5 Tips for Enjoying Your Homestay in Japan
A new year has begun! A new semester is beginning, and summer is now a little closer to …
Kristen Barrett Archive
JET-setting into the Deep Countryside of Japan: My Experience
When I taught English abroad in the inaka (countryside) of Japan, I lived in a very small, very …
A Peek Inside the World of Banana Yoshimoto
I try to recall the day that I first found Banana Yoshimoto, and the memory is shrouded in …
The 5 Best Haruki Murakami Books You Need to Read
After drifting away from it for a time, diving back into the world of Haruki Murakami is like …
The Healthiest Habits You Can Pick Up in Japan
“I don’t know, I just wanna’ get healthy, you know? I wanna’ take…better care of myself. I would …
The Japanese Skin Care Routine That Changed My Life
When I was younger, I learned two things from my mother: one, to never apologize for bursts of …
Working Out in Japan: How to Stay Fit
In the past few years, a movement has quietly begun to take shape in Japan. A subtle but …
The Top Japanese Skin Care Products
Take All of Our Yen: Japanese Skin Care Products You’ll Love Japan is a country where a minimalistic, …
The Best Apps for Learning Japanese
When I was learning Japanese, my go-to device was my Nintendo DS. On it, I used the game …
The Best Japanese Documentaries You Can Watch Right Now
With all of the streaming options we have now, the choices can become overwhelming. I can’t tell you …
Temples, Soba, and Bags, Oh My! Celebrating New Year’s in Japan
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 …
6 Mind-Blowing Winter Illuminations in Japan
Japan may not be the place you associate winter travel with, but then again, does anyone associate the …
How to Celebrate Christmas in Japan
Although less than 1% of the Japanese population is Christian, Christmas is celebrated with as much enthusiasm there …
10 Things You’ll Miss When You Leave Japan
So, you’ve been living in Japan, or you’ve made the journey there for a visit, and it’s time …
10 Reasons You Should Travel to Hokkaido
By all means, travel to the cities like Tokyo and Kyoto- they’re all spectacular in their own right …
The 10 Best Japanese Shows on Netflix
The 10 Best Japanese Shows on Netflix Right Now: TV & Movies Ah, Netflix, the destroyer of time …
The Best Hotels Near Universal Studios Japan
No matter how old you get, there is always something a little magical at the idea of taking …
The 5 Best Things I Did to Help Myself Learn Japanese
There is never truly an end to learning a language, and to me, that is precisely what makes …
Staying at a Ryokan: An Unforgettable Experience
5 Reasons Why You’ll Love Staying at a Ryokan So you’re going to Japan or you’re thinking about …
The Pros and Cons of Living in Japan as a Foreigner
Japan has long been a place idolized by outsiders, and rightly so. It’s the country where trains run …