http://www.city-cost.comMon, 16 Mar 2026 23:43:54 +0900City-Cost is an interesting new way to find and share useful financial and living information in Japan. Make your life easier and help others with City-CostenCopyright © 2015 - 2026 City-Cost All Rights Reserved.webmaster@city-cost.com (CC Team)http://img.city-cost.com/static/blog_campaign_icon.pnghttp://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/neko/GOWPW-foodThere are some vegan burger shops in Tokyo, but they are usually fancy cafes. White, flowery, smell nice... They aren't like fast-food burgers, and I miss that atmosphere.So Burger King made a plant-based burger, and that was my first time back in a fast-food restaurant since forever ago. I had to ask them to skip the mayo, as it contains dairy.The burger... Oh My God!!!!!!!!!It was crazy good! So delicious! The patty feels really char-grilled!!!! It was even "juicy", like what I remember non-vegan burgers are like! My bf tried it too and thought that it totally tastes like meat!This is time-limited, but I HOPE they will have this as a regular thing in the future. Please go support it if it is still around!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/neko/GOWPW-foodSat, 02 Jan 2021 23:58:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/neko/GOWPW-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/neko/G0vrV-foodIf you want to eat vegan, it is difficult to find ice-cream that you can have, and that really breaks my heart :'(Topvalu, and that's the brand made by Aeon, has a great mango ice-bar that is vegan-friendly though. It is only 100yen!The mango flavor is reaaaally nice. The ice-bar itself is also very creamy! This thing is super delicious, and I am enjoying it even though it is winter~I hope they have other flavors too? If you see them, please let me know. I will keep checking too!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/neko/G0vrV-foodSat, 02 Jan 2021 23:53:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/neko/G0vrV-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/neko/GyPXY-livingNowadays when I see one of these trees at a shopping mall, I go, WOW that's a big Christmas tree!But thinking about it, they are not big at all!Back home, that would have been a tree we can see at someone's home or backyard, and malls would have trees triple the size or more.Being in Japan though, our tiny apartment can barely fit us, let alone a real-sized Christmas tree.As our trees scale down, so is my standard for what a big Christmas tree is.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/neko/GyPXY-livingFri, 18 Dec 2020 14:42:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/neko/GyPXY-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/neko/z1bNn-food_medicalIn a small shop in Hiroo in Tokyo, I managed to find this tiny bottle of vegan tartar sauce!!!For people going for vegan, it isn't easy to get things with a creamy texture, so I was reaaally happy.I put them onto some homemade fried food, and while they obviously don't have things like eggs inside, the creaminess on fried food combo is really gooooood. It honestly tastes a bit more like mayo than tartar sauce, but this is still great that I could find it in Japan!!!!!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/neko/z1bNn-food_medicalFri, 18 Dec 2020 14:26:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/neko/z1bNn-food_medicalhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/neko/w5nxe-food_tea_shizuokaNow that we are all stuck at home, one thing I really miss is going out to Starbucks or Doutor Coffee and trying their most recent seasonal, fancy (and overpriced) drink.So, I thought, why not make it at home myself?I wanted something rich and creamy but with a subtle bitterness to it, but I wasn't in the mood for coffee. Looking through the ingredients available at home (remember, the point was that I didn't want to go outside), I came up with the idea of creating my own Shizuoka Green Tea Soy Latte!I thought the Shizuoka green tea would have that deep but pleasant bitterness, so it should be the perfect base.But, looking online for a tea soy latte recipe, most of them use basically mostly soy milk and just use matcha powder instead. That seemed boring to me, so I scrapped them all and decided to experiment! It was exciting because it reminded me of chemistry class!It wasn't just about making a soy latte anymore. I dug through and took out everything that MIGHT go well in it.First, I made the high-grade Shizuoka green tea from Itoen. I really liked that tea. One reason was for how deep the flavor was, but the other was the beautiful green color. I wanted my tea soy latte to be delicious AND pretty! (Spoiler: It turned out mostly white at the end anyway so the green part ended up not mattering).Finding the ratio was tough, and I tried small bits in a measuring cup first. At the end, I found that 1 tea : 2 soy milk was good if you want it more creamy, but 1 : 1 is perfect OK too.I tried a version with the Kunitaro caffeine-free green tea powder as well. Although this tea was mostly Shizuoka green tea as well, a powdered tea just wasn't strong enough to pair with the rich soy milk. So I would recommend brewing Shizuoka green tea from tea leaves instead.On how to sweeten it, I had many options, but I also gotta remember that the soy milk was sweetened already, so I did not want to over sweeten it and end up covering the flavour of the tea.First, I tried using blue agave sweetener. Flavor-wise, this was great. But being a thick syrup, mixing it in a cool drink took a bit of effort. Very nice though.Then, I tried this brown sugar from Kagoshima. I had to dissolve it with hot water first, but I really liked the flavor of brown sugar pairing with the drink itself!Finally, I tried good-old maple syrup. Unfortunately, the maple took over both the Shizuoka green tea and the soy milk, so I will save this for pancakes instead.At the end, I think brown sugar is something people would more likely to have at home, so I would go with that!And just some simple steps: brew the Shizuoka green tea you have at home, 1:2 or 1:1 it with sweetened soy milk, and add some dissolved brown sugar into it, you got yourself a delicious (and muuuuch cheaper) Shizuoka Green Tea Soy Latte without having to go outside!If you got a nice variation to it, please let me know so I can improve upon it!!!This post is supported by Shizuoka Green Tea Guide, one of City-Cost's Supporters helping City-Cost bloggers to enjoy life in Japan and engage in new experiences.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/neko/w5nxe-food_tea_shizuokaFri, 04 Dec 2020 16:58:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/neko/w5nxe-food_tea_shizuokahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/neko/wZ3ZV-money_medicalOne of the difficult parts trying to make a noodle meal vegan is that most noodles include eggs.In Japan, most noodles contain eggs. But, I was really happy when I went to a Asian-food store and found rice sticks.These rice sticks are made only with, well, rice lol. So of course they are vegan friendly!There is a bit of prep involved, as you have to soak them first, but other than that, boil them and they are good to go!If anyone here is vegan, this is a good choice!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/neko/wZ3ZV-money_medicalSat, 03 Oct 2020 17:26:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/neko/wZ3ZV-money_medicalhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/neko/MdvYW-foodRenkon or lotus roots are great for chips. I don't like eating them in other ways generally, but they are great when they are fried to crisp!All you need is some flour to slice them up, cover them with flour and fry.The frying part is tricky, because just a few extra seconds, they can go from a light color to a dark brown immediately.But even if they are over fried, they are still super delicious!!!Easy to make, super yummy, 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/neko/MdvYW-foodSat, 03 Oct 2020 17:23:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/neko/MdvYW-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/neko/MEPZv-food_medicalYou can buy soy protein made into slices like this.They are like this to replicate the size and shape of pork slices. Since I am trying to have more vegan meals, this was a replacement I wanted to try.My thoughts are that they do not taste bad. The size is right too. The look is pretty accurate too!The texture though... not quite. They are kinda squishy both before and after seasoning.They are not baaaad, but still kinda strange.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/neko/MEPZv-food_medicalSat, 03 Oct 2020 17:20:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/neko/MEPZv-food_medicalhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/neko/Gl57j-foodI really like kanpyou maki sushi!I used to think that this was dried daikon of some kind, but apparently it is a gourd!The good thing about these dried gourds for sushi is that the texture is fun to chew on. Having that texture with the rice and seaweed.They also soak in a lot of sweet flavors to match the sushi rice.Not just that, because they are also low on calories :)Do you like kanpyou sushi?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/neko/Gl57j-foodSat, 03 Oct 2020 17:16:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/neko/Gl57j-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/neko/z1bd4-foodTo be better to animals and to myself, I have been TRYING to eat vegan when possible. It is really nice that Sanyo Foods is a brand I can rely on, as many of their products are plant-based!This pack of sauce for cabbage and pork is all plant-based. You need to get your own cabbage and "pork". So for the "meat", I bought some soy protein meat substitutes, which I think are becoming more common than before.The product was surprisingly flavourful! It was also very quick to make and it turned into two dinners for me. I want to try more Sanyo Foods products 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/neko/z1bd4-foodSat, 26 Sep 2020 09:27:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/neko/z1bd4-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/neko/G7R4n-living_foodThere are so many things I love about Japanese cuisine. The mild and calming flavors, the respect towards tasting the ingredients, the small cute portions and the beautiful presentations. I just love eating Japanese food, and sometimes I learn to cook them at home too. One thing I can never bring myself to do is how Japanese cuisines use plates. A lot of plates. Too many plates!When it is a bento box, you see that it is just one pre-separated container that all the food are placed in. Donburi is all about putting everything into a bowl too. I feel that those are not the best representations of Japanese cuisine.If you have eaten a course meal in Japan, or even better, eaten at the home of a Japanese family, you might understand what I mean about too many plates. When I visited a family here, they treated me to dinner. I learned then why I always see tiny Japanese plates being sold everywhere. Every single thing gets a plate, and each person gets a set of those!For example, if the dinner is grilled sanma for the night (yummm~), each person would get a plate with a dish on it. Then you get another plate with a slice of lemon for your fish, and you can put the lemon on that plate afterward. There might be another small plate for you to put the fish bones. So there, 3 plates just for your fish, and you are eating way more than that!- a bowl for rice- another bowl for soup, which has a lid on top- a plate for nimono which is in a big bowl in the center of the table- another plate for the salad which is on a big plate in the center of the table- a tiny plate with a tiny bit of tsukemono- a cup for tea/waterExcluding the big plates for food that is shared in the middle, based on the example above we are already looking at 9 plates/bowls per person. And if it is a family of four, that is immediately 36 items to clean up and wash afterward!Lucky Japan doesn't go crazy with forks and knives like how people do at fine-dining, but there are also a big communal spoon or fork for each big sharing plate in the center. A meal can easily build up to 50 things to wash just from the eating, and adding everything used during the cooking process, no wonder Japanese housewives always have the stereotype of being in the kitchen wearing an apron!I also remember the one time I went to a Japanese friend’s house for sukiyaki. To enjoy sukiyaki, the beef is often dipped in mixed raw eggs right before you put it into your mouth. I saw an egg on the table on a sauce plate in front of me. There were also two small bowls on the table and I asked what they are for. She told me that one is for the egg mix, and the other one is for me to place the emptied egg shells in afterwards. I was so surprised, because I would have either cracked the egg at the kitchen and throw the shells out immediately, or I would crack the egg at the table and walk over to the kitchen to toss the shells out. Never in my life would I use 3 containers just crack open a raw egg mix at the table!I just can’t do it. I wouldn't mind using a big plate and putting each item at a different corner of the plate. If the sauce contaminates other items, then let it be! It just adds flavor to the other things. If the pickled vegetables get warm, then let them be! They warm up in my mouth when I eat it with rice anyway. As long as it saves me time from washing more plates, I will accept almost any unintentional crossovers.