Impressions of daily life in Japan
Typhoons are a part of life in Japan. The typhoon season in Japan runs from May through October, with peaks in August and September. Since weather in Belgium is usually pretty mild, the occasional summer thunder-storm excepted, I was quite worried at the prospect of facing tropical cyclones during my stay in Japan. My concerns... Continue Reading →
When we think of sumo wrestlers, we usually imagine very big, even fat, men. Like Kotoshogiku for example: Weighing in at 176 kilograms, Kotoshogiku is a formidable man. There is, however, one exception to the rule of big sumo wrestlers. With only 93 kilograms, Czech born Takanoyama doesn't have a gram of fat on him.... Continue Reading →
The best place for people watching in Nagoya might be The Golden Clock in Nagoya station. It is a favoured meeting place and around every full hour (e.g. 18:00h) the area is positively teeming with people. It is remarkable how much calmer it gets at around the ten minute mark (e.g. 18:10h), when all the... Continue Reading →
Recently I moved back to Belgium after having spent a year in Japan. People often ask me about my experiences in Japan. One of the questions that I get asked the most, is "Did you get to know any Japanese people?" Quoted out of context like this, the question may seem fairly innocent. Although the... Continue Reading →
After having lived in Japan for a while, I gradually started feeling more and more at home there. As life in Japan became 'normal' to me, I often forgot that I myself still looked all but normal to Japanese people. A tall, blond-haired, blue-eyed gaijin stands out in a Japanese crowd, no matter how 'Japanese'... Continue Reading →
I absolutely adore Japan. And I am not the only one. More and more foreigners are becoming true Japan-o-holics. But where does this fascination with the land of the rising sun come from? What is so special about Japan anyway? One of the most interesting things about Japan, at least to me, is that it... Continue Reading →
The Japans 