What Longtime Japan Residents Buy When Traveling in Japan
These are some things that I frequently buy in Japan and recommend after living there for a long time.
One of the issues many travelers have in Japan is fitting everything in their suitcases to return home. Japan has so many amazing things to buy, from snacks to cosmetics, clothes to knick knacks and more.
As someone who has over 13 years of experience living in Japan and frequently spends time there, my Japan trip shopping list is probably a bit different from most tourists’.
Here, I’ll share a few items that I often buy to take back to the US with me and continue updating it, so check back before your next trip!
I also made a video as well:
Food
Kijoan sanuki udon
Once you really dive into Japan’s various noodle dishes, you’ll realize that there’s a lot of different levels of noodle quality, and you’ll likely develop your favorites. Kijoan makes delicious udon and is based in one of the country’s udon capitals, Kagawa Prefecture. Their noodles are packed for delivery and are shiny and almost translucent at times, and also have a delicious chew to them.
Brand site: https://www.kijoan.com/ [J]
Find at: Kijoan
Good nori
As with noodles, there are many grades of nori. Especially if you’re a fan of sushi, you probably have begun to care about the quality of the nori. While nori is sold in markets overseas that carry Asian foods, they usually don’t have a large range to choose from, which is why we buy some while in Japan. This one here is a packet of 20 sheets and is from the Ariake Sea in Kumamoto Prefecture, waters that many say create the best nori in Japan.
Brand site: https://seijoishii.com/ [J]
Find at: Seijo Ishii, other higher-end markets like Kinokuniya, specialty shops, etc.
Kakepon ponzu
Known for producing shoyu (soy sauce) and miso after 29 of Nagasaki Prefecture’s breweries came together, Choko became a single brand in 1975. Adding to their shoyu and miso product line, they also make ponzu, the citrus sauce great for dipping meat and for using in salad dressing. Their tasty Kakepon is a fave, and it comes in both glass bottles as well as a squeezable bottle that helps keep freshness.
Brand site: https://choko.co.jp/ [J]
Find at: Supermarkets
Rayu chili oil
There are many different types of rayu chili oil toppings, but ones made by S&B are some of my favorites. Referred to as “okazu rayu” in Japanese meaning something like “side dish chili oil”, these rayu have ingredients like fried garlic, roasted almonds and other crunchy items in it. They may not be as spicy or deep as Chinese chili oils, but these go along great with meals, especially on white rice.
Brand site: https://www.sbfoods.co.jp/ [J]
Find at: Supermarkets
Snacks & sweets
Yuzukosho senbei
Rice cracker snacks such as arare or senbei are delicious and of course, there’s just way more variety in Japan. One that I like is this one with shoyu (soy sauce) and yuzu kosho flavoring. The yuzu kosho gives it a slightly citrus flavor with a bit of a kick.
Brand site: https://seijoishii.com/ [J]
Find at: Seijo Ishii supermarket (Tokyo)
Minimal chocolate
Minimal is a bean-to-bar brand that’s all about the craft of chocolate. They handle everything from bean selection and purchasing to processing, manufacturing, and sales. Being all about the craft, they carefully select cacao beans from Asia, Africa, and Central and South America, and pay close attention to the process as they say even a 1/1000 of a millimeter (1 micrometer) difference while crushing the beans changes the texture, aroma, and taste of the finished product.
Their main shop is in Tomigaya, one of Tokyo’s “coolest neighborhoods” and where we have an apartment, and they serve a range of chocolate treats from bars and tablets to drinks.
Brand site: https://mini-mal.tokyo/ [J]
Find at: Minimal
Shigekix
If you’re a fan of really sour candies such as Warheads or Super Lemon and like Haribo gummy bears because of their extreme chewiness, you just may love Shigekix. Extremely hard in texture, these tough gummies come in either circular tablets or rounded pyramids, and are available in several flavors. The packs are small and are resealable, so they’re easy to take with you. These are one of my favorite candies I’ve come across while living in Japan.
Brand site: https://shigekix.com/ [J]
Find at: Convenience stores, Daiso (Japan)
Fettuccine gummi
Alightly chewy gummy coated with a sour sugary layer similar to Sour Patch Kids or Sour Punch. These Fettuccine gummi packs are small and have a resealable bag so you don’t have to eat all at once or deal with trying to fold the package so they don’t spill.
Brand site: https://www.bourbon.co.jp/ [J]
Find at: Convenience stores, supermarkets
Azuma arare - Truffle salt flavor
A light rice cracker snack, arare has been among the favorites for Japanese to snack on from long ago. This particular one combines the traditional snack with Italian truffles to create a tasty and addictive cracker treat.
Brand site: https://www.azuma-arare.co.jp/ [J]
Find at: Seijo Ishii
Cosmetics
Deuxer hair wax
Japanese hair wax for men and women by a company called Number Three. There’s about 9 different types of Deuxer hair wax, each numbered from 1-6 and in different colored containers. There’s about 80g of the vegan and PeTA-certified wax in each container. I began using them after noticing a couple hair salons that I went to in Japan were using this brand. I usually get the 5 and it works pretty well for me.
Brand site: https://www.no3.co.jp/ [J]
Find at: Don Quijote, Loft
Rosa Rugosa milky lotion
Lotion from Machinaka Farm in Urahoro, Hokkaido. This lotion is made from essence from a Japanese-native shrub, Hamanasu, which mainly grows in Hokkaido, and aromatic distilled water. While I don’t have experience with this lotion personally, my friend grew to love it while traveling in Hokkaido and claims that this is the best lotion that he’s ever used.
Brand site: https://www.alexcious.com/
Find at: Online
Medicine & personal care
Botchan sekken soap
Known as a really basic soap, Botchan sekken soap can be found at drugstores throughout Japan. They’re a simple white bar-style of soap, and contains no lotions or scents. I have limited experience with them, however, the first time I used it I was surprised at how smooth my skin felt when I washed my face.
Brand site: https://botchan-sekken.jp/ [J]
Find at: Drugstores (Japan)
Ryukakusan
Find at: A soothing solution for itchy, scratchy and irritated throats. Ryukakusan is a powder that comes in small foil packets. If your throat is bothering you, tear one open, pour it in your mouth and swallow. The powder will turn into an easy-to-swallow cream-like substance and your throat will feel soothed. It was a hot item during Covid as many Chinese residents in Japan who knew about Ryukakusan’s benefits would buy them and ship them home to friends and family. I usually get the pink one which is a peach-mint flavor.
Brand site: https://www.ryukakusan.co.jp/ [J]
Find at: Drugstores (Japan)
Ugai
When going out each day, we tend to breath in all sorts of things. One cleanliness habit that many in Japan have is gargling after returning home. This helps with that and contains an alcohol to help get rid of germs in your mouth and throat. Just pour some in water and gargle.
Brand site: https://hc.kowa.co.jp/ [J]
Find at: Drugstores (Japan)
Nonio toothbrush
While I use an electronic toothbrush normally, I usually don’t pack it when traveling. Japan has great dental products and at reasonable prices. My U.S. dentist even said to look to Japan for items or treatment first as many things are first developed there and they also cost a lot in the U.S. Nonio has simple toothbrushes with small heads so they get around the mouth better, and they’re only a couple dollars at most.
Brand site: https://www.lion.co.jp/ [J]
Find at: Drugstores (Japan)
GUM unwaxed dental floss
Another great dental product in Japan is dental floss. They seem to have a better variety, this unwaxed dental floss by GUM, for example. Many of the items I find in the U.S. are waxed or are the type to glide a bit too smoothly. Another GUM floss in Japan is the type that slightly expands while you use it so that it creates more surface area in order to clean better. While these items likely can be found in some stores overseas, they’re probably a little cheaper and more common in Japan, which is why we buy them to take back.
Brand site: https://jp.sunstargum.com/ [J]
Find at: Drugstores (Japan)
Alcohol
Akabu nihonshu (sake)
Dating back to 1896, Akabu is a nihonshu (sake) brewery in Morioka, Iwate Prefecture. Their bottles are designed with various samurai motifs and they’re smooth yet reasonably priced. While alcohol preference is subjective, I and those of around me who have drank nihonshu by Akabu found it to be really good.
Brand site: https://www.akabu1.com/ [J]
Find at: Select liquor shops (Japan)
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Buying an Apartment in Tokyo
What apartment-hunting and buying was like in Tokyo, how much apartments cost in the city, and some things that should be considered.
