Healthcare in Japan

It's been a busy month lately – between after school work, cramming for the JLPT, and writing a whopping six articles with my freelance job, it's been hectic! On top of this I've been dealing with health issues. In only four weeks I managed to go to the doctor five times and the hospital four times! Having health issues in a foreign country is definitely a stressful ordeal, no matter what ailment, but ongoing troubles without any known cause is the pits!

Japanese health insurance.

Let me give you a little background on healthcare in Japan. This isn't my first time making liberal use of my health insurance, so I'm pretty familiar with how things run. Japan has universal healthcare, which you must enroll in by visiting your local city hall. It's around $200 US dollars a month, but the actual amount you pay at doctor's offices is very affordable. The only thing that has costed me more than $30 dollars (teeth cleaning) was my first visit to the hospital, a whopping $75 bucks! I have had to shell out more for a CT scan and recently my first MRI, but they were both under $70 dollars. There is no standardized co-pay here, which makes for a much less stressful doctor's visit, which is probably why they are so busy.

Everyone in Japan during health check season.

Ho! Ho! Holidays at the Disney Store!

Christmas is right around the corner, but that doesn't mean new products at the Disney store are limited to just that – there's a lot of other great stuff this month! If you're already counting down the days until the sickening onslaught of Christmas music will be over, this new line of "King Mickey" merchandise just debuted.

You can upgrade the old Mickey you have stashed away in the back of your closet for this shiny gold Mickey worthy of royalty! Plus for a small fortune (literally guys!) you can dress like him, too.

To afford this 81 dollar shirt, you'd better be royalty.

My Tips for the JLPT

If you study Japanese, you'll know that it's that time of year again  – JLPT testing time! There are only two chances a year, July and December, and with less than a month to go until the December 4th test, I'm feeling the crunch! I've been studying Japanese for 10 years, including college level courses and self study, and I decided to try my hand at the JLPT for the first time last December. I challenged myself with the N2, since I may as well if I'm going to shell out 50 bucks, and to my delight, I was able to pass! This year I'm being even more ambitious by going where no gaijin has gone before, attempting the N1, the highest level!

I’m sharing my dos and don’ts tips for you all based on my regrets last time, and what I've learned since then! Preparing for something as big as the JLPT is definitely an eye-opener. If you’ve taken it before and met with frustration, don’t get discouraged! Just read up on my tips!

Christmastime at the Disney Store!

Well, November 1st means Christmas is coming! Off with Halloween, and in with the most profitable season of the year! Merry Christmas! (Sorry, but you won't find any turkey-related products). Of course Disney Japan couldn't even wait until Halloween finished to try and sell people Christmas Mickey and Minnie dolls. Now that it's all over, you can look forward to the next two months devoted completely to Christmas! So, what's hot on the market this month?

Ho-Ho-Ho Baymax! Christmas sweaters! Stocking stuffers!

I've Been Writing Up a Storm! Check Out my Articles!

As of this year, I officially became a freelance writer! I've been loving every minute of it – the feeling you get from seeing your writing officially published! It's a pretty big goal for me, as one of my dream jobs includes being able to combine my passion for writing with my passion for Japan. (It's also nice to get paid for it, too!). Thus I've been writing up a storm over the past seven months, and I've already published a whopping sixteen articles! Unfortunately, since I've been so busy doing freelance writing, I've been less active on my blog, as I'm using most of my ideas for articles. But don't despair! I'll be posting more blogs, and you can count on my monthly Disney store updates!

If you haven't read my articles yet, please check them out on izanau.com!

Japan Trend Tracker: Radio Fish's "Perfect Human"​

Radio Fish's "Golden"​ New Hit

The Ultimate Simple Yet Effective Japanese Study Trick

The Cool, the Cute, the Bizarre, and Downright Scary in Japan

Time for another addition of cool/awesome/weird things I've stumbled across while living in Japan. If you're familiar at all with Japan, you know it's known for such things, from the latest cutting edge technology, animal cafes, and hilarious commercials. This is my third year in Japan, so I'm pretty used to things around here – sorry but no, you won't encounter any giant robots battling over the city skyline or cute alien girls trying to declare their love to you. Mostly vending machines and conbinis (convenience stores). But there are still things that have me stopping and staring at how cool/awesome/bizarre they are!