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/neko/G7R4n-living_foodSun, 06 Sep 2020 17:58:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/neko/G7R4n-living_foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/neko/MEPrN-food_teaI have lost count of how many days it has been since we started staying home due to the Covid-19 situation. As stressful as it is, the circumstances have also provided me with plenty of opportunities to expand my cooking ability and my perspective as well!One of my discoveries came when I was looking at everything at home, trying to see what I could use to switch up the flavors in the food I cook. I got bored with using the same BBQ sauce and white miso to flavor everything. Then, I opened up my tea drawer and saw my instant caffeine-free Shizuoka green tea powder staring straight at me.I have written a full review of this instant green tea before. The super fine powder is quick and easy to use, but the taste is on the mild side, so I have not been using it as often as I expected.At the same time, the thought of using it as condiment came into my head!!Since it is so fine, it wouldn’t add unnecessary texture to food. And being mild, it would bring a green tea flavor without being overwhelmingly bitter!But, what food would it go well with…? Since I was going to experiment with the condiment, I might as well experiment with the cooking too. So for the very first time, I took out a deep-fryer pot that I had received two years ago but never used, and I started slicing onions and carrots to make kakiage tempura!Why tempura? I remember having matcha-infused-salt at a tempura restaurant before, and I wanted to recreate that.The tempura was a success (since this is about the tea powder, I will skip the frying part). It tasted great with salt alone, and I was confident. Instead of mixing salt and the Shizuoka green tea powder, I decided that the salt was too grainy so it would have been better to sprinkle the tea on top instead. The first bite was… um, I couldn’t taste it.The tea was so mild that small sprinkles were not enough, so I took a spoonful and covered the top of the tempura, and some more on the side to dip. And WOW! It was awesome!Just as expected, the tea added some aroma and bitterness, but in a way that adds a delicious layer to the otherwise simple kakiage. I was so impressed, and both my partner and I just started putting more and more green tea powder on the kakiage tempura, as well as onto the eggplant tempura we made afterward.We were afraid that we were “wasting” the green tea since we used quite a lot, but it was just so good that we decided we would be happy to buy more instant green tea just so that we could make drinks as well as to find ways to use them in our cooking.So, the moral of the story is that if you have a bag of instant Shizuoka green tea at home, don’t be afraid to use them as condiments because it might really surprise you!!!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/neko/MEPrN-food_teaTue, 09 Jun 2020 11:47:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/neko/MEPrN-food_teahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/neko/Mdvmk-foodI was sent these Daiwa farm's milk jam popcorn from the Miyazaki prefecture. While I have only opened the Milk Jam Popcorn in the middle so far, I must say that it was crazy awesome!!!The popcorns were coated so evenly that every popcorn had a lovely crunch to it. It was also very sweet, just like how I want my desserts to be.Honestly, after eating this, I really feel like I can't go back to ordinary supermarket 100-yen popcorns anymore. With two jars left and of different flavors, I want to savor them for as long as I can but I don't know if I can resist! To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/neko/Mdvmk-foodFri, 22 May 2020 18:52:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/neko/Mdvmk-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/neko/GyPkb-food_teaRecently, my partner and I moved out to Tokyo! (Yes, in the middle of everything happening, and it was a pain, but that is a different story)One thing we were both very excited about was that we got to explore new shops to find our next stack of tea. The thing was that when we decided to move, we each gave away most of our consumable stuff to friends to lighten out load (my booze too T_T) which kept our wallets hefty. So at the new apartment we live in together now, we got to restock the shelves, and tea was on our priority list!We went to the nearby Seijo Ishi. It was small, and there wasn’t a lot of people. It also meant their selection wasn’t a lot.Lucky for us though, they had some Shizuoka green tea stocked!We each picked out what caught our eyes. I chose this Shizuoka Kakegawa tea "second-pick" tea by Okuraen (not Oozoen as I first guessed, oops).I had never seen this brand before, and talking to my partner about it, he has never heard of it either. It is really interesting that while Shizuoka green tea is sent everywhere nationwide to consumers, some regions would get tea that others don’t. We have each tried a lot of different Shizuoka green teas, and we still managed to find something new to the both of us! This really explains how big of the production green tea from Shizuoka is!Anyway, my tea was also titled an “afternoon tea bag”.I didn’t know that green tea was ever categorized by when you enjoy it in the same way British tea is. But after tasting it, I think I understand it.This tea isn’t the type to wake you up in the morning. Instead of a sweet taste that gets your day started, it is much more subtle. It is also not really something I would have with dinner either, because it would otherwise be overtaken by other flavors on the side.This tea is what I imagine an old coupon after working in the garden would come home, turn the TV on, and brew to enjoy.(We got this lovely Japanese teacup as a move-in gift from a friend, btw~)When I drink this, I feel like time stops. It is soooooooo peaceful, and the more mindful you become of the tea, the more delicious it is. I should mention the price too. This was about 560 yen and the bag contains 20 tea bags. Honestly, there was another more expensive tea by the same Shizuoka brand on the shelf but I decided to go with the more affordable option, and I made the right choice. This kind of peace is just what both of us needed after weeks of preparing and moving. And this kind of peace is something I get from enjoying Shizuoka green tea in a cozy afternoon. Oh by the way, please look forward to my partner’s post on his green tea choice! <3This 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/neko/GyPkb-food_teaThu, 14 May 2020 12:47:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/neko/GyPkb-food_teahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/neko/wXQk1-food_teaLast time I was excited to have found a can of alcoholic Shizuoka green tea, which was green tea mixed with shochu, but it was a bit underwhelming. (You can read the full review here: https://www.city-cost.com/blogs/neko/wj7em-money_tea )But, I considered it a good start on my journey to enjoy ryokucha wari, and it got my eyes open to search for similar products on the market.When I was in the nationwide drug store chain, Welcia, I passed by a green can, took a double-take, and placed it right into my shopping basket. Another ryokucha-wari that uses Shizuoka green tea!This is from the Secoma brand, which I believe is an in-house brand for Welcia? The good news is that it was cheaper than the previous offering from the convenience store. This was only 110 yen, rather than the 150 yen Takara can from before.Since I felt a bit tricked last time, I read the labels well enough this time around. Despite seeing "100% Shizuoka Kawane matcha used" on the label, this was only explaining that all the matcha used in the can were from Shizuoka, which accounted for 13% of the tea. The other 87% were "Japanese green tea" from who knows where.I was thinking about what that means in terms of quality, but 13% is an improvement on the 10% of the previous drink. And I also really like that this says "Shimada City green tea project." Shimada City is in Shizuoka Prefecture and I feel like by enjoying this can I am directly supporting a local endeavor.Oh, one more thing before I review the drink, this is 7% alcoholic!Now onto how it tastes. Without false expectations this time, I had a much better feeling about this alcoholic green tea cocktail. If you are not familiar with ryokucha-wari, they really are not strong in flavor in any way. It still tastes like I was drinking normal green tea but with a slight spike.With that said, the green tea was a lot more prominent this time. Maybe it is the matcha? But the Shizuoka green tea bitterness was definitely more noticeable and delicious. It also leaves a bit more of an aftertaste that lingers around as the alcohol lingers too. Refreshing is not the best word. Calming would be a good description.The color itself is so clear and pretty that looking at it through my glass was enjoyment in itself. There was even a bit of green tea residue! Wow!Again, this is another drink that is easy to down. Hard to say what to match it with, as I have been drinking ryokucha-wari by themselves instead of with a meal.Overall, the pros of this drink are that it is cheap (110 yen!), it has a 7% kick, and it supports a local city project in Shizuoka Prefecture. Would I recommend this? Yes :)Pick it up if you see it someday!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/neko/wXQk1-food_teaThu, 09 Apr 2020 10:59:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/neko/wXQk1-food_teahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/neko/wj7em-money_teaAs you may have noticed, I quite enjoy using Shizuoka green tea as a base for my cocktails! Here are some of my previous posts about them. I always did them based on what I had available at home, and it was weird that it took so long for me to learn that ryokucha wari or ryokucha-hi is a thing!A friend ordered it at an izakaya one day and I thought she ordered tea to pace her drinking, but she told me it was mixed with shochu, meaning it was alcoholic. I was enjoying myself too much that night that I had forgotten what my impression of the drink was, but I (finally) noticed it at the conbini one day and decided to pick one up for myself! Not only day, I realized that the can mentioned “Shizuoka ichiban-cha green tea”, which was even more of a reason for me to try!The can was surprisingly cheap. For about 150yen a pop, you could have a nice evening without spending too much.Based on what my friend had, she had it on ice so I chilled mine too. Since Shizuoka green tea was used, I expected it to have a very strong green tea foundation but with a buzz.A few hours later, the drink was cold enough (it warmed up on my way walking home), and I cracked it open and poured it over ice.The colour was the greenish brown I was used to for tea from this region. What I was really missing was seeing the residue at the bottom of the cup. Not that the residue was yummy (quite the opposite!), but that part of the visual appeal was missing.I took a sip of the drink. It tasted just like a normal cup of tea! There was 4% alcohol but I couldn’t taste it at all, even though the company was the famous Takara shochu company! It made it a whole lot easier to drink, except one thing: the tea was not that good... :(Looking at the can again, Shizuoka green tea was only 10% of the green tea used, despite “using Shizuoka Ichiban-cha green tea” being huge on the label. As strong as Shizuoka green tea is, it can only do so much going against 90% of some other tea that I guarantee is not as good!The best thing about it is that the beverage itself is very easy to drink. So easy that you forget that this is not suitable for kids. If you want to get buzzed without tasting alcohol, this might be a choice for you~Overall, the can was a bit disappointing. But it also did inspire me to make my own using 100% next time!!!!!!! Now thaaaaat is going to be awesome!!! ;)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/neko/wj7em-money_teaFri, 27 Mar 2020 12:22:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/neko/wj7em-money_teahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/neko/Mnm8j-food_teaSometimes I find myself wanting to drink something healthy and calming at night right before going to bed. Nothing alcoholic and nothing sugary. Tea would be a great choice, but they usually contain caffeine, and fruity tea is kinda too nice right before sleeping.I was very happy that I found something perfect for that exact situation!Kunitaro, a company that seems to care about the environment released an instant caffeine-less green tea! This green tea is a combination of two teas. The main tea is Shizuoka green tea, and to add another layer to the tea, there is also Uji matcha. A bag costs about 500yen, and it makes about 50 cups.The package mentions how delicious and rich this tea is. It also explains the benefit of his caffeine-less tea, which is that it is perfect for mothers-to-be to enjoy. Having no caffeine makes it healthier for ladies carrying, and I think the added vitamin C is good for you too. As for everyone else, this is just a good choice for anyone wanting a drink before hitting the sack to go night night~So, to make the tea, all you need id just a 0.7g scoop, which is about one tea spoon. You can easily make it with hot water or cold water. Because they are very fine powder, a few quick mixes will turn the drink ready in an instant. I mixed it for less than a minute, and it dissolved surprisingly quickly into the cold water. The color was also unexpected deep! It really looked like other Shizuoka green tea I make!Now, as for the taste, it is quite on the mild side. It was delicious but it was more like the second or third brew of my usual tea. I think that the instant aspect of this tea also makes it feel less rich, even though the color suggested otherwise. On the other hand, one good thing about this tea was that the powder means that you do not get the texture of green tea on your tongue as you drink, which is nice.So to conclude, the pros:- Caffeine-less- Instant and easy to make- The color is good- Fine textureThere are a few cons too:- The taste is mild- Might be a bit pricyOverall, whether you should get this or not depends on how much you want a caffeine-less green tea at night. For me, I have been wanting something like this, so I am simply going to add more powder to make tea cup more flavorful and enjoy my pre-sleep drink.