Unko Kanji Drill books

Japan’s unusual humour strikes again in the form of Unko Kanji Drill books. “Unko” means “poop”

Japan Scene 7: Flip a coin for elderly men

Japan has a lot of elderly people. About a quarter of the population is 65 and over and with a declining birthrate there is a

Sumikko Gurashi – School Life Begins

Japan is famous for its myriad of characters. Characters like Anpanman, Doraemon and Pikachu generate billions of dollars year

Goshuincho – The Japan Temple/Shrine stamp book

Ever since first visiting Japan in 2011 I have always wanted to get a Goshuincho or “honourable stamp/seal book” used by p

Arakura Fuji Sengen Shrine

Arakura Fuji Sengen Shrine is the poster child for scenic views of Mount Fuji and a landscape that changes drastically with th

The rise of the Black “Halfs” in Japan

I don’t claim to stay in touch with all the racial and identity battles raging in Japan for a while now. However, I can&

Mishima Skywalk – Japan’s longest pedestrian suspension bridge

Mount Fuji is a huge draw for tourists and so on all kinds of the mountain, there are various attractions competing for their

Mount Fuji Hike – Climbing the Highest Mountain in Japan

I have now travelled to more than half of Japan’s 47 prefectures. I don’t really have a goal to visit them all but

10 Years on YouTube

Ten years ago I uploaded my first video to YouTube. Like any YouTuber that has ever YouTubed, it is of course… an embarr

JLPT N4 Books and Preparation – CRUNCH TIME!!!

I am still very much on my journey to learn Japanese – a journey that will never end. A recent success was passing The f

My Skirt, Where Did It Go? – Japanese drama

My Skirt, Where Did It Go? or Ore no Sukato, Doko Itta? is a Japanese drama about a cross-dressing gay teacher who starts work

Rurikoji – Buddhist temple in Yamaguchi

This year the Golden Week in Japan was a 10 day stretch of holidays due to the New emperor ascending to the throne and the cha

Scrutinized by police in Shibuya

The dreaded day I feared has arrived. I was stopped, searched, probed and embarrassed in a crowded Shibuya 50 metres from the

Utilities and Rent – Cost of Living in Japan

So you want to move to Japan but have no idea about living expenses or cost of living in Japan? Especially utilities and such.

7 tools I used to pass the JLPT N5

So you want to attempt the Japanese Language proficiency test starting at the N5. Don’t let anyone troll you that its th

I passed the JLPT N5

Six months ago I announced that I failed the N5 level of the Japanese Language proficiency test. I tried to be positive about

The Railway Museum in Saitama

Take a short train ride outside Tokyo to Saitama to the Railway Museum and enjoy hours of fun learning about railway technolog

Japanese High School Kids enjoy visit to Jamaica

Tottori Prefecture and Western Jamaica’s relationship has been growing deeper and closer. Culture, sports, tourism, educ

Reigniting my Table Tennis flame

I played table tennis it high school, reluctantly at first as I wanted to do track and field but my asthma made me unable to

Driving School and getting my Drivers Licence in Japan

Recently I went to a driving school in Japan to aid me in acquiring my driver’s license here. For most foreigners gettin

Things getting clearer the second time around

A few weeks ago I recognized that it has been one year since I have been living in Japan. I am amazed at how fast the time has

Just when I thought I was a Japan-travel guru

I recently went to Tokyo. Travelling from my rural island via ferry and overnight bus. I really enjoyed myself in Tokyo but th

One Year Living in Japan

It’s now officially one year since I plopped off that plane in Tokyo excited about moving to Japan. I have blogged and s

Learn Kanji over time to level-up your Japanese

Kanji are characters adopted from Chinese for writing Japanese. Together with Kanji, Hiragana and Katakana make up the Japanes