Buying an apartment in Japan was one of the biggest decisions in my life and also one of the most tedious and length processes I’ve ever been a part of. But alas, I, someone who often overthinks and resists taking big risks, decided to pull the trigger and buy an apartment in central Tokyo.
Why we bought an apartment in Tokyo
Japan is a second home to me. It’s a place that I have a desire and need to visit, not just to be a tourist but to go about my daily life. My wife is Japanese and from Tokyo, so it would be a place where we’d come back to anyways, with or without a home.
I also recently started my own company with a Japanese corporation and do a lot of work with and in Japan.
In short, it made sense to have a place in Tokyo.
How much do apartments in central Tokyo cost?
Tokyo is one of the biggest cities in the world both in population and economic size. It’s a dense city with homes on the smaller side because space comes at a premium.
Factors that contribute to the cost are things like whether or not it’s in Tokyo’s main 23 wards, and if so, which ward, what the nearest train station is, how far it is from the train station, what type of construction the building is and the age of the apartment. The difference in what you can get for your money can be quite big
For example, it would be typical for a brand new 1-bedroom apartment in desirable wards such as Minato and Shibuya to start at around ¥128M. On the other hand, one outside the main 23 wards to start around ¥40M.
Housing for sale in central Tokyo. Red dots are ¥100M+, blue dots are ¥20M and under. - At Home
Many locals actually opt to purchase homes in more affordable areas that are outside of the main 23 wards.
Our budget was roughly US $325-400k. This amount meant that it would be a struggle to get a 1LDK (1 bedroom with living room and kitchen) in a highly desirable place in central Tokyo that wasn’t too old. For most Tokyo residents with a similar budget, it would make sense to live further away from central areas or from stations.
With this budget, you could get a lived-in 2-bedroom condo further out from central Tokyo or a brand new 2-story house in places such as the small city I lived in Fukuoka.
What we considered
Location-first
Because we don’t plan on being in Japan for most of the year, we had the option to be more flexible with the size of the apartment. We decided to sacrifice the space a little and prioritize location.
This would add a lot more convenience to our stays while also helping to limit depreciation in home value, which often happens in Japan.
Our target location was the Tomigaya area, an area that we had visited often while living in Tokyo. Over the years, this “Inner Shibuya” neighborhood has grown significantly in popularity with its highly-rated eateries and coffee shops, and despite it being just outside of Shibuya and Harajuku, it still retains a quaint and somewhat sophisticated vibe.
In 2023, Time Out magazine said that “Tomigaya is one of the world's top 10 coolest neighbourhoods”.
Earthquake resistance of buildings
While apartment hunting, we learned that buildings were built with varying earthquake standards depending on the year they were built.
The Japanese Shindo earthquake scale
Buildings built before 1981 were built to withstand a Shindo-5 on the Japanese scale measuring intensity. Buildings built in 1981 or later were built to withstand a Shindo-6 or 7.
“Shindo” measures the intensity of the earthquake that is felt.
Retrofitting
The government is trying to get all buildings along main roads retrofitted to help better secure them in the event of a disaster. Not all buildings have been retrofitted yet, however, meaning that if the government requests an apartment building to be retrofitted, residents there may have to pay some money.
While we looked at 5 different apartments in our general target area, only 2 were built after 1981. These would likely be the best options both in terms of safety and property value if we were to sell the apartment sometime in the future.
We decided to apply for one of those two, and luckily we were approved.
Purchasing
One difference with Japan versus the U.S. is that there’s more freedom in Japan regarding who you work with. You can work with multiple real-estate agents and companies while doing your search, and this is what we did.
When it was time to start the next phase of the process, we went to the real estate agency managing the property we wanted to discuss making the offer.
Making the offer
Offers are accepted on a first-come, first-serve basis, and buyers have the option to offer the asking amount or lower. If it’s lower but the next person offers the asking price, the buyer will likely sell to the one willing to pay the price they asked for.
After some consideration, we decided to offer the asking price and luckily the buyer accepted. While we entertained offering lower, the availability of a place like this that’s close to our budget is too uncommon and the demand in the area was just too high. We were reassured that we made the right choice when a second bid came in from someone who had been unsuccessfully looking for a place in the area for the past 7 years.
Locking in the agreement
We met with the agency and the seller in a 3-way meeting, signed and stamped several papers, and paid the seller ¥2.5M in cash to lock in the agreement. The reason why it’s recommended to pay in cash is to avoid fees. It is, however, a bit nerve-wracking to carry that much cash on you!
After this was completed, the long process of actually purchasing, handing over and registering the apartment began.
The entire process from searching to receiving the keys took a little over 3 months. It was lengthy, stressful, and something I was glad to have finally completed.
The next step is doing some renovations to the dated interior. I’ll update about that later, but this is a solid step forward in being able to have a life between two countries.
Don’t forget to watch my video which shows this entire process, including the apartments we looked at:
Watch on YouTube
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About My Japan-Related Business
I started a company that is connected to Japan, helping businesses do international marketing to the country.
In 2023, I officially started a business that works a lot with Japan.
After teaching English in Fukuoka, Japan as an ALT on the JET Program, I went back into the social media / digital marketing world. It was what I had done at a startup in Silicon Valley before moving to Japan.
I fortunately found a job at a medium-sized Japanese digital agency called TAM which had been around for more than a couple decades, and worked with the CEO to help crack a window so that the company could do more internationally related work.
What I’ve learned doing international marketing
The language and cultural barriers that exist between Japan and other countries, especially Western ones, prevent most Japanese companies from working with ones outside of Japan and vice versa. They also present enormous challenges for businesses trying to market and sell to and from Japan.
Throughout my years at TAM, I’ve worked on Japanese government projects, helping clients such as the Tokyo Metropolitan Government and the Yokohama City Government with outbound international marketing.
I’ve also worked with a lot of international companies trying to market to Japanese people - Small startups, large corporations, airlines, fashion brands and so on. While doing so, I’ve learned the different challenges that are common, what some of their needs are and what I could do to help them.
I will continue doing this through my new company.
My company is called TAMKO X, and we are an independently operating company within the TAM Group.
What my company does
The TAM Group has several companies within it doing things like digital ad strategy, content production, e-commerce site design, AI tool building, VR world creation and more. And with the way that we’re set up, we can all draw upon the group’s resources, knowledge and network when we need to in order to best help clients.
For the projects I’ve been a part of in the past several years, I collaborated with Japanese specialists at TAM because they know the market the best and they’re Japanese themselves. They currently live in Japan so they have an up-to-date pulse on things, so together we’re able to help out and provide a lot of value to these international clients.
The challenges we help businesses with
I’ve learned that most of the challenges international businesses face when trying to market to Japan extends beyond just translating and learning business etiquette and things like that.
Much of it relates to how to actually reach and communicate with people in Japan in a natural way, how to build relevance with their lifestyles which can be quite different so they pay attention, and then how to spark an interest so they think about buying.
A lot of times the approach in marketing communications is quite different from how they’d be done in places like the US, for example, and there are a lot of nuances to think about and figure out.
We help localize and connect culture so that our clients have a better chance at getting Japanese customers. We do this through things like native Japanese social media, content creation and transcreation, influencer marketing, Japanese ad management, website creation, Japanese article creation and publications. Basically if it’s a form of digital communication that can have an affect on people, we can do it.
I’m looking forward to continue working with those I currently work with but also working with new passionate clients and new people who would like to collaborate on these types of project as well.
If you’re interested, feel free to contact me.
Website: https://tamkox.com
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What You Get in Tokyo for $1,800/Month
What is a typical 1-bedroom (1LDK) apartment in central Tokyo actually like? My approx. $1,800/month apartment in Setagaya, Tokyo.
Tokyo is one of the world’s major cities and one of its biggest.
There are more than 37 million people in the greater metropolitan area, almost 14 million in the city proper, and Tokyo has the biggest economy of any city in the world. It’s safe to say that space comes at a premium.
Just like my previous $950/month Tokyo studio apartment, you will either find this $1,800/month 1-bedroom apartment expensive or a good deal, depending on where you’re from.
The location
As with anywhere, the location has a lot to do with the price. The metropolitan area of Tokyo is made up of 23 wards, and each operates with some autonomy. Because of this, each has slightly different residential taxes and average rent prices.
