I recently had the chance to play tour guide for some visiting family, which meant seeing Japan through a tourist’s eyes for the first time in years. And let me tell you—I was genuinely surprised by how often cash was … Continue reading When Cash is Still Needed in Japan (Even in 2025!)
If you’ve ever tried to take home leftovers in Japan and were met with confusion (or a firm “no”), you’re not alone. In this post, I dive into why taking food home from restaurants isn’t common in Japan—from strict food safety laws to cultural norms—and what to expect if you ask. Plus, a few tips on how to navigate Japan’s unique takeout culture. Continue reading Why You (Usually) Can’t Take Leftovers Home in Japan: The Truth About Takeout Culture
Hi everyone! It’s been ages since I’ve posted a personal update here, so I wanted to take a moment to catch you up on where I’ve been these past few years. I also wanted to share a bit about the … Continue reading A Life Update from Lauren
I went through the permanent residency process in 2023 after reaching my 10-year mark of living in Japan. Gaining permanent residency had been one of my long-term goals, and while marrying a Japanese citizen is one way to secure residency, … Continue reading A Quick Guide to Permanent Residency in Japan
The next big topic in this series is one I get asked about constantly: work-life balance in Japan, especially when it comes to overtime — and how COVID changed (or didn’t change) those norms. My answers are a mix of my own … Continue reading Working in a Japanese Company #11 – Work-Life Balance, Overtime, and COVID
If you had told me in early 2020 that I’d get back into anime and manga at almost 30 years old, I would’ve laughed. I’ve lived in Japan for nearly a decade, right in the middle of anime culture, and … Continue reading How I became a Weeb again at 30
When I asked on Instagram what questions people had about working in a Japanese company (outside of English teaching), the response was huge. So huge, in fact, that I had to break everything into multiple posts. This first one tackles a … Continue reading Working in a Japanese Company #10 – Am I treated Differently as a Foreigner?
For this next part of the series, I wanted to dive into something I get asked about a lot: the differences between working in the U.S. vs. working in Japan. Having worked in both countries, it’s always fascinating to see what … Continue reading Working in a Japanese Company: Part 9 – 5 Key Differences Between Working in the USA and Japan
Winter in Japan varies where you are visiting, but most of the country gets consistently to 0 degrees celsius or colder during the winter, so it gets pretty cold… at least to me. I went from not knowing anything about … Continue reading 5 Ways To Survive Winter In Japan From A Native Floridian
Living in Japan as a foreigner is such a fulfilling experience. I’ve been living here for over 7 years now and can’t imagine living anywhere else, but with the good comes the bad. There are some realities of living in … Continue reading 5 Realities of Living in Japan as a Foreigner
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