Claire's Advice List

Claire image Claire Belgium 20 years in Japan

Being in Japan is like having your birthday everyday: everyday, you get a surprise!

Japanese habits that you catch without noticing... images

Japanese habits that you catch without noticing...

With friends, we have created a list of Japanese habits that makes Japanese people soooo Japanese. The thing is, these habits rubs off on us too so, here's the diagnostic test (short version), hold on with me!You need to check the number of habits that you have.- you rush to get your train …(564 words)

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Claire

Train Summer Building Music Cherry blossom Taxicab Cherry Hair Surgical mask Kabuki
the emergence of small market! images

the emergence of small market!

If you want to get local vegetables and products, you can get them at the "cooperatives" if you are not in any large city center and if you have a car. You can also shop at small markets: the posh (and expensive) one is located in Aoyama, close to the UN University. There is another one in Yurakuch…(137 words)

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Claire

City Coffee
Omnipresent "KOBAN" - translated as "police detached station"? images

Omnipresent "KOBAN" - translated as "police detached station"?

You have seen them! They are everywhere, omnipresent, nearly invisible and they are among us: the KOBAN. Koban are small police stations, detached from the main office and in charge of peace within a small territory. Usually, the policemen and women are in the little station, either sitting or …(263 words)

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Claire

Police Tokyo Bicycle
Be polite in the train - a follow-up of other posts images

Be polite in the train - a follow-up of other posts

I would also add in the don't list:- do not sleep and fall on your neighbor; their shoulders are not pillows- do not put the music to high on your headphonesand some do, please, ...- do step into the train and really go inside - do not stop at the very in trance of the car- do give your…(218 words)

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Claire

Train Shopping Music Coffee
109: ichi maru kyuu images

109: ichi maru kyuu

The mecca for fashionista is 109, a round shaped building in Shibuya. This is the ultimate fashionista experience!The sales-Gyaru that you meet there are in fact seasoned businesswomen that are experiencing the fashion that they create, selling them with a lot of tact and fun, and they also…(103 words)

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Claire

Building Shibuya Fashion
Try all the buttons images

Try all the buttons

I like the empirical way of doing things.You can try pushing all the buttons, but I recommend not at the same time, and while sitting.I actually try them while standing up and watching, because scientific testing does not necessarily exclude wariness. But it can be quite,..., splashing.(49 words)

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Claire

 
Odaiba and RAinbow bridge images

Odaiba and RAinbow bridge

For a 12-15k run, and to get a breathtaking view of Tokyo bay from the Rainbow bridge: make a loop from Tsukiji market to Kachidoki, to Harumi to Toyosu and then go to Odaiba. If you want to run more, you can circle odaiba and then cross the Rainbow bridge, run in front of Hamarikyu park and then g…(88 words)

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Claire

Tokyo Park Odaiba Tsukiji
a boy/girlfriend and money; finger counting is also different images

a boy/girlfriend and money; finger counting is also different

when someone is talking about someone else's boy/girlfriend they might not say the wooooord, but use their little finger up. Easy to do, close your hand, fingers looking towards you and raise the little finger. Everyone will understand.Money. In Europe, we use the thumb and the forefinger in a …(327 words)

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Claire

Restaurant Coin
Do what the people around you do or ask you to do! images

Do what the people around you do or ask you to do!

Most of the time, there is nothing to do.When there is an earthquake that feels longer, stronger than normal, you can switch the radio on and listen to the information that they will give. You can also rely on internet meteo data to know where it did happen, if there is any risk of tsunami (if …(304 words)

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Claire

Drink Sport Shoes Earthquake Surgical mask Medicine
ohayo gozaimasu gives a sense of belonging images

ohayo gozaimasu gives a sense of belonging

Ohayo gozaimasu is what we usually say in the morning, before switching to konichiwa. But it is also used as a greeting among members of a community, or at the office, usually a community that will perform some tough job or sports together. It gives a sense of belonging. This ohayo gozaimas…(57 words)

