http://www.city-cost.comSun, 12 Jul 2026 08:37:23 +0900I like petting cats and eating snacks. Check me out on IG for more Japan-ness: www.instagram.com/mochuta/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/hellonihon/z31eP-living_howtoTaking purikura pictures with friends (or alone) is almost a right of passage when living in Japan. Whether you're doing it to be cute or to see what kind of goofy faces you can make, it's a ton of fun. Plus you get to take home the photo booth pictures at the end and keep your memories!I've recently been practicing cute Japanese purikura poses, so I have a bunch of photo strips lying around. While they're nice to put in a folder and look at every once in a while, I wanted to do something that could display them better.After spending some time in 100 yen stores, I realized what to do: I'd make them into magnets. Here's how to turn your purikura strips into cute fridge magnets.What You Need:Some purikura picturesAdhesive magnetic sheets (can be purchased from any 100 yen shop)A penScissorsHow To:1. Locate the photo you'd like to use. Here's a photo from last year that had fallen behind a shelf and I just found!2. Using your scissors, trim away the excess border. This step is optional, though. If you like the border and want a larger magnet then keep it! I prefer something smaller personally.3. Place your photo strip on top of the back of the magnetic sheet. With a pen (or pencil) roughly trace the size of your purikura. It doesn't need to be perfect so don't spend too much time doing this.4. With your scissors, cut along the line you made. Again, this doesn't need to be perfect. You can just roughly go over the line.5. When you've finished cutting, peel back the adhesive strip. Then you'll have a magnetic sheet on one side (facing down) and a sticky backing (facing you).6. Place your purikura strip in the center of the magnet as best as you can. If you can't tell, my magnet is sticking out in quite a few places. We'll fix that later. Press down firmly to make sure it's stuck!7. With your scissors, trim down any magnetic parts that are sticking out. You may accidentally trim off part of your picture, so be careful.8. Proudly display it! Here is my finished product on my fridge. It's joining my other purikura magnets!I always get compliments when I have visitors. They see my little practical display and ask how I do it. Most people aren't aware that you can buy magnetic sticky sheets! (As an ALT, I use them all the time...)I'd love to see your final projects if you end up doing this! You don't have to do it with purikura photos either. Instax photos or regular prints work well too.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/z31eP-living_howtoTue, 23 Jul 2019 10:43:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/z31eP-living_howtohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/MqjBk-foodMy favorite part of having friends that travel is the omiyage they bring back for me. Recently, I was gifted with some Onsen Choco. Unfortunately, I was too excited about the gift to remember where he had visited...Thankfully, like any good omiyage, the name of the place visited was on the packaging. I guess he went to Gunma. That makes sense since Gunma is famous for its onsen hot springs.The packaging was just too adorable! There were two different chocolates, separated into a male and female section, much like an actual onsen.Opening it up, I could see the chocolates better. The male section was a dark chocolate onsen with white chocolate water on top of a cocoa-looking base.The female section had a cookies and cream flavored onsen with white chocolate water on a dark chocolate base.I'm not sure who decided which would correspond to which gender. Maybe it means something, or maybe it was completely arbitrary. Who knows...Again, the packaging was just too adorable! It made it really difficult for me to open and eat! I took a lot of pictures so I could remember it.Opening the chocolates up from the package, I could see a lot more detail that I didn't realize was originally there. I didn't notice the green tea bamboo backdrop or the individual stones in the chocolate. The more I looked, the more impressed I was by the craftsmanship!The chocolate was delicious too. It wasn't just about the look and presentation of the chocolate. I enjoyed the different flavor profiles of each bit of chocolate section. Unfortunately, they were both eaten before I realized it...Forget the onsen. These chocolates are reason enough for me to visit Gunma myself!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/MqjBk-foodSun, 21 Jul 2019 15:48:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/MqjBk-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/ME8vY-foodDuring my first years in Japan, Japanese burger chain Mos Burger was barely a blip on my radar. I'd always hit the big names like McDonald's and Lotteria. They had the daring, limited time only products and the cool collaborations.Meanwhile, I'd pass by Mos Burger without even a glance at their menu. To me, the offerings looked so boring. Plus, I'd seen the portion sizes before and I wasn't impressed with the amount for the price.It wasn't until my cousin professed her love of Mos Burger to me that I even gave it a passing thought. She told me that she would sometimes go multiple times a week. I couldn't believe it. Finally, I decided to see what all the fuss was about.Funnily enough, the closest fast food restaurant to my house was actually a Mos Burger. Less than five minutes away, I finally decided to give it a try. I looked over their menu, unimpressed, before noticing something interesting...They offered soy patties! Because I don't eat red meat, a lot of actual burgers are off limits to me. I usually scan the chicken offerings and make my decision based on that limited menu. But suddenly, I felt like the whole Mos Burger menu opened up to me.Now, not all of their burgers are swappable. Look for that brown dot to make sure your selection is. However, a good number of them are. I decided on a classic cheeseburger. After all, what better way to judge a burger joint than by a staple?The price was a little off-putting at first. Plus, I'd have to pay extra for a burger necessity--fries. However, I quickly realized that there was a Mos Burger app and on the app there were coupons! The app is a bit clunky, but it's straightforward and easy to use.With my coupon, the burger dropped down to 250 yen and I got a large fries for 270 yen. It wasn't that pricey when I thought about it.Like I thought, the burger was really tiny. The soy patty looked pretty standard (and probably not as appealing as the beef because of how pale it looks). Their "salsa" topping also weirded me out a bit before I tasted it.Once I bit in, though, I was a Mos Burger convert. I've never gotten something so delicious and fresh tasting at McDonald's before. The fries, though thick, were fluffy and complimented the burger perfectly.I don't think I was really even aware of my surroundings while I was eating. It was as though I ascended to another plane of existence because of the flavor. I awoke from my stupor to find that I had finished my burger. The only disappointment here was that I didn't order a second one.I was so excited to see this "soy" sticker on my burger. For a country that loves soybeans, it's interesting that more places don't offer soy alternatives! But good on Mos Burger for doing this.I may have missed out on almost four years of Mos Burger, but I'm definitely going to make up for it from now on. I'm a loyal Mos Burger customer now!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/ME8vY-foodTue, 16 Jul 2019 17:06:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/ME8vY-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/wrvyR-living_transportation_galleries_hitachi_shi_ibaraki_ashikaga_shi_tochigiWhen planning what to do during Golden Week, sometimes it's easiest to just pay someone to plan and make the travel arrangements for you. Which is why I decided to book a tour of Hitachi Seaside Park & Ashikaga Flower Park with TripAdvisor's Viator site.Spring is a great time to see all the nature that Japan has to offer. This tour covered two famous flower-viewing sites in the Kanto area. Hitachi Seaside Park is located in Ibaraki, and is famous for a sprawling hill and field covered with nemophila flowers, more commonly known as baby blue eyes. Located in Tochigi, Ashikaga Flower Park's main draw in the spring is the hanging wisteria tree blossoms. That's not to say that both of these places only featured those flowers, but those are definitely the stars of the show.I wanted to use a travel site because I knew it would be difficult to travel from Tokyo to Ibaraki and Tochigi in one day, especially without a car. The price of this tour included round trip bus service to all of the attractions from Shinjuku. There were a lot of tours departing from the meeting place, but it was organized enough to find which bus we were looking for. If in doubt, ask anyone with a clipboard!The first stop was Ibaraki. There was a bit of traffic (which makes sense, since we were traveling during Golden Week) but the bus left at 7 AM so we probably avoided the worst of it, and still arrived with time to walk around. The park tickets were covered, so we could just walk in. We didn't need to follow a group tour, and were able to meander around at our own pace and see the flowers that we wanted to. The only important thing was to get back to the bus at the scheduled meeting time. Unfortunately, because it was so crowded in the park, we had a hard time making it to every location that we wanted to see and take pictures of... And we ended up making the bus wait for us. Thankfully it didn't depart, though! And it was totally worth seeing the beautiful hill of blue flowers.Once everyone was boarded, the next stop was Tochigi. But, I didn't know that the tour also included lunch, so we stopped to eat at the popular yakiniku buffet, Stamina Taro. Everything was reserved in advance and there were lots of food options. We even got to choose where we sat. The only difficult thing was trying to get food while everyone on the bus was also pushing to get food.After everyone had eaten and used the bathrooms, thenwe were on our way to the park. Again, the park ticket price was included in the tour. But, we were late to arrive (partially due to the bus waiting for us at Hitachi, partially due to traffic, and partially because people took longer than expected waiting for the one bathroom stall at the restaurant) so we didn't have as much time to explore this park. This was a bit of a disappointment since this park had more to see.That's not to say that the experience wasn't amazing, though. We got to pose with the wisteria flowers in many different locations and see other kinds of blossoms, too. And, we even found the exclusive flower ice cream bars that the Coldstone sold there.Finally, we were headed back to Shinjuku. We hit traffic again heading back into the city and were over half an hour late. By the time we got back, it was already night. It really was a full day tour. But, even if the tour was late and the tour operator and driver had to work overtime, they were still in a really good mood and didn't make me feel stressed out at all.I would definitely recommend going on this type of tour if you're looking for an easy way to see a lot of the different attractions in Japan. I know it's mostly geared towards tourists, but who's to say that you can't play tourist for a day and join in? My only wish is that we had more time at each location, but I understand that there are circumstances out of the company's control sometimes. They made the best of it though, and everyone had a great time!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/wrvyR-living_transportation_galleries_hitachi_shi_ibaraki_ashikaga_shi_tochigiThu, 09 May 2019 11:28:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/wrvyR-living_transportation_galleries_hitachi_shi_ibaraki_ashikaga_shi_tochigihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/Gokjj-transportation_jalTokyo and Osaka are two of the largest cities in Japan. Each has its own flavor and style, so it's nice to visit both. Whether you're a tourist or currently reside in Japan, it's pretty difficult to avoid either of these places. As a tourist, the cities are some of the biggest draws to visiting, while residents are bound to make the journey at some time or another in their Japan lives.Luckily for me, I live in Yokohama, which is right below Tokyo. And, it's close to (in my opinion) the best airport in Japan: Haneda Airport. Smaller than Narita, there are fewer flights that operate and sometimes it can be more expensive to fly into. But, if you're flying this popular domestic route, it shouldn't be an issue!Because it's a popular route, there are a few flight times to choose from. Going on a Tuesday, I was able to choose from three different times: morning, afternoon, or evening. I ended up choosing the afternoon flight just so I could wake up leisurely and not rush.The return options are a bit different, with two return flight choices rather than three.The flight time is approximately an hour and 25 minutes. My flight was almost exactly on schedule, arriving a few minutes earlier than scheduled. Checking my bags in--something that I normally dread--was actually a painless process. Domestically, every passenger is allowed 20kg of free luggage. Thankfully, there's no limit to the amount of bags you can bring within that weight. I ended up bringing three bags with me, but because the total weight of all three of them were under the 20 kilograms, I didn't have to pay anything extra!The flight itself was extremely pleasant! As always, the JAL flight crew were extremely courteous and professional. I appreciated being greeted with a genuine smile; it didn't seem like they were faking their enthusiasm on this flight at all!I ended up connecting to a low cost carrier at Osaka. The difference between service levels was obvious from before even stepping onto the plane. Actually, the Japanese couple next to me kept running into issues with the staff. One of the stewardesses kept firmly commanding them to put their bags under the seat. Those were not pleasant interactions. Near the end of the flight, even they unhappily commented on how low the service quality was on low cost carriers.Complimentary beverages were served on the flight. I brought my own water aboard the aircraft, but I decided to get a bit of tea. It's important not to get dehydrated while flying!I was feeling a bit peckish (or maybe just bored) so I ended up purchasing some food onboard. Because I'm a sucker for anything limited or special edition, I felt like I needed to get the Nissin and JAL collaboration instant noodles. The name was really cute, too: soba de sky. They were really delicious, too! So, if you're ever flying JAL and feeling hungry, these have my recommendation.There was also an inflight entertainment system, though I actually spent most of my time reading the inflight magazine instead. With the level of service and entertainment options available, the hour and 25 minute flight ended up feeling like thirty minutes at most. And I hate flying (and sitting still), so I feel like that really means something!Because Tokyo to Osaka and vice versa is such a popular route, there are so many different ways to travel between the two cities. You can take the shinkansen bullet train, or the night bus, or you can even try driving it yourself. I used to think that the shinkansen was the superior method because I used to only fly low cost carrier Peach Airlines. It was a pain to deal with all their stipulations and upcharges. But now that I know how easy the route is with JAL, I prefer it even to the shinkansen! Now I know what my primary mode of travel will be thanks to this great experience.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/hellonihon/Gokjj-transportation_jalTue, 07 May 2019 11:20:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/Gokjj-transportation_jalhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/GLyb3-medical_badexperiencesJapan's relationship with women's health has gotten a lot better in recent years. However, there is still a stigma around certain things and problems that I hope will be cleared up as time passes.When I was studying abroad in Japan years ago, a lot of the resources available online now weren't around. There was no easy pocket wifi rentals or even Amazon Prime, and there wasn't the kind of information online for how to do things back then, that there is now.Shortly after arriving in the countryside for my study abroad program, I got a urinary tract infection (UTI). They're quite common, especially in females, and are caused by infections and usually treated with antibiotics. I had had a UTI before, so I more or less knew the drill: go to the doctor, answer a few questions, and get my antibiotics prescription. I had no reason to think it would be any different in Japan.Because my Japanuniversitywas extremely rural and isolated, I didn't have the option of visiting a regular doctor. (As a student, I wasn't sure of my insurance policy status either, so it wasn't a huge loss.) So, instead, I paid a visit to the nurse's office on campus.Despite this university being highly ranked in English and conducting all the classes in it, the staff's English was very poor. (I suppose it was difficult to find an entire faculty of English-speakers in the rural parts of Japan.) So, I enlisted the help of one of my Japanese friends to act as a translator.She came with me to the nurse's office and sat in with me during the nurse's visit. When the nurse asked what was wrong, I said that I already knew what the problem was. I had a urinary tract infection. Unfortunately for me, my translator friend didn't know what that was and had no way of relaying the official name to the nurse. (My friend was a freshman at the time, so I really don't blame her.)Since just telling the nurse what it was seemed to be out of the question, I decided to describe the symptoms. Basically, I said that even when I used the bathroom and emptied my bladder, it still felt like I needed to go. The nurse seemed to be following so far. I added that it also stung when I was peeing. My friend translated, and the nurse snorted and started laughing almost hysterically.Now, I don't know what exactly was translated, but I don't think anything warranted that kind of laughter. Even if my friend translated it in a childish way, or if the nurse was laughing because it was such a simple problem, I don't think that anyone should be laughed at in the doctor's office.I felt myself getting hostile towards the nurse, but I kept my calm. The nurse said there was nothing she could do and sent me and my friend on our way without any antibiotics or anything. Honestly, this experience is what had me distrusting the medical system in Japan for a very long time, even after I moved back to live here.I told my other friend about what happened, and thankfully she had some antibiotics that she brought from her home country that she shared with me. That, along with some cranberry juice, and I was good to go. But, even to this day, the feeling of confusion and shame at being laughed at by a medical professional for a medical problem stuck.The nurse was a female, so she could very well have experienced this as well. She was also a trained professional (I would hope... she was working at a university and not a hospital) so she should be more sensitive about these kinds of things. Besides, it's a common affliction that is as prevalent in Japan as it is around the world. Why there was that level of laughter, I have no idea.Now that there are a lot more resources available online, I know how to treat a UTI with over the counter medications in Japan. If you're wondering, you can look for Bo-koren (ボーコレン) at any drug store and it'll help to alleviate a lot of the pain and symptoms. And, in case you're wondering, UTI is 尿路感染症 in Japanese.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/GLyb3-medical_badexperiencesSat, 27 Apr 2019 11:59:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/GLyb3-medical_badexperienceshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/MnmxO-foodI'm not joking when I say that this is the best bottled cold brew coffee you can buy. I would even go as far as to say it's the best bottled cold brew coffee you can buy anywhere, not just the best in Japan. I've been waiting for its return and I'm so glad that it's finally back!The last time that I saw UCC's cold brew was almost three years ago. Maybe where I live didn't stock it, or maybe it was temporarily discontinued. Whatever the case, it's back now and I'm not taking any chances. I'm buying an entire case of it, just in case.Just in time for summer, this cold brew is so great because of its refreshing flavor. Completely unsweetened, though it's not bitter, it's a refreshing change from whatever coffee you're currently drinking. It has a thick mouthfeel without being overwhelming, but it's also light enough so you don't get sick of drinking it when you're 3/4 of the bottle in.I can assure you that I don't normally get this hyped up for coffee unless there's a good reason. I mean, I'm usually a tea drinker (judging from all of my tea reviews here). But UCC nailed the formula perfectly and I just feel compelled to sing its praises.What's confusing to me is that a lot of times when buying canned or bottled coffee in Japan, even if it's labeled "black," I'll taste cream or sugar in it. It's so difficult to find a truly black coffee. I appreciate that they took the time to specify that this is really pure black coffee on the label.Now, I can't guarantee that it's actually cold brewed. But the buzz of caffeine it gives me after hints that they're probably not lying about that on the label. Even if it's not, it's so good I wouldn't care. If you're a fan of delicious black coffee, I urge you to try it for yourself. It won't break the bank so why don't you 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/hellonihon/MnmxO-foodThu, 25 Apr 2019 16:52:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/MnmxO-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/z1mbV-living_shibuya_ku_tokyoI felt a little bit foolish taking pictures, but I had never seen a "manner jet" before so I was pretty fascinated! Waiting in line in women's restrooms can be quite boring, so I was happy to see something new.Basically, this was a little waterless shower. Instead of using water, you could use jets of air to freshen up your scent.The pod was about a 5 x 5 foot square, just big enough for one person to step in and get blasted. Strangely, though, there wasn't a door. I guess since you don't need to get naked for this shower, one wasn't really necessary... But I'd still feel weird standing there in full view of everyone who's lining up to use the toilets. (Maybe one futuristically slides out when it's activated? No one used it so I couldn't observe.)While this would be great for the humid summer months, I wonder how many people would actually use this free service? I don't think that I would because it seems a bit strange... Perhaps when they are a bit more ubiquitous I'll try one out. Until then, I'll just stand back and admire Japanese ingenuity.On a side note, I asked my male friend who was with me if the men's bathroom in the building had anything like this. He responded that it didn't, but it sounded really cool. Honestly, I think that men would need this service more than ladies. During the summer months, I've sat next to way too many sweaty, smelly men on the train and this could really cut down on that problem!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/z1mbV-living_shibuya_ku_tokyoWed, 24 Apr 2019 17:24:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/z1mbV-living_shibuya_ku_tokyohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/zK1P3-foodIf I were living anywhere other than Japan, the sight of a vending machine that dispensed a hot meal would make my stomach turn. But, because this is Japan, I decided to trust it and give it a shot.This particular machine was at a zoo, which is even more reason for suspect. But, the cute red panda face at the bottom compelled me to make my purchase. There was a good amount of food options on the menu, but I figured a safe choice would be the chicken and potato meal.After inserting my money and making my selection, the machine told me to wait a while as it was preparing everything. Apart from a small countdown and intermittent "please wait" announcements, I couldn't tell what was going on inside the machine. The whole process took only a few minutes, which was more impressive than if I was reheating a frozen dinner from the comfort of my own home.The box made it look more impressive than it actually was.Opening it up, I was greeted with the reality of this hot meal. To confirm my suspicions, it was almost exactly like a microwave dinner with the food covered in a clear film to make cold storage and reheating easier.I think my favorite touch was the little pair of chopsticks that they included on the side. They were about half the size of normal chopsticks, but way cuter!I'm a potato fiend, so I started with a french fry. It was a pretty sad sight to behold... Limp and soggy, I gently lifted it up, being careful to avoid breakage. Despite the appearance, it was actually pretty yummy! Well, it was more delicious than normal microwaved fries (which isn't saying much). The flavor was good, and if you enjoy hot soggy fries, then this would be perfect.The chicken fared a bit better than the fries did. Some parts of the breading were soggy, but a majority of it made it through the cooking process well. The piece was nice and big, and entirely white meat. It wasn't nugget-consistency either. You could actually peel it apart like a regular chicken breast. It was surprisingly good and I'll admit that I'd eat these from a regular menu at a restaurant.I was a bit worried that I'd feel ill because I wasn't sure how often they replaced the food in here. But I felt good and I definitely would buy food from here again! It was cheap, warm, and yummy--a good deal overall. Besides, how could you deny this little guy:To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/zK1P3-foodTue, 23 Apr 2019 15:15:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/zK1P3-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/wekkP-foodThe prefecture of Kagoshima was never on my radar. I didn't know much about it besides its vague location in Kyushu. So, when I got an omiyage from one of my adult students, I was grateful and confused as to what it was.The snow white packaging looked very elegant, but the frosted design made it difficult to peer inside. It was some kind of manju, I could tell from feeling it squish... Karukan manju, from the packaging, though I had no idea what that was at the time.The outside was so different from a standard manju. You can see how porous it is, almost like a sponge.Looking it up, karukan manju is a Kagoshima specialty (made in a few other prefectures too) from rice flour, sugar, and grated Japanese yam. Those ingredients mixed together with water are then steamed, which is what gives it its unique texture.The texture was as soft as it looked and felt. It was also a bit sticky, but not as much as regular mochi would be. I couldn't taste the yams that went into it at all. The filling was a regular adzuki red bean paste. It was definitely an interesting twist on a confection that I eat pretty regularly!The great thing about omiyage is that you can experience a part of the culture of a different place without visiting yourself. This gave me a small taste of what Kagoshima has to offer, and made me a lot more curious about the area. I looked up what made karukan manju so unique, and found out more about Kagoshima in the process!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/wekkP-foodSat, 20 Apr 2019 16:13:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/wekkP-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/GLyy3-foodI was beginning to lose faith in the Jagarico brand. The last few flavors haven't called out to me at all, and the ones that did were extremely disappointing. That's why I was hesitant to buy this yakitori flavor, despite how much I enjoyed yakitori-flavored things.The giraffe salesman fanning the charcoal underneath the yakitori skewers convinced me otherwise though. He (or she) is a pretty good salesman, it seems because I ended up with two containers. (I drunkenly bought one, then forgot I did so and bought another one the next day. S/he got me twice!)Unlike usual, there was no strong scent when I opened up the package. I was expecting something similar to walking past a yakitori stand at a festival, but maybe that was just wishful thinking. I guess if you were going to smell the smokey flavoring, it would be too much.The sticks didn't look particularly notable either. They reminded me of the zangi ones, but perhaps that's because they're both chicken-based Jagarico flavors. One bite in and I was so happy that I accidentally bought two.The dominant flavor is chicken, but there's a subtle aftertaste of smoke. It's rightly advertised as charcoal-grilled yakitori. I was pleasantly surprised, especially after eating a few more. The smokiness never built up to be unbearable, like I was afraid that it would. It remained pleasant the entire time. I finished the entire package and was tempted to go straight for number two, though I resisted.Check them out if you have the chance. I promise you won't regret this flavor!★★★★★ (5 out of 5 stars)To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/GLyy3-foodFri, 19 Apr 2019 18:13:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/GLyy3-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/Mpkkx-foodAfter tasting a few different ice creams from 7-Eleven, I admit that I'm a bit addicted to the stuff now. I find myself stopping into my local branch and glancing at the frozen cabinet to check out if anything looks good.Visiting with my partner, we decided to get one ice cream each that suited our tastes. I chose the strawberry ice cream sandwich and he chose the chocolate almond with green tea flavor. I'm obviously the sweeter one in this relationship and he's the bitter one. (Just kidding... We like what we like!)When I read strawberry sandwich, I was expecting a more traditional ice cream sandwich style. You know, with a biscuit or cookie as the outer layer and the strawberry as the filling. This outer layer was soft and spongey, though the inner strawberry was as expected.Apart from being a bit tinier than I was expecting, the chocolate almond green tea bar looked almost exactly like the packaging did! Talk about truth in advertising.The bright green coloring looked a bit hazardous, but I was assured that it tasted delicious. I had a little bite even though I don't like green tea-flavored things, and it was better than I was expecting, though that could've just been due to the dark chocolate almond shell.I also wasn't blown away by the strawberry sandwich. If the outside was a hard cookie, I think it would've been really delicious. But, because it was soft and spongey, it mushed up into the ice cream and the texture just wasn't there.Too bad both of these were misses for me. Oh well, I'll still be back to try more of 7-Eleven's ice cream offerings. So, which do you think looks (and would taste) better?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/Mpkkx-foodThu, 18 Apr 2019 13:32:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/Mpkkx-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/GlX4d-food_medical_healthHave you heard of those powdered meal replacement products? The ones that offer a complete blend of the nutrients that your body needs to survive? Perhaps the most famous brand is Soylent, but there are a few other contenders like Jimmy Joy and HUEL that put their own twist on it.I've wanted to try a meal replacement product for a while, mostly because I didn't want to waste time every morning with breakfast when I was rushing to get out the door. How convenient would it be to have a powdered meal that would keep me satisfied until lunch? After doing some research, I found that there is a Japanese company offering this, called Comp.I checked their website and decided to try the sample pack, which included 3 packets of Comp powder and 2 packets of Comp gummies for 1000 yen. After paying, it took about 5 days for them to process and mail it out before it arrived at my door.I sampled the gummies first, since they were the easiest to consume. All I needed to do was open the bag and eat one or two. They were tougher than a standard gummy bear, but that extra substance tricked me into believing it was more of a "real meal." The flavor wasn't great, but notawful either. That may have been because I was expecting a sweeter flavor since it was marketed asa gummy.You can see the nutrients in detail on the back. The website says that, if you wanted to, you could eat only the gummies as meals, but warn that it would make your jaw very sore. I would keep these around for snacks if I ever got a craving.The thing I was more curious about was their powdered drinks. Their website has a calculator that tells you about how much Comp powder you should consume, because one packet is way too much for one meal! I determined that 20 grams isa good meal replacement for me, so I used a kitchen scale that I bought from Daiso to weigh it out.I was stupid and forgot to buy a protein shaker, so I mixed it with a pair of chopsticks. The website recommended that, if you're not using a shaker, to add a bit of water on the bottom to mix it, so you won't get clumps.There is no recommendation for how much water you should mix with the Comp. It's dependant on your individual tastes. I just filled my cup up entirely the first time, but it was a bit too diluted for my liking so I cut it back to about three fourths my next go.The flavor was mellow but in a good way. It had a nutty soy milk flavor that was very pleasant. It was easy to drink the whole thing, and I felt full after consuming it. I used it as a meal replacement for lunch, and had no trouble waiting until dinner to eat something good.I definitely would like to continue using Comp as a meal replacement for breakfast or lunch. Instead of skipping meals due to inconvenience, I can get the nutrients I need in very little time. I saw on the website that they have a premixed blend for sale, but it's far more expensive. I'd rather mix it myself than pay that extra premium for convenience.If you're looking to save some time (and money, as each serving comes out to as little as 250 yen) I recommend trying Comp out. The trial set is a great way to get your feet wet, and it's only 1000 yen that you have to lose if you don't like it!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/GlX4d-food_medical_healthWed, 17 Apr 2019 14:46:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/GlX4d-food_medical_healthhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/wj78r-foodIn the realm of fancy, fashionable sweet treats, the macaron reigns supreme. Light and delicious while also always photo-worthy, macarons are never a bad choice. I previously wrote about the best convenience store macaronsbut this ice cream variety may take the crown.They don't look particularly impressive, as the packaging is the standard 7-Eleven generic look. Priced at 248 yen (before tax), I consider them pretty average in terms of convenience store snackage. In fact, I would've completely looked over them if not for a visiting friend who greatly enjoys pistachio.According to the packaging, there are different flavor components that make up this ice cream macaron. The pistachio comes from both the pistachio-flavored macaron on the top as well as the pistachio-flavored ice cream. The surprise is the salty pistachio macaron on the bottom.From the descriptions, it's easy to tell which layer is which. The whole thing (especially the perfectly smooth scoop of ice cream sandwiched in the middle) looks a bit too overproduced for my liking, but I bite in anyway.I was expecting (and honestly, dreading) a strong pistachio flavor. Thankfully, I was met with a light pistachio flavor that melded well with the creaminess of the ice cream.But the flavor wasn't the best thing about it. Actually, the texture and consistency of everything was the standout. The first bite was so chewy, with the macarons dissolvingwith the ice cream on my tongue. The bit of crunch of the macaron shell as I continued to eat added another layer of texture that I wasn't expecting.Before I knew it, I had finished the entire thing. Luckily, they'reonly 159 calories so I didn't feel bad about grabbing a second one. (I stopped myself before a third, because I probably would've felt guilty about that.)If you're looking for a refreshing convenience store treat, look no further than the pistachio ice cream macaron from 7-Eleven. Among the fierce competition when it comes to convenience store treats, this is truly a standout.