All posts tagged "Featured"

  • Essential Questions When Choosing an International Preschool

    ne of the biggest decisions a family has to make when arriving in Tokyo is choosing a school. Given that many people are away from any set network of friends or family, school often provides the very first entree into a community...

    • Posted March 14, 2016
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  • LED Light Bulb Speaker by Sony LSPX-100E26J

      Music and lights go together but no one else has ever thought of combining them into one small light bulb until Sony did. The 360-degree lumen 20-watt bulb/bluetooth speaker with standard E26 cap screw fitting can...

    • Posted February 23, 2016
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  • Could you be jailed in Japan if you homeschooled your kids?

    There are many resources about homeschooling in the United States to which some 2 million students have access. Here in Japan, I am surprised by how little information there is about education options for children in non-traditional...

    • Posted February 23, 2016
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  • How we went from ¥55,000 a month to ¥18,000 a month on phone bills.

    Recently, I had a serious discussion with my wife about how we are saving too little for the future because of our high phone bills. At one point, our bill came to as high as ¥90,000 for...

    • Posted February 23, 2016
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  • Protect yourself and your family from cancer. Know what to look out for.

    Even with state-of-the-art diagnostic equipment, experts say finding cancer cells in the body is like looking for a needle in a haystack. Cancer cells are too small sitting on billions of other cells and sometimes hidden behind...

    • Posted February 2, 2016
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  • The 8th Mindset of Workplace Transformation: Motivation vs. Inspiration

    The eighth (and final!) mindset of workplace transformation addresses where people derive the energy and impetus for action from. At this time of year this mindset is relevant even if you are not a leader as it...

    • Posted January 10, 2016
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  • Thanks to this food, many old people in Okinawa don’t need eye glasses to read

    Many centenarians in Okinawa are able to read the newspaper without the aid of eyeglasses. The secret is eating Beni imo or purple yam that grows in the region where the amount of ultraviolet rays is 1.5...

    • Posted January 10, 2016
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  • What’s in our fridge?

    You are out shopping for groceries and no one’s at home to ask if you have run out of milk or orange juice. Should you go home first and check? Who needs to when one owns a...

    • Posted January 5, 2016
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  • “Why we chose an international school for our boys.”

    The hallmark of being bicultural is one’s exposure to two languages and having two cultural identities.  A recent European study explains bicultural kids are more likely at ease when they are with other people with the same...

    • Posted January 4, 2016
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  • 6-day family style cruise kicks off July 2016 in Japan

    Cruise enthusiasts have something exciting to look forward to in 2016 – the launch of Costa Asia’s 6-day Italian-inspired family cruise. The international European cruise line launched its Asia Pacific cruise packages in 2006. After 10 years,...

    • Posted December 18, 2015
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  • Should you fire your Roomba for the new Dyson 360 Eye?

    After years of research and refinements, the Dyson 360 Eye unveiled in Tokyo a month ago is now available in Japan. The new robotic vacuum cleaner with a built-in 45-degree panoramic lens on top of the device...

    • Posted December 18, 2015
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  • The Case for Putting Play first in Preschool

    As a preschool educator, I often have to resist the urge to teach in my classroom which may sound surprising given my role. But, the longer I am in the classroom and the more we understand how...

    • Posted December 10, 2015
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  • How to dispose of bulk trash in Japan

    The Year-end decluttering season or ‘osoji’ (literally means big cleaning) is just around the corner. Purge unneeded items in the house and office in order to free up space and welcome the new year on a clean...

    • Posted December 10, 2015
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  • Transforming Work Part 7: TIRED vs GOOD TIRED

    How do you maximize performance? Great leaders and the most successful and valued employees understand that high performance cannot be achieved or sustained without nurturing fulfillment. The seventh mindset of workplace transformation centers on shifting your focus...

    • Posted December 10, 2015
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  • Playing (lots of it) is good for children

    Many parents I know rant about having to buy new toys every now and then as their children lose interest in the old toys. This is all part of cognitive development as brain cells connect and grow....

    • Posted December 10, 2015
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  • Kyochon 1991 Fried Chicken

    Col. Sanders faces tough competition this month as Kyochon 1991, a South Korean-based casual fried chicken restaurant opens its first branch in Roppongi ahead of Japan’s ‘fried chicken-snacking’ tradition on Christmas eve. In 1991, Kyochon started its...

