All posts by Tracy Nakayama

  • It’s the soup season. Try our Hearty Glass Noodle Soup Recipe.

    When autumn rolls around and the temperatures drop, we know it’s time to fix the family their favorite soup. Ours is the Glass noodles or harusame soup. Harusame is a transparent type of Asian noodles made from...

    • Posted October 24, 2023
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  • How intense do you like your matcha ice cream?

    I Scream You Scream, We All Scream For Ice Cream. We all love to go out for green tea ice cream but deciding where to go requires some arm-twisting.   We all have different flavor preferences. My...

    • Posted March 2, 2023
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  • Is Musenmai, Japan’s ‘no-rinse’ rice any good?

    The Japanese swear rinsing rice twice is what gives it the fluffy texture and aroma. Despite the lengthy journey of rice from rice paddies to store shelves, a starchy dust that coats the rice remains. This is...

    • Posted July 16, 2022
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  • Made-to-measure iron-free shirts saved us time and money.

    Over the last few months, we have been trying to cut clothing costs. Like many business people, my husband cares so much about wrinkles on the shirt and his overall professional appearance. As it is always a...

    • Posted February 14, 2022
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  • New dads who take 6 months paternity leave are losers, says private equity investor

    Palantir cofounder Joe Lonsdale, an American venture capitalist is under fire for making a provocative response to U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg’s tweet who took a paternity leave to care for his newborn twins. “Any man in...

    • Posted October 29, 2021
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  • A new indoor play center opens in Hachioji

    If your children have gotten bored from playing in your tiny Tokyo apartments, it’s time to explore other locations. This month, we turn our attention to Crospo, an indoor play space in Hachoji that has just opened...

    • Posted October 8, 2021
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  • Take a break from social media and learn how to sew.

    Do you sew or mend your children’s clothes?  You might be balking at the idea but how does ¥5,000 for a hem repair sound? The cost of repair in Tokyo is expensive and would cost more than...

    • Posted August 23, 2021
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  • Savory turnover filling you can snack on any time of day.

    Let’s face it. Being the cook at home while life gets hectic is tough.  You want the family to have delicious meals ready to serve any time of day yet there’s no time to cook. A good...

    • Posted June 16, 2021
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  • The quickest way to treat mouth ulcer in Japan.

    Last week, my 8-year old got her first mouth ulcer from snacking on a bag of chips. An ulcer spot popped up on her lower gums that became a very uncomfortable experience. Mouth ulcers also known as...

    • Posted March 16, 2021
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  • Look for this brand when you buy sustainable children’s wear.

    Many parents prefer simple and sustainable kids’ wear that isn’t dotted with tacky logos and funny “wasei eigo” or English-looking words that often have quite different meanings. Luckily, there are still responsible clothes manufacturers that sell brands...

    • Posted December 30, 2020
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  • How to bake French macaron shells using a Japanese convection oven.

    French macarons are one of the trickiest cookies to bake. Baking bloggers will tell you that despite  following tutorials carefully, some batches of your macaron shells could still end up cracked or without the cookie’s iconic feet....

    • Posted December 8, 2020
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  • All-you-can-eat meals for 500 yen at 83-year old granny’s eatery

    Hacchi, an 83-year-old grandmother runs Hacchan 500 shop, a casual eatery in rural Kiryu-shi, Gunma prefecture. The nondescript place offers all-you-can-eat home cooked meals at a price that can’t be beat – 500 yen! It’s no wonder...

    • Posted June 12, 2020
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  • A cool science experiment even a busy mom could do with kids in 90 seconds.

    Playing with my three and four-year old boys is an endless task. Every single idea has to be exciting. Thanks to YouTube, I found something that worked for my kids so I want to share them with...

    • Posted November 14, 2019
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  • Families posted their halloween costumes on instagram. We picked out the best.