In fact, when comparing average rent prices between the cheapest and most expensive wards, the most expensive (Shibuya ward) is more than double the cheapest (Katsushika ward).
The average rent for a 1LDK (1-bedroom apartment) in central Tokyo (within the 23 wards) is said to be about ﾥ145,782 or $1,458 per month in 2022 [J].
Ward: Setagaya
My apartment was in the Setagaya ward which is west-southwest from the center of Tokyo. It has just under 1 million residents and is the second largest ward in Tokyo in terms of area. Its residential taxes and rent prices, while generally cheaper than others wards like Minato or Shibuya, is slightly above average.
The most well known area in Setagaya is probably Shimokitazawa, an area known for its subculture, thrift stores, small bars and live houses, and a spot where many performing artists get their starts.
This apartment is about 3 minutes from there by train.
Station: Kyodo
A Kyodo street in the snow
My wife and I chose an apartment in Kyodo [MAP] - a residential area about 15 minutes from Shinjuku and Shibuya.
There is one train line that goes to Kyodo - the Odakyu line. The Odakyu line goes from Shinjuku all the way out west to the Hachiōji area and down to Kanagawa prefecture.
The station and train lines that go through it are important factors when deciding where to live in Tokyo, and it also affects the price.
An Odakyu line train leaving Kyodo Station
At Kyodo Station, the regular and express trains stop, which makes it more desirable. The rapid express train doesn’t stop, however.
There are also some trains that become Chiyoda line trains. Personally, I think that the Chiyoda line is one of the best lines in Tokyo because it goes to popular areas such as Harajuku, Omotesando/Aoyama, Nogizaka (right next to Roppongi), Hibiya (next to Yurakucho and Ginza), Nijūbashimae (Marunouchi and Tokyo Station area).
It was also easy for me to get to work, taking around 40 minutes door-to-door with 1 easy transfer on the same platform or none at all.
Corty shopping complex
Our apartment was only a 5 minute walk from Kyodo station. Around the station area, there are about 3 supermarkets, dry cleaning, convenience stores, a gym, and other food places and coffee shops.
It’s also worth noting that Gotokuji and Yamashita station are only about 10 minutes away, making the Setagaya line also accessible.
The apartment building
Our apartment building in Kyodo
The apartment building is an 11-story concrete building built in 2010. In Japan, they refer to this type of apartment as a “mansion”, which tends to be more expensive to rent when compared to “apāto” types.
It’s a corner unit which is nice, but there wasn’t anything special about the view. It faces west and looked down at a main street below, and if you look around the corner, you can see the Shinjuku skyline in the distance.
Key features
“Auto-lock” - A secure entry system into the building (there’s actually 2 to get in)
Security camera system in the lobby and elevator
Video intercom to allow people into the building
Front desk/concierge service
Delivery boxes - A self-serve, secure locker system for box deliveries in case you’re not home
Courtyard area outside of the lobby
Car parking garage (extra fee) - A covered parking lot meet to the apartment building
Mail and delivery box area
The building is located next to the train tracks, so it can be a little on the noisy side when you’re outside. The apartments are equipped with double-paned glass so almost all of that noise is filtered out.
To the front of the west side of apartment is a gym, and the other side faces a street.
The apartment complex is owned by Odakyu, the same company that runs the train lines, has department stores and a lot more. They also run the promenade that leads up to the building from Kyodo station.
Lobby
The building has staff and a concierge that helps out with tasks such as mailing boxes, getting dry cleaning done, etc., however they come at an extra fee. The staff are really nice though.
Courtyard
The entire area, including the apartment building, are very well maintained by the Odakyu staff. They’re always cleaning, doing landscaping, and even worked through the night on a snowy night to clear the ice.
The apartment
Living room
This apartment is classified in Japan as a 1LDK, which means 1 bedroom, a living room, dining area, and a kitchen.
Apartment layout
Key features
47.15 sq. m (506 sq. ft.)
Stove with 3 gas burners, grill
TOTO toilet with remote bidet, heated seats, etc.
Bathroom with anti-fog heated mirror cabinet
Flat-floor shower and a tub that automatically fills, reheats and circulates water while maintaining temperature
Dryer function that allows clothes drying in the shower
Washing machine hookup with hot and cold water
2 AC/heater units (1 in living room, 1 in bedroom)
Large balcony with open-air view
2 sliding doors with double-paned glass
Higher than typical ceiling
Bedroom. For reference, the bed is a full-sized bed.
TOTO toilet, separate from the bathroom.
Bathroom with washing machine hook-up
Flat-floor shower and tub unit. Tub has functions like auto-fill, reheat, circulate. The shower also can dry clothes.
Balcony
Fees and costs
The monthly rent totaled to ¥180,000 or about $1,800 USD, depending on the exchange rate. This included the management and service fee of ¥7,000 ($70). When looking at the monthly costs, it’s pretty reasonable considering the size and density of the city, and quality of the apartment itself.
The initial costs, however, were a bit high as often is the case.
Initial costs
While exact costs may vary depending on the rental agency, it is typical that there will be a deposit and “key money” amongst a few other smaller fees. The key money is what was a bit different from any rental experience that I had.
There’s also the typical and non-refundable “thank you” fee to the property owner for letting us rent, it’s paid at the beginning of each contract term. This means that you’ll pay it again if you choose to stay at the location and renew for another 2 years.
Personally, I think it’s a ridiculous fee, especially if you’re a good renter because you’re the one actually helping the property owner out, but that’s the norm in Japan.
They take out a cleaning fee from the deposit when moving out.
My initial moving-in expenses were something like this:
Deposit: ¥180,000 (1-month’s rent)
Key/thank you money: ¥180,000
1st month’s rent: ¥180,000
Key fee: ¥22,000
Insurance: ¥10,400 (1/year)
Total: ¥572,400 (approx.)
It’s also worth mentioning that in Japan, the tenant is responsible for providing their own appliances.
This includes things like refrigerator, washing machine, and light fixtures. Luckily, electronics stores have sets for sale and you can find appliances at reasonable prices.
Utilities
The rent didn’t include any utilities.
Our monthly utility bills on average for 2 people were something like this:
Electricity: ¥5,576 (depending on season)
Gas: ¥4,804
Sewer & Water: ¥6,975 (once every 3 months)
Internet: ¥4,734
Total: ¥22,089/month (approx.)
I wrote more about utility costs in Tokyo here.
This may total to be more than a lot of other cities around the world. However, to get to live in one of the best cities in the world, a huge one at that, was worth it.
Check out more in Tokyo.
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Street Photography: Gotokuji & Kyodo, Tokyo
Going out on a snowy winter day to take street photos of Gotokuji and Kyodo, Tokyo.
Gotokuji and Kyodo, Tokyo, are two neighboring areas in Setagaya Ward. The famous “maneki neko” temple is in Gotokuji, and Kyodo is home to a university, some schools and a larger station
It began snowing heavily for Tokyo one winter day in 2022, and I decided to go our with my camera and make a video while I took some street photography.
I also made a video of myself taking these photos that winter evening. Please watch if you’re interested:
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Street Photography: Koenji, Tokyo
Shooting street photos of Koenji, Tokyo, a neighborhood known for its alternative subcultures.
The area of Koenji, Tokyo, is considered by locals as one of the coolest neighborhoods in the city. It’s best known for its alternative subcultures, and on a late fall afternoon in 2021, I decided to go there for some street photography.
I also made a video of myself taking these photos that day. Please watch if you’re interested:
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Social Media in Japan in 2021
A look at the most popular social media apps in Japan in 2021 - user numbers, usage trends and more.
Whether you’re trying to market your business to Japanese consumers, make Japanese friends, or keep in touch with a Japanese person you met on a trip or on an exchange, being in the same “communication space” is very important.
You can download this “Social Media in Japan in 2021” deck
I put together for free.
It covers:
Media consumption trends by Japanese people
The shift of attention in Japan
Activities done in mobile devices
A breakdown of the most popular social media apps in Japan
If this looks interesting to you, download the full deck here:
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Fall in Japan Wallpapers
Fall is arguably Japan’s best season. Some of my favorite photos turned into wallpapers for your phone.
Fall is Japan's best season. To me at least. It’s when the weather finally begins to cool down from excruciating summers and the leaves turn beautiful colors.
