The Expat Experience

Tanabata Star Festival in Japan

Tanabata Star Festival in Japan

Tanabata, also known as the Star Festival of Japan, is typically held on July 7, the seventh day of the seventh month. In some areas, where the lunar calendar is still used to calculate this holiday, it occurs on August 7. Our recent trip to Fussa showed the festival...

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Golden Week Holidays

This year, 2015, the schedule of the Golden Week Holidays will be Wednesday, April 29; Sunday, May 3; Monday, May 4; Tuesday, May 5; and Wednesday, May 6. That includes the the four official holidays (Showa Day, Constitution Memorial Day, Greenery Day, and Children's...

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Big Bird Raped by Godzilla

A recent news article in The Wall Street Journal (linked here) made me realize that the Main Stream Media is always seven years behind the real story. As I have a seven-degree above Top Secret job in the T.H.U.M.B inverse skyscraper here in Tokyo, I have access to...

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Comiket in Tokyo – Summer 2012

Dear TJL fans, We are re-publishing our account of last year's Comiket, which has proven to be one of our most popular articles. Hope some of you can make it to this year's show. In the midst of the sweltering summer, the TJL team decided to brave heat, humidity, and...

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Tokyo WiFi Options

On my most recent return to Tokyo via Narita airport, I was surprised at the number of Tokyo WiFi options that have become available. Tokyo Wifi Options #1 - FREE WIFI IN NARITA AIRPORT To start, there is free WiFi available at the airport. I logged on using my iPad....

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Streaming Video on Your iPad While Visiting Japan

I have received some questions recently about how to stream US video to an iPad while travelling overseas. I discussed some options in a previous post; but there have been many changes in the last year. Streaming audio and video requires a high speed connection. In my...

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Foods in Tokyo: Giving Thanks in Tokyo

Holidays and Foods in Tokyo Wow, time does fly by here in the magic kingdom. It seems like I just moved here, but a second set of holidays are already upon us. The pace of life here is so fast that the days blur by. I have been an American expat for over twenty years,...

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Hot and Cold Vending Machines in Tokyo

Last week, Fred came back from a beverage run, muttering to himself, while tossing his can of tea from hand to hand. “You don’t really need to shake those up,” I said. “I’m not shaking it, I can’t hold it. The can is too damned hot....

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Using the Kindle in Tokyo, Japan as a “Poor Man’s iPad”

As noted in a previous post, I am using my trusty Kindle in Tokyo, Japan(Amazon Kindle DX 2 - the older version, without Wi-Fi),. I use the built in Whispernet connection only occasionally to view the Amazon store and download books. For most other Kindle in Tokyo...

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Tokyo Nightlife

Experience The Best of Japan on a Tokyo Night Even though the current energy savings plan has dimmed the famous Tokyo nighttime neon skyline, Tokyo streets and tourist areas remain safe and tourist friendly. You would definitely want to experience Tokyo nightlife and...

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