Today I am going to share with you all the behind-the-scenes stories and how Portraits of Life in Japan has had a real impact on my life.

According to my analytics, over 600 listeners around the world enjoyed Portraits of Life in Japan over the past six months. I just want to thank you for being here. Although I can't see your faces, I can feel your love and support.

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The Japanese diet is known worldwide for being healthy. Not only are Japanese dishes full of natural ingredients and very nutritious, but Japanese people's attitude towards food is also very meticulous. This mindfulness around food and a healthy diet is one of the reasons behind Japan's low obesity rates. In fact, Japan is among the top 10 least obese countries in the world. While the estimated percentage of individuals with obesity in Japan is expected to be 5.01% in 2024, in the US, 41.9% of adults have obesity.

Today I am going to talk about the Japanese diet, including why the food portions here are so small and why Japan is one of the countries with the lowest obesity rates in the world.

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Integrating as a foreigner into a new culture can be challenging and frustrating, especially in Japan, where people like to keep harmony among the group and don't feel comfortable complaining or expressing their true feelings. Making friends at work can be even more difficult. In the last company I worked for, the boss gave each one of us a paper in Japanese that said, "Please refrain from talking about personal matters or your private life with your coworkers." Even though overall Japanese people are very kind and respectful, there is also a politeness to their attitude, more than a true intention to make friends. Today I will talk about my first Japanese friend and what friendships with Japanese people are really like.

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Even though the red sun is in Japan's flag, I was surprised when my Japanese language teacher came up with the phrase "the sun is extremely red" when she was teaching us the word "Makka," which means "extreme red." I raised my hand and asked her, "Isn't the sun yellow? At least that's how I usually draw it." My classmates from other countries agreed with me. And they added, "Kids draw the sun yellow with a smiley face." The Japanese teacher didn't know about this. "Kids in Japan draw the sun red or orange," she replied.

Today we are going to explore the meaning of the color red in Japanese culture.

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Going to an onsen can be a nerve-wracking experience for some foreigners. The idea of taking a bath with a bunch of strangers can be overwhelming for some of us, especially if we are going to stand out for our Western features, which will draw more attention to us.

Today I am going to share with you all the details about my first time going to an onsen.

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"Kawaii" is a Japanese word that means "cute" or "adorable." From anime to food and fashion, it is one of the most frequently used Japanese words, even among foreigners. However, “Kawaii” culture can be seen by many as not very mature. After all, the childish stigma that surrounds anime and cartoons is especially strong in Western culture.

But what happens in Japan, a country that uses animation as a tool to effectively communicate messages to people of all ages? Even in the most serious situations, there will always be a cute character decorating official documents. There is no way to escape from Kawaii culture in Japan.

Today I am going to talk about why Kawaii culture is not considered childish on this side of the world.

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When I came to Japan, I started working as an English teacher. Although I majored in journalism in college, I started a new career path here. I worked at two public high schools in Saitama and then at three nurseries in Tokyo. At that time, I had more than 100 students. Until today, I can still remember most of their names and faces. Being a teacher was a fun and new experience, and even though I was the one teaching them English, I learned many things from them. Today I want to talk about two students who deeply impacted me.

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One of the best things about Japan is its food. Not only is Japanese food delicious, but it is also very nutritious. After moving to Asia, I have tried a bunch of new dishes that I've fallen in love with. Recently, I discovered that there is a Japanese word to describe a particular taste found in Japanese food: "umami." "Umami" is a taste different from sweet, sour, salty, and bitter.

Today, we are going to talk about what umami flavor is and whether taste is connected to ethnicity.

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Japan is one of the most earthquake-prone countries in the world. Thanks to this, the meticulous planning and preparation from the government and the population's continuous efforts to become one of the most natural disaster-resistant countries keep surprising the international press and foreigners like me living here. On top of Japan's excellent prevention measures, I am impressed by how calm and thoughtful Japanese people are in life-threatening situations, especially during earthquakes. What is the secret behind their calmness? Is there a cultural reason behind their reaction?

Today we are going to talk about how Japanese culture influences people’s calmness during earthquakes.

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My husband was born and raised in Japan. Meanwhile, I was born and raised in a country in South America called Colombia. Not only are our cultures different, but so is our perspective of the world. We met in Bogota, the capital of Colombia, in 2019, when he was working there as an elementary school teacher. I was a college student in love with Japanese culture, and he was a foreigner in love with Latin American culture. Eventually, we got married, and I moved to Japan to start a new life together. Being married is already a lot of work; now imagine marrying someone from a completely different culture. Today, I am going to share with you the joys and struggles of a multicultural marriage.

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