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/neko/Mnm8j-food_teaWed, 04 Mar 2020 11:09:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/neko/Mnm8j-food_teahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/neko/wZ7gl-food_teaHi everyone!In this article, I would like to share with everyone my thoughts on homemade green tea cocktails. More specifically, how the cocktails change if you use Shizuoka green tea!I have been using Shizuoka green tea as a mix in several recipes, and some I have shared in the past already. Sometimes they are used with alcohols that suggest green tea as a mix, but more often, I just like to experiment with different drinks I have at home. I like using green tea more than water and club soda because green tea is more versatile. You can make the tea as strong or weak as you need it to be, and they are great both hot and cold. With all that, however, the most crucial point is probably the fact that it makes me feel like I am in Japan!However, I REALLY like using Shizuoka green tea because of its unique flavor. It has this profound aroma that gets me excited before I even start drinking. What is more important is that the Shizuoka bitterness always adds a level of depth that pre-mixed drinks cannot compare with. It stands out in such a way that no matter what type of alcohol I have used before to pair with the tea and at whatever ratio, the tea will always find a way to go “hey, this is delicious thanks to ME!”, but definitely in a much more polite way, haha.For that reason, when I make Shizuoka green tea for the purpose of a fun Friday evening, I usually use 20% more tea leaves than I would for straight tea, and I make sure to let them sit for an hour or two. It lets the tea come out while cooling it down. Before taking the tea out, also get a tea spoon and squeeze out whatever is left in the tea. The condensed base will for sure take your cocktail to the next level.In general, I think the more fruity type drinks make a good mix, just use green tea instead of whatever flavor-less or sweet liquid you were going to use. Your friends will be surprised!If you are making a warm or hot cocktail, however, I find that a short quick brew of 3 to 4 minutes does the job perfect. Instead of the 70C temperature packages usually suggest, I re-boil the water to near 100C so that the drink comes out hot, and use the alcohol to cool it down. Particularly, I really enjoy mixing umeshuu (plum wine) with green tea at a 1:1 ratio. If you have never tried that, I would suggest you enjoy yourself this winter!Any Shizuoka tea would work. Recently I have been back to using the Farmer's Green Tea that I have reviewed before. It is a good quantity for the buck, and I find the flavor to be extra strong, which works great for mixing drinks.Here is my review!https://www.city-cost.com/blogs/neko/wXk24-food_tea_shizuokaMix it your way, and let me know if you have any recommendations!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/neko/wZ7gl-food_teaFri, 14 Feb 2020 11:35:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/neko/wZ7gl-food_teahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/neko/MgX56-food_teaWhenever I think of genmaicha, or brown tea rice, it always reminds me of a little childhood memory of mine. I was home with my family and some family friends in a local Japanese restaurant. Japanese food was quite new to me at the time, and the food was amazing! The salmon sashimi, tempura, okonomiyaki with the dancing bonito flakes… and I took a sip of the water in between bites, and I looked at my mommy and said:“Mom, the water tastes really strange!”She took a look:“Because this wasn’t your cup! This is the tea of the grandma here!”Since then, we kept our silence and no one has ever heard about the time I stole a sip of tea from this old lady. But that taste, I still remember it well. The tea wasn’t like tea that I knew. It wasn’t sweet or refreshing. It was more like warming and fulfilling, and that was my first taste of brown rice tea.This time, I was happy to have found this brown rice tea from Shizuoka. The bag was about 350yen, and I think that is a very reasonable price.The smell upon opening the package reminded me of my memory again. It wasn’t really the smell of tea, but something roasted and prepared. That feeling became clearer to me when I poured hot water into the pot.Sniff, sniff.This isn’t just tea. This is like fried rice… soaked in hot water! Oh wait, so this is just like ochazuke!!It is true. The smell of it reminded me of food more than a drink. Seeing the brown rice getting all soaked up made me wanted to isolate the rice and turn them into a quick snack with a bit of seasoning.When I poured the tea into the glass, it should surprise no one when I report that the tea turned out to be more brown than green. But what I didn’t expect was that the tea was clear, very clear with little residue!I am used to seeing Shizuoka green tea to have more of a muddy form even as tea, so seeing a fully transparent glass was surprising.The taste was magnificent. For those who enjoy tea in the winter, this is a very delicate alternative to the standard green tea.It is kinda interesting to have a rice-y flavor in a drink, and while I imagine you might not be drinking this while eating actual brown rice, I think it would go well with sushi, which is more of a sweeten and soured rice! Genmaicha, you are lovely!!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/neko/MgX56-food_teaTue, 17 Dec 2019 08:42:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/neko/MgX56-food_teahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/neko/wrvOX-food_money_tea_shizuokaTea has always been a cheap drink in my mind. You can get a box of tea bags for about 10 yen per bag, and that could be all it requires for a quick wake up in the morning or the enjoyment of a cozy evening. Plenty of clinics, waiting rooms, and of course, restaurants also serve you tea for free, so tea is supposed to be a common cheap drink.So when I saw this expensive bag of Shizuoka tea (pictured below) in the supermarket I frequent priced at 1,200 yen for a 100-gram bag, I thought: “I need to know what this is like, and how it is different from the cheaper stuff I have been drinking!”It wasn’t easy pulling out more than a single bill for one bag of tea, but I also thought: “If I don’t try this while I am in Japan now, when will I ever have the chance?”(Green tea from Shizuoka made using the breed of yabukita (やぶ北) tea)After the mental struggle, I brought the tea both with excitement and a little bit of buyer’s remorse. After I got home, I opened the bag to take the very first sniff of its aroma. The best word I could find to describe it would be “crisp”. It was like the cleansing breath of fresh air in the morning when you go hiking in a misty mountain. That feeling of crisp air, but from a bag of tea I just opened. That must show how fresh the tea leaves were packaged!Since it has been getting cooler (I have been walking around with a cardigan lately), I decided that this would be my first cup of hot tea of the season.The moment I poured the hot water onto the leaves, I was surrounded by the aroma of green tea. It is like the leaves were stuffed with flavor, so brewing it just released everything at an instant!After enjoying the smell of the hot beverage, it was time for the taste time~.....YUMMMM!!!!!!!This Shizuoka tea was over and above any tea I have ever tasted!It went from “crisp” to “comforting”. The tea settles on your tongue to let every taste bud soak in the goodness of this expensive tea. Bitter yet refreshing, and the way it lingers in my mouth for a long time after each sip is really enjoyable.You know how the first sip of every tea tastes good but as you get used to it, the taste starts to go away? I feel like this tea doesn’t have the same problem and every sip felt just as pleasurable as the first! Overall, this tea is A-MA-ZING!Would I buy this again? 1,200 yen for a bag is still quite a heavy price to pay, so while I won’t do it again for myself, I would get this again when I need a nice souvenir for a friend visiting from outside of Japan!This post is supported by Shizuoka Green Tea Guide, one of City-Cost's Supporters helping City-Cost bloggers to enjoy life in Japan and engage in new experiences.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/neko/wrvOX-food_money_tea_shizuokaWed, 16 Oct 2019 10:46:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/neko/wrvOX-food_money_tea_shizuokahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/neko/MvrD9-food_teaJuly and August used to be a season of drinking parties for me, especially with friends inviting me to go try out the latest beer garden here and there. I don’t do that as often as I used to anymore because I often grow sleepy after drinking now. Maybe it is an age thing? I’m too old to party all night?? Neither way, I enjoy drinking at home now and I’ve been experimenting with homemade cocktail recipes. It basically means that I mix rather drinks that I find at home to see if they taste ok enough for me to make them for a second time down the road.With some iced Shizuoka green tea I have in the fridge, I have been playing with the idea of spiking the green tea up. You can say that the inspirations came from the many orders of green-tea chuhai and green-tea-wari drinks over the past few years. I find that green-tea mixed drinks add a layer of flavor that is much more interesting than mixing a drink with water or carbonated water, and the green tea from Shizuoka is perfect. It also seems a lot more mature when you order it, hahaha.Digging through the many bottles of alcoholic bases at home, I decided to give a couple of bottles a try as my experiments. The tea I used was also the final bottle of Shizuoka green tea I got from Costco, which you can read more about right there:Costco Shizuoka Green Tea!The obvious advantage of using this tea, of course, it is ready to go! I didn't need to brew it and then cool it down with ice or anything. Crack a bottle open and it is ready to go, which is super awesome when you are in the mood for spontaneous drinking.First up! The peachy green tea!!This bottle of Korean peachy alcohol (that I picked up at a liquor store one day for 400yen!) is more on the sweet side of things, and it doesn’t taste too much like alcohol. I put in about ¼ of the peachy liquor before filling the glass up with green tea. 4 ice cubes were also dropped in for coolness. The product was delightful! The sweetness of the peach is brought out by the green tea. At the same time the sweetness of the liquor is toned down to something more classic and elegant. It is like an intersection where the modern world and traditions meet. Peach flavor products are always easy to find around this time of the year, and I feel like I am having my own contribution to the trend at home.One more! The lemon rock green tea!!This lemon flavor nihonshu was great when served on rock, but it is just as good mixed with green tea! The sourness from the lemon nihonshu wakes me up as I drink this cocktail after dinner, but the tea also helps me to relax as I forget about work and settle in for the night. I put in 1/3 liquor and 2/3 green tea for this one, and while I enjoyed it, I think having more of the liquor would make this cocktail even more appealing.