Hello! from Japan

About Japan and my life

Taka

Uber and Uber eats : Are they popular in Japan?

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Uber in Japan

Currently, you can use Uber only in big city areas like Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Fukuoka, and Nagoya. The service started in May 2018, and it is still kind of new. But it is not a convenient option for travelling around in Japan so most people use it for airport pickups and dropoffs only. People choose to use better ways to travel like trains, buses, and taxis because transportation services in Japan are excellent in keeping time and they are not too expensive. What’s more, there are strict regulations on ride-sharing in Japan so the Uber service is not gaining popularity.

However, from this month, Uber started a new service called Uber Taxi in Tokyo. Uber is partnering with local taxi operators in the central business district and areas of Shinagawa, Akihabara, and Asakusa. Users can find and pick up a taxi using Uber app, and they can share information like the arrival time and real time tracking with friends and family. 

The number of travellers is getting significantly lower after the coronavirus hit Japan, and taxi industry here has been struggling. Some started to deliver food and drinks ,and by working together with Uber, they are hoping to bring in new revenue. Uber is looking the goal of bringing the number of cities in Japan (where Uber Taxi service is available) to 12. More about Uber Taxi service in Japan, check the link here: https://www.uber.com/jp/ja/ride/ubertaxi

Uber eats in Japan

Now that using food delivery service is a common thing in Japan, Uber eats is becoming more and more popular. Uber eats service started running in Japan in 2016 and became big after many influencers like YouTubers started using the service. After the spread of coronavirus, more and more people began to stay indoors and work from home and Uber eats service is on the rise now. During Feb to March of this year, Uber eats saw 20 % increase in the number of restaurant contracts in Japan. In addition, many people lost jobs because of the pandemic and becoming a Uber eats delivery driver is one of the most popular options for a side business in Japan now. Depending on the performance, a delivery driver can get about 700 to 1,800 yen per hour and it is easy to start plus it will be a good exercise for him/her. More about Uber eats service in Japan, check the link here: https://www.ubereats.com/jp/category/tokyo/japanese

It always takes time for a new business to flourish in Japan because of strict regulations and laws, but a lot of people like trying new services and once it gets popular, the market just grows continuously.
I hope the current situation of pandemic will be over soon and until then, we need to change the way we work and live to survive.
Please stay safe and well!

Thank you for reading today’s post. 
See you next time!
Taka

*I’m a professional composer by the way.
You can listen/download my music below.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact me: [email protected]

eSports:Why is it underdeveloped in Japan?

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Nowadays, we hear a lot of news about bursting popularity of eSports over the last two decades. Japan makes and sells a lot of video games every year but surprisingly, eSports is not so popular compared to other countries. Why?

eSports: What’s been going on in the world and Japan

eSports is a kind of sport competition using video games. It is often held online between players individually or as teams. Now that the network technologies have been improved and services like Live streaming and 5G appeared, eSports is growing popularity internationally. In fact, 106 million people viewed the 2017 Worlds eSports competition and global revenue is growing to more than $1 billion over the past few years. The number of eSports players and fans are getting bigger and bigger each year. Many game developers provide funding for tournaments and everyone in the world can enjoy watching the games online from anywhere now, and even the International Olympic Committee is thinking about including eSports for future Olympic events: In 2017, Olympic committee concluded that eSports could be considered as a sporting activity which involves preparation and intense training that can be comparable to athletes in sports.

Nonetheless, eSports is still underdeveloped in Japan because of anti-gambling laws which prohibit paid professional gaming tournaments. For example, under a law called “Act against Unjustifiable Premiums and Misleading Representations”, organizers of an event can not give a monetary prize over 100,000 yen (About $930) to a winner of a competition. Viewers can not bet for competitions and tournaments can not be held at a venue that has no permission for holding such events.

Japan is on the way to join the trend

Seeing the rapid growth of eSports all over the world, the Japanese government started to look it as a new way to boost its economy. In 2019, eSports revenue in Japan was over $56 million and the market is just getting bigger and bigger. The Ministry of Japan hopes to make $2.6 billion a year by 2025 and now legal experts together with game industry are trying to create guidelines to promote and organize eSports tournaments and events.
Some events to use eSports to help rehabilitate people with disabilities and also to promote their engagement with society were held several times and most people in Japan are positive about the growth of eSports. Tokyo alone have over 9 eSports cafes where customers can play games and brush up their skills to win for a tournaments with high spec PC and gadgets. 

Japan has been a leader in making video games and there are a lot of skilled video game players. I’m sure there will be a lot more professional players from here once the environment for eSports is set!

Thank you for reading today’s post.
See you next time,
Taka

*I’m a professional composer by the way.
You can listen/download my music below.
Multicolors
Free Somebody
Skyhigh

If you have any questions, feel free to contact me: [email protected]

No more free plastic bags: Japan started charging a fee

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Mandatory charging for plastic shopping bags

From July 1, all retail stores including convenience stores and supermarkets in Japan started to charge shoppers for plastic bags as a measure to save the environment. Under the guidelines set by the government, stores are now asked to charge customers at least 1 yen for each bag, hoping that more people will bring their own bags when going shopping.