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/wj78r-foodThu, 11 Apr 2019 14:11:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/wj78r-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/Mvrvd-foodLately, I've found myself reaching for the Western snacks whenever I'm out grocery shopping. Before, I'd always try to get Japanese brands because I wanted to try something new. But now, I lean towards the familiar Pringles or Lays whenever I can.At the store, a new addition caught my eye. Ritz brand baked chips, in salt and black pepper flavor. Normally, I don't even like Ritz crackers. They're too thick and I'm not a fan of the mush in my mouth. But I reached for these baked versions because I'm a big fan of baked Lays, and I thought they'd be about the same.Usually, when something is advertised as baked (rather than fried like a normal chip is) it's because they're marketing it as a healthier alternative. I was surprised that there was no mention of it being the "healthy choice" or anything like that. At 162 calories a bag, I guess it speaks for itself though.The crackers surprisingly looked like what they did on the package, perhaps just missing a few pepper flakes. The flavor was nice, but nothing to write home about. Salt and pepper is hardly an innovative flavor combination. But the consistency is what made it great. It was flakey and light and because of this, almost melted in my mouth. It was the perfect vehicle for the flavor (though I do wish it was a better flavor).My only big complaint here is the bag wasn't very full. I guess that's the real reason it contained so few calories--there were so few chips! The crunch of these things was seriously addictive, so I guess it's for the best that they cut me off like this... That just means I need to pick up another bag next time I'm out.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/Mvrvd-foodWed, 10 Apr 2019 10:10:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/Mvrvd-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/Mvv1r-living_education_workI came to Japan as an assistant language teacher, working in public elementary and junior high schools throughout Japan. Recently, I have started teaching adult students as well in corporate conversation classes.I was introduced to this job by a friend. When I first started, there was no set curriculum or lesson plan, unlike the more structured schooling setting. I was completely in charge of my lessons (which I will write about more in detail including techniques and approaches to these kinds of lessons).Time management has never been my strong suit. In fact, when teaching in a public school setting, there were numerous occasions where I would end too early or go over time without finishing the lesson. In a school setting with younger children, finishing early was probably preferred. That just meant it was time for a game!However, when teaching adults in a corporate environment, you can't exactly have them play criss-cross in the meeting room. The first time I finished early, we had a bit of strained conversation. It was mostly me asking questions and them answering, without much discussion. I returned home determined to remedy this the next time.Enter these conversation cards Igot from a fellow teacher. The pack is small enough to keep in my purse to bring along for every lesson, but it was full to the brim with interesting conversation starters and questions. While I have an "official set," any teacher could easily draw inspiration from them and create their own set with a word editing program.Basically, the premise is that there are multiple colored and numbered cards. (See them in the top right corner?) You want to use these colors and numbers to get rid of as many cards as you can. The person who has no cards in the end is the winner. It really spices up what can otherwise be a boring question and answer round.The "official" rules explain it a bit better than I do. But, as the card says, you don't need to play that way. This is just a guideline and you can use them however you like. Perhaps you want to play Go Fish style or something more akin to Uno. These are only guidelines, and switching things up will keep it fresh.Some questions are quite difficult and require complex lines of thinking, which is why these are considered "adult" conversation cards rather than general use ones. But, these difficult questions are great at sparking conversations as well because it opens the floor to discourse and debate.I'm really happy that I started carrying these conversation cards along. Sometimes, I'll dedicate an entire lesson to them (rather than the normal plan) because its seen as a fun break. Plus, the whole point of the class is to communicate with one another, and there are some great ice breakers in this.Now, these have become my go-to whenever I need to pull something out of thin air to cover for mismanaged time. But, I'm sure there are a lot of other tricks and tips fellow teachers have when it comes to extending a class when you end up finishing too early.Teachers of City-Cost, what are some tricks that you have up your sleeves?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/Mvv1r-living_education_workSat, 06 Apr 2019 13:01:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/Mvv1r-living_education_workhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/GokxY-shoppingThe Tokyo Art Book Fair (TABF) is currently going on until April 14th at the Ginza Sony Park. If you're a fan of homemade zines and limited-print art books, you should check out the exhibition. Walls lined with books of all shapes and sizes, on all kinds of topics are available for purchase at reasonable prices.While the exhibition itself is cool just to browse or for purchase, the most interesting part was the book vending machine. For only 500 yen, you can purchase a token to deposit into the wooden vending machine. You'll get a random zine or book.While the book is mostly random, you can choose what kind of book topic you want. They have a few topics, like "Art," "Photography," "Design," or "Random." The books are all backlog of ones that didn't get sold.Once you put the coin in, music plays and a book will pop out. Now, it's not a vending machine in the traditional sense. When buying the coin, they told us that there are workers in the back that choose a random book for you and drop it out the slot.The books have information on the back of them, including the author and name of the publication. Some are self-published obscure titles, while others are professionally printed and designed. Whichever one you get, its a work of art. And it's a lot of fun getting a new book at random!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/GokxY-shoppingFri, 05 Apr 2019 23:20:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/GokxY-shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/Gy617-living_badexperiencesI've lived in rental units since first coming to Japan. But, after a string of bad luck ranging from mold to grouchy neighbors to a flooded floor to having the water completely shut off (among so many other things), I decided that I didn't want to deal with it anymore. My solution to no longer dealing with rental companies, landlords, and key money was to move into a share house instead.If you don't know, a share house is a building that rents out individual rooms, with "shared" common areas like a kitchen, living and dining area, and bathroom. They're popular in cities and with younger people and expats because they have lower initial move in fees and often don't require long contracts. Plus, they're easy ways to meet new people, especially if you're new to an area, because of the sense of community that's inevitably formed.However, it's a give and take between residents as well. And, just as you can have bad neighbors in your neighborhood, you can have bad housemates in your share house. I've experienced a few of them, as living in a share house means you see a lot of transients and meet a lot of different people.For example, when I first moved in, there was a woman who was moving out. She just up and left one day, with no warning, leaving everything she didn't want to pay to get rid of behind and leaving the manager to pay for disposal of everything. We've had a woman who would invite in and bring strangers to our house practically every other day. There was someone who would always get violently drunk at the house parties and break something or pick fights. We even had a pair of tattooed gangster-types who used to smoke indoors and the manager was too intimidated to do anything about it.But, despite this unique cast of characters, I never disliked living in a share house. Until a middle-aged Japanese man (hereon referred to as MAJM) moved in. You could tell that he had a chip on his shoulder from the beginning, and he was very rude to myself and the two other expats who lived in the house. He spoke some English, though not well, and would never bother saying anything to us in Japanese.At first, us English-speakers thought nothing of it. Sure, he was a bit pricklybut some people just aren't friendly... Though why those kinds of people would choose to live in a share house is beyond me. But, he'd get progressively more and more aggressive towards us. The atmosphere in the house got more oppressive as he created tension and he also practically lived in the kitchen-living communal area, so it was almost impossible not to see him on a daily basis.However, the culmination of the problems finally came to a head in the share house's LINE group chat.Apparently, during one of the rare instances when MAJM wasn't posing as a sentry at the kitchen, someone had cooked a meal and left their dishes behind without washing them. Now, part of living in a share house means respecting the common space, which includes cleaning up after yourself and doing your own dishes. But, people get busy and sometimes don't clean up right away. I guess he wasn't in the mood that evening and went off on the group chat. While I agree that people need to be responsible for their actions, calling someone out in this way wasn't the way to do it.Ahh, but that wasn't all. In addition to a dirty sink, someone had also left some trash and/or some other unidentifiable items on the counter. At this point, I figured MAJM was just on a rampage, as the scene he sent had been like that for a while and it was out of the way, on the side no one ever used.I think this is the message that made all of us expats most upset when we were privately discussing this issue later. Let me break it down:First was the fact that he onlywrote his mini-rant in English, despite the chat being primarily in Japanese because most people who live in the house are Japanese speaking. This meant that he obviously thought it was one of the three non-Japanese who left the place a mess because Japanese people always clean up after themselves.The second was the use of "we." Whether MAJM meant it or not (but I'm sure he did), he was creating a clear dichotomy. "We" meant the Japanese people in the share house, and he was graciously speaking out against the "others", or non-Japanese. Please note that there were no issues with any of the other residents, and we often drank together and went out as friends.Lastly, I was upset that MAJM had the audacity to say that the mess is what was making people uncomfortable and not his previous power-hungrymicroaggressions against us expats. To say that making a mess was a reason to be evicted while completely ignoring his own oppressive presence as the root of the tensions was completely in character for him.One of my fellow expats decided to try to keep the peace by explaining that he couldn't definitively say who made the mess, but it was all of our responsibility to take care of the house. I didn't say anything because I knew my temper would make it a bigger issue than it already was.After my friend commented, there was no response or further mention of it. I doubt that MAJM even read any of it. He doesn't speak English well so that wall of text was probably too insignificant to even bother with. But, the next morning, the dishes were washed and everything put away. None of us expats did it, but perhaps it was the culprit themselves who did it, or just another share house member who was tired of the infighting. We'll never know because no one has copped to it.Whatever the case, your dwelling should be somewhere that you can go to after a long day out and expect to rest and relax. It shouldn't be someplace where you feel pressure for every decision and move you make, or uncomfortable when someone else is present.I moved out a while ago to another share house that's better run, and couldn't be happier. For those of you wondering why we didn't complain to management... They were just as biased as MAJM was. I received this picture recently from someone who still lives there. Apparently, this is their response to a complaint about noise. Sometimes, things aren't worth it and it's better to just move on. And I'm so glad that I did because this living experience was far worse than anything I've dealt with so far.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/Gy617-living_badexperiencesThu, 04 Apr 2019 10:17:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/Gy617-living_badexperienceshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/GRqQK-livingGrowing up, I remember being terrified of daruma dolls. They always looked so serious, with their round bodies and angry faces. Even with the eventual addition of the eyes, which personalize them a bit, they were never to my liking. Though they were supposed to bring you good fortune--helping to grant your wish--they seemed rather ominous to me.They started to grow on me over the years, but especially after a friend bought one and prominently had it displayed in her room. I spent a lot of time with her, so I saw a lot of that daruma.I went to a plum blossom festival in Tokyo a while back and saw a booth selling handmade daruma dolls for 500 yen. There were a wide range of colors with a sign explaining what each color symbolizes.I decided to pick one up for myself because I have the dream of returning to grad school someday. I've been working towards it but I figured any extra luck couldn't hurt. The red was the standard "good luck" and I figured it was appropriate given my wish.I'm really glad that I purchased this daruma at a festival rather than in a tourist shop. They are all handcrafted and then hand painted, so each one has its own character and unique look about it.Here's my daruma after making my wish and drawing in his eye. He already looks a bit cuter, don't you think? I hope that my wish to go to grad school comes true, and I can fill in the other eye soon! ...But until then, this little guy is watching me from a bookshelf, silently willing me to put in my applications and write my essays.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/GRqQK-livingThu, 04 Apr 2019 09:54:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/GRqQK-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/z1mqj-foodYou may think this is a promotion for Christmas because of the colors, but it's not. On the shelves now are "Red" flavor and "Green" flavor chu-hi drinks. I found mine at my local Don Quijote a few weeks ago, but I only got the chance to try them recently.The pictures on the cans are more descriptive than the flavor names are. Red shows raspberries, strawberries, and lychee. Green shows kiwi, green grapes, and apples. I couldn't decide which mix sounded more appealing, so I tried both. (My friend, who already tried it, recommended Red but he hadn't tried Green.)I tried Green first because kiwis are my favorite fruit. Unfortunately, I didn't taste much kiwi flavor in it. Rather, it tasted a lot like green apple and nothing else. At first, I thought the fruit on the label was a pear, which would've sounded more exotic and delicious, but it was just a boring apple. Either way, I would still buy it again.I opened up the Red at karaoke, so admittedly I was already a bit drunk when I tasted it. The Red flavor tasted fruitier, but I couldn't identify the dominant flavor of the mix. I can say for certain that I didn't taste raspberry, though.If I had to choose between Red and Green, I don't think I'd be able to... My recommendation would to buy it as a set and drink both of them! They're both delicious. See if you can make the decision of which is better.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/z1mqj-foodWed, 03 Apr 2019 10:46:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/z1mqj-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/GBbXR-livingI never pass up the chance to get my fortune read. Whenever I stop by temples, I always feel compelled to get my fortune read. I'm not one for horoscopes or the like, so I'm not sure why I like omikuji readings so much. Whatever the reason may be, when I saw Coca-Cola's omikuji bottle, I had to buy it!You can see the advertisement for the omikuji. Normally, I don't drink Coke so this was the only reason.I thought that the fortune would be under the label, so imagine how disappointed I was when I saw... this. There was no reading, only a QR code linking me to another website. Already, it was looking like too much effort but I had time on my hands.I used my phone camera to scan the code, and was taken to a Coke-sponsored website. I had one chance, but I stillcouldn't find my fortune yet! I needed to give them my login information for Twitter or LINE. This was starting to feel like a hassle, but I was so far in already...I decided to log in with LINE, because I didn't know my Twitter password off the top of my head. Of course, they asked for the standard permissions to read my profile information. Typical marketing stuff.Finally, I was able to see what this omikuji drawing was all about... And, turns out it wasn't even my daily fortune! It was just a promo to get points. I was pretty disappointed at this point, as I just wanted to know how auspicious my day was going to look.I pulled my fortune, which normallywould be good: daikichi. But, according to this chart above, daikichiis actually the worst luck you could get. I don't get any points with this drawing.If I wanted to redraw my result, I could share my fortune. However, I wasn't interested in accumulating any points. I guess I'll just take my good luck reading and be happy with it. But I know that I'm never participating in this promotion ever again.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/GBbXR-livingTue, 02 Apr 2019 15:37:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/GBbXR-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/Mqjp4-living_food_minami_ku_yokohama_shi_kanagawaWhile not as famous as some of the other Tokyo sakura sightseeing spots, the Ooka River in Yokohama has an impressive row of cherry blossom trees planted along the river. The main row is between JR Sakuragicho Station and Keikyu Gumyoji Station, but there are some stragglers before and after.The distance is about 5 kilometers, and during the Sakura Festival, the entire walkway is lined with pink and white lanterns advertising the festival's sponsors. Under the lanterns, there are lots of food vendors. There's a huge variety, so you can find anything from fried spaghetti noodles to okonomiyaki to deep-fried potatoes.However, because it's pretty residential in the area, a lot of the locals come out making it difficult to walk. The sidewalk space is filled with the food stands and people waiting in line, and the streets are cleared whenever a car passes by. Plus, it was a rare sunny day this hanami season, soit was extra crowded! It makes the five-kilometer walk take double the time.The river looked beautiful with the weeping sakura trees. I think those are my favorite species of sakura.(I decided to try a deep fried baked potato for the first time. The mentaimayonnaise was so good!)The party doesn't stop in the day, if you're busy working. The lanterns light up and there are a few spotlights so you can enjoy the sights with a bit less people.It's a bit less crowded in the evening, but it's so much colder! I think I'd rather brave the crowds than deal with that wind and the cold.(In the evening, I tried Koreandakkalbifrom a food stand. I like that there were a lot more international options available lately!)And what hanami would be complete without BYOB drinks? A nice rose matched the color of the blossoms. It didn't do much for keeping me warm, but it sure was tasty.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/Mqjp4-living_food_minami_ku_yokohama_shi_kanagawaMon, 01 Apr 2019 16:22:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/Mqjp4-living_food_minami_ku_yokohama_shi_kanagawahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/wZNnv-transportation_howto_tokyoTo be fair, there should be a bit more of a caveat before I continue. I should say, "how to travel on any local or rapid JR East trains within the 23 wards of Tokyo, excluding reserved seats, for a day for only 750 yen" but that doesn't sound quite as catchy. But, despite these seeming limitations, it's still a good deal if you use it well.If you're not familiar with the special passes that train and metro lines offer, you really should familiarize yourself with them. While convenient, the rail system of Japan can be pricey sometimes, especially if you're trying to visit a lot of places at once.I decided to buy this pass when going sightseeing with my boyfriend and his brother and brother's girlfriend. The brother had been to Tokyo before, but it was the girlfriend's first time, so we wanted to show them what the city could offer in a short period of time. Because we would be jaunting all over Tokyo, the 750 yen "tokunai pass" sounded like a great option.We bought our tickets from Shinagawa Station, since we could ride the Keikyu Line all the way up there from Yokohama. However, I think in the future, if coming from Yokohama, it would be smarter to take the JR Line to Kamata Station (the first stop in the Tokyo area where we can use the pass) and buy it there instead.First, you need to locate one of the ticket buying machines. Similarlyto how some machines are IC charge only, you have to make sure you're using the right machine. In Shinagawa, it's the black machines labeled with "ticket" or "pass" in English. And make sure you're in the JR area!You'll be greeted with this familiar screen. However, this isn't what you want. Instead, you want to find the discount tickets section on the lefthand side.Here it is, selected in green. So, now the discount pass selections will show up. In this case, the only option is the tokunaipass.Here it is in English, because I completely forgot that all these machines are tourism and Olympics-ready with their English options. In this case, it's called the "Tokyo Metropolitan District Pass" which is a bit of a mouthful will offer you the same deal.Once selected, all that's left to do is put your money in the machine! Conveniently enough, you can also use your IC card to pay for the pass, if you don't want to use any cash. Also, if you're buying for more than one person, you can convenientlybuy multiples at the same time, rather than going menu diving each time. This is done with the physical buttons on the left of the screen, which have kindly been translated by hand into English by an ambitious station worker.Whether you pay by cash or card, you'll end up with a physical ticket like this (it can't be loaded onto your IC card, unfortunately) so don't lose it! You just need to insert this into the black ticket gates, so be mindful of which gate you queue up to enter and exit, and grab it from the other end. You can do this as many times as you like within the time limits.I made the most of my pass by starting in Shinagawa, going to Ikebukuro, then Shin-Okubo, then Shinjuku, then Nakano, then Kanda, then Yurakucho, then back to Yokohama (Kamata). Because I got off at Yokohama Station, which is outside of the designated area, I had to pay a little extra at the station office. But, I was only charged from Kamata to Yokohama, which is still a good deal.I recommend you plan your day out with this pass, or just wing it and go where ever you like! As long as you ride the train a lot, you'll make good use of this pass within a couple of trips.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/wZNnv-transportation_howto_tokyoFri, 29 Mar 2019 17:45:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/wZNnv-transportation_howto_tokyohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/G6Z2D-foodIt's no secret that convenience store chain 7-Eleven has the best buns out of any convenience store. Their pizza-man (tomato and cheese filled buns) are absolute perfection. So, whenever they have a new bun out for sale, I feel compelled to purchase it.Their newest offering is the ebichili-man. From the name, I was expecting a slightly sweet and spicy filling with shrimp peppered throughout.Looking at it, they decided to go with a yellowish bun. For different flavors, different colored buns are used. The familiar white is reserved for their meaty niku-man, brown for their sweeter offerings like choco-man, and green for healthy options like chicken and veggie. Here's another color on the nikuman rainbow spectrum.Ripping it open, there was mostly breading. You can see the sticky filling and a piece of shrimp sticking out.Some shrimps were solid, while others were chopped up. They tasted like the dehydrated shrimps found in the Cup Noodles shrimp flavor. The sauce was viscous and sweeter than it was spicy.For me, it was only okay. I wouldn't purchase it again, especially since it was one of the more expensive buns that were sold at the time. For a 7-Eleven bun, it missed the mark. But if it were sold by any other convenience chain, I would be more understanding of its shortcomings.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/G6Z2D-foodWed, 27 Mar 2019 11:13:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/G6Z2D-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/zK9kR-foodA true classic, the McDonald's apple pie has received a bit of an upgrade in this most recent limited-edition offering. A bit pricier at 120 yen versus the normal 100 yen for a regular hot apple pie, is the custard worth the extra 20 yen?Whereas the original apple pie's famous packaging is a granny-smith-apple green, the custard apple pie is a bright yellow, much like a cartoonish custard color. Other than that, it's very familiar in every other way.Interestingly enough, when removed from the packaging, the pie crust is a different color than the regular apple pie. Notice how much more yellow it looks. Perhaps the custard leaked through the uncooked dough, or perhaps a slightly different dough was formulated to complement the new flavor.The first bite didn't yield much custard. Rather, a warm mouthful of the standard apple pie took its place. A bit of custard peaked through, as you can see in the picture, but it wasn't significant enough to make a difference in flavor.Trying again, I evened out the bite. This time, I only got a bite of custard. So far, the eating process was not going well.Armed with this new knowledge, I unhinged my jaw and took the biggest bite that I could. Finally, my tastebuds were greeted with a good mix of the two flavors.Surprisingly, the flavors mixed very well together. However, it was difficult for me to continue taking large bites like that. I remediedthis by taking two smaller bites on each side, but even that was a hassle. Even still, I would get this again, and I will lament when this seasonal item is taken off the menu.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/zK9kR-foodTue, 26 Mar 2019 12:31:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/zK9kR-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/Md8AW-foodThe soymilkgame in Japan is strong. Itmakes sense since soy is such a quintessentially Japanese ingredient. There are a bunch of different brands, generic (7-11 even sells their own) and name brand, in a bunch of different flavors.One of the most famous and recognizable brands is Kikkoman (the same company that makes soy sauce), with their yellow bird flying into the sky logo. They have a variety of delicious flavors.Today, I'll talk about the Marusan brand. I usually buy Kikkoman brand, but at my grocery store, I saw Marusan's offering. They had a 45% less calorie soymilk.I could get all the nutrients of soymilk for almost half the calories!I was a bit worried about losing some of the flavorwhen compared to normal soymilk. I was expecting the company to simply add water to the original blend in order to make it low calorie.However, my qualms were cast aside once I poured myself a bowl (featuring imported American cereal). The milk tasted like normal soymilk, not like it was a "healthier" version of it. I was honestly shocked. If this was the case, then why wouldn't they just make all soymilk this low-calorie version? I know that I'll be buying this from now on!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/Md8AW-foodMon, 25 Mar 2019 09:56:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/Md8AW-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/GBgKY-foodTo compete with the standard 100 yen shops, like Daiso and Can Do, Lawson entered the arena to compete with their own contestant, 100 Lawson shops. In the 100 Lawson shops, they focus on mostly food and daily household goods. Some of their offerings are older grocery store stock. So, items that used to be on sale at regular stores, but due to new products coming out or approaching expiration dates, were unloaded to 100 Lawson to be sold at a discounted price.A while back, I remember seeing Pringles-flavored yakisoba in the convenience stores. Foolishly, I thought that I'd be able to get them at a later date so I didn't buy them when I first saw them. But, checking back the next week, they were sold out. I felt like I totally missed my chance.This is where 100 yen shops come in handy: they stock limited-edition items that have already passed through normal shops' shelves. I was fortunate enough to find the Pringles Yakisoba as well as Yakisoba Pringles.The yakisoba was Pringles' famous sour cream and onion flavored.The Pringles were squid yakisoba flavored.With the sauce packages mixed in, the noodles didn't look very remarkable. I wouldn't have guessed they were Pringles flavored from appearances alone.The Pringles had a bit more color to them. The generic brown dust is reminiscent of instant yakisoba powder, but it's certainly not the first thing that would come to mind.Overall, I didn't enjoy either take on one another. While I appreciate the novelty, they both should stay in their respective lanes and stick to what they each do best!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/GBgKY-foodSun, 24 Mar 2019 13:17:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/GBgKY-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/z4rg8-living_educationComing to Japan to work, my first placement was in Nishinomiya, in Hyogo prefecture. It's a mid-sized town almost directly betweenOsaka and Kobe. There are some local attractions, but it's most famous because it's where Koshien Stadium is located. It's the home of the Hanshin Tigers.My first placement put me in two schools less than 10 minutes from Koshien, so I passed by the stadium pretty much every day. I became a huge Tigers fan, and even though I'm no longer in Kansai, I still root for the Tigers.Being so close to Tokyo, a lot of my coworkers are Giants fans. (Some are Yokohama Baystars fans, but let's be honest and say that the Baystars aren't going home with any championships.) The Tigers and Giants rivalry is pretty famous in Japan, and my Giants-loving coworkers often tease me about being a Tigers fan. During baseball season, if the Giants win a game against the Tigers, they would come to my desk and casually ask if I watched the game last night.At work one day, I found that one of my coworkers had left a present for me on my desk. It was a book aimed at Japanese-speaking Tigers fans: "Can you root for the Hanshin Tigers in English?"It's an older book, but new it could be purchased for 800 yen. I think it's worth every yenny of that, and you'll see why.The book is divided into different parts, depending on what kind of "rooting" you want to do. Though it looks innocent enough from the title, opening it up and reading some of the entries, it should be titled, "Can you curse like a Hanshin Tigers fan in English?"Some of the translations are a bit clunky in English, but it's an amusing read none the less! For those Japanese-speakers who want to practice their English, this could be the way to do it... I'll leave you with some gems:(Very awkwardly phrased)("Hop on the Hanshin line and get lost!" is such a good burn.)(I appreciate the Japanese notes on the bottom of these insults.)(I actually had to Google what "My heart bleeds peanut butter for you" meant. I have never heard that expression before in my life.)(Some of these are very poetic. The translator had a fun time with these!)(I appreciate that whoever is saying this will also be explaining that the Nankou means the south harbor.)(Wow, some of these are getting kind of personal.)(Threats are commonplace in a Tigers fan's vocabulary!)(Nice censor!)The book is filled with pages and pages of these kinds of phrases. Some translations are more liberal than others, but it makes for a good laugh! Maybe I should try learning Japanese with this book...Can you imagine an angry Tigers fan yelling these things out in katakana-English? I don't think they'd come across as insulting as they'd hope.What was your favorite phrase from this book?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/z4rg8-living_educationSat, 23 Mar 2019 12:14:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/z4rg8-living_educationhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/MP8ed-foodI love going to the 100 yen store and browsing the aisles. When I don't have a purpose for going, I often stumble upon some of the stranger and more unique products that line the shelves. The most recent novelty I bought is a fried egg shaper. For those of you who want a perfect egg-to-bread ratio with every bite, this product could interest you.Made of silicone, it's a flexible toast-shaped mold with a weird antenna sticking out. It's meant to be used directly on a hot frying pan. Here it is on a frying pan with some hot oil. All seems to be good so far, and the silicone doesn't melt at these temperatures.I originally tried to crack a single egg into the mold, but it didn't work out very well. They leaked from under the mold and I had a regular fried egg. I took a different approach this time and tried scrambling the eggs and pouring them in like that.Learning from my previous mistake, I slowly cooked a thin layer of egg, spreading it around the borders of the mold, as to not let allow the rest of the eggs to leak out.But, I was too excited and worked too fast. I poured too much egg and it leaked out again. On the bright side, it was only in that little spot this time! My strategy seemed to work.Here's the full view. Notice, it's a bit high but that's because I used two S~M sized eggs. I think one L or LL egg would be perfectly suited. Though a bit messy, I was feeling pleased with myself......That is, until I flipped it. I don't know what exactly happened, but more egg leaked out after I removed the mold. But, you can still see the toast-shape, so I was pretty pleased with myself.Here's the finished product, with some cheese on top. Unfortunately, I don't think it looked much like a toast at the end. Not to mention, Japanese bread is more square-shaped than Western loaves. So, it's not much like it would've fit perfectly anyway.I don't think the payoff (even if you did do it properly, unlike me) was worth the effort or even the cost of buying the shaper. If you're good with a spatula and a bit patient, you can probably get better results than with this specialized tool.