Strange

This is supposed to be a beauty product. So why does it so closely resemble an instrument of torture?!

Halloween is in Full Swing at the Disney Store!

As predicted, October brings us some awesome Nightmare Before Christmas products! This month is packed with new products, and I can't wait to share with you all the great new stuff!

Happy 3rd Anniversary to Tsum Tsums! How did we ever live without their cuteness in our dull, dull lives?

Funny Conversations I've Had with Japanese People Recently

Since being back in Japan a month after an equal amount of time visiting family in the states, I've already had some pretty interesting conversations with Japanese people.

When I first came back to school, one of the female teachers I work with noticed that my face looked darker than usual. "You got a suntan!" she remarked to me with a smile. "Huh?" I thought. "Uh, no, not really..."

"Oh?" she said. "Your skin looks darker..."

I thought...And immediately recalled my stepmom saying something quite similar to me when I was back home. "Melissa, you look so white! I don't think that makeup is the right color for your skin tone..." "Really?" I had said in surprise. I'd run out of my American foundation, so I had been forced to buy some more in Japan. I bought what I thought matched my skin color...but apparently not.

August/September Disney Goods – Goodbye Summer, Make Way for Halloween!

It's been a while since my last Disney update as I was on summer break in America for the whole month of August! I'm back and refreshed, and super excited to hit the Disney store again! It may only be September, but Halloween goods have already hit the shelves. Right now the Unibearsity bears are this month's highlight, with adorable Disney Halloween costumes to dress up your bear with.

Daiso Japan vs Daiso America: A Comparison

Recently I made a trip back home to my native country of America (which is how the USA is known in Japan), excited to be comfortably surrounded by all things American. What should I find, however, but a very familiar sight right next to good ol’ Trader Joes – Daiso! Daiso is the equivalent of the dollar store, and it’s everywhere in Japan. Their products are actually quite good, ranging from handy kitchen products to cute stationary and nail stickers. I knew I had to check out this “Americanized” Daiso. Would the products be the same?

A Guide to Japanese TV

As a TV/movie fanatic, I jumped at the chance to familiarize myself with what’s popular in Japan. Luckily for me, my first apartment – a Leopalace – came equipped with a big flat screen TV (although this also got me into a contract with the dreaded NHK because of this – but that’s another story. Tip: unless you’re expecting someone or something, never, ever open your door in Japan. Even real Japanese people refrain from it for fear of the NHK). Not only is watching Japanese TV entertaining, it’s a great way to boost your Japanese learning! The great thing about Japanese TV for foreign learners is that there are subtitles of select speech that pop up on the bottom (I suppose if this was done in English it would be quite annoying, but it’s very helpful for those of us who could use the extra support). Also, in the top right and left hand corners is an overview of what's currently going on in the show and the topic of discussion, filling in any channel flipping viewers coming in halfway through the show. In the morning the time is also displayed, helping people getting ready for work keep track of the time.

Alice Through the Looking Glass Arrives at the Disney Store!

Although the new movie Alice Through the Looking Glass debuted in America months ago, it just premiered in Japan last weekend, and with it came a ton of awesome products at the Disney Store! Alice in Wonderland is wildly popular in Japan and sells well, so the movie should turn a good profit even if it didn’t produce much fanfare in America. Following the color theme of the movie, there are a ton of white and gold products that are just gorgeous.

Disney Store New Arrivals! Stitch, Zootopia, Ice Cream Tsum Tsums, and More!

It's June, and that means new arrivals at the Disney store, my favorite place to shop in Japan! So, what's new this month? Stitch!