I don’t know if you’ve heard, but there is a movement happening in Japan right now to get dads more involved in their families’ lives. It’s called the “Ikumen” movement. “Ikumen” is a combination of two Japanese words: ikuji (育児), meaning “childcare,” and ikemen(イケメン), meaning “handsome or gorgeous man.” The whole premise of the movement is that dads should: Take paternity leave to help their … Continue reading What is an Ikumen?
When I decided to go to Japan for the first time, I was nervous!Questions kept circling around in my head. I couldn’t shake them: What is Japan really like? What do the Japanese people like to talk about? How can I become friends with Japanese people? What if I make a big fool of myself? I loved Japan. I loved everyone I had ever met from … Continue reading What do the Japanese think of Americans?
Before my first visit to Japan, I was reading blogs everywhere on life there. I happened to stumble on this: “Christmas in Japan was definitely… Different. Apparently Japanese Christmas is a couple’s holiday like Valentine’s day. It was definitely a different atmosphere. But they really do try to act like Americans, so they eat KFC and cake.”(See her full post here.) I wasn’t so sure myself, … Continue reading Do the Japanese Really Eat KFC on Christmas?
Onward! Japanward! 