Impressions of daily life in Japan
When heading to the station one busy November morning, I ran into 'The Bunnyman'. He was an old guy, who was seemingly just hanging out near the station. But what made me stop in my tracks to take a picture were the bunnies. On the ground in front of him, there was a bag with... Continue Reading →
All foreigners in Japan have 'a gaijin card'. I don't mean the official 'alien registration card', which is issued by the government and is confusingly also sometimes referred to as 'gaijin card'. I mean the imaginary gaijin card that allows us foreigners to do things that we're actually not supposed to do. Of course we're... Continue Reading →
Autumn has arrived in Toyota City. It has for quite some time actually. Every since the beginning of October, there has been a drastic drop in temperature and humidity. The scorching heat has subsided to make way for a very pleasant climate with a humidity level that leaves my hair allmost frizz-free. We are now... Continue Reading →
Today, November 11th, is Pocky Day. And it's even more special because the year is 2011. Pocky is a kind of candy. It's a stick-shaped biscuit, traditionally covered in chocolate. But these days there are many different kinds of Pocky. One of the most popular kinds is the vividly pink-coloured strawberry taste Pocky. The reason... Continue Reading →
A few months ago I had the wonderful idea to sign up for the 'Japanese Language Proficiency Test'. It's an exam meant to test foreigners' Japanese language ability. There are five levels and I signed up for N4, which is the second to easiest level. Should be a breeze, considering that I have been studying... Continue Reading →
When wandering around the Osu Kannon neighbourhood in Nagoya one summer afternoon, we were lucky enough to stumble unto a 'mochi making ceremony' at a temple (mochitsuki in Japanese). Mochi are sweet rice cakes. The rice is first steamed and then placed into a mortar. One or two people with mallets pound the rice until... Continue Reading →
The Japans 