returned there later and could watch the show at 2 pm. It was very nice and funny.At the Akarenga area Softbank had some booths where you could take a photo and then get it printed on a card for free. It took a while but it is a good memorial of this day. While doing this, it finally stopped raining. We enjoyed a small lunch at the African style festival which was taking place at the same time. The highlight of this day was the big Pikachu Carnival Parade, which is held only once during the event. That was the reason why we expected many people on this day even though it was a Monday. My husband was so nice and went to the Nihon Odori alone first to receive seats for us. While doing this I could watch the cancelled show from before. I arrived at the parade area shortly before 3 pm, one hour before the parade should start, and it was already so crowded. Luckily my husband got us some seats in the 2~3 row. The Pikachu Carnival Parade was really amazing: around one hundred Pikachu and a lot of dancers celebrating and dancing through the street and sharing so much joy and energy. Three wagons were passing by, too, and the whole show lasted around 40 minutes in our area. Really unforgettable!With this the program ended for the day. I was exhausted and wanted to go home, but my husband reminded me that I wanted to see the ferry wheel at Cosmo World lightning up with Pikachu. For this, we needed to stay about two more hours. So, first we relaxed a bit and then had dinner at CoCoCurry just around the corner. With a filled stomach we went back to the Landmark Tower area and had a good timing with the ferry wheel. Such a nice view!If you spend your summer in Japan and have an interest in either Pikachu and Pokemon or simply in the crazy side of Japan, you should definitely join the Pikachu Outbreak (in Japanese: ) one day. It is a lot of fun and you will probably never forget about it. And the best thing about it: it is all for free! Let’s have fun in the sun!For those who want to see the day in moving pictures, I uploaded several videos on my YouTube channel:- Pikachu Outbreak 2017 (about the whole day)- Pikachu Carnival Parade- Pikachu Umi no CarnivalTo view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/Mn8qG-living_kanagawa_yokohama-shiWed, 23 Aug 2017 11:52:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/Mn8qG-living_kanagawa_yokohama-shihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/G7LNw-living_food_education_tea_shizuokaWednesday, August 9th, was one of the hottest days of this year’s summer in Japan. On this day City Cost invited five bloggers on a really special tour, which I was able to join. Here is what we experienced.The Way to ShizuokaOur meeting time was in the early morning, around 8:20 am at Tokyo station. Not all of us are living close to it. For me, it meant to get up quickly in the morning for heading to Tokyo inside a crowded commuter train. Luckily I survived the way, but through this I remembered why I wasn’t searching for a job in the Tokyo area. Two members of the City-Cost team were already waiting for us at the meeting point. We had some time for a nice chat until everyone arrived, mainly exchanging names, countries we are coming from and how much time we spent in Japan so far. We ended up as a nice group which had a lot of topics to talk about during the day.With the Shinkansen we rushed to Shizuoka station within one hour. It is still hard to believe, that it is so easy to get out of the crowded Tokyo inside a natural green prefecture such Shizuoka. There we were welcomed by nice people from the Chamber of Tea Association of Shizuoka Prefecture and our lovely interpreter from the World Green Tea Association. All together we got into a private bus, got the first bottle of refreshing green tea from Shizuoka prefecture and started our tour to our first destination.Tea Ceremony Experience As our first stop we visited Gyokuro no Sato (玉露の里), a place where the tradition and taste of Gyokuro is kept alive. Gyokuro is regarded as the most deluxe type of tea with a sweet and rich flavor. At this place you find a restaurant and shops with many local products just next to the parking space. Crossing the river on the other side of the road you find the tea ceremony house called Hyogetsutei (瓢月亭). The name comes from the Japanese words for gourd and moon, which both are displayed in interesting ways inside the tea room. Wooden gourds are decorated at some corners of the room. The rising moon is displayed on the sliding windows. Already seeing this is worth a visit to the tea room. But for sure, this was not all. We were able to take part at a traditional tea ceremony. A lovely elderly woman wearing a kimono was leading the ceremony, explaining everything she is using and doing in Japanese. Our interpreter helped us understanding it in English, too. We even were allowed to ask questions and so got a great impression of the manners while a tea ceremony. Did you know you have to turn the tea bowl twice clockwise after receiving it? After drinking you even should wipe the edge of the tea bowl from where you were drinking with your fingers. I learned so much this day and probably will make another article about only this topic.The Gyokuro was very delicious and I enjoyed the taste of the tea so much. Also the cute wagashi, Japanese styled sweets, which was served with it, was fitting it so well. A Lunch with hidden Green TeaAfter the tea ceremony we moved back to the parking space and entered the restaurant called Chanohana-tei (茶の華亭). A table filled with mouth-watering food was waiting for us, and yes, it was so delicious! The plates included many things which had a taste of green tea going with it. The green tea soba was only the most obviously one of these. Also the rice had some green tea powder on it and even the tempura had a sense of green tea. There was green tea salt, too! Isn’t it impressive on how many different ways you can use green tea?Our lunch was very tasty and the stomachs quickly filled. However, at the end there was still space for a small green tea ice which we got as dessert. Visit to the Houkouen Tea PlantationWe went on and drove to the Houkouen tea plantation (豊好園). Already on the way to the plantation I was impressed by the surrounding. Everything was so green and the green tea plants were shining on the mountains. In the background we even could guess Mount Fuji behind the clouds. Going up all the way to the plantation made the view more spectacular, but see it yourself on my photos.At Houkouen we were welcomed by Katahira Jiro, the third generation of Japanese tea farmers at this plantation. He told us a lot about the history of Houkouen, their way of planting and the different cultivars they plant. Around twenty different kinds of hand-picked green teas are growing here and in his talking you could feel how much Katahiro loves his work and how much energy he invests in it to build a good future not only for his Houkouen, but also the region around it.We could try some tea picking and it was an interesting experience, because I did it for the first time. Katahira told us, we can eat the leaves, so I tried. It didn’t taste that bad, but I couldn’t get the real tea flavor now. Noticing, there is still much to do after the leaves are picked up from the mountain plants to become real tea. Kitahara invited us to his home, there is family prepared different sorts of teas for us. Usucha, Blend, Yumesuruka, Tsuyuhikari and Saeakari are just a few names of the green teas we could try. All had their very own flavor, some were bitter but also some were a bit sweet. After drinking cold brewed tea, we tried brewing our own cup of tea, learning about the different tastes between the first brew and the following ones. Also the time how long you brew the tea can make a difference to the flavor of the tea. This was really interesting and made me want to learn more about it in the future. On our bus drive back to Shizuoka station we all got a gorgeous present from the Chamber of Tea Association of Shizuoka Prefecture. This included a bottle for green tea, different sorts of teas and even some green tea pudding. I am excited to try them all. After around one hour taking a look around the Shizuoka station and buying some omiyage, it was time to say goodbye to this new place we could explore that day. We got in the Shinkansen, all were kind of exhausted from the hot weather, but also very happy with all the things we experienced this day.I want to thank every involved in this tour from the bottom of my heart. Thank you for letting us taking a look into the world of green tea in Shizuoka. I will definitely never forget about this and recommend this area!------------------------------------------------------------------------------This post is a special tea blog report, part of our Shizuoka Green Tea Guide, and a chance through City-Cost for bloggers in Japan to engage in new “Japan” experiences about which to create posts.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/G7LNw-living_food_education_tea_shizuokaMon, 21 Aug 2017 11:56:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/G7LNw-living_food_education_tea_shizuokahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/Mn8OG-education_tokyo_shinjuku-kuIn 2008 I started learning Japanese at an evening school back in my home country. We had a Japanese teacher and a 90 minute lesson once a week. Learning was fun, however the results were coming up very slowly. So if you wanted to learn Japanese at a higher speed you needed to do a lot by yourself.In October 2013 I came to Japan with a Working Holiday Visa for one year. My Japanese level was around JLPT N5, I think, and before starting to find a job, I decided to study Japanese more, at least a little bit. I wanted to join a Japanese Language School for one month and so smoothly get into my new life in Japan. First I researched about some schools in Tokyo and realized how expensive it is. A short term course for one month would easily cost me over 50,000 yen at nearly every school I looked up. And that’s only the course! No apartment, no food, no traveling cost. Because of this, my first month in Japan became super expensive; however, I don’t betray anything. The time at a Japanese Language School was a really interesting experience.I decided to apply for a short term course at the Human Academy Japanese Language School (HAJL) which is located in Takadanobaba. The communication and application was by email and I soon got the ok for learning there for one month, in October 2013. What Japanese level are you?After arriving in Japan, I had an appointment at the HAJL in Takadanobaba to find out about my Japanese language level. I had never taken a test before, so I didn’t have any clue how good or bad I was. I ended up alone inside a room with some pages I tried to fill out. Starting with questions about Hiragana and Katakana, going over to Kanji, some grammar and so on. After this I had a personal talk with one of the teachers who asked me some easy questions and tried to figure out about my listening and speaking skills. After this we also talked about why I chose the school and what my aims for the time on the course are. On my first two days as a student we had a small class together with all students who started new at the school. We repeated some basic knowledge, just like introducing yourself, numbers, easy conversations and so on. After this we started our regular course. The HAJL in Tokyo has a morning class and an afternoon class. I was in the afternoon one from 13:15 to 17:00 every day from Monday to Friday. As much as I got to know the afternoon classes are for the lower levels and the higher levels get the morning classes. But I am not completely sure about this. I was the only European in my class. Later a guy from Argentina joined it, too. But the rest were from Asian countries like Korea, China and Nepal.Daily RoutineAt our class we had a fixed schedule for each day. In the first lesson we started with Kanji, pronunciation, dictation and listening tasks. We always had a small test every day which was collected and checked by the teacher. After a break we went on with conversation. Different at each day we then had to write an essay about a certain topic, did group work, had another test or another listening and reading practice. The last two lessons we used our text books which are called にほんご９０日 – Japanese in 90 Days. So we did one section every day, also including a lot of homework which sometimes got pretty annoying. On Friday every week we wrote a big test about the things we learned this week. At the first time I felt a bit lost, but after I understood the structure of the tests it became easier. However, you had to study for it every time and this kind of pressure is something I need – also when I went to high school. The lessons were completely in Japanese. First I couldn’t imagine how it works, because we are learning a language and I thought we would need English translation for it. However, it worked really well and it made you use Japanese intensively. How much did one month cost me?I had to pay the fee for one month which was 52,500 yen back then. As a working holiday visa holder I was luckily free from the admission fee which was over another 30,000 yen. Furthermore I had to buy three books and some other materials such as notebooks for kanji practice and so on. This probably makes up around another 10,000 yen. Even so it is a lot of money, I got to learn a lot in only this month. All the homework was really annoying, but through this I had a lot of practice. I enjoyed my time at the school and really wish I could do a course like this for a longer time again. But unfortunately it is too expensive for me and so I go on studying slowly by myself at home. To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/Mn8OG-education_tokyo_shinjuku-kuFri, 18 Aug 2017 16:20:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/Mn8OG-education_tokyo_shinjuku-kuhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/MJQyw-foodStaying in Japan during summer can be very challenging. It is hot and humid and somehow you need to keep your body cool. Eating hot ramen is not the best during this time. But there are plenty of delicious and cool dishes you can enjoy during summer time in Japan. Here I want to introduce some to you!# 1 – Hiyashi ChukaOne of my most favorite dishes in the Japanese summer is Hiyashi Chuka (冷やし中華). Translated it means Chilled Chinese,referring to the Chinese noodles which are used. Cold ramen noodles are put on a plate or bowl and topped with various other cold ingredients. Popular for this are tamagoyaki (egg omelette), cucumbers, ham, chicken, tomatoes and so on. Over all this you pour a tare sauce and you have a nice cool dish. You can find Hiyashi Chuka at nearly all supermarkets and convenient stores, but for sure also restaurants are offering it. Furthermore it is a popular dish for cooking yourself at home. #2 Zaru Soba and Zaru UdonOne more cold dish for summer are zaru soba or zaru udon – depending on what you personally like more. The noodles are boiled and then washed with cold water. Next they are placed on a bamboo draining basket which is called zaru in Japanese. With this method the last liquid is removed without making a mess. Usually zaru noodles are served with a soy flavored sauce in which you can dip the noodles. It's a really nice dish for hot days and you can eat other things like tempura and vegetables with it. # 3 SomenAnother dish with noodles is Somen. These wheat-based noodles are thin and often served as a cold dish in summer. Pretty popular is Nagashi Somen, literally translated as flowing noodles. Here, the somen are placed in a long half-open bamboo groove where fresh, cold water is running. If you want to eat, you need to catch the noodles with your chopsticks and then you can dip them in your sauce. This way, the eating is makes for a fun experience! Picture by Jpninfo.com#4 EelEel, in Japanese called Unagi, is a popular summer dish because it is full of vitamins and protein. It is usually grilled on a charcoal fire and flavored with a sweet and spicy sauce. Served on rice it makes up a nice dish and sometimes people are even lining up at shops selling it. However, unagi can be a little bit more expensive if you want to have good quality.Picture byJapaneseCooking101For sure, there are not only main dishes you can have for cooling your body. Japan also has a big amount of cold desserts. # 5 KakigoriShaved ice served with different flavored syrups as topping is one of the ultimate summer desserts in Japan! The syrups start from normal ones such as strawberry, lemon and watermelon, but also those like the famous ramune soda which lets you make a colorful mix. And not only this, you can even add other toppings just like fruits, red beans and even ice cream. Kakigori is very popular at Japanese festivals.But for sure, Kakigori is not the only one. Especially in Tokyo, the shops are fighting for the number one place of the best summer treats! McDonald’s Japan is offering a Pikachu styled banana-chocolate flavored McFlurry, Dominique Ansel Bakery has a unique watermelon ice cream served inside a real watermelon and at Second Best Melonpan in the World shop you can get your ice cream inside a baked melonpan. So there are plenty of things to try this summer. Let’s fight again the heat!