All posts tagged "In Focus"

  • Beyond school: Is homeschooling the right choice for every family?

    I had the pleasure of chatting with Kimberly Gawne, educator and founder of Star Students, about the benefits (and potential concerns) of homeschooling. Perhaps you’re homeschooling already or thinking of doing so. Many people were introduced to...

    • Posted October 4, 2023
    • 0
  • Seventeen-year-old student speaks at the Children’s World Peace Summit

    In spring this year, the Children’s World Peace Summit supported by Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, called on children of different nationalities aged 10 – 19 to come together and submit their ideas that will promote world...

    • Posted September 16, 2023
    • 0
  • My 3-year old’s favorite bread comes in a can.

    In Tokyo where people love their bread fresh and fluffy, you’re not likely to see canned bread in your local bread store, much less at a convenience store. But, as odd as it sounds, a number of...

    • Posted January 2, 2023
    • 0
  • Reckless comments on social media cost money. Don’t get arrested.

    When Tokyo resident Jeremy (not his real name to protect his privacy) posted a reckless review on social media about a restaurant he went to, it cost him 300,000 yen in damages for defamation charges brought against...

    • Posted March 8, 2020
    • 0
  • Japan’s next generation of piano has no flat keys and is super expensive.

    The Japanese culture’s pursuit for mastery is world renowned.  From cars and electronics, to alcohol and food, Japan has a knack for improving what already exists. Sara Kovner, a Japanese history teacher at the University of Florida...

    • Posted January 14, 2020
    • 0
  • Tim (Cheng Ting) Liao Takes The Road Less Traveled

    At this time of year, we are reminded of an important milestone children face – graduation. Some graduating high school students this year will most likely be overwhelmed by all kinds of suggestions by their parents about...

    • Posted June 17, 2019
    • 0
  • Japan’s amazing record breakers

    Did you know that these prolific record title holders are from Japan? MASAO MATSUMOTO AND MIYAKO SONODA Japanese couple from Oita Prefecture, Masao Matsumoto born on July 9, 1910 and Miyako Sonoda born on November 24, 1917...

    • Posted September 2, 2018
    • 0
  • MR. SUPERFLAT: Takashi Murakami

    Takashi Murakami is arguably one of the most prominent Japanese modern artists. The leader and driving force behind the artists’ collective Kai Kiki Co, Ltd., Murakami and the artists of the collective are known for their mass...

    • Posted October 18, 2017
    • 0
  • Tokyo moms are back to the grind

    School is back in session and we parents can heave a sigh of relief. It isn’t that we don’t enjoy having the kids around all through summer vacation… it’s just that, well, sometimes it can be too...

    • Posted August 21, 2017
    • 0
  • Former Software Engineer Ditches IT Job for a home-based business.

    “JOB STRESS WAS KILLING ME” Right after college, Indian mum Ashitha Sreejesh was hired by an American multinational company as a Software Engineer.The work involved grueling night and weekend shifts with frequent overtime in between. “All I...

    • Posted July 27, 2017
    • 0
  • How to get your child’s foot in the door of a modeling agency in Japan

    Break into the world of modeling

    • Posted May 23, 2017
    • 0
  • Ice cream that does NATTO melt

    Parents can now say adieu to dripping ice cream cones because scientists at Universities of Edinburgh and Dundee in Scotland have finally cracked the code to creating a firmer, slower-melting ice cream by using a special protein...

    • Posted May 22, 2017
    • 0
  • If ‘Mrs.’ stands for Missus, why the heck do we spell Mrs. with an ‘r’?

    In the 18th century, a man was addressed as ‘master’ or Mr. and a woman of the household as ‘mistress’ or Mrs. Cambridge University historian Dr. Amy Erickson suggests that the title “Mrs.” (pronounced ‘mistress’) used for...

    • Posted April 12, 2017
    • 0
  • Meet the real hero of Japanese cuisine

    Earlier this year, I spent a weekend in Tokyo's countryside with some local high school students, practicing English, enjoying nature and exchanging cultural knowledge and experiences with one another.

    • Posted April 1, 2017
    • 0
  • How to choose a helmet for kids

    Every year, you hear about  bike-related head injuries and deaths involving kids.  Otasuke, a Japanese support group claims that more than 60% of traffic accidents involving children are  high school students while some 24% are elementary graders. ...

