My Culture Shock in Japan

The mixed feeling of confusion when we experienced an unfamiliar culture, way of life, or a set of attitudes, is known as culture shock.

I experienced some culture shocks when I first visited Japan. The most noticeable thing would be the vending machine. You can get food, drinks, toys, and much more from the illuminated boxes. You could spot a few of them as you walk the bustling streets of Japan.

The high-tech toilet could be burdening when it’s the first time of using it and not knowing how to read Japanese. The buttons are more than TV’s remote control. However, when you get used to using it, it is indeed comfortable. It is undeniably that Japan’s toilet is the cleanest toilet that I have ever seen.

Culture shock experience varies from person to person. How’s your culture shock experience?

Being a Foreigner in Japan

I have been living in Japan for a little over four years now, and have had a mix of the good and the bad experiences. It’s been a blast living in another country not my own. There were various challenges, however, there were also joys to be celebrated.

I will not go into detail for some but I will share the most memorable ones I have experienced. The very first one is my first time in Japan. I have just gotten off the plane and with my luggage in hand as well as other bags, I found it difficult to go around the bustling capital. I got lost several times before I reached Tokyo Station to ride a bus to Kisarazu. At first, I felt that the atmosphere was colder than I thought.

Arriving in Chiba, the atmosphere changed and I felt the welcoming mood of the locals. I find living there so peaceful and satisfying. Fast forward to a few months later, I have adjusted to the lifestyle and have been enjoying daily life in Tokyo.

Some challenges were just homesickness, the occasional try-to-eat natto challenge, and the conflict of schedule with friends and loved ones you’d like to meet and talk to.

However, all the good still outweighs the bad as I made friends and even met the love of my life in the country’s capital. I’ve traveled and seen many places and have etched memories on my mind.

How about you? What are your challenges and unforgettable memories in Japan?

A sea of people from the Tsuchiura Fireworks Competition in Ibaraki

Japanese Instant Food

Are you the type of person who’s always on the go? Don’t have enough time to make a decent home-cooked meal? Well, fear not because Japan has an array of wonderful and ever-changing instant food to keep you full and comfortable when you eat~

I’ve always been a fan of instant noodles especially the Nissin brand since I was in the Philippines and coming to Japan and discovering its many other flavors gives me joy as I re-live my childhood.

Other instant food that I like include Japanese Sea Chicken or canned tuna which can also be found in my country under a local name. I enjoy making quick pastas with it as well as salads.

I enjoy other treats like instant gyuudon—Japanese beef bowls, which were recently released during the onslaught of the pandemic. These among others make my life a bit easier especially when I feel too lazy or tired to cook.

I believe that Japan’s instant food is also changing for the better and healthier as it offers more natural ingredients and less preservatives especially for onigiri—rice balls, soups, and noodles. I hope that you can try them one day when you visit or if you have always been the hardworking mom, just take a step back and have your family heat some up for you.

I hope you share a lot of comfort food with your families!

One of my favorite instant food is tada~ Instant Omurice!

My First Kabuki Experience

I experienced my first Kabuki show last year at the National Theater. In my opinion, Kabuki is one of the key elements in Japanese culture.

The performance was easy to understand with the English audio guide that explains the text and plot-lines. There are several languages provided for the audiences to choose from. The audio guide opens the door to foreigners to get to know the essence of the Kabuki show. Besides that, actors’ exaggerated movements and facial expressions expand your imagination.

Furthermore, I found that the dynamic stage attracted me the most. I was surprised that they utilize the stage to the fullest. It was eye-catchy to see the stage transformed into another style.

In a nutshell, it was an enjoyable and memorable experience. I'm looking forward to my next Kabuki show after the pandemic is over.

An Art Tour

I like to visit art museums in Japan. Japan’s thriving art scene has been the catalyst for a museum boom throughout the country. For me, the best time to visit the art museum is during the weekdays because on weekends it will be crowded with people. I could find peace and clam while starring at those art pieces. While admiring the art piece, I try to guess the artist's feelings and thoughts.

I feel refreshed and recharged after walking out of the art museum.

Unique Japanese Items you can buy

Having lived in Japan for four years now, I am still surprised by the innovations and the interesting new products Japanese people come up with. Some can be really fun, but some can be quite strange. Nonetheless I enjoy using what I have bought so far.