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/MJQyw-foodThu, 03 Aug 2017 10:13:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/MJQyw-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/GR28G-living_money_transportation_kanagawa_fujisawa-shiThere are many places you can visit as a one day trip from Tokyo. One of the best, at least in my opinion, is the small island of Enoshima, located in Kanagawa prefecture. You can reach it easily within around 90 minutes from Shinjuku station and spend a wonderful day there. Let’s take a closer look at the island and the area around!Sightseeing Spots on Enoshima IslandEnoshima island has many spots to explore. Mainly, this island is home of the Enoshima shrine which is separated into three smaller shrines. All these shrines are dedicated to the goddess Benzaiten, which is officially known as the goddess of “everything that flows”, meaning words, eloquence and music. However, the more popular image of her is the goddess of love. This is one reason why this shrine is especially well visited by couples.The Samuel Cocking Garden is a small botanical garden built on the former residence of the British trader Samuel Cocking. In the late 19th century, he purchased a big part of the island. To the garden belongs the Sea Candle, a phone tower constructed like a lighthouse and including an observatory.If you want to relax for a while, you can spend some time at the Enoshima Island Spa, an onsen resort with indoor and outdoor pools. Next to the all naked gender-separated bathing, they also offer a mixed area which requires bathing suits.Last but not least, there are the Iwaya Caves. These are famous for the myth existing about it. The goddess Benzaiten should have created Enoshima to imprison a sea dragon, which you can find inside the caves.On a clear day, you even can see Mount Fuji from Enoshima. But for this you really need luck.What to do around EnoshimaEnoshima is not only the island itself, also the small city on the mainland belongs to it. There you can find the Enoshima Aquarium, which is a large and modern aquarium right along the beach. A little bit expensive, but especially the jelly fish area is worth a visit. The coastal area around Enoshima and Kamakura is famous for their beaches. The sandy beaches in front of Enoshima are very popular and often crowded in summer. Restaurants are lining up and you can even rent deck chairs and parasols if you want to spend some time there. You should also take a walk inside the small city. On the shopping streets some stores are lining up, you can get souvenirs and even find some nice restaurants. Want to save money?If you want to save a few yen on your travels, the train companies offer different passes for the Enoshima area. The best might be the Enoshima One Day Pass from Odakyu. This pass includes the round trip from Shinjuku, Shinyurigaoka or Machida to Enoshima on the Odakyu line, and you can use some facilities for free, too, including the escalator, the light house, the Samuel Cocking Garden and the cave. The price ranges from 1550 to 1970 yen, depending on your departure station → Website.Another opportunity from Odakyu is the Enoshima Kamakura Free Pass. This one includes only the train fees, meaning the round trip from Shinjuku, Machida or Fujisawa to Enoshima and unlimited rides on the Enoden Line. Here the prices are between 610 and 1470 yen. With the pass you can get discount at some facilities → Website.JR is offering the Kamakura Enoshima Pass. This one gives you unlimited train rides on the JR lines in the Kamakura/Enoshima area, starting from Ofuna or Fujisawa, and also includes the Enoden line and the Shonan Monorail. The price here is 700 yen → Website.Have you ever been to Enoshima?What did you like best?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/GR28G-living_money_transportation_kanagawa_fujisawa-shiFri, 28 Jul 2017 09:58:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/GR28G-living_money_transportation_kanagawa_fujisawa-shihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/G7VYz-living_kanagawa_kamakura-shiLast week on Wednesday, 19th July 2017, the Kamakura Firework Festival was held at the beaches of Kamakura. Because a friend from Germany was visiting Japan right now and we wanted to meet that day we decided to go to the fireworks. We bought some drinks at the Kombini and went to the Yuigahama Beach, which I just visited two weeks before for the hostel review. For sure, we also passed by the WeBase Hostel where they were also selling snacks and gave us some free uchiwa.Arrived there we searched for a nice place and reserved it with a blue sheet. Then we looked for some food and enjoyed the time until the firework started. I really like to watch all the women in Yukata, because I am totally into it. And for sure, I was wearing one by myself, too.The firewor started in time and lasted around 50 minutes. It was super beautiful, especially because it was over the water and the lights were reflecting on the sea. So amazing! I really loved it and I am thinking about going there again next year.I even made a video about out visit to the firework festival. I would be happy, if you take a look. It is with English subtitles!Have you visited any firework festivals so far this year?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/G7VYz-living_kanagawa_kamakura-shiWed, 26 Jul 2017 17:04:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/G7VYz-living_kanagawa_kamakura-shihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/GyqDG-living_moneySummer in Japan is hot and humid – one reason why many travel guides does not advise to make a trip to Japan during this time. But there is a great reason to spend this time in Japan anyway: Summer Festivals! And do you know what the best bit is? You can enjoy them for free!! Here are three things you shouldn’t miss during your summer in Japan!Firework FestivalsFirework Festivals, in Japanese called Hanabi Taikai (花火大会) are mainly held all over Japan from July to August. You can find at least one every weekend and some are even held in the middle of the week, still luring thousands of people at once. The firework display mostly takes around one hour or even longer with different parts and stories. You can see many different shapes, like normal light balls in every color, but also a golden rain and even smileys, stars and so on. If you haven’t seen Japanese fireworks before, you will definitely be impressed.A part of Firework Festivals sell tickets for a reserved seat area from where you can have a perfect view but you don’t really need this. If you are at the event area early enough, you can still find enough space to sit down and enjoy the beauty of the fireworks.Some of the most famous fireworks displays in Japan are the Sumida Fireworks and the Adachi Fireworks in Tokyo, the Yokohama Fireworks around the Minato Mirai area, the Kamakura Fireworksat the beach, the Osaka Tenjin Fireworks, the Uji Fireworks in Kyoto, the Miyajima Fireworks and so on. There are really so many to see and you definitely shouldn’t miss this free opportunity! Tanabata FestivalsTanabata Matsuri (七夕祭り), the Japanese Star Festival tells the story of the loving couple Orihime and Hikoboshi, which represent the stars Vega and Altair, which are normally separated by the Milky Way. Only once a year they can meet and this is a reason to celebrate. Traditionally you write down your wish on a piece of paper and hang it on a bamboo tree, hoping that this wish will become true. Many places offer this for free.But next to writing down your name, also colorful festivals are held at some places across the country in July and August. And for sure, you can join them for free. The most famous one is taking place in Sendai in August, but also in the Tokyo area you can find a big festival in the beginning of July at Hiratsuka. Smaller festivals are held in other cities, too. Bon Odori Festivals Bon Odori (盆踊り), meaning Bon Dance, is a dance festival often held around Japan during the Obon time. At night everyone comes together and dances. The dance is simple and slow and easy to learn, so you can join the crowd quickly. Normally there is a stage in the middle for taiko drums and other musicians, and everyone is dancing around in a circle. There are some big festivals like the Marunouchi Ondo Dai Bon Odori Taikai in Hibiya Park and the Oedo Matsuri Bon Odori Taikai in Tokyo, but to be sure small Bon Odori Festivals are taking place in nearly every neighborhood. Bon Odori Festivals are a good chance to get in touch with the Japanese culture and people. So why not join it for a free dance through the night? For sure, there are thousands of festivals held all across Japan that you can join for free. This is only a small selection of what you shouldn’t miss this summer. Have you ever visited one of these festivals?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/GyqDG-living_moneyWed, 26 Jul 2017 13:04:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/GyqDG-living_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/wXbvz-living_kanagawa_kamakura_shi_kanagawaThanks to City Cost I had the opportunity to stay one night at the WeBase hostel in Kamakura and for sure, I also used this time to do some sightseeing around the Kamakura area. I spend a great time there and want to thank everyone involved. And now, let us take a detailed look on the hostel itself!Community Hostel WeBase KamakuraThe WeBase Kamakura is a pretty modern looking hostel in the Kamakura area. It is located close to Yuigahama Beach, which makes it a perfect stop over for everyone who wants to enjoy some time at the beach in Japan’s summer. But not only this, it is also a nice starting point for your sightseeing trip around Kamaura (I will come to this later). You can reach it within a two minutes walk from the Enoden station Yuigahama, but also a 15-20 minutes’ walk from Kamakura station is possible. When you enter the hostel, you come inside a bright corridor with big windows and a view to the courtyard where hydrangeas were blooming. There are unique drawings on the wall which makes the modern styling perfect. Also the reception looked welcoming and a really liked the wooden pattern there.The RoomsWeBase Kamakura is a hostel with different dorms. You can decide between mixed and female only dorms, which have 4 or 6 beds in one room. All rooms include comfortable bunk beds which you can close with a curtain. You have your own socket, usb outlet, reading light, personal slippers and for sure, also a locker. However, if you are travelling with big luggage, only your valuables might fit inside. Toilet and sink are shared with others.It is also possible to book a whole bunk bed room as private for your group of 4 to 10 people. But not only this. They even have family rooms with sofa beds for family and groups which include an en suite bath, TV, refrigerator and other things. Or you can stay a Japanese styled futon room and sleep on tatami flooring. Also couples have the opportunity to book a private room with a double bed.If you want something special, plans including a rental Kimono or a yoga class at the Another World studio are available, too.As you can see, there are many ways to stay at WeBase Kamakura. Check out all room types and night rates on their website. The FacilitiesThe WeBase area is pretty big and has to offer many facilities for their guests. First starting with the big lounge, which is located in the basement of the building. With a view on the courtyard you can relax, watch TV and enjoy your time with other guests. At the reception you can rent games for free. Furthermore, at the lounge you find some PCs, a small kitchen area with refrigerator, water cookers and microwaves and even a vending machine with instant food and alcoholic drinks. At the lounge I especially liked the wall decorations. One big corner is filled with a map and pictures of Kamakura, so you can get ideas for your sightseeing tours and other places you would like to visit. The other corner is free for the guests to write messages. Also at the basement you find the shower rooms, which are clean and include soap, shampoo and conditioner free for use. A lot of mirrors, sinks and hairdryers are there, too. The shower rooms are open for 24 hours. Just at the other corner the Japanese bathtubs are located. These you can use from 7:00 am to 10:00 am and from 4:00 pm to midnight.Belonging to the building, WeBase Kamakura is connected to Brasserie Gent. This is a French inspired restaurant where you can find interesting dishes for your lunch or dinner. They even serve good wines and beer. For WeBase guests every morning a light breakfast is served for free at the restaurant ground. This includes toast, cornflakes and potato salad. The ActivitiesInside the WeBase building the Another World Studio is located, which offers daily classes on yoga, meditation and more. To find out about the schedule, you can check their website. As a WeBase guest you get a discount and only need to pay 1,000 yen for a class. Other cultural experiences are also possible, as for example wagashi workshops and Japanese tea ceremonies are taking place regularly. Check out the event list on WeBase’s facebook page to be up to date with this. If you want to explore Kamakura, the staff members will give you all the information you need. They even have rental bicycles which you can get for 1,000 yen a day. If you pay a little bit more you even can use an ebike.My ImpressionI stayed at the female dorm in a room with four bunk beds. It looked nice and was very clean. What I especially liked about the dorm room is that it is separated from the main corridor by an extra small hall way. So if you open the first door, you come in a smaller corridor which leads to two dorms. Inside this small area you find a sink and two toilets which only the people of these two dorm rooms are sharing. This is a great idea!In the evening I relaxed for some time in the lounge. There are several books, magazines and manga you can take a look at, however a lot is in Japanese. The hostel has free Wifi everywhere, so I also could surf in the internet while sitting on the comfortable chairs and looking outside. The bed was good as well, not too soft and not too hard, so I could sleep well. In the night it was really quite, because the hostel is situated in a calm area.The staff members all could speak English and were very friendly. When I rented my bicycle I even got some sightseeing information and they could quickly tell me how long it would take me to cycle to certain places.If I ever spend a night in Kamakura again or some of my friends will ask me for a place to stay in this area, I really can recommend WeBase. I would go there again!Places to visit around WeBaseIf you are staying at WeBase, the first place you should visit is the Yuigahama Beach. You can easily reach it with just walking down the street for a few minutes. The beach is really nice and you might find many surfers catching waves in the sea. I was told by a staff member about special huts opening at this area in summer, serving special food and drinks. So the beach might also be a good place to visit in the evening. The famous Great Buddha, Daibutsu (鎌倉大仏), is just around 15 minutes away by foot and if you haven’t visited there before, you should definitely go and see the around 13 meter high bronze Buddha statue. It is already situated there since 1252 and one of Kamakura’s highlights!Just close by is the Hasedera temple (長谷寺). Next to a beautiful temple garden an eleven-headed Kannon statue is there. When climbing up the hill, you also have a great view over Kamakura to the ocean. Especially when the hydrangea is blooming in June and the beginning of July, it is really beautiful there. But that is not all you can see in Kamakura. There are great hiking trails around the mountains or you can walk around – or if you want it easier take the bus and trains – to see all the historical shrines and temples. Also strolling around the shopping street at Kamakura station is nice. Through renting a bicycle at WeBase I also can say, that Kamakura is a great city to explore by bicycle, because you can go quickly to all the destinations. For example, cycling from WeBase to Hokokuji temple (報国寺) in the further Eastern part of Kamakura took me less than 30 minutes. The hostel opened on 15th September 2016, so the first anniversary is coming soon! So if you are planning a trip to Kamakura, why not stay over for a night or more at WeBase Kamakura? :D- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -This post is a special report for which City-Cost gives bloggers in Japan the chance to engage in new experiences in Japan to create posts about. Read more about WeBase KAMAKURA here.