H&R Group Newsletter

Valentine’s Day in Japan – February 14 In Japan, the “Craziness of Valentine’s Day” falls mainly on the women. Unlike most countries of which I am aware, in Japan the tradition calls for women to give chocolate to the person they’re dating, want to date, are currently stalking, or is their father…sometimes brothers, and to add insult […]

Perhaps one of the first things you realized about domestic life in Japan was that everything you knew about laundry had suddenly changed. In Japan the washing machines are much smaller, and use only cold water.  Yikes!  To really blow your mind… Japanese folks also do not generally separate colours… maybe the first few times, […]

Lease Japan offers high quality car insurance in Japan with English service from knowledgeable, bilingual staff.

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Many people arrive in Japan from places where it simply does not get cold, and are unaware that they need to worry about things like frozen pipes. In most places in Japan, the temperature does not fall below freezing that often, and as a result the pipes have not been insulated as well as they […]

Japan is unquestionably home to an overwhelming number of convenience stores, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise to know 99% of them have ATMs inside them. The four largest chains operate their own finance subsidiaries to help facilitate those transactions rather than partner with a local bank as is the norm in most other […]

Here in Japan, the image of the hardworking, tie-and-collar, briefcase toting salaryman is still alive and well; my daily commute aboard some of Tokyo’s most notoriously crowded trains is chocked full of them (including myself I suppose.) But just as in the rest of the developed world, the place where work is getting done is […]

So you survived O-shogatsu (Japanese New Year’s) and are looking forward to the end of March and the blooming of the cherry trees, but the reality is there are at least 80 more days to go before a single pink blossom appears. While it will not bring the blossoms any closer, did you know that in Japan, spring […]

Lease Japan offers an extensive selection of new and used cars for sale and lease. With Lease Japan you can have your car for exactly the amount of time you need it, for much less cash upfront.

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One thing you’ll come to notice after awhile is the sheer amount of bookstores and reading materials there seem to be in Japan. The literacy rate here has been one of the highest in the world for decades and with that many people able to read, It’s no wonder the pubishing industry churns out more […]

With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, you may be wanting to find that perfect place to cosy up to your loved one and not sure of quite what to do about it. But fear not, because there are actually quite a few romantic spots in this fair city of ours. Disneyland/Disney Sea What could […]

See rentals available in Tokyo's best areas for expats by Japan Home Search

• Moto Azabu Neighborhood

• Minami Azabu Neighborhood

• Roppongi Neighborhood

• Akasaka Neighborhood

• Minami Aoyama Neighborhood

Sake, of course, is famous around the world for being Japan’s national drink. Though the drinking of Chinese alcohol is thought to predate recorded history, it is believed that sake as it is currently known – made up of rice, water and ‘kōji’ mold – dates from around the Nara period (710 to 794), and then later […]

Japanese food is celebrated the world over, and you are perhaps lucky to live in a country in which the cuisine is held in such high regard. However, sometimes you just hanker after something that tastes of home. Fortunately, some supermarkets cater in particular to those wishing to purchase international foods. While products on sale at […]

Japan’s history is one that is rich in character, deep in intrigue and littered with interesting characters. From the pre-history Jōmon period to today’s modern hyper-technological age, dynasties have come and gone, innovations have shaped the world, and many a great man and woman have imposed their personalities on the land. But perhaps none have […]

“That Bean-Throwing Festival” Setsubun, or “That Bean-Throwing Festival” celebrates the beginning of spring in Japan. Celebrated yearly on February 3 as part of the Spring Festival, its association with the Lunar New Year makes this festival a sort of New Year’s Eve. This association is accompanied by a special ritual to cleanse away the evil […]

Lease Japan offers high quality car insurance in Japan with English service from knowledgeable, bilingual staff.

