Surviving in Japan: (without much Japanese)

Alcoholism in Japan: Information and Support [Lifelines]

2012-01-31T21:00:00.000+09:00

Living in a foreign country isn't always easy. For some people it's downright stressful on a regular basis. Others might feel depressed or constantly anxious. And in many cases, problems or issues you faced in your home country might surface to a greater extent while you're living abroad.

Then what?

What if you're struggling alone and have no support system, or your support system is across an ocean, thousands of miles away?

It is possible to get help here in Japan if you can't speak any Japanese, even if it's difficult in some cases, especially if you live out in the countryside.

I'd like to refer to alcoholism in particular though for today, as my latest Lifelines column delves into alcoholism in Japan, how it's perceived, how difficult or easy it can be for foreigners to deal with it in Japan, and treatment and support options.

Facing up to alcoholism in foreign land can help or hinder recovery (The Japan Times; Jan 31, 2012)

I hope that this may be of help to you or those you know who may be seeking help. Please do let me know if you have any resources or thoughts to add regarding dealing with alcoholism in Japan.

Survive Earthquakes, Flu, Pollen and Platforms Without Barriers While Hello Kitty Shows You Japan - Top Japan Links Jan 29

2012-01-29T20:57:00.001+09:00

Kitty-chan and the black egg from Owakudani in Hakone. The egg looks surprisingly cheerful for one with a cracked head.

Back again for another edition of "Top Japan Links" I've shared over social media the past two weeks. Enjoy!

Living in Japan

Number of flu patients surpasses 1.11 million as epidemic spreads (Japan Today) - Be careful!

How to direct emergency services to your house from (Tokyo Weekender) - Some useful phrases and information if you ever find yourself in (hopefully not) such a situation.

Japan’s best-selling home appliance brands of 2011 (世論 What Japan Thinks) - In case you're planning to buy a rice cooker or water purifier or some other appliance, this may give you an idea of what customers liked best last year (if you even care about that).

Health ministry aims to get smoking rate down to 10% (Japan Times) - Will they succeed? I'm doubtful. Not that I don't think it would be beneficial.

New 'Big One' forecast: four years (Japan Times) - Be prepared for the next big quake, Kanto folks! Now, what is their prediction for the Tokai quake? They keep saying it's "overdue," and that's it.

What to call baby? (Japan Times) - All about choosing names and name kanji in Japan. I find the methods and thoughts behind choosing names for children really interesting, so it's certainly worth a read if you're into that as well. (We chose a Japanese first name for our little one and a more western, though uncommon, middle name).

Meteorological Agency says pollen will come later than normal (Japan Today) - Allergy sufferers, supposedly the pollen will not only come later than usual, but is forecast to be at lower levels than last year.

Platform doors (Japan Times) - What's the point of the barriers on train platforms? Most of us might think to prevent accidental falls, and you'd be right! Aside my facetiousness, this article is an interesting read. Did you know there were 119 platform accidents in Japan last year between April and September?

Visa Worldwide (Japan) Co Ltd (Japan Today) - Boring title, yes, but some good-to-know info about getting a credit card as a foreigner in Japan.

Travel and Recreation

The Tears of a Cat: Hello Kitty’s Guide to Japan, English and Japanese / ハローティの英語で紹介する (Japan Subculture Research Center) - Kitty-chan will teach you all about Japan in this guidebook, from culture to cooking to lifestyle. It may sound childish, but the reviewer didn't think so (sounds neat to me, anyway).

Book Review: Tokyo On Foot (zonjineko!) - A nontraditional take on Tokyo guidebooks, this "graphic memoir and sketchbook" offers probably the most visual experience of any tour book. Just seeing the hand-drawn maps and handwritten type was enough to pique my interest.

Foreign tourists to get fixed-rate expressway pass (Japan Times) - In an effort to promote tourism, the Central Nippon Expressway Co. will offer a fixed rate toll pass for visitors between March 21 and June 30.

Foreign visitors log sharpest decline ever (Japan Times) - This was one of the most "retweeted" from the past two weeks. Apparently the worst decline since 1950.

7 Unique Winter Activities in Japan (BootsnAll) - Some of these you can do all year round, and some aren't unique to Japan at all (well, maybe most), but still some good ideas if you're trying to think of something else to do.

Food

Maru no Uchi Tanita Shokudo – Eating for the Patient (The Blog Side of Life) - I previously shared this article on a new restaurant that offers healthy, low-calorie meals and free nutrition advice, and asked on Facebook and Twitter if anyone do something like this. Well, fellow Japan-blogger @franeymoon visited recently and wrote a great post about it with pictures.

Fresh nabe ideas bubbling up (Japan Pulse) - Some yummy ideas if you're into nabe but tired of the same flavor(s).

Working in Japan

JET Program Application Process: How Does JET Select Candidates? (Constantine in Tokyo) - An not-so-new post from 2010, but still an informative read regarding the JET Program and how participants are chosen, the application process, among other things. Worth a read if you plan to apply for JET (although I found it interesting as a former JET).

Selling a school or eikaiwa business (Japan Today) - Obviously not applicable to everyone, but I'm sure there are quite a few people out there who own an English school or eikaiwa.

Resources for Business in Japan: Office Supplies (Blooming in Japan) - This blogger shares a useful online office supply store (though it's all in Japanese).

36 national universities in Japan are considering or will consider shifting undergraduate enrollment to autumn (Daily Yomiuri) - This is school-related, but would likely have some effect on the job system here.

Fukushima Nuclear Crisis/Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami-related

Fallout from Fukushima No. 1 on rise (Japan Times) - Apparently January numbers were higher than December numbers.

Photohoku Project Provides Smiles And Memories (Japan Trends) - A great project designed to "give back" photos and memories to those who lost precious photos and albums.

Dairy firms to do own fallout checks (Japan Times) - Large dairy companies plan to do their own radiation checks and disclose this information to consumers.

What to do if You're in a Car Accident in Japan - Part 2

2012-01-27T23:32:00.001+09:00

Editor's note: I'd like to again introduce David for this week's guest post, part 2 of "What to do if You're in a Car Accident in Japan," a continuation from two weeks ago.

***

A few weeks had passed since the accident. The insurance company was handling everything related to damages and cost for the other party and I naively thought that everything was dealt with. Until I got this paper in the mail from the police department (translation is mine):

Before I continue with that story, let’s rewind a couple of weeks.

I received a rather confusing form from the insurance company in the mail. I read it over but couldn’t make heads or tails of what the form was actually about or what to do with it. I put the letter aside with the intent of asking one of my co-workers what to do with it, but never actually got around to it. Eventually, the insurance company called and asked if I had received the form. Then they asked if I knew how to fill it out and I told them, “no.” So they walked me through it (it was easy if you knew what you were doing…). The form was basically me giving the insurance company permission to pay the other party. Oh Japan and their obsession with paperwork...

That is aside the point. So I opened up the pamphlet I had received from the police department only to find this:

What does this mean? They were informing me that I was required to take a beginner’s driving class because I had been given five infraction points for the accident (will go into more detail about this in the next post). I only had a month in which to take it or else…. (also will talk about this in the next post)

Now, some of you might be wondering why I would have to take a beginner’s driving class despite the fact I have had a driver’s license for over 13 years. Well, if you remember back to when you got your Japanese license, there’s a requirement that says you need to have your license for 90 days in your home country before coming to Japan.

What they don’t mention is that if your license also doesn’t show you’ve had it for longer than a year then you are considered a beginner driver in Japan. Since I had renewed my license 10 months before coming to Japan and U.S. licenses typically don’t have the issue date of your very first license on them, I didn't have documentation that showed I had driven for over a year. You can use expired licenses as proof, but I ~~stupidly~~ didn’t bring them with me and wasn't able to locate them back in the US.

At first I thought, it’s no big deal. This beginning class is probably only a couple of hours and I could take it in the evening. So I let time go by until a week and a half before the deadline I started calling various locations printed on the back of the pamphlet.

And then.

I found out the beginner’s class was eight hours long and most places only offered it once a week on a weekday (meaning I would have to take leave from work). On top of that, the only place nearby that offered the class was on a day that also happened to be my busiest day teaching classes… Luckily, I was able to rearrange classes with my teachers but it was an inconvenience. Oh yeah, and did I mention it cost 16,000 yen.

(Note: If you don’t speak Japanese, you should have someone who does call the phone number on the front page and see if they have classes in English and if they don’t, find out what you need to do. I called our prefecture's Department of Licensing at the police headquarters and they said beginner English classes aren't offered and in that case the person taking the class must bring along someone to act as a translator. However, this likely varies by location around Japan.)

I called a local driving school where the class was offered and signed up. I was supposed to show up at 9:45am the day of with my pamphlet, money and writing utensils. After getting over my initial annoyance, I thought this might not be too bad and I would get a day off of work, but that didn’t last very long once the class started...

To be continued...

My last post on this series will be about this "fun" class and some useful tips and facts I was able to take away from it.

You may also want to read: What to do if You're in a Car Accident in Japan - Part 1

Have you had a similar experience? Please share it with us in the comments!

****

David Thompson is currently in his fifth and final year on the JET Program, teaching English at a technical high school. When he's not busy trying to convince teenage boys to pay attention in class, he helps coach baseball at the school (officially), helps Ashley with research and checking Japanese for accuracy, and takes care of baby Ai-chan. He's currently looking for a new, full-time career opportunity in Japan starting in August/September, particularly if it involves working with youth and/or non-profit organizations. You can check out his credentials and connect with him on LinkedIn.

Breastfeeding in Japan: Nursing Room Locator App

2012-01-24T23:08:00.003+09:00

For any mothers who breastfeed but also for parents who bottle-feed and/or change diapers, it helps to know where you can go when out and about. I previously covered two helpful resources for finding nursing rooms in Japan, and in response, Annamarie sent me an email about a useful little app called Milpas.

The name might sound a little strange, but this app allows you to search for nursing room locations in Japan on your iPhone, in English (though, names and such are Japanese, as to be expected).

The main screen - you can add a photo if you'd like to fill the gray background.

As you can see on the main screen, you have options for "Nursing Locations," "Growth Diary" and "BBS." Personally I use a different app for growth and keeping track of everything (Total Baby, if you're interested - it's really helpful), but if you just want a simple place to keep track (not including your Mother and Child Health Handbook) you might find that feature useful.

BBS allows you to chat with other parents, although so far it doesn't seem like anyone really uses it.

In this post I want to focus on the "Nursing Locations" feature.

Once you click on "Nursing Locations," you have a few options, such as searching by nearest location (using location services on your phone), or searching by keyword. You can also bookmark locations, which will be saved under the "Bookmark" option above.

Choosing "Nearest Location" results in a list of places closest to your location - in Japanese.

You can also choose "View Map" (upper right corner under the "Nearest Locations" option), which will open Google maps and show pins of the listed nursing locations relative to where you are.

Choose any result and you are given the available information, including name, address, phone number, location at place (such as if it's in a building), what facilities it might have, hours and website (the latter two aren't shown in the following image - have to scroll down within the window for them).

The red words in English are mine, but you can bookmark the location, add it as a contact, open the location in maps with a marked route, or email the result to yourself or a friend.

Currently available only for iPhone. There is also a Japanese language version (search for ミルパス in the Japan iTunes store.) According to their about information they also have plans to expand the app to other countries as well.

Thanks to Annamarie for the tip!

If you have any suggestions for helpful apps you think other expats living in Japan would find helpful, please let me know.

What You Should Know About Life in Rural Japan [Interview]

2012-01-20T22:14:00.000+09:00

Today I'd like to introduce Sam Baldwin, author of For Fukui’s Sake: Two years in rural Japan. As the title implies, Sam spent two years in the inaka (the countryside) as a JET Program participant. While I, as a fellow former JET, can relate to some of his experiences in general, many more events are unique to the rural parts of Japan, some of which he talks about below.