I've been fortunate to see them for several years now, so I edited some of the photos I took into wallpapers for you. Feel free to use them!
Kiyomizu-dera - Kyoto
Kamo River - Kyoto
Omotesando, Tokyo
Tenryuji Temple, Kyoto
Gaienmae Icho Namiki - Tokyo
Kitano Tenmangu Shrine - Kyoto
Eikan-dō Zenrin-ji - Kyoto
Tokyo Skytree - Tokyo
Hitachi Seaside Park - Ibaraki
Marunouchi - Tokyo
University of Tokyo - Tokyo
Hamarikyu Gardens - Tokyo
Kiyomizu-dera - Kyoto
Rikugien - Tokyo
Roppongi Hills - Tokyo
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Instagram in Japan in 2020
All about Instagram use in Japan in 2020. Information from the House of Instagram Japan online event held by Facebook Japan.
House of Instagram Japan was held in online on November 26, 2020
Instagram has over 33 million monthly active users in Japan
Users in Japan in particular use Instagram for search
Instagram remains one of the most significant social networks in the world and continues to be huge in Japan.
On November 26, 2020, Facebook Japan held their House of Instagram Japan, or インスタハウス in Japanese, online seminar event, going over the latest usage statistics and behaviors on the platform.
Globally, Instagram has 1 billion monthly active users, now 10 years after it first launched. It’s been a pretty big part of my daily life since I signed up in May 2011.
Anyways, here are some interesting facts about Instagram in Japan.
The Japan market
The Japanese market is said to have more than 33 million monthly active users. This number hasn’t been updated in a while as this was the same number announced last year at Instagram Day Tokyo 2019, so we can only speculate as to why.
Japan is an important and unique market for Instagram, Facebook Japan CEO Masahiro Amizawa said. In fact, Japan holds their only development team outside of the United States.
Instagram users in Japan have a high rate of searching via hashtags, says the Facebook Japan CEO.
In addition to browsing and discovery, users in Japan use Instagram for search purposes more than users in other markets. Compared to the global Instagram user average, users in Japan search via hashtags 5X more.
This makes Japanese hashtag strategy very important for brands.
Instagram users in Japan have a high rate of seeking shopping information
Another point of difference in Japanese usage is that Instagram users in Japan seek shopping information more.
Utilizing functions such as Instagram’s shopping tags, users in Japan are 3X more likely to look at product details compared to users in other countries.
Not utilizing shopping tags or having them link to a non-Japanese eCommerce site is a wasted opportunity.
Maintaining organic posts is important to provide further information
It’s also worth noting that advertising to Japan from a global account isn’t enough. 42% of users who become interested in a brand will visit the brand’s profile in search of more information.
I’ve seen many international brands in particular advertise in Japanese but from a single, global account, with all the posts written in a foreign language.
The truth is that English capability in Japan is notoriously low, and the type of social media content that they like is often very different. This potentially cuts off the interest cultivation in the Japanese user.
Japan-first Developments
Three functions that began in Japan were highlighted, developed due to behavior in the market.
Instagram’s account QR code
Account QR codes
This has been around for quite some time now, but it allows users to quickly connect to other people and businesses. Japanese were used to scanning QR codes from before, and you’ll likely see them around if you’re in the country.
Instagram’s event tagging
Event tagging in in-feed posts
It looks similar to shopping tags where you tap a post and information comes up. In addition to products, event information can also be tagged inside of in-feed posts. This let users set reminders to be notified 15 minutes before its start.
It was tied to high usage of the Instagram Live function after COVID-19/Coronavirus began to spread.
Instagram’s seasonal topics
Seasonal topics
A list of 10 hashtags around topics beginning to trend are curated. This is due to Japanese users’ searches by hashtags being 5X the global average, their cultural affinity for the seasons and trends that occur in them, and their strong desire to know what’s currently happening.
If you need help with Instagram or Instagram in Japan, send me an email and I’ll see if I can be of help!
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How Coffee and Cafe Brands are Marketing in Japan
Japanese consumers and coffee, as well as an analysis of a few popular coffee and cafe businesses in Japan to see how they’re marketing and building their brands.
Coffee and cafes play a big part in many people’s lives in Japan, and it’s been that way for a long time. In fact, it was Japan’s kissaten coffee culture that inspired Blue Bottle Coffee founder James Freeman.
Looking around Japan, like many other countries, there seems to be a lot of coffee shops popping up. The truth is however, that the number has actually been decreasing over the past decade according to the Japanese government’s Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare.
Despite this and other changes in the market over the past several years, Japanese consumers are spending more on coffee than ever.
Average annual spend on coffee per person in Japan
This is led by the under-30 year old demographic.
Prices at chains such as Starbucks and Ueshima have gone up, but that’s not the only reason for the increase in spending.
The majority of coffee, 6.54 cups per week, is actually not consumed at these chains but rather in the home.
Even though the number of coffee shops have decreased and consumers in Japan are spending more than ever, there is another battleground that wasn’t as big before: The digital space.
Coffee is a commodity, which means branding and marketing are more important than ever.
Yes, the beans, the drinks, the locations, the prices, online availability - these all matter and contribute to the success of a coffee or cafe business.
If we take a look at the coffee and cafe-related brands growing and succeeding, they have the same thing in common: Purposeful branding and marketing.
This goes beyond having a cool name and running Facebook Ads.
It’s a mix of tactical implementations that help build a relationship with potential customers and gain their trust - something of utmost importance when it comes to selling anything to Japanese consumers.
Together with my colleague Takumi Kishimoto, we compiled a brief that takes a look at the latest information around coffee and cafes in the Japan market, and then dove into what a few successful ones are doing marketing-wise to help them grow.
If you or someone you know is looking to grow their coffee or tea brand, cafe, restaurant or eatery in Japan, this might be interesting.
You can find the download link on our agency post here, or feel free to contact me and I can send it over to you.
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Springtime Walk in Shimotakaido, Tokyo
Exploring the streets of Shimotakaido in Setagaya, Tokyo during cherry blossom season.
The Shimotakaido area of Setagaya, Tokyo, is a smaller, residential area with a few schools in the neighborhood. The main area is lively with a variety of shops and eateries, and its tunnel of cherry blossoms make for a nice walk during the springtime.
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How Brands in Japan are Responding to COVID-19
What some brands and celebrities in Japan are doing in reaction to COVID-19/Coronavirus.
After the Japanese government declared a state of emergency and strongly requested businesses and people to cut person-to-person contact by 70% in early April, some people and businesses have responding to help produce things in need, align messaging, and help everyone stay home.
These are some businesses in Japan have done.
Iris Ohyama
当社は、政府からの要請に対応するため、6月稼働予定の宮城県角田工場のマスク生産能力を1億5千万枚／月に増強します。
— アイリスオーヤマ株式会社【公式】 (@irisohyama_info) April 22, 2020
中国におけるマスクの重要資材である不織布の価格高騰も考慮し、同工場内に資材製造設備も新たに導入することで内製化率を高め、供給体制を見直します。https://t.co/2bNtldRjtg
The home electronics company announced that they’d be producing 60k masks/month, and will increase production starting in June.
SHARP
なお本日より生産開始したマスクは、3月下旬には出荷できますが、まずは政府への納入を優先します。より切実にマスクを必要とされる場所へ提供を図るためです。その後、一般向けには自社のECサイトでのみ販売する予定です。 https://t.co/XV450iC9Sg pic.twitter.com/t8OUiM7h7l
— SHARP シャープ株式会社 (@SHARP_JP) March 24, 2020
Due to having facilities enabling production of masks in a sterile environment, the Japanese government asked Sharp to help out. Sharp is producing masks and selling them once a week online through a lottery system.
SHARPさん@SHARP_JP ロゴがおうちの中にいるし、距離も保ってる。
— aya_endo@広報PR (@aya_pee) April 8, 2020
これは、好きっ！てなるやつ。
まさに、「目の付けどころがシャープでしょ。」 pic.twitter.com/2GExhI8wEr
They’ve also changed their logo on social media, using the kanji for “home.” Sharp’s Twitter account is regarded as one of the best company accounts in Japan due to their wit and responsiveness, a big contrast to the social stiffness that plagues Japanese companies online.