(This is the tea I used~)What surprised me has been how well Shizuoka green tea works as a mixer. Its strong and unique flavor stands out a lot better than other things I have used to mix with, and I want to keep experimenting! Please look forward to my next and hopefully delicious reports!!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/neko/MvrD9-food_teaMon, 07 Oct 2019 10:17:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/neko/MvrD9-food_teahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/neko/zK1x4-food_teaTapioca has been taking over Japan recently. It started from the introduction of Taiwanese bubble tea shops into the country (mostly in Tokyo), and now many local coffee shops, restaurants and other food providers alike are on the ball too (or balls, rather)!One problem I have with these delicious drinks would be the price. They are often 500 yen a cup for the small and standard one, and adding more toppings or having a fancier drink makes it more expensive! So we decided to make it at home.Instead of milk tea, we also wanted to go with green tea. Green tea based tapioca drinks are quite popular overseas, but they are not really available here in Japan. I guess that green tea is meant to be enjoyed straight in Japan, so mixing and sweetening it is not that acceptable here (yet). But the green tea based drinks are awesome, so we went with that!We used the Shizuoka green tea we had stocked at home. The strong flavor from Shizuoka green tea pops really well and it contrasts with the tapioca well, especially if the tapioca are sweetened beforehand. The aftertaste is also more refreshing than milk tea and other variations of milk-based drinks, so I prefer having my tapioca with green tea.At the same time, the color of the Shizuoka tea tends to be darker, so rather than the brown uncooked tapioca, we purchased the rainbow color tapioca to make it more attractive overall. The bag was about 250 yen, and I can easier make 4-6 servings with it.With the tea and uncooked tapioca prepared, we gave it a try!We used a recipe we found online that had us cook the tapioca for 20 minutes on high heat with a cover on. The dried tapioca started to look more transparent as we cooked them.Then, we steeped them for another 20 minutes to let the heat and water go through the tapioca before draining them.Next, and apparently a very important step, we soaked the tapioca into a brown sugar syrup that I had prepared beforehand (which was just mixing the brown sugar with hot water). This steps is essential to make the tapioca sweet, and I think it makes the overall drink better when we are pairing them with strong Shizuoka green tea.Finally, instead of sugar syrup, we added honey to sweeten the drink up and put a few cubes of ice. And it is finished!The green tea goes excellent with the tapioca. Making this at home saves us money (and the need to travel and line up), but more importantly, it gave us the option for green tea based tapioca drinks that is yet to be popular in Japan. Give it a try!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/neko/zK1x4-food_teaSat, 27 Jul 2019 14:24:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/neko/zK1x4-food_teahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/neko/Gy6JD-living_food_tea_shizuokaBeing someone who partially lives on the internet, I rely on it for a lot of information, suggestions, and occasionally, opinions. So, as I was thinking about this topic of green tea from Shizuoka, I was curious as to what kind of information I can find on the internet.A quick search about discussions on Shizuoka green tea in English resulted in little information, whereas removing the Shizuoka part gave me a lot of results about green tea in Kyoto. This is quite understandable considering how Kyoto is a world-popular travelling spot, so the visitors interested in the Japanese tea culture would naturally take advantage of their trip to Kyoto to enjoy green tea at the same time. On the other hand, Shizuoka is much less known internationally, so only those devoted to tea or looking for a less touristy place might find out about Shizuoka green tea.Therefore, I turned to searching in Japanese instead to see what people think.One of the first things I found was one Yahoo! Question thread titled “When you think of tea… Shizuoka tea or Kyoto tea?”. While a couple of netizens provided suggestions of tea from other regions such as places in Kyushuu and Kanto, the thread was overwhelming supportive of Shizuoka green tea. The image of linking tea to Kyoto, particularly Uji is strong in many people’s mind, but many of the replies prefer the sweetness and the nice scent of Shizuoka tea. One commenter mentioned that Kyoto green tea is classier, so the Shizuoka tea is more suiting for daily consumptions.Another thread on Yomiuri online asked the question about the differences among production locations. Many commenters replied with hometown pride, explaining that their preference for a certain tea is often because they grew up with that particular taste. However, several people without the regional bias mentioned that they quite like the tea from Shizuoka thanks to its sweetness and rich bitterness. As I have also learned, while Kagoshima does produce their own tea and sell them locally, they also import a large amount of tea from Shizuoka for daily consumption. One of the replies also explained that not all tea from Shizuoka label the package with its origin location and instead simply write “Japanese green tea”, although the taste come out to be the same. Perhaps I have been drinking Shizuoka tea more than I had known!From my own experiences drinking the different kinds of green tea in Japan throughout my time in Japan and visiting Japanese friends' houses, which include Shizuoka green tea, Uji green tea, Kagoshima green tea, and the generic "Japanese" green tea, I for sure find that the Shizuoka green tea as the "rich bitterness" as I read from the internet. The "sweetness" is a bit more difficult to identify, as I find other tea to be sweet in their own way too, but the sweetness of Shizuoka green tea and the rich bitterness come together to a nice complexity that I don't find with the other tea, and I like it! This session of internet research taught me several things, but what surprised me the most was the support for Shizuoka tea. While foreigners mostly enjoy their tea trips in Kyoto, it seems like many of the internet-experts find preference in the Shizuoka grown tea.This post is supported by Shizuoka Green Tea Guide, one of City-Cost's Supporters helping City-Cost bloggers to enjoy life in Japan and engage in new experiences.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/neko/Gy6JD-living_food_tea_shizuokaFri, 12 Jul 2019 10:05:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/neko/Gy6JD-living_food_tea_shizuokahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/neko/Gy60Y-food_teaAfter reading the many articles on City-Cost about the quality of Shizuoka green tea and the different types there are, I start to recognize some teas by the name and immediately knowing that they are from Shizuoka.When I was in Costco the other day, I found them too. Costco was the last place I would have expected to run into some because I only go there to deal with my homesickness. Whenever I go, I would be surrounded by snacks, food, kitchen appliances, English books, LED lights, more things I don’t need… but they are usually things I find outside of Japan. So seeing cases of tea in Costco, while completely reasonable, it caught me by surprise.I saw the words “honyamacha” written on the cases near the drinks section, which by now I realize is a type of Shizuoka tea.For 1458yen for 6 bottles of 2 liter tea, each one was a bit less than 250yen. To be honest, that is kinda expensive. The tea I usually purchase from supermarkets would be around 110yen per bottle. However, the package says that this was the tea used by the great Tokugawa shogunate of Japan. Now, that makes it suddenly a lot cooler.Thinking about it, it is Costco, and my beloved Costco would only carry good quality items, so the fact that I found it there was already the reassurance of good quality tea I needed.I bought a case (actually I had to convince my two friends to give it a try too). I cracked open a bottle right after getting home. The tea was rich with the deep flavor that I enjoy. The bitterness is there, but the aftertaste was very natural and refreshing. I had expected it to be more of a clear tea but the color was more on the dark side, and it reflects the bitterness too.The best part, of course, is the fact that I didn’t have to brew the tea myself, and I had 2L readily available for me. It is kinda rare to find pre-made bottles of Shizuoka tea, especially if you are looking for bigger bottles. The downside is that you have to buy them by cases (at Costco anyway), but given how often we drink tea at home ourselves, when friends visit, or when we bring them to parties, we know that it will not take long to finish.They also have houjicha from the same honyamacha brand from Shizuoka. I am not as much of a fan of houjicha compared to the standard green tea, but the choice is there, so take your pick (or get both) from Costco!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/neko/Gy60Y-food_teaTue, 02 Jul 2019 16:09:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/neko/Gy60Y-food_teahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/neko/GRqOE-shopping_galleries_toki_shi_gifuMy boyfriend and I visit Toki in Gifu at least once a year. Specifically, we visit Oribe Hills there. It is one of the biggest manufacturers of yakimono, or ceramic goods, in Japan. We go there annually to update our cupboard, even though we already have a LOT at home.A plate that is usually sold for 1000 yen would be sold at the manufacturer price here for around 600 yen. That’s a crazy discount... but, not crazy enough! During Golden Week every year, they hold the Toki Ceramic Festival that lasts for a few days, and you can buy some bowls and plates for some really surprising prices.As long as you don't mind that many of the discount plates are either older designs (from last year or the year before), or that some have tiny flaws on them, you can walk into any of the many big shops there and shop to your heart’s content. Very often, you can get 2 or 3 nice ceramic bowls for about 1000 yen. If you want to get a matching set for a family or a bunch as a souvenir, this is perfect!If you have the time, and can exert the effort, to dig through some “buckets”, you can even find some last-one ceramics for like 200 yen! Sometimes you can’t even get a nice plate at Disco for 200 yen, but you can here and only during the matsuri. Be aware that some of them have been at the bottom of the warehouse for some time, so they are sometimes covered with dust, but nothing a quick wash can’t take care of.The ones with flaws are also not bad at all. They might have an air hole or an extra lump here and there, usually not too noticeable. Some shops also go out of their way to put labels on each flawed item to show you exactly where the flaw is, so that you aren’t buying something you aren’t happy with. That’s really nice!And again, these flawed ones are just 100 or 200 yen each. I wouldn’t be too sad even if they end up not being my favorite.At these bigger ceramic manufacturers you can also bargain to bring the price lower. That’s kinda rare in Japan and I didn’t know about it, but this year we got a plate to go down from 500 yen to 350 yen just because we asked.If you are a bigger spender, you might look at the booths along the roads. These are usually set up by local artists who hand make each and every piece they sell. They are much more expensive in comparison. 2000 yen a plate is typical. I even saw ones that were around 40,000 yen!I definitely don’t have the money for that kind of yakimono but just walking around and looking around (and touching them, occasionally) is great, too. They are all really pretty and artistic, so it is like an exhibition too, that you can go to for free.One problem we face every time is that we often end up buying a lot and it is very heavy to bring home. Some families bring luggage or a small shopping pull-cart as they walk around. Maybe next time we will do that too!