I was seven years old when I first visited Japan. I didn’t remember much from that time because I was too little. But one thing I remember vividly is the street art on manhole covers. There are so many designs varying from the locality. Even in a small town that I live, there are so many painted manhole covers. Small elements like these can make a difference to the area. When people say Japanese people are creative, I believe this is one of the reasons why.
What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you think about rainy days? Do you feel calm and relaxed while drinking tea and reading your favorite book? Do you feel frustrated because it’s humid and your hair gets frizzy and dry? Or do you feel happy thinking about kids playing on the puddles and enjoying the rain showers?
Japan is a gem when it’s rainy—with popular city streets like Ameyoko or Shibuya scramble having fewer people, everyone avoiding the rain and taking shelter at the nearby restaurants. Most people are enjoying a hot bowl of ramen (egg noodles) or a hot cup of joe (coffee). We take time to slow down and allow nature to take its course.
My favorite experience has got to be drinking coffee at a random coffee shop enjoying the sights, the scenery, and the people. It makes me appreciate nature, architecture, and the flow of everyday life.
Whenever the rain falls, lets’ all take time to reflect and slow down. Remember we all need a breather sometimes.
A rainy day at Kourakuen Spa LaQua
My university started online classes early this month. There are some advantages and disadvantages of learning remotely.
The benefits of studying online:
Students can continue to work at his/her job while taking classes
Less expensive - save transportation fee
No geographic location constraint
Make use of the advancement of technology
However, there is limited opportunity to interact with other students when studying online. In most cases, the students will leave the online meeting session as soon as the class ended.
In fact, there are pros and cons to every type of learning environment. In my opinion, I prefer online learning because of the advantages surpass the disadvantages.
On the last day of 2019, I went to Mount Takao to see the diamond Fuji sunset with my friends. It was my first time hiking in Japan. It took me almost 2 hours to get to the top of the mountain. The higher I got to the top, the stronger the wind was getting. I was wearing 3 layers of clothing, still, it was not enough. The second I got there, I just forgot how tired I was. Everything was beautiful underneath the sunset. I and my friends were sitting on the cliff eating Onigiri that one of our friends had made for all of us. More people were blowing in as, we were waiting for the Diamond Fuji. Finally, the setting sun aligned with the peak of Mount Fuji that’s when the phenomenal Diamond sunset could be seen. This is one of my favorite scenes from Tokyo that I will never forget.
こんにちは、
At the beginning of this month the sharehouse I'm staying at offered bike rental. As I have been enjoying riding the bike back in Germany, I though it would be a great way to explore Tokyo by bike as well. Since then I've discovered many new neighbourhoods that I would not have been able to see by just walking there, because they are too far away from my place. My favorite place to ride the bike at is alongside the Arakaka river in eastern Tokyo. My favorite parts are the little breaks inbetween my rides that I spent sitting by the river while enjoying some ice cream. Even though I've seen and done some great things here in Tokyo already, riding the bike in such a beatiful and diverse city is one of my favorite experiences so far. I would definetely recommend that to anyone staying here who's looking for spending some relaxing, but meanwhile exciting time outside.
Sunset from a bridge over the Arakawa
I had to go pick up some paperwork at my city hall last week. The city hall was quite packed because there wasn’t many staff working due to the pandemic situation. I live in suburban Tokyo. So, there aren't many tourist attractions since the areas around are mostly just residential areas. I walked past this shrine, Okunitama-jinja, on my way to the city hall. It was such a beautiful shrine surrounded by tranquil gardens. I walked around the shrine for a little while. It was a nice escape from a busy day and a stressful pandemic situation. Hopefully, the situation gets better soon. In the meantime, I hope you guys are staying safe.
こんにちは、
One of the first great difference between my home country Germany and Japan that I realized after coming here are the living costs. Of course, living in huge metropolis like Tokyo is more expensive than living on the German countryside. That’s why seeing the cost of my rent was no big surprise, but when I entered a supermarkt here for the first time I was shocked by the prices for food. As the fruit and vegetable section is the first one you see when entering most supermarkets, I was directly exposed to the biggest difference. Especially fruits were very affordable back in Germany, thats why I used to eat a lot of them. An apple for which you pay at least 100 yen per piece here in Japan would cost around 30-40 yen. When I saw those fruits that are supposed to be gifted, I couldn’t believe my eyes. 65000 yen for two mangos? I would never pay that much for such a small amount of fruits. That was a big shock for me especially as it is not common to gift fruits in Germany. Besides that, other food is generally a bit more pricey here in Japan as well, but the differences are definetely not a big as with the fruits. All in all, living here and experiencing a contrast like that makes me value the cheap living costs in Germany a lot more from now on.
One of the most expensive fruits I have seen in my life
The new coronavirus has changed the way we live, not only in Japan but also around the world. Many of us have changed the way we talk, eat, and even shop. There’s sadness because we need to follow a new normal. However, in this season we also discover many things about ourselves—things to change, improve on. We remember things we have forgotten and forget things we do not want to remember.
Some people also take this time to do things they’ve always wanted to do but never had the time for. As for me, it is cooking, playing the ukulele, and kalimba, (this is an instrument from Africa, it sounds like a music box) some video games and catching up on some movies that I enjoy. I might make mistakes but I don’t mind them. I learn each day and look forward to the time when we can all enjoy being with each other without being afraid of spreading a dangerous plague. Let’s all take this time to reflect and become better versions of ourselves as we conquer our fears~!
Cheers to new beginnings for you and for me. Never fear mistakes, they’re just happy accidents!
Covid-19 pandemic is no joke. We never know where is our “invisible enemy” and how to avoid it.