SHUEISHA
本日いまから！
— ONE PIECEスタッフ【公式】 (@Eiichiro_Staff) March 9, 2020
長期春休み応援
ONE PIECE1巻〜60巻
無料開放スタート！
👇ジャンプ＋https://t.co/UzmF5EnTJJ
👇ゼブラックhttps://t.co/jGxmw8bQmt#OnePiece pic.twitter.com/y9RuaVgS7u
A major Japanese publisher, with names like Dragonball-Z, ONE PIECE and Naruto, made some back issues of their popular manga titles free, as well as some issues of their Shonen Jump magazine through their app. This came as Japan shut down schools in early March, suddenly giving kids a lot of free time at home.
APA HOTEL
アパホテル「軽症や無症状の人 全面的に受け入れ」新型コロナ #nhk_news https://t.co/RNrq7Xsw4I
— NHKニュース (@nhk_news) April 3, 2020
To help with the overflow of people infected with COVID-19, business hotel chain APA Hotel opened its doors to those with mild symptoms.
SHISEIDO
現在生産中の手指消毒液（指定医薬部外品）。
— 資生堂 ShiseidoCo.,Ltd. (@SHISEIDO_corp) April 21, 2020
品質と安全性を何ものにも優先し、徹底した品質管理を行っています。#資生堂 #shiseidoforsociety
▼詳しくはこちらhttps://t.co/0V8s3fiBzB pic.twitter.com/Cpsa8xINKT
While it initially started only in France, Shiseido began producing hand sanitizer in its Japan factories as well, saying they will be able to manufacture 200k bottles/month for sale to medical professionals. They also will share their formula with other companies since theirs helps prevent hands from over-drying due to excessive use.
P&G Japan
P&G Japan to donate a million masks to hospitals https://t.co/vFVLxaMyU0
— The Japan Times (@japantimes) April 23, 2020
The Japan leg of P&G will donate 1M masks to medical institutions starting in mid-May. They also provided 100L of industrial-use ethanol to use as disinfectants.
VARIOUS ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE BRANDS
［ITmedia NEWS］消毒用アルコールと同じ度数の「お酒」続々 新型コロナ対策で https://t.co/mctaefhsuL
— ITmedia (@itmedia) April 10, 2020
Alcohol makers such as Meiri, Kikusui and a few others shifted production to sell bottles of non-drinking alcohol. While it’s noted that they were made for the purpose of drinking, they meet the requirements for a high-concentration ethanol product (65-80% alcohol) that can be used for disinfection.
BRANDS HAVE GOTTEN CREATIVE IN THEIR MARKETING
The shift to staying home meant brands had to adapt their messaging to people’s realities. Here are a few that have.
POCARI SWEAT
今はみんなで会えないけれど、
— ポカリスエット【公式】 (@pocarisweat_jp) April 15, 2020
歌は歌える。
新ヒロインの汐谷友希さんと、
97名の中高生たちが、
自分の場所で、自分らしく、
ひとつの歌を合唱しました。
2020年春、「渇きを力に変えてゆく。」#ポカリNEO合唱#ポカリスエット pic.twitter.com/03XhZwUnv2
Sports drink brand Pocari Sweat’s commercials always gain a lot of buzz, choreographing a song and dance that includes huge amounts of jr high and high school students. They were quick to create a stay home version that included 97 students, launching it in the middle of April. They also opened up a challenge inviting new participants through application via TikTok.
PANTENE
Pantene modified their campaign to have a double play on words. Their campaign #HairWeGo was playing on “Here we go” and relating it to their hair market, but they changed it again to “Heya we go.” Heya (部屋) in Japanese means “room”, and the new campaign invited people to post photos of their home hairstyles while including a few celebrities as well.
SUNTORY
お酒や飲料を通じて、人と人のつながりをつくってきたサントリーだから。
— SUNTORY（サントリー） (@suntory) May 8, 2020
いま「話そう。」というメッセージをお届けします。
笑って、愚痴って、分かちあって
感情が外に出れば、心は少し軽くなる。
大丈夫。つながってる。#話そう
全１３回の「話そう。」はじまります。#サントリー
Beverage brand Suntory called on over 40 celebrities and personalities and created a 13-episode longform video series featuring them conversing. Stating that Suntory’s drinks are about people-to-people connections, their “Let’s talk” campaign encourages people to laugh, complain and share in order to help lift each other’s spirits.
CELEBRITIES HAVE TAKEN ACTION
A few celebrities were early to take action in helping people to stay home, something refreshing to see in a country where many of them refrain from stirring the pot.
NAOMI WATANABE
One of Japan’s biggest celebrities, Naomi Watanabe, invited people to livestreams on YouTube of her eating dinner with the intention of keeping those who are eating alone at home company.
She has also livestreamed on Instagram, done makeup tutorials as well as featured other celebrities. Her streams have had millions of viewers.
Gén HOSHINO
Musical artist Gén Hoshino created an original song and tied it to a #DancingOnTheInside challenge, encouraging others to do the same. It sparked a series of collaborations from top celebrities and regular people alike.
YOSHIHIDE KIRYU
Japanese Olympic sprinter Yoshihide Kiryu introduced several exercises people could do at home in order to train. They’re aimed at jr high and high school students as the school year and track and field practices have been impacted by COVID-19.
MASATOSHI HAMADA
／
— 出前館【公式】 (@demaecan) April 27, 2020
吉本所属タレントの皆様、ファンの皆様、
そしてSTAYHOMEしている皆様🏡
＼
こんなキャンペーンが始まります👇
タレントの皆様は食事動画等をつけて投稿してください🎦
その他の皆様にはタレントさんの投稿から500円クーポンをゲットしてください👍#浜田のおごり #出前館 #PR #吉本自宅劇場 pic.twitter.com/k3LU5m1Lmg
In a collaboration with Japanese delivery service Demaecan, comedian Masatoshi Hamada is offering to provide a discount to other comedians, actors, musicians and performers who have been affected by canceled gigs and job losses due to COVID-19.
Know of any other brands or celebrities in Japan doing great things? Let me know!
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A Snowy Spring Day in Tokyo
Photographing the streets of Setagaya, Tokyo on a snowy, spring day.
2020 has been an interesting year to say the least.
Amongst the odd occurrences was Tokyo getting its heaviest snow day of the season. The catch? It was in late March, after the cherry blossoms were already out.
Snow fall in the city is one of my favorite conditions to photograph, so I walked around the Kyodo area of Setagaya, Tokyo on this day.
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Japanese Celebrities to YouTube Stars: Haruna Kawaguchi
Haruna Kawaguchi is the latest Japanese celebrity to become a YouTuber.
Bloggers, artists and others who’ve gained fame through social media have been moving into the mainstream for a while now, and over the past few years as social networks became our primary communication channels, it’s gone the other way as well.
Celebrities, athletes, business people and more have been increasing efforts in building a presence on social networks and YouTube.
Will Smith is a prime example.
In Japan, celebrities becoming social media stars is just beginning.
Enter Haruna Kawaguchi.
The actress/model already has the 33rd most popular Instagram account in Japan (as of April 1, 2020) with 2.5 million followers.
Rather than put out a highly curated feed, which can be expected at times in Japan especially due to overly controlling agencies, some of her posts are almost questionable (photographer’s bias!).
It’s clear that she’s providing the value of access.
She often provides relatively honest, inside looks at her life - where she talks about things from dealing with emotions to the pain of a pimple.
And now that access is being provided on YouTube.
In February 2020, Haruna Kawaguchi became Japan’s latest celebrity to become a YouTuber.
Posting around a video per week so far, she’s been vlogging about things like grocery shopping with her mom, spending time at her parents’ house on a small island off of Nagasaki, and trying to learn English.
This authentic, real life approach seems to be working.
In about 2 months, she’s put out 10 vlogs and has grown her channel to over 882k subscribers, adding as many as 15k subscribers each day in the past 30 days, according to TubeBuddy.
This YouTube audience places her well inside Japan’s top 300 biggest channels.
She’s also gotten a total of 23.5 million views. For reference, it would be typical that these views have earned her tens of thousands of US dollars each month from ads so far.
Her latest video got over 1 million views in the first 24 hours.
The more celebrities dip into vlogging, the more will follow.
For actors like Haruna Kawaguchi and Will Smith, YouTube in particular provides entertainment in a format (video) that people are already used to seeing them in and want to see them in.
