Nate's Advice List

Nate image Nate Canada 8 years in Japan

Did someone say unagi! images

Did someone say unagi!

When I first came to Japan, I didn't expect the summers to be as long and as torturous as they are. Hot temperatures both highs and lows, day after day and month after month. Knowing the right drinks for a hot and sticky summer night is easy: beer! Food on the other hand is more difficult. But …(182 words)

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Nate

 Eel Sushi Beer Summer
Daiso is SO da BOMB! images

Daiso is SO da BOMB!

Back home the dollar store is home to outdated, tacky t-shirts, plastic plates and expired candy and food. In Japan, however, the hyaku-en shop, or Daiso, is a mecca of high-quality goods and great Japanese souvenirs.Plates, bowls, mugs and cups that would cost 10 times as much in your home cou…(188 words)

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Nate

 Daiso 100 yen shop Discount stores
Hitachino Nest Beer images

Hitachino Nest Beer

Kiuchi Brewery in Ibaraki prefecture has been making Hitachino Nest Beer since 1996. They offer over ten different kinds of beer including Amber Ale, Espresso Stout, Pale Ale, Weizen, and Japanese Classic Ale. What is also interesting is that one of their beers, the XH (a strong Belgian ale) blend …(117 words)

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Nate

 Beer Shopping Shinkansen Bullet Train Shochu Hiroshima Ibaraki
The One and Only Bikkle! images

The One and Only Bikkle!

Have had your Bikkle Today?One of the unique soft drinks that you should try while you're in Japan is Bikkle. Just the name alone is a great reason to try it, but you'll also be wowed by the taste, too.It is a yogurt-based drink that tastes a lot like the orange cream popsicles you maybe en…(102 words)

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Nate

 Convenience store Drink
The Glory that is Onigiri images

The Glory that is Onigiri

Often translated as a Japanese rice ball, they tend to come in two distinct shapes: disc and triangle. Onigiri is packed rice with some kind of filling inside then usually (but not always) wrapped in nori or seaweed paper. Imagine a kind maki sushi hamburger. They're easy to eat on the go and they'…(200 words)

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Nate

 Onigiri (Rice ball) Convenience store Sushi Umeboshi Mayonnaise Trip
The Easiest Place is a 7-11 Convenience Store images

The Easiest Place is a 7-11 Convenience Store

Several times I have been asked, "Where can I get money from my overseas bank account?" And I have replied, "Go to a 7-11." The look I usually get is one of confusion. 7-11 is a convenience store, not a bank. Yes, that's true but it is honestly the fastest most convenient way to get cash from overs…(102 words)

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Nate

 Tokyo Convenience store Bank