BY HELEN KAIHO I have to admit that it was with slight trepidation that I made my way to the first meeting in my role as a mentor for Tokyo Mothers Group (TMG). It was late May 2009 and I had only recently given birth to my second daughter weeks before. Once again, my world [...]
I was shopping at the local AMPM and found this gem: a KitKat mug set. Included items: regularly flavoured KitKat bar, Nescafe (Cafe Ole powder mix), and a nice red glass KitKat mug. It’s somehow related to Jyu-kensei, which is something that you give to friends who are starting school (high school, university, etc). On [...]
Full name: Anna Elizabeth Kunnecke Age: 33 Nationality: American Grew up in: Tokyo and Indianapolis Time in Japan: Ten childhood years, six adult years. Japanese level: Like many international school graduates, I speak like a native but read and write like a lazy 12-year-old. Works at: I work for myself. I started a company (KK) [...]
PHOTOGRAPHY BY 37 FRAMES PHOTOGRAPHY A perfect fall day was spent with the broads for the recent BAB & 37 Frames Pix{nic} in the Park. A golden carpet of ginko leaves was our playground in Yoyogi Park on November 29, 2009, as BAB gals from around the world with babies, kids, and gorgeous pets in [...]
Full name: Mandy Kitchener Nationality: British Qualifications: B.Sc. with honours in psychology and philosophy. TEFL training and seven years teaching experience. Job title: English instructor Employer: Tomita High School Salary: ¥360,000 per month Time in this job: two years Job description: My job differs from most English teaching positions because I’m not an ALT (assistant [...]
BY GABBI BRADSHAW Bonenkai means ‘year forgetting,’ a Japanese concept I rather like. Not only for the free-flowing beeru, but also the idea. Forget what you didn’t like and remember what you did. A whole year’s worth. It’s better than a genie. My girlfriends and I decided to not only have a party to forget [...]
BY NIKKI TATE Craig Morrey’s story reads like something Franz Kafka might have dreamed up on a bad day. Caught in a legal and moral Catch 22, if Morrey leaves Japan without his wife’s consent (or a court order) and travels to the US to seek better medical care for Spencer, his severely disabled son, [...]
BY SARAH BAKER When I moved to Japan seven months ago and decided to begin teaching English to Japanese students, I had no idea how much it would enhance my experience of living here. Not only do I find it a rewarding experience, but I have been introduced to the most interesting people that I [...]
I love pens and pencils—in a big way—which is why I love the Faber-Castell shop at Tokyo Midtown. It might not be the cheapest way to pick up a new pencil, but the quality is fabulous, and their coloured pencils are rich and vibrant. It’s also a great place to pick something up for anyone [...]
BY SHANA GRAVES Dating, in and of itself, can be quite complicated and tiring, and when there is enough drama involved it very closely resembles a reality TV show like Survivor. Everyone in the dating scene has different motives, strategies, ethics, and rules that they play by and you realise just how diverse the game [...]