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/wXbvz-living_kanagawa_kamakura_shi_kanagawaTue, 11 Jul 2017 22:06:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/wXbvz-living_kanagawa_kamakura_shi_kanagawahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/wrmqG-living_foodSummer started in Japan and it super hot every day. It is definately the time to have some shaved ice for cooling your body down. Many shops are selling kakigori (かき氷) right now and you can find it at nearly every festival. But how about making it at home?Two weeks ago we bought a kakigori machine. Because we are big fans of Rilakkuma and our apartment is already full with it, we also decided that our kakigori machine should have a Rilakkuma design. We got ours on Amazon (link here). It is really cute and electronical. So you just need to press the button on top and the ice will automatically be shaven. With the machine, you also get four boxes to make the ice.So far, I bought three different tastes of sirup: strawberry, melon and ramune. All are super delicious and it is a lot of fun to make kakigori this way at home. Let's fight against the hot Japanese summer!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/wrmqG-living_foodSun, 09 Jul 2017 15:48:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/wrmqG-living_foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/G7gPG-living_money_tokyoMaking holidays in Tokyo can be a very expensive business. But not everything around the Japan’s capital has to cost you a lot of money. One highlight of every city is seeing the area from above. Everyone knows Tokyo Tower and Tokyo Skytree. You can have an amazing view from above, but these towers costs a lot of money. But don’t worry about your expenses; it is also possible to see Tokyo from above for free!Tokyo Metropolitan Government BuildingOne free possibility – and probably the most known - is the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building (東京都庁, Tōkyō Tochō). It is located in Shinjuku and, as the name says, it's normal use is as the office building of Tokyo’s government. This is also the reason why visitors have to go through a bag check if they want to get inside. The building is 243 meters high and has two towers, each one with an observation deck located at a height of 202 meters. Construction was completed in 1991. On a clear day you have the chance to see Mount Fuji, Tokyo Tower and Skytree. Also, the night view is really amazing. For sure, you also can buy souvenirs there or have a break at the café. A tourist information center is located on the ground level, too.The observatories open at 9:30 in the morning. The Southern Tower closes earlier at 17:30, while the Northern one stays open until 23:00. Take care of closing days around New Year’s Holidays. The closest station is Tocho-mae on the Oedo Subway Line, however, you also can walk there in around ten minutes from JR Shinjuku station. Official Website: http://www.metro.tokyo.jp/ENGLISH/OFFICES/observat.htmBunkyo Civic CenterAnother building you can visit for free is the Bunkyo Civic Center (文京シビックセンター). As in Shinjuku, this is a government building, this time for the Bunkyo ward. It was completed in 1994. The observatory is located on the 25th floor, 105 meters above the ground. You have a 330 degree panorama view from there, including Tokyo Skytree and some other skyscrapers around the Shinjuku and Ikebukuro areas. If you are lucky you even can view Mount Fuji from there. The observatory is opened from 9:00 to 20:30, especially for the evening view the observatory has special windows avoiding indoor lighting reflections. It is closed on the 3rd Sunday in May and from December 29th to January 3rd for New Year’s Holidays.The Bunkyo Civic Center is located next to Tokyo Dome, so you even can enjoy your time at Tokyo Dome City when you are in this area. These are only two possibilities to see Tokyo from above for free. But there are even more. Just for example you can take a look to following places: Shinjuku NS Building in Shinjuku Hokutopia in ShinjukuShibuya HikarieCaretta Shiodome in MinatoEbisu Garden Place Tower in EbisuTower Hall Funabori in EdogawaCarrot Tower in SetagayaAsakusa Culture Tourist Information Center… and so on.Also, if you are living in Japan and friends are visiting you from abroad, these places might be a good possibility to save money and do some great things together without spending too much. For example, I already visited Skytree twice now, and I personally would rather let my visitors go up there alone and save the 3,000 yen for a nice dinner together. If we want to see Tokyo from above together, we can choose a free observatory for this (^_~)v Have you ever visited one of these free observatories in Tokyo? Or do you have some more recommendations? To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/G7gPG-living_money_tokyoTue, 27 Jun 2017 11:08:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/G7gPG-living_money_tokyohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/MnEVw-foodI’m a big fan of the Crunky Chrunch Chocolate bar from Lotte. I love the chocolate itself and especially the malt puff inside. Luckily, they are releasing more and more chocolate of this style. Lately I found some chocolate cookies I couldn’t resist buying.Lotte Crunky Biscuit mainly is a biscuit sandwich consisting of two cookies and and crunky chocolate in the middle. The cookies are very crunchy and delicious and they build a wonderful combination with the chocolate. I am really in love them and often need to eat a second one right after I had one.The box comes with eight individually wrapped cookies, so it is very useful for to go and a nice snack if you are a little hungry. I will definitely buy it again, when I see it in the supermarket.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/MnEVw-foodFri, 23 Jun 2017 12:05:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/MnEVw-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/MxEXz-livingEspecially as a woman you know you are using a lot of beauty products and other such things every day. In your home country you grow up with them and are used to your favorite shampoo, toothpaste and foundation. Moving to Japan now means you need to find all these things from new. Something which makes you struggle especially when you don’t speak much Japanese. Drug stores in Japan have such a big selection which makes it hard to choose and find the right items for you. Here I will tell you some of my experiences with this problem…ToothpasteTo tell the truth, I don’t have such good teeth. So I should take care of my teeth a bit more and I found a fitting toothpaste for me in my home country Germany. However, now I’m living in Japan and need a new one. My first try became a small failure, because I read the Katakana wrong. I really like mint taste and decided on one which had “soft mint” (ソフトミント) written on it. At least, I thought this. At home I tried it – and was surprised. I read again what was written on the tooth paste and found out it is “salty mint” (ソルティミント) … I got used to the salt taste after a while, but I would never buy it again. Lately I learned that the German Sensodyne is called シュミテクト in Japan. Good to know!Shampoo and ConditionerAlready in Germany it took me a long time to find the right shampoo for my hair. They quickly get fatty and I needed to wash them at least every two days in Germany. In Japan, I had to go on the search for a new one. By now, I still haven’t found the best for my hair… The variety is so big and since I’m not good at reading what is inside, it is hard to choose. So, if you can recommend something to me – please! I also have a funny story about conditioner, which already lies some years back, when I was living in Japan for the first time. At this time, I had never heard of conditioner. In my family we called the shower gel and soap “shampoo”, too. So, I thought conditioner would be the regular hair shampoo and bought this. I found out the mistake under the shower and researched it on the Internet. I learned something new and now I am using both of them.Toilet PaperComing to toilet paper, German people are spoiled. We can buy toilet paper with up to four or six layers which is super soft and has a wonderful smell. Coming to Japan, you are lucky if you can find toilet paper with two layers… It also took some time for me to find the right one for our home – with some shopping failures, too – but now we are ok with the one we have. Only take care of the words single (シングル) and double (ダブル) when you buy toilet paper in Japan!Women’s Sanitary ProductsA special topic for every woman. In Japan napkins are still the normal things to use and there is also a big variety here. Especially take care of the size which is written on the pack. Some are really big! I saw some videos on YouTube making fun of these sizes, too. However, some of the napkins are really good and I found the one product for me. However, talking about Japanese tampons, I always heard some horror stories. They might be really bad here and so I never tried. I still get these from Germany. The list goes on with many things. Just thinking of hairspay, sun screen, medicine and make up… Sometimes you are even lucky and find products and brands you know from your home country, here in Japan. For me, for example, it is Nivea, which I can find in Japan often, but it is really expensive. All in all, it is normal to spend a lot of money in the beginning with trying out products before you can finally find the RIGHT inside the drug store jungle. To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/MxEXz-livingWed, 21 Jun 2017 17:47:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/MxEXz-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/wZl5z-foodI already heard about Melonpan Ice in the internet a while ago, but when I went to work last week I suddenly walked by one of the recommended shops. It is called Sekai de Nibanme ni Oishii Yakitate Melonpan Ice (世界で２番めにおいしい焼きたてメロンパンアイス), meaning The second best Melonpan Ice in the World. The name is honoring respect to the backer the shop owner learned backing melonpan from.So, as the name says, the shop is offering melonpan filled with icecream. A great combination in my opinion. At the shop in Akishima, which I visited, they had eight different icecream sorts, some even including fruits. They cost around 390 yen to 450 yen. You also can buy normal melonpan for 190 yen, or get melonpan sets in a souvenir box. There are shops in Kanto region in Shibuya, Akishima and Yokohama, but you also can find it at some places around Japan. Take a look on the official website with all addresses, opening times and pictures. The melonpan ice I ate was crunchy and warm. The ice is melting quickly, so you shouldn’t spend too much time with it. I had a choco-vanilla ice and it was really delicious. I want to try out more sorts in the future.I’m thinking to introduce some food I found in Japan here from time to time. I hope you will like it!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/wZl5z-foodMon, 19 Jun 2017 09:56:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/wZl5z-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/w5xeG-living_transportation_miyazakiMiyazaki Prefecture is located at the south eastern coast of Kyushu. Other than Kanto and Kansai region, not so many foreign tourists are travelling there. That is why Miyazaki still has some amazing spots you can enjoy without having too many people around you. Next to several beaches and resorts, especially the following two shrines along the Nichinan Coast of Miyazaki are worth a visit. UDO SHRINEUdo Shrine, in Japanese called Udo Jingu (鵜戸神宮), is a shrine set inside a cave surrounded by the cliffs. It is quite a unique location for a shrine and it's what makes this one so amazing. Inside the cave you find the shrine building, but you also can buy the typical shrine goods, such as wishing plaques and fortune papers. It is interesting to explore inside the cave, furthermore the lights coming in from outside can make a certain atmosphere. It is said that if you drink the water which drips down the rocks, it is good for pregnancy, childbirth, nursing and women who are hoping to have a child. However, Udo Shrine is also known as a shrine to the god of marriage. There is also a lot to explore around the shrine area outside of the cave. First you need to walk a while around the coast line to reach the cave anyway and can get some amazing views with the surrounding cliff. In front of the cave you are able to try undama throwing. Undama are small balls which people try to throw. If they land in the target ring they will bring you luck. The target is marked by a rope on a stone between the cliffs. There is only one rule you need to take care about: women should throw with their right hand and men should use their left hand for it. Good luck!AOSHIMA ISLANDAoshima Island (青島) is a small island with a circumference of around 1.5 kilometers, located at the northern part of the Nichinan coast. The island is connected to the mainland by a stone bridge and covered by a tropical forest. In the middle you can find Aoshima shrine. A little bit deeper inside the jungle you even can find a smaller shrine. But already the red torii between the coast and the green forest is worth the view.Next to the green nature, most interesting here are the stones around Aoshima Island. Known as Oni no Sentakuita (Devil’s Washboard) they are a natural phenomenon. Even though they look like they were made by humans, they are actually formed by the water and the wind. Take a stroll around and enjoy your time on this small, peaceful island.HOW TO GET THEREA train runs along the coast line; however it is easier to get to Udo Shrine by bus from Miyazaki city. The trip takes around 90 minutes by local bus and costs you 1,480 yen one way. This bus line also stops at Aoshima, so you can perfectly combine both. There is the Visit Miyazaki Bus Pass for foreign tourists, which costs just 1,000 yen and allows you to use the local buses for one full day. You can save a lot of money if you use this. The pass is only for foreign tourist and excludes residents of Miyazaki prefecture. If you just want to visit Aoshima from Miyazaki city, you can easily use the train, JR Nichinan Line. The train ride takes around 30 minutes and costs 370 yen one way. To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/w5xeG-living_transportation_miyazakiThu, 08 Jun 2017 21:37:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/w5xeG-living_transportation_miyazakihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/G0DjG-living_food_tokyoIt’s said Japan does not only have four seasons, it has five! Between spring and summer you can add rainy season, called Tsuyu (梅雨) in Japanese, which can make it really difficult especially when you are planning to travel around Japan during this time. Mainly it is from the beginning of June to the middle of July, starting up to one month earlier in Okinawa, but surely, this is varying from year to year. For sure, it is not raining every day for one and a half month, but in this time the chance is high to have full rainy days what makes outdoor sightseeing really annoying. So if it is too wet outside in Tokyo, how about taking a look to some indoor theme parks? Here I have four parks you might would like to visit if you are interested in anime and manga or cute characters. Tokyo One Piece TowerIn 1997 the manga One Piece started to be published at the Weekly Shonen Jump, up to today it became popular world-wide and got many fans from young to old. Several years later, in March 2015 an One Piece indoor theme park opened at no other place than Tokyo Tower, the symbol of Japan’s capital. At Tokyo One Piece Tower you find many attractions for children and adults. Impressing live shows are held and for sure, themed food is offered, not only inside the theme park, but also outside at the two One Piece restaurants. Also special events are held from time to time. A must visit for every fan around the world.Tokyo One Piece Tower is opened from 10:00 to 22:00 every day. For the entry you have to pay 2,000 yen (3,000 yen with show) if you buy the tickets in advance. For same day tickets you pay 2,200 yen (3,200 yen with show). Discount for students and children are available. J-World TokyoGoing on in the anime section, J-World Tokyo makes it possible to dive into the world of Shonen Jump, meaning One Piece, Dragon Ball, Naruto and more. In this indoor you can find some attractions mainly interested for children or big fans, however, atmosphere is what counts, isn’t it? They can point out with interesting anime