SORABYCO | Life in Japan

One of the least pleasant parts of summer in Japan is opening the kitchen trash can and immediately noticing the smell. Fish scraps are especially bad, but I was also surprised by how quickly watermelon and melon rinds could begin to smell. During Japan’s hot and humid summer, even a trash can with a tightly closed lid may become unpleasant before the next garbage collection day. When I first moved to Japan, I thought attaching a deodorizer to the lid would be enough. It helped a little, but it did not solve the real problem. The smell usually came from moisture and food scraps sitting in a warm kitchen for several days. After dealing with this for many summers, I slowly developed a routine using newspaper, baking soda, small plastic bags, and even the freezer. None of these habits began as part of a carefully planned system. I simply added each one after another leaking garbage bag or unpleasant smell. These are the methods that have remained part of our summer routine. Using Newspape...

When I first moved to Japan, buying a home felt like something I might be able to do one day. I spent nearly ten years living in Tokyo before moving to Narita in Chiba Prefecture. During that time, I didn't pay much attention to housing prices. Like many people, I simply assumed that if I worked hard and saved enough money, buying a home would eventually be possible. Recently, though, I've started to notice how much things have changed. New homes around Narita seem far more expensive than they were just a few years ago, and news reports about record-breaking property prices in Tokyo have become almost routine. Every time I see another headline, I find myself wondering how first-time buyers are managing in today's market. Of course, Japan isn't one single housing market. The price of a home in central Tokyo can be several times higher than a similar property in another part of the country. That makes location one of the biggest factors when planning to buy a home. So I d...

When I first moved to Japan, I assumed Tokyo was the obvious place to build a life. It was where I found work, learned how everyday life in Japan worked, and spent nearly ten years. Tokyo was exciting, convenient, and full of opportunities. At the time, I rarely imagined living anywhere else. Later, after moving to Narita in Chiba, my view began to change. Life outside central Tokyo felt very different. Housing costs, commuting time, neighborhood atmosphere, access to shops, and even the pace of daily life all changed depending on where I lived. That experience made me pay much more attention to regional differences in Japan. Around the same time, I kept seeing news about rising land prices, large redevelopment projects, semiconductor investment, and growing interest from overseas buyers. Some areas appeared to be booming, while others were still losing population. That made me curious. Where are housing prices rising the fastest in Japan? And for foreigners moving to Japan, which citi...