The first three days of 2024 have been chaotic for Japan. On January 1st, a 7.6-magnitude earthquake struck Ishikawa Prefecture, triggering a tsunami warning. The next day, a Japan Airlines plane burst into flames at Tokyo's Haneda airport after it was in collision with an aircraft operated by the Japan Coast Guard. Then, on January 3rd, a fire broke out in Fukuoka, and a woman stabbed four people on a train in Tokyo. In this episode, I will talk about the latest news surrounding Japan and how I experienced the earthquake in Ibaraki Prefecture.

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When I moved to Japan, I discovered a new part of myself that I didn’t like and didn’t know how to control. I took an airplane and flew to the other side of the world, leaving my family and friends in Colombia. The life that I used to know completely changed. And so did I. I used to think I was a pretty positive, strong, and cheerful person. But in Japan, I got to know a weak, depressive, and vulnerable side of me that I didn’t know how to control.

I felt like the Pandora's box inside of me opened, and I had to evolve; otherwise, I wouldn’t be able to adapt. Japan has made me a better person, and although the process has been very painful, stepping out of my comfort zone helped me grow in beautiful and unimaginable ways.

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Rina is a 26-year-old Japanese woman living in Kanagawa and she currently works at a travel agency. In 2016 she traveled to Colombia for the first time to study Spanish for a summer program. She liked the experience so much that she returned as an exchange student. During her time in South America, Rina lived in Bogota, the capital of Colombia, for 6 months.

In this episode, my friend Rina talks about her time living in Colombia and the biggest cultural differences that caught her attention between Japanese and Western culture.

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Have you ever wondered what it is like to study Japanese in Tokyo? In my case, it's a dream come true. However, before moving to Japan, I started learning the language in my home country, Colombia. Although I had native teachers in Bogota, nothing compares to the unique and eye-opening experience of learning Japanese in Tokyo.

If you are interested in coming to Japan to study the language soon, this episode is for you!

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Since I moved to Japan, I have witnessed several times people having public meltdowns and struggling with mental health issues. However, the lack of awareness regarding how important it is to practice emotional containment and the overall indifferent reactions of people witnessing these issues make it clear that stigma is still there. 

In an interview with Arab News, Dr. Machizawa said, "Mental health issues in Japan are often perceived as a sign of personal weakness that one should resolve by oneself without talking to others or asking for help."

Today, I am going to share with you some stories that portray the lives of people with mental health issues in Japan and why is so important to reach out for help.

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The Land of the Rising Sun approved the production and sale of the oral contraceptive pill in 1999. Nevertheless, 24 years later, its use remains limited. After visiting a women’s clinic in Tokyo for the first time, I realized that only one pack costs USD 20.

In a research conducted by Meiji University, Maki Hirayama explains: “In Japan, the prescription and sale of the pill is not covered by health insurance. The monthly cost of the pill, including testing and guidance fees, ranges from 3,000 to 4,000 yen, which is extremely high as compared to some countries where the pill is covered by insurance or distributed free of charge.”

Today, I am going to talk about the reasons why contraceptive pill usage is so low in Japan and how was my experience visiting different women's clinics in Saitama and Tokyo.

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Work-related deaths are common in Japan. The Japanese word for describing this phenomenon is “Karoshi.” According to BigThink.com, “death from overwork, has been a recognizable social problem in Japan since the 1970s.” Today I am going to talk about what is it like to work for a Japanese company as a foreigner.

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According to the Global Peace Index of 2023, Japan is the ninth safest country in the world. Nonetheless, after working as an ALT (Assistant Language Teacher) at two schools in Saitama, I realized that attack threats sent to universities and high schools across Japan are pretty common. When the bombing threat happened at my high school I was nothing short of horrified. Since then, I have wondered: Why is not the international press talking about this? Is Japan as safe as the entire world believes? Let’s remember that last year, on July 8th of 2022, Shinzo Abe, the former prime minister of Japan was shot and killed.

Today on Portraits of Life in Japan we are going to talk about bomb threats sent to academic institutions across the Land of the Rising Sun.

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According to Bloomberg: “In Japan, small children take the subway and run errands alone, no parent in sight. The reason why has more to do with social trust than self-reliance.” As a former English Teacher at three nurseries in Tokyo, I can confirm this. Japanese babies are very independent. This happens not only because of the way they are raised at nurseries but because society itself encourages them from as early as they learn how to walk to do things by themselves.

Today on Portraits of Life in Japan I am going to share some stories from my students to help you understand better the exceptional principles that empower kids in this country.

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In Japan, women often face sexual harassment on public transportation, especially on crowded trains. As reported by Asia Media International: “More than 75% of all Japanese women have been groped. And yet, less than 10% actually report these crimes.”

I was sexually harassed at the train station near my hotel when I visited Kyoto two months ago. Today, on Portraits of Life in Japan we are going to talk about the Japanese word "Chikan" which means "unwanted touching," and how common is on trains in Japan.

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