HIGHTECH
An Attention-grabbing Ramen Shop on a Shibuya Station Platform
The food company ACECOOK has opened a pop-up ramen shop called Mocchicchi Station on a JR Yamanote Line platform at Shibuya Station which has been featured in many news stories.
Last time, I discussed hosts and host groups, which are used to organize items. Now let’s take a look at how triggers can be used to distinguish between normal states and problem states based on Item values.
When we think of automated driving, it is self-driving cars that first spring to mind. However, in Japan, where the railway network covers the whole country, automated driverless railways have recently become a hot topic.
Last time, we looked at implementation of cookies. This time, I’ll write about implementing sessions. As I wrote in my 7 th article, ‘Cookies and sessions, part 1 ’, sessions have various implementations such that just calling them sessions broadly is confusing, so for this text, ‘session’ will refer to the use of session functions offered by PHP.
WORK
Taking a job interview in a second language is a challenging experience that you need to be prepared for. In this article we are going to look at some common interview questions that you are likely to be asked in a Japanese job interview.
Teaching English in Japan has long been a relatively easy gateway into living and working here. Essentially, anyone whose first language is English and has a college degree has a chance of finding a job with a company that will sponsor a visa, and usually even help find a place to live.
Unlike many western countries I’m familiar with, the Japanese CV format is almost totally standardized. Naturally, some companies (particularly tech ones) may ask for additional or alternative forms more like the CV or resume you’re familiar with, but understanding the Japanese one is going to be essential for looking for work here.
If you have been offered a mensetsu (面接, interview) with a Japanese company, it is important that you prepare yourself in advance for the Japanese interview style. Interview etiquette is strictly regulated in Japan, with a set pattern of things you should and should not do. In this article, we offer tips for each stage of the interview process.
LIFE & RESIDENCE
The best way to begin freelancing in Japan is to just start doing whatever it is you do — as long as this is allowed under your visa.
STUDY
Last time, we started on our trip through the more obscure or unexpected twists and turns of learning Japanese (but not the harder parts; the list of kanji is that way if that’s what you want) with an overview of some abbreviations. This time, we’ll pick up where we left off with one particular example, but we’re also going to be taking a look at bits and pieces of all sorts of other things that wouldn’t fill a full article by themselves.
When you live in Japan, from time to time you will encounter words or expressions dropped here and there in casual conversation that might seem familiar, but which you don’t quite understand. These are wasei-eigo (和製英語 — literally "English made in Japan"): pseudo-English words and phrases used in the Japanese language that can actually be quite confusing for native English speakers.
CULTURE
On May 1 st 2019 Japan entered a new official era to mark the new emperor’s ascension to the Chrysanthemum Throne. The name chosen for this era, Reiwa, uses two Chinese characters 令和 which were taken from an ancient Japanese poetry collection called the Man’yōshū.
Traditionally the Japanese celebrate their wedding in a shrine while wearing gorgeous kimonos and following a procession led by the kannushi (Shinto priest). From the perspective of an outsider, the event looks very sober and yet imposing probably due to the humility and spirituality that emanates from it.
Children’s Day, which is called Kodomo no Hi (こどもの日) in Japanese, is a national holiday in Japan held every year on May 5th to celebrate happy and healthy children and to express gratitude to their mothers.
Prior to living in Japan, I had a rather hazy image of it as an exotic land with a sultry climate. Summer in Japan is indeed hot and humid, but unless you live on the southernmost subtropical islands of Okinawa, you will find that Japanese winters are very, very cold.
TRAVEL
At some point, Ojiya decided that just the year-round attractions don’t make it interesting enough. This is very lucky for us, because that means it has a lot of seasonal events for us to go through as well.
Ryokan (旅館) are traditional Japanese inns which are often located in rural resort areas and set amidst beautiful natural scenery. Usually they feature such elements as tatami flooring and futon bedding in the guest rooms, and communal bathing areas.