Have you tried using a Banana Keeper item? I tried it once and it was nice to keep my banana fresh, although I would love to have more than haha! I’ve also tried the many household items like the soy sauce bottles shaped like cute fish for my sauces and lately alcohol for easy storage. It’s super useful~ Food is always a win for me with various unusual and ingenious creations~

Some of the strange items for me are the face slimming exercise items like the ones we use on our mouths and jaws. The butter stick was also a little hard to use. ^^;

Japan has a mix of quirky and cute items, and I hope more and more people—Japanese and foreigners alike would be willing to try them out for fun.

What would your next find be? Please let me know~

Smores from Dominiuqe Ansel Bakery

Japanese Manhole Covers

What’s up with Japanese manhole covers? Why are they so artsy and beautiful? They are just beautiful works of art! I actually couldn’t resist taking photos of them whenever I get the chance even though I pass by them everyday. They are very unique in each city and region, how amazing is that?

Those who have been in Japan, have you seen them? I’m sure you already did! For those who haven’t visited Japan yet, I know the designs will interest you as much as I did.

Gardening in Japan

How has your stay-at-home request period lasted? Have you gotten into any interesting hobbies recently? I’m sure I have~

I’ve long been interested in growing my own herb garden, and Japan seems to be the perfect place to do so with its four seasons welcoming all kinds of plants and encouraging variety for all of winter, spring, summer, and fall. I’m not really a green thumb myself, but because of the uncertainty of the times, I find relief and peace of mind in plants.

Recently, I started planting again. I started with a cactus because I tend to forget to water plants. I also see myself as one because I am low-maintenance haha! Then I planted mini tomatoes which I might be able to harvest next month. Yay me!

I hope you could see the beauty and peace plants like flowers, herbs, and even succulents give you during these times of unrest. Let’s help the planet keep green by growing a plant or two in our gardens or verandas.

This is my cactus with its flower blooming~

Kamakura Half-Day Trip

I traveled around Kamakura early this year. It was not a well-planned trip and I woke up late that morning. It was after lunchtime when I arrived there.

To my surprise, most temples and shops in Kamakura close their doors around 5 pm! I was lucky enough to spend my time visiting the famous temple and some shops. There are many places yet to be explored. I will surely visit here again.

If you want to visit Kamakura, remember to reach Kamakura station as early as possible so that you can have enough time to discover this charming city and beautiful nature.

Japanese Anime and Manga

Have you ever watched any Japanese anime or read a Japanese manga? I can remember the first one I’ve watched, Yu Yu Hakusho when I was in kindergarten and elementary. I tried so hard to sing along to the catchy tune of its opening song and remember how each character fought the villains.

As I grew older it became a stress-reliever every time I took a break whenever I felt stressed studying. It becomes an escape as you can laugh or cry whenever something happens to your beloved characters.

These days, it’s a great way to take a break from the stress of our current situation with the virus. We can also reconnect with our inner child and relax.

I hope you find a new anime to binge on~ Happy watching~!

Sofmap #4 Anime Section

A Visit to Ramen Museum

Do you like to eat Ramen? Ramen is one of my favorite food in Japan. To me, the broth is the essences in Ramen. You will never find the same good taste of Ramen in Malaysia!

I visited the Ramen Museum in Yokohama with my friend last year, where I have a chance to explore a 1:1 replica of the old town of Tokyo. I indulge myself in the atmosphere and I feel like traveling back to the old times.

In my opinion, we could only appreciate the taste of the food more when we know the history behind it.

It was an amazing and exploring visit!

School Field Trip in Mt. Takao

Have you been to Mt. Takao? It is a mountain park located in the city of Hachioji, west of Tokyo. It is famous for hiking and sightseeing specially during the peak of autumn. My school had an end of the year field trip to Mt. Takao just after we finished taking the JLPT (Japanese Language Proficiency Test) last December 2019. We went there with all of our teachers, schoolmates and classmates. It was my first time to hike here in Japan during fall and I was so amazed with the view!

Shopping in Japan

Do you like shopping for new clothes? New accessories? The latest gadgets? Most of us love retail therapy and the feeling of getting a good deal.

What I love about Japan is its seasonal discounts and promotional sales and campaigns during major holidays. Although it is difficult to get through crowded shops, getting a cheap shirt or even the limited edition snack that I want is always worth it.