Although the percentage of plastic that is recycled is 84% in Japan, about 9 million tons of plastic waste are produced and there have been domestic and international pressure to reduce the amount of it (precisely speaking, among 56% of so-called recycled plastics in Japan is not “Reuse” of the material but they are burned to create thermal energy… hmm is it really recycling?). Single-use plastic bag garbage takes about 200,000 tons a year in Japan so the percentage of plastic waste that can be reduced by this policy is not huge but taking the possible environmental damage into consideration, the government decided to work on plastic bags first.

The introduction of this system came from the global issue of marine plastic waste. Many areas in the world have seen birds and fish consume plastic waste by mistake and wasted plastic bags have been a cause of destroying the coastal landscape. In fact, plastic waste flowing into the world’s oceans is estimated to at least 8 million metric tons every year.

By charging all shoppers for plastic bags, the government is hoping to raise awareness about the global issue and planning to increase the number of shoppers who do not seek plastic bags to 60% by the end of 2020 (the proportion was 30% in March this year). 

Over 90 countries have bans or restrictions on single-use plastic items and people there are more aware of the damage that they could cause to the environment. In addition to the use of plastic bags, Japan’s excessive plastic wrapping for food and sweets is often pointed out by many environmentalists. We have a lot to work on about plastic materials.

How to say “I don’t need a bag” when shopping in Japan

If you are in Japan (or have chance to come in the future) and asked if you would like a plastic bag at a store/shop, you can say these phrases below to tell that you don’t need.

・大丈夫です（Daijobu desu)

大丈夫(Daijobu) is a casual way of saying “I’m OK (I don’t need it).”

・袋はいりません（Fukuro ha irimasen)

袋(Fukuro) means a bag. いりません(Irimasen) means “I don’t need it”. 

We all need to work more on saving the environment. I do hope this new policy will be a step to raise a concern about environmental issues nationwide.

See you next time!
Taka

*I’m a professional composer by the way.You can listen/download my music below.

Multicolors
Free Somebody
Skyhigh

If you have any questions, feel free to contact me: [email protected]

Karoshi: Why do many Japanese die from working too much?

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People work really hard in Japan. When I was working as a teacher at a major language institute in Japan, I taught 8 lessons, had a meeting for an hour, checked homework for students between classes, and prepared for next day. That was my typical day and I kept that for a few years. When I was working for a marketing company, I worked from noon to 1:00 am almost everyday. I’m one of a guy who puts a lot of time for work but workstyle like this is pretty common in Japan. You need to work a lot to advance and as you get promoted, your responsibility gets heavier and you will have to work even more. I guess this sounds a little awkward for people in western countries where workers in higher positions can have more time and power to ask subordinates to work for you. And it’s sad to say but many people die from working too much. Here’s all about Karoshi and what’s been happening in Japan.

What is Karoshi?

Karoshi (過労死) can be translated as “Overwork death” in Japanese. The major medical causes of it are heart attack and stroke due to stress and a starvation diet. The first case of it was reported in 1969 with the stroke-related death of a man (29 years old worker in the shipping department of a major newspaper company). There had been many cases like this until late 1980s and the Japan Ministry of Labour finally began to publish statistics on Karoshi in 1987. Next year the Labor Force Survey reported that about quarter of male employees worked over 60 hours per week (typical time for work is 40 hours a week). Since then, Japan has been trying to reduce the work hours but 3,970,000 people (6.7% of the population) are still overworking as of 2019 BuzzFeed News .

What is causing it?

Japan’s rise from WW2 and the huge war reparations we paid in the post-war decades are regarded as the trigger for Karoshi. We had no choice but to work really hard to get to the point where we could surpass companies overseas to evolve. As a result, it got more and more competitive within a company as well. Advancement is earned through back-breaking effort so people seldom leave their jobs until late to get the best result and show loyalty to the company.

Is the situation getting better?

Being competitive and productive is important, but now that Japan takes the 3rd largest economy in the world, we have been trying to curb cases of Karoshi through policies. In 2016, the federal government announced its Premium Friday plan with that workers would get the chance to leave at 3pm on the last Friday of each month. And nowadays more young people claim to leave their office without working overtime based on their contracts, so the work environment in Japan is getting better each year. Also, after the spread of coronavirus, more and more people started using hours efficiently working remotely. I hope this will be a way to stop this intense work culture. After all, we only live once and enjoying it is much more important than suffering from it, isn’t it?

What is important to you in life? Send me a comment to [email protected]

See you next time!
Taka

*I’m a professional composer by the way.
You can listen/download my music below.
Multicolors
Free Somebody
Skyhigh

Coronavirus in Japan: How is it changing the way we live

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Number of cases(as of June 30)

When the virus began spreading in March and April, Tokyo reported as many as 201 new cases a day (on April 17) and total cases rose above 10,000 on April 18. The state of emergency was announced on April 7 and then extended until the end of May. Schools were closed and people mainly had to stay home and work from home during that time. Although once the number of cases dropped to below 10 people per day in the middle of May, it is slightly rising over the past 7 days (as of June 30, average was 55 cases per day in Tokyo). There are reports of cases in Hokkaido and Yokohama as well and total of 135 cases were reported nationwide on June 30. Schools have already began to reopen on June 1 and the government lifted requests for restrictions on crossing prefectural borders on June 19. Provided they take measures against infection, live music venues can open and events with up to 1,000 people can take place now but many people are concerned about the 2nd wave.