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/MP8ed-foodFri, 22 Mar 2019 21:49:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/MP8ed-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/MY7Qx-living_foodAsk me what my favorite food is, and nine times out of ten, my answer is going to be pizza. However, pizza here is so much different from what I'm used to back home. The toppings are strange [insert obligatory comment about corn mayo pizza here], the sizes are wrong, and the prices are outrageous.For me, pizza is always a treat. I used to treat myself about once or twice a month, so I became familiar with the different pizza brands and flavors. The above is Pizza Hut's standard cheese pizza, which is the winner in the pizza wars. But, because it's so expensive and there are rarelyany good coupons, I find myself eating at Domino's Pizza now.Domino's is great because there are a bunch of specials and coupons all the time. But, one of my favorite midday pick-me-ups is Domino's Big Wednesday deal. Every Wednesday, Domino's posts a new coupon code for the same promotion here.The pizza is okay, but the deal is what's the most tempting. It's a buy one, get two free deal. Yes, you read that correctly. Buy one pizza and get two for free! And it's not limited to takeout either; this is a delivery special. So, you don't even need to leave your couch to enjoy the deliciousness.Now, it's 3,600 yen for three large pizzas, which comes out to 1,200 yen a pizza. That's practically American prices for pizza! And, you can include the fancier topping pizzas too, not just cheese and sauce.I know what I'll be having for dinner tonight. Will you be joining?Check out the deal here!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/MY7Qx-living_foodWed, 20 Mar 2019 11:29:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/MY7Qx-living_foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/Gy6Y7-foodI enjoy a good cup of coffee every now and again, but that isn't the only reason I visit certain cafes. Sometimes it's for the ambiance, sometimes it's out of convenience, and sometimes it's for the gimmick. In this case, I was drawn in by the gimmick: hand-painted latte art of any picture of your choosing.Calling it a gimmick really is selling it short though. It honestly is impressive and each cup truly is a mini, drinkable work of art. You can try it for yourself at Reissue, located in Harajuku.Look for their signboard outside, because otherwise, it's a bit difficult to find, even using Google Maps. It's located on the second floor of the building, so you need to go up a narrow staircase to get there. The interior is tiny so you may have to wait or double up with strangers.The way it works is that you show them any picture you like (printed, pulled up on your phone, etc) and they'll take a picture of it to show to the artist. Then, he'll hand paint your design on the drink of your choosing.It's not a very elegant setup, as you can see. He just sits at a table with a brush dipped in chocolate, looking at the reference photo on a phone screen. Because each cup is hand drawn, it can take up to 15 minutes (or more) to get your order.I ended up getting a cheesecake while I was waiting because I was a bit hungry. It was actually really yummy. I expected it to be subpar since the shop's main draw was the latte art. But, their food was delicious as well.Our tablemates were from the UK but living in Hong Kong. I struck up a conversation with them while we were both waiting for our cups. Since they ordered first, they got it faster. They went with the 3D foam design which was adorable. Look at how happy that cat looks with his little meal!I felt a bit silly when my cup came out. My friend had gotten a picture of her grandfather on her cup to memorialize him. I opted for my celebrity crush, Kylo Ren.If you're not familiar with the "Ben Swolo" meme, this is the reference picture I used:The artist really captured the vulnerability in his expression and his broad chest. The best of both worlds! I was smitten!Check it out if you're in the area. It's a cool place to take a friend or visiting family!Address: 3 Chome-25-7 Jingumae, Shibuya City, Tokyo 150-0001To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/Gy6Y7-foodTue, 19 Mar 2019 11:40:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/Gy6Y7-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/Go4E2-transportationJapan is definitely the land of vending machines. I think the statistic is something along the lines of, 1 vending machine for every 10 people? That's a lot of vending machines. And they don't just sell drinks! There's food ones, onesfor groceries like eggs and miso, and of course ones containing itemsof a more sexual nature.So, of course there would be a vending machine for train tickets! I'm not talking about the ones at the station either, where you can buy tickets as well as charge your card. I'm talking about standalone ticket vending machines that have buttons to make your selections.You may be asking what the point of using these machines, versus your standard IC card or a station-issued ticket. Well, the main reason for using these machines is that the tickets are sold at a discounted price. This is prominently advertised on the machine itself in hopes of luring people in.This particular machine is located a few blocks away from Hiyoshi Station on the Tokyu-Toyoko line. So, the tickets sold here aren't for anywhere. They're for stations and lines nearby (in this case, being the Toyoko Line, Minato Mirai Line, and the Metro). However, I have also seen these machines in Kawasaki and Osaka Station too.As you can see, there are only so many routes available. And, there are only a limited number of tickets. You can see that a majority of the tickets, especially the popular routes, are sold out.It may seem a bit sketchy buying tickets like this. However, I do know that it works and I've successfully used these kinds of tickets numerous times before. The savings isn't much, but it does add up.I'm not sure who operates these machines, or what the purpose of offering these tickets at a slightly lower cost is. Do any of you know?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/Go4E2-transportationMon, 18 Mar 2019 17:00:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/Go4E2-transportationhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/GlpBj-foodImagine my surprise when I went to my local Daiso and saw they were selling sriracha crackers! For a country that doesn't really seem to care for spicy foods, it was a bit of a shock. Maybe the sriracha craze that swept the West has finally made its way to Japan.On the package wasn't the familiar rooster sauce I used. Rather, it was Sriracha Japan. At first, I thought it was just a made up brand for the purposes of this snack, but when I went to the grocery chain Seijo Iishi, I saw the same brand sold in bottles! It really exists. It was more expensive than the imports at Kaldi, though, so I didn't have a chance to try it. But, if you're curious, you can get more information about it on their website.The crackers looked like regular Cheez-Its, a popular snack in the States. I never found Cheez-Its to be a tasty snack. They didn't have much flavor and they turned to mush in my mouth easily. Though it was prominently advertised on the packaging, I wasn't very thrilled when I opened it and saw that they looked almost exactly like Cheez-It snacks.But, flavorwise, they were completely different! They weren't too spicy (just as sriracha isn't overbearingly spicy). Rather, they had a really balanced flavor that complimented the cracker. They were good plain, but I could imagine pairing them with a nice herbed cheese.Unfortunately, I didn't have any real soft cheeses in my fridge, but I did have cream cheese which is delicious on anything. Of course, it went well with the cracker and I finished the entire package in one sitting.If you see these at your 100 yen shop, or even in a normal grocery store, I recommend buying them! I guess it reflects well on the Sriracha Japan brand, too, because now I'm curious about trying more of their products!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/GlpBj-foodSun, 17 Mar 2019 13:30:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/GlpBj-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/z4rJ8-shopping_medicalKonnyaku, also known as konjac, is a magical vegetable with a lot of different uses. I previously wrote about how its root can be turned into noodles and used as a healthy, no-carb alternative. But, its health benefits don't stop at food. Today, I'm going to talk about a different use: soap.I found this soap in Yokohama Chinatown, though it's not Chinese at all. Actually, it's handmade and only uses natural, organic ingredients. So, it's great for sensitive skin or for anyone you know who's on a natural kick.They have many different varieties available, and their entire shop is dedicated to trying it out and seeing which scent and variety work best for you. The different soaps are made with different ingredients that change seasonally. For example, now their recommended one is made with cherry blossoms. They also offer apricot, shark fin, and green tea, among many others.You can see some of the different varietiesthere, as well as their benefits. When you make a purchase, all the information will be given in both English and Japanese, so you can understand what you're using. (They also offer it in Chinese.)Though they're a bit pricey for hand/face soap, it's worth it! At an average of 1,200 yen, it may be a bit of a splurge, but the packaging makes it feel elegant and worthwhile.Using it is pretty straightforward. I haven't used mine yet, but I'm very excited to try it. I have extremely dry and sensitive skin, so I'm always looking for simple and light face washes. If how it felt on my hands were any indication of how it would feel on my face, I think I've found a real winner.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/z4rJ8-shopping_medicalSat, 16 Mar 2019 16:23:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/z4rJ8-shopping_medicalhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/z3Zv9-living_transportation_howtoWhile the intricate rail and public transport systems in Japan are great, there are some times when it just makes more sense to have a car. Perhaps you want to go somewhere and the trains there are infrequent. Or you want to head into the countryside where there are no trains at all. Whatever your reason, renting a car isn't as difficult as you'd assume.Our reason was that we wanted to travel all around Yamanashi prefecture, and driving would cut the time to maybe a fourth of walking and waiting for trains. Plus, the cost split between the three of us in the party was less than half of what we would pay if we decided on public transportation.OnlineWe decided to go with Nippon Rent-a-Car for two reasons. One was that their English website looked nice and from the past decade. (It's amazing how many Japanese websites look like they haven't been updated since the 90s!) The other was because they offered snow tires for free, and since we were heading into the mountains, we wanted to be safe.Heading over to their website, the search bar is prominently displayed. You just need to put in the parameters, like pickup and dropoff location and date and time. Then, a list of different available cars shows up. The site then shows different options, including model and how many it seats. When you find the car you want, you can make a reservation right there, no payment necessary. The cost is listed upfront, with nothing additional.Pick-UpThe most worrisome thing for us was not being able to communicate with the workers in English. After all, being responsible for a vehicle is a pretty big deal, all things considered. Having a conversation about the rules would be nice. Thankfully, even in Yamanashi, the workers were trained with a few basic phrases. For more complex things, like optional insurance details and the like, there was a pamphlet printed out.To get your car, you need to have your documents ready. I was actually very surprised by how little was needed. For an international driver, your International Drivers Permit (IDP) and passport were all that was necessary. They take it and photocopy it. If you have a Japanese license, I would imagine you bring that instead of the IDP.After showing the required documents and agreeing to the terms, it was payment time. The cost of the car was exactly what was quoted to us online. There were no hidden fees or taxes. We paid entirely in cash, and a credit card wasn't necessary to put on hold in case of damages.We were then led outside to the car. When making a reservation online, it shows the car model type with a caveat "or similar." We got an "or similar" car, as we were expecting a Mazda but we got a Honda instead. Not a big deal, though. After a quick check to see that there wasn't any damage before leaving, we were on our way!ReturnReturning the car was very simple. When leaving, they told us what dock to return the car to. All we needed to do was park it back in there and head to the office to confirm our return. There were no additional payments at the end either (though we didn't damage the car, but if you did then there are sure to be additional fees). If you use the toll card reader, your tolls get squared away at the end, but we didn't take any toll roads so we were in the clear.Also, don't forget to fill up the gas tank before dropping it off. There's an additional charge for not doing so. We used about a quarter tank of gas and just paid to top it off (about 1500 yen). As long as it looks full, you're probably okay.That's how simple the process is! There's really nothing to it, so don't let language barriers stop you from seeing Japan by car. It's a liberating experience that really couldn't be much easier.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/z3Zv9-living_transportation_howtoFri, 15 Mar 2019 12:38:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/z3Zv9-living_transportation_howtohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/w2XbX-foodWhen YBC (Yamazaki Biscuit Company) announced its Noir BlackCocoa biscuits, I was skeptical. Nothing, I thought, could beat a classic Nabisco Oreo. Their Oreo knockoff biscuits weren't amazing to me, but their Black Noir Sticks were what won me over. Soon I was on the hunt for anything Noir Black Cocoa. I thought they could do no wrong.Enter their newest product, a crunchy chunk of chocolate and cream. The packaging drew me in immediately. I love the flavors of the cookie and was curious about how this product could put a new twist on it.The back provides a more detailed cross-section of the treat. The outside is the Noir Black Cocoa, held onto the baked white chocolate center with a thin layer of milk chocolate. Unfortunately for me, I tore into the packaging before I knew what I was getting into.Sure, the snacks look a bit questionable. I mean, an inch-long cylindercovered in a black coating isn't exactly appetizing. Actually, it's a bit reminiscent of something that shouldn't be associated with food.Nevertheless, I boldly took a bite and was greeted with the sweet flavor of white chocolate. Actually, greeted isn't the best word because felt more like an assault on my tongue. The white chocolate wasn't playing around: it may have been called Noir Black Cocoa but the main player was the chocolate. I couldn't taste the cookie at all. And, the inside wasn't just white chocolate, but it was bakedwhite chocolate, which somehow made it even worse. It affected the consistency, making the chocolate crumbly.Now, I should preface my review with the fact that I can't stand white chocolate. I think it's an abomination and isn't fit for human consumption. So, it was only natural that I didn't care for these at all. One bite was enough for me to decide that they were going in the trash. I was sad, because I bought two boxes, thinking they would be delicious. One of my friends will get the other box now (though I'm not sure if they'll consider it a gift or an insult).To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/w2XbX-foodThu, 14 Mar 2019 13:45:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/w2XbX-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/GQmy5-food_shoppingA few of my fellow bloggers have written about Bikkuriman Chocos before, but if you don't know, they're chocolate-filled wafers sold for a 100 yen at convenience and grocery stores. They're popular with young students as cheap snacks and because they often have sticker collaborations with anime and famous brands.I often buy a lot of Bikkuri Chocos when I see a collaboration that I like. The last one that I truly got excited about was the Star Wars collection about a year ago. But, they had released a Dragonball Z sticker set to tie in with the movie in theaters. I wasn't paying attention to the snack selection at the time, so I missed my chance to buy a lot of the set.Fortune smiled down on me not long ago when I was at Don Quijote. There, among the sale items, was a box of DBZ Bikkuri Chocos. I felt like it was a sign that I neededto buy them.One box contained 30 wafer packs. Because the DBZ movie was already long out of theaters at the time of purchase, the set was on sale. It was only 2000 yen for the box, down from the 3000 yen I would've paid at full retail price at a normal store.Opening it up was both beautiful and terrifying. The rows of wafer packets were just staring up at me, ready for me to open them up. I was determined to get through these all before the expiration date hit.In the box, there were two different package designs. They both contained the same set of stickers, but you have the opportunity to choose which set you think is luckier. I would normally opt to go with Freeza, but since I had the entire box at my disposal, I opened up one of each.The snacks themselves are pretty unassuming. They're a standard wafer with a thin spread of chocolate and wafer chunks sandwiched together. The taste definitely isn't bad, but it gets boring very fast. When I'm really vying for a collection, I'll usually buy a bunch and hand off the wafers to friends because I get so tired of them. Now, even my friends turn the wafers down... Maybe I'll try to repurpose them into a pie crust or something.Unfortunately, neither package gave me spectacular stickers. I got Son Gohan and Son Goten from the two packages. I was hoping for a cool Trunks or Shenron or something. But, lucky for me, I have 28 more chances at getting something good. Wish me luck!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/GQmy5-food_shoppingWed, 13 Mar 2019 12:49:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/GQmy5-food_shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/wr3lX-living_shopping_educationBilled as "the World Premiere show for camera and photo imaging," the Camera & Photo Imaging Show is a convention that happens once a year. This year, it ran from February 28th to March 3rd. It's always a small window, and this year's convention has already passed. If you want to check it out, be sure to mark your calendars for the 2020event from February 27th to March 1st of next year.It takes place at the Pacifico Yokohama / Osanbashi Hall in Yokohama, next to Landmark Tower. You can take the train to Sakuragicho Station (JR, Subway) and walk about 10 minutes to the convention hall. Admission is free as long as you preregister on the website ahead of time. If you don't, it costs 1500 yen. I recommend preregistering because it saves you a bunch of money and takes less than five minutes to do.Preregistering gives you a barcode. Save that barcode to your phone or print it out, because you need it to pick up your admittance lanyard. They're very strict about admission, so be sure that it's visible at all times or you will be stopped.The main reason I went was to check out the used camera fair selection. I wasn't too interested in the lectures or exhibitions that they advertised. Rather, I wanted to find a camera that I've been searching for for almost a year now.What's great is that many different camera shops from around Tokyo and the rest of Japan come out. They also bring their best stuff, so it's curated well. However, I'm a fan of digging in the junk bins at camera stores, and most traveling shops don't bother bringing their junk. I unfortunately didn't find any deals this time around.In addition to actual gear, you could find a lot of accessories and photo-related items as well. Actually, it seemed like more people were interested in the camera bags and studio equipment than the actual cameras and lenses. Oh well, more for me this time!Not finding any deals, I decided to may as well check out the exhibitions. There were a lot of booths, both with companies that I was familiar with and ones I had never heard of before. A lot of the information was bilingual (because this is an international affair) so it wasn't very difficult to find out more about anything I was curious about. There were also booths handing out swag bags, but I decided not to pick any up because I'm trying to minimalize the amount of junk in my life.Overall, I was a bit disappointed in this year's showing. However, because it's free, you bet I'll try to be there again next year! It's worth checking out if you're a camera fan and have a free day. Apparently, some people travel from all across Japan to attend, so that many people can't be wrong. See you at the 2020 show!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/wr3lX-living_shopping_educationTue, 12 Mar 2019 15:53:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/wr3lX-living_shopping_educationhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/GQm53-food_teaDo you ever get strange cravings that come out of nowhere? This one hit me like a bag of bricks: I wanted matcha pancakes. Thankfully, I already had the ingredients together and I could whip something up together quickly.I wanted the feature of the pancakes to be the green tea flavor. I had some Shizuoka green tea powder on hand, and I didn't want to waste it if the flavor didn't shine through. The added bonus is that it contains catechin, which is an antioxidant found in green tea that helps fight disease and prevent heart problems. So, essentially, healthy pancakes (or that's what I kept telling myself).The RecipeI adapted this recipe fromCookpad, with a few minor adjustments.Flour....................150 gramsBaking Powder............10 gramsSugar....................50 gramsShizuoka Matcha Powder...5 gramsEgg......................1 eggMilk.....................150 millilitersAlternatively, you could just use packaged pancake mix, following the instructions for it.Step 1:Mix all dry ingredients together, except green tea powderStep 2: Add milk (or water, if you're out) and mix until there are no clumpsStep 3: Add the egg and mixStep 4: Add the Shizuoka green tea and lightly mixStep 5: Fry the pancakes up with a bit of butter on the panThe ResultsDespite only adding a tiny bit of Shizuoka green tea powder, the entire batter turned a very consistent swampy green. The aroma of green tea was also pretty noticeable, so the quality and concentration of powder was good.Sometimes, unscrupulous companies add sugar to their matcha powder for sale, so always be sure to check the ingredients! I guess that, because this particular one was advertising themselves as a powder from Shizuoka, they wanted to maintain as high of a quality ingredient as possible.Cooking it on medium-low heat, my first pancake didn't look that appetizing.Getting my pan to an even temperature, my second pancake turned out a lot nicer. There was an even brown to the pancake this time, rather than a splotchy one like the first attempt.Ripping open my tester pancake, I was pleased to see that the inside looked nice and green. I wanted to try it plain, so I could get the true taste of the pancake. On the first bite, I was a little disappointed that it tasted like a normal pancake.However, the flavor was one that gradually builds. My second bite had the full force of the green tea flavor behind it, now that my taste buds were accustomed to it. The green tea powder wasn't overpowering, because there wasn't too much of it. Rather, it added a subtle earthy flavor that was extremely pleasant.I decided to try my next pancake with maple syrup and butter, the way that pancakes are supposed to be eaten. (I would've added whipped cream too, but I didn't have any and couldn't be bothered to buy it.)Unfortunately, the syrup didn't go as well with the pancakes as I had hoped. It masked the flavor of the green tea powder, and added a sweetness that wasn't really necessary. The butter worked well, though, so if you're looking to spice up these pancakes, that's all I can recommend, though it's not even necessary.The key thing to remember when making matcha pancakes is to remember the quality of your ingredients. Thankfully, I had some Shizuoka green tea powder on hand, which is known for the quality of its tea. This meant that the leaves used were full of flavor, which translated into a better tasting matcha pancake.If you're going to make matcha pancakes, why skimp out on the star of the pancake: the matcha? Try using Shizuoka green tea powder for your next culinary adventure to really highlight the flavors.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/hellonihon/GQm53-food_teaMon, 11 Mar 2019 13:06:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/GQm53-food_teahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/MnaeX-foodIt's been a while since I've purchased any new Jagarico flavors, so when I saw this one I almost felt a compulsion to buy it. I wasn't really sure what an "umadashi" was, but judging from the packaging I could guess it was a dashi broth made with fish and kelp. Do you see those two mascots in the corner? Creepy but informative.They must've really liked the character design for the costumed giraffes because they're all over the container! Actually, the more I look at them, the cuter they become. (I guess they're prettykimo-kawaii...)Despite having a vague notion of what kind of flavoring this was, nothing could prepare me for the fishy poof that emanatedfrom the package when I peeled the cover back. If there was any confusion as to what the dominant flavor was going to be, this resolved everything.Calbee, the creators of this snack, advertises this as a combination of bamboo shoots and kelp broth, plus rice crackers, all coming together to create this flavor. However, I didn't get any of that. Like the scent, the dominating flavor was fish.Unless you're eating this and sharing with friends, I wouldn't recommend buying it. After one or two sticks, the flavor gets really old really fast. The initial bite is good, but my tastebuds really got overwhelmed very quickly. I honestly couldn't finish the entire container because it was too strong. But sharing it, I think everyone would enjoy a little bit of it!★★ (2 out of 5 stars)To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/MnaeX-foodSun, 10 Mar 2019 12:33:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/MnaeX-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/G093Z-fashionFor those of you living in the Kanto region, it's been a pretty miserable week due to the weather, hasn't it? Despite the one or two days of respite last week, I am so tired of the rain! Maybe the rain and clouds aren't just a Kanto problem, but those of you in Tohoku or Kansai or even down in Kyushu are suffering through it as well.No matter, though! After trudging through the rain for a few days, lugging my umbrella around and dealing with rain-related train delays, I decided to do something about it. Of course, I can't control the weather so stopping the rain is out of the question. But, I could treat myself to a little something to help brighten my mood.I went to my local Daiso and picked up these insoles for my rain boots. After wearing them day after day, the arch of my foot was starting to get a bit sore because there wasn't much support. But that's not the only thing! They have the cutest cat pattern on them too, and being the huge cat lover that I am, they made something boring like insoles actually fun!Because I have giant foreign feet, I didn't need to cut them down using the guide, either. They slipped in perfectly to the boots and the black cats match the black boot.Though you can't much tell from the outside that I have the cutest insoles, I'm reminded with every step that I take that I have cute cat companions with me every time I step outside. It isn't much, but it was a cheap and simple way to brighten my mood every time it rains and I'm forced to slip them on.(By the way, I purchased these Chelsea-style rain boots online from Amazon! I recommend them 100% because they're stylish and don't really look like standard rainboots, but they keep my feet dry and warm!)To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/G093Z-fashionThu, 07 Mar 2019 12:48:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/G093Z-fashionhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/zD040-food_shoppingDuring my visit with friends to Moegi no Mura, we went to the Rock Store and found some "ALT" beer. Yatsugatake, where Moegi no Mura is located, has the Touchdown Brewery, brewing up Japanese beer with a local flare.For those of you who came to Japan via the teaching in Japan route are probably familiar with what the acronym "ALT" stands for. For those of you who were lucky enough not to come to Japan that way, it stands for Assistant Language Teacher. It's the title that most English teachers get coming in.Because all of us visiting the area were English teachers (ALTs), we decided to buy some bottles. We thought that they would be fun and cheeky presents, plus with the discounts, they came out to only 270 yen a bottle.In this case, ALT doesn't stand for Assistant Language Teacher. I'm not a beer nerd, so I had to look up what an actual ALT beer is. Google told me that it's actually "altbier", which is an old method of top-fermenting versus the more common and modern bottom-fermenting process.I couldn't really taste the difference between an altbier and a normal lager. I suppose it was a bit lighter than normal and not as bubbly. I didn't particularly care for it, but I'm also not a huge beer drinker so that could also have affected my decision.However, if you know an English teacher (or are one yourself), it's a great gift just for the name and packaging. For the actual content, though, prepare to be a bit disappointed.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/zD040-food_shoppingWed, 06 Mar 2019 09:34:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/zD040-food_shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/MAndQ-food_medical_healthSome time while I was living in Japan, the ketogenic (keto) diet really took off abroad. I didn't find out about the health craze until recently, when I was looking at ways to lose some weight. Though there have always been famous iterations of it, such as the Atkins Diet, I wasn't really interested in it until recently.The basic idea of the diet is that you cut out foods with a lot of carbs, and eat a lot of high-fat foods instead. In theory, it has the body burning calories from fat, rather than fat from carbs. Now, I have probably oversimplified the diet, as well as the science behind it, but the basic premise is this: carbs are off limits.Because I don't eat much meat in the first place and I live mainly off of carbs, this would be a challenge for me even living back in the States. In Japan, the challenge is even harder. Not only am I surrounded by delicious sweets and baked goods, but I've grown to need some kind of starch (mostly rice, but also pasta and bread) with every meal.Initially, I tried just cutting them all out. But, it made for some really bland meals and I was quickly running out of ideas for recipes. I mean, you can only eat salad so many different ways before getting discouraged.I found these noodles at my local grocery store one day. I was already familiar with konnyaku noodles from eating nabe, but the ones I knew about were thin, like angel hair pasta. I was going to use those thin noodles as substitutes until I found out that thicker "udon" konnyaku noodles existed.They have no calories and no carbs, but are really filling. Actually, looking into it later, some health blogs urge you to be careful when eating these, because they can fill you up with nothing essentially, so you need to be sure you're getting enough nutrients as well.Here they are right out of the bag. They look pretty thick and have a good and chewy consistency. With these, I was planning on adding them to my soup curry to get extra substance.The instructions on how to use them are pretty easy. In the bag, they're suspended in liquid. You'll need to strain them out and rinse them with water well. The main thing about konnyaku is the smell. They have a very distinct smell that can be very familiar to some people. Be sure to keep rinsing them until the smell is gone.You don't need to cook them afterward. You can just use the noodles as is, substituting them for whatever you see fit. If you rinse them well, they shouldn't have any taste and can absorb the flavors of whatever dish you're cooking. The texture takes some time getting used to, though, but it's not too foreign.I recommend these noodles to anyone looking to cut a few calories or anyone who's interested in trying keto. The noodles are reasonably priced at about 120 yen a package, and they come with a lot in a package! You should look for it the next time you're at the store, and check out what other konnyaku varieties they have. I'm going to try the konnyaku rice next time.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/MAndQ-food_medical_healthSat, 02 Mar 2019 17:29:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/MAndQ-food_medical_healthhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/GORXx-living_food_sustainablelifeWhether you live in a huge metropolitan area, or somewhere way out in rural Japan, you can always find local grocers. I think of them as Japanese bodegas (sometimes even coming with a cat), as they are locally owned and integral parts of the community.From my walk to and from work I pass two of these shops. Near my home there are a few more. When I first moved to Japan, I admit that I was a bit intimidated by places like these. My Japanese wasn't very good at the time (it arguably hasn't improved much, hence my 2019 resolution) and it was so much easier to throw money at the cashier at a supermarket than trying to make conversation with the local obaachan.Now, after getting over my fear of speaking to strangers who don't use "kiddie Japanese" with me, I actively seek these kinds of places out. And not only do they support the local economy, but they are also much better for the environment.Not only can you get good deals, but the produce supplied at these places are locally sourced, too. So, rather than chain grocers shipping products from across the country, leaving a large carbon footprint, you can buy from places that get produce from local farmers in your area.That's not to say that these types of stalls are going to be a perfect solution. You can see that they also use plastic to package their items, in the same way that normal grocery stores do. And, they don't always stock only local produce. Sometimes, the famous Aomori apples have better brand recognition and quality than the local ones do. But, if you're like me and can't much taste the difference between the famous prefectural foods and the regularly produced ones, you can just opt to buy locally grown ones.As I mentioned, the groceries at the street stalls generally use less packaging than the ones you find at the grocery stores. (I do say generally because sometimes it's just more convenient to use a plastic bag to sell a bag of mikan.) But, for the most part, I can buy loose fruits and have them placed in my own eco bag, rather than have to deal with unnecessary packaging.I bought an apple from a regular grocery store. This kind of wrapping probably overkill, as most grocery stores don't go overboard with plastic like this, but it's such a waste! It was a discounted item, but there was no need to wrap it up like this to make that clear.Compared to an apple that I purchased from a local shop, it was obvious how much wastefulness there was going on. Now, that I know about an alternative, I feel guilty whenever I shop at a grocery store.Another benefit is they can sell older produce. In the mornings, I often see the owner of the shop cutting the old or rotting pieces from vegetables. Then, they end up on this discount table. If you're looking for produce to use for that night's dinner, these groceries are perfect. They won't last much longer, but using them the day of purchase prevents them from going to waste.As I mentioned, you can also sometimes see cats around these kinds of shops, too. Rats and other pests aren't good for business, so the cats are generally welcome. And I love seeing them every time.So, next time you're shopping for groceries, instead of heading to your neighborhood grocery store, try to look for one of these street grocers. You'll be helping yourself by getting fresh, cheap produce, and you'll be helping the environment too. It's a win-win situation, no matter how you look at it.