From Japan with Love

I've been thinking about it ever since I heard a month ago from a friend who is in an international relationship that her Japanese partner doesn't say "I love you" very often.🤔 1ヶ月前に、国際恋愛をしている友人から「日本人のパートナーがあまり愛してると言ってくれない」と聞いてから、ずっとその事を考えていました。 I finally got my thoughts together, so please read on. 🧐It's very long, so I'm going to split it into several parts. やっと考えがまとまったので、読んでください。とても長いので何回かに分けるつもりです。 Don't Japanese people really say "愛(あい)してる I love you"? 本当に日本人は「愛してる」と言わないの？ I asked three of my colleagues who are married. "Have you ever said '愛(あい)してるI love you' to someone you're dating or to your husband?" After two seconds of thought🤔, they replied,  "Never..." 結婚している同僚3人に聞いてみました。「付き合っている人や夫に愛してる、と言ったことある？」 2秒考えて彼女達は答えました。 「ないなぁ」 I changed the question. "If you had to say it three times in your life, when would you say it? Would you say it at your wedding or when you die?" The women th...

Hello, I'm Mog, born in Japan and living in Kyoto. I'm going to try to write in Japanese after English for a while starting today. I'm always thinking about how I can make my articles more readable for everyone. Please let me know what you think. こんにちは、日本生まれ京都在住のMogです🤗 今日からしばらく英語の後に日本語も書いてみようと思います。どういう形で記事を書くのが皆さんにとって読みやすいか、いつも考えています。ぜひご意見を聞かせてくださいね。 In a recent article, I introduced a chopstick specialty store near Inari Shrine. Inari Shrine is two stops by train from Kyoto Station, and is a world-famous tourist attraction in Kyoto. 先日の記事で、稲荷神社近くの箸専門店をご紹介しました。 稲荷神社は京都駅から電車で2駅、世界的に有名な京都の観光名所です。 🔶 How to choose your chopsticks (The shop near Inari shrine.) Today I'll explain a little about Inari Shrine and then I'll introduce you to one of my favorite stores. 今日は少し稲荷神社の事を説明してから、私の好きなお店を紹介しますね。 What are the benefits of Inari Shrine? 稲荷神社のご利益は？ It is said to be beneficial for business prosperity, industrial prosperity, family safety, traffic safety, and improvement o...

Have you ever been to Inari Shrine in Kyoto? It is one of the world's most famous tourist attractions in Kyoto. About the Inari Shrine Behind the Inari Shrine is Inari Mountain, which takes about two hours to climb. The path is lined with many torii gates. Reference: http://inari.jp/en/ It's usually too crowded to take a picture like this. If you want to take pictures, I suggest you go early in the morning.😉 There are many things I would like to tell you about Inari, but today I would like to introduce you to a chopstick shop near the Inari Shrine. All kinds of cute chopstick rests The other day, I introduced chopstick rests to you. The article is here. 🔶 Seasonal decorations with chopstick rests 箸置き(はしおき) I found a lot of cute chopstick rests in this shop.   There are seasonal chopstick rests that make me think of autumn dishes.🍂🍁 Looks like I'll be adding another one to my collection.😍 How to choose your chopsticks This store specializ...

Companies are required by law to have their employees undergo annual medical checkups. Preparing for the medical checkup Before the day of the medical checkup, we need to fill out a medical questionnaire to describe our medical history, recent physical condition, and lifestyle habits such as diet and exercise. To see the condition of our intestines, we have to submit to a stool test. You cannot eat food after 9:00 p.m. the night before the test. On the day of the test, you may drink only water until two hours before the test. The list of medical checkup items. Here's the menu for the day's physical examination. This is a general example, as the contents may vary depending on the local government or company. You can also apply for some options not listed here for a fee. 1. Urinalysis 2. Height, weight, and abdominalcircumference measurements If the value is significantly different from last year's value, you will be asked the cause of the difference. If you are f...

お月見(つきみ) Otsukimi is an event to gaze at the beautiful and bright moon on the clearest day of the year, also known as the "十五夜(じゅうごや)" or the "中秋(ちゅうしゅう)の名月(めいげつ)". In 2021, September 21 will be the day of Otsukimi. History of Otsukimi The culture of Otsukimi was introduced to Japan from China. In the Heian period (794-1185), aristocrats enjoyed drinking sake while gazing at the moon, and also enjoyed poetry and music on a boat. What an intelligent and elegant event for the aristocrats of the Heian period! ✨ I have also written about the culture of the Heian period in the following article, so please refer to it.😉 🔶 Imagining the personality of the person who wrote the handwriting In the Edo period (1603-1868), Otsukimi spread among the common people as a harvest festival to share the joy and give thanks for the safe harvest of rice. Offerings for Otsukimi Traditional offerings for Otsukimi are silver grass, moon-viewing dumplings, and farm products. ス...

In Japan, convenience stores are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Do you have a convenience store in your country? In Japan, we can do a lot of things at these convenience stores. Convenience store services (Some services may not be offered in some stores.) 1. Withdraw cash from ATM 2. Reception of courier services 3. Copying and printing 4. Issuance of certificate of residence In Japan, government offices are only open until 5:00 on weekdays. It is very convenient for working people to be able to complete procedures at government offices at convenience stores that are open 24 hours a day. 5. Payment of utility bills 6. Receiving parcel deliveries You can set the delivery address to a convenience store to receive the product. 7. Free wifi 8. Photo printing How many are there in Japan? As of January 2021, there are 56,948 convenience stores in Japan. It's so hard to find an area without a convenience store. Seven-Eleven is No. 1, FamilyMart is No. 2, and Lawson is No. 3 in the s...

