Japanese Store Chains: A Primer for Everyday Shopping

Congratulations! You have just arrived in Japan. The sheen is still bright, you’re riding that high of the newness of everything, and all is good. But now you need to buy a bed. And groceries. And medicine. Uh oh. Where do you go? Well, here’s a short list of (hopefully) helpful chain stores where you […]

Lucky Bags in Japan

Do you fancy yourself a gambling-type? Do you find a thrill in the luck of the draw? Do you also like getting goods at steep discounts? If you answered yes to any of those, then Japan has a New Year’s consumer tradition for you: The Lucky Bag, or Fukubukuro (福袋).

Rurikoji Temple

At the start of autumn, I found myself down in Yamaguchi city, on the southern part of the main island of Japan. I was exhausted and unable to motivate myself to do an insane travel schedule to see the nearby limestone caves, so instead, I decided to go to one of the top three temples […]

What to do if you have one day in Fukuoka

One of the unforeseen perks of my current job is that I sometimes get to travel to different regions of Japan to help recruit students. In the summer, I got to go to Kumamoto and Kagoshima. This fall, I was able to go to Fukuoka. I usually get one night in a hotel and a […]

Tokyo Disney Foods

Food is very important to any trip but Tokyo Disney is branding itself in Japan as a go-to destination for delicious treats, meals, and drinks. When I started poking around for ideas on what to do at Tokyo Disney, I saw many blogs, articles, and vlogs centering around the amazing food available in the parks […]

Camelback and Central

This post is part of a series on my favorite spots in Phoenix. To read the other posts, follow these links: Swansong (Best places in Arizona), UnderTow, Barber Parlor, Phoenix Breweries, Changing Hands / First Draft Book Bar, Bonus Round, Renaissance Hotel. The final location is a bit of a stretch; I wasn’t sure what […]

Bola & Bolo Ties

Not too many people know, but Arizona has an official state neckwear, and that is the fabled Bola tie (often referred to as the Bolo Tie). If you picture any stereotypical cowboy and imagine anything other than a bandana around their neck, you probably know what the Bola tie looks like. Being in Arizona, I […]

Many Animals Inside My Clothes

The deel (pronounced “dell”) is the traditional Mongolian garb. It comes in two flavors: winter and summer. Since it is becoming rather cold, and I only have one jacket, I ventured to purchase a custom-made winter deel. I asked my supervisor about getting one. She said that she would look into taking me to a […]