Turning Agriculture into Industry— Rising Above Environmental Dependence
Plant Factories – Their Potential for Improving Food Availability Within Agricultural Industrialization & Constraint of Resources Developments involving the industrialization of agriculture are again showing new life. New production systems called “factory production” or “plant factories” are becoming established as heightened consumer concerns about food safety and security add to the background of increased instability […]
Staple-free Stapler in Japan
With the ongoing campaign to sort waste for more efficient recycling --- as well as wider utilization of paper shredders --- more people are opting not to use metal stables when fastening sheets of paper. Now “Harinacs” from stationery maker KOKUYO has introduced a new system that enables neat fastening of papers using the paper […]
What do you do on a commuter train?
The coronavirus has led to a culture of telecommuting, but now that the virus has stopped spreading, people are starting to go to work again. It is not unusual for people living in the suburbs of Tokyo to spend an hour each way to work. So what are they doing on the train? Read a […]
What do you worry about most when thinking about nursing your elderly parents?
Psychological burden Physical burden Elderly care service fees Finding a good elderly care facility Not knowing much about elderly care Having to consult with strangers about the care Administrative procedures The potential negative effects on my own career or job Reputation of my family Others Source: HUMA CORP. (Conducted among Japanese of all ages)
What is Monjayaki?
Monjayaki and Its History Monjayaki a Specialty of Tokyo’s Shitamachi Has Its Roots in Monjiyaki Monjayaki is mostly eaten in the Kanto region where Tokyo is situated. Of the monjayaki, the most well known is probably the monjayaki in the Tsukishima district of Tokyo’s shitamachi (traditional shopping and entertaining district). (See its official Tsukishima Monja […]
Japan’s Newly Made Innovative Products
Move It! “Hakobunder,” an eco-friendly Cycle Trailer from Aichi Prefecture-based Belair Systems, features a gutterless joint (patent applied for) designed to attach to the seat post of most bicycles. The noise-free joint has been specially designed to guard against lateral tipping over. The manufacturer foresees such applications as transporting waste for discarding, working home vegetable […]
What Surprises Non-Japanese While Living in Japan? (5): Umbrella Pilfering
Umbrella Pilfering The Japanese are famous for their honesty. Over the years, foreign visitors have been amazed at how wallets have been left in very public places – restaurants and restrooms – and they have been returned with its content completely intact. There is one exception to the impressive honesty of the Japanese – how […]
What is “Ochugen”? What is“Oseibo”? What Surprises Non-Japanese While Living in Japan? (4): Culture of Giving a Gift
Culture of Giving a Gift: “Ochugen” and “Oseibo” In Japan at midsummer, gifts are exchanged between companies or individuals. These gifts are called “ochugen.” This practice traces back to the custom of sharing with relatives and neighbors one’s offerings to the souls of family ancestors during “bon” (the Buddhist souls’ day festival). Nowadays, however, it […]
What Surprises Non-Japanese While Living in Japan? (3): Slippers Culture
(3) Culture of Slippers Japanese are sometimes amused when foreigners make cultural faux pas, but when it comes to mistakes about changing shoes, some people get genuinely upset. The need to change shoes is not specifically a religious practice and performed in other countries. However in Japan, the Shinto belief of frowning upon impurities is […]
What Surprises Non-Japanese While Living in Japan? (2): diagnose personality by blood type
There is a tendency to diagnose personality by blood type in Japan. “Before coming to Japan, I had no idea what my blood type was,” says Christine, a 21-year-old Swiss woman studying at a Japanese university. “But time and time again, Japanese friends would look so disappointed when I said I didn’t know. Finally, I […]