The best way to keep us safe is to stay at home.
I understand that staying at home would be boring and the movement area is restricted. However, thinking from a positive point of view, this is a good chance for us to relax, spend precious time with family, cultivate new hobbies and improve ourselves by learning something new.
My favorite thing-to-do is painting! It’s been a long time since I touch my brushes. Staying at home gives me the opportunity and time to reignite my passion for painting.
Oil Painting
by Althea
Hope you will discover yourself during this period.
こんにちは、
Some time ago I have been to Okinawa for around one week. The weather was amazing, even though it’s not summer yet. I spent a lot of time outside and have been enjoying the nature and rural Japan as much as possible. I can totally recommend walking and cycling the island. It’s a great way to see more of the environment and to be able to just stop if you see something interesting. Also, the food in Okinawa was incredible. My favorites were taco rice and the shortbread-like cookies called ちんすこう (chinsukou). Besides the shisa statues that you find everywhere and in any imaginable size, those cookies would make a great souvenir for friends and family as well. All in all I had a great time and I would love to come back some day.
A shisa statue at the entrance of a house
In early February, I had the opportunity to visit South Korea for the first time. I was really lucky that I went there before the pandemic started. I stayed in Seoul for 5 days, and then I went to Jeju island. Personally, Seoul didn’t impress me as much as Jeju. Seoul was really similar to Tokyo in terms of the weather, the people, and the vibe it gives. However, Jeju holds a very deep place in my heart. It’s one of the places I want to go back. The island is quite small and so is the population. Everywhere I went was relaxing, no one was in a hurry. It’s a really nice change compared to the busy city like Seoul or Tokyo. One of my favorite places is the Camellia Hill, the view there was breathtaking. Seeing snow falls on the Camellia flowers was something I couldn’t forget. If you guys have the chance, please go see this loveliness yourself.
Hello there! My name is Bien Enriquez and I am from the Philippines!
Hello!!! I am Yee Hui from Malaysia ! My hobbies are drawing, painting, playing piano and traveling.
I can’t wait to travel around Japan and meet more people! Nice to meet you! =)
こんにちは、
It has been months now since the Coronavirus outbreak and since then life has changed drastically. I am trying to stay home as much as possible. I spend most of my time learning Japanese, watching series, playing games and cooking. Also, I am working from home now which is a great experience.
Especially during days with nice weather outside, it’s hard not to go outside. Sometimes I take a walk around my neighbourhood.
How does you life look like right now?
I hope you are all staying home as much as possible and that the situation calms down soon, so that we can go back to life like it was before.
As a student, holidays are usually the one of the most anticipated part in education years because we need a break after weeks of studying and hardwork. However, ever since the COVID-19 situation, many schools and universities are closed even longer and some even have their courses changed into online. It is not easy to adapt in a new environment like this. Personally, the online classes in my university hasn’t started yet, so I cannot say much about my experiences. However, it is now almost three months since I visited my campus. I miss the environment so much. I miss the classroom, the auditorium, the garden, cafeteria, and many more. The picture beside is the view of Waseda’s garden, which can be seen from the main cafeteria. It’s very beautiful, isn’t it? I hope the COVID-19 situation can be resolved soon, so each of us can go back and enjoy our education lives in wonderful environment.
Since most of us would probably be at home right now, I’d like to throwback to some other experiences I had when I was back in Japan. Around the beginning of March, I went skiing for the second time in my life. This time, I went to a renown resort called Gala Yuzawa. It only took around 1 hour from Tokyo with Shinkansen. Surprisingly, the ski resort is very tourist-friendly and provides various outstanding services, living up to its reputation. As I have learned the basics from my first ski experience in Hokkaido, I was able to ski on my own. The main slope for beginners is very wide and smooth. Going up the slope was much easier as well since we can use the chair lift as we like. Overall, it was a worth the experience.
こんにちは、
Just a few weeks after I arrived to Japan, I took a walk to Odaiba.
Odaiba is located near the sea in Tokyo bay, that's why you have a great view of the Tokyo skyline from there. In Odaiba you can find lots of big malls with many interesting stores. I spent a lot of money on great food and goods from my favorite TV shows. After that I went outside to see the giant Gundam. Also, there is a small beach there. It has to be great to sit at this „beach“ and enjoy a cold drink on a hot summer day. I definetely have to come back some day and enjoy the view of the skyline at nighttime next time.
The sunset on my way back home from Odaiba
As you all know that yesterday the government announced a state of emergency and asked people to stay home. However, yesterday evening I had a doctor's appointment that I cannot miss. So, as usual, I took the train to the clinic. As I got on the train, I was surprised by the emptiness. Even though it was an evening’s weekday, I only saw 2 other people in the same car as me.
However, because the train was not packed, I was quite lucky to be able to see the beautiful view along the way. The lovely cherry blossom, the clear blue sky, the sunset had just made my day. I thought to myself, maybe this is probably the moment that nature can heal itself for us to be able to appreciate it even more. There is an idiom that my mom used to tell me all the time ‘every cloud has a silver lining’ which means that in every difficult or sad situation, there is always some good aspect to it.
Please don’t forget to look on the bright side! Stay safe, everyone!
こんにちは、
Last weekend I went to Kawagoe with my friends.
We visited some temples and the old town.
We saw lots of cherry blossom trees and people wearing the kimono.
It was a very funny day.
I ate dango and sweet potato chips. They were very tasty.
Dango are one of my most favourite japanese sweets.
What is your favourite sweet?
こんにちは、
My name is Stefanie. I’m from Germany.
I am a very kind and open minded person, that’s why I love travelling around Japan and eating gyoza and japanese curry.
