Life in Japan
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Reviewing Sakuraco’s Tsukimi Snack Box
Last month I was contacted by Sakuraco and asked to try their Tsukimi box in exchange for an honest and unfiltered review. I had heard of Sakuraco before and I liked their concept…
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Adventure World and Sightseeing Spots with Kids in Shirahama (Wakayama, Japan)
I’ve been fortunate enough to live in Japan for over a decade and travel to 40 different prefectures. One place that I never thought I would travel to before I moved to Kansai,…
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Visiting Kids Plaza Osaka in Japan with a Toddler
If you’re looking for somewhere fun and educational indoors to take your toddler or small child in Osaka, look no further than Kids Plaza Osaka. My three-year-old daughter loved this interactive children’s museum…
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Parents’ Day (Sankanbi) at a Preschool (Yōchien) in Japan
The other day, I attended sankanbi (参観日) at my daughter’s preschool, which is a day for parents to observe what goes on at their child’s daycare or school. I found that the experience…
- Baby, First Year, Food, General, Life in Japan, Newborn, Product Reviews, Products, Second Year, Toddler
Best Japan Products for Babies and Toddlers in 2023
Following up on my last article on the best products for newborns in Japan, I’ll be sharing what parents think are the best products for raising babies and toddlers. These results are based…
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Helpful Japanese Phrases for Daycare (Hoikuen) and Preschool (Yochien)
I received a request to share some helpful phrases in Japanese when it comes to daycare (hoikuen) and preschool (yochien), and if you’re a long-term reader, you’ll know that if you ask, you…
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Shichi-Go-San: A Celebration for Children Ages 3, 5, and 7 in Japan
One thing I love about Japan is that there are many celebrations for children, such as Omiyamairi, Okuizome, and Shichi-go-san. As my daughter celebrated her first Shichi-go-san this month, I’d like to share…
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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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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…