themed food in three different areas. For sure, also Shonen Jump items are sold there, some limited to this place only.J-World Tokyo is located at 3rd floor of Sunshine City in Ikebukuro and opened from 10:00 to 22:00 around the year. There is a ticket for just admission for 800 yen. Here you have to pay for every attraction when you want to ride it (prices on website). But you also can get an unlimited attraction pass for 2600 yen which allows you to enter and ride attractions for unlimited times. It because cheaper after 17:00, when you can get night passport for 1,800 yen. Namja Town Namja Town is just located one floor below J-World Tokyo, so you find it at second floor of Sunshine City. It already opened in 1996 and you are welcomed by a giant cat which is the mascot character of Namja Town. Inside this theme park you can find some attractions including zombies, mosquito and ghosts. However, probably more interesting is the food area here. At Gyoza Stadium you can try several types of Gyoza from all over Japan. As sweet exchange you will find a lot of cute desserts at Fukubukuro Desserts Yokocho. The ticket systems also goes like J-World, where you can get a Namja Entry ticket for 500 yen, the Namja Passport for 3,300 yen for admission and free attractions (with some exceptions) and a Namja After 3pm pass for later entry for 2,300 yen. Sanrio PurolandGetting a little bit out of center Tokyo we will find Sanrio Puroland at Tama New Town. This indoor theme park opened already in December 1990 and you will find a lot of cute character’s of Sanrio there, including Hello Kitty, Gudetama, Kiki&Lala, My Melody and more. There are some attractions and amusement possibilities inside and also live shows are held. At the different restaurants you can find unique dishes all having the super cute atmosphere of this pink place. To get to Sanrio Puroland you should use Keio or Odakyu Line and get off at Tama Center. On weekdays the entry costs 3,300 yen for adults, on Holidays (weekend, public holidays, school holidays) the one day passport costs 3,800 yen. There is a discount coupon on their website. Also afternoon passport for 2,000 yen is available. But notice, opening times are regularly changing between 10:00 to 20:00. Check the monthly time schedule before you go there!For sure, this is not all you can do if it is raining. There are so many other possibilities! Just think of all the museums, aquariums, restaurants and themed cafés, … or just go shopping in one of the big shopping centers. Don’t let the rain feel you down and enjoy your time in Japan!Websites of the indoor theme parks:- Tokyo One Piece Tower- J-World Tokyo- Namja Town- Sanrio PurolandTo view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/G0DjG-living_food_tokyoSun, 28 May 2017 11:00:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/G0DjG-living_food_tokyohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/MEOgG-living_foodBecause many people have some days off for Golden Week there are many events held during this time every year. They are often very crowded, but also worth a visit for a special experience. Here I'm just gonna tell you about a few festivals in and around the Tokyo area you might like to visit someday.Odaiba FestivalsOdaiba is a hot spot for festivals throughout the year but especially during Golden Week. Starting with the annual Oktoberfest which is held in Odaiba in spring and autumn. The spring version was set from April 28 to May 7 in 2017, however it changes a bit every year. You have the chance to drink a lot of different sorts of beer, listen to some German music and taste food like German sausages, pretzels and more. There is no entry fee, so you can easily take a look around and can go on to the next event after this.From Germany we go to Hawaii, because at the shopping center Venusfort Hawaii Festival is held every year. In 2017 they already celebrated their 15th anniversary. You can find Hawaiian food and products at the Hawaiian market including several cultural performances like hula dance, ukulele and more. Even workshops to learn about Hawaiian culture are offered. Going on with our small world trip we arrive at the Cinco de Mayo, started 2013 in Yoyogi Park, however the 5th anniversary was celebrated in Odaiba in 2017. At this very international festival you not only find Mexican food, but also food from a lot of other Western / Latin American countries such as America, Peru, Brazil, Chile, Jamaica, Colombia and Canada. For sure, you will also be entertained with music and dance coming from these countries.Meiji Jingu Shrine Grand FestivalDuring Golden Week this annual spring festival is held at Meiji Jingu, one of Tokyo’s best known shrines. From April 29 to May 3 you have the chance to see some Shinto ceremonies, but not only this. Also traditional Japanese performances like Noh / Kyogen (dance), Bugaku / Sankyoku (music) and Hogaku / Hobu (theater) are held at the shrine area. You can even watch Kyudo, a Japanese archery competition. Just a few minutes walk from Harajuku or Yoyogi stations, it is a great chance to dive into Japanese traditions. Furusato Festival at Hibiya ParkAt Hibiya you find the Furusato Festival gathering Japanese culture, entertainment and gourmet in one place. Not only traditional dance is shown there, also idol groups are performing and you might catch some cosplayers. Different shops offer you local dishes from up to Hokkaido and down to Kyushu and Okinawa. Find out more about the different areas of Japan at just one place. And if you need a break, Hibiya Park is also a good place to relax.Machida Saikyu Ramen FesRamen festivals are held throughout the year and some are even taking place during Golden Week. A rather unknown one is the Saikyu Ramen Festival at Machida, in Western Tokyo. Because of this, it might be not as crowded as other festivals. Get the chance to try not only ramen bowls from all over Japan for 800 yen each, but also different sorts of Gyoza and Chahan. There are also some live performances on a small stage. Yokohama FrühlingsfestGerman beer and food is not only celebrated at Odaiba, also Yokohama hosts the German style Frühlingsfest (spring festival) during Golden Week. Next to food, drinks and music it is a great place for children, because there are lot of fun attractions prepared for them. The entry is also free here, so after a short travel to Germany at the Red Brick Warehouse you can take a walk around Yamashita Park and relax your soul. The annual garden festival in spring gives you the possibility to see a lot of flowers and greenery around the harbor city. As mentioned, these are just a few festivals and events held around Golden Week. There are many more so a list would never find an end. If you are in Japan during GW just take a look on the Internet and you will definitely not get bored. Also take a look to my article about three flower fields to explore while Golden Week.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/MEOgG-living_foodWed, 24 May 2017 09:21:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/MEOgG-living_foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/MPEYz-livingJapan’s Golden Week is celebrated every year from the end of April to the beginning of May. A lot of people have days off and so many places are super crowded. However, this season is also a good time to see a lot of different flowers which are blooming right now. I visited some of these this year.No. 1 – SHIBAZAKURA Shibazakura (芝桜) is a small flower growing on the ground mostly in a lawn covering a big area. The English name is moss phlox, however the Japanese name including sakura comes from the shape of the flower petals which look like cherry blossoms. The colors differ but mainly are pink, violet and white. Blooming time is from mid April to late May.Around Tokyo you can find two big Shibazakura Festivals. The better known one is the Fuji Shibazakura Festival (富士芝桜まつり) which is held close to Japan’s famous mountain. Here you have the chance not only to see the colorful ocean build out of over 800,000 flowers, but also Mount Fuji in the background. They even built a small mountain out of flowers and you can enjoy the view from a panorama bridge. The festival is located around 3 km away from Lake Motosuko (本栖湖), one of the Five Fuji Lakes, and might be best reached by bus. A shuttle bus is available while the festival time from Kawaguchiko station. The second festival Shibazakura-No-Oka (芝桜の丘) is celebrated at Hitsujiyama Park in Chichibu (Saitama prefecture). On an area of around 1.8 hectars you can find an even huger variety of this cute flower. The train ride from Tokyo takes you around 80 minutes. No. 2 – NEMOPHILAChanging to blue, we go on with a flower called Nemophila (ネモフィラ), also known as Baby Blue Eyes. At Hitachi Seaside Park a whole hill is filled with these light blue flowers. Around 4.5 millions are blooming from the end of April to mid May, but according to the season you can find a lot of other flowers, too. Hitachi Seaside Park is located at Ibaraki prefecture and can be reached from Tokyo in around 90 minutes by train and bus. No. 3 – WISTERIA There are actually many places in Japan where you can find Wisteria, called Fuji (藤) in Japanese. The flowers with its long strings are blooming from mid April to mid May in different colors. One of the most famous places to see Wisteria is the Ashikaga Flower Park (あしかがフラワーパーク) in Tochigi. There you can find an over 150 years old wisteria tree and an 80 meter long white wisteria tunnel. But also many more wisteria trees and around 5,000 azalea bushes are planted inside the park. While the full bloom period the wisteria are even lighted up at the evening. You can reach it within 90 minutes by car from Tokyo, the train ride takes a bit longer.You also can find Wisteria at various shrines and temples around Japan. Especially the Kameido-tenjin Shrine (亀戸天神社) in Tokyo and the Mandara-ji (曼陀羅寺) in Aichi prefecture are well known for it. If you come up being around Kyushu while blooming time, visit the Kawachi Fujien (河内藤園) in Fukuoka which is a private garden exclusive for wisteria which only opens while this period. There is a lot to see while Golden Week, but notice you often need to share these places with many people. Try to enjoy it anyway ♥To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/MPEYz-livingSat, 20 May 2017 18:37:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/MPEYz-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/G61Dz-shopping_tokyo_nakano-kuWhen you think about Tokyo and Otaku you mainly end up with Akihabara. This area is famous as a shopping district for electronics and Japanese pop culture items including anime, manga, games and Japanese music. It became especially popular with otaku people and foreign tourists, also because the otaku industry even started with opening entertainment shops such as maid cafés and other anime-themed restaurants at this area. However, if you are just interested in shopping, there is another place in Tokyo, which is not as crowded as Akihabara. But first, let’s think about what an otaku actually is?The Japanese term otaku comes from the word otaku (お宅) for another person's house or family, however, in modern times it became a slang word for people with obsessive interests in anime and manga fandom. To distinguish both words, the second one is commonly written in hiragana or katakana (おたく/オタク). In English you can translate it as nerd or geek. Otaku was used in a negative way, but now it has become less negative because more and more people are identifying themselves as an otaku, especially in Western countries. Furthermore, otaku is not used for anime and manga only, it also includes fandom for Japanese games, idol groups and bands and even more. Have you ever heard of Nakano Broadway?Nakano Broadway (中野ブロードウェイ) is a shopping complex which already dates back to the 1960s. It is just a few minutes away from Nakano station, which you can easily access from Shinjuku with the JR Chuo line via a few minutes train ride. Inside Nakano Broadway you'll find five floors full of shops, cafés and more.The main reason for otaku to visit Nakano Broadway is Mandarake which is one of Tokyo's largest resellers of used anime and manga-related products. Mandarake has had its home in Nakano since it started there in 1987 selling second hand manga. By now over 25 Mandarake stores are opened inside Nakano Broadway, including the chain’s headquarters. Each shop has its own specific pop culture interest. So you can find shops of the following themes there:-anime and manga section, some including old and expensive comics -figure section, where you can get figures of all kind of anime, manga and games; some are rare and have high prices, but you also can find cheap figures for your own collection-card section, where you can find used and rare cards of all sorts of card games-cosplay section with second hand costumes, wigs and accessories -doll section for the doll-lovers out where-toy section, from the very old to the new; get amazed by all the key chains from Gacha machines which you can buy without having luck at the gaming machine-and more and more and more :DSome shops are even so specialized you can’t imagine what to find. Take your time and take a look through all the jobs of your interest. The employees often are otaku themselves and are specialists in their field, so they can help you and give you a lot of information in the section you are interested in. Some staff are also bilingual (you often can see it on their name tag), including English and Chinese speakers.You can find some Manadarake stores in different parts of Japan, including Tokyo shops (Akihabara, Shibuya, Ikebukuro) and shops in Osaka, Nagoya, Fukuoka, Utsunomiya and even Sapporo. Mandarake is also running an online store, available mainly in Japanese and English, but also some other languages are used. What to find next to MandarakeFor sure, Nakano Broadway does not only consist of Mandarake. However, this chain is a reason a lot of other stores opened shops in the area. If you are a Japanese music lover you can find a lot of idol goods but also visual kei and j-rock merchandise. They also sell watches, cameras, jewelry, audio and more. Even a maid café called Kuroneco can be found at Nakano Broadway, which is more an all-you-can-drink bar than the common cafés known from Akihabara. Don’t miss the underground B1 floor with supermarkets, groceries and some restaurants. Here you can also find a soft cream shop which sells a cone filled with 8 flavors for only 480 yen. Also Nakano Sunmall, connecting Nakano Broadway and Nakano station, is worth a closer look with all its shops.All in all, you can easily spend some hours at Nakano just looking through shops and discovering new, old and crazy things. In some places it is even cheaper than shopping in Akihabara. And, because it is one big complex, it is a perfect place for a rainy day in Tokyo. To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/G61Dz-shopping_tokyo_nakano-kuThu, 20 Apr 2017 09:25:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/G61Dz-shopping_tokyo_nakano-kuhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/wj24w-livingIn September 2013 I started my Working Holiday year in Tokyo. For sure, I needed a place to stay, but what is the best decision if you move to a country alone and don’t know how long you will stay at one place? I decided to stay at a share house, which became very common for foreigners. Here I'm gonna share some information and my experience with you.What is a share house?As the name share house is suggests it is a house where you share the facilities. Mostly you have a small private room. The other space is for use of all the residence together, including kitchen, shower room and bathroom. Often you also have a bigger room where you can come together, have a chat, watch tv and more.The good things about living at a share houseOne of the main reasons to chose a share house is that it (normally) is fully equipped. You don’t need to buy any furniture and don’t need to worry about what to do with your bed and desk when you move out. You also pay less than renting weekly or monthly mansions which are also furnished. Furthermore you can meet new people right away and you are not alone after arriving in Japan without having friends so far. You can exchange information about your experiences and probably can get help if you have problems with starting your new life in Japan. When you are a communicative person you will probably enjoy your time there.The bad things about living at a share houseHowever, the biggest problem at a share house, in my opinion, might be the people. They can be really nice and helpful, you can even become friends. However, you don’t know with whom you will live together. Some people are unreliable and don’t clean up the common area. Sometimes the characters don’t fit together and the situation