Japanese empathy towards boredom snacking — I was recently asked by a reader, “I once read this Japanese word, “Kuchisabishii” — would you mind sharing the meaning of it?” Ah, yes. Kuchisabishii. I’ve been hearing it a lot more these days in Japan, sometimes over Zoom calls and sometimes thrown around the house. When I catch…

Visit a McDonald’s in Japan and you’ll understand why — Whenever I talk to someone who has visited Japan, an ex-pat who has lived there or a tourist just passing by, they will more often than not mention something about the fast-food chains there. “If they tried to pull the same stunt…

For people stressed or intimidated by fitness culture — In the United States, I’m often bombarded with images and ads of fitness culture. Athleisure is the craze, and it seems that the majority of people are members of gyms like Anytime Fitness, 24 Hour Fitness, or LA Fitness. Any decent hotel or typical college campus…

The moments I feel the happiest and at peace — I don’t think people were born into this world to be productive. As in, all people are perfectly capable of growth, accomplishment, and productivity, but I don’t think that’s my (or anyone’s) life purpose. And the moments where I am able to take a step back and recognize that, are…

The mindset I take for any self-improvement endeavor — I have had some difficulty sleeping recently. I’m not exactly sure what caused it, but it started off with sleeping really late one night, being forced to wake up early the next morning, feeling stress and anxiety throughout the day because of lack of sleep, which fed into even more…

What they don’t teach you about healthy eating — I have a confession to make: I love fried chicken. I love southern-style fried chicken, and I love Japanese-style karaage. I like them in sandwiches, and I like them on their own. When I traveled to South Korea over the summer, I let myself enjoy as many fried chickens as…

A Japanese consideration for how to approach personal health goals — Many people join my newsletter because they are working towards a health goal. Often this is weight loss, becoming stronger, having more energy, or simply wanting to feel better in their body so they can live life more freely. These are great goals, and important goals that I write for…

Why structure is important to do what you want, when you want to — You need to live more kisoku tadashii! When I was younger, my grandmother would often admonish me with this phrase whenever I visited her in Japan during the summers. As I woke up at 11am, with my bed, hair, and room a mess, with no plans for the day and…

What I’ve learned from Japanese values of responsibility — I feel like we should recognize it: Life is hard. Soaring living costs, climate change, and the lasting societal and economical impacts of Covid-19. Many face unique financial, social, and political challenges, on top of the everyday challenges and work we face in life. But while it’s easy to blame…