Surviving in Japan: A Guide to Sunscreen in Japan
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Posted by Ashley Thompson (Shizuoka-ken, 2008-2010) of Surviving in Japan: without much Japanese and Lifelines columnist for The Japan Times. Just in time for summer (despite some of the gray days during the rainy season): an overview of sunscreen (or sunblock) in Japan. I should note that I’ve heard various complaints about sunscreen tubes and […]
Surviving in Japan: How to Send Your (Extra) Luggage to the Airport
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Posted by Ashley Thompson (Shizuoka-ken, 2008-2010) of Surviving in Japan: without much Japanese and Lifelines columnist for The Japan Times. Heading home for the summer? Going somewhere exotic for vacation? If you are leaving Japan, and many of you may already know this, did you know you can have your luggage delivered straight from your […]
Surviving in Japan: How to find Tylenol in Japan
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Posted by Ashley Thompson (Shizuoka-ken, 2008-2010) of Surviving in Japan: without much Japanese and Lifelines columnist for The Japan Times. I’ve previously showed you how to find ibuprofen in Japan, but what about acetaminophen? Otherwise known as Tylenol. Though Tylenol itself is a bit more difficult to find in Japan than ibuprofen (I can’t find […]
Surviving in Japan: How To Find Ibuprofen in Japan
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Posted by Ashley Thompson (Shizuoka-ken, 2008-2010) of Surviving in Japan: without much Japanese and Lifelines columnist for The Japan Times. This is for all those die-hard Advil fans out there, like myself. Though I try to use any kind of drug sparingly, at least once a month I find myself growling for drugs (I’m sure […]
Surviving in Japan: 40+5 more ways to survive the rainy season
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Posted by Ashley Thompson (Shizuoka-ken, 2008-2010) of Surviving in Japan: without much Japanese and Lifelines columnist for The Japan Times. The rainy season (梅雨, つゆ) has arrived. Apparently beginning 12 days earlier than last year in central Japan, according to tenki.jp, and also earlier than normal in southern Japan as well. Though it doesn’t feel […]
Surviving in Japan: How to Find Anti-itch, Insect Bite Medicine
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Posted by Ashley Thompson (Shizuoka-ken, 2008-2010) of Surviving in Japan: without much Japanese and Lifelines columnist for The Japan Times. This post is a follow-up to A Survival Guide to Mosquito Repellent in Japan, for those who try in vain but perhaps still end up with itchy, annoying bites (I know the feeling…). My first […]
Surviving in Japan: A Guide to Mosquito Repellent in Japan
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Posted by Ashley Thompson (Shizuoka-ken, 2008-2010) of Surviving in Japan: without much Japanese and Lifelines columnist for The Japan Times. That wonderfully hot and humid time of year is upon us – summer. And of course, the rainy season and along with it, mosquito season. I still remember my first apartment in Japan, next to […]
Posted by Ashley Thompson (Shizuoka-ken, 2008-2010) of Surviving in Japan: without much Japanese and Lifelines columnist for The Japan Times. If you’re coming to Japan, you will probably hear someone lamenting about the inability to find any “real” deodorant here. When I heard this before coming, I promptly bought a 4-pack of my favorite kind […]
Surviving in Japan: Yellow Sand in Japan – How Does it Affect You?
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Posted by Ashley Thompson (Shizuoka-ken, 2008-2010) of Surviving in Japan: without much Japanese and Lifelines columnist for The Japan Times. Weather reports recently (May 2011) mentioned an increase in 黄砂, kousa starting today and continuing over the next few days over much of Japan, which I mentioned on Twitter and heard many replies from people […]
Surviving in Japan: 6 Ways to Deal with Allergies in Japan
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Posted by Ashley Thompson (Shizuoka-ken, 2008-2010) of Surviving in Japan: without much Japanese and Lifelines columnist for The Japan Times. Are you going to Japan, or in Japan, and wondering what to do about your allergies? I know the feeling. I’m allergic to mold and dust mites, which are especially hard to escape in Japan.. […]
Surviving in Japan: How to do a Furikomi (Bank Transfer)
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Posted by Ashley Thompson (Shizuoka-ken, 2008-2010) of Surviving in Japan: without much Japanese and Lifelines columnist for The Japan Times. I’m going to assume you already have a bank account in Japan. And perhaps you signed up with GoLloyds to transfer money to your bank accounts in your home country, or you made some online […]
Surviving in Japan: 7 Words to Know When You Have a Cold (in Japan)
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Posted by Ashley Thompson (Shizuoka-ken, 2008-2010) of Surviving in Japan: without much Japanese and Lifelines columnist for The Japan Times. Here are some essential Japanese words you might want to know if you come down with a cold in Japan. I tend to stick to more natural remedies when possible, but when the symptoms are […]
Surviving in Japan: How to Find (Good) Toothpaste in Japan
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Posted by Ashley Thompson (Shizuoka-ken, 2008-2010) of Surviving in Japan: without much Japanese and Lifelines columnist for The Japan Times. Another one of those “living in Japan” myths claims that Japanese toothpaste generally doesn’t work. Or that it doesn’t contain fluoride. And some folks go so far as to insist this is one of the […]
Surviving In Japan: How to Find Out How Fast Your Laundry Will Dry
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Posted by Ashley Thompson (Shizuoka-ken, 2008-2010) of Surviving in Japan: without much Japanese and Lifelines columnist for The Japan Times. You probably already know that most people in Japan hang out their laundry to dry. Drive or ride past apartment buildings on a sunny day and you’ll see clothes, towels, blankets and futons hanging from […]
Surviving In Japan: How to Find a Non-smoking Restaurant in Japan
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Going out in Japan can sometimes be rough if you’re a non-smoker (like me). Granted, times are changing in Japan, and more and more facilities and areas are now completely non-smoking, or instead have a small room or area designated specifically for smoking. Kanagawa prefecture went completely non-smoking last year, making it the first […]