So if you're headed to the inaka, or perhaps you're already there, here's a little taste of what living in the sticks is like. If you're currently living in the inaka, please feel free to share your experiences in the comments! -Ashley

Sam and Shiro, the school dog

Ashley: First of all, why did you come to Japan, where did you live, and how long did you stay?

Sam: After a year-long stint working in Canada, I returned to the UK to get a ‘proper job.’ I had graduated with a BSc in Pharmacology and began working in a lab as a research technician in the UK; it was all white coats and microscopes. However, after a year, I knew that laboratory life was not for me, and I began to dream of new adventures abroad.

A friend of mine was on JET at the time and kept sending me stories of his skiing adventures, and I began to set my sights on the Japanese archipelago and applied for the JET Programme.

Being a lover of snow myself, I requested Hokkaido and Nagano as my top choices, so when the acceptance letter from JET arrived my first reaction was “Where the Fukui is that?!”

Although I was disappointed at first to have been placed in Ono, a small, mountain town in Fukui prefecture, it turned out to be a perfect place for me and an incredibly enriching two years. Looking back, I wouldn’t have swapped Ono for anywhere else.

Ashley: Would you mind sharing with us your favorite aspect of life in rural Japan?

Sam: I loved the mountains, the lakes and the rivers in the area. There was a lot of rural beauty and places for me to explore which I did via bike, ski, snowboard, kayak and snowshoe. I also found a bar run by a keen mountaineer called Yasu, and he played a huge part in my enjoyment of the area, both as a guide to Fukui’s inaka secrets, and because his bar gave me a place where I could get to know the Fukui folk who came to drink there.

After becoming somewhat bored with my life and job in the UK, in Japan I felt like every day was an adventure into the unknown. I would often think how glad I was to have come to Japan, and how lucky I was to be living in Fukui experiencing all these new things.

Ashley: How about the worst?

Sam: Coming from the UK, which has a fairly cool, temperate climate, I found the peak summer heat and humidity in Fukui hard to handle. This was made worse by the lack of AC in my apartment and in the classrooms where I taught.

The other aspect that irritated me was the ongoing stares and whispering (“gaijin!”) which tended to accompany me wherever I was out and about. At first, I found this quite amusing and almost enjoyed the attention, but after a year of living in Fukui, it began to grate and I did enter a brief period in which I hated going out, and just longed to shop in Mitsua supermarket or eat at Hachi Ban Ramen without this unwanted attention.

Ashley: What was your greatest challenge living in the inaka and how did you overcome it?

Sam: Probably the language barrier. When I first arrived, I had only done a few months of evening classes, so my Japanese was very basic, and as you’d expect in a rural part of Japan, the level of English that the average local spoke was generally low or non-existent.

This led to some frustrating times, especially during those early days when I needed to carry out what would be easy, everyday tasks back home, like bank transfers, or setting up an internet connection over the phone. I made a number of mistakes due to not being able to communicate properly, and sometimes had to leave the post office/bank/bus station frustrated.

However, the locals were very patient and helpful, and as my Japanese improved and I got to know the locals better, this stopped being such a challenge. A kindly family ‘adopted’ me and Keiko, the wife and mother, gave me free weekly Japanese lessons for my entire stay. They were incredibly generous with their time and gave me real insight into everyday Japanese family life, as well as helping me improve my Japanese.

Ashley: What was the most unusual thing you experienced?

Sam: Before I came to Fukui, I had no idea that snakes would be frequent visitors to the school. One of the teachers used to catch them by the tail and swing them round and round his head to pacify them before releasing them outside – I certainly wasn’t expecting that!

I think my school was also the only one in Fukui (if not Japan) that had a pet dog. I spent many a free period roaming the rice paddies and bamboo thickets with her, taking in Fukui’s wildlife and wild places.

And finally, probably the snow. My second winter was exceptionally heavy with the most snow in 25 years. Seeing snow over two meters deep in the streets was something new for me, and I even saw a building that had been completely crushed by the weight of snow. Most of my colleagues thought that winter was terrible, but for a snow lover like myself, it was a winter of dreams and I took full advantage of all the opportunities that a snowy landscape offers.

Ashley: If you could live/work in the inaka again, would you?

Sam: Yes - I would definitely live in the inaka again. The entire two years was an incredible adventure and I really fell in love with the rural beauty, the wild places and the people of Ono and Fukui. I probably wouldn’t teach English again though; it was fun but two years was enough for me.

Ashley: What did you gain from your experience living in rural Japan that you don't think you would have gotten if you had lived in the city?

Sam: I think that living in the inaka gave me a better insight into a more traditional side of the country, or at least a hidden part of Japan that you just wouldn’t find in a mega-city or the more famous areas. I also got to see that Japan isn’t always the crowded, overpopulated place many people think it to be.

I also felt that I became more part of the local community than I think I would have in a city. Ironically, despite having never been more linguistically and culturally removed from the local population, I felt more part of the community in Ono, Fukui than anywhere else I’ve ever lived.

And finally – living somewhere off the beaten track in Japan gave me an opportunity to document a way of life that very few westerners get to experience. What began as a blog led on to me writing for travel websites, glossy magazines and later national UK papers. That may well not have happened had I lived somewhere more conventional – so domo arigatou gozaimashita Fukui!

Ashley: Finally, what tips do you have for SiJ readers about living in Japan, particularly for those who are also living in the countryside?

Sam: Embrace it fully and whole-heartedly. Practice speaking Japanese with Japanese people as often as you can, even if you only know a few words, by throwing yourself into situations in which you’re forced to use it on a regular basis. For example, join a club or team or hang out with Japanese people who don’t speak much English.

Go out and explore the lesser known areas in your vicinity. In my experience, the crowded ‘must see’ sights aren’t normally the most enjoyable ones. I discovered many amazing places not featured in guidebooks (Japanese or English) and are generally visited very little. Get a map, take road trips, bike trips or just wander on foot to discover the hidden gems in your local area. In Japan, you can find fascination in the most seemingly mundane situations.

Find yourself a good local bar and befriend the landlord. It will become a source of information, a place to practice Japanese, and a place of comfort when times are tough. Get friendly with the locals, and you’ll soon discover that the inaka can be just as intriguing, fulfilling, exciting and strange as the city, in fact, probably even more so.

***

Thanks Sam!

To check out For Fukui's Sake, visit: ForFukuisSake.com

Choosing a School in Japan for Your Kids - Latest Columns

2012-01-17T23:58:00.001+09:00

Parents: we all want our kids to have a good education, right? We want them to have the best, however we might define "best."

What about expat children? Third culture kids? Bicultural youth? Their success in school is influenced by a few more factors.

Then there's the looming issue of language fluency in more than one language, if that's important to you. And how do you also help them read and write well in both or more languages?

Will they fit in, wherever they are in the world? Will they learn enough; will they learn it well? Will they learn the skills your culture deems important, or will they learn the emphasized skills of another culture, or more than one, and what skills do you want them to learn?

Then there's the issue of moving and kids changing schools, perhaps within one country, or perhaps attending school in a new one, and what if you decide to return to a country they previously lived in?

My latest two-part column series covers issues of reentering the Japanese school system after being away, although some factors can also apply to other situations. Please let me know what you think, especially if you or your child or even someone you know has gone through a similar situation:

Rejoining school system in Japan after time away can be tough (Japan Times)
Acceptance — social and otherwise — a crucial issue for Japan returnee kids
(Japan Times)

As mentioned above, there's a lot to consider regarding returning to Japan and reentering the school system, but what about deciding what type of education to pursue for your child(ren) in Japan? Public school? Private? International school? Alternative education? These points were argued to some extent in the following two articles published in conjunction with part 1 of my column series:

Local Japanese school is the obvious choice if you want your child to fit in (Japan Times)
International education a triple-A investment in your child's — and Japan's — future (Japan Times)

Both writers make valid points that all parents should consider, but I think they miss a few important factors, too: the personality, learning style, and resiliency of the individual child. I don't believe there is a "one-size-fits-all" education, and I do realize that this concept wouldn't fly here in Japan, and probably some of you may even disagree as well.

I don't typically share my opinions on Surviving in Japan, more or less because I just want to provide information for others to form their own opinions. This topic hits close to home now that we have a baby.

It's also important to me because I was educated in a variety of ways, including public and private schools, and homeschooling. I did a program in high school that allowed me to attend the local community college full-time for two years, earn a two-year college degree and graduate high school at the same time. After a year attending university the traditional way, I took a few years off and later finished my undergraduate degree completely online. I definitely did not follow any sort of traditional education path, and that worked well for me.

I don't think any form of schooling is perfect. They all have pros and cons. And above all, the pros and cons may vary depending on the individual child. I've worked with kids and teens who've experienced different forms of education and they all respond uniquely.

Some kids excel with alternative education in which they are allowed to follow their own path of curiosity and, driven by their own motivation, learn at a much faster pace than in public school, while other kids need guidance, encouragement and external motivation to learn.

Shy children may struggle in public or private schools, while some may overcome it, others may find themselves bullied (I was one of those kids). We all need to learn social skills, but when a child is fearful at school, it may not be the best environment for learning if the situation can't be resolved.

So when you're choosing a form of education in Japan:

What languages are spoken and used at home?
How well do you want your child to read and write in either language? (Alternatively, perhaps it's not as important to you if you won't be here very long that they learn Japanese)
What type of learning do you want to encourage and will it work for your child?
How invested are you able to be in their learning (for example, do you and/or your partner have to work long hours?)
Is your child an independent learner or do they need support and guidance?
How resilient is your child? Are they easily stressed?
What type of education do you want your child to receive? (Some of the subjects taught at public schools in Japan may differ in how they are taught from those in your home country, such as History)
Will you be moving to another country at any time during their school years? (I moved to a few different cities during the middle of the school year and though I did all right, it was somewhat disruptive).
What kind of doors do you hope will be open for your child upon graduation?
Can you afford international or private school? (That said, can you afford the expensive backpacks the kids get here?)

I could go on, and I'm sure many of you have additional ideas (please share them in the comments!) I think the main point is that there isn't an easy answer. This type of thinking may not be Japanese, often requiring youth to conform to a mold, but I really do think the type of education you choose comes down to the child and what works best for your family. I don't believe public school in Japan will fit every child, nor do I think International school will, though I don't think either is a bad choice.

I'd like to hear your thoughts though, and please share your stories in response to the columns if you have an experience to share for a follow-up column.

What experiences have you had, either personally or with your own children? Do you think International school or Japanese public school is better in some cases, or all cases? What about kids returning to Japan from abroad - do you think it would be easy/difficult to fit back in to the school system here?

Survive an Earthquake, Wake Up to Wasabi - Top Japan Links Jan 15

2012-01-15T21:40:00.002+09:00

Another photo from the Gotenba illuminations.

We're back with more link fun from the past two weeks. Enjoy!

Living in Japan

Recycling of electronic devices (Japan Times) - Potential changes coming to various parts of Japan in 2014, but I suppose that could also change at any time...

Raising your chances of surviving the next big one (Japan Today) - When the Tohoku quake hit, I kept thinking, that was supposed to happen here (in Shizuoka)... Seeing the horrible devastation and realizing that it easily could have happened here (and likely will at some point in the near future) reminded me to be even more prepared than I was before this. So, a few tips on what you can do to protect yourself in the event of the next big one.

Donating blood in Japan (GaijinPot) - Yes, foreigners can donate blood in Japan. Here's info about who can and can't donate, plus maps and addresses of some donation centers in Japan (note there are many across the country though).

Japan last for police trust and legitimacy (世論 What Japan Thinks) - Of various European countries and Japan, Japan ranked last for "satisfaction with the last interaction with a police officer." Although, how often would you be "satisfied,"really, especially if you come away from it with a fine...

Itami airport site to be Tokyo backup? (Japan Times) - On the topic of "the next big one," what might happen to Tokyo in the event of the expected Kanto quake? Government officials are considering backup options, including Osaka as mentioned.

