Practical advice, cultural insights, and helpful guides for living in Japan
Get answers to frequently asked questions about Japanese communication styles, from understanding indirect responses to building relationships and navigating social customs.
Explore Japan's pioneering mobile payment ecosystem, from early FeliCa technology to today's complex landscape of IC cards, QR payments, and digital wallets.
Master essential Japanese communication concepts like honne/tatemae, reading the air, sasshi, and enryo to navigate social interactions more effectively in Japan.
Discover why LINE dominates Japanese digital communication, how it evolved beyond messaging to become a 'super app', and what it reveals about Japanese social culture.
Learn to interpret Japanese body language, facial expressions, and the meaning of silence to better understand what's not being explicitly stated in Japanese conversations.
Actionable techniques for effective communication in Japan, from getting clear answers to declining invitations politely and building deeper relationships.
Explore Japan's unique relationship with QR codes - from their invention in Japan to their ubiquitous presence in daily life, payments, and social interactions.
Learn why Japanese phones have unmutable camera sounds, the cultural and social reasons behind this unique feature, and what it reveals about Japanese privacy values.
Decode common Japanese expressions and understand their hidden meanings, from the art of indirect refusal to ambiguous phrases that foreigners often misinterpret.
Discover why Japanese phones pioneered waterproofing years before global models, and how bathing culture influenced this distinctive feature of Japanese mobile technology.
Discover the fascinating cultural reasons behind Japan's unique smartphone features - from unmutable camera sounds to QR code obsession, mobile payments, and bath-friendly designs.
Navigate Japan's complex internet service options with this foreigner-friendly guide to choosing, setting up, and managing your home internet connection.