Before and After the virus

・Before the virus 

We clearly did not see what would come… we were welcoming visitors to Japan from overseas more than ever believing a big success of Tokyo Olympic and never thought of changing the way we commute and work. The number of visitors to Japan from overseas was constantly rising since 2012 hitting over 31,800,000 people last year. There were a lot of companies trying to attracts tourists and individuals who started offering rooms for use on Airbnb. Before the virus, it was pretty normal for many companies to start work together at the same time (sometime from 8:00 to 9:00),so there were always rush hours in the morning. Trains and buses were packed in city areas with people trying to be on time for work because you could be well evaluated for keeping time. The vacation time and holidays were set during the same seasons and days in many major companies and that allowed majority of people to go out together. That’s good if you would like to make plans with friends from different companies but because of that, tourists spots were usually really crowded.

・After the virus

With Coronavirus Era

Many people in Japan call this era “With Coronavirus Era”, seeing it will take a few years to overcome the virus and need to find ways to live with it. People are trying not to catch or spread the virus wearing masks everyday. Some restaurants, cafes, and supermarkets won’t let you in if you don’t wear a mask. At museums and events, your temperature is measured and you are asked to fill in a document with your information. After the spread of the virus, the percentage of remote work rose to 35.5% nationwide (52.2% in city areas). I personally think that this shift to remote work and more flex schedule for commuting to work are great changes to work more efficiently with less stress. And there’s a report about the significant reduce in catching the flu (minus 4,500,000 cases compared to last year) because people are more concerned about getting infected.

Impact on economy

The coronavirus outbreak is having a serious impact on the Japanese economy. Confidence among companies like automobile and electronics fell to minus 8, the lowest since March 2013. The index for non-manufacturers (including the service sector) dropped to 8 from 20. The number of travellers from overseas dropped 99%. According to a research by Newsweek, among 5,730,000 subjects of the investigation who had to close their businesses temporary in April and May, 49.4% of them are still closing and 1.7% lost their jobs. (The total number of unemployed is 1,980,000 now and it is increasing for 4 months in a row). NHK says that there’s an estimate that Sports, Stages, and Music events (that could not be held) alone could be the loss of 3 trillion yen this year.

New services/Products

HIS Japan, a major travel agency, has started a new service which is to cover your business trip for you. You can assign an agent to do some research and manage business remotely. This kind of new business is rapidly emerging in Japan now. And products that make your time at home enjoyable such as window decoration, rice flakes, and potteries that change color as you pour some drinks are getting more and more popular.

When will Japan be open to other countries ?

If things work well, people with PCR negative in Thailand, Vietnam, Australia, and New Zealand can travel to Japan from August but we will have to wait and see. Many economists and scientists estimate that it will take a few years to be able to travel overseas freely like we used to. Japanese government is currently hoping to test vaccine sometime in April next year so it is most likely that there won’t be a big change until then. I will keep on posting updates on my blog. 

I hope things will get better soon. It is really sad that we can’t go overseas or gather at a big event but on the other hand, it is a chance to be creative and start new business online. Please keep safe wherever you are. And I’m looking forward to meeting you in person after when everything is over!

See you next time.
Taka

*I’m a professional composer by the way.
You can listen/download my music below.
Multicolors
Free Somebody
Skyhigh

If you have any questions, feel free to contact me: [email protected] 

3 things you should avoid when meeting a Japanese (for the first time)

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Hi, how’s everything? 
This time I wrote about 3 things you should avoid when meeting a Japanese person for the first time. If you don’t know these 3 things, making a Japanese friend could be difficult, so it’s important that you know them!

1.Physical contact (kissing or hugging)

We don’t usually have physical contact with friends or family. Japanese don’t have the custom of kissing on your cheek or hugging as a greeting and keep some distance to respect other people’s personal space (this maybe why the coronavirus does not spread much in Japan despite the large population). Because of globalization, we do have some people who doesn’t mind such physical contact nowadays, but it’s better to avoid doing that at first and get to know each other little by little.

2.Call someone without 〜さん (-san)

It is rude to call someone without -san if the person is the one you meet for the first time. -san is an honorific title that can be used for both male and female. We call each other using nicknames or without -san once we get closer but until then it’s better to use this when you call the person to show respect. (More about Japanese honorifics, check the link here: https://hidanotaka.com/japanese-honorifics/ )

3.Ask some opinions

In many Western countries, it is pretty normal to talk about things like politics and lifestyles, etc and ask some opinions to someone, but if you do that to a Japanese you meet for the first time, there will be an awkward moment. People in Japan generally don’t give opinions clearly by saying what is Good or Bad. Instead, we often consider the situation and the relationship with the person talking with and give some vague opinions. This is to respect different values and also to avoid conflict. Until you get to know each other well, it’s better not to ask some opinions or he/she will only get confused what to say.