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/GORXx-living_food_sustainablelifeThu, 28 Feb 2019 10:26:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/GORXx-living_food_sustainablelifehttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/wkpkZ-living_chuo_ku_tokyoWalking from Higashi-Ginza Station to Yurakucho Station underground isn't much fun. There's a lot of empty corridors and busy people to encounter on the way. But sometimes, wandering through places, you stumble upon something delightfully fun.Firstly, I didn't even know Sony had a "Photo Park." But, being the Sony fangirl that I am, I couldn't resist stopping in.Though I had never heard of it before, they had a promotional poster explaining a bit what it was. It seemed as though it was the fifth in a rotating set of exhibitions and artists. The theme for this round was "Playground" which artists interpreted in different ways.I only found out about it recently, but it has been going on from February 1 until March 3. So, if it looks interesting, you should head over to Ginza Station before the third to get your shots in!Entering, there are a lot of different displays. All of them have a bit of information about the artists or concept, usually in both English and Japanese. There's also a bilingual pamphlet for more information if you like.Some are meant to be interacted with. Photos of all are encouraged. There aren't always people "manning" the displays, so use common sense when interacting and posing with them.There were some that required a person to be there (such as an aerial photo of a fake picnic scene). They took a picture and Air Dropped it to my phone. It actually looked really cool and it was a nice (free) souvenier!I, unfortunately, didn't get to spend as much time as I'd like perusing the different exhibitions. I would've liked to participate in a photo shoot with cloth (I wasn't sure on the details but it looked really interesting) but there was someone else participating and I didn't have enough time to wait.I don't think I'll have the chance to return before this iteration is taken down, but I'm excited to check out the next round of exhibitions! I wonder what next theme will be... I'm hoping something to do with cherry blossoms!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/wkpkZ-living_chuo_ku_tokyoTue, 26 Feb 2019 15:50:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/wkpkZ-living_chuo_ku_tokyohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/GbK7o-livingPink Pink Monster is a popular brand of purikura machines. I've seen it around in the game centers before, and have actually used it once prior. I remember that I wasn't very pleased with my results the first time, but I wanted to give it another go after seeing their newest collaboration......Sailor Moon. The current Sailor Moon renaissance has spawned a bunch of different collaborations, from gatchapon machines to STI posters, and now purikura machines! There was a poster at the mall advertising this, so my friends and I decided to give it a go.Like most collaborations, this is for a limited time only. It's currently going on from now until the end of March, so act fast if you want to try it. However, maybe you want to read the rest of this before making your decision.While I didn't get any shots of the inside of the booth, it was very small. Normally, a good purikuramachine will have the camera raised slightly and farther away from where you're supposed to stand (to make you appear slimmer/with longer limbs). This machine was straight on and very narrow.There was also very little notification before the shoot started. And, normally after a photo is taken, it'll show you a preview of the shot that was just taken. However, this didn't do any of it. It was just shot after shot after shot, without any feedback, so we didn't even know if we all made it into the frame!We were hoping that the shots were good when we exited to decorate our photos. Because it was a Sailor Moon themed booth, we were hoping that there would be a bunch of Sailor Moon related stamps or borders. But, to our disappointment, there was nothing like that at all.The stamps were the normal Pink Pink Monster stamps. The only thing "Sailor Moon" about this was the tiny borders overlayed on the pictures. We wanted to add tiaras or dango balls to our hair. Instead, we didn't really get much creative control.The pens and stamps were really boring, and there weren't many to choose from. Also, we couldn't change the colors. They had to fit into the predetermined color scheme, which was pink, black, white, and gray. It was really disappointing because decorating is the most fun part! Normally, I'm still decorating when the timer starts the countdown, but this time we got bored with the choices before the timer even started the final countdown.None of us had high hopes when it came out of the machine. But then we realized something... This wasn't even a three-person machine! It was good for two people only, and there wasn't even an option to select the print layout! So, one of us paid and wouldn't even get a strip...We left feeling a bit disappointed and ripped off. I felt like Pink Pink Monster was banking on the Sailor Moon fans to check this out, but didn't put much effort into the actual execution. There were no new stamps and the only Sailor Moon thing about it was a predetermined overlay. Mark my words, this will be my last time using this brand of machines.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/GbK7o-livingMon, 25 Feb 2019 12:08:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/GbK7o-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/z886d-livingImagine a ski date with your significant other. A picturesque white slope. The gorgeous Mt. Fuji in view. Laughter floating in from the distance. I experienced it all and celebrated Valentine's Day with some girlfriends this year at Fujiten Snow Resort. While Valentine's Day has already passed, it's not too early to start planning for White Day!Getting ThereUnfortunately, to get the view of Mt. Fuji in the background while you're skiing, you're going to have to travel a bit. In my opinion, the easiest way to do so would either be going on a bus tour with a group or driving. It's quite a journey with public transportation.Our group opted to drive there. We picked up a rental car from Kofu Station (the capital of Yamanashi, where the resort is located). The drive itself took less than two hours, despite the weather and the winding roads up into the mountains.The ResortIf you don't have any ski gear, it's not a problem. In fact, none of us had anything. They have rentals readily available for a fee, so if you're not much of a skier, this may be a better option. You can rent by the full day (from opening until closing, excluding night skiing) or half day (either opening to noon, or noon to closing).In addition to the skis, you can also rent gear to wear (including boots). I saw some people wearing regular snow clothing, but I recommend renting (or bringing your own) ski clothes since it really does make a difference in keeping you warm and dry. Be warned that the clothing rental doesn't include a hat, goggles, gloves, or socks, so these need to be purchased separately from the store or Amazon ahead of time.Ski Set Rental:One day - ￥4,500Half day - ￥3,000Clothing Rental:One day - ￥4,500Half day - ￥3,000We felt like professional skiers in our gear, even though our skills weren't up to par!SkiingAfter you're dressed, you can head up to the mountain. We saw a lot of people without skis walking around as well just for photo opportunities. If you want to take the lift up the mountain, you'll have to buy a lift pass as well.Adult Lift Ticket - ￥4,000Junior Lift Ticket - ￥3,000Senior Lift Ticket - ￥3,000We decided not to buy lift tickets because we couldn't handle the slopes. So, instead, we climbed up the hill and practiced going down slowly and stopping. In hindsight, maybe we should've paid for lessons as well, but we picked it up eventually!There were a lot of couples on the hill, actually. Most of them seemed to have one person who knew what they were doing, and another learning. It was cute to watch and, if you already know how to ski, it would be a great chance to show off to your partner and teach them something new!The FacilitiesPerhaps not a resort in the traditional sense, Fujiten was still very cozy. There was no lodge with a roaring fireplace where you could sip hot cocoa, but there was a restaurant as well as a cafeteria to get some food. We decided on the less romantic cafeteria, as it was a lot cheaper.They had different options, ranging from Japanese tastes to Western tastes. We just got a small fried mochi snack because we brought lunch, but it was really yummy and surprisingly warm, despite the weather outside.My favorite part of any area is the gift shop. The Fujiten gift shop had a bunch of different souvenirs, from Yamanashi specialties to Mt. Fuji goodies to Fujiten Resort exclusives.I liked the Gudetama collaboration that they had going on because I feel like I had the same expression on my face the entire time.We also decided to get a keychain set to commemorate our Galentine's Day date at Fujiten. I have mine prominently displayed on my train pass case! Of course, they had a good selection of couples keychains too so all bases were covered.All of us had a good time at Fujiten, and we agreed that we'd like to be back again. The mountain closes in late March, so I doubt that we'll be able to do another ski trip, but they are also open during the warmer months for other activities. So, don't let the weather stop you from having a good time!Additional DetailsAddress:401-0300 8545-1 Fujisan, Narusawa-Mura Aza, Minamitsuru-Gun, Yamanashi-KenAccess:Car - Chuo Expressway Shinjuku IC → Kawaguchiko IC → Fujiten Snow Resort (90min);Train - Shinjuku Station → Kawaguchiko Station(2hr) → Taxi(20min) → Fujiten Snow ResortHours:Weekdays - 8:30 to 17:00; Weekends and Holidays - 9:00 to 17:00; Night Skiing - 16:00 to 22:00To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/z886d-livingFri, 22 Feb 2019 17:47:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/z886d-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/wXky4-educationThat's right. I'm one of the newest enrollees at Poop Academy, Spring class. In order to helpachieve my 2019New Year's Resolutionto learn more Japanese, I decided to be proactive. I've only been a student for a few weeks now, but student life has been going great.You probably recognize the professor. He's a quite famous character. In addition to being a famous published author of many different kanji-learning books, he's also appeared on TV and in collaborations with other brands.The curriculum at Poop Academy is pretty lax. You don't need any former kanji training in order to enter. All you need is a can-do attitude. To test your kanji reading abilities, you can take some quizzes online at your own pace.This is from the first-grade level. Can you read the red, underlined kanji and write the hiragana for it in the box below?I felt like a champion when I aced the first-graders quiz. But don't be like me and let it go to your head... Flying high on my success, I got cocky and jumped straight to the sixth-grade test. I didn't fare so well.And to be honest, I only knew "tekkin" from the manga "tekkonkinkreet" and "mo" from the extra large helping options at restaurants. I definitely need to study more.However, it's not all bad news. When you successfully study or complete tasks, you are rewarded with "buree" (a fart sound) coins. And, just for enrolling you are given a free 400 buree! These coins aren't just internet points, by the way. You can trade them in for real-life goods at the online shop.So, just for enrolling, you can get some free items! I didn't want to wait for March, so I decided to get the pencil case, ruler, and pencil set with my 400 free buree.Supposedly, items will ship a month after your order (while supplies last). I'll let you know how poop-tacular these goodies are once they arrive in my mailbox!Now, don't you want to become a member of Poop Academy? Thankfully, unlike fancier schools with set enrollment periods, Poop Academy is always ready to welcome new students! You can sign up here and start. You will need to put in personal information, such as your name and address, but it is a legitimate company so you shouldn't fret too much. Good luck and I look forward to seeing you in the virtual hallways!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/wXky4-educationFri, 22 Feb 2019 09:15:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/wXky4-educationhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/Go4aX-foodBefore moving to Japan, I heard about this enigma of a Japanese baked good: melon pan. I pictured a melon-flavored bread that people would munch on at any time. I was mostly correct, as I see people eating melon pan for breakfast, with lunch, or as a snack. And I've seen melon-flavored melon pan before, though I disappointingly found out it was named melon pan for appearance, not flavor.I pick up a melon pan every now and again when the mood suits me. I'm usually in the mood for a savorier, cheesy bread but I couldn't resist this sweet melon pan I saw at Don Quijote.From that picture alone, it looks pretty unassuming, much like a standard melon pan you can buy in a bakery. But to put it in perspective...It was as big as my hand! And I don't have small hands, just so you know. This monster was more than six inches in diameter.I was a bit hesitant to look at the damage it would do to my body, but I was surprised that it wasn't nearly as bad for me as I thought! Don't get me wrong... By no means was this a healthy meal, but it packed less of a punch than I expected.The baked-on sugary glaze was probably the main contributor to most of those calories. But the flavor was definitely worth it. Even though it came out of a packaged container, it was deliciously crispy on the exterior and fluffy on the inside. If I didn't see it come out of the package, I would've thought it came from a local bakery.As I ate, what originally looked so daunting wasn't so bad after all. Because of the fluffiness of the bread (it wasn't dense at all), I could eat without getting full. I still wasn't able to eat the whole thing, though, and had to enlist my friend to help me out. But, I do feel like I made a valiantNext time I make this purchase, I'm going to rewarm it so I'll get the fresh from the oven feeling!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/Go4aX-foodThu, 21 Feb 2019 09:19:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/Go4aX-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/M9mPv-foodMy love of Jagarico is well known among my friends. Going out, I'll always buy a Jagarico from the convenience store if I'm feeling hungry, and I'm always messaging (or getting messages) about the newest flavors from my friends.So, rather than a fancy box of Godiva chocolates for Valentine's Day, my significant other bought me a special Valentine's Day Jagarico since he knows what a fan I am. Supposedly, he found it at a 7-11 conveniencestore for a slightly higher price than a normal package (though he wouldn't say how much).The higher markup wasn't only because it was for Valentine's Day, however. Look closer; it was also because it came with something extra on top...That's right! It's not just a normal Jagarico. There's a plastic dome on top that contains a package of chocolate dipping sauce!The chocolate dipping sauce looks adorable! It's a custom cup that matches the theme of the packaging. You can see the Shakespearean giraffes (maybe a Romeo and Juliet) sharing a dipped Jagarico chocolate stick.Without the chocolate sauce on the top, it looks like a standard cup of Jagarico. The flavor they paired with chocolate was almond, which I think was a pretty good choice. I'm a huge fan of chocolate covered almonds,so it worked out well.I wanted to try a stick on its own. I already know what chocolate tastes like, but I've never had an almond flavored potato stick before so I was curious. They tasted strongly of almond--perhaps too strong compared to the flavor of an actual almond.The chocolate sauce was pretty standard. I was kind of expecting a chocolate frosting-like consistency, but it was thinner than that. I guess it needed to be in order to properly dip.The two flavors together were really nice and they complimented each other perfectly. Chocolate covered almonds remind me of Valentine's Day and romance, so it was the perfect fit for a holiday-themed treat!To be honest, I wasn't expecting to get anything for Valentine's Day, mainly because this is Japan and females are the ones who are supposed to be doing the giving on this day. However, since my boyfriend is American, I guess he didn't feel the need to follow the Japanese norms and got me something that I could enjoy on this day too. This was a great gift because I felt like it was personalized to my tastes. It's something so small yet so thoughtful to me, and that's why it's a perfect Valentine's Day gift.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/M9mPv-foodFri, 15 Feb 2019 14:36:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/M9mPv-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/MJ5K2-shopping_fashion_howtoThankfully, I've only discovered Yahoo Auctions recently. I was always aware of it, as I have a friend who often buys used cameras from there. He told me that he eventually had to delete the app from his phone because of how addictive it was. I didn't know how serious he was until I downloaded it and started using it for myself.Just look at those deals! (Granted, this jacket eventually sold for around 23,000 yen, but that's still only a fraction of the price new.)Registering your account is easy to do. All you need is an email address, not even a Yahoo one. I used my Gmail account to register. You don't need to put in any of your personal information at this time, so if you're uncomfortable with putting in all your information just to browse, fret not!You can use the search function to find an item you enjoy. For me, I really liked this Burberry Blue Label top. At 541 yen (before shipping), I thought it was quite a steal.Yahoo makes it extremely easy to place a bid. The bright orange button overlay is hard to miss. When you see an item you like, click it to start the bidding process.You can type your maximum bid, and then go to this screen to confirm your numbers. Much like eBay, your maximum bid isn't what you're guaranteed to pay. It will bid up automatically, but if no one bids then it's at the lower price. Be warned, however. Unlike eBay, you cannot retract a bid once you make it. So you should only bid what you are absolutely willing to pay.In this case, the maximum I'd be willing to pay is 1,950 yen. But, because no one else bid, it stayed at 541 yen.It looks like I won! Now is the time to enter the information that you didn't before! This includes your full name, shipping address, and payment information. Also, in this case, you can choose the shipping method.I usually go with the option with tracking, just because I've had too many bad experiences on eBay in the States. However, I feel like Japan is a lot better with its mailing system, so choose at your own risk.After filling out your information, your item page will look like this now. If you want to check on the status of your item, you can click the orange button and be taken there. This is also where you click to confirm that your item was received and where you leave a review of the seller.---I understand now why my friend had to delete the app from his phone. Because of Yahoo Auctions, my credit card bill for the last month was almost 20,000 yen higher than what it normally is. I'll be deleting the app soon, too, but not before I check out the deals for today...To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/MJ5K2-shopping_fashion_howtoThu, 14 Feb 2019 15:44:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/MJ5K2-shopping_fashion_howtohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/MY7lg-living_medical_healthTiming is everything. Just as I was preparing to head back to the States for the holidays, I felt a pain in my eye. I had about a week of work left before vacation, and I really didn't want to take any time off to go to the doctor before then. I figured that it was nothing, and it would just go away on its own.I paid extra close attention to my eye. I would put in my contacts right before leaving out the door and I would take them off as soon as I got home. I made sure not to rub my eye, even though it was itchy, and keep my hands away from my face.It seemed to work. My eye, once red and swollen as soon as I woke up, began to calm down. There was no sharp pain; there was only a tiny itch of irritation. I thought I was home free. Then, I made a stupid mistake: I fell asleep with my contacts in.I woke up at around 3 AM and realized my mistake. Quickly, I took them off and hoped for the best. My hopes were not enough. Thankfully, the next day was Saturday, and I already planned to visit the doctor's office to pick up an unrelated prescription. I planned to pop in for a walk in appointment and be on my way.In theory, it was a good plan. However, this was the holiday season. While the doctor's office was open, the doctor himself was out. I lamented my bad luck and went on my way, doing a quick search on my phone for anything over the counter that could help.This is the product that I ended up buying. I actually had to go to two different pharmacy stores in order to find it. It would be easy if my eye irritation was simply due to allergies. But I knew it wasn't. I knew it was something bacterial and the options for those were far more limited.The instructions were posted everywhere on the box, so they were hard to miss. Every 3-4 hours (the box says 5-6 times a day, but that's my rough math estimate for my waking hours), I would put two drops in my eye.Again, here are the instructions repeated. The box came with 20 sealed eye droppers. It was all very sterile, which put my mind at ease.Simply crack off the top and drop them in. I was expecting one dropper to have only enough liquid for one administration of the medicine. However, I found that one dropper lasted me all day long, or more sometimes. Then again, I was only using this on one eye, so that could explain it.Thankfully, it wasn't painful when the drops hit my eye. Honestly, I've had cooling eye drops that burned more than these did. However, because of this, at times I didn't feel like they were actually helping. But, I kept on following the instructions and my eye was back to normal in about a week's time.Next time, I'd rather go to the doctor for true peace of mind. But, in these circumstances, it was quite effective. And it cost me less than 2,000 yen!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/MY7lg-living_medical_healthWed, 06 Feb 2019 10:49:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/MY7lg-living_medical_healthhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/wmV78-foodMy favorite part of spring isn't that the weather starts to get warmer and I don't have to layer up anytime I want to leave the house. Though that is nice, I look forward to January and February because it's strawberry season in Japan.Farms open up their doors to all-you-can-pick strawberry events. The fruits are cheaper at the grocery store. And the store shelves are stocked with different snack manufacturers' seasonal strawberry creations.My favorite Japanese ice cream maker, Coolish, threw their hat into the ring as they do every year. I was so excited to see the return of the strawberry Coolish flavor.If you don't know, Coolish ice cream is a type of "drinkable ice cream." You may be a bit skeptical, but it's absolutely delicious.No matter how long you freeze it, the ice cream never gets super hard. I'm not sure if its the formula of the ice cream, or the special packaging that is used, but massaging it in the package will give you an ice cream that is consistently like soft serve.Then, you can squeeze the bag and drink the ice cream from the plastic tube. This strawberry version was just as delicious as any of their other flavors. What I like about Coolish, besides the novelty of it, is the accuracy of their flavors. They don't taste artificial. Instead, they are true to their real counterpart.My only complaint is that the ice cream was a bit lighter than what I was used to. Looking at the ingredients list and the caloric information, it seems as though the formula is a bit different from regular ice cream, making it not as heavy. But that meant that the strawberry packed less of a punch as well.Either way, this is an ice cream that I can recommend in the colder months as well as in summer. But for now, enjoy this delicious seasonal ice cream, as it won't be around for much longer!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/wmV78-foodTue, 05 Feb 2019 15:55:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/wmV78-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/zD0eL-food_teaAre you familiar with "popcorn tea"? I thought it was a pretty popular colloquialism, until I asked my friend if he wanted to try some. His response was essentially, "What in the world is popcorn tea?" Actually, I didn't know the Japanese name for it. I had always drunk it, but myfamily referred to it as popcorn tea. Turns out that I meant genmaichathe entire time.It's a green tea with roasted rice added to it. During the roasting process, some of the rice grains explode, causing them to look like little popcorn kernels. Turns out, back in the day, green tea was an expensive commodity. In order to stretch out the tea stash, rice was added. What started out as a poor peasant hack still survives today in delicious form, with some of the best tea Japan has to offer: Shizuoka green tea.I went to my local grocery store because I was craving, and picked out this bag. It prominently advertises that the tea is sourced from Shizuoka prefecture, so I knew it had to be tasty.Brewing instructions are located on the back of the bag, in order to create the perfect cup. However, I don't own a teapot (how scandalous for someone who claims to love tea as much as I do) so I brewed it in a similar way to a normal cup of tea.I use a tea strainer placed over a cup in order to get a good pour. I emptied a bit out from the bag and was surprised to see a green tea powder coating parts the tea. A bit of the powder fell through the strainer and ended up at the bottom of my cup, so I knew it would be flavorful.You can see the "popcorn" here, as well as the roasted rice kernels and the Shizuoka green tea. All were dispensed evenly throughout the mixture so no flavor was too overbearing.I got my water hot and poured it over. The hot water washed the green tea powder from the rest of the tea, mixing into my cup.I let the tea steep for a bit, following the instructions on the back of the bag the best that I could. The aroma was so rich and pleasant that I was tempted to pull the strainer out earlier than the time recommended because I wanted to drink it already.When I was finally finished, I was left with a cup of beautiful looking tea. The color was a strong, bright green. It wasn't what I was expecting, especially considering that the draw of this particular blend of tea is the rice in addition to the tea leaves. However, there was almost no trace of the rice in appearance, only in the smell.I think the generous green tea powder in the bag, along with the potent tea leaves made this tea delicious. Instead of the roasted rice overpowering the green tea flavor, or the other way around, they balanced each other out to create a wonderfully flavored drink.I have no doubt that this was only possible due to the quality of the leaves and the powder used. With less potent leaves, the rice would've overpowered the delicate flavor of the tea. But by using high-quality ingredients the entire way through, it created something amazing. I recommend this to anyone looking to switch up their normal tea drinking routine. I'm almost out of my bag, and I just bought it recently!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/hellonihon/zD0eL-food_teaMon, 04 Feb 2019 14:13:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/zD0eL-food_teahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/z88JA-living_educationWhenever I go home for the holidays, I always get the same question: “Are you fluent in Japanese yet?” And I always have the same answer: “No.” I don’t know what it was, but sometime after my first year in Japan, I lost all inspiration in studying Japanese. Now, I have more time on my hands, I want to actually dedicate 2019 to studying Japanese.By the end, I’d like to pass the N2, but that’s really a challenge. However, it wouldn’t be a challenge if it was something easy, right? So I’ve put together a strategy for how to incorporate more Japanese into my life this year, and hopefully get my Japanese to a better level than “scraping by.”Here’s what I plan to do:1) Watch more Japanese TV and mediaI finally have cable again, so I should take advantage of that. Even if I’m not paying full attention to it, I figure that having the Japanese on in the background is better than not having it at all. Perhaps I can hear phrasing or even just how the words are meant to be pronounced.I also want to actively watch more in Japanese. I used to watch Yokai Watch in my first year, and I was happy whenever I could understand what was going on. Thankfully, Netflix has a lot of Japanese shows that I can take advantage of. Rather than watch Terrace House, like everyone else does, I want to watch more children’s shows. I’ve tried Terrace House and found out that I can only understand about half of what’s being said. Most of that is due to not understanding both grammar and vocabulary.(That's more like it!)Whereas with children’s shows, it’s about 70% understanding, and most of the discrepancies come from not knowing the vocabulary. But this causes me to use the context clues of the show and infer a general meaning.2) Speak to more Japanese peopleHonestly, I should’ve been doing this from the get-go. I live with multiple people who speak both Japanese and English. However, because their English is good, I always default to just speaking in English with them.In the past, I have had two different friends tell me that they would gladly speak to me in Japanese only. However, I never took them up on that offer because I was ashamed about making a mistake with someone that I knew. Thinking about it now, I realized that they sometimes make mistakes while speaking English (as do I, a native speaker) so making mistakes is nothing to be ashamed of.3) Actively study Japanese The previous two methods are both pretty passive methods when it comes to learning a language. I’m not saying that the previous methods wouldn’t be helpful, but they won’t get me to an N2 level quickly enough. Of course, the best way to do this is to study. I have a few Japanese textbooks to use, but the problem is that there are no “perfect textbooks” tailored to exactly your level. Finding something useful can be difficult. Obviously, reviewing lower level points is good, but exclusively reviewing this isn’t going to help me. But, I know if I get an advanced textbook and I don't know anything, it’ll discourage me too. 4) Go to Japanese classes I recently found out that most cities have Japanese classes. Most of them are free because they’re operated by volunteers at the city, but a few do charge a small fee. However, that fee is still much less than what you would pay taking a traditional class. With a quick Google search, I found that my ward in Yokohama offers six different Japanese classes. Four of them charge a 500 yen (or less) per month fee, but two are free. Thankfully, the free ones are on weekends, so I can go without worrying about work. I’m not sure if this kind of service is available in all cities, but it doesn’t hurt to Google search, or even head down to your prefectural office to see!(Look, I found this with a quick Google search in English!)--- Hopefully, these things will motivate me to up my Japanese skills. Originally, I figured that I wasn’t going to be in Japan forever, so why should I waste my time studying the language? I had that mindset for years. However, what did I do instead? I watched Netflix shows and wasted time on my couch. There are so many wasted hours that I could’ve devoted to learning a new skill. I hope that 2019 will give me the motivation to study Japanese and get more confident with my speaking skills! I’m excited for the year ahead and the new possibilities that this can open up.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/z88JA-living_educationSun, 03 Feb 2019 12:04:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/z88JA-living_educationhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/MP86g-foodUme-Kawaii Suppa-Mucho chips. Well isn't that a bit of a mouthful to say? Before reading what these chips actually even were, they were already in my basket. The cute packaging had already won me over.It looked to me like something following the unicorn craze that swept the States last year. I loved it. If you are familiar with the chip selection in Japan, you may recognize the elderly woman riding the unicorn. If not, this kawaii'dout granny is the kara-mucho chip mascot from producer Koike-ya.It seems they're back at it again, but not with a spicy chili chip. Instead, they released another suppamucho chip, this time in a honey plum flavor. I guess the packaging makes sense when you consider the flavor. Honey is a sweet flavor, and Japanese plums have a delicate color associated with them.Now, neither of these flavors belong on a chip in my humble opinion, but I'm an openminded person. I'd take my chances and taste them before forming an actual opinion.Opening the bag, I got a huge whiff of plum smell. It smelled good, but it was also sour enough to make my nose curl a bit. (Unrelated, but look at how few chips are in the bag! That's a crime in itself!)Though it's a bit difficult to see above, the chips were actually coated with a light pink powder. It was certainly the first time that I had ever eaten a pinkpotato chip before, as that bright color isn't something I normally associate with food.I hesitantly took my first bite and it was probably one of the grossest things I've ever willingly eaten. I understand that Koike-ya was trying to go for a sweet-salty-sour profile with these chips, but it was more like a sour punch to the tongue, salt cheering the harassment on, with honey acting as aftercare but too little, too late.The karamucho granny definitely looks cute here, but her Harajuku-inspired makeover just didn't suit her. She should go back to embracing her traditional looks and stick to the spicy chips.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/MP86g-foodFri, 01 Feb 2019 15:27:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/MP86g-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/Mg6VK-foodNew year, new me, right? In order to streamline my breakfast routine and make healthier decisions at the start of my day, I decided to eat a bowl of miso for breakfast every weekday. While it was initially difficult for me to give up my sugary cereals, I knew it was a better choice.While instantmiso may not be the best option, I wanted convenience. I didn't have the time to make miso from scratch daily. I preferred the ease of emptying the miso packets in a bowl, adding hot water, and enjoying them as is.I bought two different miso options, both from the same brand. One was a red miso with shijimi. The other was a yellow miso with asari. Now, both of those are clams, just different species. One is found in brackish water, while the other is found in saltwater. Honestly, I can't taste the difference.Red misoalways intimidated me a bit. I've never bought it in a bulk-sized tub before, mainly because the strong flavor of red miso was always too overpowering for me. Look at how dark it is in that photo!With water added (and spilled... oops), the color evens out into a deep russet color. The reason it's so dark and flavorful is because it uses a higher quantity of soybeans, and the soybeans are fermented for longer than other miso types. However, this means it has a stronger flavor as well, which can be a turnoff.Yellow miso, on the other hand, is more familiar to a lot of people. I normally buy yellow miso because I find that it has the best balance of flavors, as it is stronger than a white miso but not as bold as a red miso.Though I may be biased because I already leaned towards lighter misos, I preferred the yellow miso a lot more. The red miso was too strong for something I wanted to consume first thing in the morning.I struggled to get through the red miso, and the shijimiclams were disappointing as well. I liked the asaria lot more. I guess I'll have to literally just suck it up when I eat the red miso, much to my distaste.