The Kanji of the Year for 2011: human ties that bind (Japan Times) - In case you're wondering what the kanji looks like, it's: 絆.

Travel and Recreation

Delta customers in Japan can now purchase tickets with Pay with Miles (I've been waiting for this forever). Look for "Pay with Miles International."

Yamanote line likely to get first new station in 40 years (Japan Today) - I usually take the subways when in Tokyo, but interesting nonetheless.

Low-cost carrier Peach Aviation announces 5 new routes (Japan Today) - Really only helpful for Kansai, Kyushu, Okinawa folks at the moment, but it seems they plan to expand.

Call of the powder: sublime snow in Japan (Japan Times) - For all you powder-loving folks (I prefer the rain, thanks), various places around Japan to hit the slopes.

Hit The Slopes in Hakuba (Tokyo Weekender) - More snow fun.

Tech

5 Trends In Japan’s Web And Mobile Worlds In 2011 (Asiajin) - Facebook on the heels of Mixi, March 11 and the importance of social media, among others.

A good DS game for advanced Japanese study (Just Another Day in Japan)

Mushroom Cultivation Kit App Hits 1 Million Downloads (Asiajin) - If Angry Birds is popular, why not mushrooms? Suppose it makes sense given the success of Farmville...

Wasabi Odor Fire Alarm Wins Ig Nobel Prize (Japan for Sustainability) - As ridiculous as it sounds (mmm, the smell of wasabi in the morning!), this is a great idea for folks who may have difficulty hearing or who can't hear at all.

Web Service Helps You Avoid Nasal Embarrassment (Japan Trends) - I'm just trying to envision how someone might react upon receiving an email like this... If they encourage you to only send them to people you know, wouldn't they sort of "guess" that it could be you?

Food

B-grade cuisine: Japan's bizarre foodie fad (Japan Today) - These are considered to be "strange" combinations, although some of them seem rather normal to me. Have you tried any of them?

Kansai eateries offer new flavors for 2012 (Japan Times)

Fukushima Nuclear Crisis/Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami-related

6,757 aftershocks felt in Japan from March 11 until Dec 31 (Japan Today) - A crazy number. Someone on Twitter informed me that New Zealand had even more.

Fukushima to test breast milk from 10,000 mothers (Japan Times) - Let's hope they continue to test.

Co-op checking meals for cesium (Japan Times)

Mothers first to shed food-safety complacency (Japan Times) - As a mother now, I completely understand the reasons behind this and am also constantly careful. Better to be safe with the little ones than sorry.

Families overcome hardships for babies born on March 11 (Japan Times) - Reading their stories was heartbreaking and inspiring. Giving birth is hard enough, but I can't imagine doing it in the middle of a crisis.

Did I miss any of your favorite news stories from the past couple weeks?

What to do if You're in a Car Accident in Japan - Part 1

2012-01-14T01:16:00.000+09:00

Editor's Note: I'd like to introduce my husband, David, again for today's guest post. He's writing this topic as a three-part series, so there's more to look forward to in the coming weeks! -Ashley

Congratulations! You’ve joined the ranks of expats who have gone through the often arduous process of trying to get your driver’s license in Japan (at least for Americans... or those who came to Japan without a driver's license). No matter how many times it took you to pass the practical driving test (if you had to take it), you can be proud and enjoy driving along the narrow streets of Japan. However, before you get in your car, have you thought about what you would do if you were involved in an accident? Do you already have the required paperwork to show the police?

I recently had the misfortune of going through this without having thought about it all before it happened. So, let me tell you how things went, and offer a few tips on what you can do to be prepared.

If you don’t speak Japanese: After talking with our local police department, it seems as though the police departments have on-call translators but they may not be available to come to the scene right away. This means you would have to wait even longer (the process took almost two hours for me without having to wait for a translator...)

Words to know

Car accidents can be split into two main categories:

物損事故　ぶっそんじこ bussonjiko property damage
人身事故じんしんじこ jinshinjiko an accident resulting in injury or death

What the police will ask you for:

1. Driver’s License
自動車免許書
じどうしゃめんきょ
jisousha menkyosho

2. Alien Registration Card
外国人登録証明書　
がいこくじんとうりょくしょうめいしょ
gaikokujin touryoku shoumeisho

3. Form showing shaken is up to date
自動車検査証
じどうしゃけんさしょう
jidou shakensa shou

4. Form showing you have the mandatory car insurance
自動車損害賠償責任保険証明書　
じどうしゃそんがいばいしょうせきにんほけんしょうめいしょ
jidousha songai baisyou sekinin hoken shoumeisho

The jidousha songai baisyou sekinin hoken shoumeisho (form showing you have the mandatory car insurance)

So, you’ve gotten into a car accident. What do you do first?

Call the police, of course. However, unless you can explain to the police in Japanese where you are, it might be better to let the other person call the police and report the accident.

I let the other person call the police and while he was talking on the phone, I was trying to keep the sun off of Airi, who was sleeping peacefully in the back of the car. It then occurred to me that I should probably be doing something as well. I wasn’t sure what to do, so I called a Japanese neighbor of ours and asked. They said to call the insurance company, which is the next thing you should do.

The man I rear-ended came over while I was talking to my neighbor and handed me his phone saying his insurance company wanted to talk to me. So I got on the phone and the insurance company asked for my insurance information (in Japanese).

On your car insurance form mentioned above (自動車損害賠償責任保険証明書), there should be a phone number to call. You need to call and file a report. (If you don’t speak Japanese, it might be good to call before something like this happens and see if your insurance company has people that can speak English).

I called my insurance company and tried to file a report only to be given the phone number for the branch office in our town, which I had to then call and file the report (all in Japanese). They asked for my name and ID number (found at the top of your insurance form) and then asked what happened and where. I couldn’t give a precise location for the accident but they said it was fine since they could get it from the other person’s insurance company. Then they asked to speak to the person, so I handed him my phone and he gave them his insurance information.

About 30 minutes after calling the police, a police officer finally arrived. The first thing he asked was if anyone was injured and since everybody involved said no, he asked what happened and then started taking down our information to file a 物損事故 (property damage) report.

He asked for the four forms I mentioned above and was writing down this information when the passenger in the other car started getting woozy and not feeling good. Some of their colleagues arrived and decided to take the man to the hospital to get looked at. This then made the accident a 人身事故 (an accident resulting in injury or death) and he had to call in other officers who handled that.

So after another 30 minutes or so, those officers arrive and start going through the same process the first officer went through. They took our statements and checked and recorded our forms and IDs. Then they had us walk them through what happened and where, as the officer chalked up the street so they could write a more detailed report about the accident.

When they finally let me leave, after they had checked that my turn signals still worked, it was two hours later.

Later that night I got a call from the insurance company saying that they had talked with the other insurance company. Since the accident was completely my fault, the insurance company said they would take care of payments for repairing the other car and medical bills for the injured passenger as covered by our policy.

Since the insurance company said they would handle everything from here on, I thought everything was dealt with. That is until I got something in the mail from the police...

To be continued...

You can read Part 2 of "What to do if You're in a Car Accident in Japan" here.

For those of you out there who have experienced this, how was it? What did you find the most difficult or challenging? What things would you have liked to know beforehand?

***

David Thompson is currently in his fifth and final year on the JET Program, teaching English at a technical high school. When he's not busy trying to convince teenage boys to pay attention in class, he helps coach baseball at the school (officially), helps Ashley with research and checking Japanese for accuracy, and takes care of baby Ai-chan. He's currently looking for a full-time job in Japan starting in August/September, particularly if it involves working with youth and/or non-profit organizations. You can check out his credentials on LinkedIn.

HOW TO: Sign up for a Veggie Box in Japanese (Oisix)

2012-01-10T00:22:00.001+09:00

For those of you who read Where to Get Veggie Box, Food Delivery Service in Japan and want to sign up for one, the following is a basic tutorial of how to sign up for Oisix. Note that, if you run into any issues, you'll have to communicate these in Japanese (or have a friend help you). Also note that, for Oisix anyway, if you want to change your box, you must do so by a certain day (typically a few days before) and if you want to cancel, also beforehand (around 2 days, depending).

How to sign up for the Oisix Veggie Box

Step 1: Go to Oisix.com and click the large yellow button on the left that says さっそく使ってみる, as indicated below.

Step 2: You'll arrive at the page below. Proceed to Step 3.

Step 3: Scroll down on the above page until you get to a long, red button, as indicated in the image below. There are several of them on the page.

Step 4: First, choose the "course" you want. The first (yellow) is the "mini course" (ミニコース) for 1-2 people. The second (red) is the "light course" (お手軽, おてがる) for 2-3 people. The final option (green) is the "family course" (ファミリーコース) for 3+ people.

After choosing your desired "course," scroll down and check the box to agree to terms, and then click 次へ (next).

Step 5: If you have a Yahoo Japan ID, feel free to login using that, but if you don't, click on the gray box that says 初めての方はこちら.

Step 6: Fill in the following form with your information such as name, address, email address, password, birthdate, etc. (Click on the image to enlarge)

When finished, click 次のステップへ.

Step 7: In the top box with the red left column, you'll choose your delivery day and time (such as, Sundays, or Sundays between 6 and 8pm, etc.) (Click image to enlarge)

In the second box with the red left column, choose how often you want to receive the box: every week (毎週配達) or every other week (隔週配達).

In the third box with the red left column they ask if you would like them to substitute an item you've ordered that is out of stock. If you do want them to do this, leave the box checked. If you don't, un-check it.

In the fourth box with the red left column, choose your payment method. Your options are:

自動引き落とし auto-withdrawal

クレジットカード credit card

楽天銀行決済 Rakuten bank payment

ジャパンネット銀行決済 Japan Net Bank payment

Edy決済 Edy payment

Regarding auto-withdrawal, it says you can only pay at a convenience store for the first 3 weeks, but we've been getting a box for a while and paying at the convenience store once a month and haven't been sent any bank auto-withdrawal paperwork yet. So we just keep paying at the convenience store.

After completing the above, click 次へ.

Step 8: The next page is the confirmation page. Read over everything to make sure it's correct, and then click おいしっくすくらぶ　に申し込む to complete your registration.

That's it! Enjoy those veggies.

Where to Get Veggie Box, Food Delivery Service in Japan

2012-01-08T00:08:00.000+09:00

During my first year in Japan, I tried to find a vegetable box service. I had wanted to start one while I was still living in the States, but for a few different reasons it didn't happen. So, along with my search for a farmer's market in Japan, I looked for a place I could order a veggie box from, though this proved to be difficult.

I used Warabe Mura (mentioned below) for a while, as they had a way to order in English, and I liked their service, although there were always a few things in the box I couldn't eat (such as tomatoes - I'm allergic), so it would have been nice to customize the box.

We had been meaning to start getting a veggie box again but didn't get around to it until after 3/11 when we became concerned about harmful radiation levels in the food we were buying (as I was pregnant at the time). We live in Shizuoka, but most of the produce here, aside from locally-grown stuff, usually comes from Hokkaido and the Tohoku region. We buy local as much as possible anyway, but I was also just wanting the convenience of a weekly box, especially with a baby on the way. After some research, we decided to go with Oisix (more about why below).

So, if you're pregnant or have a little one at home, or maybe you're sick or injured and can't get to the store easily or at all, you might want to try a vegetable box or food delivery service.

Costs and Specifics

The details for each of these varies to some extent. Some require a registration and/or membership fee; some offer a free or discounted trial for one or more weeks; some offer pay-on-delivery, others bill each month and you pay at a convenience store or bank, some take credit cards, and some will do automatic withdrawal from your bank account. Some companies and organizations offer free and/or discounted delivery to pregnant women and mothers with young infants. Most of these also require signing up (i.e. filling out a form on their site).