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/neko/GRqOE-shopping_galleries_toki_shi_gifuTue, 04 Jun 2019 10:29:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/neko/GRqOE-shopping_galleries_toki_shi_gifuhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/neko/za52D-living_badexperiencesWhen I first came to Japan one of the very first things my company got me to do was to make a little stamp with my name on it. I was puzzled. What is this for, and why is this so important that we are doing this as part of our orientation?Later I learned that this little stamp now with my name on it in katakana is called a hanko, and wow, do I hate this little stamp?In Japan, your signature doesn't mean much. It is just a scribble of your name that other people can’t understand anyway, so instead, the way to identify yourself is with this small stamp.The very first time I used my stamp was when I opened a bank account at Japan Post bank, and on my bank book now there is my stamp. Whenever I go to the bank I always bring my stamp because I expect that at some point they will bring out the red ink pad and asked for my stamp for things that I used to think of as my signature.Why do I find the hanko so annoying then? It's because I keep it in one of my purses, but just one. There would be days when I go to the bank or city hall with a different purse and I couldn't get what I needed because I left my hanko in another bag. I could have all the IDs I have and show them everything. They have no reasonable logic to think that I am not who I am, except that I don't have the little stamp…It also gets very annoying when I need to stamp in for work every day, which only makes it more difficult to keep track of where my stamp is. It's not like the people at work don’t recognize me. How many female foreign English teachers are there in the school anyway? But I just need to stamp in so that they can have a record that my stamp had been at work every day.And the more disturbing part? The stamp isn’t actually that important to your identity!When I talked to the officer manager at work about my annoyance towards bringing the stamp every day, she mentioned that I could make another stamp for a thousand yen just to keep at work. So I did, and it looks slightly different from the ones I used to use. The person in charge of checking timecards came to me a couple of weeks later. He told me that he realized I had changed my stamp and wondered if I lost my original one. I explained that I made one just to keep at school and he said that it is okay that I have changed it once but I can’t change it again.…… wait a moment, so matching it to the original isn’t actually that important? What is the point then if anyone can go to the shop and get a stamp made to look similar to my name?Another time I went to the bank to cash in a 30,000-yen cash-back cheque I got from SoftBank. The person asked for my stamp and I stupidly didn’t bring it. She then asked me to sign my name and made a photocopy of my residence card, then gave me the 30,000 yen in cash.…… wait, so I sometimes need the stamp at the bank but not every single time??There was another time when I asked someone at school to get a document authorized. She went into the principal’s office, saw that he wasn’t there but knew that the document got his approval anyway. She then asked the vice principal who just went to open the principal’s drawer, took his school-use stamp, and stamped my document in his name.…… wait, so the stamp is actually for someone ELSE to use???Japan still loves the hanko, but I really can’t appreciate it to be very honest.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/neko/za52D-living_badexperiencesFri, 19 Apr 2019 10:02:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/neko/za52D-living_badexperienceshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/neko/wmVDa-living_food_sustainablelifeIn an attempt to be more environmentally friendly, my school in Japan has just purchased a bunch of these staple-free staplers and I am very proud of my school for that decision.We had a meeting to talk about wasting paper and supplies, and teachers were encouraged to look into new ways we could do better in being sustainable. A couple of weeks later, the school supplies manager introduced us to these small new gadgets.All the teachers were confused until she said that they are staplers. From her demonstration, she just took a couple of pieces of paper on her desk, thud, and they were stuck together! It blew all of us away!The school bought 8 just to try, but we have been using them daily since they got to the school. Whenever we have something to stick together for handouts, particularly only for teachers to look at, this is our go-to now.It feels great that we are not wasting tens of staples a day, and a few teachers are even using them for the paper, homework and exams in their own classes. It does come with some negative parts which I will expand on later.One reason why I am happy with this though is that I feel bad for throwing away so many staples when I used to use way less paper and staples back home. But since Japan really likes handing out paper to explain exactly what will be talked about or what people should have received in their e-mail inbox already, every little bit we can do to save the environment helps.I also like that this is making students think about how wasteful they are with things as well. As one teacher came back and explained, their class had a discussion and most of the 5th graders in the class expressed that they had never thought about staples as 'us throwing metal away into the burnable garbage pile.' These staples became a way for the Japanese children to learn, too.Now, the negative bits. First and foremost, the papers are not as stable. Rather than using a piece of metal to hold them, this gadget cuts and folds a bit of the paper inward. Because of that, a few strong shakes and it might come apart. To resolve that, I do a double punch rather than just one.There is a limit on how many page a "stapler" works with. The ones we have can do up to 6 pieces of paper and that is because the office supplies manager decided on it based on budget. The more expensive models can stack more, but the ones we have now have a limit. For more pages, we are using reusable clips.Lastly, it does need practice. It wouldn't take you more than 3 minutes to get used to it, but this means we can’t just hand them out to students and expect them to be able to use them smoothly just yet, so the teachers are doing most of the stapling.With the negative points mentioned though, I personally think they are still very worth it because they are helping the environment. Each "stapler" costs about 600 yen, which I think is very reasonable. Now I am thinking about getting one for myself at home, and I don't even have things to staple!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/neko/wmVDa-living_food_sustainablelifeMon, 15 Apr 2019 15:05:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/neko/wmVDa-living_food_sustainablelifehttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/neko/z1ByA-livingNot everything done with a good intention comes back in a good way, and sometimes we are wasting things without realizing it. This came to my mind when I was throwing out my recycling bottles and cans one morning, and it got me thinking about how we sometimes are quite counterintuitive when dealing with garbage and recycling.What sparked my thought to reexamine my garbage-throwing garbage was when I saw the massive pile of aluminum cans and bottles. I saw many people using small plastic bags just to wrap up one or two cans in order to throw them out. On the other hand, some people would use massive garbage bags to gather a lot of cans, but these bags are usually extra thick bags bought from drugstores, so the amount of plastic being thrown out is actually even more.Back home, the way we threw out recyclable garbage was just to have them in a box and in the morning, once a week, someone would come by to pick it up. They would pick the box up and empty the content, then put the box back down in front of my house. There were no extra plastic bags being thrown out unnecessarily. This is not how it works in Japan yet, so we are still short of an alternative, but if we could at least flatten the beer cans and bottles before we throw them out, increasing the volume each plastic bag can take, we would be saving some more plastic bags that way.Speaking of plastic bags, we know that Japan loves them, handing them out with every single purchase you make, especially at convenience stores. Many people keep the bags to reuse them, thinking that they make perfect small-garbage bags for their cars when they are on the go, and they can then throw it out when it is full. The problem I see from this is people accepting small plastic bags when they don't need to in the first place.Throwing out a small plastic bag with a small amount of garbage every time is quite wasteful, especially when they are throwing the plastic bag into a bigger plastic bag. What I do is keep the small garbage in the side of my backpack or in the car, then I move them by hand and throw them into the garbage can, without needing an extra bag. Most garbage cans I end up using are covered or have lids anyway. By doing this, the small bags would not have been used in the first place, so we would not be throwing them out in unnecessary ways.A lot of people also recycle milk cartons for paper. School kids do this, too. I think it is a good thing to recycle paper, but I was also curious how much waste people were creating in the process of cleaning the milk and juice cartons. A friend of mine said he did not recycle paper cartons because it felt wrong to him when he was using a lot of water, particularly hot water just to wash out something that was to be thrown out. In schools in Japan, kids use the same bucket of water to rinse 30 milk cartons so water isn't heavily wasted. However, many housewives I know of actually open the carton and wash it with hot water and dish soap, which is spending resources for resources, and I don't know how effective this is. My friend was probably right. I believe that a rinse is all they need, so if we are reusing the water we have during dish-washing, that should be enough.My point is that even in acts of recycling and reusing resources, there are smarter ways to do this for a more sustainable lifestyle. If we are wasting things while recycling, it sort of defeats the purpose and our good intention, doesn't it?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/neko/z1ByA-livingMon, 18 Mar 2019 10:17:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/neko/z1ByA-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/neko/ME5KD-living_badexperiencesOne of the things in Japan that really gets on the nerves is whenever someone mentions joshiryoku, or “the girl power/ability”.Sometimes my colleague would see me doing something that I just do, and they would say, “Oh wow, your joshiryoku is really high!”. It is like someone telling me, “Oh wow, you are a real girl!”In fact, I am never doing anything particularly spectacular! For example, I tried making a Japanese homemade bento and brought it to work, something that millions of people do every day, and it was quite a disaster by Japanese society’s standards. But because I sliced up some cucumbers for decorations, I got my colleagues gathered praising me for my “girl ability”.Why was that so important, and what is this whole “joshiryoku” concept reinforcing?The more I thought about it, the more often I started to recognize it being used. I realized that it is simply the construction of a gender stereotype and their expected roles.The “joshiryoku” I was praised for was for me making my own lunch, but in a more “delicate” and “decorative” way than “what men would do with their bento” (toss everything into one big bowl).If some young female colleague bakes something and brings it in to share, they get complimented for their “girl ability” as well, and it adds to the idea that if you can’t bake, then you have low ability as a girl. Which means? Girls SHOULD know how to bake.It is not just baking, but also cooking, cleaning, decorating, folding clothes, sewing, putting on make-up, bowing slightly with a bright smile as you greet someone else, doing something related to flowers… let me know what else you can think of. I am sure the list can go on and on.They may have traditionally been female roles or images, but I thought that the world has been moving on from that, or at least is trying to. So to see the whole country of Japan still loving and using the idea of “girl ability” on a daily basis is disappointing.I realized that it is similar to the English phrase,“wife material!”.If someone is good at cleaning and cooking, and you hear someone make a comment, “Wow! She is a good wife material”, this kind of comment would not be appropriate. Cleaning and cooking is not necessarily the wife’s job, and a person is not “material”.However, I find this “joshiryoku” comment to have very similar effect in Japan, and it is widely used and accepted because I find that most Japanese people I know have accepted the stereotype. In magazines targeting young female readership, you would often find tag lines like, “How to improve your joshiryoku” or “Top 5 ways to show off your joshiryoku”. These all just come to say that girls need to be girls and deviating from the typically “girly” image or not being able to do “girly” things would make you less of a girl, which is something you are born into.And in reality, who cares if a girl can’t bake well? That’s what bakeries are for.Sometimes they use this term when a man does something “girly”, particularly baking something. They use it as a compliment and in a society like Japan where a lot of men are rather “feminine”, a lot of men accept the compliment. I suppose that in western culture if someone was to make a comment to a man, “Wow! You have really high girl power”, they would find it offensive. Western culture still has phrases like, “You throw like a girl”, “Don’t be a b----/p----” that indicates being female as being weak. In that sense, I guess Japan is more forward thinking in that men can accept having a strong “female” trait is a compliment…?Nowadays, when someone comments, “Your girl ability is very high” to me, I reply with, “Thanks, but I don’t actually enjoy doing it”. It often results in utter confusion of the other person probably thinking and not vocalizing their thought of, “Wait… but, you ARE a girl…”.