    Halloween is Japan’s second favorite Western tradition next to Christmas. Thirty years ago, Halloween was nothing but a bizarre celebration of All Hallows Eve. But now, everyone in Japan is totally hooked, thanks to its love of...

    • Posted November 1, 2019
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  • Eyebrow woes solved. This Japanese eyebrow tint is amazing.

    One afternoon,  I picked my son up at school. My 7-year old comes out of the gate, he giggles while gazing at me and says,  “Ew, mom, you look scary today.” “Oh no!” I said to myself. ...

    • Posted May 28, 2017
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  • Making Homemade Strawberry Ice Cream Is Easy

    One advantage of making your own ice cream at home is you can adjust the sweetness.  You don’t need an ice cream maker to cook this recipe,  just a few basic ingredients.   Ingredients  (for 6 people)...

    • Posted May 21, 2017
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  • Picnic Cafe Wangan Zoo Adventure

    Not yet ready for a real zoo experience?  The newly opened PICNIC CAFE WANGAN ZOO ADVENTURE, a play and picnic space just a few  mins.’ walk from the Kachidoki station, offers a fun alternative. Inside are statues...

    • Posted April 12, 2017
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  • Thanks to this food, many old people in Okinawa don’t need eye glasses to read

    Many centenarians in Okinawa are able to read the newspaper without the aid of eyeglasses. The secret is eating Beni imo or purple yam that grows in the region where the amount of ultraviolet rays is 1.5...

    • Posted January 10, 2016
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  • Best shampoos in Japan for thinning hair

    Little amount of grease in hair is good but if you shampoo everyday, you are stripping the hair and scalp of the natural oil it needs to keep your strands lush and shiny. Protect your hair from...

    • Posted January 4, 2016
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  • Kyochon 1991 Fried Chicken

    Col. Sanders faces tough competition this month as Kyochon 1991, a South Korean-based casual fried chicken restaurant opens its first branch in Roppongi ahead of Japan’s ‘fried chicken-snacking’ tradition on Christmas eve. In 1991, Kyochon started its...

    • Posted December 3, 2015
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  • Did you know that there are different types of eggs in Japan?

    You may not know it but quality-conscious Japan grades not only beef but also its ‘tamago‘ or chicken eggs. When you want to get the maximum amount of nutrients from eggs, pick the ones that suit your...

    • Posted November 17, 2015
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  • Confession of a Japanese mom: How to win a meal fight with just one word

    Dinner is the most challenging time of day for parents. Feeding our kids often raise different kinds of issues from picky eaters to kids who play with their food.  When it comes to parenting style, all parents...

    • Posted November 12, 2015
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  • How to make a delicious Chicken Tan Tan Men Bowl

    When autumn rolls around, my thoughts turn to a bowl of good home-cooked ramen. Most ramen bowls served at noodle shops all over Japan are mostly made with pork. But because pork doesn’t appeal to  to my...

    • Posted October 19, 2015
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  • The Anime You Shouldn’t Expose Your Teens To

    Being in Japan exposes us to many unique aspects of Japanese culture from martial arts and gastronomy, to karaoke and anime, which is a good thing. But when my son came up to me to ask money...

    • Posted September 4, 2015
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  • Japan Decoded: What’s in a Japanese salad dressing?

    If salad dressing had not been invented, don’t you think eating greens would’ve been the most boring part of a meal? Here in Japan, there’s a number of locally produced salad dressing but with most labels in...

    • Posted July 10, 2015
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  • Japan decoded: What’s in a Japanese Yogurt?

    Keep bad bacteria out of your gut with help from Japanese yogurts.   Look out for these brands. Everyday, thousands of bacteria are having a power play inside your gut. The bad is trying to outwit the good....

    • Posted June 8, 2015
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  • The kitchen therapy

    The last thing you want to see when you come home from a long day of work is a messy kitchen. A kitchen is a high traffic area and if  that’s the first thing that  greets you...

    • Posted March 3, 2013
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