Price per box depends on how many items are included in each box. A small box for a single person with only a 3-6 items or so may, for example, cost around 1500 yen, or a large box with 10-12 items (including eggs) may cost 3500-4000 yen or more. We pay on average around 3500-4500 yen for our weekly box (maybe 10 items or so) from Oisix, which includes things like butter and yogurt on top of fruit and vegetables. The standard box from Oisix is around 6000 yen, but we change everything out for stuff from the "baby and kids" section (more on that below). We've found that this has actually helped us cut down on grocery expenses in general, even though we still go to the store for other things throughout the week.

Considering that many delivery companies offer organic produce and free-range meats, chicken, eggs, etc., the price can be higher for these items than what you might typically find at the store (although you can certainly find these items in many local stores or at nearby farmer's markets as well). I think the convenience and health factor outweigh the price, although it really depends on your personal preference.

Shipping costs vary depending on your location (of course), but it's pretty cheap, and many offer free delivery over a certain amount or for certain items.

Online Food Delivery and Vegetable Box Companies in Japan

All links are Japanese unless noted otherwise.

Oisix (おいしっくす) - Carries (organic) produce, dry goods, meats, eggs, fish/seafood, dairy and more. Has a "baby and kids" section for radiation-free items. Can sign up for weekly vegetable box (size customizable) and can also modify contents (as long as you do it by the deadline each week). Oisix is one of the most popular food delivery services in Japan. Delivers all over Japan.

Radish Boya (らでぃっしゅぼーや) - They deliver a weekly set vegetable box with options for fruit and eggs, offered in different sizes depending on how many people you are buying for, and a catalog of various other items to add if desired. Delivers all over Japan, and certain areas are delivered via their own courier service.

Radish Lawson Supermarket - I just discovered this site today: a combined online store of Radish Boya and Lawson selling the same stuff as Radish Boya and even more dry goods and personal care products, courtesy of Lawson. AND, you can shop entirely in English (although the English is a little strange at times; "naughty carrots" anyone?). Link is English.

Warabe Mura - English site (well, catalog). They offer a set vegetable box in addition to other health food items, similar to Tengu Natural Foods.

Daichi wo Mamoru kai (大地を守る会) - Sell (organic) produce, dry goods, meats, eggs, fish/seafood, dairy, among other things. Has a radiation-free kids' vegetable box (and regular boxes as well). Delivers all over Japan.

Pal System Co-op (パルシステム) - After signing up, each week you choose items from a catalog (organic produce, meats, fish, dairy, some dry goods, and meals) and they deliver. Can place order online as well. Only for the Kanto region and Shizuoka, Yamanashi, Fukushima.

Co-op Net (コープネット) - Related to the store of a similar name in the Kanto region and Shizuoka and Yamanashi. Produce, meat, fish, dairy, dry goods, meals, among other items. Shop for what you want online and a box is delivered once a week. Ouchi Co-op, for Kanagawa, Shizuoka and Yamanashi, can be found here. Co-op deli, for the rest of Kanto, can be found here.

Co-op Kobe (コープこうべ ) - For those of you in the Kansai area, another co-op that offers weekly delivery of produce, meats, meals, fish/seafood, dairy, etc. They deliver to all of Hyogo, Osaka and Kyoto cities and a few other cities in the general area.

For a few more food home delivery services in addition to the ones above, check out this link (Japanese).

Do you use a home food delivery service or get a weekly veggie box? What company or organization do you use? Have any other suggestions you think should be on this list?

For those of you wanting to sign up for a veggie box delivery with a Japanese site, check out this tutorial for how to sign up for a veggie box with Oisix.

A Toast to You [Happy New Year!]

2011-12-31T23:59:00.001+09:00

2011 has been a crazy year. A good one, a busy one, but also a year of tragedy, hope, and new life (literally, for my husband and I). I feel immeasurably blessed, and writing Surviving in Japan has brought about so many great opportunities and allowed me to connect with people I wouldn't have otherwise connected with. I'm a rather shy, introverted person in general, even if it doesn't seem that way, so the many connections I've made with you this year (and last year) mean a lot to me. I'm humbled.

Your comments, emails, messages, tweets, and notes all encourage me to keep going when I have down days or doubts, or when I feel discouraged. I can admit that, right? I truly enjoy being able to help people out in some way, and it's amazing how willing people are to help in return. I've learned more and more that this blog isn't just a blog I write, and not even a comprehensive resource for living in Japan (though I'm sure you'd agree it is that too), but this has become more about community. The expat community in Japan of course, but also Japanese and foreigners alike.

I hope to continue this sense of community in the coming year, and hopefully integrate it further.

Surviving in Japan has also grown a lot between 2010 and 2011; some stats from this year:

75,475 Unique Visitors (out of 118,223 visits)
294,177 Pageviews
63.10% New Visits
4,185 Twitter Followers
900+ Facebook Fans

Not that numbers say everything, but these are all HUGE jumps from last year and I'm still amazed. Thanks everyone. :)

To the guest bloggers on SiJ...
You have really helped me out this year (especially after I had given birth), so I'd like to thank you all and recommend the rest of you to check out their sites!

Erica of Expatria, Baby (one of the most amusing blogs I follow)
Caroline of C. Life in Japan (love her style, inside and out!)
Amanda of Whoa I'm in Japan (insightful views of life in Japan and she always tells it like it is)
Sara of Japan Healthcare Info (a very helpful and recommended resource)
Ali of Haikugirl's Japan (lots and lots of info about Japan - working, living and playing!)
Paul of Just Another Day in Japan (another good source of info about living and working in Japan)
David of Japan Dave (amazing HDR photos from around Japan)
Nadia of Ethical Nippon (info on ethical living in Japan)

To those who've interviewed me...

I'd like to extend a special thanks to you for the opportunity to be interviewed (and more recommendations for the rest of you to check out).

Bad Communication Podcast - I had a lot of fun with these guys, and if you like podcasts and Japan, their show is a lot of fun, and definitely interesting.

Time Out Tokyo - They are the go-to source of information in Tokyo, I think, particularly for events and such.

AJET - If you're a JET (or even if you're not but curious), they cover a wide range of topics about the JET Programme, about JETs and JET alums, among other Japan-related topics.

Jet Settlers - For expats on any continent (or for anyone interested in a mobile lifestyle), this newer site covers a wide range of topics (and also looking for submissions).

Tokyo Podcast (Coming soon) - Another fun podcast, focused on Tokyo, but still with good info and interviewees relevant to anyone in Japan.

To other blog hosts...

Many thanks to the following sites for being gracious hosts this year:

Budget Trouble - They hosted Show Me Japan several times, and though I wasn't able to participate every week, it was great of them to host for everyone.

Japingu - They host the monthly J-Festa (another I haven't been able to join as much as I'd like), and also have a list of Japan-related blogs and sites.

Kaley in Japan - She gathered a whole bunch of suggestions from everyone this summer about places to check out in Japan, "What Bloggers Have to Say About Japan."

If you've ever commented on Surviving in Japan...

I truly value your input, ideas and suggestions. I've honestly learned a lot from you this year. I appreciate the comments some of you have left praising the work I'm doing and thanking me. Those comments always come at the right time, usually when I'm feeling discouraged or down, so they mean a lot. I also appreciate any constructive criticism or corrections. Honestly, if you've taken the time to leave a comment, I know how valuable your time is, so I appreciate it.

If you've tweeted or retweeted any SiJ posts or anything I tweet from @survivingnjapan...

Some of you are such huge supporters and friends, sharing regularly and/or offering your own thoughts to questions I've asked, and I'm happy to be a part of your Twitter circles. I enjoy the conversations and hearing more about your lives and work. I also appreciate all the support after 3/11 - I think I ran myself ragged tweeting constantly for 2 weeks straight, but it was a dire time and like probably many of you, I felt like it was one way I could help at that point in time. Thank you for answering others' questions I've retweeted, and thank you for offering feedback to my questions for research, etc. And thank you, for the tweets thanking me for SiJ and sharing info on Twitter, because they always make me smile and brighten my day.

If you've liked Surviving in Japan on Facebook, shared, liked or commented on SiJ content on Facebook...

I feel as if I'm just starting to really get to know you Facebook folks, and it's great! Thanks so much for your advice and comments that have been so very helpful to me and to others. I'm looking forward to more good conversation with you in 2012!

If you've shared any SiJ content on any platform, ever...

I'd love to thank you all individually, but I usually only know of shares on certain platforms, so unfortunately I can't. I'm glad you've found the content here helpful, and I appreciate that you spread the word. Many thanks to you!

If you've ever sent me a personal email or message...

I absolutely love hearing your stories and hearing more about your lives and because I'm rather introverted, I appreciate the connections we've made. I don't currently live in Tokyo or another major city, so I'm not always able to connect with a lot of other expats very easily, so I do appreciate it. Thanks also, for your patience when my responses are delayed (sometimes I get more email than I can handle in a week, and I stress over replying within a reasonable time frame). I'd really like to meet those of you who've offered to show me around your part of Japan or meet up for coffee, etc., so I'm hoping that will be able to happen sooner than later!

If you've linked to Surviving in Japan or mentioned it on your site or blog...

I'm honored! Many thanks to you. I'd love to list everyone who has mentioned it, although that may take a while. :) Definitely let me know if I haven't already left a comment and/or shared it on my social networks though.

If you subscribe to SiJ and read these posts...

I'm glad you're here. Thank you for reading and following. My hope is that you will always find something helpful or useful here. You're the reason I write and research this blog, and also because I know how difficult it can be at times to navigate things here in Japan!

Finally, a huge thank you to my husband, David, for all his support since I started Surviving in Japan. Honestly, without him, I wouldn't have gotten very far. He encourages me, comforts me and celebrates with me as things go along. He watches the little one when he gets home so I have time to work and cooks dinner too. He doesn't complain when a post takes longer than normal and I'm up far later than I originally planned to finish it.

He also helps check the Japanese when I need help, does research when I need help, reads over many of my posts before I publish them, and always gives useful feedback.

Seriously, if anyone deserves a "husband of the year" award, it's him. Thanks love.

David and little baby Ai-chan

I think that about covers it, but if I've missed anyone, do let me know.

Best wishes to you all for the new year and I look forward to seeing you on the other side: 2012!

-Ashley

Best of Surviving in Japan 2011

2011-12-29T23:51:00.001+09:00

2011 is winding down and we're preparing for 2012, the year of the dragon. A few things stand out in my mind from the year, most notably the horrific March 11 earthquake and tsunami in Tohoku, and consequent nuclear disaster. Much like 9/11, those images don't really fade.

That, and on a lighter note, the birth of our daughter in August this year will also be something I won't forget. Well, I hope I can forget the birth experience itself, but our little smiley girl has been a blessing.

As we reflect and also look forward, I'd like to share with you a few things about Surviving in Japan from this past year.

Top 10 Most Popular Posts

1. Moving to Japan? Read this First
A rundown of what to bring, what not to bring, and what you could bring.

2. Packing for Japan Q&A
An extensive Q&A to answer all of your packing for Japan questions.

3. HOW TO: Do a furikomi (bank transfer)
Not all ATMs have an English function for this.

4. Japan Goggles translates kanji from images
An iPhone app to help you decipher what those characters mean.

5. A guide to tampons in Japan
Yes, there are tampons in Japan, and no, they aren't strangely different. This is everything you need to know about tampons here in Japan.

6. A Survival Guide to Mosquito Repellent in Japan
The mosquitoes are a huge pain here, so here's everything you need to know about keeping them at bay.

7. Make Life Easy - 8 Tools for Surviving Japan
A few tech ideas to make life a bit easier in Japan.

8. 5 Ways to Not Stand Out in Japan
Tired of the stares? What can you do to blend in?

9. HOW TO: Find (Good) Deodorant in Japan
It IS possible to get good deodorant in Japan.

10. HOW TO: Find anti-itch, insect bite medicine in Japan
When the mosquitoes bite, you may want to read this post.

10 Most Social Posts

These are the posts this year that were most socially engaging via shares and comments.