The increased exposure through these vlogs provides fans increased access, and it allows them to be relevant them during the times they’re not on TV or in theaters.
This also helps strengthen existing connections, giving them more leverage in the future than they’d likely have just relying on traditional media.
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Life in Tokyo During the Coronavirus Pandemic
How it’s like living and working in Tokyo during the COVID-19 / Coronavirus pandemic.
Not much panic has been seen so far, supermarkets are fine but some items are out of stock
Big changes for me include optional remote work, but many companies are business as usual
There seems to be little social distancing, but Japanese cultural norms may help a little
Japan was one of the early countries to see COVID-19 / Coronavirus cases boom. The cruise ship Diamond Princess was quarantined just south of Tokyo in Yokohama Bay and others got it from a taxi driver in the city.
The government then canceled school, graduations and school entrance ceremonies. (The school year ends in March, starts in April)
So how is life now in one of the early Coronavirus hot spots?
THERE HASN’T BEEN MUCH PANIC, BUT THERE ARE SHORTAGES
From videos of Costco rushes to brawls over toilet paper, it seems that there’s considerably more panic occurring outside of Japan.
A sign at a drug store entrance saying masks are sold out
Masks have been sold out for weeks now, however, toilet paper and tissues are scarcely found, and soaps and hand sanitizers are low on stock. The rest of the items in the supermarkets are fully stocked as usual.
This lack of panic is something that Japan has been quite good at, albeit access to necessities are currently problem-free.
Could it be naivety and having too much faith in the good infrastructure? Maybe. But even after the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami, people lined up for supplies and rations despite questionable government response, a far cry from the reports of looting during the Hurricane Katrina aftermath due to a failed response.
Tokyo likely would be different, however.
There is debate on the actual number of infected, though, and Japan seems to be under-testing.
Theories as to why range from limited testing capacity to Japan being good at treating pneumonia, to autopsies not being typical, to a desire to maintain the perceived ability to host the 2020 Summer Olympics.
I’m not knowledgeable on testing, so I can’t comment much on it, but people have said hospitals are denying those with fevers for reasons such as not having traveled abroad.
THE BIGGEST CHANGE FOR ME IS THE SHIFT TO Optional Remote Work
My company implemented optional remote work starting at the beginning of March and has been deciding its continuation on a weekly basis. The goal is returning at the end of the month.
Even though this option has been given, there seems to be several staff members in the Tokyo office each day. Part of the reason some are in the office or on the move is due to client requests.
Team meeting: 5 members were in the office, 11 remote on this day. On other days more seem to be remote.
While some companies in Tokyo have IMPLEMENTED remote work, others are struggling to adapt or haven’t at all.
With no demand by the government, companies are deciding courses of action on their own, and they seem to be quite varied. Of course, there are huge concerns about people not being able to afford their living expenses if they’re out of work for a while, but the following are also likely reasons many are slow to implement adjustments.
The first potential reason is outdated work culture and policies.
As some know, many Japanese companies tend to have outdated work cultures in place. This includes overvaluing the amount of time employees are physically in the office. Policies or tools that allow employees to work remotely probably aren’t set up.
A response denying an online meeting and requesting face-to-face during Coronavirus pandemic
A colleague of mine tried to switch a meeting to an online one, but the reply said that while their party considered it, they’d rather keep it face-to-face.
We work in marketing by the way, so in-person meetings are not exactly necessary.
This email was from a municipal government office despite the Prime Minister encouraging social distancing, so it’s hard to expect private companies to do any different.
Another possible reason for lack of remote adoption is low tech literacy.
Despite Japan having a high-tech image, tech-oriented businesses often suffer from slow domestic market adoption. Smartphones, for example, are only used by 74% of Japanese as of 2019, lower than most major countries. For reference, that number is 88% in the UK, 91% in Australia and 92% in South Korea. [J]
If that gives us a glimpse of the situation at some schools that were mandated to go online, imagine that at the corporate level.
Older employees in particular may not know how to work remotely and take part in an online meeting if they have to do it themselves. This is likely a challenge companies need to overcome.
The third possible reason is low concept of social responsibility.
I’ve noticed that outside of sales, profits and losses, and other easily measurable data points, things such as brand building, public relations, human resources and social responsibility have not become a big thing yet in Japan.
It doesn’t mean they have ill intent by any means, they’re just slower to mobilize and be proactive when it’ll mess with their normal procedures and balance sheets.
If the App Store is any indication of people moving to remote work, Japan doesn’t seem to be in a hurry.
Some companies have yet to make any announcement about the Coronavirus to their employees.
I’ve also heard of people showing up to the office despite having a fever due to the Japanese concept of gaman (perseverance) and their fear of judgment from others.
THERE’S LITTLE INCREASE IN SOCIAL DISTANCING
I’m just as guilty of it since I was out in busy Harajuku, Tokyo, for an errand recently. I will say though, looking around, you wouldn’t really guess there was a global pandemic going on.
People walking in Harajuku during the Coronavirus / COVID-19 pandemic
It did seem a tiny bit less crowded, but the most noticeable difference was a lot fewer foreign tourists.
Trains seemed pretty full as well, sometimes with groups going out as shops and restaurants by and large still remain open.
Cherry blossom season has just started, which is bad timing since it will likely draw larger than desired crowds.
A few cultural norms may help Japan a little in this situation.
While there’s debate on whether or not masks protect at all, it’s said they may help prevent infected people from spreading the virus. Luckily, mask-wearing is normal in Japan.
I noticed more people wearing masks in late February than I do now, though, but I feel that’s likely due to a supply shortage than anything else.
Another cultural aspect is that compared to many other cultures, Japanese don’t touch each other during greetings and interactions. They’re actually very hands-off - they bow rather than shake hands, and they don’t hug or kiss.
On trains, talking (loudly) is discouraged.
Overall, Japanese tend to be pretty clean. Anyone who has visited the country likely noticed this simply from walking the streets or using public facilities.
Looking forward, Tokyo has two outcomes
One can only guess what will happen, but either Tokyo is a ticking time bomb or it somehow escapes. Hopefully the latter.
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Typical Workday Lunch Costs in Tokyo
What my typical lunches on Tokyo workdays are like and how much they cost.
Workday lunch costs in Tokyo are pretty reasonable. This is coming from the perspective of an American who has lived in major US cities.
The average cost for weekday lunches in central Tokyo is about ¥822/day, or about $7.58 USD/day.
According to a survey, 89% of Tokyoites average under ¥1,000/day, or less than $9.09 USD/day.
33% keep it under ¥500/day, or less than $4.55 USD/day. [J]
It’s not because they’re eating bad food or barely eating anything either. There are just a lot of affordable options, including going to one of Japan’s top notch convenience stores.
I decided to test this out.
To be honest, I don’t have a strict lunch budget set, and I just go with how I feel that day. I kept track of a week of my unplanned workday lunches, eating as I usually would.
Here’s where I went and how much it cost.
Kitaka Shokudo
A casual ramen shop whose style falls in the “Chuka soba” category, or Chinese soba. The broth is mainly soy sauce based, and the bowl is topped with pork.
Cost: ¥750 (~$6.83 USD)
MAP
Note: The bowl pictured above is a higher grade than what I had this week and costs ¥950 (~$8.64 USD)
Sutadonya
This is a fast food “donburi” chain, which is basically meat on rice. More popular chains in the category include Yoshinoya or Sukiya, but Sutadonya is known to have bigger portions, be really flavorful and utilize a lot of garlic. Note: Eggs are a staple in the Japanese diet and eating raw eggs are safe in Japan.
Cost: ¥630 (~$5.74 USD)
http://sutadonya.com [J]
MAP
Ethiopia
Due to working in the Kanda area of Tokyo, there are a lot of good curry shops. It’s the curry capital of Tokyo, and Ethiopia is one of the famous ones. Their main location is this 2-story, hole-in-the-wall, and sometimes people will line up just to try it.
Cost: ¥920 (~$8.38 USD)
https://www.ethiopia-curry.com [J]
MAP
Xinglong (Koryu)
Taking out and eating at our desks are common in my office. I tend to do this a couple times a week, either choosing foods from a convenience store (aka “conbini”) or going to a nearby restaurant for takeout. This Chinese shop is run by Chinese, and sells pretty decent combination places.
