Lifestyle

Equinox-Solstice-Explainer

The spring equinox is here: What does that mean?

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Spring is almost here — officially, at least The vernal equinox arrives on Tuesday, marking the start of the spring season for the northern hemisphere. But what does that actually mean? Here's what to know about how we split up the year using the Earth's orbit. As the Earth travels… Read

Lifestyle

Startups from Kanagawa Prefecture solving Japan's social issues

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The Japanese government is currently encouraging the growth of startups with the goal of increasing investment in startups to 10 trillion yen in FY2027. Under such initiatives, Kanagawa Prefecture has been supporting several startups by implementing the KSAP (Kanagawa Startup Acceleration Program) to gain both social contribution and business expansion.… Read

Lifestyle

From 4-leaf clovers to some unexpected history, all you need to know about St. Patrick's Day

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If it's March, and it's green, it must be St Patrick's Day. The day honoring the patron saint of Ireland is a global celebration of Irish heritage. And nowhere is that more so than in the United States, where parades take place in cities around the country and all kinds… Read

Lifestyle

Japan apartment hunting – Can you find cheaper rent by avoiding the peak spring moving season?

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In Japan, spring isn’t just cherry blossom season and hay fever season, it’s also moving season. The vast majority of Japanese colleges start their academic year in April, and mid-year transfer admissions are rare. The situation is similar at Japanese companies; most start their business year in April, and do most,… Read

Lifestyle

Dragon’s Maze: Japan’s built-by-hand giant labyrinth that gets bigger and harder every year

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Unnan isn’t a big town. Located in the mountains of Shimane Prefecture, the rural community only has a population of about 35,000 people. And yet, there’s a place in Unnan that attracts roughly 40,000 people a year. That place is Dragon Maze, a gigantic labyrinth that’s continually changing and grows bigger year… Read

Lifestyle

IREA’s English-speaking real estate agents help clients find their perfect properties

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There may be no better time than now to buy a property in Japan. But the domestic real estate market comes with signi­ficant challenges. When compared to other developed countries, the processes involved in real estate transactions here can be complicated and opaque. This, compounded with the language barrier and… Read

Lifestyle

My experience with Ramadan in Japan

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Ramadan is the most sacred Islamic month. It’s when millions of Muslims fast, pray, and reflect. In Japan, observing Ramadan can be difficult, considering the Islamic status as a minority. As a Muslim from Indonesia now living in Japan, abiding by Ramadan has become a mixture of looking inward and having… Read

Lifestyle

Book review: World War Two on trial and the making of modern Asia

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It was three days after the emperor's announcement that Japan had finally surrendered. In the confusion of mid-August 1945 an intrepid schoolboy walked from his internment camp on the edge of Shanghai back into the wrecked city. Much later J.G. Ballard would win worldwide fame as a sci-fi novelist but memories of what… Read

Lifestyle

More Chinese women choosing to stay single as economy stutters

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Freelance copywriter Chai Wanrou thinks marriage is an unfair institution. Like many young women in China, she is part of a growing movement that envisions a future with no husband and no children, presenting the government with a challenge it could do without. "Regardless of whether you're extremely successful or… Read

Lifestyle

Like food, fashion and more, home decorating has a seat on the 'slow' train

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In a world where speed and convenience have been the siren song to consumers, there’s a movement toward buying more mindfully, sustainably, “slowly.” You've heard of slow fashion. Slow food. Slow travel. And when it comes to the home, “slow decorating.” A reaction against rooms filled with mass-produced “fast furniture,”… Read

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