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For years the Japanese Language Proficiency Test has been the official yardstick that non-Japanese people to measure just how good their Japanese really is. Whether you’re taking level N5 or have the chutzpah to try for level N1, here are ten universal laws to keep in mind when preparing for exam. These rules are so […]

Yamanote. Hibiya. TX. Keihin-Tohoku. Chuo. Sobu. What do all of these words have in common? Are they the names of the newest hottest anime series from Shonen Jump? Nope, guess again. Are they the Japanese names of Donald’s six illegitimate Japanese children? NO! See?!? that’s how rumors get started! You know what, just forget it. […]

As you probably know, earthquakes are quite common in Japan, maybe more so than any country in the world. If you’ve ever experienced an earthquake, it can be a bit unsettling (especially for foreigners). But when the bigger ones happen, the same idea runs through everyone’s mind…that panic, that fear, that “What Should I Do?” […]

Over the weekend I went to Odaiba (おだいばお or 台場) for the very first time. For many people living in Tokyo, and for many foreigners who’ve been in Japan for a while, this may not sound like such a big deal. Odaiba is a very popular hangout spot. Granted I have seen Odaiba and the […]

I was making my “Wonder Goo” run the other day, it’s this super store with video games, DVDs, books, and all kinds of other cool stuff. As I was walking through the store, being the nerd boy that I am, I stopped because I saw a cool-looking X-Men First Class, DVD display. I watched some […]

Many a foreigner will confess that Japan can be a super easy place to live. For those who have been here for maybe two years or longer, you may start to experience that cycle. You told your family and friends that Japan was temporary, that you’d just be here for a year. One year becomes […]

If you’ve never used chopsticks before coming to Japan, this may take a little bit of practice. I’ve been using them since I was a little kid (maybe around seven)*. If you take the “I’m just having fun” approach to using chopsticks, you’ll save yourself a ton of frustration. If you’ve never used them before, […]

If you were trying to get your Pasmo or Suica card to help you get around a little bit more easily in Japan, I hope tutorial articles were easy enough to follow, and I hope you have your new Pasmo or Suica Card in hand. Now that you have it, what exactly can you do […]

Update: Hey Gang! This is a quick note to let you know that GoLloyd’s is now GoRemit a service owned by Shinesei Bank. To register you can go to the English version of the site here: http://www.goremit.jp/index/en. Looks like some more updates are in order 😉 When people consider moving to Japan, one of the […]

Now let’s look at how to get a Suica Card. Essentially the processes to get a Pasmo and a Suica are exactly the same. Even the names of the buttons you have to touch in order to complete the process are nearly identical. What’s going to be different about this particular post is that I’m […]

If you had a chance to check out the last post, you now know what a Pasmo Card is and what a Suica card is. If you didn’t have a chance to look at the previous post, no worries: you can click right here to go straight to it. Even if you’re just visiting Japan, […]

I have a short, money-matter post for your today. But why would it be short when it’s a finance-related post? Well, the reason this a shorter money-matters post is because it’s SUPER EASY to pay your bills in Japan. From Japanese utility bills to internet to tax payments, taking care of those recurring Japanese bills […]

This is just is follow-up to How to Play Kendama, Part 1.” I guess I needed to prove that I’m not all talk 😀 . You’ll see from the video that I’m not an expert at this game, just a mere beginner actually. But this will show you the basics in action. Enjoy! Thanks for […]

Looks like it’s that time again. It’s time to register for the Japanese Language Proficiency Test. In this tutorial, we’ll cover, step-by-step, how to register for the JLPT online (here in Japan).The JLPT is the standard many foreigners use to measure their Japanese chops. This exam tests your vocabulary, kanji, grammar, listening and reading knowlege. […]

Rice in Japan/Asia is as popular and as ubiquitous as bread is in to America. Odds are if you’re going to be living in Japan, you’re going to be eating more rice than you were accustomed to in the United States or your respective country. Rice is great because it’s incredibly easy to make, and […]

Your bank account is the crux of nearly all of your day-to-day financial dealings, regardless of the country you live in. Let’s look at how to open a Japanese bank account – specifically how to open a Japan Post bank account.We’ll examine three different parts of opening your Japan Post bank account:Where to goWhat you […]

I had no prior experience with Japanese before coming here (save a few Japanese CDs a month or two in advance). I came knowing absolutely nothing about how the language worked. But, once here, I went to my local bookstore and got my hands on a few books that taught me the basic rules. This […]

Washing your clothes is a pretty important, basic skill, one that you might often take for granted.  Honestly, wouldn’t it suck so bad to have to wear dirty clothes all the time?  Eventually the smells from your clothing’s everyday use would get so bad that you’d offend everyone around you.  You’d be ousted from social […]

The Japanese writing system is an interesting one indeed. Learning hiragana (the most basic of the Japanese system), learning katakana (used for loan words or foreign words) and learning kanji are the three essentials of being able to read and write. Japanese is perhaps one of the more complex writing systems of the modern world. I […]