A year ago Dan enjoyed his second day in Japan at Shimonoseki fireworks. Fireworks are a big summer festival favourite in Japan, known as flower fire. A year on, now we were part of the group blocking off space with our massive tarpaulin, and we got to witness the beautiful show once again! An hour…
Still Mad, One Year on…
A year ago I wrote a post about why I am mad in Japan. A year later, the madness is less and life is a little more normalised! The hair. Yep, it is still insane. Although longer now with some blonde tips, it is still hard to control and has a constant fluffy halo. Looking…
Poker Face
Please, show me your poker face! Puppppuppppupoker face. Mine needs some work… The lovely mother of one of my students ( the one that has taken me and Dan under her Japanese culture wing), recently invited us to a poker night. She had been gifted a poker set from a British friend and was keen…
Local Festivities
This year two of my high school students have taken Dan and I under their cultural wing. They started to share with us things relating to the many different festivals in Japan. They would write little postcards in English and share them with us, along with traditional food. It is really sweet and has helped…
Amazing Sunsets
When Dan and I moved to Japan a whole year ago, our area felt really residential and lacking in the city fun we had enjoyed in Manchester. It was a difficult adjustment as we were used to spending our evenings in bars enjoying over-priced ale, not strolling along a beach. Don’t get me wrong, real…
Cicadas or Semi セミ in Japan
Ah the sweet screeching sound of summer is in full swing in Japan. You know it’s summer because the sound of the Semi starts at 5 a.m and continues until nightfall, a mere 14 hours later. You cannot escape the scream, which sends shivers down my spine, and a genuine fear whenever I am outside…
Another Beer Festival!
In our weekend at Kumamoto we enjoyed ANOTHER beer festival! Oktoberfest is not dedicated to only October in Japan…so, in the savage 35 degree sun in July, we enjoyed another Oktoberfest festival. The beer was delicious and they even sold sauerkraut, yum. We managed to whittle away several hours enjoying good beer, good company, and…
It’s Been a YEAR!
After we celebrated our second wedding anniversary on the 27th May, the next big anniversary loomed ahead; one year in Japan. And now it has passed and we are officially in our second year of living in Japan. How have we continued to function in a country we do not speak the language of for…
Kumamoto Castle
On our trip to Kumamoto we visited the castle. The castle is famous across Japan as 300 hundred years old and mostly original. However, it was badly damaged during the 2016 earthquake. It is going to take generations to re-build, and now stands as a sad and poignant reminder of the impact of natural disasters….
Pre-Roasted Coffee Delights
Dan is a master at finding great coffee shops. On our weekend trip to Kumamoto he did not disappoint, as he found his most unusual and delicious yet! There is a unique coffee shop in Kumamoto city that has been in operation for about 50 years with the same delightful barista. In this coffee shop…