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Jichinsai (地鎮祭): A Shinto Ceremony for Building a House in Japan
It’s been a while since my last post about building a house in Japan! We’re almost finished with the designing stage and construction will start next month (!) so we had our Jichinsai…
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Top 2022 Christmas Presents for Kids in Japan
It’s December, which means Christmas is just around the corner! Just like last year, I’ll be sharing toys that Japanese retailers indicated in a poll are the hottest for kids in 2022. Of…
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Best Amazon Japan Black Friday 2022 Deals for Pregnancy, Babies, and Toddlers
It’s that time of year again! As always, I’ll be sharing what I think are great Black Friday deals on Amazon Japan for parents of little ones, or for those of you expecting…
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An Overview of Yōchien (Preschool/Kindergarten) in Japan
Yōchien (幼稚園), known as preschool or kindergarten in English, is an educational institution in Japan for children ages 3 to 5, helping prepare them for elementary school. The concept was a bit confusing…
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Inoko, a Halloween-like Tradition in Western Japan
Halloween has only recently caught on in Japan, but instead of Trick-or-Treating, it tends to be more focused on costumes and cute Halloween decorations. Having grown up in Canada, though, my childhood memories…
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Traveling Internationally by Plane (During COVID) with a Toddler: Japan ⇔ Canada
It’s been a month since I returned to Japan after traveling to Canada with my toddler and I think I’ve recovered enough to finally be able to write about it. I think that…
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Attending Pre-Preschool (Pre-Yochien / Pre-Hoiku) in Japan
Some of you might be thinking, “What the heck is pre-preschool?” I had the same thought when my Dutch mamatomo Linda told me about it. Preschool is already the precursor to attending school…
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Hotel Monterey: Kid-Friendly Resort in Okinawa
Last month, my family visited Okinawa and stayed at the Hotel Monterey Okinawa. I’ve been to Okinawa four times before, but this time would be my first time traveling with my daughter. My…
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Giving Birth in Japan in 1981: Barbara’s Story
Earlier this month, I received a very interesting comment on my article about my birth preparation class in Japan. I was fascinated and instantly knew I wanted to share this person’s story with…
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Best Second Birthday Gifts: What to Get a 2-Year-Old in Japan
My daughter is turning three this month, so I thought I would share what we got her for her second birthday that she still loves a year later. This list also includes some…
