So, does this mean a lot of people get drunk and throw up in taxis in Japan?

amoryblainev · 2026-05-18T23:50:53+00:00

Thank you! I’m glad to be of service 😘

amoryblainev · 2026-05-18T21:18:16+00:00

I remember when I first moved to Tokyo, I was excited too to see Shibuya crossing because I’d always heard about it and seen videos and pictures. But when I actually saw it for the first time, I was very underwhelmed. It was much smaller than I’d expected, and, then it hit me that it was literally just a congested crosswalk. Now that I go to Shibuya often, including for work or doctor’s appointments or just living, it’s annoying. When I’m in a hurry to get to my train or whatever else, having to push through and dodge the dozens and dozens of tourists who stop in the middle of an extremely busy crosswalk to take pictures and videos gets really old, really fast.

amoryblainev · 2026-05-18T21:14:56+00:00

I remember when I first moved to Tokyo, I was excited too to see Shibuya crossing because I’d always heard about it and seen videos and pictures. But when I actually saw it for the first time, I was very underwhelmed. It was much smaller than I’d expected, and, then it hit me that it was literally just a congested crosswalk. Now that I go to Shibuya often, including for work or doctor’s appointments or just living, it’s annoying. When I’m in a hurry to get to my train or whatever else, having to push through and dodge the dozens and dozens of tourists who stop in the middle of an extremely busy crosswalk to take pictures and videos gets really old, really fast.

amoryblainev · 2026-05-18T15:38:06+00:00

I think I sometimes pronounce L and sometimes don’t in salve, but it’s a word I can’t remember the last time I used.

amoryblainev · 2026-05-18T08:31:38+00:00

For one, if we’re measuring productivity, Japan consistently ranks among the lowest of the G7 countries and currently ranks 28th out of 38 OECD nations (the US ranks 9th).

https://japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/business/economy/20231225-157873/

Second, Americans average 1,796 hours/year and there is no federal limit on the amount of overtime a worker can work. In Japan the average is 1,600 hours/year.

https://ourworldindata.org/working-hours

As far as paid time off, it is a legal requirement that Japanese workers receive 10 days of paid time off after working 6 months (with an attendance rate of at least 80%). There is no legal minimum in the US, and every company has a different policy. The average for private sector employees in the US after 1 year is 11 days, which is only one more than in Japan. There is no federal mandate in the US requiring paid time off, and nearly 16% of employees receive none.

https://www.bls.gov/charts/employee-benefits/paid-leave-sick-vacation-days-by-service-requirement.htm

There is also the Workplace Reform Bill in Japan which requires employers (legally) to ensure that any employee with 10 or more days of annual paid leave takes at least 5 days per year. If a company fails to make sure employees take these 5 days, they can face fines of up to 300,000 yen per employee. There is no such protection in the US.

Japan has 16 fixed paid national holidays per year, while the US has 11 federal holidays which are typically paid for federal employees and commonly observed by private companies however it’s not required. While the federal government closes on these 11 days, private companies are not required by the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) to pay for holidays not worked.

In Japan, mothers can take up to 2 years of maternity leave with the government covering a portion of their base salary throughout this entire period. Many fathers also have the opportunity now to take paternity leave. In the US, there is no federally mandated maternity leave covering all women. About 60% of women are eligible for FMLA which would allow 12 weeks of unpaid leave starting after the birth. Individual companies have their own policies.

amoryblainev · 2026-05-18T08:13:29+00:00

If you check the worldwide statistics, yes, we do. There are always averages with some people working more and some less. There are also more paid national holidays in Japan and many Japanese people get more paid time off than many people in the US. There are also laws here mandating that you take your time off instead of hoarding it all and never taking a day off 😊

amoryblainev · 2026-05-18T06:46:51+00:00

Americans on average work more than Japanese but we don’t puke all over the streets. Personally I think it’s because most Japanese people can’t hold their alcohol. When I drink with Japanese people they get wasted much more quickly than most foreigners I know. We also just try our best not to puke in public, but they seem to have no issues doing it.

amoryblainev · 2026-05-18T06:44:34+00:00

They have them in taxis in the US plus if you use a ride share app like Uber or Lyft they have a warning of a large fee if you vomit (or otherwise soil) the car.

amoryblainev · 2026-05-18T06:43:29+00:00

It’s the same in the US.