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/Mg6VK-foodThu, 31 Jan 2019 19:30:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/Mg6VK-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/wmVOv-foodAfter visiting France two years ago, I became a huge fan of macarons. You can procure them pretty easily in the States, but Japan is a bit of a different story. Sure, they're not impossible to find, but the department stores and bakeries I check have high price tags. 400 yen for a single macaron is out of my budget, unfortunately.When I saw that convenience stores started offering macarons for sale, I was skeptical. How could a chain produce such a delicious French confection for such a low cost? The first time I saw the macarons was at a Family Mart. I bought them but was disappointed. They were cheaper than department store macarons, sure, but the flavor was lacking.My friend, who is a fellow macaron fan, recently turned me on to the Lawson brand of macarons. They only offer this package, with these two flavors, for only 230 yen after tax!The two flavors are strawberry and milk. I was equally interested in both, but I'm a bigger fan of strawberry so I started with that one.This strawberry flavor is actually a specific strawberry. "Amaou strawberry" to be exact. It's actually a specialty strawberry strain from Fukuoka prefecture known for its beautiful shape as well as deliciously sweet flavor.Even in macaron form, the strawberries lived up to their reputation. It didn't taste like an artificial strawberry flavor produced in a lab, but rather a natural flavoring, as though strawberry juice or something of the sort had been added.After taking a bite of the strawberry flavor, I tried the milk flavor immediately after for a comparison. Honestly, I wish that I had eaten the milk first because it didn't live up to the strawberry one. It was good, but it tasted like condensed milk. It was delicious, but rather generic in flavor.The texture of both of them was exquisite. They were fluffy with a tiny bit of a chew to them. The filling was nice and flavorful as well. None of it was too sweet or overbearing. For the price, the quality was phenomenal. I felt like I had found the sweets bargain of the century!So, if you ever have a craving for macarons, forget going to a high-end shop to get your fix. Skip over the other convenience stores on your way to the nearest Lawson and buy them up, courtesyof Uchi Cafe. However, be warned that they're often out of stock from what I've noticed. So if you see them, act fast!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/wmVOv-foodWed, 30 Jan 2019 15:55:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/wmVOv-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/z4r5o-living_shopping_fashionI learned about the custom offukubukurobefore I moved to Japan. Because I was born and raised in Hawaii, a place with a lot of Japanese influence and tourists, I had gone fukubukuro shopping before. Actually, when I had money, it quickly became one of my favorite parts of New Years.I enjoy the surprise and the bit of risk involved in these blind bags. Actually, that's why I enjoy the risk of online shopping so much as well. Fukubukuro was this, on an even bigger scale. So, when I moved to Japan permanently, I was excited to get my hands on a few.My first fukubukuro was years ago. I decided to go to a mall in Tokyo because I figured it would be a good way to hit a lot of stores in a small area at a time. I didn't have a game plan that year, so I didn't line up at the best stores. I vowed I would do better, and my strategy has gotten better over the years.However, in line with my New Year's resolution of spending less money, I decided to limit my fukubukuro spending this year. So, I purchased one bag from Graniph. If you didn't know, it's a great store for buying graphic shirts. They often do collaborations with artists, but they have a lot of nice shirts of their own original designs.The bag itself cost 5,400 yen. That in itself sounds like a lot of yen, especially for someone who promised to limit purchases. However, my justification was that a single shirt from Graniph can cost more than that amount, so I would be getting a great deal!The bags advertised one sweatshirt and either 6 or 7 shirts, depending on the designs. I ended up with six shirts, but I was happy enough with the designs that it was okay that I didn't get a lucky seven bag.With clothing stores that sell fukubukurobags, they are generally organized by gender and size. Though I normally wear a smaller size than a large, I decided to go with the large bag so, if I didn't like any of the shirts, I could give them to my boyfriend instead. Besides, this is Japan, where a large isn't the same as an American large. And, oversized sweatshirts and T-shirts look cute!Without further ado, here are the contents of my bag:The sweatshirt was actually one of the favorites in the bunch. I was so glad that it was a cute design, because it's cold and I could use it for lounging inside.I also really liked this design. There's something so bizarrelyJapanese about it that's great.This is another weird one. However, it's a bit too plain for my liking, so to the boyfriend it goes!This one is another plain one that I'm not a big fan of. I don't think it'll be going to the boyfriend either, as I doubt he'd want to be called "gifted" due to the connotations it can have in English. This one will probably go to a second-hand store to sell.I really like this one. It reminds me a lot of a Threadless T-shirt design, which is an online website that sells interesting shirts with cool designs.This was another weird one that I haven't quite decided on yet. It looks strange, with the "escape" phrasing and the happy face sliding down it.This one is a definite "no" for me and for the boyfriend, so it's another thrift store shop donation. If it were a different color, then I would like it, but that is quite the color...Overall, I was happy with my purchases. I don't know if I'd be back to Graniph again next year, though. I want to try different shops!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/z4r5o-living_shopping_fashionWed, 30 Jan 2019 14:27:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/z4r5o-living_shopping_fashionhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/GlpE8-living_foodI didn't know what amazakewas until recently. I remember seeing it around, especially around the colder months, when I first moved to Japan. I remember seeing these bottles of white somethingin bottles at the Daiso labeled "amazake". I knew what sakewas and I was so surprised to see them selling (what I thought was) alcohol at the 100 yen shop!Fast forward to now, and I was none the wiser until last month. It was a particularly cold day, and one of my Japanese coworkers burst into the room and announced that she had amazakefor everyone. She also added that there was no alcohol in her particular batch. She carried the big, steaming pot and everyone in the room instantly flocked over. Except for me. I stayed at my desk, minding my own business.When the crowd died down, one of my other coworkers came up to me and asked why I wasn't having any. I responded that I actually had no idea what amazakewas. She seemed shocked, and insisted that I try some. She even went so far as to get me a cup and fill it up. Handing it to me, she watched eagerly as I took my first sip.I politely took a sip out of obligation, not expecting much from this ancient drink. But I was so wrong. It was sweet and delicious and not at all what I was thinking it would be at all. I was instantly hooked. That evening, after work, I went to my grocery store and got some for myself.Not wanting to accidentally get myself drunk, I made it a point to pick out a non-alcoholic version of it. I just wanted that same sweet, delicious flavor.The back of the package told me how to make it. I didn't know the exact water-to-mix ratio to use, so it was helpful. I also noticed that there was an egg and amazakerecipe on the back, but I think I'll pass on that one forever.The rice chunks in the drink are actually one of the reasons I enjoyed it so much. It reminded me of the way my mother used to make her chazuke. Soft rice and a similar ratio. I added the water and waited for everything to heat up.Then, I had a brilliant idea. I decided to add cinnamon to it. Actually, as it was cooking, my boyfriend was commenting on how it smelled like horchata, so I decided to add cinnamon to see if I could make a Japanese horchata.After everything was all mixed together, it was just a matter of waiting for it to heat up and reach a nice blended consistency.Here's my final result! It tasted really yummy with the cinnamon, but it also tastes great without it. Next time, I'm going to try to cool it down and ice it (perhaps during the summer) and try to make a true horchata with it.The best part about this sweet drink is that it's actually good for you! It has a lot of probiotics to help your gut, and the sweet taste is natural, from the process of making it. So, you don't have to feel guilty about indulging in it a few times a month. I recommend drinking it to stay warm as we see winter off, or even just to satisfy a sweet tooth craving.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/GlpE8-living_foodTue, 29 Jan 2019 14:55:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/GlpE8-living_foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/wmV3v-living_transportation_jal_sapporo_shi_hokkaidoMost people you speak to who live in Japan have a “Japan Bucket List” of some sort. Whether they have it written down on a blog or just in their head, everyone knows what they want to accomplish by the time they leave Japan. Number one on my Japan Bucket List was going to the Sapporo Snow Festival.I completely forgot about it the first year I was here and booked too late and couldn’t afford it the second year. It wasn’t until my third year that I really got on the ball and decided that I was actually going to do this.I started planning about half a year in advance, so around September. The first thing I did was book lodgingbecause that’s what prevented me from going before. All the good spots next to Odori Street were booked. But, because I was prepared, I got a hotel just two blocks away!There are many different ways to get to Hokkaido from Tokyo, but they’re not all created equal. A lot of low-cost carriers have popped up recently for that route. However, due to a bad experience to and from Osaka, I wasn’t going to go the cheap route. I was already treating myself to a vacation, so I decided to treat myself to a Japan Airlines flight, too. My dates were pretty popular, it seemed. I decided to fly out on Friday, February 2nd, and return on Tuesday, February 6th. This way, I could enjoy the beginning of the Snow Festival (though I would miss the opening ceremony) and not feel rushed to enjoy everything that Sapporo had to offer.I wanted to get the most of my day, so I booked an early morning flight. I used the website I always do, SkyScanner, to find the best deal. I think that the flight I chose was around 6:30 AM from Haneda Airport to New Chitose Airport. I was so glad that JAL flew out of the airport that was closer and more convenient for me. Returning, I booked a flight late in the afternoon, at around 5:00 PM. Thankfully none of the times were outrageous.I got to the airport quite early, though there really was no need to. Flying domestically, there weren’t any hurdles I had to go through. Plus, JAL’s ticketing agents working at the check-in desk were great and spoke great English, so there was no miscommunication. I checked in my small bag for free and was on my way.Because I had budgeted that it was going to take a lot longer (again, because I had a bad experience flying domestically with a low-cost carrier), so I just killed time watching the sunset and the planes take off and land. I leisurely got myself some breakfast and prepared for a great time in Sapporo.On board, there are light refreshments. Because the flight was under two hours long, I didn’t expect much or really have much want for anything. But, having a nice hot tea was very nice. The entire ride was smooth and I didn’t need any assistance at all.Landing in New Chitose, I didn’t really do much research on how to get to Sapporo. Thankfully, the rail system was very straightforward, and I could just follow the crowd of people from the airport who were all heading into Sapporo as well. Google Maps on my phone helped, and the route was very straightforward.My time in Sapporo was amazing! I am so glad that I went, and I hope that I can go again before I leave Japan, though I don’t think it’s likely. The main sculptures of 2018’s Snow Festival were the Osamu Tezuka homage, as well as the interactive Monster Hunter sculpture with a light show. They were all amazing and so breathtaking to see up close. I can’t imagine how much time and skill went into even one of those!I also got to check out the Susukino ice sculptures too. I actually didn’t know about them until close to my last day, when I was just exploring the city. So, unfortunately, some of them were a bit melted already. But, they were still beautiful. Especially in the evening when they were all lit up.I also got to try some of Hokkaido’s famous foods. I doubted people when they said that everything tastes better in Hokkaido, but now I know. It’s true. Everything did taste so much more delicious. Everything was bigger, juicer, and more flavorful. I tried a few famous foods, not limited to miso ramen, Hokkaido milk ice cream, melon, seafood, and chicken zangi.I was so sad when my time in Sapporo was over. Flying back to Haneda, I fell asleep for most of the return flight. Waking up back in Tokyo, my Sapporo trip felt like a dream. I can’t wait to use JAL to fly to Sendai for my next Japan Bucket List item: the fox village!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/hellonihon/wmV3v-living_transportation_jal_sapporo_shi_hokkaidoMon, 28 Jan 2019 16:09:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/wmV3v-living_transportation_jal_sapporo_shi_hokkaidohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/wXkl5-shopping_fashionWhen I think of Shinjuku, I don't normally picture it in the daytime. Rather, I picture the famous Shinjuku nightlife of Kabukicho,ni-chome, and the bars of Golden Gai (and other alleyways). So, when I found myself in Shinjuku in the daylight morning hours, I was a bit at a loss of what to do.I could start day drinking, but I knew that wasn't the best idea. (I'm only kidding!) I wanted to walk around and explore the outer areas of Shinjuku; something I had never done before. My amblingtook me to Shinjuku Central Park.The park was nice and peaceful. It was early in the morning, so there were a lot of families out and couples taking strolls. Though most of the plant life was pretty dead because it's winter, it wasn't ugly to look at.But my favorite part was soon to be discovered. Following the path, in the middle of the park, there was a flea market! Rows of vendors were set up, goods on blue tarps for everyone to see.The audience was varied. Old and young, local and tourist alike were all wandering around the peaceful Saturday morning looking at the things for sale. And there were things for everyone's interests.Mothers were selling baby clothes their children had outgrown.You could find random knickknacksfrom around people's houses.(Former?) otaku were selling figures they didn't want at low prices.Older women were selling goods that are now considered vintage chic.Seriously, there were bins and racks and piles of things to look through. I didn't come with the intention of buying anything, but I left with a good haul. In the end, I purchased an original Misfits record for 500 yen, a Gundam lighter for 300 yen (originally 800 but I got a discount), three button pins for 10 yen (they were supposed to be 10 yen each, but the seller gave me a great deal), a camera lens for 1000 yen, and a new Hanshin Tigers blanket for 800 yen (and the seller threw in a free Tigers notebook).You can see the famous Cocoon Tower from the park, which is a great guiding beacon. If you want to check it out yourself, just follow that main street from the Cocoon Tower and walk until you hit the park. You can't miss it!Apparently, this flea market happens every Saturday from 10 AM to 3 PM (or so). I want to come back again, but I'm not sure when I'll be in Shinjuku that early again! Perhaps I'll need to make a special trip out.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/wXkl5-shopping_fashionWed, 23 Jan 2019 16:26:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/wXkl5-shopping_fashionhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/zK9lK-food_shoppingSometimes, when checking out the new Jagarico flavors, you see a flavor that just absolutely calls out to you. That's what happened to me when I was at the local 7-11 and I saw a basil and cheese flavored Jagarico.Both of those flavors alone are enough to have me reaching for my wallet. Together, it sounded like something perfect. Inspecting the packaging, I saw cheesy basil covered potato wedges. Perhaps that's where I went wrong. I had an image of what I wanted in my head before even trying it out.Opening the package up as usual, I noticed a very pungent aroma. I was a bit taken aback, especially because I wasn't expecting such a strong, cheesy punch in the face right away. There was no hint of basil at all. Cheese was clearly the star here.Looking at the actual stick, though, you wouldn't have thought. Your monitor isn't broken (and neither is my camera). The potato stick does have a slight green tint to it, either naturally from the basil or artificially to make it seem so. There are also little darker sprinklings of green, perhaps as real basil. If you look closely, you can see the cheese bits too.Biting in, you don't get any inkling of basil. It's a strong Parmesan cheese taste the whole way through. One bite in and I was enjoying it. The scent matched the flavor spot on. However, stick after stick of the same flavor soon made me a bit ill. Perhaps it was because I was eating it plain; perhaps I'm not as big of a cheese head as I thought I was; or perhaps I really wanted cheese-covered basil potato wedges as advertised. Either way, I couldn't finish this. And strangely enough, when I offered my coworkers some of my leftovers, no one asked for another.★★ (2 out of 5 stars)To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/zK9lK-food_shoppingTue, 22 Jan 2019 13:42:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/zK9lK-food_shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/MnaYj-food_shoppingHas Kiki moved out of the bakery and on to a tea shop? Not quite, but you can get a taste for a Kiki's Delivery Service inspired tea from the Studio Ghibli store and a collaboration with tea shop Lupicia.The reason I bought this tea wasn't because the delicious black tea called out to me. Rather, it was a more superficial reason... The packaging was just too darn adorable to resist. I love collecting tins, and the aesthetic of Kiki's Delivery Service was calling out to me.(Perhaps it was because I was feeling a bit homesick as well...)Within the tin, you get a vacuum-sealed package of black tea. If you're familiar with Lupicia and have bought anything from them before, it's their standard packaged tea design.On the package, you can see how much tea to use per cup, what temperature of water to use, and how long to leave your leaves in, in order to create the perfect cup. Personally, I just use these as guidelines because I like my tea a bit nonstandard.The leaves and additional aromatics create a cute looking cup. It seemed to have some additional leaves, besides the tea leaves, as well as tiny flower buds. It was a pretty thing to look at, contrasted among the dried black tea leaves.The final cup looked like a standard black tea, but it tasted refreshingly fruity and light. It was a lighter cup of black tea than what I was normally used to when drinking the koucha straight. I don't think I'll be drinking this too often, though that's mostly because I want to cherish it. On flavor alone, though, I'd drink this all the time if I could!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/MnaYj-food_shoppingMon, 21 Jan 2019 12:20:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/MnaYj-food_shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/GbK6E-living_badexperiences...Moving is never fun.Brace yourself. This is going to be a pretty long post, primarily because a lot happened to me when dealing with finding housing. I wanted to chronicle it as best as I could because finding a place to live is one of the most important parts of living in Japan, but it also can be the source of huge headaches.I didn’t have much luck finding an apartment through Interac, who in turn went through the Mini Mini rental company. While I had a great experience with the company, the listings they had available at the moment didn’t suit my requirements. And with Interac not really providing any other kind of support or assistance in the matter, I was forced to take things into my own hands…...I was forced to consult GaijinPot. This isn’t a dig at GP at all. I think they’re a great resource for expats and there’s a lot of great information there. I just wasn’t happy about having to search and do all the legwork myself, especially after going through all the motions with Mini Mini.But an online search is easy enough and I was able to find a good number of apartments that fit my requirements. (A note: almost all foreigner-friendly listing websites use the same housing database, so there’s no need to search more than one site.) After sending an inquiry email to 3 or 4 properties, I logged off.I checked my email the next day and found all but one had responded back (the last one never contacted me back at all…) asking me to provide varying degrees of information. One asked me to provide way too much information in a Google Form with the guarantee they’d respond. I ignored it straightaway, too lazy to fill out a form and send it in.The other two were more reasonable, and I gave them my requirements again. Aonissin company contacted me back first, and that’s who I decided to go with. They asked if I could come to their office so I could see more apartment options. With no other choice (even though it was a lot of effort!) I headed to Shin-Okubo. There was no closer office.The woman helping us was very nice. She spoke fluent English (if I had to guess, I’d say she was from Singapore) and Japanese. She knew exactly what she was doing, and listened to all of our requests. She took memos on where we wanted to live (particularly near which train stops and our budget range).We had to fill out an application form that included information about our employers, Japanese proficiency, and how long we were in Japan. Then she needed a residence card to photo copy, but she only needs it from the person whose name is on the lease.The whole process took about an hour and a half. This included filling out the form, taking our requests, and looking over a few apartments. While we did end up finding a few apartments that we were interested in, after a quick phone call to the management companies revealed that they don’t rent to foreigners. We left empty handed, but the agent promised us that she would keep looking and she’d contact us if she found anything. A day after, she sent a few more, but they were all too expensive, so we politely declined. Then there was radio silence for about a month.During that time, school was wrapping up and my mom was visiting, so I didn’t have much of a chance to focus on moving anyway. I was planning on visiting Mini Mini again to see if anything new was available, but I never got around to it. We were even talking about (gasp) not moving after all, and just sucking up the daily commute in order to save money....Until we got a phone call out of the blue from the rental agency, about two months later. To be honest, I just figure that they had forgotten about/given up on us after we declined the other apartments they had sent. But the woman who took our information down was calling to ask if we were still looking for an apartment. After assuring her that we still were, she said she would send over a few choices.I’m not sure if it was because we were tired of looking, or if the apartment actually was really nice, but either way, we ended up really liking one apartment in particular. It was more or less in a location we wanted, it looked clean, and (most importantly) it was in our budget! We emailed back right away to tell her we were interested.She asked when we could view it, and we told her as soon as possible. Unfortunately, because the office is in Tokyo and we wanted to live in Yokohama, not to mention I finish work at 4:30 PM, neither our agent nor the rental company could make our suggested time of 5:30 PM.That didn’t mean that hope was gone, though. Surprisingly, they told us that it was okay… as long as we were willing to go ourselves. We agreed, and they told us where to find the key so we could let ourselves in and look around for as long as we liked! We snapped a few pictures and got a feel for the place before putting the key back (and video recording it, just in case).We emailed that night saying that we really liked it. She sent us an application form to fill out right away. Apparently, in Japan, when an apartment has an interested party, it is then closed off from viewings or other applications once that party’s application is in. So she wanted us to get the application in quickly to increase our chances.The application itself seemed easy, and we filled it out in less than an hour and sent it back. To be honest, it asked a lot of the same questions that the application for Aonissin did. But it also asked for an emergency contact and a guarantor (we just left that blank). I thought we were going through a rental company and paying a guarantor fee so we don’t have to provide our own guarantor!Anyway, the next day, she emailed us back and said there were some mistakes. Firstly, we needed a guarantor that was a person not a company (we had listed Interac) and our emergency contact needed to be a Japanese national, not someone living in your home country. We didn’t email back an edited form. All we responded with was “Why do we need a guarantor if we’re paying Aonissin to act as our guarantor?” Our agent responded that the housing agency was apparently quite strict, but she’d see what she could do.This was our first red flag. We messaged one of our Japanese friends asking if they would be our guarantor. But because we didn’t get a response right away, we held off from submitting a revised application. We wanted to make sure that we had permission. The agent emailed us the next day, saying that she had put our application in because the housing agency told her that another party had viewed it and was also interested and were submitting an application too. The agent told us she had put her coworkers name as the emergency contact, and we would need to email her with the information of the person we actually knew.After we emailed her with it, she told us that housing just wanted to have a short conversation with us to acknowledge that we understood everything. They just wanted to confirm the details of our application (supposedly) and go over anything else that may be important.Because the interview was going to be conducted entirely in Japanese, we asked Interac to help us. Thankfully, they agreed. They told us to come into the main office after work one day and they’d make the call for us. We did that, and the company just asked to confirm our salaries, company we were working for, and they wanted to know my relationship to my emergency contact.After all of that, we emailed Aonissin again, and our agent told us that we would find out in a week or two. We knew we had competition, but we also knew we had put in our application ahead of time, so we patiently waited…...And finally got the call. We found out that we didn’t get the apartment. Our agent said that the other applicants were Japanese, so obviously they were first choice. However, there was some good news as well. The apartment said that the apartment on the floor above was going to be available from the next month, and we’d be able to get first dibs on it. We reluctantly agreed.However, being responsible, we decided to view it anyway. We set up another viewing, despite them saying it was the exact same layout. This time, we viewed it with the housing agency (but no Aonissin). The apartment wasn’t cleaned yet, so it was dingier, and there was a room with tatami. However, they told us that they would replace the tatami with wood if we liked, for no cost. (We were skeptical about that, but we got it in writing.)Everything was going according to schedule, until Aonissin called us and told us that due to Golden Week, the renovations wouldn’t be done until the following month and they wanted to ask us if that was still okay. This was red flag number two. We told them that we would wait.It was about a week after that that we encountered red flag number three. Apparently, when meeting with the housing agency people during the apartment viewing, they had decided that they didn’t know if we’d be able to handle correspondence in Japanese. They wanted to set up an interview with us in order to make sure we could speak Japanese and communicate with the housing company in case anything happened. Despite us reassuring them that it would be okay, and that we send all of our correspondence to Interac anyway, they insisted.Aonissin asked me to call them ahead of time in order to practice speaking with them. I called and they asked me (in Japanese) simple questions like “When do you want to move?” and “How will you move?” I unfortunately started to panic and just kind of froze up, prompting the agent to say that my Japanese wasn’t good and I shouldn't even try. I didn’t respond to her after that because I was pretty offended, to be honest.I was almost going to drop it then. I almost felt like this apartment wasn’t worth it at this point. But because I really wanted to move and I felt like I now had something to prove, I went ahead with it. And apparently I did fine because they called Aonissin back the next day and told us that they’d be getting the paperwork in order for us to sign.However, what may have been red flag number four was that they wouldn’t give us a final breakdown of costs until after we signed the leasing contract. Though we had their word they wouldn’t charge us for replacing the tatami, who’s to say that they wouldn’t anyway?...And with that, we backed out. There was no guarantee that we wouldn’t get screwed over by the rental agency (not Aonissin, they seemed solid this whole time) and we didn’t want to deal with that headache. It was safer to just back out and start all over again. Aonissin, despite all the work they did to assist us, seemed to understand where we were coming from and offered their support for when we were ready to try again.Eventually, we decided that moving into a sharehouse would be less of a headache than dealing with all of this again. Because who's to say that the next time we apply, we won't be turned down again in favor of a Japanese national or someone who speaks fluently? It wasn't worth the stress and time it took.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/GbK6E-living_badexperiencesSun, 11 Nov 2018 10:32:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/GbK6E-living_badexperienceshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/wr3OR-foodI get excited whenever I see a new Jagarico flavor on the shelves... When I try a flavor that's particularly delicious, I get excited, but that feeling is quickly followed by a sense of disappointment, as I know I'll only get to experience it for a limited time.This happened to me when trying the new Teriyaki Chicken Jagarico flavor. The bright yellow packaging immediately drew my eye to it. It just looked so fun! Plus, that juicy hunk of chicken on the front? What could go wrong!Look at the illustrations. I feel like more effort than usual was put into this packaging. Unfortunately, the both loved and hated "limited time only!" notification was there too.Normally, I don't even like teriyaki chicken. I feel that it's too sweet for me and it's a bit of a cop-out flavor. Perhaps that's just due to a lot of bad experiences living in the States and trying their take on teriyaki flavored things. Either way, I really wasn't expecting to like this flavor because I tend to avoid teriyaki anything.You get a whiff of chicken (though not much teriyaki) as soon as you open up the package. It's definitely an artificial, essence of chicken flavor rather than a freshly roasted chicken smell, but it still made my mouth water. It was like smelling chicken bouillon cubes--rich, flavorful, with a hint of MSG. (I mean that in the best way possible!)Looking at the actual Jagarico sticks did little to convince me that I wasn't going to like them. In fact, those spotted pieces brought about the idea of disease, which is not something you wan to think about when eating a delicious crunchy snack. Thinking about it, maybe the were trying to make it look like a giraffe or something. Either way, I was not impressed.But as soon as I bit in, my tune change. These are, without a doubt, the best flavor of Jagarico that has ever been offered (and perhaps ever will be). They're so rich with flavor, slightly salty, and the perfect minimal amount of sweet. I ate the entire container as fast as I could and went to the convenience store to stock up after work.I'm sad that there'll come a day soon when I'll no longer see these on the shelves... But for now, I'll appreciate them.★★★★★ (5+ out of 5 stars)To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/wr3OR-foodThu, 08 Nov 2018 14:22:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/wr3OR-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/w5jOo-food_howtoI'll ask my students what kind of pasta they like the best, and 9 times out of 10, the answer is "meat sauce pasta!" Unfortunately for me, because I don't eat meat, I find it hard to share in their excitement... Until I experimented and made my own basic vegan meat sauce spaghetti! Feel free to use this as a base and add whatever makes your spaghetti sauce special!Ingredients:1 block of tofu "meat" (recipe below)1 tbsp canola oil1 large white onion, diced1 bulb garlic, minced1 c red wine2 cans cut tomatoTo taste, oregano, salt, red pepper flakes, and basilTofu "Meat":Freeze your tofu, preferably overnight. You need to change the molecular structure of the tofu to make it chewier, and freezing it is the easiest way to achieve this.After frozen, remove from package and place (still frozen) in saucepan with boiling water. Boil for about 2-3 minutes, or until the water starts to turn yellow.Remove from heat and drain. Rinse hot tofu under the faucet with cold water until it's cool enough to handle with your hands.Refill the pan and bring to a boil again, repeating the process about 3-4 times, or until your water remains clear when you boil it.Squeeze excess cold water out of the tofu block by placing the full block between your palms and gently squeezing. Let sit for 10 minutes.Crumble the tofu between your fingers into small-medium crumbles, squeezing any additional water out. Do this over a colander to catch any crumbles that fall from your hands when you squeeze.Tofu "Meat" Sauce SpaghettiAdd oil to a saucepan over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add tofu crumbles, mixing to help the tofu absorb the oil.After browning the tofu (add more oil if it starts to stick to the bottom of the pan), add the onions. When the onions get soft, add the garlic. Stir frequently.Add red pepper flakes (optional) and salt and cook until fragrant.Add wine slowly, ensuring the tofu will absorb the wine rather than just boil in it.Cook out most of the excess wine, so only a small portion remains. Then, add both tomato cans at once.Stir, and reduce heat to low. Add the additional spices and let simmer for a minimum of 30 minutes. If the sauce gets too low, add some water or wine and reduce your heat.Apologies for my messy stove top! This recipe is super easy and, because you boiled out all the tofu flavor, doesn't taste like tofu at all! It absorbs the flavors of the sauce and it's delicious!Like I said before, add or subtract whatever makes your own brand of red sauce unique. Sometimes I'll add bay leafs when I have them on hand, and even turmeric! It's so simple so it's very versatile. Let me know what you think!