Tag Archives: japan

On Being Bullied in Japan

I have been overwhelmed by the sweetness of Japanese kids. One student, seeing me without an umbrella, ran backward through the rain to walk with me under hers. Another classroom, after a lesson on how Christmas was different in America, … Continue reading

Posted in Teaching, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 54 Comments

On Caring About Your Lonely Friends in Japan

Not everyone who moves to Japan is lonely when they arrive, but most are by the time they leave. One can’t reasonably complain about it, of course: We do it to ourselves. But we can try to understand how loneliness … Continue reading

Posted in Culture Shock, Homesickness, Thinking | Tagged , , | 46 Comments

On Losing Control in Japan

America, Japan has a question for you.

Posted in Culture Shock | Tagged , , | 19 Comments

On Staying Sane as an Expat in Japan

I have a few months left before starting my new life in London, but I’ve already filled 11 rubbish bags to bursting with the debris of my life in Japan.

Posted in Culture Shock | Tagged , | 33 Comments

On Doing Mass Radio Calisthenics in Japan

Everyone in Japan knows how to do Radio Taiso.

Posted in Tradition, Uncategorized | Tagged , | 5 Comments

On Hunting Whales in Japan

The whaling controversy ignites more bad press and international disagreement than almost any contemporary political issue in Japan. If it sometimes seems like Japan is staking far too much on an industry that no one wants for a food nobody … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , | 17 Comments