    • Posted December 3, 2015
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  • Is Your Child A Pushover?

    A mom recently shared her concern with me about her child being a “pushover”. She said that even though she was just seven years old, that she was already seeing her daughter as more of a follower...

    • Posted November 21, 2015
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  • Transforming work Part 6: Transforming the Tyranny of ‘To Do’

    Ever had a day, a week, or even a year where you’re troubled by the nagging sense that you haven’t been truly productive, despite being incredibly busy? You are not alone. Whether you work for yourself or...

    • Posted November 20, 2015
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  • “Cross-cultural marriage, a double-edged sword”

    Polish mum, poet, and book author Yoanna Shigenobu talks about her book, parenting style and her cross-cultural family life. Eight years ago, Yoanna was a Tourism student in Poland. Today, she lives in Japan. It all started...

    • Posted November 16, 2015
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  • Sunshine Kids Academy makes tuition affordable to support most families who want an international preschool program for their children

    When it comes to learning progress, it all comes down to how much early literacy skills help or hinder learning. James Heckman, Economist and Nobel Prize winner said, “Early learning begets later learning. And early success breeds...

    • Posted November 7, 2015
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  • A restaurant with no knives and no forks

    When Kojima Yoshio, president of Meal Works, had dinner at Dancing Crab restaurant in Singapore, he was smitten by the charm of eating crabs with bare hands, he decided to open a franchise in Tokyo. Up until...

    • Posted November 4, 2015
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  • A chocolate factory in Tokyo

    If you could order a perfect chocolate ice cream, what might that be like? A new chocolate factory tucked in the streets of Setagaya ward might have the answers. Craft Chocolate Works makes chocolate bars and ice...

    • Posted October 12, 2015
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  • Good vegetarian restaurants in Tokyo

    Buona Tubu (specializes in gluten-free grain) Tel 03-6457-5045 http://www.b-tubutubu.com/ nearest station: Edogawabashi by Yurakucho line Chaya Macrobiotics Hibiya (organic, macrobiotic foods, allergy-free cakes) 1-2-2 Yurakucho, Hibiya Chanter Building B2 Tel 03-3500-5514 http://www.chayam.co.jp/ nearest station: Hibiya 2nd floor...

    • Posted October 9, 2015
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  • No More Back-to-Work Dilemma: Office Clothes Rental Is Here.

    You have grown by two to three sizes since giving birth to your baby. Or maybe, you are trying to put off a wardrobe update for a more important family expense. Maybe, some moms have been full...

    • Posted October 6, 2015
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  • Japan creates a cute talking, walking robot phone

    Japan is unstoppable in its quest for world robot domination. Sharp’s new Robohon, a robot and telephone in one, proves he’s more than a ‘Siri’. The word ‘Robohon’ is a portmanteau of ‘robot’ and ‘phone’ (pronounced and...

    • Posted October 5, 2015
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  • A fleet of Taxis without drivers will go for a road test soon

    The thought of taking a taxi driven by robots makes me cringe but it appears that’s what we will be seeing very soon as robot-obsessed Japan tests its driverless cars out on the streets. Last month, a...

    • Posted October 5, 2015
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  • How do major Japanese phone carriers make money from you?

    The answer is by selling only ‘Very expensive’ and ‘Too Expensive’ mobile phone plans with nothing in-between. And to ensure that nothing gets in the way of their bottom line, they get you locked up on a...

    • Posted September 13, 2015
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  • Transforming Work Part 5 – Slowing Down to Speed Up

    Are you the kind of leader who is always putting pressure on your team (and yourself) to get things done faster? Research shows that this management methodology is counterproductive. Contrary to the deadline “rush” that is commonly...

    • Posted September 11, 2015
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  • A Bright Spot for Career Women

    Prime Minister Abe has been working hard to build a society in which women shine as part of the Abenomics reform program.  But is it working? There are signs it is. Despite sluggish economic markets, Japan is...

    • Posted September 11, 2015
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  • Paying too much for English TV content? Check out better TV viewing options

    With the rising popularity of video streaming services all over the world, the once expensive one-size-fits-all cable/satellite package is slowly losing subscribers to Video On Demand (VOD). Hulu Japan, launched in 2013 by Nippon Television, currently offers...

    • Posted September 10, 2015
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