Tag: japan

Western celebrities denigrate themselves in Japanese TV commercials

Kyoto, Piqer
If you’re familiar with the plot of the film Lost in Translation you’ll remember Bill Murray’s character Bob, an out of favour Hollywood actor approaching retirement, is in Japan to film a whiskey commercial, to earn a fee big enough to pay for some home refurbishments and a nestbed for his retirement. The inspiration for this is that it’s actually incredibly…
Read more
Example of lean thinking in Japan's railway ticket gates

Why are Japan’s ticket barriers always open in railway stations?

Kyoto, Piqer
It’s true that on Japan’s railway network and especially in major cities, the ticket barriers are always open. But try to go through without buying a ticket and you could be in for a nasty shock! The ticket barriers are designed to only close if someone attempts to pass through without having already presented a valid ticket (a paper ticket,…
Read more
how to get a job in japan

How to get a job in Japan as an expat

Kyoto, Piqer
If you’ve been to Japan and fallen in love with the place, you may be thinking, “how can I stay here longer, for six months, a year, or even longer?”. Japan isn’t the easiest country to emigrate to. The immigrant population is tiny relative to other countries like the US, Australia, UK or Germany, and there is not a shortage…
Read more

Beautiful videos of Japan on YouTube – roundup

Kyoto, Piqer
Here are some of our favourite videos of Japanese scenery from YouTube, available also in 4K/UHD https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zhp0qui73cc
Read more
kyoto to tokyo

Kyoto to Tokyo and back again – the cheapest, fastest way to travel

Kyoto, Piqer
The Japanese bullet train, or Shinkansen, is probably the best way to travel around Japan – fast, comfortable, smooth and reliable. But unfortunately also, expensive. Return journeys between major cities can cost more than US $400. Single trips can cost more than $200. About 20 years ago, foreign tourists used to be able to buy heavily discounted Shinkansen rail pass,…
Read more

Great article on Japanese convenience stores at nippon.com

Kyoto, Piqer
Live in Japan, or indeed anywhere in east asia, and you quickly become reliant on the ubiquitous convenience stores (or konbini in Japanese) of 7-11, FamilyMart and Lawson, not least because of their wonderful egg sandwiches and other ready to eat snacks. Over at nippon.com they have a detailed report on the origin of these nourishment-giving centres of excellence, check…
Read more
mega muffin

McDonald’s review: Mega Muffin from Japan

Kyoto, Piqer
Available for a limited time, Japanese branches of McDonald’s currently offer the Mega Muffin – a stacked McMuffin featuring two sausage patties, egg, cheese and a slice of bacon. Warning for McMuffin fans though – the Mega Muffin features copious dollops of ketchup, which may come as a nasty surprise for those of you who prefer your McMuffin in a…
Read more

McDonald’s review: Cheese Katsu Burger from Japan

Kyoto, Piqer
McDonald’s McChicken Sandwiches already come with a slice of cheese as standard and their teriyaki burger standard menu item is basically a McMuffin sausage patty dipped in teriyaki sauce – but now and for a limited time you can also get a different kind of pork burger. A popular special from the 90s has just been relaunched at McDonald’s restaurants…
Read more
mcdonalds chicken pretzel soft roll ingredients

How to ask for the bill in Japan

Kyoto, Piqer
This is sort of a trick question – at all but the most upmarket or westernised restaurants in Japan, you won’t have to ask for the bill, because it will be kept on your table and updated by the waiting staff as your meal progresses, and you then take it to the cashier counter as you leave to pay, rather…
Read more

Kitkat bars in Japan

Kyoto, Piqer
Through some quirk of Nestle’s franchising of KitKat in Japan, a wide range of variant flavours is available, with each region of Japan offering a unique regional/seasonal taste. While in theory each flavour is only available in the region comes from, shop around at souvenir stores at places like Tokyo railway station or Narita airport and you should be able…
Read more