Moving in Japan is never easy or fun, but moving in Japan with pets is a challenge, even for the Japanese. We recently moved with two cats from Tokyo to Kanagawa and I hope our experiences will help anyone else in a similar situation.
Looking for a Pet-friendly Apartment in Japan? Here are 7 Things You Should Know
Editor's note: Have pets? Planning a move in Japan? If so, Stephanie in Kanagawa has some very useful info to share in today's guest post. It's definitely not easy, as Stephanie will explain, but with a few tips hopefully you'll be able to navigate the process more smoothly! - Ashley
Moving in Japan is never easy or fun, but moving in Japan with pets is a challenge, even for the Japanese. We recently moved with two cats from Tokyo to Kanagawa and I hope our experiences will help anyone else in a similar situation.
Moving in Japan is never easy or fun, but moving in Japan with pets is a challenge, even for the Japanese. We recently moved with two cats from Tokyo to Kanagawa and I hope our experiences will help anyone else in a similar situation.
22 Fun and Informative Japan Links From the Past 2 Weeks - Oct 7
Another two weeks, another round of Japan links! We've got mostly fun stuff today, plus a lot of foodie goodness. Must be because Fall is the season for eating...
Living in Japan
Police mull mandatory safety training for unsafe bicyclists | Japan Times - Whether for or against this, I honestly think something needs to be done about all the kids who constantly ignore the rules and cause, or nearly cause, accidents on a regular basis.
Fukushima offers free medical care for children under 18 | Japan Today
Hottest September in 110 years | Japan Times - And boy was I glad that it was!
Affordable Custom Made Shoes from KiBERA | RocketNews24 - This seems like a good service, although they only do (women's) sizes from 22 to 25 cm, unfortunately.
Travel
Random patdowns begin at 30 int'l airports in Japan | Japan Today
Japan Wheelchair Travel Journal - One person's experience getting around parts of Japan in a wheelchair.
Festival of Light: Experiencing the Nebuta Matsuri | Nippon.com
Tokyo Station celebrates major renovation through large-scale projection mapping (video below) | Spoon & Tamago - This is so cool.
Where to See and Enjoy Japan's Fall Foliage 2012 (紅葉)
Now that it's October, we're inching closer to seeing the Autumn leaves in much of Japan -- although some places, like Hokkaido, are already boasting their colors. Lucky you folks in the North!
I've written previously about finding places to go to see and enjoy the lovely hues of orange, red and yellow here in Japan, this is a 2012 update.
You may already be familiar with the popular tourist destinations for Fall colors (such as Kyoto), but if you're looking for some less crowded areas or some place nearby, you might find one of the following sites useful. Each site offers a way to search locations all over Japan and find listings of good 紅葉 (こうよう, kouyou) spots. They are in Japanese only, which is why I'm also providing a tutorial below.
Beauty, Skincare, Organics, and Starting a Business in Japan [Interview]
Today I'm happy to introduce Elana of Tokyo-based Elana Jade Organic Beauty Salon. Elana is originally from Australia and after starting her beauty business there, she later ended up coming to Japan and re-started Elana Jade. Her salon provides several services including waxing, massage, and facials.
I previously interviewed her for Expat Women over a year ago, which you can read here, but wanted to feature her here on SiJ with a more Japan-specific focus. She shares with us about starting a business in Japan, the organic beauty market here, and even takes on some of our readers' questions. Enjoy!
Ashley: First of all, would you tell us a little about who you are, what you do, and how long you’ve been in Japan?
 |
| Elana Gilbert of Elana Jade Organic Beauty Salon |
Ashley: What led you to start a business in Japan?
Elana: After visiting my brother, Nathan, in Japan in 2007 I really fell in love with the country and quickly I decided to move here. The original plan was to come to Japan and start a health and beauty facility with Nathan (who was already working in Japan for four years as a personal trainer). Unfortunately, the timing proved to be wrong with the beginning of the financial crisis. We both decided it would have been too risky to open a place so large at that volatile time. Fortunately I was able to convince Nathan that it was viable to open a beauty salon as a great business model on its own and in 2009 the Elana Jade Organic Beauty Salon was born.
Ashley: What was the most difficult aspect of starting your business here and were you able to find a solution(s)?
Elana: The language was a major obstacle. Fortunately, teaming up with my brother, who had already set up a fitness company in Tokyo, was a major help as he could speak Japanese. More importantly, he had contacts that specialize in foreign company start-ups as well as local realtors.
The second major obstacle as a new and foreign-owned company was obtaining a building lease. Many Japanese landlords are very strict in regards to who they lease to. We overcame this by shopping around until we found a landlord who was willing to give us a go. Having properly set up a joint-stock company with paid-in capital also helped.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)