inside the shared house can get really stressful. Before deciding about living in a share house, try to find out what kind of person you are and if you can handle different personalities and cultures. I also heard horror stories about share houses which are really huge buildings with many people, some partying through the night so you can’t get sleep. Or you may have such a small private room. Research online about such experiences at the share house you intend to live in. Share House companies in JapanLately the amount of companies offering rooms at share houses for foreigners is rising, especially in Tokyo. One of the most famous companies for this is SAKURA HOUSE. They are offering over 1,000 apartments, share house rooms & dormitory beds in Tokyo & Kyoto on their website – and they are making a lot of advertisements for this. For renting a room you just need to pay a deposit, there is no key money, agent fee or anything else which you often have to pay when renting a regular apartment in Japan. Multilingual staff members are working at the 7-days-open office in Shinjuku and even resident events are held around the year. Another share house company with an interesting concept is Borderless House. They are advertising living together with locals in a multicultural environment, offering houses not only in Japan, but also in Korea and Taiwan. Wouldn’t it be cool to live together with Japanese people and experience Japanese culture through this? Borderless House has 78 houses in Japan – take a look on their website to find out more. For sure, these are only two companies. There are many more, just recalling Oak House, Tokyo Roomfinder and Tokyo Sharehouse. Google can help you a lot on your search.My Share House experienceI decided to stay in a share house of Sakura House when I came to Japan in 2013. Since I don’t like interacting with unknown people so much, I was a little bit scared about my time there. Furthermore, I didn’t have any experience with cooking and I didn’t want anyone else to watch me while doing this. In the end, I rented a private room including a small kitchen corner inside a share house in Kita-Senju. Only five rooms are at this house and since every room had its own kitchen we only needed to share the toilet, shower and washing machine. I lived there for a bit over a month (because I then moved to an apartment with my now husband), but I rarely saw any other residents – only heard the one who often started washing his clothes after midnight when I tried starting to sleep… In the end, I enjoyed my stay there, however, it felt more like living in an apartment than living in a shared place.How about you, have you ever lived at a share house in Japan?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/wj24w-livingThu, 13 Apr 2017 18:11:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/wj24w-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/GBZYG-living_educationJapan is a country with many amazing things. Not only because of this more and more tourists come to Japan every year. They want to experience the traditional and modern specialties on their trips. One of these modern facilities is appearing in more and more cities in Japan: Trick Art Museums. Isn’t it cool to take some awesome photos on your trip? Here we go! Trick Art Museums are a perfect combination of art and amusement. The two-dimensional paintings in these facilities are created with an optical illusion technique which will make them look like 3D art. The human instinct normally wants to judge and observe things as they are, but trick art makes this complicated. On the first view of photos taken with trick art, the brain can’t decide if you are really touching a giraffe or are close to being eaten by a shark, because they look so realistic (if you are a good actor). So the art work can lead the brain to make mistaken judgments about what the eye observes. Isn’t this amazing?While visiting a Trick Art Museum you can experience many art works with this effect. Furthermore, some pictures will be seen in a different way if you change the angles of view. You should try it out and will definitely be impressed. Some other works have a hidden puzzle – for example finding animals in a landscape or guessing what will be seen in the lamp reflected from the table when you turn off the light. Our brain can make amazing things, you just need the chance to find this out. You can experience the illusion in a magical room which makes one of you look bigger or smaller. Or maybe let your friend look like your mirror image. The imagination knows no limits.Mainly the Trick Art Museums are split into several areas, so you can experience more than one topic at each facility. They all have their unique art works, however some might be similar. So, even if you visit more than one Trick Art Museum in Japan, you can always find something new.Normally, you will find a description to all art works in Japanese, English and sometimes Chinese. Some of these also include a sample picture with a pose you could make. However, you are free to choose whatever you want. Also, staff members are really helpful and teach you about the right angle for taking the perfect photo.If you want to visit a Trick Art Museum make sure you go there in a group, at least two people, so one can take the photo and the other one can pose. If it is not so crowded, staff members can help you, but it is recommended to take the photos by yourself. So don’t forget your camera or smartphone. The entrance fee varies between the locations, but mostly you have to pay 700 ~ 1300 Yen for adults. Students until middle-school-age pay a bit les and children up to three years are free of charge.Some Trick Art Museums in JapanBecause the most tourists come to Tokyo, the easiest to reach would be the Tokyo Trick Art Museum in Odaiba. You will find it in Decks Tokyo Beach Island Mall on 4th floor. Enjoy taking photos at the Edo Area or meet Japanese monsters at the Haunted Mansion. At the Trick Art Gallery you can find art work with animals, but also parodies of famous masterpieces.Just opened in September 2016, the Yokohama Trick Art Cruise is a new highlight of your visit to the harbor city. For sure, most of the art works inside have a harbor-theme. You can sit on a sofa with a seal, steal the treasure of a skeleton pirate, and go diving. There is a jungle area, too. The location inside the Yokohama Landmark Plaza is a good one, because it is just next to popular shops such as the Pokemon Center, JUMP Shop und Ghibli Store.Another museum is the Takao Trick Art Museum located at the foot of Mr. Takao close to Takaosanguchi Station. It already opened back in 1996 in the west of Tokyo which makes it one of the oldest Trick Art Museums. Here you can find a lot of Egypt-themed art works. Take cool photos at the Floating Palace or with animals at the Nature Park of Pharaoh. After or before your visit to Trick Art Museum Takao you can enjoy the nature of the mountain area. The Trick Art Pia Nikko is the largest site of these kinds of museums in Japan. It is divided into different corners including objects from famous world paintings and sculptures. You have the chance to take photos in a waterless aquarium, a cage-less zoo or inside an Egypt-themed area. Furthermore the Trick Art Pia Nikko is located close to the famous theme park Edo Wonderland.Here I have a list of Trick Art Museums in JapanTokyo Trick Art Museum (Odaiba)Trick Art Museum Mount Takao (Tokyo)Yokohama Trick Art CruiseArtrick Museum Yokohama DaskaTrick Art Museum Atami Trick Art Museum Kyu-KaruizawaTrick Art Pia NikkoYufuin Trick Art Meikyukan Museum (Oita)Nasu Trick Art Pia (Tochigi) Trick Art Museum NagoyaTrick Art Museum MatsushimaTo view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/GBZYG-living_educationThu, 23 Mar 2017 11:04:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/GBZYG-living_educationhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/G75WM-foodJapan is a country with many crazy things. And Japanese people often turn totally crazy when it comes up to different characters. Thinking of companies as San-X and Sanrio which are making tonnes of money with their characters like Hello Kitty, Rilakkuma and Co. Many people collect merchandise and want to have everything of their favorite characters. But also another idea in the money industry came up: why don’t we make special food with characters? For sure, character cafés also became a big hit, especially when they are only opened for a limited time. I am a big fan of themed cafés and love to visit them. Unfortunately they are often kind of expensive. However, sometimes the bigger problem, especially with time-limited character cafés, is to get inside. At some cafés you have to line up for hours, get time-tickets on the same day for a later time, or have to make a reservation already some weeks before going there. Today I will introduce you to some of the cafés that already finished, cafés that are running right now and cafés that will come in the future. The past character cafésIn the past I visited a lot character cafés. One of my favorites was the Pikachu to Pokemon Ongakutai Cafe (ピカチュウとポケモンおんがくたいカフェ) which was opened for a short time in summer 2015 in Ikebukuro, Tokyo. We visited it on a Saturday and the actual waiting time was 4 hours – and yes, I expected it! But don’t worry, we didn’t needed to line up for 4 hours. We got a time ticket and could go shopping or do anything else until our time was coming. They offered three main dishes, three desserts, two small dishes and four drinks – all designed in Pokemon style. Prices ranged between ¥ 500 and ¥ 1,580. We had a Melon Soda, a Pikachu Parfait, a Pokeball Pizza and a Banana Cake Omelette. Everything was really delicious and the staff members also entertained us by dancing to a Pokemon song.Another character café I recently visited was the Korilakkuma Café（コリラックマカフェ）in Harajuku, which was opened from December 2016 to the middle of February 2017. For this café you needed to make an online reservation which already made you pay a fee of ¥ 648 for each person. However, we got a small gift while our visit then. So, I book seats for January, in the middle of November. Especially at such limited-cafés weekends and holidays are booked out very quickly. The café was designed beautifully and filled with plush toys. We had two character drinks, two main dishes and one sweet dessert. Everything was very delicious and I enjoyed my stay there very much.The current character cafésSome cafés are opened for a long time. One of these is the Hello Kitty Café I visited at Himeji. A café with super cute design and a few different dishes. Definitely worth a stop by while visiting the famous Himeji Castle. There is another Café de Miki with Hello Kitty in Tokyo, too. You can find it at Odaiba. A more traditional one is the Hello Kitty Tea House (はろうきてぃ茶寮) in Kyoto. Here you can find maccha drinks, different main dishes and traditional sweets. Also the atmosphere is very special for a café within Kyoto’s famous tourist areas.A time-limited character café which just opened this month is the Gudetama Café (カフェ ぐでたま×デザート王国) in Yokohama. In combination with a sweets buffet restaurant you can choose one of size Gudetama dishes, one Gudetama drink and furthermore have an all-you-can-drink-and-eat possibility with pasta, potatoes, salad and sweets. It costs ¥ 1990 for adults for one hour. However, the collaboration will only last until May 7th.One more long-time character café is the PomPomPurin Café in Harajuku, which is situated at Takeshita Street and was opened in 2014. You can also take a look inside the café auréole d’ange in Osaka which is cooperating with Rilakkuma since September 2016 which has changing seasonal dishes.The upcoming cafésFor sure, there is no end to character cafés. Especially if they are time-limited there is always space for a new one in the future. So not much time will pass until a new Pokemon, Rilakkuma, Hello Kitty café will be opened. One I am looking forward to go is the Detective Conan Café which will be in Harajuku from March 30th to May 31th 2017, because I couldn't visit it in 2016. This time it is situated at the same place as the Korilakkuma Café and has the same reservation system. Already now all weekends and Golden Week holidays are completely booked out.There will be even more Detective Conan Cafés all over Japan.That’s it! I hope you enjoyed my article. How about you – have you ever visited ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------If you are interested, here are the links to all the cafés:- Café de Miki with Hello Kitty //Hello Kitty Tea House Kyoto- Korilakkuma Cafe // auréole d'ange in Osaka- Gudetama Café (Osaka and limited time cafe information)- PomPomPurin Café- Detective Conan CaféTo view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/G75WM-foodTue, 14 Mar 2017 18:28:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/G75WM-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/M988w-foodAs every year Starbucks Japan released their sakura products just two weeks ago. This year they have the Sakura Blossom Cream Frappuccino and the Sakura Blossom Cream Latte. For sure I tried them and they tasted really nice. As their name says they are creamy, topped with a maple sauce-flavoured whipped cream, pink-colored chocolate flakes and small pink rice cracker balls. A pretty nice combination in my opinion. I personally like the Sakura Blossom Cream Latte better than the Frappuccino.The prices rank from ¥ 530 to ¥ 650 for the Frappuccino and ¥ 430 to ¥ 550 for the Latte. But if you want to try them hurry up. The sakura products are limited until March 14th. Furthermore they also have a Sakura Chiffon Cake which costs ¥ 380. However, for me, the taste was not so special. It is topped with a salty cherry blossom what felt a bit strange while eating. Japan really has interesting food combinations, doesn’t it?Who wants to have one of the sakura goods like tumblers, cups, glasses and more should be quickly. Many things of the first line “Harmony Collection” are already sold out. On March 1st the second line “Purity” will be released. How about you? Did you try any of the Starbucks Sakura products?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/M988w-foodTue, 28 Feb 2017 14:28:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/M988w-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/MA2Nz-living_food_money_chiba_urayasu-shiAs many things are seasonal changing in Japan, also Tokyo Disney Resort has changing events all over the year. At the moment the special event “Anna and Elsa’s Frozen Fantasy” is hold at Tokyo Disneyland. I visited there on February 11th and want to give you a small impression what is so special right now.According to the name “Anna and Elsa’s Frozen Fantasy” this event is themed to the famous Disney movie Frozen and you can find a unique parade, decorations, food and more of it. Notice, the event is only held from January 13 to March 17 this year.1) Frozen Forever – the highlight of this year’s event. At nighttime a projection lights up Cinderella Castle with famous scenes out of the movie telling a story about Anna and Elsa. Music is played and snow will fall down while even fireworks are shown in the air.2) Frozen Fantasy Parade – Disneyland is well known for its parades and certainly there is a special parade while this event. See Anna, Elsa and their friends driving through the park on big floats and enjoy the atmosphere.3) Anna and Elsa’s Winter Greeting – a show for only children. The villagers of Arendelle will teach them a dance and later Anna, Elsa and Olaf join them to perform the famous song “Let it go” together.4) Food and merchandise – Japan is famous for themed-food and for sure there have to be some themed food at this event. A special buffet is offered for ¥ 3,090 which is quite expensive. But don’t worry there are some other cheaper food sets and snack available inside the different restaurants all over Disneyland. And don’t forget to take a look into the merchandise shops – many new goods of Frozen characters have been released for this event.5) Decoration – all over the park you can find decoration referring to Frozen. Find Olaf smelling on flowers or little snowmen playing around. Keep your eyes open! If you are a fan of Frozen you should definitely try to go there and be a child for one day (^_~)Ready for a photo spam? Here we go!