1. A Survival Guide to Mosquito Repellent in Japan

2. Japan Goggles translates kanji from images

3. Packing for Japan Q&A

4. 40+5 More Ways to Survive the Rainy Season
The rainy season: humid, muggy, sticky, sweaty and, a bit wet. Check out the post for ways to deal.

5. Japanese Deodorant: What's in it, What best, and What you think
Taking a deeper look at Japanese deodorant.

6. HOW TO: Prevent and Kill Cockroaches
How to keep these ugly, giant pests away, and what to do if they show up.

7. HOW TO: Stay Cool Without Air Conditioning (cool air fan)
A possible aircon alternative.

8. HOW TO: Look up Japanese medicine
Wondering about a prescription you got? Curious about certain types of medicine? Here's how to look them up.

9. 6 Ways to Find English-language Books in Japan
Miss reading in English? Here are a few places to find those sometimes elusive English-language books.

10. Pregnant in Japan: How to find a doctor, hospital or midwife
Finding a doctor or midwife shouldn't be stressful or impossible; I would know...

5 Interesting Keyword Searches

These are what I thought were interesting/unexpected search terms readers used via Google to arrive at Surviving in Japan (and yes, all were used more than 10 times).

1. is aojiru as healthy as fresh kale?

2. uniqlo ethics

3. how long was the earthquake in japan

4. hanabi reserve spot with tarp

5. what's on in japan

Thanks to everyone for reading, sharing and commenting on the posts I research and write. I appreciate your support and truly enjoy hearing your stories and comments. More helpful posts to come in 2012!

What is your favorite SiJ post, or what post do you think has been the most helpful?

24 Ways to Stay Warm in Japan This Winter

2011-12-24T00:03:00.000+09:00

So you've prepared your home in Japan as best you can for winter and you've got a heater or two, or a kotatsu, to keep you warm. What else can you do to survive the winter in Japan, especially with the continued emphasis on energy conservation?

Note: Amazon links below are affiliate links. Non-Amazon links are not.

1. Carry "kairo" (カイロ). Small body (typically hand) warmers. The disposable kind are the ones you open and shake up and typically last a few hours. Some can be placed in your shoes, around your ankles, around your waist or even around your wrists. Here are a few examples.

I've also noticed a trend of "eco-kairo" (エコカイロ) this year. The eco-kind vary, but some are filled with gel and you heat them in the microwave. Some are battery-powered (I'm not sure exactly how that is very "eco" though).

Some examples of "eco kairo" with cute covers (found at Loft):

And an eco-kairo that lasts about 4 hours:

2. Use a lap blanket. Whether at work or home, these smaller blankets are good to have on hand. Look for ひざかけ (膝掛け).

3. Or a space blanket. They aren't just the shiny, futuristic looking sheets anymore (though you can get those too). These kind are fabric-covered. Look for スペースケット.

space blanket

4. Or an electric blanket. Look for 電気毛布 (でんきもうふ, denkimoufu).

5. Use a hot water bottle (湯たんぽ, ゆたんぽ). Especially good for cold feet.

6. Eat hot dishes. Like Nabe. Curry. Ramen. Or any other hot meal. What's your favorite?

7. Drink lots of hot tea, especially if your workplace provides it for free.

8. Hot drinks. Remember that many vending machines and conveniences stores have a section for "hot drinks" (usually have a red label underneath and say あったかい or "hot drink" while the cold ones have a blue label, and yes, the vending machines that offer them do change over from summer).

When I first arrived in Japan I had no idea you could buy a hot beverage from a vending machine, and when I chose (cold) tea, thinking I was just choosing regular tea from a vending machine, the person I was with looked at me in complete shock.

"Don't you want a hot drink?" she asked.

"What? There's hot drinks?"

"Yes." She points to the red label, "These are hot." The look accompanying this was more or less, "how did you miss that..."

Not sure if it's just me, but I never really came across a vending machine in the US with hot drinks aside the dispenser types at some schools or hospitals, etc. Who needs a vending machine with a coffee shop on every street corner? I am from Seattle after all.

9. Heat Tech from Uniqlo. What you would call long underwear. If not from Uniqlo, wool or silk are also great materials (and yes, you can get non-itchy, lightweight wool base layers - merino wool is one of those). If you're prone to being cold like I am, you'll be extra thankful for that base layer!

10. Layer. Outer layer. While you're shopping for long underwear, do yourself a favor and get a warm winter coat. I recommend anything with down. Uniqlo and Muji have them, but here's a secret, Sierra Trading Post often has crazy discounts on down jackets. (No, they didn't pay me to say that - I wish). Be careful if you want anything with fur trim though, as customs might get you when you have it shipped here directly.

11. Don't forget earmuffs, hat, gloves, scarves. I really like the earmuffs at Muji. Oh, and scarves are ストール or マフラー in Japanese.

12. Have a smartphone or iPad? You may want to try these gloves that allow you to use your touchscreen and still keep your fingers warm (I've seen these at Loft and Tokyu Hands as well).

13. Visit your nearest sento (銭湯, せんとう) or onsen (温泉, おんせん). This is a must in winter. Must.

14. Use a kind of kairo on your skin, such as a "温熱シート" (like a heating pad) or "こしカイロ" (back warmer). Or "ゆたぽん" which are gel-filled packs you microwave and can use around your shoulders, at your feet, etc., to keep you warm. Check here for various ideas, or head to your local home or daily goods store (or Loft, Tokyu Hands, etc.).

15. Get on a train. They're usually over-heated. You'll warm right up.

16. Get moving. Bike, walk, run, swim. Join a gym. Even just doing chores around the house will keep you a bit warmer than sitting (as will carrying a baby all day...)

17. If you have a futon, how about a futon dryer? My good friend Sally says a futon dryer works well for warming up futons before bed. Look for ふとん乾燥機 (ふとんかんそうき, futon kansouki).

18. Try a "hanten" (はんてん), explained by Andrea:

19. Or just cut a hole out of a blanket:

20. Candles might add some heat (or trick your mind at least):

21. A hot carpet might help, especially if you sit on the floor:

22. Ladies, if you're brave, you can get a "heated pad" that resembles a sanitary napkin. I kid you not. Not to be confused with sanitary napkins despite their appearance (they shouldn't be used while menstruating or for more than 2-3 hours at a time), these are like kairo for your nether regions, (loosely) based on an ancient Korean ritual. It seems from reviews on cosme.net that these are viewed pretty positively, but warn against sitting too long so you don't burn yourself. Check them out here.

23. A furry companion may be a good option:

24. A recent Japan Pulse post mentioned an under-desk kotatsu, a humanoid sleeping bag and window glass film that attaches to the frame rather than the glass (although, we tape our bubble wrap all over the frame anyway).

25. [Insert your idea here]

Your turn. What other creative ideas do you have to stay warm in Japan during winter?

Giving Birth in Japan: My Husband's Experience

2011-12-16T22:35:00.000+09:00

For today's guest post I'm thrilled to introduce you all to my supportive, hard-working husband, David. You may not know, but he often helps me check the Japanese I use in posts, helps with research for certain topics, and takes care of the little one while I'm hard at work late into the night and on the weekends. He's here to share his thoughts and some advice on giving birth in Japan from his perspective of everything that happened in August this year. -Ashley

*****

Have you ever felt helpless while watching someone you love suffer? Well, that feeling still lingers in me from our birth experience even though it has been four months since our cute little baby was born.

Ashley has written about her perspective on the birth experience, so here I am to add my thoughts from a husband’s perspective and share with you what I think are the most important things to keep in mind as the partner trying to support their significant other during this intense time.

As a preface, I would just like to say that in reflecting on this whole process overall, I do think that we got the best care we could have asked for, in Japan or in the United States, considering all that happened and the more limited options we had (no choice for epidural, etc.).

1. Find a doctor early

There is a shortage of OBGYN doctors in Japan and so birthing clinics will fill up fast. That said, don’t just settle for the first place you find. You and/or your wife/fiance/girlfriend may have ideas about how the birth should be done and while it might be a pain, finding a doctor who will be flexible with your birthing plan will save you from dealing with a lot of stress later. If she wants an epidural, it might be hard to find a doctor or hospital with that as an option, since it seems to be a common belief here is that childbirth must be painful. The earlier you start and the more you look and ask around, the better chances of finding a hospital or clinic and doctor or midwife that/who will suit your needs.

I thought we had plenty of time but when we actually got around to looking for a doctor (8 weeks in or so), most birthing clinics near us were already full. Of course, the places that had openings had pretty strict rules about how things were done. Short visiting hours, strict weight gain rules, whether the husband is allowed to be there for the actual delivery are just a start to the list of things that need to be asked.

Looking back though, these were all blessings in disguise since we were able to find a flexible, English speaking doctor only 30~40mins away by car. They had long visiting hours (some places are only open from noon to 7pm), they allowed me to bring food for Ashley (since their food didn't really fit her palate) and most importantly they were flexible about accommodating our birth plan. The drive was definitely worth the comfort and peace that my wife received.

2. Determine your role

Something I never really considered before we found out we were having a baby but needed to think about really quickly was what role I was going to take in the whole pregnancy/birth process. I knew right from the start that I would need to be completely involved in everything because I would be the one doing most of the communicating in Japanese because I didn’t really expect to find a doctor who spoke English well enough around where we live.

The thing I learned from my experience is that a lot of OBGYN places don’t really involve fathers in the whole process. I went with Ashley to every check-up, but usually was left in the waiting room, brought in to look at the ultrasound and then sent back out while the doctor talked to Ashley in English. Of course there were other fathers in the waiting room, but very few compared to the number of pregnant women there for check-ups. That said, our clinic allowed me to take part in almost everything and let me be in the room during labor and birth, which some clinics and hospitals don't allow.

3. Communication is key

Once you find a doctor you like, the next MOST important thing is communication. Since our doctor spoke English, both Ashley and I were at first reassured that there wouldn’t be as many issues in communication with the doctor. We talked over our birthing plan with them and it seemed that everything was fine.

But then, breakdowns in communication started happening. Ashley went to the doctor and asked for some medicine but somehow came out of the appointment without getting any (Sidenote from Ashley: The doctor had said "Ok" about the medicine, but when we had been discussing it I think he took my asking him if he thought I should use it as maybe I didn't want it, even though that's not what I meant. A difference in English and Japanese is spoken).

Since the doctor spoke English (not fluently but decently), he would communicate with Ashley in English even though I was sitting in the waiting room and I could speak fluent Japanese (Ashley: Even some Japanese is fine for me, and I thought would have made it easier at times...). It was definitely frustrating since I was there so there wouldn’t be communication problems but they still happened.

Another huge communication breakdown happened at the birth. Ashley had been in labor at home for a while and we were told to come in, so we drove to the clinic in the middle of the night. We got there and they checked her out and got her in bed and the head nurse comes in and said, basically, "we’re going to do the birth how we do it and then after that things can go the way you want." So basically, our birthing plan and how we envisioned things would go during the birth was thrown out the window. I didn’t tell Ashley this since she didn’t need more things to worry about.

4. Go with the flow

While sticking to your birthing plan may provide you and your wife/fiance/girlfriend a lot of comfort and feeling of control, if things need to change then it's the partner's job to be the flexible one and deal with things as they come up since she will be a bit preoccupied with actually giving birth.

This seemed to be the theme of our experience. From having our birthing plan thrown out the window to having the doctor do a procedure that we specifically said not to do unless it was an emergency*, it was my job to keep Ashley calm and relaxed (as best as I could) so she could focus on her job, which was to get the baby out.