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/neko/ME5KD-living_badexperiencesSat, 16 Mar 2019 14:32:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/neko/ME5KD-living_badexperienceshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/neko/wXk24-food_tea_shizuokaThere are so many types of green tea in every single market we walk into and even if the selection was limited to only the green tea from Shizuoka, how can we know which one is good and which one would match our preference?One would think that the farmers themselves would know what the best tea is, so out of all the types of green tea from Shizuoka I found at a nearby supermarket, I purchased this “Yabukita Farmer’s Green Tea” for a taste test.I bought this 350g green tea for less than 500 yen (including tax), and I quite enjoy the transparent packaging that allows customers to see the green tea leaves clearly upon purchasing.The package states that a unique feature of this tea is its strong scent and its strong color. When I made the tea that very night, that was precisely the result. The deep yellow-green color was very different from the green tea I am used to drinking at work or at restaurants.The scent of green tea quickly filled the kitchen, and just smelling it makes me want to sit down in front of the TV and enjoy a relaxing Sunday afternoon. Unfortunately, nothing on TV was to my interest, so I only had the tea on the sofa while admiring the chill and sunny day outside.The taste of the tea was similar to what the package suggested. Although I had burnt my tongue during the first sip due to the tea being too hot, I could very much taste the bitterness of the green tea. For someone like me who used to drink bottled tea, it was rather too bitter at first. But that means I can add less tea leaves next time to adjust the favor.After a while, I got over the bitterness and enjoyed it. This got me thinking about the fact that I am now living in a different country. The strong flavor of the tea felt so unfiltered and genuine, kind of like a, “this is the real flavor of the country” feeling.Right, I have been living in Japan for quite a portion of my life now, and I am no longer being "presented" Japan, rather I am seeing the country and understanding it with my whole eyes now.Just like this tea. It is not some fancy packaged tea with gold labels and awards printed on it. It is just “the farmer’s tea”, as transparent as it could be. I just had to taste it myself.Just like that, my Sunday afternoon turned into studying for JLPT.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/neko/wXk24-food_tea_shizuokaThu, 14 Mar 2019 10:18:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/neko/wXk24-food_tea_shizuokahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/neko/MnaqJ-shopping_transportation_jal_chitose_shi_hokkaidoSometime last year, I flew to Hokkaido with Japan Airlines (JAL). I enjoy flying in general. Being on a comfortable flight, such as with JAL, with great inflight entertainment and great service only makes me more hyped and prepared to enjoy the rest of the trip. This time before wrapping up my time in Hokkaido, however, I got to enjoy the airport itself as well!Taking some advice I read on the Internet, I decided to arrive at Chitose Airport (full name - New Chitose Airport) early to wander around. The comments on the Internet mentioned that the airport has a lot of Hokkaido exclusive shops, restaurants, and even a ramen street, so before getting onto the under two-hours flight from Chitose back to Haneda Airport in Tokyo, I ended up spending just as much time at the airport as on the comfortable flight.Let me share with you some of my favorite attractions of the airport!For fans of the chocolate, the Royce factory and shop is, for sure, not to be missed. Royce is a famous chocolate brand from Hokkaido so at the airport you get to have your first opportunity to try their chocolate or your last chance to grab some souvenirs for your friends or yourself. Through the glass you get to watch the machines and the chocolate makers do the work, producing the fresh chocolate getting ready to be packaged. They also have some samples, so give their quality a try before you decide to make a purchase. I bought their famous chocolate-potato chips to bring back.The "ramen street," just as any other good ramen street in Japan, has several great ramen shops gathered in one spot for visitors to enjoy. When you visit Hokkaido the one type of ramen you should really have is Hokkaido miso ramen. They use a very strong flavor miso to make a rather salty but delicious soup, and the noodles used are usually curly. Hokkaido miso ramen also often includes corn, something that is quite rare to find in other varieties of ramen in Japan. One more topping I make sure to add is butter. A big rich block of butter melts into the bowl of soup, and it adds a creamy flavor into the ramen. It makes me want to add butter into every soup I have now.On the other hand, my boyfriend got a spicy miso ramen, and given it is a Japanese standard, it is not too spicy to the point that the average ramen eater cannot enjoy it. It also heats up your body, which is great when you are in Hokkaido, I suppose. Speaking of which, I realized that both bowls of ramen were very very hot! Considering how cold Hokkaido is, the noodles or food in general probably cool down very quickly, so the noodles had better be as hot as possible to maintain the temperature. One more excellent place is the Doraemon speciality shop - Doraemon Wakuwaku Sky Park. For some reason, Doraemon has this huge store at Chitose Airport selling items that you cannot find even from Doraemon pop-up shops or the Doraemon Museum. Some of the goods are airport-themed or travel-themed too, and they are very cute. Make sure you check out the massive wall of just Doraemon’s face too. When I was there, people were lining up to take a photo in front of it. You probably can’t find Doraemon of that size anywhere else.There were still so many restaurants, shops and activities I wasn’t able to check out and experience within the two hours I was at the airport. I ended up spending my time eating and shopping. I am also glad that JAL’s luggage allowance is quite flexible too, because I suddenly got more chocolate and character goods to bring back than I had first anticipated. For those traveling to Hokkaido through Chitose Airport, don’t forget to schedule a time to stay there!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/neko/MnaqJ-shopping_transportation_jal_chitose_shi_hokkaidoMon, 04 Mar 2019 10:15:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/neko/MnaqJ-shopping_transportation_jal_chitose_shi_hokkaidohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/neko/z1Byo-living_yokohama_shi_kanagawaI have posted about how much I love the city of Yokohama before, and one main reasons is because of the romantic vibe the city gives out, especially at night. So, if you are looking for a nice romantic stroll for White Day, a birthday, or even a romantic place to pop a question to your partner, Yokohama would be my recommendation for the place to go and have a lovely time together.I want to make my suggestions for your time in the city. During the day, you should probably visit some of the many museums or parks in the area, as well as Yokohama Chinatown. The city is full of fun events and activities so you can have an energetic afternoon with your partner and spend a great time exploring the city. However, as the sun starts to set, your energy starts to run out, and maybe you are looking for a calmer, more relaxing way to end your date in the city -- Yokohama still has so much to offer. In fact, if you were to leave the city before night arrives, you would be missing out on one of the most romantic experiences you can have in a Japanese city.One of the most popular locations in Yokohama is the Red Brick Warehouse, or the Aka Renga Souko. The Red Brick Warehouse is now used for events, shops, cafes and restaurants, too. The last time I was around, a bakery festival was taking place, with a lot of delicious items gathered and fresh bread being sold. To find out what is happening at the Aka Renga , check the event calendar on the website.https://www.yokohama-akarenga.jp/event/The restaurants and cafes there are great, too. They are not all expensive, even though the atmosphere is very calm and fancy. I ate at the KUA 'AINA there for some hefty western burgers, but they have plenty of choices. Regardless of what you end up eating, the atmosphere of the building itself will keep the mood romantic, for sure.After a nice meal, check out the shops, and this is a great time for you to purchase something you like, or better yet, get them purchased for you *wink*.From Yokohama Red Brick Warehouse, you can walk to Minato Mirai 21. I love Yokohama because the roads are wide and they are never crowded so you can really feel like you have your space and privacy walking alongside your partner from destination to destination. During our trips, we particularly enjoy seeing the lights of the Minato Mirai 21 buildings and the ferris wheel with its colors changing. Seeing the lights reflect on water is ever so romantic -- with the sky darkened but the city lights around you… ohhh it is so very romantic! If you are in the mood for shopping, walk towards the ferris wheel and head towards World Porters. They have many kinds of shops and restaurants there too, so you can for sure spend a lot of time there if you want to. World Porters website: https://www.yim.co.jp/foreign/There is even a section called Hawaiian Town for something different from the usual Japanese scene. If you and your partner are not afraid of heights, getting onto the big colorful wheel would for sure make for a good time. It is almost like a textbook date activity to get into one of those confined spaces together and have your private talk about how much you enjoyed your day as you overlook the city. Again, that is if you are not afraid of heights, and that explains why I don’t have photos from up there…However, and again, I enjoy the walk from the Red Brick Warehouse to World Porters as much as the mall itself. Being in Yokohama at night is simply romantic and lovely. The lights, the space, the buildings, the nature, everything makes Yokohama the default choice to recommend to anyone looking for a romantic evening in Japan.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/neko/z1Byo-living_yokohama_shi_kanagawaTue, 26 Feb 2019 17:56:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/neko/z1Byo-living_yokohama_shi_kanagawahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/neko/Md830-money_educationThis is both a goal and a wish, but in the coming year, I am looking at improving Japanese knowledge and skills, and one of the best ways to prove myself is by doing the JLPT.The JLPT is of course referring to the Japanese Language Proficiency Test. I have taken it only once before a couple years ago. Back then, I took it under the encouragement from the company I am working for. They are giving us a bonus for every level of JLPT we pass above N5. They claim that Level 5 is too easy to count, and that they want the bonus to be more meaningful by providing a real challenge. The bonus is just 5000 yen, but it is quite nice, especially when the fee to take the JLPT is 5000 yen. It feels like we are given the opportunity to get a qualification for free. The first and only time I took the JLPT, I went for N3 and I passed, so I got a nice 10,000 yen bonus in the bank.Anyway, now I have realized that I should take the next level and it is not just because of the bonus. I have looked around some higher job opportunities, and many of the ones that require Japanese knowledge state that they are looking for candidates that have passed at least the N2 level.N2 is not easy. It uses quite a lot of different grammar forms, a significant amount of kanji, and even dabbles into keigo (polite forms). I am not quite ready for it, I understand, but I should not waste any more time and aim towards it even if I can’t quite reach it.To help me with it, I bought a stack of JLPT studying books online. Specifically, I went onto one of those English “selling old things” pages on Facebook and bought this stack of books off someone. He was done with his studying and got his N1, so he was selling this whole stack of old books for 4500yen. I probably paid too much for what old books are worth, but seeing that offer online sparked my idea of studying and trying for a higher level, I bought them.Flipping through each book, there really is a LOT to study. Some of the books focus on just grammar, some focus on just listening, some are all about kanji, and quite a few books in the pile are just workbooks full of practice questions. I expect that I will spend a lot of time going through practice test after practice test, find myself failing again and failing, but hopefully I will be able to learn from my failures.I am not particularly worried about speaking, and I think that is one of my problems, actually. I am so open to speaking Japanese that I did not really mind the mistakes I was making. I would just keep speaking the broken Japanese I had and was satisfied that whoever I was talking to could understand the meaning. I just never felt the need to brush it up and polish it.Now that I am looking at N2, I do see the difference. If I do reach N2 level, my Japanese will be more presentable. When I speak on behalf of a company, I will sound much better especially when compared to the elementary school student-like Japanese that I know I am using right now.In 2019, I hope that this pile of books will drive me to study and improve my language skills. Then, I hope this will help me get a better job in the country. 