Happy Halloween! Whether you're dressing up, indulging in spooky sweets, or just enjoying the festive vibes, October 31st is a day for fun, and in Japan, Halloween has taken on a life of its own.

When I first experienced Halloween in Japan, I was struck by how different it felt from the Western version I grew up with and I now see in my California town. Instead of carving pumpkins and door-to-door trick-or-treating, the holiday here is more about costumes, creativity, and community. Adults and teens take to the streets in elaborate outfits, turning places like Shibuya into a living cosplay runway. From anime characters to horror icons, the range of costumes is as imaginative as it is impressive.

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When I first moved to Japan, I thought Sports Day was just a school thing, kids running around in matching caps, parents cheering politely from the sidelines. But over the years, I’ve come to appreciate it as something much deeper: a joyful, communal celebration of movement, teamwork, and the simple pleasure of being outside.

This year, Sports Day スポーツの日 was held on October 13, giving everyone a well-earned long weekend. Originally created to commemorate the opening of the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, it’s now a national holiday that encourages people of all ages to get active and celebrate health. And let me tell you, Japan knows how to do this with style.

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If you've ever wandered through the streets of Tokyo, ducked into a Don Quijote, or even attended a quirky tech event like Sliders & Sake during SF Tech Week, chances are you've encountered the irresistible charm of gachapon machines. These colorful capsule toy dispensers are more than just vending machines, they're a cultural phenomenon, a collector’s dream, and a delightful dose of randomness.

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In Japan, train travel isn’t just about getting from point A to point B, it’s a full sensory experience. And one of the most delicious parts of that experience is the ekiben: a station bento box that’s as much about storytelling as it is about sustenance.

Short for eki (station) and bento (boxed meal), ekiben are sold at train stations and onboard trains across Japan. Each one is a culinary snapshot of the region, featuring local ingredients, seasonal specialties, and thoughtful presentation.

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Lately, I’ve been writing a lot about train journeys: from my recent Amtrak ride through the Rockies to a nostalgic autumn trip to Nikkō in Japan coming up on Monday. Revisiting those memories reminded me of something - or someone!- central to my everyday life: my husband, a proud densha otaku, a Japanese train enthusiast.

Before I met him, I thought trains were just a way to get from A to B. Efficient, yes. Clean, definitely. But exciting? Not really. Then I married a densha otaku, and everything changed.

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After a recent stretch of work travel, including a trip to Northampton, MA that left me both inspired and exhausted, I found myself wishing for a teleportation device. Not just any device, but a door. A door that could take me anywhere, instantly. A door that could bypass airports, traffic, and time zones. A door that could bring me home in time for dinner, no matter where I started my day.

I read and watch a lot of media, books, anime, films, short stories, and over time, these worlds tend to run together in the most interesting ways. Sometimes, while waiting for a delayed train or navigating a crowded airport, I find myself mentally stitching together scenes from sci-fi novels and cartoons, imagining what it would be like if teleportation were real.

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When I lived in Kiyosumi-Shirakawa, weekends often began with a slow walk through quiet streets, a coffee in hand, and a sense of curiosity about what the day might bring. This neighborhood in Koto-ku, tucked away in Tokyo’s east side, became my little sanctuary, a place where the past and present seemed to hold hands.

If you’re looking to escape the hordes of tourists in Ginza and you’re looking for a shitamachi experience where old and new Japan sit side-by-side, this is a place you need to explore.

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Back in the 1990s, when I first started studying Japanese, my tools were simple: paper-based study guides, cassette tapes, and stacks of handwritten flashcards. I remember lugging around thick grammar books and scribbling kanji over and over in notebooks, hoping the repetition would make them stick. There was a kind of charm to it: slow, tactile, and deeply personal. But it was also time-consuming, expensive, and sometimes isolating. Fast forward to today, and the landscape of Japanese language learning has completely transformed. There are countless affordable (and even free) resources available online: apps, YouTube channels, podcasts, and yes, even AI tools like ChatGPT.

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