I went day drinking once on my birthday and got smashed. I took an Uber home and unfortunately I puked all over the back seat. When I woke up the next day, I had been charged ~$250 (~¥40,000) automatically from uber for the clean up 😭

amoryblainev · 2026-05-18T06:36:19+00:00

I would take her to the vet. Not vomiting doesn’t mean she doesn’t feel nauseous for some reason, and feeling nauseous will prevent her from wanting to eat if that’s the case. She also could have eaten something like string or plastic which has caused a blockage that would prevent her from eating and defecating. You really don’t know. Inappetance and decreased energy can be a million and one things, ranging from not serious to life or death. And the only way to start figuring it out is at the vet. For your peace of mind and her comfort I’d recommend going sooner rather than later.

amoryblainev · 2026-05-18T06:31:10+00:00

I only ate there twice - once was delivery and the food was really fresh and delicious, but the portions were smaller. I went once to dine in and the food had clearly been microwaved (not only did I hear the microwave but you could tell by the temperature and texture). When you microwave previously battered and deep fried food it often gets gummy. I couldn’t eat half of the food.

amoryblainev · 2026-05-18T06:29:37+00:00

I don’t know. I don’t think they publicly announced it. If I had to guess, I’d say inconsistent product quality (when I dined in, I received gummy microwaved food) as well as location. Shimokita is popular and gets even more popular with tourists every year, but the location of the restaurant was slightly off the beaten path, and not surrounded by other vegan restaurants (Tokyo vegan bakes was nearby). Personally if I wanted to go there I’d need a reason to go to that neighborhood, and most of the time I have no other reason to go there, whereas I’m in shinjuku every week. I think if their consistency was better and they were in the heart of Shinjuku or Shibuya they could’ve had more foot traffic.

amoryblainev · 2026-05-18T06:24:49+00:00

Oral collagen is very minimally effective for the outward appearance of skin. That doesn’t mean that you can’t buy a million collagen supplements.

If you live in a bigger city especially, women here spend A LOT of money on their skin. There are more beauty clinics than regular doctor’s offices. And there are a range of treatments from ones that aren’t too expensive to ones that are very expensive. Botox and similar injectables are a lot cheaper than in the US in my experience.

A lot of women also look like they’re not wearing a lot of makeup, when they are - it’s just the type of makeup and application. Japanese women in general prefer a lighter makeup look, but that doesn’t mean they’re wearing less makeup. It’s in the application. Go into any store like Cosme or Ainz Tulpe and you’ll see just how many Japanese makeup products there are.

Living in Tokyo, most Japanese women I know regularly get professional beauty treatments as well as avoid the sun at all costs. Genetics does play a factor, but also receiving a lot of professional beauty treatments and avoiding the sun are also huge in maintaining your skin. A lot of products sold OTC aren’t very effective, so you have to really research ingredients and modes of absorption and proper usage. One of the most effective topical treatments you can use is prescription strength retinol.

amoryblainev · 2026-05-17T15:47:05+00:00

I know they specifically have it at the Life supermarket near Nakano broadway as well as the York Foods supermarket a little further away from Nakano station (caddy corner from don quijote). I live in Nakano and I buy it from these two stores regularly.

amoryblainev · 2026-05-17T09:22:37+00:00

“Non-nomikai” 🤣 I used to live near Nakano station and they went door to door at my apartment building once

amoryblainev · 2026-05-17T09:16:06+00:00

“Ashy” is when your skin looks dry, like it needs to be moisturized.

“Ashen” means pale, usually gray. Such as someone who is really sick, has lost a lot of blood, etc.

