Haramaki, the Japanese belly warmer

Haramaki is a type of Japanese undergarment. It literally translates as 'belly wrap' (腹巻). I first learned about haramaki when shopping at Japanese clothing store Uniqlo. In the underwear section, I saw a tube-like knitted item that seemed perfect for keeping my neck warm at night. Shortly after having bought two 'neckwarmers', I saw a... Continue Reading →

People watching – Kimono on the train

After living in Japan for a while, you start to experience something that I like to call the 'hello-you're-in-japan-face-slap'. I have talked about it in previous posts. It means that you have gradually gotten used to all the wonderful Japanese things that excited you so much at first. Life in Japan has started to seem... Continue Reading →

People watching – Sexy mom

I never get tired of watching people in Japan. The way people dress and express themselves seems so much more varied than in Belgium. Although on the one hand, Japan is a society governed by rules, on the other hand I have the impression that Japanese people in some cases enjoy more personal freedom than... Continue Reading →

Furry business

"Japanese women love to wear fur." Why have I chosen this simple statement as the topic for an entire blog post? Because the difference in attitude towards fur between Japan and Belgium (and I think Europe in general) is a striking cultural difference. I have had a lot of trouble explaining to Japanese women why... Continue Reading →

Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com.

Up ↑