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/neko/Md830-money_educationTue, 05 Feb 2019 10:42:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/neko/Md830-money_educationhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/neko/wXkgb-living_food_shopping_badexperiencesIn a different post, I wrote about my complaints towards the amount of unnecessary garbage that is generated from the whole system of giving and receiving souvenirs in Japan.My dislike of souvenirs is not just from the environmental standpoint. As a foreigner living in Japan, I always feel awkward with souvenirs and the whole system of it. Allow me to explain.In Japan, it is common that when someone travels, usually to another prefecture for a trip or to visit their hometown, for them to return with a box of local souvenirs, typically edible, to share with the people at work. Some people would get something nice and really popular from the area, and others might simply buy some cheap butter cookies with the name of the place printed on them that tastes no different from any other butter cookie. While the former people may take pride in whatever they choose to bring back and share, those of the latter often do it just because it is an obligation.As a foreigner, there are a few things I feel about this whole souvenir game that my Japanese co-workers may not consider.I was just taking and taking and taking…Before I got used to living in Japan, I was very much a blind mouse walking and bumping into random things, most often not sure where I was or why I was doing what I was doing. When I opened my desk drawer and I found some snacks, I would eat them every time.After a while, I finally asked a co-worker about where the snacks were coming from, and they would simply tell me that they are from a certain person. I would walk over to thank the other colleague, thinking it was just a nice gesture from them, not knowing it was a part of this system that I did not know about. In the end, I just kept enjoying the snacks, never giving anything back because I didn't know about it.Did they expect nothing…?So finally, a foreign co-worker explained to us how this whole souvenir game works, and I started bringing things in return when I would travel. However, every time I do that, everyone is always so surprised (pleasantly) by the fact that I brought in some souvenirs.They were astonished that I was able to take part in their tradition, so more than the thing I bought and shared, the attention was only on the act of bringing in souvenir. While it is nice that they appreciate my adaption to their tradition, it feels weird that only my souvenir gets so much attention, based on the fact that I am a foreigner.But my “going home” is quite different from their “going home”One more thing is about my hometown. While many of my co-workers would bring some local produce or snacks back, it is more difficult for me to be bringing souvenirs back from my hometown. The things I can buy back home are often not individually packaged, which is great except for the fact that makes it more challenging to share.What is available back home would also build up to be quite expensive too if I bring one for every person I work with. Not to mention, bringing souvenirs is not as simple as bringing an extra bag onto the shinkansen for me. Rather, I need to prepare space in my luggage. I am always afraid that they have higher expectations for my souvenirs because they are from outside of Japan, and that kinda stressed me out as well.At the end of the day, I can do with or without this whole souvenir game. I enjoy receiving them, but it can become quite cumbersome when I have to think about what to give back in return.In addition, I don’t feel like it is optional. Sure, I can pretend not to know about the tradition, but I don't want to be one to just take advantage of others. If I can choose, perhaps I would prefer that I don't receive any and that I don't have to return any.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/neko/wXkgb-living_food_shopping_badexperiencesMon, 17 Dec 2018 14:05:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/neko/wXkgb-living_food_shopping_badexperienceshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/neko/MJ5bo-living_food_sustainablelifeI’ve never been a big fan of souvenirs. Oh, I love receiving them, don’t get me wrong, but I am always reluctant about this whole thing because of all the garbage they leave behind. As many other bloggers on the site have mentioned, Japan uses and throws away wayyyy too much plastic as garbage, and one of the worst offenders in my eyes is the tens of things to throw away for each time someone comes back with a box of souvenirs to pass around the office.If I receive one single manju, that comes with one plastic packaging just to wrap the sweet. Besides that, all the manju probably came in a box of some kind, which is also wrapped with wrapping paper that the purchaser would rip into pieces before they hand it out. Inside the box would be some explanation of the manju that no one gets to read and is usually thrown out along with the box. Not to mention, the plastic or paper bag that the box was carried in upon purchase. All of these just for 12 little steamed buns from a couple of prefectures away.We can’t change the entire the system and tradition of giving and receiving souvenirs in Japan (and some people would say that they wouldn't want this nice gesture to go away), but I am sure that there are things we can do to lessen the damage. These are not necessarily solutions, but just ideas to make the best out of the situation.One thing I do now is that I only purchase large items to share. Rather than a box of individually packaged senbei, I would purchase a big bag of senbei, open it around lunch time and go around to hand them out. Instead of wrapped tiny pieces of cake, I would get a bigger cake, cut it myself and give them to the people around me.This approach has other benefits too:1.The items are usually cheaper because the packaging cost is lower, meaning that I can even purchase more than I need and enjoy the extras myself.2.The items are more likely to come from local stores, which I like supporting rather than the big name established souvenirs.3.It is more personal, because I get to chat with people as I pass them out, instead of people receiving something on the desk and not bothering to find out who it is from.What also makes me happy though is when I see someone in the office reuse the tin cans or the big boxes the snacks come in -- using them to store magnets or paperclips or something. It really doesn't matter to me whether the containers show some random product names. If we can make some use out of it, I don't feel nearly as bad.Either way, the environment is bearing the cost of our souvenirs, and personally, I do wish that it goes away for multiple reasons, but at the very least, we can do our part and decrease the trash from souvenirs.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/neko/MJ5bo-living_food_sustainablelifeFri, 30 Nov 2018 17:12:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/neko/MJ5bo-living_food_sustainablelifehttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/neko/MpVrQ-living_fashion_medical_badexperiencesIn Japan, Body Positivity is yet to be recognized. In fact, it is very much the opposite.The body standards in Japan are ridiculous. It makes me wonder how many girls there are, not just those aspiring to become models, but regular girls who are hurting themselves just to obtain their “ideal” body sizes and without thinking about it.The models needed and active in the country definitely play a big part. Just as in most other countries, nationally famed models here in Japan are all really slim. They are featured on covers of magazines and ads, including those that might be seen to be telling other girls to be slim and beautiful. This isn’t anything new.However, I believe that another part of the influence of it is the subculture that is more unique to Japan. Anime and manga often feature girls with body shapes that are simply unrealistic and unobtainable. Super slim bodies with massive breasts. They are quite inhuman. While I believe that girls are not looking at those designed to target a male audience and use them as models, hopefully because they understand how unrealistic they are, they do set a ridiculous mindset in the minds of males and add to the idea that female body standards are important."Screenshot taken from @bodypositivityjapan on Instagram, more about her account later."Westerners’ body shapes are sometimes quite different from Asians, so immediately they are targeted and seen as something “extraordinary” here in Japan. Body sizes, breast sizes, height, skin color, the list goes on and on, and the social standards make these “different” looks feel… well, different. Not just different, but unnecessarily different to the point that invites unwanted judgment.A friend of a friend of mine who has been working in Japan shared the story with me about how she, being a Caucasian lady that would be considered “average and more on the slim side” back home was told here that she is fat. During her first week working at a school, one of the teachers actually went up to her for a chat and in the middle of the conversation said that she was chubby and that she needed to go on a diet. I cannot think of any interaction in which this could be seen as respectful, let alone with someone you hardly know at work. That other teacher probably said it thinking it was a harmless and playful comment, which only displays the lack of acceptance the society has for other body shapes and can openly make light of it.There have been some changes recently, however. Cosmopolitan Japan recently ran a photoshoot of plus sized models, and there is going to be a Plus Sized fashion show happening in Tokyo in October (possibly done by the time this post goes up). Although extremely slow and facing a lot of resistance, some people are trying to create changes.A very good friend of mine started an Instagram account to spread the mindset of body positivity and acceptance as well. Under the name BodyPositivityJapan, still a very new account, she promotes some of her heroes and heroines who she respects in the (typically Western) body positivity community. The posts are written in Japanese so the local audience who find the post using hashtags can understand that their body shape, no matter what it looks like, is and should be accepted and embraced by themselves and by others.Another focus of the same Instagram account examines the brainwashing advertisements in Japan that often tell people (typically girls) that they need to 'do this and do that' just to stay pretty and slim. Diet, shaving, surgeries… the ads are straight up devaluing girls on purpose just to make them fearful of what they currently look like, and BodyPositivityJapan also discusses those ads that does harm for the purpose of business.Personally, I really respect what my friend is trying to do with the account. There really is little to no positivity in how people in Japan view body shapes. Shame is thrown around everywhere and stuck onto each other. It is an unheard voice, one that is not telling people to be big or small, but simply accepting. Hopefully her account can help spread the word so society can be more accepting rather than judgmental of people based on their appearances. If you would like to follow that account, I have included the link to her account below. It may be in Japanese, but she is fluent in English too, and every bit of support is appreciated by her and the entire community.Link: https://www.instagram.com/bodypositivityjapan/@bodypositivityjapanTo view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/neko/MpVrQ-living_fashion_medical_badexperiencesTue, 13 