In Japan, there are days in spring and autumn when we make offerings to our ancestors, and they are called "お彼岸(ひがん)Ohigan.” When is Ohigan? These dates vary every year, but for 2021, the dates for the Ohigan are as follows. Spring Ohigan: "March 17 to March 23 Autumnal Ohigan: September 20 to September 26 The spring Ohigan is determined based on the dates when the weather changes from spring to summer, and the autumn Ohigan is determined based on the dates when the weather changes from summer to autumn, and in both cases the length of day and night are almost the same. What to do on the Ohigan? The Ohigan is not decorated in the same way as Obon, and people generally visit graves and hold memorial services. However, in some regions, there are events unique to the Ohigan period. For the information about Obon, please click here. 🔶 Obon is the day when ancestors come home. Wagashi for the Ohigan This is the most popular wagashi to eat during the Ohigan. In fac...

In the previous article, I explained the purpose of company drinking parties and how to make a toast. 🔶 The company drinking party in Japan (1) Especially for those who have just joined the company, participating in a drinking party is a good opportunity for them to get to know you and hear about any concerns you usually have about your work. Don't forget to say thank you the day after the drinking party. Remember that a company drinking party is an official event. It's good to relax and have fun, but be careful not to act or say too much. If you have to work the day after the party, be careful not to drink too much. Never miss work the next day, even if we have a hangover. This is the hard part of drinking on weekdays.😅 Don't forget to say thank the members you had fun with on the morning after the party. Especially to your boss who paid for your meal, we always say, "Thank you for yesterday." It's hard to schedule a drinking party. Company drin...

I heard from a foreigner living in Japan that he was surprised to see how many Japanese women like beer. What is the percentage of beer lovers in other countries? What percentage of people love beer? There was a survey of 363 people between the ages of 20 and 49. In the survey, 69.3% of men said they liked beer, compared to 41.2% of women. Percentage of beer lovers by gender and generation The percentage of both men and women in their 20s has dropped. Males🍻 40s 78.1% 30s 72.7% 20s 56.1% Women🍻 40s 42.4% 30s 51.6% 20s 30.3% I don't know if this percentage is higher than other countries, but looking at the percentage by generation, I thought it was interesting and reflected the way Japanese working style, so I would like to write about my personal opinion.🧐 Reference: http://www.mobile-research.jp/investigation/research_date_081029_2.html How did your first beer taste? I have a question for all you beer lovers. Did you enjoy the first beer you drank? Many of you may h...

It is said that Japanese people are time sensitive. That may be so. It's a bit complicated because the rules can change based on different scenarios. Today, I would like to talk about the etiquette rules for meeting on time. Meeting up with a friend Until you know what kind of feeling the other person has about the meeting time, it is safe to arrive on time or 5 to 10 minutes early. Some people come up to 30 minutes early. If you are going to be more than 5 minutes late due to unavoidable circumstances, let the person know as soon as you know the estimated time of arrival. Nowadays, everyone has a cell phone, so it is very convenient. With friends who have known each other for a long time, I adjust the meeting time in advance so that one of us doesn't wait too long, but if there is a possibility that both of us will be late, I try to find a better place to meet. Meeting place with my friends A good meeting place is a place where we can sit and let our minds ...

Today I would like to introduce you to some of Japan's famous autumn grasses and flowers.  Everyone, regardless of gender or generation, knows these names and they are often used in conversation. Cosmos 秋桜 (コスモス) When you think of autumn flowers in Japan, this is probably the flower that immediately comes to mind. In kanji, it is written "秋 autumn 桜cherry blossom." Cosmos fields with many cosmos plants are located in many places in Japan, and many people go to see them. When I think of cosmos, the song "Cosmos" comes to mind; it is quite an old song, released in 1977, but the lyrics and melody are so good that it is still a famous song. This is a song about a daughter's feelings for her mother before her wedding. Many of the songs written by Masashi Sada are heart-wrenching like this. 秋桜  https://g.co/kgs/jPYWdM I'd love for you to taste the lyrics. But I couldn't find the lyrics in English. I'm sorry. Unlike today's trends, in th...

Have any of you seen the movie "Nobody Knows" directed by Hirokazu Kore-eda, released in 2004? The movie "Nobody Knows 誰も知らない"  Watch the trailer here https://m.imdb.com/video/vi43909401?playlistId=tt0408664&ref_=tt_ov_vi The boy who played the role of the 12-year-old eldest son became the talk of the town when he won the Best Actor Award at the 57th Cannes Film Festival. This is a movie based on a real case of neglect that happened in 1998. The real incident was truly tragic. There are many problems that children face, but sometimes it takes an incident for others to notice. Poverty is one of them. Japan seems to be a wealthy country, but because of this, there is a real poverty that we cannot see. Japan's Poverty is Invisible Elementary and junior high schools in Japan are compulsory education. As long as they attend school, they can eat well-nourished school lunches. However, there are children for whom this is their only meal of the day. The causes are p...

Chopstick rests are used to keep the tips of the chopsticks from sticking to the table. A creative use of chopstick rests can make your dining table more enjoyable. If you use chopstick at home, try to enjoy the chopstick rests as well. Introducing my chopstick rests I'll show you the chopstick rests I have. I choose them according to the season and my mood. Japanese style The glass material is mainly used in summer. Spring Style Animal Chopstick Rests I think squirrels are good to use in the fall. The polar bear chopstick rest on the far left looks good for summer. Chopstick rests that would go well with Western food I like to use mushrooms in autumn. Chopstick rests can be used not only for their original purpose, but also as a stylish little accessory to add a seasonal touch to the table. Stylish presentation of a friend When I was invited to dinner at a friend's house, she used a flower from her garden ...