http://www.city-cost.comSun, 16 Aug 2026 07:18:23 +0900Born in India and raised in the UAE surrounded by a kaleidoscope of cultures, recently, I packed my bags (and my love for shawarma!) and moved to Japan with the love of my life, embarking on a journey full of new adventures, flavors, and discoveries. Food is my universal language, and exploring different cuisines is how I connect with the world. Whether it’s savoring a bowl of ramen in a bustling Tokyo alleyway or reminiscing over the taste of homemade pulav, I believe every bite tells a story. To me, food and culture are the ultimate bridges between people, showing us that deep down, we’re all the same. Through this blog, I hope to share my journey of blending Middle Eastern memories, Indian roots, and Japanese adventures—all served with a side of good vibes and even better food.enCopyright © 2015 - 2026 City-Cost All Rights Reserved.webmaster@city-cost.com (CC Team)http://img.city-cost.com/static/blog_campaign_icon.pnghttp://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/samoona/wZanV-living_shoppingI was absolutely ecstatic when I came across my first ever stamp rally in Japan at Chitose Airport. We had 3 hours to kill and after lunch and exploring nearly ever attraction possible at the airport (there are a lot, please do check out my posts on Royce' Chocolate World and Smile Road's Attractions) my partner and I sat slumped on the chairs in the waiting area. He pulled out his phone to catch up on world news so I declared I shall walk around a bit more to explore. I came across the very first stamp booth which had the booklet with instructions and the stamp itself. Unsure whether it was just for kids or adults could do it too, I was encouraged seeing two older Japanese ladies hurrying excitedly towards the the booth to stamp their booklets. This motivated me to pick my my own booklet and start the hunt. And that's where the love for collecting stamps started!Since then I have participated in every stamp rally I came across which I believe is a fantastic way to explore an area since it takes you to the most prominent spots across the entire course.The feeling of going stamp hunting is equivalent to that of going treasure hunting with a map in hand and it makes me feel like a kid again! Most of the times there are also commemorative merchandise as prizes like stickers, tote bags or chocolates as an added bonus if you complete collecting all the stamps.Collecting stamps lead me to my current favorite hobby of Junk Journaling which I might cover in an upcoming post so stay tuned!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/samoona/wZanV-living_shoppingFri, 17 Jul 2026 10:54:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/samoona/wZanV-living_shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/samoona/MpgrB-living_food_education_tokyoI am an absolute sucker for trying out new hobbies but initially it is a bit intimidating because where do you start from? Do you buy all the supplies first? But what if you wouldn't want to pursue this later?Which is why workshops are one of the best days to explore different crafts, learn from the experts themselves and get your hands right into the art without worrying about the long term commitments and just enjoying the experience. This holds especially true when you move into a completely new culture (which we all have moving to Japan).Since I've moved my very first workshop was with a trainee of the Art of Tea Ceremony who taught us how to whisk up a perfect bowl of matcha while explaining in great details about the significance of each step and action. When we learn about the reasoning behind every swirl you become more intentional the next time you do it yourself.After that I wanted to learn about the Art of Ikebana (Japanese flower arrangement) for which I joined a workshop at MIFA (Meguro International Exchange Association). They organize a variety of workshops with English support. We learnt the basics of Ikebana from teachers of an actual school along with their enthusiastic volunteers.Each one of us was provided immense support, encouragement and feedback from the staff to create our very own masterpieces.You can find more about their upcoming events on their website - https://mifa.jp/en/or their Instagram page on which they are quite active - https://www.instagram.com/mifa.meguro/I also wanted to get back to baking but since downsizing kitchen space after moving to Japan we haven't bought an oven yet which was holding me back from pursuing my baking dreams. I come across this site which lists all the cooking classes available for you to join and you can register for them through the same portal - https://cookingschool.jp/I chose a "Strawberry Melon Pan" baking class which was such a fun experience. The instructor runs a bakery so we made these in her kitchen which ticked off my dream of ever owning a bakery experience. Even though the class itself was in Japanese but the instructor is kind enough to show and tell the whole process so you follow along.We also got to sample other treats from her bakery while we waited for the bread to bake.It is safe to say freshly baked, warm, pillowy soft on the inside, crunchy on the outside melon pan was the best one I've ever had!!So do tell me. Did you attend any workshops/classes when you moved to Japan?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/samoona/MpgrB-living_food_education_tokyoFri, 24 Apr 2026 15:12:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/samoona/MpgrB-living_food_education_tokyohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/samoona/wXaNo-foods_productAn assortment of Petit gateau and pastries from famous local bakery ranging from the staple strawberry shortcake to the special seasonal Sakura collection.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/samoona/wXaNo-foods_productMon, 23 Mar 2026 23:28:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/samoona/wXaNo-foods_producthttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/samoona/z48m8-living_education_tokyoA little more than an year back when I got to know I'll be moving to Japan soon, one of my biggest concern was how am I going to communicate or get things done when I do not know a single word in Japanese? I wasn't into anime or J-pop to even know the most basic Japanese. Thus began my journey of picking this language up from scratch.Before physically shifting here I started with learning the Hiragana and Katakana with help of a book I purchased from Amazon (Cost - ¥1,500). It had these wonderful visual mnemonics to remember each character and space to practice writing it yourself.Next came the of haphazardly watching all the YouTube content I could find on "Basic Japanese Phrases YOU MUST KNOW before visiting Japan" (Cost - free). It is safe to say as long as you know the 5 golden phrases - Hai, Sumimasen, Arigatou Goziamasu, Daijoubu desu and ○○ onegaishimasu / kudasai - you're good to go.I felt like this wasn't enough for me. If I am going to be living somewhere I would like to integrate into the society, speak with the locals, learn about their customs and traditions from them and language fluency plays a huge role in that.Overwhelmed by the amount of study material online and not knowing where to begin I started with the most structed form of learning Japanese know to