Life In Japan

Feeling the MAGA dread? Thinking four more years of this might just break you? You're not alone. But forget the cliché "move to Canada" plan – higher costs, lower pay, and impossible immigration aren't the escape you need. There's a better way out, a path to sanity, adventure, and maybe even a fatter savings account, far from the MAGA noise. Asia is calling. Imagine trading the daily outrage for bustling night markets, stunning temples, and weekend trips to tropical beaches. Think it's just a backpacker fantasy? Think again. This guide is your no-nonsense roadmap, written by a savvy ...

Japan is a nation made up of many islands in the western Pacific Ocean. Over 100 million people live in this small nation of islands. Many live in the countryside, but millions live in crowded cities like Tokyo. Students will learn about the physical features of the landscape and surrounding waters as well as the cultural aspects of the Japanese from old traditions to modern everyday life.

Marriage in Japan I went out for lunch with my partner at a cafe the other day that stood across the train station in a Japanese desolate rural town where I live. To call it a cafe is a bit too fancy. It’s not the likes of Starbucks but rather a small old mom-and-pop diner that was built well over 30 years ago and remained as it was, which perfectly matched this old town itself. We sat at the table and overheard a conversation from the table next to us. Three old women in their eighties sat around the table by the window. “She has passed away, too.” “This could be the last time we ...

When I woke up in the morning, it had stopped snowing for the first time in several days and it was a clear day with the blue sky. I decided to go to a city a little far from the town. But it had started snowing heavily again by the time I left. I scurried to the station in the snow and heard the delay of the train announced there. That meant I would miss my connection of the train to the city. Because only a few trains run in this line, having another connection is hard. I gave up going there and had lunch at a local restaurant. This town is situated in the mountains and the weather is ...

The Broken Leaf invites you to explore the beauty and gospel images found in Japanese art and culture. Through 10 short meditations, discover for yourself just how God might be revealing his story in the everyday objects of your life, whenever and wherever you may be.

"The Way of the Samurai: The Birth of a Warrior". Discover the Legend of the Samurai who Conquered the Heart of Japan! "The Way of the Samurai: Birth of a Warrior" will transport you to the fascinating world of ancient Japan, enveloping you in a richly detailed narrative that combines action, adventure and profound life lessons. Follow Kenjiro on his quest to become a true warrior, as he discovers that true power lies in the heart and mind. Can Kenjiro honor his father's legacy and become the samurai he is destined to be? Immerse yourself in this epic tale of honor, bravery and self-...

A young Japanese woman was running through Tokyo station screaming “Save me! Save me!” There was a Japanese man chasing her and closing in. He grabbed her wrist and caught her, about 10 feet in front of me. The woman was still yelling “Save me! Save me!”, but the Japanese people in the crowded station ignored her, not wanting to get involved. This is the beginning of just one of the stories from my experience living in Japan in the 1980s, where I had moved right after graduating university.

On 11 March 2011, a massive earthquake sent a 120-foot-high tsunami smashing into the coast of Northeast Japan. By the time the sea retreated, more than 18,000 people had been crushed, burned to death, or drowned. It was Japan's greatest single loss of life since the atomic bombing of Nagasaki. It set off a national crisis and the meltdown of a nuclear power plant. And even after the immediate emergency had abated, the trauma of the disaster continued to express itself in bizarre and mysterious ways.

When Liane Grunberg Wakabayashi fell in love in Tokyo, the feisty journalist from New York opened her heart to a charming shiatsu therapist who had never really met a Jew before. Contrasting wedding ceremonies – a lavish Imperial Hotel Shinto affair for his side, a modest Jewish wedding for hers, set the stage for a fascinating union between powerful Jewish and Japanese cultures. Through scintillating conversations with her husband, Ichiro, delivered with humor, the author invites the reader into her home, where Buddhist funerals, Shinto rites, Shabbat, and Jewish holidays are celebrated ...

A Woman with An Iron Heart! The nearest train station from my home that I usually use has no station attendants on site. All it has are a ticket vending machine and an emergency phone. There’s no ticket gate either. A passenger gets a ticket from the machine and goes directly onto the platform. Upon arrival, they put the used tickets into a box on the wall. There are several no-attendant stations like that along this local line. That means it’s possible to ride free if you get on and off the train both at those stations. It’s kind of an honorable system that whether you pay for the ...

The legend of the Moonless Festival states if you take to the sea on a moonless night, return to shore before first light, that which you desire most, will arrive during the rising sun. Rin, her life hasn't always been easy, but that's never stopped her from working hard. She strives to become a doctor to help those less fortunate, a goal that stems from past tragedies. Tadano is reserved, detached, maybe even arrogant, to others. He's muddled through life... Until he saw and met Rin. She changed the very ground he walked on. His dormant heart awakened whenever she was near. As their ...