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/w5jOo-food_howtoMon, 05 Nov 2018 08:10:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/w5jOo-food_howtohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/wNxbB-foodImagine my surprise when I stopped into Family Mart last week and spotted something familiar on the shelves: Zangi Jagarico. I say familiar because I distinctly remember seeing and trying this flavor last year, around wintertime. I had eaten it a few times, then it had disappeared into the limited time flavor vault, never to be tried again... Or so I thought.Seeing a reissue of an old flavor gave me hope that some other goodies would return one day if I was patient. I have never seen this happen before with Jagarico, though, but I'm trying to remain positive!If you don't know (like I didn't, when I tried this last year), zangi is a special type of karaage from Hokkaido. While I don't usually like karaage, I can't get enough of zangi. When I went to Hokkaido, I finally got to try it in person. They were huge, crispy, and much more flavorful than standard southern karaage. I looked at a few recipes and found that the chicken is marinated before frying, which is what sets zangi apart, but I'm sure that's not all.The packaging was the draw for me. The delicious looking karaage was tempting. It looked almost as crispy as a Jagarico stick is!The Jagarico sticks are an orangey color, which immediately made me think that they were fried using leftover zangi oil or something. They smelled like oil and chicken, which doesn't sound appealing but most definitely is!Last year, the first time I ate this, I was impressed by the flavor. It was strong and deep and it complimented the crunch of the Jagarico well. However, since then, I've eaten real zangi and now I can't eat these with the same fervor as before. It's become a haunting reminder of true zangi, and how I'm pressed to eat the real thing here.While I'm happy that this flavor got reissued, after knowing the truth, they just don't taste as good anymore...★★★ (3 out of 5 stars)To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/wNxbB-foodFri, 02 Nov 2018 12:45:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/wNxbB-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/MY7Ay-foodMy absolute favorite kind of tea is hojicha, or roasted green tea. There's something about the post-picking process of roasting the leaves that gives it a depth regular green tea can't achieve. And now that the weather is really starting to cool down, I find myself longing for a warm cup of hojicha.Tempted by my craving, I stopped by my local drug store to check out their offerings. Usually, I'm lazy and opt for buying the prepackaged teabags. However, this time, I decided to treat myself and get loose leaf tea from Shizuoka. Their reputation as the lead green tea producer in the country made me curious.The prominent advertising that these were Shizuoka tea leaves made me curious. Usually I don't may much attention to where my tea comes from (actually I drink a lot of Indian tea, I later found out).There were some directions on the back of the package in order to ensure you brewed the best cup of tea possible. Unfortunately for me, I don't have a nice Japanese tea pot, so I opted to brew it with the materials I had on hand.The leaves had a deliciously rich and earthy scent straight from the bag. It was definitely a lot stronger than other hojicha leaves I had tried before, so I was curious how strong it would make my brewed tea.I had a silicone tea bag I bought on sale from 3 Coins, so I loaded about a teaspoon and a half into it for my tea. I then heated up my water and waited for it to boil. It's recommended that, when brewing hojicha, very hot water is used. And, if you're a tea snob, you can give your cup a rinse of hot water so your cup doesn't absorb some of the heat of the water, like it would if you started with a cold or room temperature cup.I let my tea steep for a minute and a half, per recommended on the back of the package. Actually, I like my tea to be a bit strong so sometimes I leave it in for longer. However, I wanted to taste these leaves at the recommended brewing directions this time.(Please ignore the tea leaf fragments... My brewing equipment wasn't that great!) What a rich and deep color! Like I had previously mentioned, the fragrance of the leaves straight from the bag were very strong. They mellowed out a bit after brewing to give it a delicious aroma.The first sip was amazing. The tea had a full mouth feel and hit a lot of deeper notes most other teas don't. I finished my entire cup and, while satisfied, I brewed another.The color was slightly lighter due to the second pass of water, but the flavor was still there. Actually, I preferred the second brew because it let me taste the tea better, rather than just having a strong "hojicha" flavor.Unfortunately, now that I've tried loose leaf Shizuoka hojicha, I may not be able to switch back to regular tea bags now...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/hellonihon/MY7Ay-foodFri, 02 Nov 2018 09:02:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/MY7Ay-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/wr37q-living_shopping_medical_healthI get sick. A lot. My sinuses are permanently messed up due to mold, so I have chronic stuffiness, which leads to sore throats and a plethora of other issues. Originally, I would see the doctor after my symptoms flared up and get medication as a cure.It took me months of doing this before I realized that prevention and being proactiveis a better strategy than being reactive every time I felt like I had a cold or some kind of sickness. I searched for a lot of different products before I finally found one I liked. It was actually recommended to me by a family member, so I felt like I could really trust it.The miracle medicine is called Pabron Gold A, more colloquially known as Pabron. It's a wonderful (I say this lightly, and I'll explain why in a bit) mix of vitamins and herbs that help your body's wellness get back on track. This box is the large size, which I purchased for about 2000 yen. If you're hesitant about making that kind of commitment, they sell smaller boxes so you can see if it really works for you before committing like I did.The actual medicine comes in little foil packets like this. You're supposed to take one packet 2-3 times a day if you're really trying to squash your cold. I usually stick to 1 or 2 if I feel my nose getting stuffy or my sinuses are acting up due to the change in weather.(You can also see some green tea pictured in the background... I'll explain what that is for in a bit.)The medicine isn't in pill form. It's actually a bright yellow powder. (I wonder if there's turmeric in this?) It looks a bit weird, and if that puts you off, definitely don't smell it. What you're supposed to do is throw the powder into your mouth and swallow....But this is easier said than done. I remember the first time I tried this, no one warned me about the intense flavor and I almost gagged it all back up. Don't let me scare you, though. The flavor itself isn't badnecessarily. It just tastes bitter. Extremely bitter.My recommendation is to throw it as far back as you can (aim for the back of your tongue or even down your throat if you can manage). Tilt your head back and swallow as much as you can. Don't let it coat your tongue, because then your taste buds will not like you for a while. I then use tea to chase the flavor down. (That's what the pictured tea was for.)It has mucus thinners and other good stuff in it, which always helps me feel better within the day. If you're looking for a more natural medicinal route, I recommend Pabron!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/wr37q-living_shopping_medical_healthThu, 01 Nov 2018 10:22:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/wr37q-living_shopping_medical_healthhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/G6ZpV-living_shopping_shinjuku_ku_tokyoPerhaps not widely known, Shinjuku has hosted an annual tsukemen festival for the last few years. I didn't get the opportunity to go last year, but I was invited out this year by some friends. It lasts for a few weeks, and the vendors change each week, so you can visit multiple times and still find something new.You can pick up a guidebook of the festival's vendors and use it to plan your trip there. (This information is also available online.) I chose last week to go because there were a lot of chicken tsukemen options. Using the guide, you can also find out more about the shop, like where they're from and what the broth type and ingredients are.I went a bit after lunchtime, so there were a lot of seats available. I can't speak for peak hours, but at 2 PM, I didn't feel rushed to finish my bowl at all. I could chat and eat and decide what tsukemen to try next.However, for some of the more popular shops, the lines were still crazy, even if the seating area wasn't crowded. I can't imagine how they would look during peak times. The noodles must've been really good, but I didn't want to wait in line.To order, you need to get a ticket from the ticket machines. They're at the front and you insert your money. Every bowl at the place costs the same amount: 1 ticket. If you want toppings or any extras, you pay with cash at the booths.Here are some dishes we tried:For the last two, we paid extra for the ajitama and nori. The topping prices and options are different with each restaurant. There are also a variety of vending machines offering drinks (none of the booths do) with a lot of different options depending on the machine.When you finish, save your stub. You can use it to vote for your favorite tsukemen. The winners are announced and invited back next year with a nice little award in the pamphlets next to their shop's name.If you're in Shinjuku today or tomorrow, I recommend checking it out! It's a great way to spend an easy afternoon.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/G6ZpV-living_shopping_shinjuku_ku_tokyoTue, 30 Oct 2018 14:11:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/G6ZpV-living_shopping_shinjuku_ku_tokyohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/G7vOY-food_shoppingUnfortunately for me, my area of Japan is dominated by 7-11. They've seemed to have run most other convenience store chains out of town, save for one or two holdouts. So, I almost never get an opportunity to hit a convenience store other than 7-11 unless I make a conscious effort to do so.I decided that I needed to go to Lawson's because I heard about their Lawson's x Jagarico promotion for Jagarico's anniversary. (I love Jagarico, if you didn't know.) Unfortunately, my local store was either not participating, or had already sold out, so I couldn't get what I had originally come for. However, I found something equally as pleasant... Rilakkuma chocolate buns!I got him to go and took him home, so that I could marvel at him in the privacy of my own home. Unfortunately, he got a bit squished on my travels back... But it's okay because he's still cute!I both love and hate these character buns... On one hand, they're adorable and so quintessentially Japanese. On the other hand, to enjoy them, I have to literally destroy a cute little face. (My secret to doing so is ripping it apart first, rather than just biting into it straight away. That way, I feel it's a bit more humane.)The texture of the bun is really nice. It's light and fluffy and a tiny bit sticky. It feels stickier than a standard nikuman bun does. I'm not sure if it's because of the added food coloring, or if it's a completely different recipe.Poor thing, but I enjoyed him! The filling was advertised as chocolate pudding and it delivered almost perfectly, both in flavor and consistency. The last character bun I got was a Yokai Watch Jibanyan chocolate bun, but that was far too sweet. I could feel my teeth actually rotting.This chocolate is a lot less sweet and more subtle. They seem to have emphasized the pudding part a lot, because it was thick and viscous rather than runny like a melted chocolate icing. Paired with the bun, it was so delicious!You should act fast if you want to try it for yourself! As with most limited edition things in Japan, you never know how long they'll last!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/G7vOY-food_shoppingThu, 25 Oct 2018 13:28:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/G7vOY-food_shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/GR4A8-foodThe variety of Jagarico flavors always surprises me. No matter what your tastes are, there probably was (or there probably is going to be in the future) a flavor that suits you perfectly. Recently, for you Japanese flavor lovers, the limited edition "Kanto Nori Dashi" flavor has hit the shelves!If you didn't know, Kanto is a region in Japan. It includes the Greater Tokyo Area and encompasses seven prefectures: Gunma, Tochigi, Ibaraki, Saitama, Tokyo, Chiba, and Kanagawa. Because I live in Kanagawa and purchased it there, I'm not sure if this is a region-specific flavor or not.Now, I'm not too sure what makes this flavor specifically Kanto. If anyone could enlighten me, that would be great. Is Kanto known for mixing those two flavors together? Or is Kanto-style dashi broth a thing? I have no idea...What I do know is that these were really yummy! They don't look that great (the little bits of nori within each stick looked unappealing to me) but they were packed with flavor. I couldn't taste the nori as much as I could see it, but the dashi flavor was really strong.Because of this, it had a strong salty flavor. I was expecting it to be a bit more fishy or katsuo tasting due to the picture on the package, but I didn't really get any hints of that at all! If someone gave me one of these in a blind taste test, I don't think I would be able to identify that specific flavor, but I would say they taste uniquely Japanese-y.I don't think I'd purchase these again because they really didn't wow me. However, I was able to easily finish the entire package and felt good about it afterwards.★★★ (3 out of 5 stars)To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/GR4A8-foodWed, 24 Oct 2018 13:53:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/GR4A8-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/wZNKZ-living_medicalI thought the end of summer and the cooling of the weather would finally free me of the cure of mosquito bites in Japan... Unfortunately, this hasn't been the case and I'm still getting bitten well into autumn. Thankfully, I always carry Muhi cream with me so I'm never uncomfortable for long.I actually had no idea about Muhi until one of my family members back in the States asked me to bring it home for them when I was visiting one year. They swore by this product, so when I went to pick their request up, I also picked one tube up for myself.I didn't know how much this little tube would change my life! I normally am a suffer-in-silence type of person and just let my body work on its own to heal whatever's ailing me. Now, I've seen the light and I can't get a little bump without putting this stuff on now!Just squeeze out however much you need. The tube is small, but you also don't need that much either for it to start taking effect.To be honest, that's actually way too much... I just wanted to show you the consistency of the cream. It's pretty thick, so you can spread it on and cover a large area without worrying about it drying out or getting all over the place, like you would with a liquid.Here is the bite mark in question... It's on my calf and it's quite itchy! All that's left to do is apply some Muhi cream and wait.(Like I said, that amount really was a bit too much...) But it's okay! Just rub it out until you can't see it anymore! The effect is almost immediate. There's a slight cooling sensation that feels almost like menthol. It immediately soothes the itch and negates the heat from me scratching at it mercilessly. The cream dries pretty easily once it's smoothed down to a thin layer. I like to think of it as forming a protective barrier on my skin. And I know that, in a day or so, the redness and swelling will go down! And I won't need to scratch anymore!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/wZNKZ-living_medicalTue, 23 Oct 2018 14:44:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/wZNKZ-living_medicalhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/G09kj-living_tckFor a city as big and unique as Tokyo is, many times I hear about the same old date ideas. If you’re looking to impress your date and take them somewhere unforgettable, may I suggest going to Oi Racecourse to enjoy a night at the races. Here are 5 reasons why Oi Racecourse makes an amazing date spot:1. You don’t have to spend much.There’s only one fee that you’re required to pay, which is the entrance fee. For 100 yen, you can enter the track. This is all automated. All you need is one 100 yen coin per person, and you can put it in the turnstile. Once you’re in, you’re not required to make any bets. You can pay to simply hang out, if you want. However, if you decide to take the dive and choose to bet on a race, be glad to know that it’s cheap to do that as well.The minimum bet is 100 yen per race. Of course, you can choose to bet more if you’re feeling lucky. So, no matter your budget, you can join in on the fun and realistically make 1,000 yen last the entire night. (Not counting your winnings, of course!)2. There’s delicious food and drink.Honestly, I was surprised by the selection of food and drink at the racetrack. No matter what you’re craving, there’s bound to be something for you. The food choices ranged from Japanese food, to hamburgers, to grill-it-yourself barbecue. Interestingly enough, the shops also offered seasonal options, so you can always come back for something new.The racetrack also has its own beers. There are three exclusive beers, called Star Light. They offer a light brew, a medium, and a dark stout so all beer preferences are covered. I decided to go with the light brew, and it was very crisp and refreshing. If you wish to err on the side of caution, you can also get some Kirin beer.3. You can impress in English or Japanese.No matter whether you speak Japanese fluently or if you only speak English, you shouldn’t have many problems when it comes to having a good time. The restaurant owners seemed to speak a little bit of English, but it's no different than if you were ordering from a regular restaurant.As for the races, we were fortunate enough to receive a packet that included a list of all the English names and stats of the horses in each race for the entire day. Though we didn’t know exactly how to read the stats, we based our bets on it. We received this from the information desk. Within the packet, there are also instructions on how to fill out the betting cards and actually make your bets. This was the most confusing part, so I recommend starting small and having a few extra sheets ready in case you mess up and need to restart. The betting machines have guided lights to ensure that it’s an easy process.The same goes for collecting your winnings. A few of the machines have English instructions on them as well, but if you can’t find an English machine, just follow the lights! Or, just put your ticket in and if something comes out, then you know you won something! 4. There are great photo ops.The racecourse grounds are spacious and spotted with different locations for photo opportunities. The evening is when everything really sparkles, as they liberally use fairy lights in every color of the rainbow to decorate everything at the course. You can get great pictures to commemorate your time there.Alternatively, you can also get pictures in the daytime, with the statues and other fun things around. I got a shot on the merry-go-round and with the adorable horse racing champion mascot! Or something in front of the actual track or from the stands always makes a memorable shot.5. It’s legitimately fun!Horse races in Japan aren’t just for old men who like to gamble anymore! (Or, if you’re from the States, posh women who wear fancy hats.) Oi Racecourse has taken horse racing and elevated it into a clean and enjoyable atmosphere that can be enjoyed by people of all ages and genders.My friend and I were having so much fun that we decided to stay a bit longer than originally anticipated. We got in one extra race before heading back, both of us having a lot more fun that we ever expected to have! This post is supported by Tokyo City Keiba, 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/hellonihon/G09kj-living_tckThu, 18 Oct 2018 15:27:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/G09kj-living_tckhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/z3Z71-food_shoppingI'm going to make a bold claim here: Royce Chocolate is the best chocolate Japan has to offer. It's better than convenience store chocolates and better than small-batch craft chocolatiers.Never tried it before but are curious about my claim? Finding somewhere that sells Royce Chocolate can be a problem. A few specialty department stores carry it in Kanto, or you can order online. But your best bet for finding it would be the airport actually! I've seen them at New Chitose, Narita, Haneda, and Kansai International Airport.You can find them both in and out of the gates. Just look for the big refrigerator with the logo on it. There, you'll find a lot of different varieties. I stuck with the classic dark chocolate, but I've heard good things about the matcha.The reason they're in this refrigerated section is because they're "nama chocolate" and therefore highly susceptible to heat. Air conditioning isn't enough... They need to be refrigerated! If you've ever had Melty Kiss chocolates, it's a similar concept (though these are much better).They're a bit pricey, but definitely worth it as a treat for you or as some last minute omiyage. If you're headed somewhere not so cool, you can buy an ice pack to keep your chocolates from melting. Unfortunately, they don't come with your purchase...Look how fancy that is! You can see the condensation already starting to form. I opted for no ice pack, so I had to eat them fast!They come with a little fork so you don't need to use your fingers... But I couldn't wait and I wasn't sharing these, so I felt like I could use my fingers! Bit mistake... They're coated with a bitter cocoa powder, but the heat from my fingertips melted the outer layer of the chocolate almost as soon as I picked it up!The chocolate is cut into bite sized pieces, but to be honest they were a bit big for a single bite. Because the chocolates were so rich and flavorful, I couldn't handle all the chocolate in my mouth at once! Honestly, I could only eat a few pieces before the richness got to me... The chocolate flavor defeated me.These are definitely something to share with friends, family, or coworkers. It's worth the price and you'll be really popular! (At least for a little while...)To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/z3Z71-food_shoppingTue, 16 Oct 2018 15:16:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/z3Z71-food_shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/wj834-education_workI have been working as an English teacher in Japan for over three years now. Currently, I work at a public junior high school, and have worked at three other junior high schools over my teaching career.While your teaching skills may be important, the mostimportant thing for you to have when teaching classes is knowing the textbook. There are five main textbooks circulating around the schools throughout Japan. Having experience with four out of the five of them, I do believe that some are much better than others.However, the choice in textbook is not for us as teachers to decide. Rather, that decision is made by the Board of Education in your city. Honestly, the decision has a lot less to do with quality and more to do with salespeople and costs. It's common for the textbook curriculum to switch every few years.Currently, my Board of Education uses the Columbus 21 series of textbooks. In my opinion, it's the worst that I've encountered by far. The textbook content is dated, the dialogue is clunky and not natural, and the grammar points are introduced in a weird order.But, like I said, it's not for us as teachers to decide. Instead, all we can do to make an effective lesson is to know your textbook! When you start the school year, you should read through the entire textbook for every grade level. This way, you can familiarize yourself with it. Consider it your teaching bible.Even if you start your classes and you realize that you don't touch the textbook at all during your lessons, it doesn't mean you can disregard it. You may create activities or teach the grammar points without using the textbook in class, but that doesn't mean you can't use it to prepare for those things.Look at the way things are introduced, practiced, and reinforced in the textbook series your school uses. Do you agree with it? Do you think it can be done better? If you think that there's room for improvement, then introduce it that way. Use your textbook to identify gaps in knowledge and bridge those gaps yourself.And textbooks aren't only useful for teaching. When creating activities, you should alwaysuse the vocabulary index in the back of the textbook to ensure that you're only using vocabulary that the students know. And if you catch yourself using an unfamiliar word, make sure to define it.No matter what textbook your school uses, it is the backbone of the English curriculum at that school. Every lesson should rotate around its contents, and it makes things a lot easier if you're actually familiar with it. Use it to make your students better in English and to make yourself a better teacher!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/wj834-education_workFri, 28 Sep 2018 19:16:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/wj834-education_workhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/Gy6V3-living_galleries_hiroshima_shi_hiroshimaI could feel the mood change subtly in the classroom when I told my students where I had gone during my vacation. I heard their stories about visiting different parts of Japan: swimming in the sea, relaxing with their families, going camping. I was asked what I did."I went to Hiroshima," I shared.It went quiet. My students and I had carried on the first part of the conversation in English, but they immediately switched to Japanese after hearing my words."Isn't she American?" I remember that comment in particular. And I was curious as to why it surprised my students that I, an American, visited Hiroshima. Many people I know who visit Japan make it a point to go to Hiroshima. Visiting, you can see people from all over the world doing the same.And it occurred to me that America's official stance on Hiroshima is probably what causes these kinds of thoughts. It wasn't until recent that a serving US president even visited Hiroshima.I can understand why. It's a delicate situation. You'd risk being interpreted as apologizing for the nuclear attack. Officially, historians believe that the decision to bomb Hiroshima was the right one and something that shouldn't be apologized for. And it becomes another public relations issue to the other Asian countries that were brutalized by Japan during the war.I won't speak as to whether I believe it was right or wrong, or whether an apology is necessary. I'm from Hawaii and my family was living there during the bombing of Pearl Harbor. My grandfather fought in the war as a Japanese-American, for a country that, at the time, was locking his people up in internment camps.But there's something to be said for visiting Hiroshima. I think it's important for everyone, not just Americans to do. I visited the museum, the Memorial Peace Park, and the Atomic Dome. Each of those sites were moving in their own way. And, throughout the city, there are reminders of the city's legacy all over.I saw a chain of paper cranes in a park dedicated to the memory of the victims of the atomic bombing by the Hiroshima City Girl's High School. Accompanied by an informative plaque describing what the monument was for and its meaning, it was touching to see. The memorial, along with much of the city, emphasized peace.Peace seemed to be the message throughout everything in Hiroshima. The museum included some horrifying images and artifacts from the fateful day of the bombing. But the purpose of the museum wasn't to shame the attacker or to solicit pity or to simply play the victim. It was to educate its visitors on the real effects of an atomic bombing. The museum hoped that though this knowledge, visitors would come to realize on their own the horrific effects of the bombing and to come to the conclusion themselves that peace is what's most important. And I don't think that anyone, after walking through the museum and going through the Peace Park, could come to a different conclusion.And that's how I wanted to approach the situation with my students. I wanted to educate them about how I, as an American, feel about Hiroshima. I don't think it's possible to not feel an immense sadness for the devastation that occurred there, no matter your nationality. And its important for students at that impressionable young age to realize that. As an American, I'm not proud of what was done, but I am proud of the people of Hiroshima for using what happened as a tool for peace.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/Gy6V3-living_galleries_hiroshima_shi_hiroshimaFri, 14 Sep 2018 19:18:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/Gy6V3-living_galleries_hiroshima_shi_hiroshimahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/MJ5dk-living_howtoFor those of us living and working in Japan, we understand the importance of a hanko. You can use one for doing almost everything in Japanese society, from opening a bank account to signing for packages. While a signature will usually suffice nowadays, the hanko is a part of Japanese culture preserved and thriving.For the uninitiated, a hanko is basically a personal stamp. It'll have your kanji on it. For those without Japanese names, you can either choose your kanji or use katakana. They're long cylindrical stamps in various diameters. You can buy accessories for them at any 100 yen shop. They really are a quirk of Japanese society.Now, there are many ways to get a hanko. I mean, even Daiso sells hanko with common family names for just 100 yen! But, because this is your personal "official signature" it should be something unique to you. So, there are shops where you can customize almost everything about your hanko.I found out about hanko machines last year. I was in a Don Quijote and saw one in the corner. The whole process was so cool that I had to share it! Here is a list of some Don Quijote locations with a hanko machine:八王子駅前に、ドン・キホーテ道頓堀のドンキホーテ仙台国分町のドンキホーテ中洲のドン・キホーテドンキホーテ 宇品店ドン・キホーテ沖縄宜野湾店ドン・キホーテ梅田店ドン・キホーテ銀座本館ドンキホーテ 高田馬場駅前店ドン・ キホーテ 中目黒本店ドン・キホーテ倉敷店Some locations even have English instructions and a bit of a hook to get you to buy one if you don't know what it is. (If you were wondering, this is at the Ginza Don Quijote.)At the machines, before you start, there are windows that show you which handles are available. To customize your hanko, you can choose the color of material and diameter. Some cost more than others, but compared to buying it at a specialty shop, it's sill much cheaper! Unfortunately, the machines only stock one hanko at a time, so if you want to make more than one, you'll have to wait until they restock the machine or choose a different stick.You can also put a small design on your hanko! (Though, these definitely won't be considered official...)You can choose up to 4 characters on your hanko. If you don't know any kanji but at least know hiragana, it'll suggest some for you. You can also just put katakana if you're more comfortable with that.You can also choose the thickness and style of your characters.When you're ready, select your stick and insert it into the machine.When it's carving the design, you can follow along with it on the screen.And in 10 minutes (or less) you'll have a brand new custom hanko! Easy!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/MJ5dk-living_howtoSat, 08 Sep 2018 19:41:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/MJ5dk-living_howtohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/MnaBE-foodDespite the disappointment of my previous Salty Lemon Jagarico Report, there is nothing that can keep me away from these deliciously crunchy potato sticks. I decided to stick with a more familiar flavor this time. I have already professed my love for the standard salad flavor, so imagine my delight when I saw these new "Jagarico bits" on the shelves!The flavorings used seem to be the same as the original salad flavor. The only difference I could tell is that the sticks were smaller, and the package advertised that it was an "oomori" portion.I really like the little giraffe tykes on the packaging. Usually they feature grown-up giraffes, so the little ones really go with this "bits" them. (I also never noticed that there's a do not microwave warning on this... Imagine putting water in this and heating it up like cup noodles...)Look at how tiny these guys are! They're less than half the size of a standard Jagarico stick. It's like an entire cup of my favorite parts of Jagarico: the broken pieces at the bottom! It also does look like there's quite a bit more in the package. I don't know the weight a regular container contains, so I can't make an official statement about that.They definitely look and taste the same as a regular salad Jagarico. For those of you who have never tried this flavor and are wondering what "salad flavor" is, I'll let you know. Imagine eating a veggie stock bouillon cube. It's salty, rich in flavor, and super savory. It's like a veggie consome flavor, though I'm not sure about it actually being vegetarian...I have to say that I definitely preferred these smaller pieces to the regular larger ones. I'm not sure if it was the novelty and it breathed new life into these, or if there was more exposed potato area to get more flavoring on it... Either way, I definitely want to buy these again. They're about 40 yen more expensive than the standard, but it's yen well spent.★★★★★ (5 out of 5 stars)To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/MnaBE-foodFri, 07 Sep 2018 13:46:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/MnaBE-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/MAnJ8-foodOne of my favorite things about Japan is how absolutely adorable they can make everything. It seems like everyone is in on it, from huge corporations to tiny mom and pop shops! There's an appreciation for cuteness, no matter what your gender or age.This has spilled over to many aspects of Japanese life, I have noticed. But I've only recently noticed all the cute breads in the bakeries out there!Can you tell what that's supposed to be? It's an apple! It's apple bread shaped like an apple, complete with the little stick and everything. How cute is that? I got this from a small local bakery in Yokohama.And it tasted delicious too, to be honest. It was filled with cinnamon apple slices, much like an apple pie. The bread was fluffy and soft and the filling was sweet and delicious.Here's another cute bread I purchased recently. It's a penguin, though I think that's pretty obvious. I got this bread from a chain bakery in Shinjuku. I had such a hard time taking the first bite out of the penguin head!Honestly I wish I had just left it as is... It didn't taste as cute as it looked. It was filled with a cream of some sort, but the taste was pretty mediocre. Oh well. I'd definitely buy it again just for the cuteness.Have you had any experience with the cute breads of Japan? I'm sure there are many more out there just waiting to be discovered and eaten! I know I'll be keeping my eye out from now on.