The Most Bizarre and Uncomfortable Dinner Party I’ve Ever Attended

I was invited for dinner not long ago with two women 25 years my senior. They are different nationalities to me and to each other, but one of them speaks English. I didn’t know them well, but I accepted the invitation because I thought what is life if it’s not about experiencing new things? If

My Take On Why Japan Is Skinny. And It’s Not To Do With Raw Fish and Seaweed.

It’s no secret that Japan has one of the lowest obesity rates in the world. Western stereotypes would have us believe that this is due to a scant diet of raw fish and seaweed. But having lived in Japan for nearly two years, I’ve noticed that there is a lot going on here besides diet. Sure,

Cafés in Japan: The Scandinavian Show Home or Your Dead Grandma’s Kitchen

These are the two categories. There’s no in between. (I’m leaving out the maid/robot/animal themed cafes of Tokyo. That’s a whole other thing.) So you’ve got to do your research. But that doesn’t mean taking Google maps’ descriptions as gospel. ‘Café’ does not necessarily mean an establishment that remotely resembles Starbucks in any way. But

Things You Shouldn’t Do in Japan: Say ‘You’

I don’t know if people are aware of this but sometimes things are different in different cultures. WHAT? I don’t – Yep. For example in Japan, using the word ‘you’ in conversation can be rude. Seriously?! What do you MEAN? In the event that you need to direct a question at someone UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES

‘Japan never really had corona virus, right?’ – friends not living in Japan.

I thought I’d address the above popular belief and give a 100% FACTUALLY ACCURATE explanation of what’s been going on east-side. (Spoiler alert: we absolutely did/do have corona virus but hats off to the Japanese media for fooling the West like that.) So, it’s January 2020 and Japan gets its first confirmed case of the

Oysters: A Cautionary Tale

One of my favourite things about Japan is the food, obviously. For me, all foreign supermarkets are treasure troves of enchanting delights. Japan’s, however, are really a cut above the rest, not least because oysters are a fraction of the cost here (and are sold in supermarkets). I spy them one day glinting and calling

Myths Debunked

Myth 1: All Japanese Children Are Perfect Polite Little Angels. Some kids at the middle school love to mimic things I say in silly voices. If I try to speak Japanese they’ll impersonate my accent and if I speak English… they’ll impersonate my accent. I’m being bullied by 13 year-olds. They’ve also complained that I

Me + My Cool New Japanese Friends

It’s taken all of 3 months but today I finally plucked up the courage to venture into a local establishment alone. Up until now a pervasive sense of awkwardness, fear and shame (‘I’m a Western idiot that’s gonna make you speak to me in MY language, because I don’t speak your language’) makes the prospect

UK to Japan: What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger

When I was 12 and I played a Pokémon game where cute, pink monsters swiped sushi off a conveyor belt with massive, limacine tongues. And from that point on I’ve wanted to live in Japan. Now I do live here and I can (and do) swipe sushi off a conveyor belt myself on a bi-weekly