Cost: ¥500 (~$4.55 USD)
MAP
Menya Kokoro
A small chain, Menya Kokoro is known for its Taiwan mazesoba. Oddly originating in Nagoya, Japan, Taiwan mazesoba is a soupless ramen using thick noodles in a strong sauce with flavors like dashi and garlic. It’s topped with condiments like chives, minced meat and raw egg.
Cost: ¥850 (~$7.74 USD)
https://www.menya-cocoro.com [J]
MAP
What was the total cost of lunches for the week?
In this particular week, which I would call is a typical week, I averaged ¥730/day, or about $6.63 USD/day.
My total spend for the week was ¥3,650, or about $33.16 USD.
It’s good to keep in mind, of course, that not every area is created equally. Like Shinjuku or Shibuya, I’m blessed to be working in an area with a lot of affordable food options. Some areas have fewer options or are more expensive on average.
What do you think, all things considered, it’s pretty reasonable right?
PS: I’m sorry if this lowered your food stipend for your Tokyo work trip.
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Why Japan Has Strange English Ads
Why big companies in Japan use strange English in their ads - My thoughts after working in a Japanese marketing agency
Japan is well known for its Engrish here and there, but why do even big companies in the country launch large scale campaigns using incorrect phrases?
I’ve been questioning this ever since moving to Japan. After all, I had initially moved to the country on one of the government’s expensive initiatives to improve the people’s English ability. While it would be absurd to expect perfection in a non-English speaking country, big tax payer money is being spent on this education.
Why is it then that in 2020, after years of rapidly increasing tourism and it being the year of the Tokyo Olympics, that major corporations still put out English that clearly hasn’t received a legitimate edit?
Japanese ads with questionable English
Before I theorize as to why questionable English is still being put out, here are some of the memorable ones I've seen in the last few years:
"Have a nice d!" - Docomo
Docomo is a major communications company, and is the largest mobile service provider in Japan.
Their promotion for their d-point point card system [J] was big, featured actress Ayami Nakajo, and was blasted across TV and the internet.
Their slogan and tune telling everyone to "Have a nice d" seemed playfully, well, dirty.
"Enjoy the girl!" - Musee Platinum
Musee Platinum [J] is an international hair removal salon with 185 locations in Japan.
Their 2016 campaign slogan was to "Enjoy the girl," a message that would be a better match for a hostess bar. And capitalizing it just looks like they really want customers to enjoy them.
After prematurely posting it everywhere in Tokyo’s busiest trains, the ads were pulled and replaced soon after with an odd "Enjoy, girls." (Is the hair removal process that enjoyable?)
In 2017, they began using a new slogan, "Girls power."
“Girls Power” according to Musee Platinum
This company’s campaign messaging seems to range from trivializing movements to being completely tone deaf.
"I'm fruity." - Yebisu Beer
Yebisu Beer, owned by Japan's oldest brewery, Sapporo, had begun to promote a new brew called Hanamiyabi [J].
Their promotion for it featured Japanese actress Kyoko Fukada who says the beer’s slogan, "I'm fruity."
Rather than saying that the beer is fruity, using the word to describe herself doesn’t really make sense, and it could potentially have negative or offensive connotations.
Why do Japanese companies use strange English in their promotions?
Here's my insight on this after working at a Japanese marketing agency.
1. English is often for styling
English slogans are often used in a way a graphic or emoji would be - it's mainly there for decoration or to create an image. The best comparison would be clothing with kanji wording or kanji tattoos in the West.
Judging from English copy requests from Japanese clients, many ask for something that sounds fancy but can be understood by the average Japanese person at the same time. Those criteria are usually in conflict with each other, so words will be replaced with generic ones like “happy” or “enjoy”.
Basically, the company is mainly thinking that their target is Japanese people and they have no real intention to communicate with the English they use. Because of that, allocating money and time to do so just isn’t a priority.
2. Katakana English confusion
A growing number of Japanese words are adopted from English and other foreign languages. A lot of times, those words are shortened into an entirely different word and disregard grammatical points such as tense.
For example, department store becomes “depart” and “get” is never changed to got. This adds a layer of confusion when switching from Japanese English to actual English, and if no one on the team is proficient in English, the outcome is whatever their best person can come up with.
Furthermore, loan words never really adapt to changes in definition or usage, and this occasionally leads to embarrassments like McDonalds Japan naming their dessert something that translates to “Adult creampie”.
McDonalds Japan’s “Adult Creampie” dessert in 2020
Japanese use “大人の” (Adult) to describe something rich or slightly bitter, and “cream pie” was never adapted to the times. This, of course has caused the international and English-capable Japanese community to question the naming.
3. Limited resources and separations in organizational structure
A lot of companies don't do much of their own marketing and advertising, especially when it’s digital. It’s almost mind-boggling sometimes how even the most basic work is outsourced.
Many of these companies don't have internal teams that communicate with each other on a regular basis, or don’t have teams to begin with. Because of this, it’s not uncommon for small scopes to be outsourced separately to different agencies. What results is too many walls and segmented parties, leading to too many inefficiencies to overcome.
4. Pride and stubbornness
Age is often a factor in promotion at traditional Japanese companies, and it’s not unusual for the decision-maker to be a 60-year old man who doesn’t actually understand what they’re overseeing. Just look at Japan’s minister of cybersecurity who doesn’t use computers.
Having them carelessly approve what they don’t fully comprehend while subordinates are unable to tell their superior they’re wrong is probably quite common.
Staff themselves may be in charge of the English, either unwillingly assigned or because they overestimate their capabilities. A large Japanese company recently had a staff member who wasn’t fully English-capable “correct” my English and submit it for final release. Needless to say, this led to a hectic, last minute effort to reverse the damage they did.
Will English in Japan improve?
The Japan government and businesses talk about improving, but it’s a slow process.
Here we are in 2020, the year of the Tokyo Olympics and a time when Japan is making enormous efforts to appeal to international tourists, and we still get things like “Hello, our stadium” and “Please push the under button” at the Olympic Stadium’s unveiling.
To be determined, I guess.
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Japanese Consumers and Media Attention in 2020
About Japanese consumer attention in media in 2020, what channels they use, where they shop, and how they pay.
Media attention in mobile accounts for 36% of all media attention in Japan
Japanese have media contact for 411.6 minutes/day, the highest ever
Amazon is the biggest e-commerce platform in Japan, and Amazon Prime Video is the biggest subscription video service
Japan is often seen as a difficult market with consumer mindsets and behaviors that are very different from the West. This is true, and the ability to understand is made more difficult by the fact that there’s not a whole lot of information available in English.
I put together a report that gives some insight on what Japanese consumers are doing now - where they’re in contact with media and what channels and platforms they’re using. I decided to share some of that here.
Breakdown of Japanese consumer attention in media in 2019
Media attention in mobile channels continues to grow at the expense of every other channel. Linear TV is still the biggest single channel, and that can be expected due to Japan’s population skewing towards the older demographic. It has shrunk though - in 2006, TV accounted for 51% of the total.
Japanese consumer attention in media in 2020 broken down by age and gender
Generally, mobile phone use is more prominent in younger age demographics and TV use is more prominent in older age demographics, but there is some discrepancy between males and females.
15-19 year old females consume the most mobile media, and the age group that consumes the most linear TV media are females in their 60s.
The average time per day Japanese are in contact with media
Japanese continue to be in contact with media more and more. In 2019, that number reached 411.6 minutes per day, a new record.
Mobile phone use saw the biggest increase with people spending 14.5 minutes more per day (117.6 min/day total) than they did in 2018.
Survey results asking whether or not people feel they overuse their mobile phones
Despite media consumption in mobile devices increasing, Japanese generally don’t feel they’re overusing them compared to consumers in other countries.
While 30% of Japanese consumers reported over-usage of their mobile devices, 46% of Koreans and 65% of Chinese consumers responded in the same way.
The same survey showed that Japanese make little effort to curb usage compared to others.
A survey showing which device Japanese consumers use
The percentage of Japanese consumers who use smartphones is still relatively low (74%).
In China for example, that number is 96%, in South Korea 92%, in India 93%, the UK 88%, Australia 91%, Canada 83%. This shows Japan lags in speed of adoption but may suggest that there’s still much growth to be seen as feature phones are being phased out, phone service plans change and 5G service begins.
The amount of time Japanese spend doing each activity on their mobile device. Weekdays (left), Weekends (right).