People become friends gradually and it takes a while to be trusted as a friend in Japan. But as long as you respect others and keep on communicating, you will be able to build good relationships!

Thank you for reading and enjoy making Japanese friends!
Oh, and you can always be friends with me.
If there’s anything you want to know about Japan, just send me a message to [email protected] 

See you next time, 
Taka

*I’m a professional composer by the way.
You can listen/download my music below.
Multicolors
Free Somebody
Skyhigh

3 Tips to make a good impression at a new workplace in Japan

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How’s it going?
It is the rainy season and very humid in Japan right now.

It seems that Japanese government is starting to welcome travellers and business people from Vietnam, Thailand, Australia, and New Zealand again soon (from Aug if things work well). For those who are coming to work in Japan for the first time, I’m giving 3 tips to make a good impression at your new workplace.

You might get nervous and worried if you have no experience working in Japan, but don’t panic! With these 3 tips in mind, you will be able to start off well at your new work.

1.Take notes

It is very important to bring a note and a pen and take notes at your new office. It is of course to memorize what you learn there, and also to show others that you are carefully listening to them.

Japanese workers tend to worry about a new colleague thinking if he/she can work well with their team. By taking notes as you listen what they say, people there will know that you are trying to learn the ropes. It is a good way to build trust with your new teammates!

2.Say “Yoroshiku onegai shimasu”

The next tip is to say “Yoroshiku onegai shimasu” to people you will be working with. We often use this phrase when we introduce ourselves and also at work. It is like saying “Let’s work together!”. The phrase is polite enough, but if you want to be more polite, add “Douzo” and say “Douzo yoroshiku onegai shimasu”. Casual way of saying this is to simply say “Yoroshiku”.

Instead of shaking hands (of doing shaking hands), we often say this at work.
[Slow Speed]よろしくお願いします/Yoroshiku onegai shimasu
[Natural Speed]よろしくお願いします/Yoroshiku onegai shimasu

3.Say “Osakini shitsurei shimasu”

We use this phrase when we finish working and go home. It means “I’m going home (before you)”. Most Japanese people work as a team and always concern teammates. You can use this phrase to show that you care others that are still working in the office.

[Slow Speed] お先に失礼します/Osakini shitsurei shimasu
[Natural Speed] お先に失礼します/Osakini shitsurei shimasu

These are 3 tips that will help you start off well at a new workplace in Japan. Unlike many western countries where people think and work more indivisually, people in Japan always think and care others (that’s why everyone’s so polite and crime rate is low here).

Good luck with your new life! And enjoy working in Japan.

See you next time.
Taka

*I’m a professional composer by the way.
You can listen/download my music below.

Multicolors
Free Somebody
Skyhigh

If you have any questions, feel free to contact me: [email protected] 

How to text friends in Japanese

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Do you have a Japanese friend or are you looking for one? 
Thanks to the technology, we can meet and communicate with someone living far pretty easily these days. We have google translation and all kinds of apps out there so you don’t need to be able to speak Japanese fluently to talk on SNS with a Japanese friend. But if you know some Japanese, your conversation with him/her will be a lot more fun and it will be easier to make new Japanese friends!

This time I wrote about how to text friends (casually) in Japanese.
Most words here are short and easy to learn. Learn useful phrases and enjoy texting your Japanese friends!

Useful phrases

Saying Hello/Start a conversation

元気？ (Genki? ) :How are you? 

We use this a lot when we want to say “Hi” to someone.

いま暇？(Ima Hima ?) :Are you free now?/Do you have time now?

Ima means “Now” and Hima means “Free/Have spare time.”

何しているの？（何してるの？）:What are you doing? 

– してる (shiteru ) means doing something.
To answer this question, you can use – てる/-でる (teru/deru) at the end and say like,

テレビを見てる (Terebi wo miteru)  :Watching TV

本を読んでる (Hon wo yonderu)  :Reading a book

寝てる (Neteru) :Sleeping

はじめまして (Hajimemashite) :Nice to meet you

When you talk to someone for the first time, you can say like,

はじめまして                    (Hajimemashite)
[Your name] です。       ( – desu)
よろしくお願いします。(Yoroshiku onegaishimasu)

Nice to meet you.
I’m [Your name].
Please accept my introduction.

Making Plans

〜は暇？/空いている？ （-wa hima?/aiteiru?）
:Are you free on/at-? 

You can say like,

日曜日は暇？(Nnichiyoubi wa hima?)
:Are you free on Sunday?

夜8時は空いている？ (Yoru hachiji wa aiteiru?)
:Are you free at 8 pm? *夜 Yoru is Night/pm. 朝 Asa is Morning/am.

〜へ行こう （-he ikou）：Let’s go to -.

〜をしよう (-wo shiyou)：Let’s do – together.

〜しないといけない (-shinaito ikenai)：I have to do -.

Ending a conversation

じゃあね （Jaane）:See you

またね （Matane）:See you/I will see you again.

また明日 （Mata ashita）:See you tomorrow
*Ashita is tomorrow.

おやすみ （Oyasumi）:Good night

Other things

Internet slang

笑/w  (warai) 

People put this at the end of a sentence as to say lol .
To emphasize, you can use it several times like 笑笑/wwww

りょ (ryo)

It is a short and very casual version of saying 了解です (Ryoukai desu),which means I got it/OK/Gotcha.