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/MAnJ8-foodWed, 05 Sep 2018 11:07:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/MAnJ8-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/wkpB7-foodI am a huge Gudetama fan. Since his release years ago, I've been obsessed with the laziest egg on the planet. While I've calmed down with my obsession and I no longer needto buy every single Gudetama product I see, I still have an impressive collection.So, when I saw that my favorite pastry chain in Japan was doing a collaboration with one of my favorite Sanrio characters, I knew I had to visit. St. Marc's Cafe is a chain around Japan that serves coffee and pastries. Honestly, most things they serve are only average. The only thing really worth getting is their famous chocolate croissants, or choco cros.The draw of the collaboration is the pudding flavored choco cro. Instead of the standard bitter chocolate, it'll be replaced by a pudding flavored white chocolate. Along with that, the paper sleeves the pastry comes in will feature different Gudetama faces. And, if you buy an entire box, you can get the special Gudetama paper box to carry everything in. The choco cro costs 190 yen and the box set 790 yen, both pre-tax.Naturally, I got the best Gudetama face there is: the rotten egg Gudetama. He's the sassiest, so obviously my favorite. I really give them credit for the presentation! It looks really yummy.A close-up of the pudding filling. The bar of chocolate inside is just perfectly cooked, pulled from the oven right before it was about to burn, to give it a deeper flavor. You can see the browning here. They really know how to make a choco cro!...Or maybe I spoke too soon. I thought the entire thing would be filled with a pudding-white-chocolate bar. Instead, after the first bite, it turned into regular chocolate!Well, actually, that's not entirely true. It was a weird not-quite-pudding flavor. It didn't taste like regular chocolate. Something was definitely different; they definitely added something... But it was definitely not in a good way. It tasted off.It was not good. My luck with snacks was not going well. I couldn't finish it, and I wished I had gotten a regular one so I could get the gross flavor out of my mouth. I just drank some water and threw the second half of the choco cro away.I think this collaboration had the opposite effect of what it was intending. Instead of making me love both products more, this miss has made me love them both a little less...To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/wkpB7-foodTue, 04 Sep 2018 14:52:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/wkpB7-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/MY7BB-foodMy absolute favorite Japanese snack is Jagarico. They're extremely crunchy sticks of potato that come in a bunch of different flavors. Apparently they're a pretty polarizing snack, with some people hating the extreme crunch (going so far as to soaking them in water before eating them) and some people living for it.Their standard flavors are "salad", "cheese" and "plain salt." Salad is my favorite out of the choices, but sometimes I get bored with that. So I'm always on the lookout for the limited edition Jagarico flavors.I came across their take on summer at my local 7-11 recently. They decided to go with the "salty lemon" flavor for summer.Look at that packaging! Doesn't that just scream summertime to you? It did to me, and since it's still scorching hot right now, I was hoping that Jagarico could capture the refreshing flavor pictured on the packaging.Unfortunately, the sticks in the package didn't look particularly summery. They looked pretty plain, actually! But I was immediately hit with a whiff of lemon. That was promising.Taking my first bite, I was curious how they'd fuse potato and salt and lemon together into a delicious snack. And even though I was expecting all those flavors together, I was still surprised at actually tasting all the flavors.To put it bluntly, it was disgusting. It tasted like someone soaked a plain salt Jagarico in lemonade for too long then dried it out. My beloved Jagarico had disappointed me for the first time! It was actually so bad that I couldn't finish it all... I had to throw it away.I personally didn't like it, but another Jagarico fan I talked to really enjoyed them. (Enough so to actually go out and buy anothercontainer at a different date...) I guess I like the richer, savory flavors more so this was too extreme for me. This is one Jagarico product that I can't recommend.★☆☆☆☆ (1 out of 5 stars)To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/MY7BB-foodFri, 31 Aug 2018 11:26:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/MY7BB-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/z3Ze2-foodIf you look on the shelves of any Japanese grocery or convenience store in the snack section, you'll notice an abundance of "adult" snacks. These adult snacks, or the "大人の" versions, have been around for a while. You'll often see them on familiar sweet or savory snacks, usually on those that are associated with children. For example, the legacy Gari Gari Ice recently introduced their own adult version to differentiate from their basic offerings.Now, you won't be ID checked to buy these, as you would be for a beer. Instead, they use the word "adult" to signify fancier or more exotic flavors and ingredients, something suitable for a refined palate, rather than for children.I usually don't pay too much mind to those things, but seeing Takenoko no Sato's version caught my eye. The box looked so luxe with its almost matte-black finish. I knew I would be in for a treat.It advertises a chocolate cookie coated with chocolate. I was hoping for a higher percentage of cacao, but I don't think this was the case. In fact, they seemed to use the same chocolate as the regular (cheaper) takenoko snacks! The only difference was the cookie so far!The packaging was about the same. I don't know why I was expecting these to come out of a golden bag, but I was a bit disappointed when it was the regular green... To be fair, the chocolate looks darker than a usual "children" takenoko does. However, I honestly couldn't taste the difference. And, after eating this, I felt that the chocolate cookie made everything taste too chocolately!I guess what I'm trying to say is: don't fall for the hype. This more expensive takenoko was not worth the extra yen. I was expecting an experience, but I ended up feeling ripped off. Or, maybe this is just definitive proof that I have a child's taste...To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/z3Ze2-foodThu, 30 Aug 2018 14:31:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/z3Ze2-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/MP8N1-foodYou can be honest. When you read that title and thought of that flavor combination, you wanted to gag a bit, right? I mean, that's exactly how I felt when I first learned of this odd flavor combination.But, a part of me was also curious. The flavor of Japanese green tea coupled with the quintessentially American s'more? Maybe it could work. A large part of me was hopeful, as I shelled out the 590 yen cost for it.I had tried last year's Starbucks s'mores flavor offering and found it delicious. Perhaps there was hope yet. Everyone in front of me had ordered one as well, so I was feeling more confident. After receiving it, I inspected it.There was a layer of "marshmallow" cream on the very bottom, topped with the green tea Frappuccino mix, and then more whipped cream on top. It was almost like a reverse s'more... My filling was sandwiched between the fluffy white stuff!The whipped cream on the top is drizzled with a hot chocolate mixture, and sprinkled with graham cracker crumbles.Taking the first sip, I was hesitant. Did I mention that I don't usually like matcha-flavored anything? Thankfully, the matcha taste wasn't actually that strong. Yes, despite that bright green color, the flavoring was subtle. It wasn't as strong as the normal matcha offerings from Starbucks!And, there were delicious bits of the graham cracker topping sprinkled within the Frappuccino, along with crunchy marshmallow bits and chocolate chunks. It was sweet but the bitterness of the matcha paired really well.Before I knew it, I was almost finished... And left with this Shrek-looking swampy monstrosity. Well, it still tasted good!This drink is only available for a limited time, so get it while you can! I recommendyou do!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/MP8N1-foodWed, 29 Aug 2018 13:58:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/MP8N1-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/z1BqV-foodIf you follow Japanese baseball (and perhaps even if you don't), you know of the Hanshin Tigers and their fans. For the uninitiated, the Hanshin Tigers are the baseball team based in Hyogo prefecture, whose fans are known for being extremely wild and dedicated.As a Tigers fan myself, I make it a point to visit as many game as I can. But not only that. I try to buy as much Tigers-related goods as I can to show my Tigers pride. On my most recent trip to Osaka, I thought it would be a good opportunity to check out the new merchandise.At one of the many souvenir shops I visited, I saw something perfect... It was a cross between three of my favorite things in Japan... My favorite baseball team: the Hanshin Tigers. My favorite Japanese food: takoyaki. And my favorite Japanese snack: Jagarico.If you don't know, Jagarico are potato stick snacks sold by Calbee brand. You can find them at supermarkets, grocery stores, anywhere pretty much. They're generally associated with being snacks for children. People usually have strong feelings about them. They either love or hate the super crunch they have. I'm in the "love" category and I eat Jagarico pretty much every day.The box was a bit expensive at almost 700 yen for three little packets. The packets contained only about half of the normal 130-yen cup, but I was paying for a brand, so I understood the markup. But, the packets all had different artwork and they were cute on their own, so it was okay.They were advertised as takoyaki flavored (as takoyaki is a food famous in Osaka) but I was skeptical. I've tried other takoyaki-flavored snacks and have been disappointed; I didn't want to be disappointed in Jagarico.And luckily, I didn't have to be! They tasted exactly like takoyaki, apart from the temperature and texture. I'm not even joking. I don't know how they got a potato stick to taste like batter, mayonnaise, takoyaki sauce, ginger, nori... Pretty much every flavor that makes up takoyaki. And they didn't all hit at the same time, either. Much like biting into a takoyaki, you tasted a different part of it with each second that passed and when each part hit your tongue. It was magical. Now, I wish that I had bough more than one box, and I wish I had saved them for the next Tigers game...To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/z1BqV-foodTue, 03 Jul 2018 14:32:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/z1BqV-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/GO0oO-living_medical_healthWhen I came to Japan, I brought as many pairs of contacts as I could. I was terrified of going to the optometrist in Japan because I didn't know the process, and my language skills were weak when it came to anything medical.Fast forward a few years, and I have finally run out of my supply. Because my language skills have not improved much (and because I'm lazy) I decided to check out Amazon for a contact refill.Now, in the US, the FDA is pretty strict about contact lenses and prescriptions surrounding them. While there are workarounds for this, in general, you need a recent prescription (within the last two years) to order, among other things.Growing up with those strict laws instilled in me, I was nervous about making a purchase. However, after speaking with a friend and fellow expat about how they got new contact lenses, she suggested I check out Amazon.This was perfect for me, considering the voucher system here at City-Cost. Checking out Amazon, I was surprised to see that there was an entire bustling marketplace of contact lens sellers there! You could find colored lenses, plain ones... anything you'd want!Now, the importance of the power and the diameter are important to make sure that it'll fit on your eye properly. Luckily, instead of sorting through Amazon's entire catalog, you can use the search refinement tool on the sidebar to help you find the lens for you.Lucky for me, my eyes aren't very sensitive or dry, so I can take almost any lens brand. So, I just ordered the cheapest brand, which was Bausch & Lomb, a relatively popular and well-known brand. My prescription is a bit strong (-6.00 in both eyes), so I'm not sure how that affected the price. I paid 1,280 yen for 6 lenses (3 pairs in total).The process was as simple as buying anything else off of Amazon. I just put it in my cart, pressed purchase, and that's it! There was no place for Amazon to check my prescription or anything. They just trusted that I was buying the right prescription and that was it.My contacts weren't covered under Amazon Prime, but it still came within three days. Judging from the box, it seemed as though it was a third party seller from "Lens Apple" just selling though Amazon. I haven't checked out Lens Apple, but if their prices are even better, I may be buying from them next time...I'm always so surprised and a bit disappointed by how big the boxes are in comparison to the actual product being shipped. But, my lenses came perfectly in tact and, I guess for medical-related things, I'd rather be safe than sorry.I couldn't open the box properly, but my lenses came and everything looked perfect! I mean, I wasn't expecting anything bad to happen or for them to be tampered with, but it was nice to see.I was so happy with my purchase. The price was right in the range that I was hoping for and the lenses were great quality. The convenience from Amazon was also much appreciated. So, if you know your prescription, you should definitely consider buying lenses online the next time you need a refill!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/GO0oO-living_medical_healthWed, 27 Jun 2018 10:50:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/GO0oO-living_medical_healthhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/M9pN0-living_shopping_galleries_taito_ku_tokyoIn Tokyo, the ever-changing and always moving city, going back to simpler times is a welcomed retreat on occasion. The area of Asakusa is a beautiful glimpse at the past and what was once Edo. Located in the Taito Ward of north-eastern Tokyo, it's a quick subway ride from any major part of the city.Its most famous attraction is Senso-ji (浅草寺) the oldest temple in Tokyo. It is dedicated to the compassionate Kannon. The temple is a few minutes walk from Asakusa Station on the Ginza Line or Asakusa Line. All you need to do is follow the hoards of people headed towards it.When you reach the temple grounds, you are greeted with a giant red lantern signaling that you have reached Kaminarimon. Its stark contrast of black characters on red make it a great spot to get photos, but this can be difficult because there are so many visitors.Passing through Kaminarimon, you are led into Nakamise-dori. This shopping street where you can buy anything from keychains to hand-made trinkets to snacks to Buddhist artifacts is not new. It is an ancient street with a long history of selling goods to those on a pilgrimage to Senso-ji.The pace here is slower, dictated by the ebb and flow of the surrounding crowd. Push forward too fast and you're bound to get some unhappy looks; stop and stare at something for too long, and you'll be carried away. Eventually, you will reach the end and see another lantern. This is Hozomon, and it signals that you have reached the inner complex of the temple grounds.Before reaching the actual temple, the inner grounds are speckled with omikuji, or fortune telling, stalls. On an honor system, you pay 100 yen to get your fortune. Shaking a large wooden tumbler, a stick will come out. You can match the number on the stick to the numbered drawer and receive your fortune in both English and Japanese. If you receive a bad fortune, make sure to tie it up.A five-storied pagoda also sits adjacent to Senso-ji. It's a beautiful sight to take in. You can relax under the shade of a tree and people watch before leaving. Many families, both local and from abroad, make the journey here. Some come to see the temple in all its glory, while others come to pay their respects. No matter what your purpose for visiting, it is unthinkable to miss seeing this cultural and religious landmark.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/M9pN0-living_shopping_galleries_taito_ku_tokyoMon, 25 Jun 2018 20:11:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/M9pN0-living_shopping_galleries_taito_ku_tokyohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/wr81q-transportation_howtoYou see them all the time, probably without even knowing what you're looking at. Generally, they're tiny stalls near train stations plastered with paper signs saying something or another. But look closer and you'll see that those signs are actually advertising discounts. Welcome to the world of discount ticket shops, or kinken shops (金券ショップ). At these magical shops, you can buy all sorts of things, ranging from Shinkansen tickets to tours to (sold out) baseball game tickets. This particular shop even sells files at a discounted price! Some shops also offer currency exchanges as well, often at a better rate than the banks do.Moreover, if you receive a gift card for someplace that you don't like, you can take it here and resell it. Obviously, they need to make money, so you won't get full face value for it, but something is better than nothing! In that same vein, you can also buy gift cards at a slight discount here (I'm taking like 10 yen off 500 yen). But if you're making a big purchase, it adds up. I needed to travel from Yokohama to Osaka. However, because of a medical issue, I preferred not to fly. I didn't have much time to take off of work, so a night bus was out of the question. I decided to treat myself to a ride on the Shinkansen. Usually, I can't justify the expensive cost, but I figured getting a bit of a discount on the tickets would convince me that it was money well spent.Here, you can see the shop I went to advertising Shinkansen tickets from Shin Yokohama Station to Shin Osaka Station. Normally, the tickets cost 14,120 yen one way. However, at this shop, I could get a 1,020 yen discount and get a ticket for 13,100 yen. While it's not spectacular, I was buying round trip tickets for two people, so I ended up saving 4,080 yen overall. I'll take it.It is important to note that there are blackout dates for the tickets. During popular seasons, like Golden Week, Obon Festival, and the New Year, you can't use the discount tickets. If you are concerned, you can tell the staff which dates you are travelling and they can tell you if the tickets can or cannot be used.Purchasing the tickets was simple enough. The staff didn't speak English, but all you need to tell them is where you're going and if you want a single or round trip ticket. At some shops, you may be required to fill out a form with your information, but I didn't need to. I paid and was handed the vouchers and a receipt.However, this isn't the end of it. With what the ticket window gave me, I needed to go to the JR ticketing agent (Midori no Madoguchi) and have the voucher exchanged for an actual ticket. I needed to reserve my date and time with JR (something the discount shop couldn't do) and then get an actual ticket.I was a bit concerned after handing over all that money to a somewhat sketchy hole in the wall shop. However, I remembered this was Japan and the reselling of tickets here is actually legal and regulated. So, this wasn't like buying from a scalper. I had the guarantee of the shop backing me (no matter what the shop looked like).And here are my discounted tickets! They worked exactly the same as a ticket purchased at full price would. I could choose the day, time, and give my seat preference. Everything went smoothly and I boarded the Shinkansen no problem!So, next time you're thinking of doing some travel on the Shinkansen, keep these ticket shops in mind. It may be a few extra steps, but for me the discount is worth it. You can also check them out and see what other kinds of discounts you can get from them. You may be surprised!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/wr81q-transportation_howtoThu, 21 Jun 2018 19:10:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/wr81q-transportation_howtohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/w5K5e-foodThe mint craze has really hit Japan hard. From chocolates to ice cream flavors to traditional taiyaki, it seems like everything can be found in the mint variety now. I was perusing the grocery aisle recently when I came across a new minty player: THE TAN SAN.THE TAN SAN is a relatively new player in the soda water field. Created by the producers of Canada Dry, it was only released within the year. Their usual flavors are the classic lemon, or no flavoring at all. In fact, prior to this, the most adventurous soda water I'd seen was 7-11 brand's grapefruit flavor. So, to see something like apple mint was a bit of a surprise.The bottle uses the same motifs as most common mint packaging in Japan. The same icy blue color is used, as well as mint leaves. Strangely, there's no sign of apple on the packaging apart from the mention of it in English at the top. If I wasn't looking closely (even as a native English speaker) I think I'd miss the note about the apple and be in for a bit of a surprise.My favorite thing about soda water is that it's a nice refreshing beverage, especially in summertime. It's free of caffeine and calories, which makes it a guilt-free alternative to soda.As for the flavor of this apple mint, I can't say I'm a fan. I don't think I've ever had an apple mint combination before, so drinking this would be my first time. Honestly, I don't think that the combination works well at all. Lemon and grapefruit work, but this was a miss.If you don't see this in stores and want to recreate this flavor for yourself, all you need to do is mouthwash, then, immediately after rinsing, drink a sparking apple juice. Does that not seem appealing to you? Me neither.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/w5K5e-foodTue, 19 Jun 2018 19:23:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/w5K5e-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/Mn5eV-food_nagoya_shi_aichiOne of my favorite aspects of Japanese culture is omiyage. It always warms my heart to know that I'm on someone's mind when they're traveling. Getting and giving a souvenir is a way to strengthen relationships as well as introduce a new part of Japan to otherwise unknowing individuals.My friend visited Nagoya recently. I had been once before (years ago) on a day trip, but I only went to visit Nagoya Castle. I didn't know anything about the city, despite visiting once before. So, I was excited to see which souvenir my friend picked out.Chip Star is a popular brand of potato crisps. They're Japan's answer to Pringles, I suppose. They're housed in a fully paper tube, and in a plastic wrapping inside of that tube to keep the chips fresh. I had tried them a few times before but was never wowed.The Nagoya-specific Chip Star were impressive to look at. The sleek black packaging made them look expensive. And they had Nagoya's famous golden shachihoko on the packaging too. Gold and black is a winning combination.The flavor is a spicy-sweet chicken wing. I wasn't aware, until recently, that Nagoya was famous for wings. While I've never had the famous Nagoya wings before, I was familiar with Japanese-style chicken wings and had eaten them often.My favorite part about Chip Star is how generous they are with the flavor coating. Whereas Pringles usually only have one side (sparsely) coated, Chip Star blasts them with flavor. So, it was easy to taste the flavor they were advertising.The flavor was reallygood. I'd like to start off by saying that. However, it definitely was not a spicy-sweet chicken wing flavor. It wasn't spicy; it wasn't sweet. It was vaguely chicken flavored, though... Like a bouillon cube was a big ingredient in the powdered flavoring. To me, it tasted like a salty, peppery chicken consome. It was good, but I'm not sure how accurate any Nagoya expats would think it is.What are your opinions on omiyage from other cities in Japan? Do they ever capture the essence of where your going? Or are they just a shadow of the city, like these Chip Stars were?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/Mn5eV-food_nagoya_shi_aichiMon, 18 Jun 2018 21:49:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/Mn5eV-food_nagoya_shi_aichihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/G08Nr-foodYokohama Kurikoan is a popular chain around Kanto that sells taiyaki, a fish-shaped filled pastry. Though the traditional taiyaki is filled with red bean, as of recent, the flavors have been getting more interesting and adventurous. Kurikoan is known for their strange but usually delightful flavors, such as melon cream, pumpkin, and lemon to name a few. They are also the chain that had the Magikarp taiyaki.Kurikoan is back at it again with a new flavor of chocolate mint, riding the wave of choco-mint excitement that's swept the nation lately. This strange combination will only be available for a limited time, though, so I decided to get my hands on it while I could.Each piece is reasonably priced at 195 yen plus tax, so it definitely won't break the bank. I definitely think that the price is worth it just to taste this strange flavor for yourself.Each piece is made in-store. You can watch the taiyaki cook from the glass window, but I'm more interested in eating than watching, if I'm being honest. But look at how bright that chocolate mint filling is. Doesn't it make you curious?I decided to take my piece to go. It was wrapped up in their cute fishy logo. The taiyaki was still warm when I got home, which is a testament to how hot they're serving these things when you order!Admittedly, I was hesitant to take the first bite. The smell of mint was so strong. I wouldn't say that it was a true mint smell, but rather it was similar to a bottled mint essence. The artificiality of it threw me off a bit, but I don't know what I was expecting seeing that the filling was an artificial-looking electric blue.My tastebuds were confused after my first bite. They were familiar with the pastry outside of the taiyaki. However, the chocolate and mint in combination with that pastry? I wasn't so sure. It definitely tasted minty. And then I got the big chunks of chocolate afterwards.I took another bite, now knowing what to expect. The mint flavor was really strong, and it tasted exactly how it smelled: artificial. If it were only the mint flavor, I don't think I could've finished it. The chocolate chips provided pockets of excitement in the monotonous flavor and got me through it.I never know how to eat taiyaki. Do I start with the tail and leave the head for last, staring up at me? Do I start from the head and put it out of its misery right away?Anyway, when I finished eating, I wasn't sure how to feel. My mouth felt cool and minty up to five minutes after I finished eating it. Honestly, though, I would not get this again. So, I'm glad its only a limited edition flavor, because it'll be gone soon and make way for new (and hopefully better) flavors at Yokohama Kurikoan.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/G08Nr-foodSat, 16 Jun 2018 09:07:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/G08Nr-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/MAWg0-foodMy favorite thing about Japan is the limited edition everything! And what's great about summertime is the abundance of summer flavors. When you combine that with a staple of summer in Japan, outdoor drinking, you get something marvelous. Today, I'm talking about a plum chu-hi made by Kirin brand.Kirin, most commonly known internationally for their beers, makes a lot of things. One of those are chu-hi. Generally, their flavors are good and the alcohol content can be anywhere from 4% to 9% depending on which you buy. For me personally though, my favorite is Suntory's Horoyoi. They are always putting out new and delicious limited edition flavors. The alcohol content on them is a lot lower (in the range of 3%) but they taste a lot sweeter and have a truer to advertised flavor. This is why I was so curious about Kirin's new Yamanashi plum offering.If the delicious flavor of plum doesn't wrangle you in, that can has got to do something for you! I mean, look at it! You can just feel summer calling out from every inch of that label.This particular flavor contains 4% alcohol, which is a bit lower than what I'm used to when dealing with Kirin's chu-hi. However, I think this is what gave it such a strong flavor. Like I said before, when the alcohol content is lower (read this as: when you can't taste the alcohol as strongly), the more you can taste the juicy flavor. (Again, which is what makes Horoyoi so good.) So, with 4%, it was more plum than shochu flavor.Plus, these were special plums. They were Yamanashi prefecture's delicious plums! (Actually, I'm not really sure if Yamanashi is famous for plums... I know they're famous for grapes because of the wine country, but plums?) However, I wasn't complaining. Honestly, I hope that Kirin decides to make a specific chu-hi flavor for each prefecture. How cool would that be?!When you first crack open the can, you get assaulted by the smell of plums. Honestly, it was a little much for me and it did smell a bit artificial. However, I didn't let that influence my judgement and I went in for the first sip. And then another, and another. I couldn't get enough. Seriously, it's that good.The flavor is a bit sweet, but aren't all chu-hi flavors? But the flavor of the plum was spot on. I'll admit that it did taste a bit artificial as well, but it was addicting in a way. It was fruity but not sickly so. It was toeing the line but it never crossed over, no matter how much of it I drank.I ten out of ten recommend that you buy this up if you can. I know I'll be heading to the convenience store again in the near future to pick up more while I can... It's a limited flavor, you know, and you'll never know when it'll be gone one day for good.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/MAWg0-foodMon, 11 Jun 2018 17:46:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/MAWg0-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/Mn5dm-foodI have a love-hate relationship with McDonald's Japan. On one hand, I love the convenience and the ever rotating menu. On the other, I hate the addictive aspects of its food and how it's not always the healthiest option. While I've been trying my best to eat out less, McDonald's has once more lured me in with its siren call, this time in the form of the Gudetama McFlurry.Gudetama, the adorably lazy egg, has been a hit with children and adults alike since it's debut. Its popularity not only in Japan but internationally as well will make it a staple Sanrio character for years to come. Its popularity means its had collaborations, festivals, and themed cafes all over the country. Its latest target is McDonald's McFlurry.The flavor of this McFlurry is currently a secret. If you head over to McDonald's Japan's Twitter, they are currently holding a contest about it. If you can guess the mystery flavor and tweet with the special hashtag, you can win a prize! I've put my guess in and I'm hoping to win big.I managed to pick up the McFlurry during an outing this weekend. It was only released on June 8, so nowhere was sold out of it yet. (If you use the McDonald's app, there's a coupon for it! It takes the price down from 290 to 270 yen!) I got mine to go because I didn't have time to sit and eat it. Unfortunately, by the time I was able to really eat it, it was a bit melted due to the weather.Luckily, a little bit of mixing and it was practically as good as new. I always forget about the size of the McFlurrys in Japan... They're so tiny!Going in for my first bite, I still wasn't sure what flavor I was expecting. Because of the yellow swirls through it, I had in my mind caramel. I tasted caramel when I ate it, but there was something more than that. A few bites later, and one with the cake, and I think I cracked the flavor code... It was caramel custard pudding flavor! (Disclaimer: this is my guess. I gave someone else a taste and they just said "sugar" flavor.)There are different designs on the cups. I got the super hip and stylish shutter shades Gudetama. It's a smart strategy, because I think I'll be back again so I can try to get another cup design. They aren't collectable cups, though, and before you get the wrong idea about me, I didn't actually save my cup.Overall, this was one of the better McDonald's McFlurry flavors. I wasn't a fan of the Pikachu flavor last year, but this one was really yummy! I don't know if I could do more than one more this season, though, because it is extremely sweet. You should taste it for yourself, though, and let me know what flavor youthink it is!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/Mn5dm-foodSun, 10 Jun 2018 22:43:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/Mn5dm-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/wZPYZ-transportation_nishi_ku_yokohama_shi_kanagawaAcross many cities in the USA (and, increasingly, around the world), Duck Tours have been a fun and family-friendly way to experience a tour of the city. If you've never been on one before, the draw is that they'll drive you around some of the streets and share its history with you, then you'll go into a body of water and drive around as a boat for a little bit.The way they can do this is by refitting an old WW2 amphibious vehicle into a more friendly Duck Tour vehicle. Since the cars are already able to go on both land and sea, it's not a problem to conduct a tour like this. However, I thought it was only limited to countries that used amphibious vehicles in WW2. So, I was surprised when I heard Japan offered them as well. They're not called "Duck Tours" however, and brand themselves as "Sky Duck" instead.Unfortunately, it is not English friendly. You can see their website for rates and schedules. I ended up going to the ticketing window near Minato Mirai Station in Yokohama. It was easy to buy the tickets, and it wasn't very crowded. If you head towards the bay, you can see the ticket booth. It's hard to miss!Buying your ticket, you also get a little bit of (free) swag. Like the original Duck Tours, they also give you a duck bill whistle. However, we weren't required to blow them like we were on so many other tours.The pickup spot is right where you buy the tickets. There was a bit of a misunderstanding originally, and I thought the pickup spot was further down the dock. After making a giant loop, I asked again and she told me that it was right there! Don't make the same mistake as me!The vehicle will pull up a little before the tour starts, so everyone can board in an orderly fashion. I was surprised to see how many people were participating in the tour. It was more popular than the empty ticket booth let on.Again, this tour wasn't English-friendly. It was conducted entirely in Japanese. However, you shouldn't let that stop you. The view itself and the ride were great fun. If you do understand Japanese, you can also participate in a little kanji quiz game they play while aboard.Overall, this was a great experience. It was a bit shorter than a regular Duck Tour, but I can't complain. I got to go around Minato Mirai and see the famous spots, then enter the bay and see them from a completely new angle. (Be warned that there's a bit of a splash, but they offer ponchos to shield you from the water.)I definitely recommend going on this tour if you're familiar with the original ones. And even if you're not, perhaps take a chance and try something new! The worst that can happen is that you get a little wet!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/wZPYZ-transportation_nishi_ku_yokohama_shi_kanagawaFri, 08 Jun 2018 09:28:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/wZPYZ-transportation_nishi_ku_yokohama_shi_kanagawahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/zD6kn-shopping_osaka_shi_osakaSpotted on my walk in Osaka, near Namba station, a Lawson's has been completely taken over by Dragon Quest monsters! I knew as soon as I stepped inside and heard the familiar encounter sound play at the door that I was in trouble.The slimes seem to be the main culprit here... Look at them, smiling, trying to sell you things with their cute little faces on them! Despicable.But it doesn't only stop at candies and chocolates with cool collectible tins.Look at what else those slimes are using to try to sneak into our daily lives! Slippers, ice cube molds, latte art molds? Even hanafuda cards?!However, I can't put all the blame on the slimes. Other monsters have been spotted around this Lawson's as well, though they don't seem to be hawking their wares like the slimes are. Instead, they keep to themselves along the walls where the standard convenience store goods are sold.If you are crazy enough to buy something at this Dragon Quest themed Lawsons, all you need to do is look down to find the register. Follow the path to one of the (human) cashiers and make your purchase.