Recently, I was reminiscing about all the food I long to eat in the United States. Pizza with layers of real mozzarella cheese and pepperoni, a fat breakfast of steak and eggs, doused in Frank’s Red Hot, a Mexican Pizza and a few MexiMelts from Taco Bell after drinking all night, a REAL hot dog, […]

This isn’t one of those “Hey, I bet you I’m greener than you are” pieces. It’s not even an advice article. It’s just a “Where’re we all at with protecting the environment and all that?” post.
Personally, I know I should do a lot more. Fortunately, most cities and towns in Japan are pretty green when […]

When searching the Japan-related web, you’re likely to find a wealth of interesting sites and blogs. For a long time, though, it was difficult to find one source that linked together the best (and sometimes not) in Japan news, blogs, travel info…etc.
Then came along JapanSoc, a wonderful Japan social-networking site created by webmaster Nick Ramsay. […]

It’s summer and there’s nothing better (or more refreshing) on a hot, humid day in Japan than knocking back a few nama biiru with some good friends at a cool joint. However, the price of just about everything has gone up in Japan this year, including beer, so cheap beer options have become more limited […]

There are sites out there dedicated to listing Japan-related websites and blogs, but JapanBlogger is the only one that lets you view each blog’s front page and check out its user ratings. Also, users can comment on individual blogs, either praising them or really ripping into them.
I created JapanBlogger because I enjoy being part of […]

Who are the worst tourists in the world in your experience? People often complain about American tourists as being loud and obnoxious while demanding everyone speak English, even in their own countries. I used to think, Hey, that’s probably true. I mean, being American and spending most of my life in America, I was pretty familiar […]

Are you a slave to fashion? I’m not, but I do like to people-watch. And, Tokyo is a great city for doing just that. I can spend an hour or two at a café with outdoor seating just watching people go by in places like Shibuya, Shinjuku, or Ikebukuro. Of course, attractive girls will always […]

There’s a lot of confusion regarding Japan’s National Health Insurance (NHI) scheme (Kokumin Kenkou Hoken - 国民健康保険) and National Pension plan (Kokumin Nenkin - 国民年金). The big questions are, Do I have to register in a public health insurance scheme here in Japan if I am going to remain in the country for a year […]

Roy Kaiser shared some interesting information about the bombs that were dropped on Tokyo in Part 1 of Reflections on Unexploded WWII Bombs in Japan and today he talks about three different disposals that he participated in as a member of the Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team based out of Ikego Army Ammunition Depot in […]

The recent 7:10 to Tokyo article, Unexploded WWII Bombs In Japan- How Many Are Out There?, provoked some interesting responses but it came as a bit of a surprise to hear from someone who was actually on the ground in Japan disposing of these remnants from WWII. Roy Kaiser took an interest this article and […]