A: 明日、朝10時に集合ね。     (Ashita, asa juji ni shugou ne)
B: りょ                                      (Ryo)

A: Let’s meet at 10 am tomorrow. 
B: OK (Gotcha!)

There are a lot more expressions but the words above are the most common ones we use. Next time when you have a chance to chat with a Japanese online, try using them. Japanese people know that Japanese is hard to speak/use for a foreigner, so I’m sure you will get some respect and your conversation with your Japanese friends will be more fun! 

One thing you want to avoid is to use Emoji or Text Faces (like  (*♡∀♡)  ) too much. Back then they were cool, but nowadays only old people use them often and people will think you are “Not cool” if you over use them.
1 or 2 every time you say something will be enough and don’t try to look fancy on texting!

See you next time.
Taka

*I’m a professional composer by the way.
You can listen/download my music below.

Multicolors
Free Somebody
Skyhigh

If you have any questions, feel free to contact me : [email protected] 

How much can you make teaching English in Japan?

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How are you doing?
It has been a few months since the spread of coronavirus started and it’s really sad that we can’t travel freely. But the situation is gradually getting better (We were not able to travel to one area to another in Japan, from June 19th we can!).
And the government here is planning to welcome new foreign workers from overseas again so if you are interested in moving to Japan, now is a great time to get prepared!

One of the most popular and the easiest jobs to get in Japan for a foreigner is teaching English. As Japan was ranked 53rd in an annual survey of 100 non-native English speaking countries (sadly..compared to neighboring countries like China (40th) and Korea (37th), Japan’s English language skills also fell below the world average), it is most likely that there will be more need for English teachers. If you search English teaching opportunities in Japan, you can find millions of information about it.

But is the job worth applying for? How much can you earn?
To answer those questions, I wrote about teaching English in Japan here.

I myself worked as a head teacher of AEON (one of the leading language institutes) for 3 years and have experience working as an English teacher for over 10 years now (in total, I have taught over 3,000 students in Japan).

So I know a lot about teaching English in Japan.
I will give information in details and based on my experience.
I hope this will help you make your life plan for the future!

3 major types of English teaching jobs

I give you a conclusion about how much you can earn teaching English in Japan: it depends on the kind of teaching job you take but sometimes from 1,500 yen per an hour to 300,000 yen per month at most.
Here are 3 major ways to be an English teacher in Japan.

1.Work as an ALT

ALT stands for Assistant Language Teacher. ALT helps teaching English at schools like elementary schools/junior high schools/high schools in Japan. There aren’t many requirements to apply for the position as long as you have graduated from a university/college and the official language in your country is English (that means, non native English speaker can be an English teacher here. You do need fluency in English though).
You don’t need experience teaching, but teaching certification such as TEFL, is preferred (but not required).
Average salary is about 270,000 yen per month.

2.Work for an English school

Taking an Eikaiwa (English speaking) teaching job at a language institute is also a popular way of teaching in Japan. Just like ALT, you don’t need a specific certificate to work for an English school but there are a lot of candidates for major companies (such as AEON, Berlitz, ECC) ,so if you would like to work in big cities, it’s better if you could prove that you are competent personnel.
Average salary is about 250,000 yen per month.

3.Teach online

After the spread of coronavirus, online teaching job is getting more and more common. Great thing about online teaching job is that you can take it as a second job and you won’t need to go to a class to teach (you don’t even need to move to Japan!). Students will most likely be adults who need English for work or want to brush up their English skills for fun. You get paid based on how many hours/to how many students you teach.
Average salary is from 1,500 yen to 3,000 yen per hour.

Great things about teaching in Japan

By teaching English, you can make good connections with locals.
It is really fun to meet someone with different backgrounds like young students, adults, and elders. You can learn a lot about Japanese culture by talking with them and most of them are really friendly. If you are interested in Japanese culture and like communicating with others, I’m sure that you can enjoy the work. And it is very rewarding to see your students progress (like from a baby who can’t speak at all to a good English speaker). Even if you don’t have any experience teaching, if you are passionate about it, you will find it really fun.

Not good things about it

・ALT

It depends on the program, but most teachers have contracts that are renewed every year. If school is unhappy with grades or your class, you may not be able to take the job again next year.
Not all students in schools are interested in learning English, so you might encounter some students who behave badly or ignore you during class. Many Japanese teachers at schools can not speak English well so you might feel somewhat isolated.

・English school

Just like ALT, you will have contracts and you will be graded by managers of the school every year so you need to work hard to live up to their expectations. Most students are serious about learning English and at big schools, you will be busy teaching many classes a day. Also to support your school (because it’s a business), you will need to do extra work like handing out flyers, selling materials, planning event, etc. Also, depending on the situation, you might be sent to a different school suddenly. If you don’t mind taking teaching as a business, you will have no problem but if you don’t, I won’t recommend.

・Teach online

It is very hard to make living just doing this job unless you apply for several online teaching positions. Most students (except those who are taking classes for work) are retired and not serious about learning compared to young students and adults, so you might get bored teaching basics again and again.