Nov 2018 10:09:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/neko/MpVrQ-living_fashion_medical_badexperienceshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/neko/G6ZPD-living_galleries_chibaA couple Novembers ago, my boyfriend and I visited Tokyo DisneySea at what some would have said the best time possible, and some would have argued it was the worst time possible. Being a Disney fan, I had longed to visit the two Tokyo Disney themed park, particularly DisneySea as it was the only Disney park in the world that is exclusive (and licensed but not owned by Disney, from what I have heard).My excitement was piqued when we arrived to Chiba by overnight bus, getting us there early in the morning before the park opened. Our 3-days trip was planned like this: Day 1 Tokyo Disneyland, Day 2 Tokyo DisneySea, Day 3 Tokyo DisneySea first, and then maybe back to Disneyland if there was time.The first two days flew by quickly, but those days are not the focus of this post, as Day 3 was what brought us the magic.We woke up to enjoy our final day in the magical kingdom, opened our curtain from the hotel, and it was purely white. A surprise snowstorm had hit Tokyo early November. I had no idea that it ever snows in Tokyo in November, and of course, we were not prepared. We wore as many layers as we brought, shared the one umbrella that we packed, and we headed towards the park.It was freezing, absolutely freezing! We had a couple of decent jackets, but with the chilling wind hitting us in the face, we felt like we were in the movie Frozen (which was quite fitting). The most regrettable part must have been our lack of rain boots, as the snow totally soaked through our feet and socks, freezing all 10 of our toes. With that said, when we looked around and saw girls wearing miniskirts, we did not have it the worst.So where is the magical part? Well, for one, the park was a lot emptier than it would ever be. Most families probably saw the snow, got too cold and just let it go. No one was in the mood to build a snowman or to come out a play. Thanks to that, most rides had very very short waits. There was this spinning water ride that had literally no one on! When it got closer to night time, there was even less people. 1 minute wait for Space Mountain, 1 minute!!! It also made it a great opportunity to take photos, with very little people even in front of the Cinderella Castle in Disneyland. There was also no line for any food stalls in the park, and on a day like that, any hot food is much appreciated.The other magical part was how the staff at the park turned the little magical weather into surprises for us who explored around. Small ice statues of Mickeys were built and placed in random locations of the park to be spotted, and there was even an Olaf! We may have been physically frozen, but our hearts melted away seeing the little delicate care that Disneysea prepared for its visitors, turning an unexpected weather into additions to our memories.Yes, my toes may have been wet and frozen, but it was a Disney in Snow experience that many people cannot plan even if they wanted to. The little pieces of magic added to our joy, and while I might not want to experience it again (unless I am fully prepared next time), it was quite a unique memory to treasure. For everyone who wants to witness the magical kingdom in snow, don't be afraid to schedule a visit in the middle of winter, but please make sure you bring rain boots.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/neko/G6ZPD-living_galleries_chibaWed, 03 Oct 2018 21:49:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/neko/G6ZPD-living_galleries_chibahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/neko/zK94K-living_galleries_yokohama_shi_kanagawaYokohama gives me a very interesting feeling every time I visit that city. Yokohama has a very mysterious vibe to it, one that you can’t really pinpoint what it is. In fact, I can never find a good way to describe that city -- it's a mixture of many things on both ends of a scale.The city is modern, yet it has many historical landmarks.It is very populated, yet you have a lot of space when you are walking in Yokohama.It is full of young people hanging out, yet it feels so safe.This constant see-saw of conflicting discoveries makes Yokohama so intriguing for me, and that is why every time I visit, I will have something new and different to look forward to in ways that I never expected.A lot of people live there, but you will see a lot of tourists too.You see the beautiful ocean, but Mt. Fuji is also visible on a good day.It is a city, yet the greenery is alive and well all across Yokohama.The city’s public transport is convenient, but walking around will lead you to even more unexpected sights, so I would choose to walk to the next metro station instead. Besides Chinatown and Minato Mirai21, I can’t really tell you what else there is in Yokohama, but I recall countless beautiful photo spots as well as many places I randomly stumbled upon and enjoyed relaxing there. Being a major city in Japan, you might be tempted to do your research before making a trip there, but based on my visits to Yokohama, I would encourage you to plan half a day and simply explore without guidance and take in what you run into as your first trip. Then plan another trip in the future to visit the spots you may have missed the first time.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/neko/zK94K-living_galleries_yokohama_shi_kanagawaTue, 14 Aug 2018 10:17:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/neko/zK94K-living_galleries_yokohama_shi_kanagawahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/neko/zD6mY-living_galleries_tokoname_shi_aichiWhen you are the visitors to Chubu area in Japan, using the airplane to go back home, and having half day to kill before you leave, Tokoname city is a good place to visit.What is Tokoname famous for?Pottery.In fact, the city has a cool walking path where there are many potteries opening their shops.It is a great spot for you to explore for a few hours.Their handmade creations are unique and warm, so you can even get one for your home.So first, you can go to the Tokoname Ceramic Hall and get the map to walk around.’Tokoname Ceramic Hall’They also sells many pots, plates, mugs made by many different artists.When you get the map, they have 2 paths to choose and shorter one takes about an hour.On the way, you can find... 'The drainpipe hill.'This is a street where a lot of drainpipe stacked on the side, and the color and the sheen to them are beautiful. There is one special pipe you can look into the hole, so please try to find it!'Tokonyan (とこにゃん)' the Maneki-neko in the Pottery FootpathWhen you walk through the Pottery Path, on right next to the small bridge, you find this big Maneki-neko. Tokoname is also famaous for the producing Maneki-neko, the fortune cat. In Japan, it's believed that the fortune cat will bring you happiness. The brown cats are also not real, but you can tell how big it is! You also can find many kinds of Maneki-neko everywhere in the street.But speaking of the huge scale Maneki-neko, you can't miss this one in another place in this city,'Otafuku (お多福)' the Maneki-neko in AEON mall TokonameThis almost 7m height cat will welcome you in the AEON mall, which is also a good place to buy all the souvenir you forgot to get for your friends.In Tokoname, they have more places to see.So before you getting on the plane for a few hours, why don't you go have a good refreshing time to walk around and feel the warmness of Japan once again?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/neko/zD6mY-living_galleries_tokoname_shi_aichiWed, 11 Jul 2018 10:26:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/neko/zD6mY-living_galleries_tokoname_shi_aichihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/neko/wXqx5-livingThe winter season is over and it’s time to say goodbye to the sweaters you’ve worn in last few months. And you realize how old they look because of the lint and fuzz all over the fabric. "Oh, it’s really time to get rid of this swea...no!"Go to 100-yen-store DAISO before that and try this item. “Rolling Lint Remover” ¥108 DAISOYes, they sell it in the 100 yen store, and yes, it works perfectly fine for your daily clothes.It's really handy. Thinking about the similar products which are bigger and more expensive, this is a perfect size. Also, it's small enough for you to carry on your travels and makes for a good, small gift for someone just started living alone.They have blades under the steel mesh cover and there is a small brush in the storage compartment.It requires two AA batteries. Batteries are not included in the package but you can also buy them from DAISO.Okay, then let's see how it works.My fuzzy sweater...Switch on (the sound is not peaceful, but okay), place it gently, not too hard, on the fabric and slide it wherever you find any lint and fuzz.Tada! now it looks clean and neat.The excess fuzz is collected in the storage compartment and you can use the small brush to clean inside it.Some things you need to keep in your mind when using this product are that you can't use it on some types of fabric and you also can't press it to forcefully on the clothes because it might shave off more than just the lint and fuzz!Other than that, this is a cheap and great product worth trying before you give up your favorite sweaters!For your information, the color choices are pink, yellow and blue.Thanks for reading!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/neko/wXqx5-livingWed, 11 Apr 2018 18:19:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/neko/wXqx5-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/neko/Glk8q-food_okinawaWhen you are traveling, food is one of the most important experience to enjoy, especially in Okinawa, JapanBut during the trip, you are likely to enjoy the local street food, which can be greasy, or big heavy meals. It's fun, but when you want to give your stomach a rest and be a bit more gentle on your body, I recomend these restaurants around the Naha area of Okinawa Island.1. Sangmi (実身美)The shop name Sangmi means three "mi" 実 (mi), 身 (mi), 美 (mi) and they provide the food that will fulfill your body and soul using local vegetables.Their weekly menu is the best one in their shop, in my opinion. It includes an appetizer, small salad, and the main dish with brown rice and soup. They change it weekly so that we can enjoy the local veggies in season in different ways.The atmosphere of the shop is peaceful and the staff are so kind.Most importantly, Sangmi is really close to Kokusai Dori, the famous shopping street in Naha City.Photos: The Yakuzen curry (curry with benefits)The Koso dressing on salad is so refreshing and tasty. It's also really popular as an online ordering gift.The Yakuzen curry(curry with health benefits) doesn't use any unhealthy fat oils but is surprisingly satisfying and yummy.URL: https://sangmi.jp/naha.html2. Daikon no Hana (だいこんの花)Wanna eat healthy but also wanna eat a lot? This restaurant is for you.Daikon no Hana is a buffet style restaurant where you can enjoy many many kinds of dishes made with local veggies. Several kinds of salad with several kinds of dressings (tankan - orange like citrus fruit dressing, pineapple dressing, shikuwasa - citrus fruit similar to lemon or limedressing etc.). They don't use meat too much in the dishes, but there is a menu item you can't get outside of Okinawa, which is Tebichi (stewed pork feet).Oh, you can also make your own Okinawa soba! It's fun, not only for children but also for grownups. And of course they have a dessert corner too, with fruits and little treats like cakes and puddings.This meal option might not be too peaceful if you eat too much, but your body will be sure to appreciate lots of veggies!Daikon no Hana have three branches in Naha area of Okinawa and if you have a car, it's easy to access from the famous sightseeing spots.URL: http://tomiton.ti-da.net/3. Fukuya (富久屋)If you are in Okinawa, sure you want to experience the traditional homemade meal and this is the best place to try it.The Teishoku-style (rice, soup, main dish and small delis) meals they have are all tasty and so different from traditional Japanese ones.As a side dish, you can have the Jimami-tofu (tofu made with peanuts), Drewakashi (Taro paste with pork annd shitake mushroom)and more of a unique Okinawa taste.Oh, for the note, the meal names on their menu are sometimes difficult to understand because they are in the Okinawan dialect, but don't hesitate to ask the nice staff there.The atmosphere of the restaurant is really peaceful and it's close to Shuri Castle!The perfect place to take a rest after sightseeing.Photo:Yushi-dofu teishoku (tofu soup with rica and delis)URL:noneWhen people come to Okinawa, it's easy to go with the food options such as Okinawa soba and Goya Chanpuru (stir fries with goya) ,but next time you come here, consider these healthier meals as a nice experience!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/neko/Glk8q-food_okinawaSat, 03 Mar 2018 17:06:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/neko/Glk8q-food_okinawa