*I had assumed that if the procedure was necessary the doctor would at least acknowledge our request and say that it was necessary but I guess that was too much to ask in this case. The doctor just came in and did the procedure much to my and Ashley’s horror…

On the other hand, the clinic was also very flexible. After a horrible second night for Ashley having to deal with a starving, screaming baby all night I went to the clinic first thing in the morning to take care of the baby so she could sleep. The nurses told me that not only did they get permission from the doctor to let Ashley to check out a day early, but I could also stay that night at the clinic and help take care of the baby.

5. Prepare as best as you can

If you have never been through the experience, it’s hard to know what to expect. Do as much preparation ahead of time with the knowledge that your practice pales in comparison to the actual experience but at least it will help you know what to do.

I guess I came in thinking very naively about the birth. While I knew it would be painful, I never imagined that it would be to that extent. Even though we probably didn’t prepare as best as we could have, I knew what I had to do during the process and focused on doing that and supporting Ashley as best as I could.

Final Thoughts

While there were some things that didn’t go the way we wanted and it was a lot more than we expected, we are happy to have our very cute and cuddly now four-month-old baby. While I came away scarred from the experience, the smiles and laughter filling our home now make the memories a bit less painful.

Other dads/partners in Japan, have any advice to share or add?

*****

David Thompson is currently in his fifth and final year on the JET Program, teaching English at a technical high school. When he's not busy trying to convince teenage boys to pay attention in class, he helps coach baseball at the school (officially), helps Ashley with research and checking Japanese for accuracy, and takes care of baby Ai-chan.

You may also want to read:
Giving Birth in Japan: My Experience - Part 1
Giving Birth in Japan: My Experience - Part 2
Giving Birth in Japan: Reflections and Advice

Resources for a Very Merry Christmas in Japan

2011-12-13T23:35:00.003+09:00

Getting geared up for the holiday season? Feeling overwhelmed or not sure where to go or what to do or how to do it? You'll find some of my favorite resources below. Please let us know in the comments if you have something to add (even if it's regional).

Decorations
Often including trees

Nitori - Housewares store. Link is to English version of their site (including store locator). You can also shop online from the Japanese version of the site.

Tokyu Hands - Misc. goods. Japanese site. Store locator (usually located in big cities) and online shop.

Loft - Similar to Tokyu Hands. I've seen these more often, but still usually in big cities. Japanese site; store locator.

The display at Loft

Muji - Japanese site. They don't really have decorations, but they do have an advent calendars and some other novelty items.

Don Quijote - Hat tip to Laura for the suggestion. Your nearest store may offer some Christmas decorations and related items.

Any home store in your area will typically carry something. The selection may vary depending on the store. For example, some stores near me carry small artificial trees, some decorations, and LED and solar lights. One example is Cainz - in many, but not all, prefectures; they also have an online store with fake trees and solar lights.

Mr. Max - Hat tip to Kimberly. Located in Kanto, Chugoku and Kyushu regions.

100円 store - You may be surprised at what kind of decorations and novelty Christmas items you can find in a 100 yen store. Daiso seems to be an overwhelming favorite (thanks to those of you who've mentioned it).

Aeon (or Jusco) - Hat tip to Jerry. Department store carrying a wide variety of items, often including Christmas/holiday items.

FrancFranc - Hat tip to Garden Clinic Hiroo. Housewares store, sells decorations and cards.

Etsy - I've fallen in love with Etsy. If homemade goods are your thing, you can find all kinds of decorations, ornaments, stockings, tree skirts, etc. Many vendors ship to Japan.

Dinner Help: Specialty Food Items

Kaldi - Specializes in coffee, but carries a variety of imported goods. Also has shops on Rakuten, Yahoo, and Amazon Japan (coffee-only).

Seijo Ishii - Japanese site. Supermarket that carries a variety of imported food. Not as widespread as Kaldi (Kanto, Chubu, and Kansai, according to its website), but carries a decent selection of items.

Jupiter - Japanese site. Import Store (I've linked to the store locator). Stores across more regions in Japan than Seijo Ishii, though not in all areas (one just opened in Shizuoka this year).

Online supermarkets in English such as Yoyo Market, The Meat Guy, FBC and Flying Pig all have a variety of imported goods and products you are familiar with.

Any other import store in your area. You might try searching for 輸入食品, but oftentimes they are located in or near a larger train station. Or you can try the various online import stores.

Ohtsuya - If you're looking for spices in bulk for all that holiday baking! They also carry nuts and dried fruit and a few other items. I often get large bags of nuts or spices from here.

Want something more natural or organic? Some of the above will carry various natural/organic items (you may be surprised to find some even at your local supermarket), but also try Tengu Natural Foods, Natural House or iHerb.

Cards

I have to say Loft is one of my favorite places to get cards of any kind, and this year we found some fun Christmas cards of various Japan scenes with tiny Santas (for friends and family not in Japan). Examples of those below, but there are many, many more types of cards. I think the pop-up ones are especially fun.

Many, if not most, stationary stores also sell seasonal cards, so try looking for 文房具屋 (ぶんぼうぐや, bunbouguya).

Tree

Real? Fake? What are your options?

Check out: How to find a Christmas Tree in Japan

Light Displays

If you're looking for some sparkle...

Read: Where to find Christmas/holiday light displays in Japan

More Ideas

You can find many of the above and a few other suggestions (some more related to the Tokyo area) in Make it home for the holidays ... or at least as close as possible - The Japan Times

Tokyo Weekender also has a few ideas.

Kimberly shared her season favorites as a resident of Hiroshima:

[Insert your idea here] What do you have to add? It's fine if it's location-specific - I'll make a nice big list.

Finally, what would a Christmas resources list be without the Norad Santa tracker? Last year the jolly old man even stopped in Fuji, Shizuoka (and a few other places in Japan, of course). Also available in Japanese (and several other languages).

Leaving Japan: Thoughts and Advice [Interview]

2011-12-08T23:23:00.000+09:00

If you're planning on leaving Japan, maybe in the next few months, maybe next year, or maybe just "one day" and aren't certain of all the logistics involved, today's interviewee might interest you: Laura Pepper Wu. Laura lived in Japan for three years and when she was preparing to leave in 2009, she learned just how much was involved in the arduous process and decided to write an ebook - The Stress Free Guide to Leaving Japan - about the process after all was said and done.

Laura and her husband, Brandon (middle)

I read through Laura's book, and as I haven't ever left Japan I can't really speak from that standpoint, but she includes a variety of good resources and tips. She informed me she has also made some updates to it since the version I read (I should point out now the part about the lump-sum pension withdrawal: it isn't always a good option, depending on your specific situation - read more about that here.)

Laura willingly agreed to offer some advice about the leaving process and her thoughts on life in Japan in general:

Ashley: First of all, can you tell us a little more about you, what you did here in Japan, and what you're up to now?

Laura: Sure, thanks for asking! I moved to Japan (Ibaraki-ken) with the JET programme after University in 2006. The plan was to teach for one year and then head back to the UK. Well, as with so many other foreigners in Japan, the bug bit hard and one year turned into two. After my second year on JET I was offered an internship at the Delegation to the European Union in Tokyo, an opportunity I couldn't pass up. Two years magically turned into three...

Living in Tokyo was a fantastic experience and completely different from the small farming town I had lived in during JET. I met my now-husband during the six-month internship and we moved to the US together six months later.

I currently live in Seattle, WA (Ashley: Washington state, USA) where I help authors market and promote their books through social media, website design and other PR activities. It's not Japan-related, but I learned a lot of transferable skills from my work in Japan. It's creative and I sure enjoy working with an array of authors from different backgrounds.

Ashley: How was the process of moving from Japan overall?

Laura: Honestly... it was a pretty huge headache. I've moved around a lot before and after Japan, and this move was one of the most stressful. When I try to break down why, it was probably a combination of mixed emotions regarding leaving the country I had grown to love, along with a language barrier and lack of comprehensive information regarding the procedures we had to undergo in order to make the move happen. There was also the uncertainty of what was waiting for me on the other side; was I ready to return to Western culture and how was life ever going to compare to the excitement of Japan?

Ashley: What was the most difficult aspect of preparing to leave Japan?

Laura: Researching removal companies was hard. Since there was two of us and my husband had bought a lot of furniture, we didn't just want to send back a few boxes of belongings. We did eventually find a great company who shipped all of our stuff and some furniture and took really good care of it. But we received five or six quotes before we got a reasonable one, and this involved having someone come into the apartment and measuring all of our things. So that was pretty time-consuming.

Understanding the pension refund process was more confusing than difficult, but that also took time and research to get right. Finally, getting rid of the things we didn't want to send on to the US was more difficult than I had anticipated due to the strict garbage and recycling laws that exist in Japan.

In a different vein, saying goodbyes was difficult too - not knowing when you will see friends again who you have been through so much with and got so close to. As is saying "goodbye" to your favorite restaurants, temples and corners of Japan!

Ashley: If you had to do it all again, is there anything you would do differently?

Laura: There are a few main things that I would recommend. Start early and get rid of your things gradually throughout the months prior to your departure. Be sure to spend some good quality time with everyone that you'll be leaving behind (sayonara parties don't really count!) and use this site: http://intlmovers.com to request quotes from several removal companies at once!

Ashley: What did you love most about living in Japan?

Laura: Well for sure the same things as most other people: the convenience, the polite people, the trains. But if you want a more extensive list... I love the old people I encountered (especially the Obaachan) and their energy and outlook on life. I adored the people-watching opportunities in Tokyo and drooling over the fashion and well-dressed men and women everywhere. The fact that people are, for the most part, environmentally-conscious (save the conbinis) and don't waste food - the mottainai attitude is fantastic.

The work-hard play-hard ethic (or rather the fact the Japanese truly know how to relax) appeals to me. I like the fact you can drink in public - under the cherry blossom or on the way to a club! And I love, love, love the simplicity in the design of bars and restaurants, that mean you can creep off a massively busy street in central Tokyo and yet feel completely at peace and relaxed.

Finally, (I could go on), the small details such as the plates and cups your food is served on is breathtaking. Oh, the ceramics... my husband thought I was mad for shipping a whole bunch of ceramics across the ocean, but Japan taught me the value of presenting food in a beautiful way and I still try to honor than now.

Ashley: Finally, what tips or advice would you give to SiJ readers about living in Japan?

Laura: Oh gosh, you're the authority on this one Ashley!! I would say, make friends with Japanese people. It's the best way to understand the culture and they'll make you fall in love with Japan all over again.

****

Thanks Laura! Enjoy your time in my home state. ;)

To check out The Stress Free Guide to Leaving Japan, visit: http://sayonarajapan.com/

Got mold? Tenant rights in serious situations

2011-12-06T22:42:00.000+09:00

It's difficult, well, nearly impossible, to keep mold from overtaking almost anything and everything in Japan, so we all do our best to try and control it. But what can you do if your mold issue is being caused by a structural problem? What are your rights?

We look at this in my latest column:

Buck stops with landlord of moldy apartment - Lifelines, Japan Times, Dec 6, 2011

Has anyone ever experienced any serious mold problems in a rented home? If so, how did you deal with or resolve it? Or have you had to figure out a sticky situation with a landlord? Let us know in the comments.

Japan Links - Dec 5, 2011

2011-12-05T22:54:00.000+09:00

If you don't use Twitter or aren't following @survivingnjapan, I've compiled various interesting Japan-related links I've shared from the past few weeks. Enjoy!

Healthy eating in Tokyo http://t.co/kdX1EfE4

Karuizawa resort makes winter special http://t.co/gFJ48FR9

Season's Secrets in Tokyo http://t.co/dW26OcUN

First radiation limit set for school meals http://t.co/3Rl6dt0L

A new Japan Portal, powered by Kyodo News, is out: http://t.co/3Ux1b4If

Power saving puts Christmas illuminations in a new light http://t.co/umD8KCLm

Dentsu announces hit products in Japan in 2011 http://t.co/rgsbFE6y (I'm still not sure about the people being "products" thing...)

