WIERDEST JAPANESE COMPLIMENTS One thing that most people say about Japan is how friendly the locals are; but what is usually not mentioned in the guidebooks is that some of the compliments you may receive whilst in country range from the strange, to the hilarious. Below is a list of the most commonly heard and oftentimes mind-boggling compliments you are likely to encounter. 1. Fluent Japanese Speaker There is no denying that Japanese is a difficult language ...

Sunday night, 7pm kick-off for the top Japan men's national rugby team which has taken on sponsorship from Toyota Motor Corp (TMC) in 2012. The three-year agreement, financial details of which were not released, will run from 1st April this year through to 31st March, 2016. Turned out to be a really great game to watch, of exceptionally high standard! Rohan and I both agree that the Japanese wings run the fastest we have ever seen. They are sure quick, with some...

Sushi success ~ we found a conveyor belt where one can pick with eyes and avoid the challenge trying to converse in Japanese with the waitrons. Great thing is, its literally round the corner from us too. We cycled to and from dinner out :-) Which means, dinner in shorts! Ro far braver than I with chucks of sashimi, even some protein sources unsure of. Taking the stance "What goes round and round must be edible" :-) He is a Ro; but he's my hero :-)

Obon - お盆 Bon is one of the most famous Japanese Buddhist festivals. It starts on the 13th of August and lasts for three days. This festival welcomes spirits back to earth. It is believed that the spirits of our ancestors descend to earth on this day and then return to heaven on the 15th. Around this time, many people go back to their hometowns for family reunions. It is common to see Japanese people dressed in yukata, dancing to the tunes of flutes and taik...

Impressive to say the least Going from South Africa to Japan was a big change for me. The safety aspect unbelievable in this day and age. Cleanliness of public space - never dreamt imaginable. Every time a car stopped at the lights I wanted to give the driver a hug. Cars would rather wait for pedestrians than take the gap. If you are walking along the sidewalk, oblivious to the thought of crossing the road, but there is a zebra crossing that comes up al...