Kristen Barrett 
A new year has begun! A new semester is beginning, and summer is now a little closer to us. Well, unless you’re in Australia/The Upside-Down, then winter is coming. Say hi to Barb for us! Poor Barb. With a new start here, you may be pondering a big change: a semester or summer studying abroad … Read more
When I taught English abroad in the inaka (countryside) of Japan, I lived in a very small, very old mountain village. From afar, it was beautiful. Rice fields surrounded the mountain, lush greenery was everywhere, and in the summer, tall cumulus clouds floated slowly across the sky. It was like a scene straight out of … Read more
I try to recall the day that I first found Banana Yoshimoto, and the memory is shrouded in an aggravating haze. I must have been in my early college days, browsing the fiction section (the end of it, no doubt, where all the other Y-named authors reside), when the image of a young Japanese … Read more
After drifting away from it for a time, diving back into the world of Haruki Murakami is like going home again. That is, if home consists of heartache, jazz, Western literature, talking cats, whiskey, pasta-making, and classical music. Which, apart from the talking cats, is not too far outside the realm of normal. Murakami, … Read more
“I don’t know, I just wanna’ get healthy, you know? I wanna’ take…better care of myself. I would like to start eating healthier…I don’t want all that pasta! (sigh) I would like to start eating, like, Japanese food.” So sayeth Bob, or, the actor Bill Murray, in the 2003 film Lost in Translation, as he … Read more
When I was younger, I learned two things from my mother: one, to never apologize for bursts of ugly-sobbing when the world was crashing down on you and your only comfort was a wine cooler (it was the 90’s), and two, to never ever go to sleep with your makeup still on. Fifteen or so … Read more
In the past few years, a movement has quietly begun to take shape in Japan. A subtle but undeniable growth of the fitness-focused lifestyle has bloomed, planted in a country some might deem barren of fitness education. Images of muscular, tanned Japanese men posing at bodybuilding events are plastered on social media, a stark contrast … Read more
Take All of Our Yen: Japanese Skin Care Products You’ll Love Japan is a country where a minimalistic, simple aesthetic has long been prized. Of course, step foot into the panic-attack-inducing, claustrophobic confines of an electronics store in Akihabara, Tokyo, and you may beg to differ. But overall, there is a theme that seeps into … Read more
When I was learning Japanese, my go-to device was my Nintendo DS. On it, I used the game “Kanji Sono-mama Rakubiki Jiten,” an electronic Japanese dictionary and kanji translator, and I got my money’s worth. I used that baby every single day throughout college for my Japanese classes. When I lived in Japan, I carried … Read more
With all of the streaming options we have now, the choices can become overwhelming. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve scrolled through my Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, or YouTube queue, unable to choose what I’m in the mood to watch. I scroll until my eyes go cross-eyed and I toss my phone onto the … Read more
3!..2!…1! Happy Pretend-the-world-isn’t-burning-down-around-us-Day! Happy New Year! Midnight strikes! Cue the kiss, or awkward “Do we hug, or high five? Or…” with your buddies that you may not be on intimate terms with. Go in for that hug! Be bold! It’s a new you, baby. And whether you’re breaking out of your shell over the New … Read more
Japan may not be the place you associate winter travel with, but then again, does anyone associate the word “winter” with “travel”? I think of winter, and I think of several heavy blankets, made into a mountain-shaped pile under which I remain for four solid months with my laptop, streaming Netflix. Like a bear. A … Read more
Although less than 1% of the Japanese population is Christian, Christmas is celebrated with as much enthusiasm there as it is in nearly any other country where the holiday is recognized. Then again, many people in the West celebrate it as more of a cultural tradition than a religious one themselves, so really, who’s to … Read more
So, you’ve been living in Japan, or you’ve made the journey there for a visit, and it’s time to leave. All good things must come to an end, as they say. As you look down from your overpriced window seat on the airplane, you hear a voice. “You’ll be back,” the coastline whispers as it … Read more
By all means, travel to the cities like Tokyo and Kyoto– they’re all spectacular in their own right and for their own reasons. But I hope to offer you a list that might entice you to consider making the trek up to Japan’s northernmost island. And if you’re not much of a winter person or … Read more
The 10 Best Japanese Shows on Netflix Right Now: TV & Movies Ah, Netflix, the destroyer of time due to days of binge-fests and hours upon hours of endless entertainment. Truly, nothing gives me more pleasure than ignoring reality while I guzzle wine and zip through an entire season of Anne with an E (you … Read more
No matter how old you get, there is always something a little magical at the idea of taking a trip to a theme park. Who says you can’t excel at being a human adult while also shrieking at the idea of drinking Butterbeer at Hogsmeade? If you’re going to indulge in your child-like delights, Universal … Read more
There is never truly an end to learning a language, and to me, that is precisely what makes it so exciting. You’re never done. There is always something new to learn, and you will always play the role of the student. I was always that kid in class who loved coming back to school in … Read more
5 Reasons Why You’ll Love Staying at a Ryokan So you’re going to Japan or you’re thinking about going. Congratulations! You’re one step closer to getting yourself to one of the most wonderful, wackiest, unforgettable countries on the planet. Now, in terms of rooming options, you could go the way of the Airbnb or stay … Read more
Japan has long been a place idolized by outsiders, and rightly so. It’s the country where trains run on time to the minute (take note, Western cities- yes, you, New York City), where vending machines can conveniently be found in the middle of rice fields (this is true), and where a wealth of fascinating history … Read more