The KFC-Christmas connection in Japan http://t.co/9No7R3jE

Gundam Rising Again In Tokyo Waterfront Next Spring http://t.co/d7SH29NR

Needles found in food in 5 Kitakyushu supermarkets http://t.co/RgLjgWYR

Warm Biz warming up http://t.co/WaOir95u

Rice from 5 Fukushima farms shows high radiation levels http://t.co/XZA6hxnT

Second appearance of La Nina may portend frigid winter for Japan http://t.co/6535DmP0

Top 60 Japanese Buzzwords of 2011 http://t.co/suHjFIWj

Panko Crusted Kabocha http://t.co/YuzxqW1B

Where to Find "Illuminations" (Christmas/Holiday Lights) in Japan

2011-12-03T21:30:00.000+09:00

Though it's the year of "setsuden" or "energy saving," many places in Japan are still setting up their Christmas/Holiday light displays for their annual "illumination," or イルミネーション, as it's called in Japanese. Although I've noticed there haven't been as many listings so far this year compared with last year, but at least many that are putting up displays are going with LED lights (if they weren't already, since I think most probably were), which use less electricity.

So while we should all do our best to continue saving energy this winter, and maybe not leave the Christmas lights on all the time, at least it's a way to feel festive and like it's actually the Christmas season (if you celebrate Christmas, that is). This can be difficult as an expat, I know, any holiday really, and maybe even more difficult if you have loved ones in another part of the world. So if the colorful, twinkly lights help put you in the Christmas spirit, here's a guide to finding holiday light displays in Japan.

You can look up illumination spots on several websites and find them in other ways as well (train stations often have them nearby), but a few options:

Japan Travel and Tourism Association
Rurubu
Mapple
Walkerplus
Yahoo

I've provided a walk-through of the Japan Travel & Tourism Association site below, but you may want to browse some of the others in case there are different (or more) options in your location.

How to find holiday light displays in Japan, tutorial:

1. Go to this page. You have a few options, such as checking out the recommendations in the large yellow box, choosing an area from the map below it, choosing from a specific time frame (November, December, January in this case) or choosing an area from the drop-down list on the top of the sidebar on the left. I'm going to choose Nagano (長野) from the drop-down list.

2. Next I'll see a list of illumination spots or events in Nagano. I can browse through the list and choose one that looks appealing or perhaps in or near the city I would want to go to. Alternatively, you could also choose a different region and/or prefecture from the horizontal list at the top. Each listing shows the name of the place or event, the dates, and where it's held along with a short description. I'm going to click on the first option.

3. On this page I can once again find the name of the event/place, a description, and detailed info about where, when and how to get there, plus a URL, if one exists.

And that's it. These are typically some of the bigger places and events, so it's very possible there may be smaller displays or other places to go in your area.

Yahoo also offers an Illumination app for iPhone and Android, called イルミネーション2011.

Where is your favorite light display in Japan located? Any suggestions?

Breastfeeding in Japan: Nursing Room Locators

2011-11-29T21:00:00.000+09:00

At the date of this post, I'm still somewhat new to the whole breastfeeding thing (just as I was new to the pregnancy and childbirth thing...). I must admit, the idea of carrying on a normal life while breastfeeding (meaning, being able to go out and do things occasionally, not that I have much energy to...) was a bit daunting at first, and to be honest, still is on occasion. Especially right now as the little one is going through an eat-only-while-being-walked phase. Not rocked, but walked. And she ain't gettin' any lighter, that's for sure...

On the plus side of all this, breastfeeding is commonly practiced in Japan, and many places are breastfeeding-friendly (particularly department stores, as they often have nursing rooms), but it's still largely unexplored territory for me. It helps to read the experiences and knowledge of others, so if you have an experience to share, I'd love to hear it.

So, in my anxiousness figuring out this whole nursing thing while going out, I was curious if I could find any specific information on breastfeeding-friendly places in Japan, and lo and behold, I came across a couple independently-maintained sites with databases of places all over Japan that have a breastfeeding or baby room of some sort. The sites are all in Japanese, but for those who can't read it, I've made a quick guide below for how to navigate and understand them. As long as you know the kanji for the place you are going to, it's not so difficult. (And if you don't know the kanji, it helps to check the names on Google maps, since they show up in Romaji and then have the kanji underneath the name, or else just do an internet search and somewhere you should be able to find the kanji).

Also, these nursing rooms are helpful even if you're using formula, as many of them have hot water machines. That aside, they also usually have diaper changing stations. Good to know whether you're breast or bottle feeding your little one.

The first site is Ikusapo (育サポ), short for childcare support.

The second site is nursing-room.com.

Much of the information on both is reader-submitted as well, so they encourage people to share their knowledge. As a result of this though, neither site is completely comprehensive (some prefectures have next to nothing listed, while others have a lot more), but they are decent resources, particularly for some prefectures.

How to navigate the sites:

Ikusapo

1. Go to Ikusapo's website, as shown below.

2. Find the region you are headed to or want info about, as shown in the picture below (translations for regions provided). Then click on the desired prefecture. A yellow box will show up with a list of cities/towns. Click your desired city or town.

3. After choosing a city or town, you will be taken to a page that looks similar to the one below. The page will show all of the places with breastfeeding/nursing rooms in that city or town and information about each one including the name (of course), address, white boxes in a horizontal line indicating what the room has or doesn't have (or unknown), and links to edit the listing or add a comment. (Click picture to magnify.)

If the white boxes with gray outlines are red and have the kanji 有 or a number, it usually means they have whatever that particular item/thing is (the number typically means how many of that thing). If they are light gray and say 無, it usually means they don't have it, and if dark gray with 不明, then unknown.

The items, from left to right, are (and these are good words to know):

授乳室	じゅにゅうしつ	jyunyuushitsu	nursing room
“ベッド” in this case is オムツ替えベッド or おむつ台	替え is かえ(change) 台 is だい (pedestal/stand)	beddo omutsu kae beddo omutsu	diaper changing table
個室	こしつ	koshitsu	private room (for nursing)
お湯	おゆ	oyu	hot water (for formula)
シンク		shinku	sink
身長・体重計	しんちょう - たいじゅうけい	shinchou - taijyuukei	height - weight scale
自販機	じはんき	jihanki	vending machine
おもちゃ		omocha	toys
ソファー		sofaa	sofa, couch
本･絵本	ほん - えほん	hon - ehon	books - picture books
電子レンジ	でんしレンジ	denshi renji	microwave

If you're up to it, you can go in and make changes to entries if you've noticed something has changed, as you would on sites like Wikipedia.

Nursing-room.com

1. Go to this page. Then find your region and choose your desired prefecture from the list.

2. Choose your desired city or area in that particular prefecture.

3. The next page to show up reveals a list of places with nursing rooms. Click on any for more details. The following image shows results for five cities in Shizuoka prefecture. So I can look for the city I want within the names; for example, if I want to find one in Shizuoka city, I would look for 静岡店 (Shizuoka store).

4. The location details will tell you what the place has/doesn't have, and the address and contact info is usually listed at the bottom. Note that some stores will have very little information while others will be more extensive. Use the words to know list above to help decipher the results. You can see in the image below that this location has a changing table (おむつ台) and hot water (お湯) in the nursing/baby area.

That's it. You can easily copy and paste the address into Google maps or the virtual map of your choice to figure out exactly how to get there.

Another great resource for finding breastfeeding places in Japan is Milpas, a nursing room locator app.

Moms (or dads), do you have any additional tips for breastfeeding/nursing while out and about in Japan?

If you found this post helpful, you may also be interested in checking out the Pregnant in Japan and Giving Birth in Japan series.

Healthcare in Japan: Checkup Options

2011-11-26T17:31:00.000+09:00

Today's guest post comes from Sara of Japan Healthcare Info - a very helpful resource for expats in Japan. You can read more about JHI here, but I just want to say they have been incredibly helpful to me in finding specific types of doctors (like pediatricians) and dentists in my area, along with helping me figure out Ai-chan's vaccination schedule, including where to find the recently-approved-in-Japan rotavirus shot (I'll be writing about this in the coming months). I highly recommend checking out JHI if you need help with medical issues here in Japan, especially if you don't speak any Japanese, but even if you do they are still a very helpful resource. -Ashley

******

Hello! Today I’d like to talk about health checkups in Japan. Checkup systems in Japan can be a little complicated and hard to choose from. I hope this post will give you a better idea of what to expect and look for so you can feel more confident and save money and time.

First of all, there are 3 major health checkup categories in Japan:

School/Company checkups for full-time students or employees

Your school or company in Japan typically provides annual health checkups for free. The screening items are general ones like taking your height and weight measurements, a blood/urine test, and a chest X-ray. Some companies offer expensive, full checkup courses that include a gastroscopy, ultrasound, mammogram, etc.

At school, checkups are done on campus. As for company checkups, employers will often provide a list of contracted hospitals for employees to choose from. Or if you work for a large company, health-screening companies may send a van with healthcare staff and equipment to the company site.

Pros: The checkups are free and if you’re lucky, you may see an English-speaking doctor who can explain the results.

Cons: You can’t choose the testing items. In most cases you get the results by mail in Japanese.

What to do: Your school or company notifies you of the time and place for checkups. For company employees with a list of hospitals, you need to make an appointment.

Private Health Screening Center

Recently many Japanese hospitals have introduced extensive, luxurious health checkup courses. They are commonly called “Ningen Dock” (人間ドック, にんげんどっく) or more formally, “Kenkou Shinsa” or “Kenshin”(検診, けんしん) for short. Ningen Docks range from general to specialized for cancer, the brain, the vascular system, women’s health screening, etc. No health insurance is accepted for a Ningen Dock. Prices vary, usually from 30,000 yen to sometimes more than 100,000 yen!

This is one example of a Health Screening course:

Pros: The quality of screening equipment is higher, methods are more extensive, and the checkups are more thorough than free checkups. Staff are generally nice because you are a customer, rather than a ‘patient’. Some medical centers provide full courses in English.

Cons: Expensive and takes a long time - usually half a day, but sometimes require an overnight stay in the hospital.

What to do: Locate a health screening center in your convenient area and make an appointment. Appointments are always required.

Municipal health checkups

Municipal public health centers provide free, or very cheap, checkups for residents. These mostly target self-employed people with National Health Insurance; however, some screenings are available for anyone as long as they are registered in that city.

Common checkup items include a pap smear/breast exam (mammogram) and various cancer screenings.
The screenings will be performed at the public health center or contracted hospitals in the city.

Pros: Checkups are free. If you’re lucky, you can visit an English-speaking doctor’s clinic on the list.
Cons: The invitation letter mailed out is only in Japanese. Also, the checkups are only provided on very limited days, at limited times and for a specific age group.

This is an example of municipal screenings in one ward in Tokyo…looks complicated!

What to do: Generally, an invitation postcard or letter will be sent to eligible residents. Also, a screening schedule will be published in the local municipal paper or on the city’s website.

Alternatively, ask your local public health center for the schedule and availability. Many checkups require appointments via phone.

What about me? What are my options?

Full-time students: Get an annual screening at your university/school. If you’d like to have more extensive testing like cancer screening or a pap smear/breast exam, either get a municipal checkup or a private screening center’s optional courses. Other than private screening courses, you can visit private clinics as well. For example, many clinics provide pap smears, breast exams, gastroscopies and colonoscopies all year around. The difference between a private screening center and a private clinic is that the center provides basic screening courses from all departments, whereas an individual clinic will only have specialized items. For example, an OBGYN can do a pap smear, but not a colonoscopy.

Remember the screening courses at a private screening center or a private clinic don’t accept National Health Insurance, so it’s best to check the cost before you proceed.

Full-time company employees: Take advantage of the annual screening provided by your company, if you can. Many companies offer almost full screening services and you get to choose the center you'd like to visit from the list. As mentioned in the students section, if you’d like to have more tests done, apply for a private screening center’s optional courses.