    • Posted March 15, 2017
    • 0
  • José Feliciano: “We are such a close-knit family.”

    Tokyo families talks to the super-talented, super-prolific and all-round Mr. Nice Guy, José Feliciano. The Puerto Rican native who comes from a family of 13, started his interest for the guitar at age 7. Despite being blind...

    • Posted July 4, 2015
    • 0
  • GET WELL SOON, Japan Style

    When we hear that a relative, friend or work colleague dear to us is sick, cheering him or her up with get-well-soon presents is generally considered to be a universal gesture.  Afterall, to some people, it’s the...

    • Posted August 16, 2014
    • 0
  • They make fun party cakes in Tokyo

    Kyle’s Good Finds American homestyle baking, Mr. Kyle designs any cake theme from a picture for any occasion with free delivery.   www.kylesgoodfinds.com              

    • Posted July 12, 2014
    • 0
  • A chat with Noemi Meneses Inoue, the foreign-born mom in Japan politics

    Not known to many, the politically active Councillor of Sumida ku was born on foreign soil and is a woman. How’s that possible? TF finds out. Born in La Paz, Bolivia in December 1961, Noemi Inoue completed...

    • Posted June 10, 2014
    • 0
  • Crafting your spirit at work: The way of the Shokunin

    iro Ono is a famous Tokyo sushi chef who, at 89, has no intentions of retiring unless he is incapable of showing up to work. His work brings so much meaning, purpose and joy to his life...

    • Posted May 7, 2014
    • 0
  • A work space in Meguro, brings creative craftspeople together under one roof

    “Maker’s Base is essentially a work space you wish having one at home,” says Tokyo dad Kenji Matsuda. You pay a member’s fee for the use of the place and equipment just like you would at a...

    • Posted April 7, 2014
    • 0
  • A Vision for Change

    n 2001, he adopted a new approach to education to suit the changing needs of the new generation. He founded  New International School, one of today’s most renowned international school groups in Tokyo, creating an oasis of...

    • Posted March 10, 2014
    • 0
  • New book for the modern family

    Following the success of her ‘Your Family’ series, children’s author Michelle J Forte is getting her readers involved in the launch of her new book about modern families. Michelle, who lives in Adelaide with her partner Tunde,...

    • Posted January 12, 2014
    • 0
  • 2014 New Year’s Message by His Imperial Majesty of Japan

    A third winter since the Great East Japan Earthquake has come around. At the dawn of the new year, my heart once again goes out to the afflicted people, those who cannot return to the places they...

    • Posted January 2, 2014
    • 0
  • Japanese preschooler donates his piggy bank savings to typhoon victims

    According to the United Nations, typhoon-ravaged Tacloban city, Leyte,  Philippines has recorded a death toll of 4,460 with the number still expected to rise as local and international disaster relief operations continue the search.  Some bodies are...

    • Posted December 17, 2013
    • 0
  • A bright spot

    In less than three years following the Fukushima nuclear disaster, Japan delivers a brand new 70 – megawatt solar facility powering up some 22,000 homes in Kagoshima from Nov 2013.   The ethereal-looking Kagoshima Nanatsujima Mega Solar Power...

    • Posted December 17, 2013
    • 0
  • Teaching cycling to kids

    Be grateful for the invention of this two-wheel vehicle.  Think of its many useful qualities.  It takes you where you want to go in half less the time.   Not only is cycling a great stress buster, it’s...

    • Posted November 13, 2013
    • 0
  • The birthday tradition

    The Guiness Book of World Records names Happy Birthday as the most recognized song in the English language.  For many decades now, the song has been traditionally sung at most birthday parties (often out of tune).    It...

    • Posted September 11, 2013
    • 0
  • Tokyo’s coolest buggies

    Infants and toddlers are susceptible to dust and pollution.   Aprica’s Air Ria was specifically madewith high seats (53 cms) to combat air pollution and irritants.  It is also equipped with the new “breath air” technology that automatically...

    • Posted September 11, 2013
    • 0
  • Tokyo’s Coolest Buggies

    The Combi White Label MC-400 Mechakaru (Japanese term for “ultra light”) ranks high in preference by Japanese moms because of its ultra light quality. Weighing only 4.4 kgs, this super cool buggy is suitable for traveling to...

    • Posted September 11, 2013
    • 0