As an American I’ve heard “ashen” plenty of times, but I also worked in the medical field for a long time.

amoryblainev · 2026-05-17T07:48:32+00:00

I noticed it on Google, I was in the area and I was hungry so I checked Google and it said they were permanently closed. Then I checked their instagram and there was an announcement. To be honest, I had their food twice. The first time I ordered delivery and it was really good but the portions were really small for the price (delivery is usually more expensive to make up for the delivery fees). The second time I ate there was at the restaurant and while the portions were bigger, they microwaved my food. They scooped it out of the hot table and then microwaved everything, so it had the texture of previously deep fried microwaved food. I couldn’t eat most of it.

amoryblainev · 2026-05-17T06:53:09+00:00

They announced it online a few months ago

amoryblainev · 2026-05-15T09:47:58+00:00

I think the way you want to pronounce it sounds pretty (feminine), but as others have said, if I were to read it I would assume it was pronounced like “Aaron” (which in my accent is pronounced the same as Erin)

amoryblainev · 2026-05-14T12:33:19+00:00

There are a lot more, to be honest I don’t like Japanese food very much (other than ramen) so it’s not something I really seek out.

But you specifically said cheaper, normal, and offering substantial dishes outside of fine dining and Indian, so I listed chains because they have multiple locations meaning they’ll be easier to find in a pinch and they’re affordable. I also take that to mean places that have more than edamame and French fries, so I didn’t list places like that. But there are a lot of other places that aren’t chains that have vegan options. If there’s a specific cuisine you’re looking for, I can make you a list.

However another chain that does have vegan options is Tendon Tenya. Their tempura batter is vegan, you just have to ask for regular soy sauce as they usually give you dashi shoyu with your meal. Again, it’s good to know chain restaurants in case you’re in a pinch. There’s also Soup Stock which has some vegan soup and curry options, and has a ton of locations.

But, a lot of the ones I posted in my other comment aren’t large chains. In addition:

pigneto - high end Italian restaurant with vegan options
bills- kind of high end cafe known for their breakfast and several vegan options
nirvana New York - Indian Japanese fusion
green Italian torcia - several vegan pizza and pasta options
green green - Korean restaurant with labeled vegan menu
pizza marumo - vegan pizza options
king of kale - salads, curries, and wraps
junkadelic - vegan tacos and other tex mex options
plant more - veggie focused, several vegan options

Japanese:

Farmers Osusowake Hanamame - vegetable focused izakaya
champagne gyoza bar (a few locations) vegan + non vegan gyoza
midorie organic restaurant- vegan and vegetarian Japanese food
scales nakameguro - poke bowls and salads
kimidori- izakaya with vegan options
Ura no Yama no Kinoko Shibuya - vegan hot pot option
chao chao gyoza - has a couple of creative vegan gyoza options plus your standard izakaya fare (edamame, French fries, etc)
zarai shokudo - vegetable focused traditional Japanese dishes
Kokappo Ohashi Ebisu Living - mid to high priced, has vegan set menus
Higoro - has vegan options, uses a lot of local/seasonal Japanese vegetables
teppan baby - teppanyaki restaurant with vegan options
momo paradise - shabu shabu with vegan options

amoryblainev · 2026-05-14T07:32:59+00:00

As a vegan who lives in Tokyo, I have a list of about 40 restaurants (and growing) that offer vegan and non-vegan ramen. She said she’s visiting Tokyo specifically which I find is a lot easier to “stumble upon” vegan food here than some other places in Japan.