Stay-at-home partners, part-time students/workers, self-employed people who have National Health Insurance: Try the municipal checkups. For extensive items like cancer screening, pap smear/breast exam, you may not have an opportunity to get them every year or at your preferred time. In that case your only option is to have them done at a private screening center or private clinic. Many individual clinics provide single screening items such as a pap smear, breast exam, gastroscopy or colonoscopy, for example.

Covered by a family member’s employer’s insurance: Some companies provide the same screening courses to family members, so it might be worth checking with your company. Otherwise the options are similar to National Health Insurance Holders – municipal checkups, private screening centers or private clinics. Again your insurance doesn’t apply; you’re typically required to pay the full costs for a screening.

I hope this information was helpful to you. Japan Healthcare Info can help you find details regarding municipal and private health screening center/clinic information in your area, wherever you are in Japan. If you have any questions or enquiries, please contact us at contact@japanhealthinfo.com

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Sara is a bilingual medical social worker/coordinator at Japan Healthcare Info (JHI). She joined JHI because her Australian husband experienced heart disease in Japan and they had a difficult time dealing with Japanese healthcare services. After this experience, Sara obtained a social worker’s license and Master of Public Health. She has worked for various healthcare service providers in Japan and is experienced in dealing with the needs of healthcare issues of international people in Japan.

Japan Healthcare Info is a social entrepreneur organization launched in September 2011. They are a selected member of the social entrepreneur grant from Japanese government. JHI provides healthcare assistance by locating English-speaking doctors and dentists at hospitals and clinics, making appointments and helping with social benefits/welfare services for expats in Japan. You can find Japan Healthcare Info at http://japanhealthinfo.com, or join their Facebook community at http://www.facebook.com/japanhealthcareinfo.

Q&A: Order from Japan?

2011-11-22T22:22:00.000+09:00

Aldo wrote in asking if I knew of any mail order-type/intermediary companies that accept domestic shipments from within Japan and then ship them overseas. I haven't ever tried to do this myself (since I still live in Japan, of course), but I thought perhaps some of you out there might be wondering the same thing, or know someone who is.

I thought the following might be possible options:

Flutterscape (probably not as useful if there is something exact you want and prefer to order it directly, but

JShoppers (not viewable from within Japan - goes to company site instead if you are)

Aldo wrote back and suggested Tenso, which he chose to go with.

Do you have any recommendations for mail forwarding companies in Japan that ship overseas? Let us know in the comments!

A Guide to Laundry Detergent in Japan

2011-11-18T19:30:00.001+09:00

Doing laundry is another one of those important things, right up there with brushing your teeth or wearing deodorant. I've received several emails asking me to do a post about laundry detergent and I agreed it's a vital topic to cover. So here you are, a guide to laundry detergent in Japan:

Words to know
You should know at least some of the following words when shopping for laundry detergent, but read on below this chart as well for more use-specific words and ingredients.

洗濯	せんたく	sentaku	laundry
洗剤	せんざい	senzai	detergent
粉末	ふんまつ	funmatsu	powder
液体	えきたい	ekitai	liquid
固形	こけい	kokei	solid
石鹸, 石けん, せっけん	せっけん	sekken	soap
柔軟剤	じゅうなんざい	juunanzai	fabric softener
漂白剤	ひょうはくざい	hyouhakuzai	bleaching agent
蛍光増白剤	けいこうぞうはくざい	keikouzouhakuzai	optical brighteners
詰替用 or つめかえ用	つめかえよう	tsumekaeyou	refill
液性	えきせい	ekisei	pH
香り	かおり	kaori	scented

Ingredients
Common ingredients (成分, せいぶん, seibun, ingredients) in most laundry detergents include some kind of surfactant (界面活性剤, かいめんかっせいざい, kaimenkasseizai), though the type included varies depending on the brand and product. Some include more than one type. Some types might mention something about synthetic surfactants (such as not including them). 合成 (ごうせい, gousei) is synthetic, so synthetic surfactant is 合成界面活性剤.

Other detergents use just pure soap (純石けん じゅんせっけん, junn sekken), which you may see as 石けん or せっけん on the packaging.

Many detergents, aside from eco-friendly and baby-specific types, use a color-safe bleach (酸素系, さんそけい, sansokei), such as hydrogen peroxide. Most don't use chlorine bleach (塩素系, えんそけい, ensokei). More on bleach below.

Some detergents use optical brightening agents (蛍光増白剤, けいこうぞうはくざい, keikouzouhakuzai).

Other ingredients (not comprehensive) you may or may not see in the detergent (best to check the ingredients to make sure if you want to avoid something in particular):

enzymes - 酵素 (こうそ, kouso)
alkaline agents - アルカリ剤 (アルカリざい, arukarizai)
water softener - 水軟化剤 (みずなんかざい, mizunankazai)

When buying detergent, liquids (液体, えきたい, ekitai) usually come in bottles (of course), powdered (粉末, ふんまつ, funmatsu) detergent typically comes in small boxes, and solids (固形, こけい, kokei) just look like a bar of soap.

Common Brands

It would take quite a long time to find and list every single brand of laundry detergent you can buy in Japan, and many stores also sell generic store brands as well, but some common ones include (and this will probably also vary by store):

arau
アリエール (Ariel)
アタック (Attack)
アワーズ (Awa's)
ボールド (Bold)
ブルーダイヤ
エマール (Emal)
ファファ (Fa-Fa)
ミヨシ (Miyoshi)
ニュービーズ (New Beads)
トップ (Top)

For eco-friendly and baby-safe brands, continue reading below. Also keep in mind that some stores such as Tokyu Hands, Loft, kenko.com, Amazon Japan, among others sell a variety of other brands too, many imported.

Detergent for Whites? Colors?
What you should know about bleach

One thing I noticed while checking out various laundry detergents at the store was that most do not use chlorine bleach. However, many of them use oxygen bleach instead (the color-safe kind, essentially hydrogen peroxide or similar).

漂白剤 (ひょうはくざい, hyouhakuzai) is the term for bleach, bleaching agent, or whitener, but seeing 漂白剤 on a package does not mean it's a whites-only detergent, as I said, they often use hydrogen peroxide.

Check the ingredients if you want to be sure, but most often I saw 酸素系 (さんそけい, sansokei) somewhere on the packaging, which is the oxygen type and also color safe.

It's also important to note that if they do contain oxygen bleach, if you look around on the bottle or box, you might see something like 色柄物にも安心 (色柄物 [いろがらもの, irogaramono] means colored clothes and 安心 [あんしん, anshin] is like "peace of mind" or essentially, "safe"). 色柄物にも安心 is pictured at left, right above 漂白剤, which means this detergent is safe for colored clothes.

Oh, and Oxi-clean is sold in Japan, in case you were wondering.

And just so you know, 塩素系 (えんそけい, ensokei) is chlorine bleach. You can check the ingredients to make sure it's not listed, but if a product does contain chlorine bleach, there are usually warning labels on the outside (saying something like "warning: do not mix" [まぜるな危険] usually, but sometimes other warnings as well).

Acidity and Alkalinity - pH Balance
In case you're wondering about the pH of a particular detergent, you can check somewhere on the back or side of the packaging, but keep in mind it's usually tiny and buried in text. Look for: 液性 (えきせい, ekisei). The following stand for different pH levels (though you'll most likely see only one or two most often):

アルカリ性 - alkaline
弱アルカリ性 - slightly alkaline (probably the most common)
中性 - neutral
弱酸性 - slightly acidic
酸性 - acidic

Fabric Softener

So much Downy...

You can buy fabric softener separately of course, (and though there are a few different brands, it's hard not to miss the shelves of giant Downy bottles...), but if you want a laundry detergent with fabric softener in it, look for something like:
柔軟剤配合.

柔軟剤 (じゅうなんざい) is fabric softener, and 配合 (haigou) in this case means "mixed in."

Brighten Up
On Optical Brighteners

Otherwise known as optical brightening agents, fluorescent brightening agents or fluorescent whitening agents, these little guys absorb light and thus trick your eye into thinking your clothes are actually whiter and brighter. But, alas, they're really not. And they're not so great for your skin or the environment either.

If you want to avoid them, look for 蛍光 (けいこう, keikou) or 蛍光増白剤 (けいこうぞうはくざい, keikouzouhakuzai) along with 配合していません (not mixed in/not added) on the package somewhere, even if on the back (you can find this in the blue rounded box on the bottle at left).

No Dry Cleaning for Me
On Delicates

So you want to skip the dry cleaners and wash your wool clothes or other delicates at home. There aren't as many detergent options for this, but try looking for: おしゃれ着, which essentially means "nice clothes." Fancy garments. Expensive stuff. That kind of thing.

You might also want to look for ドライマーク用 (dry mark use), because these types of clothes usually have a "ドライ" mark on the care label.

Some brands, such as Ecover, have a product labeled デリーケートウォッシュ (delicate wash), so try looking for デリーケート too.

Detergent for Tree-huggers
The Eco-friendly Stuff

Arau - no additives

Not all regular daily goods or home stores will carry eco-friendly detergent, though many may carry the Miyoshi brand (ミヨシ), which you may see with 無添加 (むてんか, mutenka, no additives) on the front. Try also looking for 環境洗剤 or エコ洗剤.

Stores like Tokyu Hands and Loft also carry different varieties of environment-friendly laundry detergent, also often free of additives (you'll want to double check though, since some still use sodium lauryl sulfate, if you want to avoid that). Ecover, Pax Naturon and Arau are good brands also; you might find these in a local store. And M mark (Mマーク by 松山油脂, which is also safe for baby.

It's also possible to just get regular pure laundry soap (石鹸, 石けん, せっけん; sekken). The Miyoshi detergent is actually soap with alkaline agents.

Safe for Baby
Baby laundry detergent options vary, but they are relatively easy to find. Although keep in mind you don't necessarily need to use baby-specific detergent unless your baby is extra-sensitive. Personally I just want to avoid the bad chemicals, but I do that anyway, so regular detergents clear of all that work fine for us.

Similar to the eco-friendly stuff, Arau, Pax Naturon, and Miyoshi are good brands without additives, colors, fragrance, bleach, phosphates, etc. The Ecover delicate wash is mostly good - all the ingredients are plant-based according to their company, though this includes sodium lauryl sulfate and fragrance. Combi also makes a diaper-specific detergent free of all the bad stuff: コンビおむつ肌着洗い.

Most baby-specific detergents are free of the bad stuff, but some are not, so other than those mentioned above, make sure to check the ingredients. To find baby-use detergents, look for ベビー用 (baby use). Some might list what they don't include, possibly with 配合していません or 無添加 or 使用しておりません after them. For example: 合成界面活性剤 (synthetic surfactants), 蛍光剤 (optical brighteners), 漂白剤 (bleaching agent), 着色料 (color), 香料 (fragrance), 保存料 (preservatives) など (etc.) 無添加 (not added).

Drying Indoors
There's something for that too...

Detergent for drying inside

I found it somewhat amusing that they sell laundry detergent in Japan specific for drying indoors, but it does make some sense considering the rainy season. This type of detergent is formulated to help combat mold and musty odors when drying inside* (though I highly recommend using a dehumidifier for this, if you don't take your washed things to a laundromat to dry and don't own a clothes dryer).

*This doesn't mean you have to use this particular type of detergent if you dry indoors, considering many of the others use oxygen bleach anyway. Or if you have a dehumidifier or hang them in a room where you have heaters or the air conditioner going they'll dry faster and won't get the musty smell.

Anyway, look for: 部屋干し (へやほし, heyahoshi)

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Whatever you're looking for, rest assured you should be able to find what you need to help get your clothes squeaky-clean. Er, well, maybe not literally squeaky, but you know what I mean.

In case you're wondering how fast your laundry might hang-dry on any given day, you may want to check out this post: HOW TO: Find out how fast your laundry will dry.

And if you'd like to wash your garments or linens in hot/warm water, read HOW TO: Use hot/warm water in a Japanese washing machine.

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