Let Jade teach you all about the wonders of a Japanese Christmas!
Category: Travel
How Japan Celebrates Valentine’s Day
How do the Japanese celebrate Valentine’s Day? It’s a surprisingly different way to celebrating it in the west!
Why Do the Japanese Wear Masks?
I know that a lot of people see people in masks and think contamination (or perhaps construction workers). In Japan, however, it is quite normal to roam the streets wearing a mask. But why? There are a few reasons, but the original reason is to prevent infecting other people with your cold. In Japan, it … Continue reading Why Do the Japanese Wear Masks?
The Time I Accidentally Hatched Mosquitos in My Japanese Sharehouse Bedroom
I wish I wasn’t joking because I hate mosquitos! What the smeg is wrong with me? I swear bizarre things like this only happen to me... Let’s Start From The Beginning Well. It was summer and mosquitos are rife here in Japan. After the whole Dengue Fever palaver, I am now a little bit petrified … Continue reading The Time I Accidentally Hatched Mosquitos in My Japanese Sharehouse Bedroom
Cheap Around-the-World Travel with House Sitting…?
Sounds too good to be true, right! But, YES, you can perform around-the-world travel with house sitting! This is a brand new thing that my friend was telling me about the other day. Turns out, there's an entire website dedicated to matching holiday-goers with housesitters... Jade's Guide to Travel with House sitting So, imagine the … Continue reading Cheap Around-the-World Travel with House Sitting…?
Why Japanese Deodorant Doesn’t Work on Smelly Europeans
Jade's Guide To Being A Smelly White Girl Why doesn't Japanese deodorant work? Basically Asians have different genes compared to those of Caucasians. This goes for the majority of people, but I have known whiffy Asians and non-whiffy Caucasians too. Warning: This Post Involves A Bit Of Science We have two main types of sweat … Continue reading Why Japanese Deodorant Doesn’t Work on Smelly Europeans
Top 14 Things You Should Know Before You Visit Japan
Jade's Guide To Visiting JapanSo you're thinking of going to Japan - congratulations! It's truly an incredible country to tour around. I'm sure you'll have a lovely time taking some beautiful pictures, buying a lot of anime merchandise... Or whatever it is you want to come to Japan for. However, before you go, there are … Continue reading Top 14 Things You Should Know Before You Visit Japan
Japanese Jukus (Cram Schools) – The Truth About Japanese Education
Jade's Guide to Japanese Education Having worked as an English teacher in Tokyo for three years now, I have taught all ages. From babies to children to adults. I have also witnessed the transformation from Japanese children, struggling to keep their heads above water in the education system, to relieved university students bathing in freedom, … Continue reading Japanese Jukus (Cram Schools) – The Truth About Japanese Education
Company Dormitories – The Secret Life of Japanese Salarymen
Jade’s Guide to Salarymen When you arrive in Japan, you will likely see swarms of people in suits. A black-and-navy suit invasion, with grey for those feeling a bit fancier. In Japan, the typical aim of most young men (and nowadays women too) is to work for a big company. In doing so, they become … Continue reading Company Dormitories – The Secret Life of Japanese Salarymen
Getting Sexual in Japanese Manga Cafes
Jade’s Guide to Manga Cafes What is a manga cafe? Manga cafes (more commonly known as Internet cafes abroad) are places where many young (and not-so-young) Japanese people go to read manga (Japanese comics) and watch TV series or DVDs in small padded booths, while helping themselves to drinks and snacks (such as ice-cream, soups … Continue reading Getting Sexual in Japanese Manga Cafes
Love Hotels in Japan
Japan certainly has some unique establishments. From host and hostess clubs to company dormitories, there is never a dull day for me. I am always discovering something else weird and wonderful about this country. Jade’s Guide to Love Hotels What the smeg are love hotels? In a nutshell, they are hotels where Japanese couples elope … Continue reading Love Hotels in Japan
Japanese Gay Host Clubs – For the Homosexuals of Japan
As I have written about straight Japanese host and hostess clubs in previous posts, I thought I would cap it off with information on gay host clubs too. I apologise to anyone interested in lesbian hostess clubs. I would need to do a bit more research to see if they actually exist and how they … Continue reading Japanese Gay Host Clubs – For the Homosexuals of Japan
Japanese Host Clubs – For the Women of Japan
Image taken from a website offering novelty host experiences to foreign tourists (click image to visit) I previously wrote an article on Japanese hostess clubs (see here), so I thought I would shed light on how Japanese host clubs work too. Two friends and I visited a host club to see exactly what goes on … Continue reading Japanese Host Clubs – For the Women of Japan
Japanese Hostess Clubs – The Shady World of Girl Bars
What is a hostess club? Girl bars, or hostess clubs - known as キャバクラ “kyabakura” in Japanese - are small, dimly lit rooms with comfy booths for you to sit in, drink and talk to the females that work there. There are also host clubs for women to go to and gay host clubs for … Continue reading Japanese Hostess Clubs – The Shady World of Girl Bars
Why Japanese Married Couples Don’t Have Sex
Over my four years in Japan, I have noticed that the romantic relationships that the Japanese indulge in are very different to those that I see in Europe and America. Let me explain why Japanese married couples don't have sex. Young Japanese couples, those that are simply dating and not yet wed, are not affectionate … Continue reading Why Japanese Married Couples Don’t Have Sex
Japanese Match-making Restaurants – Visit an Aisekiya
What is an Aisekiya? They are Japanese match-making restaurants at which women can stay and eat and drink for as long as they like. For free. Meanwhile, men have to pay per thirty minutes or so for the all-you-can-eat-and-drink Japanese match-making fun. “What the smeg?” I hear you cry. Yes, places like this actually exist. … Continue reading Japanese Match-making Restaurants – Visit an Aisekiya
The Dos and Don’ts of a Japanese Hot Spring
A Japanese Hot Spring You made it to Japan! You have decided to take a nice relaxing trip to a hot spring! But you arrive and there are (probably) no signs in English, the staff (probably) don't speak any English, and you (probably) don't have a smegging clue what to do. Jade's Guide to Japanese … Continue reading The Dos and Don’ts of a Japanese Hot Spring
Top 8 Things to Do in Shinjuku
Shinjuku - an absolute haven of Japanese madness. Here are the top eight fun things to do in Shinjuku. 1) Visit the robot restaurant You may have seen various articles that include this. Don't be fooled by the title, it's definitely NOT a restaurant. But, it does have robots, dancing, traditional taiko drumming, strobe lights … Continue reading Top 8 Things to Do in Shinjuku
How I Moved to Japan With Only £200 in My Bank Account
This is a long one This is the story of how I decided to move abroad with no money. I graduated in August 2015 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Romance Languages (Spanish and Italian - it sounds much fancier than it actually is). My goal was to travel and teach English abroad, so I immediately … Continue reading How I Moved to Japan With Only £200 in My Bank Account
Why Did I Come to Japan?
Why did you come to Japan? If you ever move here, this is one of the questions that will follow you everywhere you go. My reason is a bit strange. Most people take up an interest in Japan because they are a fan of manga and anime. Some people love attending Comicons and dressing up … Continue reading Why Did I Come to Japan?