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 […]

Atsuuuuiiii! You hear it all summer long in Japan, and indeed, many people complain about the long, sweltering days and damp, sleepless nights. But for me, summer is a great time to be in Japan. Fireworks shows, local festivals, yukatas and Mt. Fuji climbing excursions… These are just some of the things that make summertime […]

They are the big 3 of Japan’s mobile phone world: DoCoMo, au by KDDI, and Softbank. You see their shops everywhere you go; in and/or around train stations, in large shopping malls and giant electronics stores like Bic Camera or Yodobashi. Quite often you see cute girls in skimpy shop uniforms in front of the […]

Each of us has in mind different famous people (usually only a handful) who when they die, it hits hard. Sometimes we see these people getting older and we think to ourselves, Man, when this person passes away, it’s gonna suck. For me, George Carlin was one of these people.
George Carlin was a brilliant stand-up […]

Grizzled, determined archaeologist Indiana Jones crouches in front of a bizarre, fascinating golden idol. The John Williams score needles in and out. Jones runs a hand across his stubble, trying to guess the weight of the artifact. He reaches into his sack and pulls out a handful of sand. Slowly, he lets the grains fall, […]

Let’s call him, Yuji. That’s not his real name, but you know the deal. He was 11 years old when he studied English at the Yokohama conversation school I worked at, and a student of mine. Every time I greeted him in the school lobby with a “Hi, Yuji! How are you, today?” he responded […]