So, all in all is it worth taking the job? I would say, for a foreigner who’s coming to Japan for the first time, it will be a good start but it’s not a job for life. If you like teaching and Japanese culture, and want to be in Japan for a few years and then go back, I think this will be a good job (Or maybe you can look for another job as you teach). But otherwise, you should look for a different job. Teaching is not that easy! What you also need to consider is the cost of living in Japan. If you would like to be in a big city, you will need at least 200,000 yen per month (for details, check my another article: cost of living in Tokyo for a single person). So if you are thinking about taking a teaching job, you need to do some research about the area you will be staying and see how much it costs to live there.

I took a teaching job at AEON because I didn’t want to forget my English and I really wanted to support people who want to improve their English (and I didn’t mind doing a business). And I had great experience and I still feel very thankful for people I worked with and students I met.

If you are passionate about teaching, go for it! If not, try for a few years or look for another job. Let me know if you need any help regarding English teaching jobs in Japan. 

Have a great day!
Taka

*I’m a professional composer by the way.

You can listen/download my music below.

Multicolors
Free Somebody
Skyhigh

If you have any questions, feel free to contact me: [email protected]

New music is available online!

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Hi, how are you doing?
I have just released my new single, “Multicolors” online!
It is available on Spotify, iTunes music, Apple music, and more.

I wrote this instrumental music and played all instruments.
Mastering engineer is Michifumi Onodera
Art work in by Eternal Sunshine by Jessamine Narita(https://www.jessaminenarita.com/).

This work is called “Multicolors”. I mixed the elements of western and eastern sounds using Koto, the guitar, the bass, etc. This is my way of respecting the different cultures and telling the importance of diversity.

Since the spread of the virus, I haven’t heard any good news recently… some people started hating each other and many are stressed out staying home and keeping distance.

I hope this music will give you some energy to go through the difficult time right now and remind you of the importance of understanding and helping each other.

You can also listen to my 2 albums that are also available online.

Enjoy your weekend!
Stay safe and well.
Taka

How’s your life in Japan? (Online interview with Sean)

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How are you doing?
We had another online interview with a foreign resident in Japan.
It was really fun talking with him and we got some interesting opinions about life in Japan.

He came to Takayama city about 3 year ago!

0:13 日本に来たきっかけは？
What brought you to Japan?

1:29 日本に馴染むのは大変だった？
Was it hard to fit in the different culture?

2:08 日本が外国人にとっても住みやすい場所になるには？
What should Japan work more on for foreign citizens?

3:35 どうやって日本語を習得した？
How did you learn Japanese?

5:11 日本の幼児教育について
About early child education in Japan.

7:23  先輩移住者としてアドバイス
Tips for new-comers

9:06  今回インタビューをしてみて
After the interview

I hope this will be helpful for someone thinking about coming to Japan in the future!

See you next time!
Taka

*I’m a professional composer by the way.
You can listen/download my music below.
Multicolors
Free Somebody
Skyhigh

If you have any questions, feel free to contact me: [email protected]

What is Japanese curry?

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What do you think of when you hear the word “Japanese food”?

Sushi? Tempra? Ramen? Miso soup and rice? Sure, they are popular and delicious but “Japanese curry” is actually one of the most common type of food in Japan.

Curry was original brought to Japan from India by the British and it became popular in the late 1960s in Japan. It has been loved since then and Japanese style curry is one of the most loved dishes in Japan now. The curry we make is different from Indian curry, and there are many kinds of it.

Curry roux blocks. You can get them at a Japanese supermarket or online.

What is Japanese curry?

Japanese curry is usually not spicy, and curry sauce is served on top of cooked rice. Some people try making curry roux from scratch using powders and various spices, but most use curry blocks. Pre-made curry is also available. You just need to warm the curry in vacuum-sealed bags in boiling water or using a microwave, and then pour it on rice.

Curry rice usually comes with Fukujinzuke (non-fermented pickles with a sesame-flavored soy sauce, sugar, and a selection of chopped vegetables like radish, cucumber, eggplant, lotus root, ginger, perilla, and sword bean) or Rakkyo (picked Chinese onion) on the side.

Kinds of Japanese curry

There are many different types of curry rice in Japan.
Among them, below are most popular kinds.

・Beef/Pork/Chicken Curry: Served with stewed Beef/Pork/Chicken with vegetables.

・Katsu Curry: Served with a breaded pork cutlet on top.
(Recipe: https://www.justonecookbook.com/katsu-curry/ )

・Soup Curry: A watery, broth-like curry sauce served with chicken leg and vegetables.
(Recipe: https://www.justonecookbook.com/soup-curry/ )

・Keema curry: Ground meat and minced vegetables served with an egg.
(Recipe: https://www.justonecookbook.com/keema-curry/ )

Katsu curry with Fukujinzuke on the side

How to cook

As an example, I will explain how to make the easiest and the most popular one: Beef Curry. Most commonly used ingredients for a Japanese Beef curry are potatoes, onions, Beef, and carrots. 

