About

I'm Natsu. I live in Japan, and I write this site in English for people who don't.

That sounds like a small distinction, but it turns out to matter. Most English-language writing about Japanese homes and Japanese goods is produced by people who have never lived in one — assembled from other articles, from product listings, from a two-week trip. It tends to be accurate in outline and wrong in the details that actually decide whether something works in your house.

So the aim here is narrow: describe the ordinary objects and habits of a Japanese household plainly, say how they are actually used, and be honest about which ones are worth the trouble for someone living somewhere else.

What you'll find here

Four topics, all of them domestic rather than touristic:

• Home & Interiors — how Japanese rooms are put together, and what translates to a small apartment anywhere.
• Tea & Coffee — matcha, sencha, hojicha, and the everyday drink habits behind them.
• Food & Kitchen — the tools and pantry staples that earn their space, and what they are really for.
• Bath & Beauty — bathing culture and daily skincare, which in Japan are closer to each other than you'd expect.

How the recommendations work

When an article recommends something, it links to Amazon.com, and those links are affiliate links — if you buy through one, I earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. That is how the site pays for itself.

A few things I try to hold to. I only point to categories of product I'd genuinely use or have used. I say when something is optional, or when the cheap version is fine. And I try to write the article so that it's useful even if you buy nothing at all — most of what makes Japanese homes work isn't something you can purchase.

The full details are on the affiliate disclosure page.

Getting in touch

Corrections are welcome, and so are questions — if something here is wrong or unclear, I'd rather know. The contact page has the details.