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/MA2Nz-living_food_money_chiba_urayasu-shiWed, 22 Feb 2017 09:23:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/MA2Nz-living_food_money_chiba_urayasu-shihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/MgZmw-food_shoppingWhen you are at the supermarket, have you ever noticed there are different sorts of KitKats? Did you even notice they change seasonally? Actually, Japanese people are really crazy for KitKat and there are not only a few different sorts, there are MANY different sorts. Let’s take a look at the KIT KAT MANIA.KitKat was introduced to Japan in 1973, but as we know the Japanese people, it didn’t stay with a normal milk chocolate taste. Japanese people are creative when it comes to food and sweets and so within the over 40 years of KitKat in Japan more than 300 versions have been released.But how could KitKat become so popular in Japan? At least one reason is its name itself. KitKat is often pronounced as “kitto katto” in Japanese which sounds like “you will surely win" (きっと勝つ kitto katsu). Because of this the chocolate snack is seen as a lucky charm. Many people use it to get cheered up for university entry exams. Even special versions of KitKat are sold for this season of the year when special words are printed on the chocolate.The regular versions of KitKatThere are some versions of KitKat you can find all over the year in Japan. These are the regular milk-chocolate KitKat and a bitter chocolate version. For sure, it wouldn’t be Japan if there wasn't a Maccha KitKat version which looks pretty good in green and really tastes like green tea. Another version you can often find is strawberry KiKat. The new KitKat Luxury Every Day also seems to stay for a longer time. Mainly these packs with 12 chocolate bars inside are available at supermarkets and drugstores and cost around 200 to 400 Yen.The seasonal versions of KitKatJapan is famous for the time-limited products which are only sold within specific times a year. For sure, this also goes with KitKat. Every year they have new ideas and release new products changing with the seasons. But take care, mainly you can have them only once and soon after the seasonal change they disappear – and won’t come back. However, as example for an always-coming-back version you can see Pumpkin KitKat around two months before Halloween. There are some sorts of Yaki-KitKat which you can bake inside the oven, coming up regularly with different tastes. Some seasonal versions are:Rasberry, Vanilla Ice, Sweet Potato, Baked Cheese Cake, Ginger and even more...Fun fact: the Japan Post is releasing a special designed KitKat every year for New Year’s greeting. However, it’s just a special look for the regular milk chocolate KitKat.The regional versions of KitKatHere you can find another reason why KitKat is so popular in Japan. The tradition of Omiyage lets people buy regional-limited products on their trips – why not to choose a regional KitKat? But don’t worry, you don’t need to travel everywhere to try the regional versions. Sometimes you also can find them at duty free shops and Don Quijote stores. The regional versions mostly include some special products of the area, just like apples from Shinshu area, Maccha from Uji or Momiji from Hiroshima. Mainly it is a box of 12 KitKat Minis which costs 800 Yen (+ tax). Sometimes smaller packs with five chocolate bars are also available.Here you can see the recent regional versions which you also can find on the Nestle website. But don’t worry, there are even more versions.Tokyo – Rum Raisin Yokohama –Strawberry Cheese CakeShizuoka & Kanto area – Tamauya Honten WasabiNagano – Shinshu AppleTochigi – Tochi-Otome StrawberryKanto Hokuriku area – Azuki SandwichKyoto – Itokyuemon Uji MacchaKyoto – Itokyuemon Roasted TeaKobe - Kobe PuddingHiroshima – Momiji ManjuKyushu – Amaou StrawberryKyushu & Okinawa – Purple SweetpotatoKyushu & Okinawa – Green Tea of KumamotoAlso added to the local souvenirs are the Sake flavoured KitKat and Strawberry Cheese Cake KitKat which have a special box design. The last one looks like Japan’s famous Mount Fuji. You mainly can find these at the Kanto area. The airport versions of KitkatEspecially for foreign tourists, there are big boxes of KitKat which you only can get at the airport. These include ten smaller boxes each with three KitKats inside. That’s why it is perfect to take it home and present them to friends. Sure, sometimes you also can find them at other places. One example, which versions you mainly find at Haneda airport, you can see on the picture below. There they have Japanese Strawberry, Hokkaido Red Bean, Sakura Maccha and Uji Green Tea. Lately, they also added Hokkaido Melon with Mascarpone Cheese which is pretty delicious. So, take your chance to get these boxes at the airport.KitKat ChocolatoryFrom 2014 the KitKat Mania went on with special shops which only sell exclusive KitKat versions. By now there are nine KitKat Chocolatory stores all over Japan, however four of the stores are located in Tokyo. The other you can find in Osaka, Kyoto, Nagoya, Fukuoka and Sapporo. At these stores you can find KitKat Sublime versions, special fruit versions and gift boxes. They even have an online shop. Check out the website here.- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - How about you – are you going with the KitKat Mania in Japan? Have you tried different KitKat versions? Which do you like best?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/MgZmw-food_shoppingWed, 15 Feb 2017 14:28:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/MgZmw-food_shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/zKR1M-foodI don’t like sea food. It is simply because I don’t like the taste and the consistency of the most things out of the water. Most of my friends know about this, but if I tell other people in my home-country that I’m living in Japan without eating fish and other seafood they are shocked. They don’t believe a life without seafood is possible in Japan. But it is – it is even pretty easy for me, because there are a lot of other dishes I love to eat. Therefore, in this article I present you my TOP 10 favorite Japanese dishes as a non-seafood-eater.# 01 Okonomiyaki (お好み焼き)Okonomiyaki is often called the “Japanese pizza”. Actually, it is a pancake-like main dish with the main base made out of cabbage, flour and eggs. Literally the name means “grill what you like” so you are free to include any ingredients. I often mix the main base with carrots, corn, cheese, ham, mochi, … It’s your choice!! On top you put a special Okonomiyaki sauce and mayonnaise. If you order it at a restaurant, take care they are not putting Katsuobushi (bonito flakes) as topping if you don’t eat fish. Did you know there is even a Hiroshima version of Okonomiyaki? The way of grilling is a bit different and they even at soba noodles. Pretty delicious!!# 02 Tonkatsu (豚カツ)Tonkatsu is a Japanese dish originated in the 19th century. It consists of a deep-fried pork cutlet and is often served with shredded cabbage, rice and miso soup. Sometimes you also find it in sandwiches or combined with curry. I also like the Katsudon (カツ丼) version, when the Tonkatsu is mixed with egg laying on a bowl of rice.# 03 Yakisoba (焼きそば)Yakisoba is a pretty easy Japanese dish consisting out of fried soba noodles. Especially if you want to have a quick meal at home, Yakisoba is fine for it. Here you also can freely mix what you like. I often add pork, cabbage, green paprika, bean sprouts and carrots. All is grilled in a pan and flavored with yakisoba sauce. I rarely eat Yakisoba outside, only at summer festivals like fireworks. If you buy it there, also take care of Aonori and Katsuobushi.# 04 Oyakodon (親子丼)Coming from the name “parent and child bowl” here you mix chicken meat and egg with some other ingredients. All is cooked and then served on top of a large bowl of rice. Oyakodon was invited in a Tokyo restaurant in 1891.# 05 Ramen (ラーメン)Many people say Ramen are actually coming from China. Some other says it is invited in Japan. But who cares – most important is that this soup with noodles and other ingredients such as pork, green onions and boiled egg is delicious. In Japan you can find a lof of different sorts of ramen especially regional versions. As a non-seafood-eater you have to take care with this dish. Some restaurants make the broth out of fish. For me this is still ok, because it doesn’t really taste like fish when it is mixed with soy sauce or miso. But if you already have a problem with this, ask the restaurant stuff first. They also often put Nori and Wakame as topping, so tell them you don’t like it.# 06 Udon (うどん)Udon are thick wheat flour noodles which are often served as noodle soup. However, there are many ways of serving this dish. You can have them cold or hot with different toppings. I like to eat them as Kitsune Udon with deep-fried tofu or as cold Zaru Udon. Also eating Udon with curry is a great combination.# 07 Curry (カレー)So, here we are with the Japanese curry which is one of the most popular dishes in Japan. Here you can find many different ingredients, too, starting with the meat where pork, beef and chicken are common. Also potatoes, onions and carrots are often added. Normally you eat curry with rice, but there are even some other versions nowadays with Udon or bread. If you want to eat Curry at a restaurant, I totally can recommend CoCoIchi, a super famous curry chain restaurant.# 08 Omurice (オムライス)Omurice is a great combination of Western and Japanese cuisine. On the one side you have a Western omelette which is filled with Japanese fried rice. The taste of the rice can differ, but often it is flavored with ketchup. Also as topping ketchup is common, but also other sauces can be used.# 09 Gyoza (餃子)This time there is no question that Gyoza originally come from China, however, taste and consistence are slightly different to the Chinese original. Gyoza are dumplings often filled with meat and vegetables. In Japan you can pan-fried, steamed, boiled or deep fried versions. # 10 Soba (そば)One of the main dishes in Japan are Soba, buckwheat noodles. You can find them in a variety of settings: as inexpensive fast food at train stations, but also as expensive specialty in restaurants. They are served in wide variety of hot and cold dishes coming close to the Udon versions.This was the list of my TOP 10 Japanese dishes as a non-seafood-eater. I hope you enjoyed it. For sure there are even more such dishes in Japan – Yakiniku, Yakitori, Karaage, Kyudon, Pizza, Burger, … - but the list is already long enough.Are there dishes or ingredients you don’t like or can’t eat? What are your favorite Japanese dishes?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/zKR1M-foodWed, 08 Feb 2017 09:08:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/zKR1M-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/zDnxw-education_tokyo_chuo-kuHave you ever heard about Ukiyo-e (浮世絵)? It is a famous art genre of Japan between the 17th through 19th centuries and you probably already have seen some of the wooden print pictures.Last Friday, on 28th January, a new exhibition opened in Tokyo which is called スーパー浮世絵 江戸の秘密 Super Ukiyo-e: The Edo Code. Here you don’t find an ordinary exhibition with framed picture on the wall. For this exhibition around 20,000 Ukiyo-e prints have been digitized and animated. They are presented in videos on big screens in single rooms and give you an impression of the old Edo area. You can see busy people at Nihonbashi, the different fashion of Edo residents through the year and how it looks like at a Kabuki theater. Even ghosts and monsters will appear. Fuji will be covered behind big waves and Geisha and Oiran will walk through the streets next to you.The exhibition is stretched over 3 floors and you can spend some time watching the animated art while sitting on small stools. Even photography is permitted so you can take memories of the exhibition with you back home. The location is just a few minutes from Kayabacho station. Day tickets costs 1600 yen, but you can save a few yen if you buy tickets at Lawson. A restaurant is opened together with the exhibition, too, but it is a bit pricy.How about English? At the website you find some English translations and also at the beginning of the exhibition the opening words and introduction are written down in both languages. Later this changes: audio and picture descriptions are only available in Japanese.You have the chance to visit this exciting exhibition until 21st May 2017.Take a look to the official website for more information.Here are some more impressions of the exhibition.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/zDnxw-education_tokyo_chuo-kuWed, 01 Feb 2017 12:21:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/zDnxw-education_tokyo_chuo-kuhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/wZ0qz-living_osaka_osaka-shi_konohana-kuAs I mentioned in my Christmas theme post before, we went to Osaka as a short trip for Christmas. On our second day there we visited the Universal Studios Japan (USJ). For sure many other people had the same plan, so the theme park was pretty crowded this day. But how is it like to be at USJ at Christmas time?Our first way brought us to the Harry Potter area. To enter, you need to get a timed entry ticket first for which we had to line up. Luckily, we could already enter the area around half an hour later. The magical village Hogsmeade was decorated with Christmas ornaments and it looked very beautiful with the fake snow on the roof tops. However, this was the only “Christmas special” at Harry Potter area we could see. We lined up for an hour to ride the Hogwarts rollercoaster, bought a souvenir, took some photos and went back to the main area.Around the park Christmas music was played around you all the time what really brought you into Christmas mood. The buildings had Christmas ornaments on their walls, too, and for sure, a huge colorful Christmas tree was set up in the park. Some unique Christmas dishes were offered at the different restaurants (however, we went to the Minions restaurant).Four special Christmas shows were held all around the day. We first watched “Santa’s Magical Surprise"which was held at the big stage close to the Christmas tree. The USJ characters like Elmo, Hello Kitty and Snoppy were preparing everything for Santa together with their friends. The show includes a lot of music and watchers were animated to dance. The around 25 minutes show was really fun. In the evening the shows “The Voice of an Angel” and “Joy of Lights” were held. Indeed, people were already waiting and reserving places for theses shows up to three hours before. That’s pretty crazy. We have been to a restaurant before the start of the first show, because it was cold and we were exhausted. When we came out to watch the show, the waiting crowd was so huge, we hardly could see anything. I have a good video camera, with this we could at least guess what is happening at the stage. At the end, the Christmas tree was lightening up with a firework – this was very touching moment. But we decided there is no meaning in watching the next show from such a distance. It was a great and memoriable day we spent at USJ on Christmas Eve, however, if you have a chance you should go there on another day. We just rode one rollercoaster (at Harry Potter area), because most others had waiting times of over two hours. But we could enjoy the some shows and Minions stuff. The Christmas event is held for several weeks before Christmas and even some time after. So it’s enough time to visit it on non-holiday-days.____________________________________________________________________________If you want to see more of out day at USJ - I uploaded a video on my Youtube channel. English subtitle is available.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/wZ0qz-living_osaka_osaka-shi_konohana-kuTue, 17 Jan 2017 11:05:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/wZ0qz-living_osaka_osaka-shi_konohana-kuhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/z4e9G-living_food_tokyo_bunkyo-kuEvery year in the beginning middle of January a special festival is held in Tokyo. The FURUSATO MATSURI (ふるさと祭り) is a festival about traditional perfomances and food from all over Japan. I visited it last year and want to give you some information.Because the festival is located at Tokyo Dome where is a lot of space for presentation. Inside you will find several stalls selling you a variety of food and drinks from the different Japanese prefectures. You have the chance to try Yakimanju from Takasaki and Oyakodon from Akita at one place – isn’t this great? Japanese people love to travel around and eat regional food, that’s why food is very important within this event.Another big point are the festivals (matsuri) held in the different areas of Japan. Some of these are present every year and the schedule is changing nearly every day while the event (the reason I visited the festival for two days). You can see a part of famous festivals like the Nebuta Matsuri (ねぶた祭り) in which a colorful lighted float is carried through the stage area including music and dancers. However, also other festivals are presented often connected to dance performances. If you don’t have the chance to watch a certain festival at the origin area, maybe you at least can get a feeling of it in Tokyo.My personal highlights are the prefecture mascots meeting up at the festival. Often you need to travel to all these areas to have a chance to meet the mascots - but now you have them all at one place. Be sure they appear only on a few days while the festival. With some of them you even have the chance to take a memorial photo.So, if you come to be in Tokyo around the festival time, I totally recommend going there. The ticket prices around ¥ 1,600 on weekend and ¥ 1,300 on weekdays. There is also an evening ticket for ¥ 1,100 which allows you to enter after 4 p.m., but be sure you gonna miss a part of the program with this. Better visit the Furusato Matsuri on a weekday, because it is a little bit less crowded. The festival is held from 7th to 15th January this year.I made a video about my visit to Furusato Matsuri. You can watch it with English subtitles on YouTube. The video of the second day I visited the festival will follow soon on my YouTube account.For more information you can visit the Official Website (Japanese) or the English Website of the festival. Have you ever been to such events?