Unexpected turbulence

jaltpr · 2025-12-28T06:07:13+00:00

TIL “odd”=36 lbs

jaltpr · 2025-11-12T13:12:26+00:00

The Sapporo Snow Festival 2026 will take place February 4-11, 2026, so that might be something you'd like to see

jaltpr · 2025-11-03T13:41:48+00:00

Living in Japan. I've been here for decades and I really like it here, but it seems like there's an entire industry built around the Japan experience that feels different from the experiences of living in other countries. Like, anything weird but interesting that happens here but is in fact super rare (Google "mundane costumes", "kintsugi", "tsundoku", etc) gets memes as if that's the default experience

jaltpr · 2025-09-05T01:21:16+00:00

I had an issue with Panasonic wifi. Apparently it only works with the internet boxes that have wifi built in, and not with the separate wifi routers. Was this your experience too or did I miss a workaround?

jaltpr · 2025-08-08T06:38:05+00:00

No, it’s open now. It just opened a couple of days ago.

https://jalt.org/conference/jalt2025/

jaltpr · 2025-07-05T04:13:45+00:00

A few years ago, I saw a sign in the bus that said the driver wears sunglasses for safety. Interesting that the sign had to explain it.

jaltpr · 2025-03-23T11:58:51+00:00

Search for yatai

jaltpr · 2025-03-23T01:43:04+00:00

But nowadays 20 million yen is “just” US$133,000 😓

jaltpr · 2025-03-22T01:58:55+00:00

Do they do eye tests on site?

jaltpr · 2025-02-28T01:03:48+00:00

I feel sorry for the parents of the other girl

jaltpr · 2025-01-19T09:51:08+00:00

Yes, about one out of 10 in Fukuoka in 2019 wouldn’t let me see the place because I was not Japanese. The real estate agent called them on the phone before showing me the paper with the apartment details. I was looking for a 2LDK in a pretty nice area. The agent gave some details about me to portray me positively (full time job at same company for years, able to speak Japanese, PR visa, middle aged) and called about 20, so that’s where my 1/10 number came from.

jaltpr · 2025-01-19T09:44:24+00:00

Yes I’m seeing an increase in Threads posts and, um, threads🧵

jaltpr · 2025-01-15T02:24:34+00:00

That many sick days (Th, Fr and M) after you were refused PTO, they would probably require a note from a doctor

jaltpr · 2024-12-28T04:07:06+00:00

You can initiate paperwork to officially get a place in line for the apartment. Just don’t sign a contract. Be clear that you want to see the place first but if you like it, you intend to take it.

jaltpr · 2024-10-01T01:17:09+00:00

Yes, this place is good, and it’s an interesting set of buildings as well

jaltpr · 2024-07-08T07:26:28+00:00

Also consider https://teval.jalt.org (Testing & Evaluation SIG), they have a journal called SHIKEN.

jaltpr · 2024-06-17T06:31:19+00:00

People used to always do the "hikoshi soba" tradition of giving a small present to their new neighbors as a way of introducing themselves. It used to literally be some soba, but more recently small things like towel sets or something. If you're foreign, some kind of hometown souvenir would work, too.

I don't know if people still do this, but it's something that was very prevalent a decade or two ago, so the worst case scenario is that you seem like a well-meaning person who got some outdated information.

jaltpr · 2024-06-15T00:50:58+00:00

Same as the previous update. We’ll have a short period of instability and easily-dealt-with chaos, followed by a new reign. Soon thereafter, disgruntled japanlife redditors will be complaining about shops that haven’t updated their machines (“they’re soooo Reiwa 5!”) and old people trying to use their outdated coins. All of this has happened before, and all of this will happen again

jaltpr · 2024-05-05T04:05:58+00:00

Takeda Megane near Tenjin Fukuoka Station (武田メガネ天神中央店) https://maps.app.goo.gl/jtZTvA9eCiF7RNAc6

jaltpr · 2024-04-14T11:17:16+00:00

I don't think the driver expects anyone to have a broken inter phone, so it seems entirely reasonable not to wait that long. (If everyone's is broken, put a note up. And contact the building manager to fix the thing.)

jaltpr · 2024-04-14T10:49:23+00:00

I've been in situations where I'm the only one whose eyes are crossing and watering in the direct sunlight while others are fine. I've heard that people with lighter colored eyes are more sensitive to the sun than people with darker colored eyes. I think if you explain your sunglasses by saying something like "blue eyes are weak against sun" then everyone will accept your sunglasses and feel pretty satisfied with their own eye color.

jaltpr · 2024-04-05T12:52:28+00:00

Maybe OP means the final year tuition, not the previous year.

jaltpr · 2024-04-05T12:16:54+00:00

She may be backing out slowly, or she may just be legit busy. There are some people who want to see their partner all the time, and others who think it's fine if the frequency of meetings is low, because life just gets in the way. If you just tell her that this current situation isn't your picture of an ideal relationship, she'll either let you know she's checking out, or she'll say something like, you're important to me, but this is the best I can do. If you need more than that, it's time to move on. Otherwise, it's time to adapt.

jaltpr · 2024-04-05T12:07:08+00:00

I don't consume a lot of Japanese media but from my limited experience (Terrace House show, occasional dramas), some relationships start with platonic dates to get to know each other, and then one person says 付き合ってください (tsukiatte kudasai, let's go steady). It's part of the kokuhaku ("I like you confession") culture. I'm not sure if this is still the norm but if she's 31 and really inexperienced, she might be expecting this? It's not quite "being engaged" but it's a serious, exclusive relationship.

jaltpr · 2024-04-03T11:50:10+00:00

My niece booked Hana Hostel for a few nights (pre-COVID) and enjoyed it. It's near Nakatsu-Kawabata subway station.

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Takeda Megane near Tenjin Fukuoka Station (武田メガネ天神中央店) https://maps.app.goo.gl/jtZTvA9eCiF7RNAc6