First, you need to pour some oil in a large pot and cook beef and vegetables until they get tender. (It is the best to cook meat first and take it out to a plate and then return it when you boil vegetables).
Then add some water and boil for about 20 min (make sure to cover and simmer). Skim the dark foam off the top when the water comes to a boil.
After that, turn off the heat and add curry roux. Mix until the roux gets melted. Finally, cook it on low heat for about 5 min and let the roux melt completely. Serve it on cooked rice. People usually use a spoon to eat.

It’s very easy to cook if you have curry blocks. 
Some people put garlic, spices, or wine in when they make curry.
Once you get comfortable making it, I recommend that you experiment adding whatever you like to make your own style.

This is what I made (without carrots because I didn’t have them….)

Popular Curry restaurants in Japan

CoCo Ichi

Established in 1978, it is the most popular Japanese curry chain restaurant. You can make your own CoCo Ichi curry by customizing the rice portion, toppings, and spice level. You can even order vegetarian curry in that only plant-based ingredients are used. https://www.ichibanya.co.jp/english/

Go! Go! Curry!

Started business in 2003, Go! Go! Curry! has restaurants in many places in Japan especially in Kanazawa and Tokyo areas. The style of curry they serve is called “Kanazawa Curry”. Black, rich taste roux is used and it is rather salty than spicy.
http://gogocurry.main.jp/english/public_html/

Besides curry rice, we have curry udon (curry over udon noodles), and curry bread (a curry-filled pastry). And there are many regional specialty curries such as Hokkaido Sika Deer curry, Scallop curry, Natto curry, Matsusaka beef (one of the best beefs in Japan) curry, Oyster curry, and more.

Japanese people really love curry. If you get interested, I recommend that you order curry roux online and try cooking it home. And if you have a chance to come to Japan, make sure to visit curry restaurants and try different kinds of curry!

See you next time!
Taka

*I’m a professional composer by the way.
You can listen/download my album below.
Free Somebody
Skyhigh

If you have any questions, feel free to contact me: [email protected]


Interview with a foreign worker from Mexico

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How’s everything?
We had another online interview with our new friend from Mexico, Uriel-san.

30min interview movie with English subtitles!

0:38 日本に来たのはいつ？　When did you come to Japan?
1:37 どこで日本語を学んだの？ Where did you learn Japanese?
2:08 日本に来たきっかけは？ What brought you to Japan?
3:17 メキシコでは日本語を学んでいる人は多い？ Do many people study Japanese in Mexico?
3:43 どうやって日本語を勉強したの？ How did you learn Japanese?
5:27 日本での仕事は? What do you do in Japan?
6:32 いつから高山に？ When did you move to Takayama?
6:49 地方の生活は慣れた？ How’s life in countryside?
7:18 初めて日本に来たときの苦労 Did you have any difficulties when you first came to Japan?
8:02 日本に移住してから苦労したことは？Did you have any difficulties after moving to Japan?
8:40 日本とメキシコの文化の違い Differences between Japan and Mexico.
10:52 日本の食べ物はどうですか？ How’s the food in Japan?
12:35 日本でメキシコの料理を食べる？ Do you eat Mexican food in Japan sometimes?
13:20 ホームシックになる？ Do you get homesick?
14:12 他の外国人移住者と交流はある？ Do you meet other foreign workers?
14:50 東京にいた時は交流の機会はありましたか？ How about when you were in Tokyo? 
15:55 交流イベントの重要性 The importance of meetup events.
16:32 多文化共生を実現させるには？ What can we do to live in harmony?20:44 先輩移住者としてアドバイス Tips for new-comers.
21:56 これからも日本に？ Will you stay in Japan?
22:29 高山での生活における改善点 Any improvements suggested for Takayama?
25:03 今回インタビューをしてみて After the interview

I hope it will be helpful for those who are planning to move to Japan to know about what’s it like to live here.

See you next time!
Taka

*I’m a professional composer by the way.
You can listen/download my album below.
Free Somebody
Skyhigh

If you have any questions, feel free to contact me: [email protected]

Bento boxes can make your life easier!

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Lunch box (or Bento in Japanese) is a single-portion, home-packed meal, or take-out meal popular in Asian countries. Now that many stores and restaurants are not open like they used to, making lunch box might be a great way to shift your lifestyle! Here’s some info about it.

Great things about using lunch boxes

Using a lunch box, you can save the amount of money and time you spend for lunch break. You won’t need to look for a restaurant that is open and safe, and waste money for buying food outside. In addition, you can make sure that the food you are eating is safe and good for your health because you know what’s inside. Furthermore, you can use your time at home wisely by preparing a large portion at home and carry some leftovers for lunch. Making Lunch boxes might be one of the best solutions to do well in the era of coronavirus!

Types of Lunch boxes

Containers range from disposable, plastic, wooden, to stainless steel. The one I recommend is a stainless steel bento box. It is tough and easy to clean. Also, it can keep food warm and look simple and cool. Anyone from kids to adults can use and carry it to school or office easily and it’s eco-friendly as well.

Bento box in Japan

Traditional Bento usually includes rice, fish, or noodles, with pickled and cooked vegetables and salad. It is widely available throughout Japan. You can easily find one at a convenience store, a supermarket ,or at a station. Many different kinds of containers are available including hand-crafted lacquerware.

