How to Buy Eye Glasses from JINS Without Using Much Japanese

credit: JINS site on AEON MALL Fukuoka

After 2 years, I finally get to have new eyeglasses! If you're like me who needs to eyeglasses to see clearly, I bet you can understand the happiness a new pair brings. And I'm proud of myself because I bought it from a Japanese store

If you're in need of eyeglasses and don't know how to speak in Japanese, fear not.  You can still have the dazzling vision you wanted without using much Japanese.

I'll be recommending Jins because that's where I bought my eyeglasses. Also, most of my students got their glasses from Jins. It's a chain that can be found all over Japan. Their eyeglasses are affordable compared  to other stores. In Hamamatsu, there's a Jins store in the Station.

Guest Post: 5 Strange and Beautiful Facts About Japan

Pretty lamp with Japanese painting, Meijimura

Japan’s one of the world’s largest economies, but it’s also one of the most remote. Did you know that of the 127 million people in Japan, only two percent are foreign immigrants?

If you’re thinking about taking a trip to Japan in the not-too-distant future, here are a few fun facts to tickle your fancy.

Napping on the Job Is Perfectly Normal

 In most parts of the world, napping on the job would be an immediate cause for termination. Not in Japan! Japanese culture sees napping on the job as a proof of an employee’s commitment and thoroughness. The practice is referred to as “inemuri”, and is perfectly acceptable in Japan.

A few rules do apply: you need to remain upright while napping and only people in specific positions within the company are allowed to nap. Some people actually fake sleeping to show their bosses how hard they’re working.

Meiji Mura: Where History and Nature Meets

Replica of Imperial Hotel, Meiji Mura

It was a holiday last Tuesday. It was Culture Day and it was very apt to visit a very "cultural" place called Meiji Mura.

Meiji Mura is a historical theme park in Aichi Prefecture. It's located in Inuyama, a place outside of Nagoya. It shows how Japan looks like a hundred years ago.

Halloween Craze in Japan

I've been dealing with fatigue lately, it's hard to find the strength to write. I went to the doctor and he prescribed some pills for iron deficiency. It must also be seasonal fatigue brought by the autumn climate. Anyway, I'm just explaining why I haven't written lately. Also, this information might help you if you're feeling tired all the time. 

I just finished my classes with a Halloween-themed lesson. My Japanese teachers asked me to do it. They want the students to be more familiar with Western celebrations. However, the students don't really need a lesson on Halloween. They already know the traditional scary characters, the costume parties and the trick or treats. The younger Japanese generation are all too familiar with Halloween.

You see Japan has perhaps the longest Halloween celebration. Since August, stores have been peppered with Halloween decorations. Halloween goods have been displayed in almost every mall I've been to. Even the seasonal pumpkin pudding I like has been available since summer. With only a day to go before Halloween, commercializing this event has come full force. When I visited Tokyo last week, each Ward has an advertised Halloween party particularly in the areas of Roppongi, Shinjuku, Shibuya and Ueno. Even in Hamamatsu, the main station is full of Halloween-related displays. 

So, why is Japan so in love with Halloween? 

Japan and Suicide

It's no secret that Japan has one of the highest suicide rates in the world. There are about 70 Japanese people who commit suicide everyday. Just last year alone, 25,000 Japanese committed suicide and this is only the reported number. There could be more. Suicide is the leading cause of death of Japanese people ages 15-39 and 60 and above.

Before staying in Japan, I have little sympathy for people who take their lives. My personal belief is life is a gift. But the longer I stay here, the more I understand why a lot of Japanese recourse to suicide.

Japan is not a Christian country. Hence, taking one's like is not considered as a sin. In fact, suicide is a form of honorable dismissal in Japanese history. Back in the samurai age, taking one's life by seppuku (cutting through one's abdomen) is a preferred form of death. In World War II, the kamikaze is also considered as a grand way to die. Even in modern history of Japan, suicide is considered as a means to "take responsibility."