While mobile device use increases, there’s a lot of activities that are being done with the device. The above chart breaks down exactly what people are doing.
Work-related activities such as email have high usage rates during the weekdays while video sites and social media see boosts during the weekends.
Social media use is the highest overall activity, and the discrepancy between male and female social media use is considerable (a difference of 12.9 min on weekdays, 15.2 min on weekends)
Japanese juniorr high school and high school app/site usage in 2016 vs 2019
The biggest social media channels in Japan are Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. The messenger LINE continues to have an incredibly high usage rate, especially since Japanese typically don’t use text messaging or iMessage.
To get a sense of where things are trending, we can look at junior high school and high school student usage in 2016 vs 2019. While there’s no significant shift, it does show that even apps like LINE, which has an 86% daily active user rate in Japan, isn’t invincible.
For reference, 37.3% of junior high students had a smartphone in 2016 versus 60.9% in 2019, and 85.5% of high school students had one in 2016 versus 94.5% today.
Streaming video on demand (SVOD) usage in Japan
Streaming video services are still relatively new for mainstream Japan, and only started to take off within the last two years or so.
Amazon Prime Video has the biggest marketshare largely due to its tie in with Amazon Prime. Hulu is second and Netflix third.
The most popular e-commerce platforms in Japan in 2019
Amazon also is the owner of the most popular e-commerce platform in Japan, although Rakuten is right behind it. Shoppers using the two platforms are increasingly becoming mobile-only.
Amazon grew 10% while Rakuten grew 8% over the last year.
CtoC services Mercari and Rakuma grew 33% and 34% respectively.
Payments of choice for Japanese consumers broken down by age
Japan is famous for being a cash-based society, and it still very much is. 2019 showed that things are slowly changing, however, and the Japanese government is aggressively pushing for Japan to be less cash-dependent.
48.4% of consumers surveyed said cash was their most used payment of choice. Credit cards came in second at 34%.
Males are bigger users of mobile and contactless payments, accounting for an average of 65.5% of the transactions.
Users of the most popular mobile payment services in Japan
A lot of companies are looking to gain majority marketshare in Japanese mobile payments. The biggest marketshare holder as of right now is PayPay, part of the Softbank/Yahoo Japan group.
There’s more to the actual report, such as the breakdown of social media channels in Japan. If you’d like the report, feel free to contact me and I’ll send it to you.
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What New Years in Japan is Like
Spending the full New Year’s holiday in Tokyo for an authentic Japanese New Year’s experience.
Drinks, countdown parties and fireworks are probably some of the thinks you think about when it comes to New Years. This isn’t really the case in Japan, though.
New Years in Japan can generally be summed up into three words: Eat, drink, pray.
I’ve experienced the turn of the year in Japan a few times since living in the country, and for 2020, I spent the entire New Year’s holidays in Tokyo. I was able to experience what New Years is actually like for a typical Japanese person.
New Years in Japan is a time where the family gets together, and it features a lot of cultural traditions.
It starts off with food being prepared and traditional decorations being put up. Supermarkets open a lot of shelf space for this as everyone prepares for their family gatherings. People make their way back to their hometowns, businesses shut down, and the most relaxing time of year in Japan begins.
New Year’s Eve
Toshikoshi soba
On New Year’s Eve, we had toshikoshi soba, a buckwheat noodle dish that’s to be eaten just before midnight.
It’s either dipped in sauce or eaten as a soup, which is how we ate it. Our broth was shoyu or soy sauce based and topped with slices of duck and yuzu citrus zest.
Midnight
When the clock strikes midnight, nothing much happens.
The vast majority of Japan has no fireworks show as fireworks are generally considered a summertime activity. There’s no champagne-popping, no toasts, high fives, no kissing.
During my first experience, I was completely shocked at just how calm it was.
New Year’s Day
New Year’s Day starts off just as quietly.
Neighborhoods are silent, even in Tokyo, until areas near a shrine or temple. Japanese make their way there for hatsumode, which is the first shrine or temple visit of the year.
Hatsumode
The lines to pray can be really long. We went on New Year’s Day, but the line went out of the shrine grounds and wrapped around the block so we gave up and ended up going to a smaller shrine a couple days later.
Pictured above is hatsumode at Kanda Myojin Shrine near Akihabara, Tokyo. People will do a short, ritual prayer for the new year.
Usually, people will throw in 5 or 50 yen coins - ones with holes in them - ring the bell, bow, clap twice, pray, then bow again.
Otoso
We later did otoso, the ceremonial drinking of nihonshu, better known as Japanese sake.
It’s poured into special ceremonial Japanese lacquerware, traditionally seeped with several herbs, and drank to help keep healthy over the course of the year.
Ozoni
We also made and ate ozoni, a traditional mochi soup that Japanese eat on New Year’s Day.
The broth differs by region, but Tokyo’s is soy sauce based and it’s that type that we had. When I lived in Fukuoka prefecture, it was miso based.
A lot of Japanese-Americans keep this tradition in the US, and I’ve had this for New Years growing up in Hawaii as well.
In Hawaii, we’d also make our own mochi, but I don’t know anyone in Japan that does this anymore. Manually pounding mochi is even more rare, and it’s usually only done as a performance these days.
The vegetables for the soup, such as carrots that are darker red and daikon radish, are cut in great detail. I haven’t seen this level of emphasis in presentation outside of Japan. Better yet, the soup tasted just as good as it looked.
Osechi Ryori
Osechi is thought of as the main New Years food in Japan. Resembling a big, fancy bento box, it’s served traditionally prepared days in advance and served cold to everyone in the family. Most of the foods in it have some sort of meaning to them.
It’s traditionally made at home, but the process is incredibly time-consuming as it’s a lot of different dishes to make. Many don’t have that kind of time these days or don’t know how to make it, so a lot of people buy their osechi dishes from places like department stores.
There’s actually more food in there than it appears, so it does last for a while, but osechi is expensive, generally costing between a few hundred to a thousand dollars.
Nengajo
We briefly went through some nengajo, or traditional New Year’s greeting cards.
Friends, families and business partners send them out each year, but it’s a tradition in decline (about -11% YoY) as less and less people are doing so these days.
Post New Year’s Day
The next day, we finally made it to hatsumode at a smaller, local shrine after giving up on January 1st.
Omikuji
At these shrines, you can buy omikuji, which are good luck fortunes.
While I used to get these, I haven’t in the past couple years or so. If you get a good fortune (daikichi is the best), you keep it. If it’s not, you can tie it up on a tree at the shrine so the bad luck doesn’t follow you home.
Takoage
We later went for a walk and strolled through a local park. There were a couple of people doing takoage, or flying a kite. This is another traditional New Year’s activity, but apparently barely anyone does it anymore.
New Years in Japan means family and relaxing.
Almost everything shuts down, letting everyone just sit around, enjoy each other’s company, and just be for once.
It might be frustrating or boring for people traveling during this time, but for residents, especially those in Tokyo, it’s nice to have life slow down for a little.
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Hanazono Shrine Torinoichi Festival
Shooting around Hanazono Shrine’s Torinoichi Festival in November 2019.
The Torinoichi Festival happens two or three times each November. Hanazono Shrine in Shinjuku, Tokyo, is one of the hosting shrines, and some 600k people take part in the festivities.
People go to buy kumade, which are ornamental rakes, because it’s said that it will help them “rake” in good luck.
I just happened to stumble in during my first year living in Tokyo, but this time I intentionally went to check it out. Unfortunately the crowds were way too much - a line about a traffic lane and a half wide worth of people that went down the street and around the block.
Despite this, there was a lot to see. Here are some scenes I managed to snap.
Lanterns at the entrance of the Hanazono Shrine
A chef prepares food for customers at his stall
People having fun over food and drinks
One of the kumade rakes
A man prepares a potato at his food stall
A woman loads toppings on her steamed potato
Steamed potato with butter, mayo, spicy miso and kim chee.
People browse a food stall aisle at Hanazono Shrine
A man makes okonomiyaki at his food stall
A man cooks takoyaki at his food stall
A woman blow torches cheese at her food stall
A man grills tako (octopus) at his food stall
A man grills a meat skewer at his food stall
The crowd walking past food stalls outside of Hanazono Shrine
The vendors that we used for our Hawaii wedding party and our experiences with them.