Poor Our Japan Story has taken a back-seat this term. This is reflective of almost everything, other than studying, taking a back seat. I knew graduate school would be difficult, but I had no idea how all-consuming it would be! Firstly, the sheer amount of reading required has been overwhelming. An academic article that is…
Category: Tokyo baby
New Home, Brave New World
My posts have been lacking of late. This has not been because of a lack of care or concern for Our Japan Story, but rather because of the start of a brave new chapter in our, frankly wonderful, life in Japan. When Dan and I made the decision to move to Japan in August 2016,…
Koenji Awa Odori Festival 2019
Koenji is not only famous for its vintage shops and vegan restaurants, but also for its yearly Awa Odori festival. These festivals happen all over Tokyo but Koenji is infamous for it’s size, dancers, and overall party-vibe atmosphere. The festival falls in summer and it is a dance festival, characterised by the tall straw hats…
One Year in Tokyo Town
1st August 2019 marks one year of living in Tokyo and three years of living in Japan. It is hard to believe how quickly and slowly the time has passed! Life in Tokyo has been full of energy, new experiences, bureaucratic challenges, and most significantly, change. The past year has marked some incredible and life…
Our First City Onsen
Dan and I used to go to the onsen quite frequently when we lived in the Japanese countryside. An onsen is the name of a Japanese hot spring bath, and it is a popular way to unwind and relax. It is a communal bathing experience, so only for those who feel comfortable with this. There…
Moving Again
At the end of June Dan and I got the exciting news that come August 28th, we would be doubling the size of our living quarters! This really is something special, as right now we live in a one room space, 17 squared metres in size. For a regular sized couple, as opposed to a…
Reflection: Future Me
Teaching English as a Foreign Language is often both rewarding and frustrating, for the teacher and the students. Some days the learning can go so well, with key learning points being embedded and easily recalled by students. On these days the atmosphere is high and the engagement even higher! Yet in other days, the activities…
Golden Week 2019: Waterfalls, New Friends, and Animals
After our big hike on the Monday of Golden Week, Dan and I decided to chill for the rest of the week. This was partially encouraged by the very typical bank holiday weather – the world over it seems to rain on bank holidays – but also because we truly had exhausted ourselves with the…
United Nations University: Conversation Series
Dan and I recently attended an event at the United Nations University in Tokyo. Every couple of weeks the university hosts a speaker in their conversation series. The week we attended it was the turn of Izumi Nakamitsu, the United Nations Under Secretary General and High Representative for Disarmament Affairs. She was talking about “Threats…
Ten Days, Ten Tokyo Universities
The new academic year has started in Japan, and with it brings a new job for me. This term, I am going to be working in a Women’s University in Tokyo, supporting women to communicate in English and understand more about global cultures. My new university says that it aims to create global women (it…