yahoo disaster app

Rainy Season in Hyogo – Important Apps to have

Rainy Season starts around June in Hyogo. With it comes (spoiler) heavy rain – sometimes Typhoons which can lead to flooding and landslides. Here are some important applications or websites to have on you in case of emergencies! The Hyogo Disaster Prevention ApplicationThe Hyogo Disaster Prevention Organisation (ひょうご防災ネット) has released an app that will inform […]

COVID-19 Home Quarantine Recuperation Care Packages

If you are active on Twitter and Youtube, you may have noticed some Japan Vloggers posting about the home recuperation care packages they got from their ward/city when they have tested positive and are quarantining at home for COVID-19. Examples of some people sharing their sets:  New Video// A peek inside what the Japanese Government […]

Language Studying Tips

Kanji Many Japanese teachers and language texts advise learners to hold off on studying kanji. There are a few reasons for this: they believe that kanji are too difficult for foreigners to learn. they think that the learning of kanji will take away from the time needed to study grammar, vocabulary, etc. many of their […]

Japanese Etiquette

Workplace Etiquette Arriving & Leaving Work: When entering the teacher’s room in the morning, say “Ohayo gozaimasu” (Good Morning). You should also be punctual. Punctuality is viewed as part of being an adult member of society in Japan, so take the extra five minutes. When leaving at the end of the day, say “Osaki ni […]

International Airports

Kansai International Airport 関西国際空港 Kansai International Airport (KIX), pronounced Kansai Kokusai Kuko or Kanku for short, is the main international airport for western Japan. Extensive train, bus and ferry links provide access to Kansai Airport’s artificial island. Below is an overview of to get to the airport. Phone: 0724-55-2500 URL: http://www.kansai-airport.or.jp Getting to KIX By […]

Travel Agents

Note: One of the best ways to get a good deal is to reserve directly on a travel company website: HIS for international travel and NTA or JTB for domestic travel. Or book your transportation directly through the bus company, JR, or airline, and book your hotel through Jalan.net, which is available in English and […]

Trains: Lines, Times, and Fares

With numerous different train companies in Japan, hundreds of train lines and heaps of people all trying to cram on the same train, public transit can be a little overwhelming at times. The following information should hopefully help make traveling on trains a little easier. There are three major train lines for travel in the […]

Trains: Vocab and Tips

Useful Train Vocabulary General Vocab Ticket Gate – 改札口 (kai-satsu-guchi) One way – 片道 (kata-michi) Round Trip – 往復 (ou-fuku) First Class Car – グリーン車 (green-sha) Non-smoking Car – 禁煙車 (kin-en-sha)Smoking Car – 喫煙車 (kitsu-en-sha) Non-reserved Seat – 自由席 (ji-yuu-seki) Reserved Seat – 指定席 (shi-tei-seki) Window (Seat) – 窓側 (mado-gawa) Aisle (Seat) – 通路側 (tsuu-ro-gawa) […]

About the Apartment

With burdens like language barriers and “key money”, finding an apartment in Japan is not a pleasant business. One of the blessings of the JET Program is the Contracting Organizations usually arrange housing for participants. Of course, that means we get plenty of questions about housing. My friend’s apartment is better/cheaper than mine. Contracting Organizations […]