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Claire

Sport Greeting
to protect yourself from other people's cold images

to protect yourself from other people's cold

Yes, as all the other sempais say, the masks are for protecting yourself from pollen, and to protect others from your your virus and cold.I think it is also a way to protect yourself from other people's virus and cold, when you feel weak. No Japanese people would admit this of course but it is …(189 words)

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Claire

Police Surgical mask
Maruzen in Marunouchi images

Maruzen in Marunouchi

Maruzen is one of the big bookstore chain with Kinokuniya.The one in Marunouchi is in Oazo building, 20 meters away from Tokyo station Marunouchi North exit. They have everything you would want: all kind of literature, and also a huge collection of art and science, including economics and b…(103 words)

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Claire

Tokyo Shopping Building Art Marunouchi Cuisine Literature
mosquito repellent incense images

mosquito repellent incense

The Japanese name is KATORI-SENKOI am living on the 39th floor of a building and there is not much mosquito there up my place. I think it is because there is no tree so high. The only one we found climbed up with the elevators.But the smell of katori senko is so nice and so reminiscent …(115 words)

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Claire

Building Summer
Strawberries in winter of course! images

Strawberries in winter of course!

I have always wondered why you find strawberries in winter only in Japan!Of course, you do need them to decorate your whipped cream Christmas cake. It is a must but it should not be the only reason!In Belgium, where I come from, strawberries are a summer time delicacy. You start picking the…(109 words)

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Claire

Winter Fruits Christmas Summer
The smell of YUZU images

The smell of YUZU

Yuzu is a fruit I have never found anywhere else. It is a kind of hybrid between a mandarine and a lemon, and has a very small dimensions. It smells great, just in the middle of a mandarine, a lemon and oregano.You can use yuzu in many ways, all of them for its aroma:- as a juice in a…(110 words)

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Claire

Tempura Juice Yuzu
Your inner-monster images

Your inner-monster

Japanese monsters are totally different from Occidental one.There also are much more frightening because they are not any entity that you can pinpoint and kill, something different from you. No no nooo. The Japanese monsters emanates from your dark side!Go back to the 10th century: litteratur…(319 words)

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Claire

 
The most popular is to not expose your skin to the sun. images

The most popular is to not expose your skin to the sun.

For this, Japanese women recommend:- UV sunscreen (face and arms), with a protection 50++ - gloves that go up to the shoulder, even if it feels very hot- sunshade umbrella- stockings and UV cut material based clothes are a mustWell, sun and light are good for generating vitamin D natura…(102 words)

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Claire

Umbrella
Kamakura images

Kamakura

Kamakura is one hour away from Tokyo, on the Yokosuka line.You can enjoy the mountain, the beach and walk to Enoshima. Temples, with the great Buddha statue is a must while quite touristic. It is impressive though. There are other beautiful temples, around Hase and Kita Kamakura. In automn, the…(84 words)

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Claire

Tokyo Tea Kamakura Coffee Mountain Enoshima Island
Tsukishima Mizukake Matsuri images

Tsukishima Mizukake Matsuri

Tsukishima is one of the small island in Tokyo Bay. It is famous for its monjayaki street today. Tsukishima in English mean the Island of the Moon, which is quite poetic, but it used to be a place for fishing in the past (it must be why it is called so as fishing occurs early morning, before th…(179 words)

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Claire

Japanese festivals Tokyo Sea Hair
DAIKON - turnip for Hagrid images

DAIKON - turnip for Hagrid

Daikon is a vegetable, that has the shape of a carot, but its dimension are tripled. It has the color and taste of turnit. Daikon can be used either as a vegetable, or as a seasoning. As a vegetable, you may find it in salad, used just as carrots can be, or cooked in pot-au-feu. You can grill i…(128 words)

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Claire

Miso Tempura Miso soup Vinegar Seasoning