Won't Miss #345 - Costco as a Herculean task

If the trip alone isn't enough to wear you out, being in a food court full of rude people, shrieking children, and people who hog the seating for as long as possible will. 
Living in central Tokyo can be awesome. Your commute is shorter, you're near a lot of interesting shops and restaurants, and the public transport is convenient. That being said, Costco can't afford to place its giant

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Won't Miss #342 - washing rice

Somewhere under that cloudy water is my rice. That color is telling me my work is far from done. And, no, I don't use a rice cooker for something as simple as making rice. 

One of my students lives and works in Tokyo, but her home town is in Miyazaki. I've never been there, but she tells me it is vast tracts of nothing, but she goes there because she's a wonderful person and a good daughter.

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Will Miss #320 - noren

Quite some time ago, the doors (literally) fell off of my closet so I strung some sumo noren over the doorway. This picture actually makes it look much more sheer than it really is. Without the camera flash, you can't see the clothes behind it much as all, nor do you notice the dust along the top. :-p
Noren are a traditional fabric "curtain" that is used to divide rooms or at the entrances of

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Will Miss #314 - the genkan

The genkan is the Japanese word for the sunken entryway that is in every Japanese home. What's so great about it? Well, let's start with the fact that they are usually made with outdoor tile, concrete, or other durable surfaces. Dirty or rough-soled shoes, rain or snow run-off, etc. don't damage them and there is no expectation that the area is going to look fashionable or beautiful. They're

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Won't Miss #238 - eating at my desk

This is an old picture, but I'm too lazy to take a new one. However, that is pretty much the desk I still have and eat at. :-p
I have grown accustomed to many of the shortcomings of living in a very small space and I'm at peace with most of them. That being said, our apartment is too small for a dining table. When I was younger, that didn't trouble me much, but as I've gotten older and started to

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Will Miss #235 - Japanese pottery

 
My husband and I don't give each other gifts for holidays anymore, but early on in our stay in Japan, we still did. One of my earliest requests was some hand-made Japanese pottery. In particular, I wanted some cups with traditional glazing and designs. There's something about the natural look and feel of this type of pottery which is comforting. It makes me feel like I'm consuming food or

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Won't Miss #206 - troublesome water heating

A selection of shower water heaters. Note the plethora of knobs and dials.
One thing which I find a cumbersome and irritating chore day-in and day-out  is having to fuss with the mechanism in my shower for getting the water to come out hot. Even though I have a new water heater and not some antique system, I still have to go through a process every night where I turn a crank about 10 times while

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Won't Miss #201 - lack of central air/heating

A small space heater which uses gas and has an open flame. This was the type of space heater we used for well over a decade. It was great for heating a space rapidly, but a little dangerous. The cost is $194 U.S.
I know that foreign folks are renowned for whining about the lack of central air conditioning and heating in many parts of Japan. People who criticize these complaints think that the

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Won't Miss #189 - time zone adjustments

One of my friends always says that I "live in the future", because it's usually tomorrow here and yesterday there. I talk to this friend in California (the west coast of the U.S.) and my sister in Pennsylvania (east coast) several times a week and there's always adjusting to be done to try and work out what time(s) it is for them when it's whatever time it is for me. This situation is

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