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/z4e9G-living_food_tokyo_bunkyo-kuTue, 10 Jan 2017 17:08:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/z4e9G-living_food_tokyo_bunkyo-kuhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/MqyOM-living_food_shoppingThe beginning of the New Year is celebrated everywhere in the world. And every country has its own traditions. For sure Japan has its special ways to celebrate the beginning of a New Year, too. It’s one of the most important times in the year, where a lot of Japanese workers have days off and can spend their time with family. Get to know some of Japan’s traditions in my article today.Traditional food around New Year in JapanDo you have special food you always eat around New Year? In my home country Germany lately people come up with making food on raclette grill for New Year’s Eve and eating carp on New Year’s Day. In Japan you also have some food which belongs to the New Year’s time. Starting with Toshikoshi Soba (年越しそば) or also called year-crossing noodle. These buckwheat noodles are likely to be eaten on New Year’s Eve and should bring long life as well as health and energy for the upcoming year. The costume and name with this is a bit different from area to area.Also very important food in Japanese New Year is Osechi Ryōri (御節料理) which normally is served in bento-like wooden boxes. The dishes inside the Osechi each have a special meaning. For example: Kuromame (黒豆), simmered black soybeans, are standing for health and sake steamed shrimps go for a long life. Earlier house wives made Osechi Ryori by themselves, however, now it’s also common to buy a prepared box at special shops or departments. Countdown Events at New Year’s EveWhat would be New Year’s Eve without an amazing firework? But wait – stop! In Japan – the country famous for their colorful and beautiful fireworks in summer – is exactly like this. When all other countries around the world start the New Year with wonderful artworks in the sky, Japan traditionally starts it in silence. If you want to see a firework on 31st December, it might get hard to find one, but probably you are lucky around Odaiba, the American base in Yokosuka or Tokyo Disneyland.However, for people who don’t want to sit at home with their families and watch the famous music program Kōhaku Uta Gassen ( 紅白歌合戦) on TV, there are also some countdown events around the big towns. In Shibuya the famous scramble crossing was closed for cars this time, so people could celebrate around there. Some musicians hold New Year’s Eve concerts, just noticing Ayumi Hamasaki who’s Countdown Live concerts are sold out every time since more than 10 years.For sure, you also can celebrate into the New Year in theme parks like Tokyo Disneyland or Universal Studios Japan which are opening their doors over night for this special date. Just prepare to get your tickets for this as soon as possible.Another alternative is the Chinatown in Yokohama. You can hear firecrackers blow up the silence, around Kanteibyo Temple lion dancers make their performances and locals sell food and drinks on the street. The first shrine visit of the New YearAt Buddhist temples the New Yyear starts with 108 bell rings which are symbol for the 108 human sins in Buddhist belief. With the bell ringing it is believed to get rid of the 108 worldly desires regarding sense and feeling. This process is called Joyanokane (除夜の鐘). The reason you can find big crowds of people at shrines and temples around midnight.Many connect this event with the first shrine visit of the year, which is called Hatsumode (初詣). Normally, you should make your prayers for the New Year within the first two days of January, but still after this time at least famous shrines like the Meiji Jingu are still crowded. It is a good time to get new Omikuji (御神籤), fortune telling papers, which will tell you how the New Year will be going for you. And don’t forget to get new Omamori (御守), Japanese amulets which will protect you.Let’s go shopping! Hatsuuri and FukubukuroSo, enough traditional things now. Certainly also department stores want to make money around this time. Some shops are still closed on 1st January (for sure, not all), but latest on 2nd January the famous Hatsuuri (初売り) starts. At the so called “first sale” of the year many shops give pretty big discounts. Some other sell Fukubukuro (福袋) which are lucky bags, filled with unknown items but mostly worth twice or three times the money you have spent for them. Many people line up at department stores early in the morning to get started into the New Year with the best bargain.And even more…For sure there are even more Japanese traditions about New Year, but it will get too much to write everything down here. Just saying words like Otoshidama (お年玉), Nengajo (年賀状), mochi making and Kadomatsu (門松). Probably topics for next year.With this, I wish you all a happy New Year! あけましておめでとうございます！Have you ever spend New Year’s time in Japan? What are you experiences?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/MqyOM-living_food_shoppingMon, 09 Jan 2017 09:05:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/MqyOM-living_food_shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/Mn0JG-livingLooking back on 2016, this year was a pretty great one for me. I started it in Japan, celebrating the New Year’s Eve at a big concert hall with around 10.000 other people together with my favorite musician Ayumi Hamasaki. Back then, I was on my New Year’s trip to Japan which lasted three weeks. I got two more weeks to travel around, meet friends and experience the country.This trip ended with a proposal and much bureaucratic stuff to do for preparing our wedding. Luckily we could handle everything without any bigger trouble and so we got married in July in Germany. A great day with wonderful memories. Finished with this point, next was the process to get my visa for moving to Japan. The plan was to leave Germany in October, so less than three months after our wedding. For a German native like me, now the normal process would be going to the Japanese Embassy in Berlin, giving them all the required documents and getting a spouse visa for Japan. Actually, that was also the way I wanted to do it. However, I phoned the Embassy about my issue, because I first wanted to know which documents they need and how long it will take to get the visa. You know, I live over 250 kilometers away from the embassy, so I wanted to have everything with me when doing a one-day-trip there.My phone call ended up with the following information:“As German native it is ok to enter Japan on a tourist visa, which you will get for 90 days at the airport in Japan. With this you can go to the immigration office in Japan and change it into the spouse visa.”Ok, that seemed nice. I asked some other people on Facebook and some told me they went the same they. And because Japanese natives have the same rights in Germany, I didn’t see any problem. Everything should work out fine, I thought.I went to Japan on 9th October, already got the first small problems at the airport in Frankfurt. My booked flight back was nine month after my flight there and I didn’t have a visa. I told the staff of ANA airlines my situation and they accepted it. Actually, I read a blog entry of another person with same situation a while ago and ANA didn’t let him fly and he had to book another expensive flight. I was relieved they accepted my situation as it is and believed me I will get a visa inside Japan. Only their PC didn’t want to accept it. Around 10 minutes and two other ANA staff later they finally found out how to get my visa statues into their program, I got my flight ticket and everything was good.Shortly after arriving in Japan, my husband took a day off and we went to the Immigration Office in Yokohama, because we were living in Kanagawa prefecture. The way there was long and somehow I didn’t feel well that day. Probably my body already knew something will happen.With all our documents we went to the officer. He checked them and told us, it’s impossible to get a visa in Japan. 「これは無理です。」 I should go back to Germany as soon as possible and get my visa there from the Japanese Embassy. I was shocked. I told them what the Japanese Embassy told me. Another officer came to us, saying the same. I tried to discuss with them, however, this was not really possible, because of my poor Japanese knowledge. Furthermore the officers seemed to ignore what I was saying. For them it was clear: no visa, go back home and apply from there!I ended up crying, shocked, didn’t know what to do. That was tough…But we didn’t give up. I talked to some people on Facebook again, getting clear of the situation and getting told again that nobody had problems with this way of visa issuing before. We made the decision to first try everything else before I go back to Germany – because this would only cost useless money and time…Yokohama Immigration Office kept our documents to give us the Certificate of Eligibility (CoE). I got it around one month later by mail, getting told again in an information flyer that I should go back to my home country with this to apply for a visa.I didn’t. I went to the Immigration Office in Shinagawa, hoping they will tell me something else. I was so nervous on this day, I felt horrible. Luckily everything went well there. Nobody wanted me to return to Germany. It didn’t take an hour and we could leave the office again – me having my residence card as spouse of a Japanese national.Yokohama Immigration Office gave me a pretty tough moment this year and even Shinagawa staff was lightly confused when we told them what happened there. Even I live in Kanagawa prefecture now, I decided to not go to this office again – there is another one around here at Tachikawa which I want to try for renewal next time. To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/Mn0JG-livingMon, 02 Jan 2017 17:05:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/Mn0JG-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/zKrKM-living_food_kanagawa_yokohama-shiLast weekend my husband and I went to Yokohama – first for getting some Shinkansen tickets, second for doing some Christmas shopping and third: to visit the Christmas market in Yokohama.As you may know there are some Christmas markets held around Japan right now. One is situated at Yokohama's Red Brick Warehouse, the so called Akarenga (赤レンガ倉庫). This year is already the 6th year in a row the event taking place there. It's held from 26th November to 25th December 2016. For me as German native I'm used to visit Christmas markets in my home country more than once every year. So also the tradition of Christmas markets original comes from Europe. In Yokohama you can find German-styled Christmas market with pretty nice looking huts having Christmas figures like Santa Claus and snow men on their roof. Even some snow was brought there this year and someone built a quickly melting snowman close to the entrance. For sure you also could find a big Christmas tree there which was shining in bright lights. People were lining up for taking a memorial picture in front of it.At the stalls they were selling food and drinks – some typical and not so typical stuff for a German-styled Christmas market. You even could buy some (super expensive) Christmas ornaments if you want.They had sausages, schnitzel, Christmas cake (Stollen) and more. For sure you could drink hot wine (Glühwein) in different tastes like the traditional red hot wine, but also white wine version or apple one. I decided for the apple version within a super small papercup. Indeed, be prepared you might need to wait in long lines if you want to buy something. That’s why we ended up without eating something there…There is no entrance fee, however, the prices of food and drinks alone are expensive enough in my opinion. If you want to go there: the Christmas market is opened from 11 am to 11 pm every day until 25th December, light up starts from 4 pm. Find more information (in Japanese) on the official website.If you finished looking around the stalls you can go ice skating at Art Rink. It’s directly next to the Christmas market and will stay there until 19th February 2017. As adult you need to pay 500 yen for entering the ice rink and additional 500 yen for rental skates. To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/zKrKM-living_food_kanagawa_yokohama-shiSat, 17 Dec 2016 19:47:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/zKrKM-living_food_kanagawa_yokohama-shihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/wjbmw-living_food_moneyEvery year you come up with the same problem: what shall we do for Christmas? For me, coming from Germany, it was never a big deal because in Germany you normally have 3 days off for Christmas and mostly spend all the time with your family. But in Japan, Christmas is not a family festival – this will be one week later at New Year. In Japan Christmas is more a special day for couples and for little children. You don’t even have the Christmas days off. 24th and 25th December are normal working days, so if you are unlucky you gonna spend the day at work. At least the day before Christmas is a public holiday, even if it’s not for Christmas – it’s the Emperor’s birthday. But who cares if you can have a day off?My little Christmas in Japan so farActually, it’s only the second time for me to spend Christmas in Japan this year. I often made trips to Japan for New Year’s Holidays and arrived herea few days after Christmas. But I’ve been here for Christmas in 2013 while my Working Holiday, already three years ago. Let’s have a little flash back!In 2013 Christmas Eve was on a Tuesday, my boyfriend and I had to work. We ended up with nothing special, just having the traditional food of the Japanese Christmas Eve: fried chicken and a Christmas cake. Japanese people often get the fried chicken from KFC, you also can make preorders for it several weeks before Christmas. We just got normal fried chicken from the supermarket nearby. The cake was a tiny delicious strawberry shortcake which I enjoyed very much. So no special activities – we had to work again the next day anyway.Back to the topic: What will we do for Christmas this year?My (now) husband and I had a talk about Christmas around two weeks ago. Thanks to the calendar we gonna have three days off this Christmas, so we both decided we should do something special and not just sit around at home. But what? We had a few ideas which we could choose from: 1)Romantic Christmas dinner 2)Go out to see illuminations or Christmas markets 3)Make a trip somewhere 4)Go to Disneyland or another amusement parkLet’s take a closer look to all the choices. What would be your favorite?1)Romantic Christmas dinnerGoing out together with my husband for a little more expensive dinner was a pretty nice idea. We didn’t really visit a fancy restaurant so far – only kind of this at a French-styled hotel in Nikko over one year ago which had around 5 courses for dinner. However, I’m a little bit difficult with food and on Christmas Eve, for sure, all restaurants are even more expensive just because it’s Christmas. Maybe we should do this some other time a year, maybe for wedding anniversary.2) Go out to see illuminations or Christmas marketsWinter time is illumination time in Japan. Everywhere you can find tons of lights and it’s simply beautiful. Having a walk around with your loved one is really romantic – maybe also good for a date on Christmas. But luckily the most light ups will stay until February, so let us keep this up for another time. Another option is visiting one of the Christmas markets which are held at some places around Japan. For me as German Christmas market really belongs to Christmas: having hot wine, some delicious food, decorated sheds around you and even some snow. Ok, at least the first three you can get easily around Tokyo. I really like the Christmas market at Akarenga, Yokohama. Even so I have to handle with the high prices at Christmas markets in Japan when I know the prices of everything is in my home country – and I already think it’s expensive in Germany! However, we gonna go there before Christmas and not on Christmas Eve itself.3) Make a trip somewhereI really love onsen and my husband found out about a cat ryokan at the onsen prefecture Oita. We thought about making a short trip where, but when taking a look to some flight websites, we were shocked about the high prices around Christmas and New Year. Also the ryokan was booked out for our preferred date. If you want to make a trip somewhere you should probably prepare some months before. So, no trip with an airplane somewhere for us. 4) Go to Disneyland or another amusement parkMy husband knows how much I like amusement parks. And we haven’t been to Disney Resort for two years. So how about celebrating Christmas with Mickey and Minnie? However, there are a lot more amusement parks around Tokyo and all over Japan. It’s also great to visit Yomiuri Land or Sagamiko Resort with their own illumination paradises, which are really romantic. However, with this we are back to point 2.For this year, we ended up with a mix of all the points. We gonna make a 2-days-trip to Osaka from 23th to 24th December. On the first day we want to go to Rilakkuma Café in Osaka and watch some illumination around the city. The other day we will visit the Universal Studios Japan and go back to Yokohama in the night, to have Christmas Cake at home on 25th. I’m looking forward to these three days.Hope you all gonna spend a lovely Christmas time!　