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One of the most interesting aspects of the samurai era is how they managed to marry a continual warlike state, enforced by a barbarous ruthlessness with an appreciative joy for the beauty in simplicity of their art forms. Today the city of Inuyama near Nagoya still manages to perfectly illustrate this duality. Overlooking the city […]

In the eastern suburbs of Nagoya, not far from the transport hub station of Ozone, lies Tokugawa Park, an oasis of serenity that is often overlooked by tourists and locals alike. That it is so overlooked is a shame, yet it can be very much a blessing, meaning as it does that when you visit […]

See rentals available in Nagoya's best areas for expats via Japan Home Search

• Yagoto Neighborhood

• Hoshigaoaka/Chikusa Neighborhood

• Issha/Hongo Neighborhood 

Visit the grounds of one of Japan’s most historic battles. When considering Japanese history, most people will think of two key places: Kyoto and Tokyo. The former was for long the country’s capital, is steeped in tradition, and was home to the Imperial family; while the latter – in the guise of Edo – became […]

Today Aichi is thought of as the industrial hub of Japan, with many of the nation’s top manufacturing companies based here. But did you know that this reputation goes back quite some time? To the early 13th century in fact… The Birthplace of Japanese Ceramics Although Japan has one of the oldest ceramic traditions in the […]

Lease Japan offers an extensive selection of furniture and appliances for rent and sale. Furnish your home tastefully for exactly the amount of time you need it, for much less cash upfront.

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Are you stressed out? Had tough week at work? Do you feel tired and out of motivation? I got a great idea for you! How about going to an onsen (hot spring bath) and relax in the hot water while regaining your energy and forgetting you daily stress? Japanese have been doing this for hundreds […]

If you fancy spending a day or two checking out the beauty and serenity of some of Japan’s finest Buddhist temples, it’s worth heading to the Kansai region. There are over 2000 temples in Kansai, many of them UNESCO listed heritage sites attracting yearly visitors from across the globe. The oldest part of Japan, Kansai […]

Lease Japan offers an extensive selection of new and used cars for sale and lease. With Lease Japan you can have your car for exactly the amount of time you need it, for much less cash upfront.

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Places brimming with history exude that magical charm tourists cannot resist. It’s always on our list of must do’s when traveling to visit castles, temples, shrines, museums, churches and every single historical site that transports us back to the past. We marvel at the architectural craftsmanship and ingenuity of the men and women from centuries […]

Valentine’s Day in Japan is an important day especially for girls and women. Though the customs are a little bit different here than what you might be used to. First of all it is the girl / woman, who will give chocolate as a present to their love interest on the one hand, but also […]

Lease Japan offers an extensive selection of furniture and appliances for rent and sale. Furnish your home tastefully for exactly the amount of time you need it, for much less cash upfront.

See Furniture and Appliances

Despite its proximity to China, there are only a few Chinatowns in the whole of Japan. One of the largest and most popular is the one in Kobe, called Nankin-machi. This Chinatown is located between three gates: Chang’an Gate to East, Xi’an Gate to West, and Nanluo Gate to South. As soon as you pass […]

Without a little advance planning, midwinter in Japan can seem bleak, especially in the city. Which is precisely why it makes good sense to get out of town. Whether you head for an onsen to drive out the chill, or light out for a winter festival, it’s a good time of year to see what […]

Ah, flea markets, where you learn what you’re really made of. Do you walk out empty handed, or do you go home with the sack of mismatched chess pieces, a tattered sombrero and an embalmed porcupine fish on a stick? In and around Hiroshima, the term “flea market” covers a lot of territory, from housewives […]

Lease Japan offers an extensive selection of new and used cars for sale and lease. With Lease Japan you can have your car for exactly the amount of time you need it, for much less cash upfront.

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Each year, on the third of February, harried fathers across Japan put on paper demon masks and are pelted with roasted soybeans by their children, who cry “Oni wa soto, Fuku wa uchi!” (Demon out, Fortune in!) until dad flees out the front door into the night air. Or turns on his children to teach […]