Valentine's Day: A day when couples demonstrate their love for each other by giving each other cards and presents across the globe. Well,...

As my Swiss passport was due to expire in a few months' time, I thought it best to get a new one ahead of time. Always be prepared, is...

Monday saw a blizzard in Tokyo, which dumped 8 cm of snow in the capital. Although 'dumped' doesn't quite seem to hit the right note, as...

Growing up in Switzerland in the 70s, our house had two bathrooms, a bigger one with a bathtub, mainly reserved for our parents, and a...

As I enter my 28th year in Japan (and my former life on 'planet Switzerland' is drifting more and more into the obscure past), I have...

Today is one of those days when, walking around town, I'm truly reminded that I live in Japan, as the sight that presents itself wherever...

Growing up in an alpine nation, where winter sports traditionally play a big role, New Year's Day was inevitably accompanied by the New...

New Year ('shōgatsu' ) is undoubtedly the most important holiday in Japan. And as with many other things in this country, expect it to be...

Christmas in Japan is - like many things in this country - different! On the surface, nothing seems to set it apart from Western...

In my previous post I recounted my experience with a 'part-time one-way street' and the traffic offence I inadvertently committed, as I...

First of all, here is a bit of trivia: There are 64 countries in the world where cars drive on the left - including Japan. What the...

6th December will be Saint Nicholas Day. In Switzerland, on and around this day you will spot two distinctly different figures walking up...

It's Thanksgiving today in the United States. And Labour Thanksgiving Day in Japan. Which marks a not so common occasion where the two...

When you spend your childhood in any given country, you inevitably grow up with what I would call the 'taste of your childhood': Certain...

With Halloween firmly over and Christmas season officially upon us, my wife and I thought it would be a good idea to search for some...

Japan can be an absolute minefield when it comes navigating social code, and that is most evident when it comes to formal occasions such...

It's the Halloween season, and the ghouls, ghosts and zombies are out in force, also in Japan. Japan, though, has a rather interesting...

When you live on the other side of the world and far away from your nearest and dearest (and by 'near' I don't mean in the geographical...

One week from today, the clocks in Europe will be set back by one hour, marking the end of summertime (or daylight saving time, as it is...

In a previous post, I established how mountains feature heavily in the landscape of both countries, with the tiny difference that the...