☆彡To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/wjbmw-living_food_moneyFri, 09 Dec 2016 12:04:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/wjbmw-living_food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/MgQKG-food_fashion_education_tokyo_shibuya-kuOn the last weekend of November the Moshi Moshi Nippon Festival 2016 was held at the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium (Tokyo Taiikukan, 東京体育館). There you could experience some of Japanese pop-culture and some traditional Japan. And most of all: the entry is free for all foreigners!!The event was held for public on Saturday and Sunday. On both days there were music acts, Saturday was a little bit more exclusive with some Japanese models. However, I went there on Sunday to see the performance of famous Kyary Pamyu Pamyu at the evening. A list of the complete line-up and the timetable you can find on the Moshi Moshi Nippon website.Already outside of the Tokyo Taiikukan you could find a lot of stuff. They had a food area with different food to try out. Surely, the prices were not really cheap. Some of the sponsors had information booths. On a small stage DJs and girlgroups were performing. You had the chance to climb on two robots of Shinjuku's Robot Restaurant which were exhibited there. Also Mari Car was there, which makes it possible to go through Tokyo by go-kart costumized as Super Mario characters. At the booth you could take photos inside costumes or reserve a go-kart tour.But let's take a look inside the hall. First you have to get your wristband which allows you to go in and outside as often as you want. As foreigner you could register before online and just needed to show a QR code at reception. Or you simply fill out a form with your data at the venue. Japanese have to buy a ticket for ¥ 2,990 at the ticket counter.Inside you could experience a lot of things. Getting dressed into a kimono or lolita dress and taking photos or making some special origami and so on. I especially liked the Oiran - a beautiful Japanese courtesan. Taking photos at some booths and uploading it to your SNS account made you get some stuff for free like a printed version of the photo or small goods. At kawaii room you got a bag with Japanese beauty products after filling out a survey. You also could try flying a drone or play Resident Evil with VR. All was pretty interesting.While not so many people were around in the afternoon, it got pretty crowded at the evening when performances of CAPSULE and KYARY PAMYU PAMYU were held. Many fans went there and enjoyed the short shows which lasted around 25 minutes each.Because the event welcomes many foreigners at nearly every booth at least one staff spoke English. Some bilingual stuff were also walking around the venue. You can get a lot stuff for free from the sponsors, so we ended up with Aeon x Gudetama shopping bags, vegetarian instant ramen, a lot of stickers and even some discount coupons we can use in the future.The festival was held third time now and will probably take place again next year. So if you are in Japan at the end of November, don't miss it. You can get a lot of stuff for free!!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/MgQKG-food_fashion_education_tokyo_shibuya-kuTue, 06 Dec 2016 10:07:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/MgQKG-food_fashion_education_tokyo_shibuya-kuhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/MnXRG-educationAs you may know: being good at Japanese language is important for living in Japan. To find out about your Japanese skills there is a test called Japanese-Language Proficiency Test (日本語能力試験) or shortly JLPT.The JLPT takes place twice a year - once at the begining of July and once at the begining of December - in Japan and a lot of other countries. The test has five different levels, starting from N5 as lowest and N1 has highest level. Mostly, if you want to go to Japanese university or want to work at a Japanese company, you need to have passed at least N2 level. What this means, you can see in this table (info from Wikipedia)So this is what you need on Kanji and vocabulary for each level:N12.000 kanji + 10.000 vocabularyN21.000 kanji + 6.000 vocabularyN3650 kanji + 3.000 vocabularyN4320 kanji + 1.500 vocabularyN5120 kanji + 800 vocabularyI applied for N4 level and the test will take place on Sunday. I'm kind of nervous and worried if I can make it. Sure, compared to the 2.000 kanji and 10.000 vocabulary you need to reach N1 level, the 320 kanji and 1.000 vocabulary don't look much. But they are!! Especially if you are learning Japanese by yourself without a teacher or a language school.Luckily there are some books you can use for studying. So mainly, I made this post to show which books I used for preparation *laugh*First there is a book series called Nihongo Challenge (にほんごチャレンジ) which I enjoyed to use. Unfortunately I can't finish all the books before the test. I have the three books for N4 Grammar and Reading practice (文法と読む練習), N4 Vocabulary (ことば) and N4-5 Kanji (かんじ). All books costs between 1,200 ~ 1,400 yen (+tax) and include explanations, practise tasks and solutions.Another book I got interested into when I saw it in the books store is 日本語能力試験対策Ｎ４漢字・語彙・文法 ２０日間で合格力を身につける！ It includes many tasks in the sections kanji, vocabulary and grammar which have the same structure as the JLPT test. At the end of the book you also can find some test examples where you can find out if you are ready for the test. Even so the book costs 1,500 yen (+tax) I can totally recommend it. I enjoyed practising with this book.I also used the Offical JLPT Practice Workbook N4. With only 700 yen (+tax) it's cheap, but there is only one full test inside you can practise with. It's good to get to know the structure of the whole test and how the test sheets will look like. Here also you can try out the listening part, because a CD is included. I wasn't so bad with this test - hope it will be good at the real one, too.My last book, is a book I bought in Germany. It's explaning Japanese grammar in German language and it's pretty usefull if I don't understand the explanation in the other English books. Maybe you also have such book in your homecountry? In addition, I also practised a lot vocab with apps like Memrise, Kotoba and Obenkyo on my smartphone.Is anyone else taking the test this time? How did you get prepared for it?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/MnXRG-educationThu, 01 Dec 2016 14:32:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/MnXRG-educationhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/Gl88G-living_tokyo_tachikawa-shiAutumn arrived in Tokyo area and so I took the chance to take a look around. On Thursday I went to Showa Kinen Koen (昭和記念公園), which is a huge national park at Tachikawa in Western Tokyo. It opened in 1983. As adult you have to pay ¥ 410 to enter the park, but don't worry, it's worth it, because there are so many things to explore. You can easily spent 3 to 4 hours around the over 160 hectares belonging to the park.Entering the park from Tachikawa Gate like I did, you will first find a short canal with Ginkgo boulevard which was colored in a wonderful autumn yellow. The fountain also gives you a great view. Walking around you will see the Waterfowl Lake where you can lend a boat and spent some time on the water. Close to it there is the Rainbow Pool, however it's only opened in summer.You can find a lot of red, orange and yellow colored trees all around the park. And for sure a lot people walking around with cameras for taking pictures. Isn't nature something great? I took a break with grape ice cream around Children's Forest which might be a good place for families to hang out. At Komorebi House there was seasonal exhibition of the plants and flowers of autumn, unfortunately only in Japanese language.Most interesting was the Japanese garden where many people were. The red leaves together with lake and Japanese style houses are such a great combination. I even could witness a couple taking their wedding photos at this place. Just around the corner there is also a Bonsai garden.There are restaurants and little shops all around the park. Also toilets and smoking areas are easy to find. A park train operates around the park for a fee of ¥ 310 for adults for each ride or an unlimited pass for ¥ 540. You also can lend bicycles for ¥ 410 for 3 hours. There are maps of the park avilable in English.For more information take a look to the official website.Find my video about my visit there here:To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/Gl88G-living_tokyo_tachikawa-shiMon, 21 Nov 2016 10:36:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/Gl88G-living_tokyo_tachikawa-shihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/zaP9M-living_food_shopping_money_transportationMoving to Japan – many people dream about this. But is everything really so “kawaii” (cute) in Japan? Get to know ten things which I think might be important to know if you want to start living in Japan.Moving to Japan – many people dream about this. But is everything really so “kawaii” (cute) in Japan? Get to know ten things which I think might be important to know if you want to start living in Japan.1) Getting a visaFor staying in Japan you will need a visa and it’s not always easy to get one. Some countries give the chance of a Working Holiday visa or voluntary visa which makes you able to stay in Japan for around one year. In other cases you need to get a working visa which are connected with some special requirements. Often you need at least a bachelor degree to convince immigration office – and for sure a company which wants you to work for them. Be aware of a lot bureaucracy when you are applying for it. Other possibilities are a student visa (university, language school) or spouse visa, but that’s another story.2) Working lifeSure, it dependents of the field and company you want to work at, but be sure Japan is still famous for being a country with a high rate of overwork hours. Employees are meant to live for their company. So it’s also normal you just have around 10 paid days off a year. If you have a full time job it’s possible to get good payment, however, normal part time jobs at restaurants, hotels and konbini are often just payed around 1000 yen / hour. Luckily most company refund train cost completely or at least a part. Btw, trains. It’s often normal to be inside a train for around one hour one-way to get to your working place.3) A place to liveFinding an apartment in Japan is sometimes difficult, especially if you have only a small amount of money. Living in big cities is pretty expensive and you often just get a small room for a pretty high rental price. Think about getting out of the downtown and look for a bigger apartment in suburb. Maybe also getting away from big cities like Tokyo and Osaka. Rent also gets cheaper the farther you live away from main train stations. If you found your dream apartment for your preferred rent, consider there are more monthly costs that will come up, like gas fee, water fee, electronic fee and so on.4) Differences in householdJapan is a modern country, but there are still some differences in household than I’m used to know from Germany/Europe. Let me tell you just a few of it. First, I was used to have a heating system in our house, in Japanese houses you use the air conditioner for warming and cooling. It often gets pretty cold inside in winter, so take warm clothes and blankets. Another big different are washing machines. I still can’t understand why most Japanese washing machines only work with cold water. Getting rid of stains in your clothes is difficult sometimes. Also washing habits are different – living as couple we use our washing machine nearly every day. In Germany, for two people, it might be only once or twice a week.5) Language barrierImagine going to the supermarket and standing inside a chaos of kanji and you don’t know what is the right thing to buy. Welcome to the everyday life in Japan! As a tourist you can handle a lot things with English or body language, but when you start living in Japan there are many new things where you definitely need Japanese language – or at least a helping hand. Filling out forms at resident offices, getting a contract for your mobile phone, renting an apartment, going to a doctor, … So start learning Japanese as early as possible, it will help you a lot, not only in communication.6) Shopping timeMany say Japan is a very expensive country. On the one hand – yes! If I see prices of fruits and vegetables in some Japanese shops I would like to cry. But you have no choice. Just try to stay away from buying stuff at Konbini because they are mostly pricy and take a look for a supermarket near around. Also stuff like cinema, theater, concert and DVDs have pretty high prices in Japan. On the other hand – there are places you can save money! Starting with the last topic – you can get CDs, books and DVDs pretty cheap at second hand shops like Book Off. When you need stuff for your household or even gifts you can find a lot of stuff at the many 100 yen shops around Japan. And even if it is cheap, it has a good quality.7) Eating outInstead of cooking at home you sometimes should go out to have food somewhere. A lot small restaurants are giving the chance to have delicious dishes for a small amount of many. Tabehoudai (All you can eat) fills your stomach often for not too much money. At family restaurants you can have several dishes alone or with friends and there are Izakaya to hang out at night. And you can find typical Japanese food like Ramen, Soba, Udon and Sushi all around. For sure, there are also expensive restaurants in Japan, but you can keep them up for special situations.8) Sightseeing everywhereYou like Japan? Temples, shrines, castles, gardens? You are at the perfect places! How could it be better to explore a country and its sights while living there. You will be passing by special places every day. Just stop and take a closer look. There is so much to see in Japan you can never finish in a lifetime!9) Crazy cafés and eventsEspecially big cities like Tokyo are famous for their crazy cafés and events taking place. You can visit different animal cafés to see cats, owls, penguins, hedgehogs and more. Or how about entering a café themed as prison or Alice in Wonderland? You can experience maids taking care of you with cute food or have gay students making a rollplay for you. A lot of fun with one bad point: all of these are often quit expensive and have a time fee for your stay.10) A country like every else?In the end, Japan has its good and its bad points, just like every other country. You have to do a lot of preparations before settling down. The daily life has its differences, but it is up to you how you create it. You can go on with the same live style like in your homecountry if you want to, but shouldn’t forget to get connected to your new neighbourhood and everything around. Just try to enjoy every day in your life, doesn’t matter where on earth you are.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/zaP9M-living_food_shopping_money_transportationThu, 17 Nov 2016 17:24:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/YokoLostinJapan/zaP9M-living_food_shopping_money_transportation