What is your favorite experience when shopping? Mine was when I got a ton of discounts at the Gotemba Premium Outlet stores. I had a lot of fun going to each shop. I surely miss that now, but then there’s always Amazon~

I hope we can all enjoy a relaxing retail therapy after all of this blows over. ‘Til then we should keep ourselves safe and healthy~!

Kitte, Tokyo

Learning English Through Music

Songs make your study session FUN!

Learning a new language could be stressful if it is not appealing to you.

The thing is how to learn a language in a FUN and RELAX way? That is through MUSIC!

When you listening to the song in the language that you want to learn, don’t just listen, SING along to it! Music stimulates your memory! It can help you in committing a new language to memory. Moreover, learning to sing a song increases your vocabulary.

Music is an easy and accessible option in picking up English. Relax and sing along to the song!

Barbecue Party with Friends

Great weather plus great food with friends is indeed a great experience to have. Barbecue party and picnic by the park or river is a common thing in Japan. Me and my friends got to enjoy the perfect weather and view last summer. We cooked and ate lots of foods, took a lot of photos and just had a very great and relaxing time. The park near the river was huge and it wasn’t very windy that time. We totally enjoyed the rest of the day.

In the coming months, I hope that everything will get better. We can do what we normally do and that we can spend more time with our friends and loved ones. For now, let’s remember those days and look forward to the better days coming our way.

Solo Trip

I grabbed the chance to travel alone last summer to Osaka, Kyoto, and Nara from Tokyo during the summer break. In fact, I did not plan to travel at first, but I told myself, this could be a good opportunity to step out of my comfort zone and travel ALONE while I’m still young!

So without a second thought, I booked the overnight bus ticket and started off my journey.

Kyoto is a city where you can admiring the historical buildings while shopping at the modern shopping malls. Some people said that Kyoto is Japan in a nutshell. I couldn’t deny it. This city is attractive in its own way, and you couldn’t get the same feeling and excitement in other parts of Japan. I felt in love with this city the moment I arrived here.

It was not a perfect-planned trip but I have gone ahead despite the pounding in my heart that says turn back.

Travel far enough to meet yourself!

A Day at Tokyo Disneyland

No matter how old you are, Disneyland will always make you feel young. I have been to this place twice but my first time going there was very nostalgic. I spent most of my childhood watching Disney movies, cartoons and series that’s why I love everything about Disney. When I visited Tokyo Disneyland for the first time, I was so amazed with all the details in the park. From the castle up to the smallest candy shapes you can find in some of the foods, they are all very detailed. I would love to go back there over and over again.

Unfortunately with our current situation, the park closed and there is still no update with regards to its reopening. I hope that soon, we can see the children, and kids at heart again enjoying the “happiest place on earth”, Disneyland.

Narrow Streets of Japan

How wide are roads and streets in your hometown? Are they wide enough for many cars to pass? Or are they too narrow even for one? Japan is an odd mix of both, but I often find it aesthetic and pleasing.

I love looking at empty streets and staying at the roadside to enjoy the pace of the city. Seeing bustling streets and busy people or just empty ones with little to no people. The cleanliness adds to that feeling of comfort and ease. This led me to love taking longer walks and strolls with friends and loved ones on regular days and when I travel. How about you?

Walking down the roads and narrow streets coupled with intersections and alleyways give you a strange, familiar feeling. It’s nostalgic and unique at the same time. Let’s take time to appreciate these little things and who knows, we might discover new places, and new friends along the way.

Thrift shopping in Shimo Kitazawa

こんにちは、

Recently I rediscovered some photos from when I visited Shimo Kitazawa. Shimo Kitazawa is a small area in western Tokyo, where you can find lots of shopping streets with everything to offer from great restaurants to thrift stores. When I visited in the beginning of March, I was really lucky with the weather. I went there by bike and have been walking around the area for quiet some time. I really enjoyed the atmosphere. There were many young japanese people meeting with their friends and enjoying some cold drinks on the side of the streets. Also, you can get some great deals on second hand clothing, accessories, etc. so if you enjoy shopping, but don't like spending too much money, this is a great way to go. Have you ever been to Shimo Kitazawa? How did you like it?

Some cool graffiti on one of the streets

Hello!

皆さん、こんにちは！

My name is Yona, I am an international student here in Japan and I am from the Philippines!