Valentine’s Day in Japan offers a unique twist on gift-giving that goes beyond typical romantic gestures. It’s a cultural celebration that provides an opportunity to explore sustainable and ethical chocolate choices. The Japanese Valentine’s Tradition In Japan, Valentine’s Day is…
Like many people, I have a hard time saving money. Whenever I receive extra money, I want to spend it on frivolous things. Temptations are everywhere. It’s so easy to spend money, making it harder to do the opposite. Lately,…
We can buy anything in the middle of the night when you live in Japan. Grocery stores and pharmacies are open everyday. Life is easy as a consumer, but when we are a worker in Japan, things change. Despite the…
Each year, I struggle to set New Year’s resolutions. I want to aim for far-reaching resolutions, like making this world a better and sustainable place for all of us or having more professional and personal freedom, knowing that it is…
Before the 31st of December, we have a tradition of the end of the year cleaning, called *O-soji (Major cleaning).” We use this period to clean the entire house, so that we can start a new year refreshed. Yet the…
I am strangely fascinated by hoarders. When YouTube recommends clean-up videos, I am clicking them without giving much thought. Those videos show the room filled with garbage and trash before professional cleaners help hoarders to clean up their cluttered houses.…
We have all heard that good things take time. We work on things without getting any results for many years, hoping that one day it will bring good things. We all want to have enough patience and determination to keep…
I loved going to my grand-mother’s house in winter, because she would set up her kotatsu and I could just sit there and watch TV with her in a warm blanket. I know that dinner is ready so I have…
The work has been hectic. You are stressed. There is no time to prepare food, so you just buy pre-made food on the way home and eat it in front of the TV? You know that it is not good…
Halloween is no longer just a Western tradition—it’s now a massive celebration in Japan, with people dressing up in creative costumes, hosting spooky parties, and, of course, indulging in all kinds of Halloween treats! But while you’re busy picking out…