In a family, homemaker usually prepares Bento for husband or kids in the morning. Some even try making Character Bento (called Charaben) which is a style of arranged Bento that features food decorated to look like characters from manga, animals, people, and so on. Now that SNS is a popular tool, amazingly made Charaben sometimes go on viral.

Speaking of Bento boxes, there is a special kind of Japanese lacquerware bento box in the area where I am (Takayama city of Gifu prefecture). It is Hida Shunkei Bento Box. Shunkei-nuri, which is made of a thin board created from lumber by original technique, is used to make this kind of beautiful red, brownish bento box. If you are interested in getting one, I can find and send it for you so let me know!

Hida Shunkei Bento box

There’s always a way to make your daily life better.
I will keep on posting info about Japan and its culture ,so come visit this site when you get bored staying at home all day!

See you next time.
Taka

*I’m a professional composer by the way.
You can listen/download my album below.
Free Somebody
Skyhigh

If you have any questions, feel free to contact me to [email protected] . 

What is City Pop?

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Hi, how’s everything?  
I guess most people in the world spend majority of the time at home nowadays, so I wrote about Japanese music that can make your time in the house more interesting. It is kind of an old style of music, but we can still get inspired by the sound of it. 
And I heard a news that City Pop was becoming popular in the western countries last year. It seems that the genre is regaining the popularity and kind of a trend now. Here is about City Pop!

What is it?

As Jon Blistein of Rolling Stone said that City Pop was “Not a strict genre term but a broad vibe classification”, City Pop is about the urban, futuristic feeling of 70’s to 80’s in Japan, and the word simply meant, “Music made by city people”. It is western influenced Japanese pop music that was popular during bubble economy time in Japan including a wide range of styles such as Funk, R&B, Soft Rock, and some even included Jazz Fusion, Latin, or Caribbean elements. During that time in Japan, new devices and electronics like Walkman, Cassette Decks, and FM Stereos were hip gadgets and the music style was associated with those emerging technologies. Young people were enjoying modern lifestyle listening to City Pop that had the latest sounds of electronic musical instruments.

Recommended artists

Tatsuro Yamashita 

He was among the most successful artists of City Pop music. Rolling Stone Japan ranked his album Spacy number 14 on a list of the greatest Japanese music albums of all time in 2007.

Haruomi Hosono

He is a famous composer, singer, and record producer and he is one of the most influential pop music artists in Japan. Using electronic sounds, he contributed a lot to City Pop and numerous electric genres.

Mariya Takeuchi

She is one of the most popular pop singers in Japan. Over 16 million records were sold so far, and her early work during 70’s and 80’ is largely associated with City Pop. She’s wife of Tatsuro Yamashita.

I love listening to various kinds of music from different times imagining what people were thinking and doing. Music takes you back to the era and I think it is great that we can feel the atmosphere at anytime, anywhere just by playing it. When you get bored at home, I recommend that you dig some music that you don’t usually listen to!

Have a great day!
Taka

*I’m a professional composer by the way.
You can listen/download my album below.
Free Somebody
Skyhigh

If you have any questions, feel free to contact me: [email protected]

How much can you earn working part-time in Japan?

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Hi, How’s it going?
Now that the coronavirus is going around the world, it is unlikely that we will be able to travel/move to another country anytime soon.
But as the Japanese government started a new policy in 2019 to welcome as many as 345,000 workers from overseas within 5 years, it is most likely that there will be more and more opportunities for people all over the world to come to Japan to work. 

Especially if you are a student, you might think of coming to Japan as an International student and work part-time (you are allowed to work up to 28 hours a week with a student visa). Approximately 75% of International students take some kind of part-time job (it is called “Arubaito/Baito” in Japanese).

Hourly rate

According to a study by Jasso , about 45% of international students choose to work Food and Beverage related part-time work (such as convenience store, or supermarket), and about 24% of them take Sales and Marketing related job.

Hourly rate for part-time job is over 800yen (if the work you find is below that, you should not take it…!). Ratio of part-time job that offers 800yen to 1,000yen is 50%, and 1,000yen to 1,200yen is 30%. You need to be careful if you find a part-time job that offers over 1,200yen without requiring you to have a specific skill as it might be a fraud (However, the wage of a teaching job is high. From around 2,000yen to 5,000yen per hour). 

You can find part-time job opportunities online.
Here is one of the most popular site: Gaijin pot

It might be difficult at first…

At work place, you might face some culture shocks seeing the way Japanese people work. People work really hard, you need to be respectful to seniors, and there are a lot of unspoken communication which is very hard for foreign workers to comprehend…So my advice is to listen what people say carefully and do as others do until you get comfortable working there. And ask when you are not sure about anything.

For an International Student

If you choose to work part-time in Japan, you need to make sure that the work does not affect your studies. International students who work over 28 hours limit has been a big problem, and you will be forced to go back if you do that.

I hope the current situation will get better soon and I’m looking forward to meeting the newcomers to Japan! If you have any questions, feel free to contact me [email protected] .

Have a great day! 
Taka

*I’m a professional composer by the way.
You can listen/download my album below.
Free Somebody
Skyhigh