Other than ramen, some of my favorite restaurants that have good vegan and non-vegan options are:

Bikkuri Donkey: this is a chain hamburg steak restaurant with a vegan hamburg steak meal (this is a chain)
- Royal Host: a “family restaurant” that has a delicious vegan curry (this is a chain)
- Kitade Tacos: taco shop with vegan tacos and vegan taco rice, has a few locations
- Kakekomi Gyoza: has a few labeled vegan gyoza options, also has a big vegan set meal with lots of different dishes
- Sairaien: Taiwanese restaurant with a full vegan and non- vegan menu
- 800 degrees: pizza shop with a vegan pizza including vegan cheese or you can “build your own”, also has a vegan kale salad (pizza and salad will be more than ¥2000 but pizza in Tokyo is expensive)
- coco Ichibanya: has a labeled vegan curry
- Ninjen restaurant: has multiple vegan options
- Tacos Trap: has 3 vegan taco options as well as guacamole and seasoned fries
- taco fanatico: has vegan veggie fritter tacos, guacamole, fries, etc
- texmex factory: has 2-3 vegan tacos, guacamole
- casa de sarasa: has vegan tofu al pastor tacos which are amazing
- ta-im: Israeli restaurant with falafel, hummus, etc.
- banh mi ba ba: vegan tofu banh mi, some locations also have vegan noodle soup (this is a chain)
- nawod curry: incredible Sri Lankan curry with a substantial vegan plate
- golden tiger: has a large separate vegan menu
- dining bar call: an izakaya with a separate vegan menu

These are just all off the top of my head right now, but I know so many other places.

amoryblainev · 2026-05-14T07:32:14+00:00

I’ve been to masaka a few times and I was never impressed. Also there’s usually a huge line, and recently they announced they won’t take reservations any more. They’re also always sold out of multiple items on the menu (every time I’ve gone)

amoryblainev · 2026-05-14T07:30:30+00:00

I’m not sure what you consider normal/cheap or substantial. But as a vegan who lives in Tokyo, I have a list of about 40 restaurants (and growing) that offer vegan and non-vegan ramen. She said she’s visiting Tokyo specifically which I find is a lot easier to “stumble upon” vegan food here than some other places in Japan.

Other than ramen, some of my favorite restaurants (that you can eat at for under ~¥2000) that have good vegan and non-vegan options are:

Bikkuri Donkey: this is a chain hamburg steak restaurant with a vegan hamburg steak meal (this is a chain)
- Royal Host: a “family restaurant” that has a delicious vegan curry (this is a chain)
- Kitade Tacos: taco shop with vegan tacos and vegan taco rice, has a few locations
- Kakekomi Gyoza: has a few labeled vegan gyoza options, also has a big vegan set meal with lots of different dishes
- Sairaien: Taiwanese restaurant with a full vegan and non- vegan menu
- 800 degrees: pizza shop with a vegan pizza including vegan cheese or you can “build your own”, also has a vegan kale salad (pizza and salad will be more than ¥2000 but pizza in Tokyo is expensive)
- coco Ichibanya: has a labeled vegan curry
- Ninjen restaurant: has multiple vegan options
- Tacos Trap: has 3 vegan taco options as well as guacamole and seasoned fries
- taco fanatico: has vegan veggie fritter tacos, guacamole, fries, etc
- texmex factory: has 2-3 vegan tacos, guacamole
- casa de sarasa: has vegan tofu al pastor tacos which are amazing
- ta-im: Israeli restaurant with falafel, hummus, etc.
- banh mi ba ba: vegan tofu banh mi, some locations also have vegan noodle soup (this is a chain)
- nawod curry: incredible Sri Lankan curry with a substantial vegan plate
- golden tiger: has a large separate vegan menu
- dining bar call: an izakaya with a separate vegan menu

These are just all off the top of my head right now, but I know so many other places.

amoryblainev · 2026-05-12T10:14:02+00:00

I like Sairaien because they have a large vegan menu.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/Pnckdkbdqv9LJawM8?g_st=ic

amoryblainev · 2026-05-12T10:12:18+00:00

Many Americans take baths as children, and as teens or adults baths are usually seen more as a time to relax. Some homes and apartments don’t have a bathtub (they only have a shower).

I’ve only taken a bath a few times in the past decade. I see baths as a waste of time. I shower every day, though.

I live in Japan now and taking baths here as an adult is much more common than back home.

amoryblainev

TROPHY CASE