foreigners - Japanese-Language Proficiency Test (JLPT). A lot of people argue that JLPT doesn't measure your language fluency and only how well you memorize stuff but I'd say so otherwise. Studying through JLPT level course material gives your an entire roadmap to follow (Cost - free/buy textbooks).Until now I've given the first two level exams (N5 & N4) and this helped me immensely to gradually step up in a previously unfamiliar language. Perhaps I shall share my study process in another blog because mind you, I did not attend a language school and prepared for these exams by myself using text books and resources from the internet.My most recent and fun learning tool has been attending Japanese Language Classes at a Community Center (Cost - ¥500/month). Run by the sweetest volunteers from the community once a week are these classes held in nearly every community center where they teach Japanese language based on your level. Yes you can totally join them as a beginner but personally I feel like they are a bit slow. I'd rather suggest self studying in the beginning and then joining community classes for speaking practice.There are so many other ways to learn a language too - schools, courses, private tutors, language exchange meet-ups. Since I wanted a budget friendly and a quick route to learn this language, this is the path I am on. I am happy to say that now I can comfortably make small talk, introduce myself and my purpose of living in Japan to locals. Perhaps can do it much faster if you ask a translating app or AI to write up a paragraph for you and memorize it word to word but that doesn't really have the flow of a natural human conversation doesn't it? What when someone asks you a follow up question.I'm quite far from the language fluency I wish I had but everyday I learn something new and move an inch closer. How has your language journey been?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/samoona/z48m8-living_education_tokyoSat, 21 Mar 2026 10:49:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/samoona/z48m8-living_education_tokyohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/samoona/GlgmX-foods_productA French cruller made with brioche dough dipped in a fragrant strawberry chocolate with a topping of small white crackling balls scattered on the surface.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/samoona/GlgmX-foods_productFri, 13 Mar 2026 21:33:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/samoona/GlgmX-foods_producthttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/samoona/MgONB-living_food_shopping_money_transportation_tokyoHajimemashite! Introduction are long overdue and I am back to blogging on City-Cost with a plan in mind. So allow me to welcome you to my blog where we shall explore Tokyo (and sometimes inside my head) on an extremely unique journey because we'll be on a hunt for Halal restaurants, friends like family and the feeling of belonging here.Starting with Halal restaurants - thankfully due to the increase in number of international tourists in bigger cities such as Tokyo and Osaka a large number of restaurants catering to Muslims have opened up over the course of years. But a struggle still exists when you're out exploring and have to find somewhere to eat. So we shall enlist all our Muslim friendly restaurants in a series called "Halal Bites of Japan".Along the way we'll also be visiting a lot of cafes cause I love reading books and recently I've picked up a habit of journaling daily so we'll need a lost of cozy nooks for that. We'll cover them in the "Cozy Cups" series.The one I most excited about is the "Thoughts Between Train" series where I will share with you my musing from platforms and pause moments, struggles, random thoughts and reflections from life of a foreigner living in Japan. I feel like this this will be my second journal - online and out in the world for everyone to see.We also need a series for a review of all the products I've bought and tried till now because let's be honest not everything is worth the hype or the price sometimes and occasionally the most unexpected things turn out super amazing. We shall cover them all in "Worth the Yen?" series where we ponder whether something is really worth spending your hard earned Yen on?Lastly, we'll have a series called "Japan Survival Notes" because moving countries doesn't come with a tailor made manual to each individual's situation. I personally have found solutions to a lot of issues I faced online in communities of expats and I silently pray for the people whose suggestions made my life so much more easy. Which is while I shall document my survival notes here too hoping it shall help someone else too one day.So if you come across my blog I wish you all the very best of your journey cause everyone has it difficult someway and I am looking forward to interacting with you soon!Douzo yoroshiku onegaishimasu!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/samoona/MgONB-living_food_shopping_money_transportation_tokyoThu, 05 Mar 2026 23:03:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/samoona/MgONB-living_food_shopping_money_transportation_tokyohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/samoona/w5AOX-hobby_home_productPortable coin dispenser which holds up to 35 coins of various denominations making is easier for you to view and use coins for payment at cash counters.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/samoona/w5AOX-hobby_home_productThu, 06 Mar 2025 16:42:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/samoona/w5AOX-hobby_home_producthttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/samoona/GQje3-foods_productThis air fryer uses high-speed air circulation to produce crispy and quick food without oil. The compact 3L size is perfect for small sized Japanese kitchens.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/samoona/GQje3-foods_productThu, 06 Mar 2025 16:00:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/samoona/GQje3-foods_producthttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/samoona/w5AVO-mind_body_productMarketed as a part of intensive moisturizing range, Intensive Moisture Cream is said to hydrate dry skin and prevent dry patches with Ceramide functioning ingredient and Eucalyptus extract. You get 90g of cream in one pot.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/samoona/w5AVO-mind_body_productTue, 21 Jan 2025 22:37:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/samoona/w5AVO-mind_body_producthttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/samoona/GlVjq-foods_product20 pieces of melt in your mouth chocolate ganache made with the famous milk cream from Hokkaido dusted with extra cacao on top making it an indulgent treat.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/samoona/GlVjq-foods_productWed, 15 Jan 2025 12:26:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/samoona/GlVjq-foods_producthttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/samoona/zDWdZ-foods_productCrispy potato chip perfectly salted coated with velvety smooth milk chocolate which creates an ideal sweet and salty snack satisfying all your cravings.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/samoona/zDWdZ-foods_productWed, 15 Jan 2025 12:01:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/samoona/zDWdZ-foods_product