shop in English at Japan's "#1 e-drugstore"

A few days ago whilst trying to locate some certain kinds of toiletry items, I came across kenko.com, a site that claims to be Japan’s No. 1 e-drugstore. I’ve got to be honest, after searching through the site, I was impressed by the wide selection of goods - from food (including organic/macrobiotic) and supplements to pets and home appliances (they even have kotatsu tables and heaters!), they cover just about all the basics and then some. The other fantastic thing about this store? You can shop completely in English.

Fall is the season for eating! (食欲の秋) - November Japan Blog Matsuri

Welcome to the November 2010 edition of the Japan Blog Matsuri! First of all, if you still haven't checked out the October Matsuri (Japan Highlights) over at Todd's Wanderings, please do!


And now, November's theme:

"Fall is the season for eating", roughly translated from an actual Japanese saying:   食欲の秋  (shokuyoku no aki).


I'm really excited to introduce all these fantastic entries to you, but before we get started, I want to say a big THANK YOU to everyone who participated. I hope everyone reading finds these posts just as interesting as I have!

Warning: Before you continue, you may want to read these on a full stomach or at least have a snack nearby - I take no responsibility for any ensuing hunger pains or uncontrollable cravings.


Let the festivities begin!

A guide to heaters in Japan

Update: There is a more extensive post written later that expands on how to find heaters in Japan (and how to heat your home): How to Heat Your Home and Stay Warm in Japan This Winter. 

Considering I wrote about some ways to winterize your apartment or house in Japan a few weeks ago, this week I want to talk about heaters. Again, most homes in Japan aren't equipped with central heating, so people typically rely on space heaters and similar items. Now, we all know that wearing some extra clothes and warm fleece is a good way to avoid turning the heat all the way up, but most likely you will need (or desperately want) a heater at some point.

And, just to note, I am not an expert on heaters, so if you are curious about how a heater works a certain way, go ahead and google that.

Also, most of the heaters below have timers and auto-turnoff options in addition to running constantly. They also often have automatic shutoff features such as if the heater fell over.

*Keep in mind another way heater might be written is 電気ストーブ (denki stobu).
*The word used for "heating" is 暖房 (だんぼう, danbou).

A guide to heaters in Japan

7 words to know when you have a cold (in Japan)

Apologies for my lack of posting as of late. I don’t think I previously mentioned, but November is a busy month due to the upcoming JLPT exam I’m attempting to study for, and the 50,000 word novel I’m trying to write in 30 days for National Novel Writing Month. Add these to my regular tasks, combine them with the nasty cold I acquired last week, and I’m little more than a lump on the couch right now.

However, I wanted to take a moment to share with you some essential Japanese words you might want to know if you come down with a cold in Japan (which seems to be going around right about now).