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/zD6kn-shopping_osaka_shi_osakaThu, 07 Jun 2018 11:20:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/zD6kn-shopping_osaka_shi_osakahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/MPOBY-foodIf you're from the States, you know what a big deal the McRib was (and still is). It's a McDonald's sandwich with a cult-like following. Because it only shows up for a limited time and only at certain locations, there are even trackers dedicated to figuring out when and where you can get your fix.It seems this craze has come to Japan, where they have introduced a Japanese McRib for a limited time only. Appearance wise, it is somewhat similar to the USA McRib. The patty is shaped like a mini rack of ribs and it's in a roll bun. It's not nearly as saucy as its US counterpart. In fact, they barely seem to have put any barbecue sauce on it at all! Unfortunately, Japan decided to go with more vegetables (iceberg lettuce) but leave out the iconic pickle. Seriously, the pickle was the best part!Flavor wise, it was definitely lacking. The USA McRib was the right amount of nasty... Just bad enough for you that you felt like you were indulging in eating it, but not so much so where you hated yourself for it. This tastes like the diet version or something, which takes most of the fun out of eating a McRib.That's not to say that it wasn't good, however. Don't get me wrong because it was still a tasty sandwich. It just wasn't worthy of the McRib name. Maybe if they had called it something else, I would've been more forgiving about the differences.However, I do recommend you try this out for yourself. It's available at McDonald's Japan locations nationwide for who knows how much longer. You can get a sandwich by itself for 390 yen before tax... Which is a small price to pay for a taste of home for some people.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/MPOBY-foodWed, 06 Jun 2018 13:20:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/MPOBY-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/wm5Oa-food_tokyoWith summer close upon us, the inevitable rise of the “beer garden” is close as well. Now, I have been to a few beer gardens in Japan and I honestly can’t understand the appeal. I understand that they’re great places to meet friends and enjoy food and drinks together. However, everyone else knows they’re great places to meet friends and enjoy food and drinks together, too… Which turns a good idea into something pretty terrible. I hate to be a wet blanket when it comes to beer gardens, but here are the reasons why I’m anti-beer garden:The ambianceEveryone wants to go to a beer garden once the weather makes it okay to do so. This means that everyone’s out and about trying to enjoy them. Sorry if you’re claustrophobic or if you hate crowds then because you’ll be experiencing that and more! Cramped into a tiny space that’s probably a fire hazard, surrounded by sweaty strangers all trying to yell over each other to be heard is not my definition of a good time.Take heed with a story of mine. With the weather finally warming up, I decided to go to a beer garden in Shinjuku with some friends. I was expecting it to be crowded, but I wasn’t prepared for the line of people I saw waiting just to get on the elevator up! Thank goodness my friend made a reservation at this place because there’s no way we’d be seated otherwise.(Look at that line just to get upto the beer garden! It goes around the corner too!)The priceHowever, because of the crowding, we were late. Three other friends were already there and could keep the reservation, but two other friends couldn’t make it. When we explained this to the owner, he basically said too bad and that we would have to pay their share regardless. Now, beer gardens aren’t the cheapest places to drink, so we were pretty peeved about that. We tried to change to a cheaper course instead, but this also wasn’t allowed. Eventually, my friend haggled him down and we didn’t have to pay for the no-shows if we took the higher price plan. It was lose-lose either way, as we were paying over 4,000 yen per person originally.Though you lose the ambiance of sitting cramped outdoors next to people you don’t know when you go to an izakaya, are you really missing out on much? You’ll be hard pressed to find a beer garden under 3,000 yen in the Tokyo metropolitan area. You can easily find an all-you-can-drink (and sometimes eat!) izakaya for that price.The serviceUnfortunately, especially at a beer garden of this size, the service isn’t great. Staff are rushing around trying to take the orders and deliver to hundreds of other people. Getting them to stop for you is a challenge in its own right. And when you do eventually get your order, there’s usually a mistake or two and the drinks are watered down (so I guess similar to any other all-you-can-drink places). I don’t blame the waitstaff for this, because I can understand how serving this many people can get difficult. I blame the organizers because they don’t want to shell out extra to hire more people on the floor.The qualityHere’s a tip: order beer. They can’t water down beer. Every other cocktail you order is either watered down or contains so little alcohol that you won’t feel a thing. It’s honestly not worth it, especially if you’re paying such a high premium!The food isn’t much better either. It’s standard, run-of-the-mill snack foods. Unless you pay for a fancy (even more expensive) beer garden that includes a barbecue, you won’t be getting fresh food. You’ll be getting cold or lukewarm food that’s most likely been cooked in the microwave.(The food wasn't even included so we paid extra for this...)OverallSorry to be such a downer when it comes to beer gardens in Japan, but the cons of these things far outweigh the benefits. If you’re looking for a nice way to spend time outdoors with your friends, how about a picnic? If you’re looking to indulge in an all-you-can-drink restaurant, why not go to one that won’t give you as little alcohol as possible? When you live in a country like Japan, it’s a shame to waste your time and money at a beer garden.(Seriously, look at this... Look how little room I had to walk!)To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/wm5Oa-food_tokyoThu, 24 May 2018 14:29:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/wm5Oa-food_tokyohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/MY4gx-living_taito_ku_tokyoIf you've ever wondered what a share house in Japan looks like, I'm here to spill the beans. I'll take you on a tour of this women-only share house so you can make your own judgments about whether you would live in one or not! (Assuming that you're a woman, of course...)Like any regular house in Japan, there is a genkan. This is where you take off your shoes and store them, since you can't wear shoes in the house! Each room is designated its own shelf for ease of organization.There is a common living area. Some houses have more than one, depending on the size. They can have TVs, gaming systems, pool tables, etc. It depends on the owner.The kitchen is communal as well. Like the shoe rack, each room is designated its own area to store non-perishables as well as personal cooking utensils. There are shared kitchen items (like pots and pans) but some people prefer to use their own.There are also three fridges in this particular house, with each room getting its own shelf. It's up to you personally to clear out the fridge when things go bad or are starting to rot.There are also multiple washers. Some houses have free use washing machines, while other require a payment of 100 yen per load. It's up to you to be responsible with the time and remember when your clothes are finished.The same goes for drying your clothes. Remember to check on them every once in a while to make sure they're dry and you're not inconveniencing others by taking up space on the drying rack that could otherwise be used.This is a typical room in a share house. Some are bigger, some are smaller, but they usually come with a bed, a desk, a closet, and a heating/cooling unit. It's up to you to decorate it yourself and make it feel like a real home!So there you have it. What do you think? Would you live in a place like this for 70,000 yen a month?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/MY4gx-living_taito_ku_tokyoThu, 24 May 2018 09:40:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/MY4gx-living_taito_ku_tokyohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/wXq91-shopping_medical_healthThere are many glasses chains in Japan that are very reasonably priced. Today, I’ll be focusing on my favorite: JINS. JINS is a popular chain all over Japan. Their glasses are cheap and have warranties, and you can get a new pair in as little as one hour!JINS' main draw for Japanese people is that they make glasses specially designed to fit the Japanese face. Where a lot of other chains import glasses from abroad, resulting in frames that may be too big for the face or those that slide down the nose, JINS as a company designs all of their glasses. This is smart because the glasses can be marketed to Japanese people as a better fit, and they cut back on the costs of importing and carrying foreign brands.It’s important to note that, although the glasses are advertised as being for a Japanese face, you don’t need to be Japanese in order to get a pair that fits well! In fact, many of the models in their advertisements are foreign. They have all their glasses out on display, so all you need to do is stop in and try a pair or two on until you find one that fits.Your PrescriptionIf you have your prescription, that’s great. They can make a pair for you using your prescription. If you don’t have it, you can bring a pair of glasses that are based on your prescription and the staff at JINS can use those to create your lenses. If you have neither, you can get a free eye exam there, in the store. (Note that there may be a wait time for your exam.) Even if you don’t have much Japanese ability, you can do the eye test by pointing. However, if you go to a JINS in a tourist location, there is usually someone who will be able to help you.PayingYou need to pay when you place your order. The price you’re paying is just for the frames. However, the lenses are added at no additional cost. They may try to upsell you and get you to buy tinted lenses or transition lenses. Honestly, it’s not much more and I usually go for the colored lenses to give my look some extra flair. You can also opt to get a thinner lens for free if your prescription is particularly strong. However, there doesn’t look to be much noticeable difference, and you need to wait a week to get your glasses back if they do this for you.Getting the GlassesIf you have a standard prescription, the staff at JINS can get your glasses done in an hour, generally. (Obviously, this depends on how busy they are.) However, if you have eye problems such as an astigmatism, they need to mail the glasses out so it may take a week or two for them to finish. Same goes if you want thinner lenses, or any colored or transition lenses. After it’s all sorted, you’ll get a receipt. You need to bring this back if you want to pick up your glasses. When the time comes, you don’t need to wait in line again. Rather, you can just head straight to the pickup counter with your receipt. They’ll do a final fitting, seeing how it feels on your face and making minor adjustments. You can also choose a free glasses case at this time. The designs are all super cute; I can’t believe they’re included too!Any Problems?While the cost and convenience of JINS is amazing, that’s not even the best part… The best part is the year long warranty that comes with every pair you buy! For free! So, if you live in Japan and you have any problems, simply bring them back (with the receipt that has your prescription on it) and they’ll fix it free of charge. (I’m not sure how visitors or those who live internationally would deal with this.)The JINS warranty isn't limited to broken frames or scratched glasses. They’ll switch out your lenses if you’re not happy with them. The first time I went, I got an eye exam. I felt that the lens power was a bit too strong, so I never wore them. It didn’t even occur to me that I could take them in under the warranty! Half a year later, I brought them back and asked them to lower the power. They took it and did it without any questions. The only caveat is that you can only do this once. You can’t keep going back and changing them.OverallGetting glasses has never been easier! If you don’t have a JINS near you, they have an online store available as well. However, you won’t know the fit of your glasses unless you try them on yourself. You don’t need an appointment, a prescription, or even insurance. You can just come in, pick what you like, and get them made. That’s how it should be! I am always happy with my JINS purchases.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/wXq91-shopping_medical_healthMon, 21 May 2018 11:35:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/wXq91-shopping_medical_healthhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/wZPgv-living_howtoOne of my favorite things about Japan is the fact that old technology will never truly die here. While most of the world abandoned their film cameras for digital makes, Japan has stayed firm. The film market is still strong in Japan, and that makes it a film-shooters dream.I only picked up shooting film about a year ago. Before that, I had shot almost exclusively on digital cameras. I moved to film after visiting Shinjuku too many times and getting curious about the camera shops there. After getting my first film camera, I rarely use my digital anymore....Which means that I have a lotof film. And a lot of undeveloped film. What's nice about Japan (unlike many other places around the world) is that you can take your film to any big box store for development. Yodobashi, BIC Camera, LABI, etc. all offer developing services. The prices are about the same, as are the waiting times.Because those big stores don't do any of the developing in-house anymore (they send off batches to the lab to get processed) there is a bit of a wait time. There are also a few one-hour developing places around, but they can be pricey and aren't always conveniently located.As I continued giving bags of rolls of film to Yodobashi Camera for them to mail off, I realized something: If the stores just mail them out, why can't I?Why pay extra when I could cut out the middleman and do it myself? And that's when I discovered PriNet. (There are other online developing services available too, but this is the only one that I have experience with.)Unfortunately, everything is in Japanese. Use your in-browser translator if necessary, or look for these key words: ネガフィルム現像のみ (this is for development only. If you want prints, look for プリント.) Look at those prices! One roll is only 330 yen to develop (or 290 yen if you send in enough to become a member)! I was paying almost triple that!You need to input in how many rolls you want developed, then add it to your cart. You'll be taken to your cart and the total owed will be displayed. When you're satisfied, press the green button to continue.You'll be prompted with a login page. You will need to make an account. Put all your information in accurately, as this will be the address they use to send everything back to you! Plus, this is where your points are all stored. After logging in, you'll be asked to pay. Everything is done through bank transfers, so even if you don't have a credit card, it's no problem! You can choose which of their accounts you want to use, and they'll give you all of the information necessary to make the transfer. Make sure that your account information matches the name of the account, or they won't know who's paying for what.Then, you'll get a confirmation email with instructions on how to send the film to them. This is extremely easy, so don't be intimidated! You just put your rolls in a box or Yuu-pack purchased from the post office. Label the box with Prinet's lab (I wrote it in terrible Japanese and I recommend you print a label and affix it if you have bad handwriting like me...) You are responsible for paying the outgoing shipping, but the return shipping is already included.Then, all you need to do is wait! They will email you again when your package was received and they'll tell you an approximate return date. During "busy seasons," they say it can take as long as two weeks, but I've never experienced that. Once they send it out, you'll get a tracking number.They package the negatives beautifully, so there's no need to worry about them being damaged during delivery. They make sure the envelope is not able to be bent or destroyed.And, besides from being cheap, they include indexes of your photos for free! If you've ever developed in Japan, almost nowhereincludes indexes for free. Usually you have to pay extra for them!I highly recommend using PriNet to develop your photos if you shoot film. Not only is it cheap and easy, they take really good care of your film. I've gotten back negatives with scratches because the photo technicians at larger stores either don't know what they're doing or don't care enough, but because PriNet focuses on film, they know what they're doing!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/wZPgv-living_howtoThu, 17 May 2018 16:38:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/wZPgv-living_howtohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/G63xW-food_yokohama_shi_kanagawaWhen my coworkers found out I was moving to Yokohama, there would always be someone with a comment about Yokohama’s Chinatown. It’s rightfully deserved. Yokohama’s Chinatown (Motomachi-Chukagai) is Japan’s largest and arguably its most famous. In addition to playing host to many of the Chinese calendar’s holidays, it has a reputation as a place to get some of the best dim sum in Japan. I do feel obliged to say that most places are order-off-the-menu dim sum, not lady-pushing-a-cart dim sum. But there are so many places to choose from; they surround you on both sides of the main street, and their workers call out for you to come inside.I have been to a few different ones on my quest to find the best and cheapest dim sum in Yokohama’s Chinatown. I only visit the all-you-can-eat dim sum places, because I feel its there that I get the best bang for my buck. I haven’t found the best place yet, but I’ve gleaned a few insights from my tries.1) There are usually multiple courses. The cheapest price will include about half the menu, while the more expensive menu will include a greater variety of dishes and more “premium” ones. The menus are outside most of the restaurants (with pictures) so it’s worth the time it takes to check which menu your favorite is on.2) More expensive isn’t always better. I tried a place which was on the cheaper end and it was more delicious than the expensive restaurant. Unfortunately, many of these places don’t have a presence in the online review world, so it’s difficult to make a decision. My suggestion is don’t use price as your only indicator. Look for crowded places, or places that have the dim sum dishes you like, before you make your decision.3) The English menu and Japanese menus are different. Some places (though this is rare) don’t have English menus. The menus will generally have pictures to help you out, though. But if you can read Japanese, there are a usually few more hidden dishes in the Japanese menus.4) Some staff will ignore you on purpose. Because you order off the menu, you need to call a member of the waitstaff over (either with a sumimasen or with a call button). However, I have noticed that the deeper into the meal, the waitstaff become less responsive. I’m assuming this is their way of cutting off customers who order too much. My suggestion is to order as much as you can in your first order. 5) Always check your bill. While it’s usually not malicious, sometimes the waitstaff can make mistakes and charge you for drinks if you didn’t order any, or charge you for more drinks than you received. I have only run into this issue twice, and it took a bit of persuasion (read: arguing) before they agreed to remove the charge.Overall, the restaurants in Chinatown are a great place to get full for not much money. And they’re good for families or people who are picky, as there’s a lot of selection. You generally don’t need to make a reservation, as they’re big and usually not too crowded (even if it looks that way on the outside).To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/G63xW-food_yokohama_shi_kanagawaTue, 08 May 2018 12:22:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/G63xW-food_yokohama_shi_kanagawahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/wZP8q-living_medical_healthMy first winter in Japan was brutal, to say the least. I had lived in cold places before, from Washington, DC to upstate New York. I had seen snow and experienced many snowstorms before. But that did nothing to prepare me for winter in Japan.I was living in a LeoPalace at the time. You know, one of those old foreigner-friendly apartments that people love to complain about online. I had moved in during the summer, and I immediately loved it. While it was a bit old, it was all mine. My only gripe was that the air conditioner / heating unit was on the first floor, and the bedroom was on the second.This didn't bother me much the first few months I lived there. I grew up in Hawaii, so I was used to hot and humid. (I didn't have an air conditioner where I lived until I moved away for college and had one in my dorm room.) I noticed that this humidity was different than what I was used to, though. Despite airing it out daily, my futon quickly developed mold. My glasses were ruined within the first few months in Japan, too. The coating had been destroyed by fungus.I attributed those things to the new climate and got on with my life. I bleached my futon every weekend. I bought new glasses. I bought silica gel packets to absorb whatever excess moisture in the air that I could. The weather was starting to cool by this point, and I was hoping it would bring the humidity down. Fall was nice, but did little to change the situation.And then winter hit. The thing about most apartments in Japan (and especially the ones foreigners are allowed to rent) is that they're not well insulated. So, the temperature may not be that cold, but it sure feels cold because no heat is trapped inside.I bought an electric heater, the kind that sit on the ground and you plug into the wall, and kept it on almost every day. I was so cold I rarely left my bed, huddled under the covers in front of my heater. Going downstairs was a nightmare. I'd have to bundle up because the little wall heater downstairs couldn't heat the entire room.It was about midway through the winter when my nose started to run. I attributed it to the cold, as that always happened to me when I'd go outside during winter. It was unfortunate that this was happening to me indoors, but I felt it was a testament to how cold it actually was.I eventually made it through that winter, though it was tough. (Seriously. Some days, I'd wake up and find ice on my curtains that had formed from the condensation formed from my heater freezing due to the cold window.) Along the way, I also developed chilblains (a mild form of frostbite) on my toes and have permanent scars from that, but that's an entirely different story. The weather was warming up but my nose hadn't stopped running. In fact, my mucus was thick and colored. I'd have to blow my nose three or four times, using up multiple tissues, before I could breathe through my nose again. Having to excuse myself to blow my nose had just become such a part of my daily life that I hardly paid any mind to it. It wasn't until my mother came to visit me and commented on it that I realized how bad it had really gotten. I had put off going to the doctor because I didn't know how to find one that spoke English, and I didn't feel like a runny nose warranted visiting a doctor.Due to complicated reasons, I was moving to the Kanto area around the same time. I didn't have time to visit a doctor, as I was too busy packing up and arranging my move. But, I decided I would go to the doctor, English speaking or not, if this continued in Kanto.On the airplane ride from Kansai to Kanto, my ears couldn't pop when the plane was ascending. Eventually, when we reached a level altitude, I was able to find some relief. I think it was at that moment that I decided I needed to see a doctor. The descent was even worse. My ears couldn't pop and I could feel the pressure building in my head. The pain was so intense that I only saw white for a few seconds. When we finally touched down, one of my ears had popped and relieved some of the pressure. However, I realized that I had lost hearing in the ear that hadn't popped.I was able to find an English-speaking doctor in Yokohama quickly. I visited and found out that I developed a chronic sinus infection, probably due to living in all the mold in my apartment. I was prescribed mucus thinners and a steroid nasal spray and told to return if the symptoms got any worse.Thankfully, everything more or less got regulated again within a few weeks. I forgot how nice it was to breathe normally. Unfortunately, I did permanently lose a bit of hearing in the affected ear. I also now have a permanent wet feeling in my ears, and I can't fly without pain unless I take pseudoephedrine (which is unfortunately banned in Japan) and special ear plugs. And, every time I get sick, the congestion returns long after the rest of my sickness symptoms leave, and I'm forced to return to the doctor for more medication to be rid of it for a bit.I really think that my first apartment had some kind of malicious mold. My next apartment didn't give me as many problems. (My glasses and futon were fine after that.) However, I developed a chronic sinus infection because of my hesitation at visiting a doctor in Japan. I urge you to visit a doctor at any sign of an issue before it develops into something bigger. It's been almost three years now, but I still suffer because of my mistake.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/wZP8q-living_medical_healthSat, 28 Apr 2018 17:03:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/wZP8q-living_medical_healthhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/wXq34-living_moneyWorking in Japan poses its own set of problems, but the biggest one for me is how to transfer money back to my home country. I've tried a bunch of methods, from two PayPal accounts to Western Union to simply carrying yen home to transfer at the bank. After years of experimenting with different companies and methods, I think I've found the best remittance service... Transferwise.It's pretty new to the scene, but it's already making a big splash because of its great transfer rates. Seriously, you should check them out and compare for yourself. Obviously, there are fees involved and its dependent on how much you're sending each time, but if you're doing more than 20,000 yen at a time, it's definitely the best option.Plus, if you create an account with my referral link, we each get a free transfer, up to 74,000 yen. Even if you only use it once, you're saving money! If you don't want to use my referral, you can go to their main page and check out the rates and sign up from there.Everything is done online. It's a bit of a weird method, but I've never had any problems with it. First, you sign up for the amount that you want to transfer. Everything is upfront, so you can see the rates, how much they'll take as a fee, and how much you'll get. Once you agree, the rate is locked in for two weeks. After that, your transfer is cancelled automatically. So, there's no obligation to pay once you sign up for a transfer. (I have a bunch of cancelled held rates because I want to see if the exchange rate will get better on my side...)Next, when you're ready to pay, they'll give you the information for their account in Japan. You're going to either need to transfer it online or do it in person. I have Shinsei Bank, so I'm fortunate enough to have online banking with one free transfer a month, so I never have any problems with this. Once you've completed the transaction, you'll confirm it in the app.There's a bit of trust involved, I suppose, in sending large quantities of money to an online service and hoping you'll get money back. But I assure you that they are a verified company, FDIC insured and everything. Assuming you did it on a weekday, you'll get your money in 1-2 days (in the case of USD). I'm not sure about other currencies, but I've heard people say that Euro is the same day sometimes! If you do it on a weekend, you'll have to wait until a weekday before it's processed again.If you have any questions or concerns, their email representatives are very helpful. They also are quick to reply on Twitter (where I make most of my brand communications) when I had an issue with my transfer being cancelled. (Remember that two week thing I mentioned earlier?) They resolved my issue quickly and everything is right with the world again.Again, I recommend Transferwise if you're looking for a cheap remittance service for average money transfers. If you have any questions, you can comment here too and I'll try to convince you that this is the way to go!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/wXq34-living_moneyTue, 17 Apr 2018 10:34:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/wXq34-living_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/zK721-foodFor the uninformed, Domino's Pizza Japan has great weekend specials. With the app, every weekend you have a chance to get a coupon with their "Mystery Deals" coupon. The discounts range from 500-1,000 yen off to 50% off a large pizza, to a buy one get one free. And the best part about it is that you're always guaranteed to win something.Feeling lazy and not wanting to cook, I decided to try my luck. I got a buy one get one free coupon, so I figured I'd try out the new quadruple cheese pizza they advertised in their email. Yes, you read that right. Quadruple cheese, in the land notorious for not cheesing up anything.Though it was a bit pricey, I justified my purchase by rationalizing that all pizza in Japan is expensive. Without the coupon, a medium pizza is 2,400 yen before tax. (It only comes in medium size; no small or large quadruple cheese.) With my coupon, I got two for 2,400 yen....Which was a huge mistake. I didn't think there could be a thing as too much cheese. I always order the double cheese topping and am left unsatisfied. But this was too much cheese. They advertise it as having 320 grams of cheese on top of it and honestly this felt like they used the 500 gram Costco size bag!And honestly, it didn't help that there was no sauce. It was just a inch-thick layer of cheese on top of a regular pizza crust. Some red sauce to break up the monotony would've been appreciated. The first slice was great, but as I got farther and farther through the pizza, the worse I felt. I managed to get through five slices before swearing off pizza for good. (It's been two days and counting!)The other pizza is still sitting on my counter from this weekend, filling up my apartment with the smell of cheese. It was a smell that made my mouth water, but now it makes me a little nauseous. I just can't throw it away, knowing how much money I spent on it.If you're braver than I am (or a masochist), you should act fast. This offering is only available until April 22nd! They also have a pepperoni version which includes 60 slices of pepperoni, and a mayonnaise version which is topped with 130 grams of mayo. I'll pass on all three.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/zK721-foodMon, 16 Apr 2018 15:13:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/zK721-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/GRvZ2-living_shopping_fashionOmiyage, or souvenir, culture is strong in Japan. My coworkers always bring something back when they go on trips, sometimes even from as close as the next city over! I usually do the same, bringing back senbei crackers or a packaged sweet purchased at a Don Quixote.Recently, I started looking closer at options other than food. There are always magnets or other nicknacks, but I rarely use those when I get them! I wanted to bring back something for my friends that I would enjoy receiving as well. And then I noticed them... face masks!LuLuLun is a popular brand of face mask. There are many varieties claiming to do different things sold in almost every drug store in Japan. Take a look next time and you'll definitely see them.It was surprising that I didn't notice the special, prefecture-related ones sooner! But now that I know about them, I will continue to collect them. They feature things the prefecture is famous for. For example, when I visited Tochigi, I grabbed theirs which featured their famous strawberries!Hokkaido also joined in with twovarieties: melon and lavender. I decided to go with melon, keeping with my fruity theme.However! It's not only places within Japan that have these exclusive masks. When I visited Hawaii, I saw them there, too! There were two designs, but I thought the plumeria version would smell better.In Japan, you can get the 5 pack (7 sheets in each pack) for 1500 yen, not including tax.In Hawaii, the 5 pack (with 7 sheets per pack) goes for $19.90, plus sales tax.I would like to note that, while not every prefecture has an exclusive mask just yet, these are pretty new releases! So hopefully they are working on more formulas and expanding their lineup in the near future!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/GRvZ2-living_shopping_fashionSun, 15 Apr 2018 11:25:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/GRvZ2-living_shopping_fashionhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/MY4Zg-living_foodI adopted a semi-strict vegetarian diet before I moved to Japan, but the lack of available options (and general understanding of what "vegetarian" means) has made it difficult to maintain. Oftentimes, this can be remedied by cooking at home for oneself. However, when cooking in Japan, things are usually easier said than done.Today, I will be sharing with you my vegetarian (and vegan!) chili recipe, a staple in my household, especially when the weather starts to get a little chillier (get it?) and I need something hearty to warm me up. All of the ingredients I've included were purchased in Japan, so I'll try to make a note of where I purchased them.Ingredients:1 block of firm tofu (momen / もめん豆腐) - purchased from any grocery store2 tbsp canola oil - purchased from any grocery store1 whole onion, diced - purchased from any grocery store4 cloves of minced garlic - purchased from any grocery store1 packet of taco seasoning - purchased from Kaldi import store2 cans of cut tomatoes - purchased from any grocery store1 can of kidney beans - purchased from any grocery store1 1/2 cup of water - straight from the tap3 tbsp of chili powder - I use a Korean brand purchased at the Korean market, but Amazon has chili powder1 tbsp of chili flakes - purchased at Gyomu Super and partially refilled from Costco food court pizza chili packets(Optional: 1 egg - purchased from any grocery store)(Optional: handful of mixed cheese - purchased from any grocery store)Instructions:Freeze your tofu overnight. (Freezing the firm tofu will change the molecular structure of it and make it chewier and more meat-like.) Fully defrost and rinse under running water. Squeeze as much water as you can from it each time and stop when it runs clear (about 3 times).Coat the bottom of your pot with 2 tbsp of canola oil and heat.Crumble the pressed tofu and lightly brown over a medium flame.Add the diced onions and cook until translucent.Add the garlic and cook until fragrant.Add the packet of taco seasoning with half a cup of water.Cook 1-2 minutes, until some of the liquid has been absorbed by the tofu.Add the can of kidney beans and the liquid inside of the can. Stir and reduce heat to low.Add both cans of tomatoes and stir.Add remaining 1 cup of water and stir well.Add all of the spices and stir it in well.Cover and heat for 30-40 minutes, until chili has lost some water content and thickened up. Gently stir every 10 minutes.Serve with rice and topped with cheese and a fried egg, or as you like.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/MY4Zg-living_foodSat, 14 Apr 2018 14:42:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/MY4Zg-living_food