There are many teachers operating private language schools in Japan, but you’d be fortunate to encounter someone with the passion and experience of Goto Masumu. Goto, a Yokohama native, has been running his Japanese school “Kiwi” in Honmoku for the past three years. He chose the name Kiwi due to his deep connection with New Zealand. In his youth he was curious about life abroad and traveled to New Zealand during his time at Hosei University. After graduation he obtained certification as a social studies teacher, but had such fond memories of New Zealand that he decided to return to…
Author: Seasider
There are likely many readers who go out to Kamakura on their day off for a change of pace. About a five-minute walk from the west exit of Kamakura Station you will find the restaurant Garden House. A small path surrounded by plants leads you from the road to this modern looking building with a garden terrace on your right. The building–roughly 50 years old–was originally a cartoonist’s atelier. The warm wood interior is cozy and softly lit. The main concept at Garden House is “Local and Craft”, meaning they make every attempt to do things handmade and use local…
At Yokohama International School (YIS), community and service are central to the school’s ethos and learning program. Established on the Bluff in 1924, the school has grown and changed along with the city, and plays an active role in the wider Yokohama community. YIS has enjoyed a long partnership with the Yokohama International Women’s Club, with students and staff volunteering at local orphanages YIWC supports. YIS elementary students host young children from the care homes for monthly visits and high school students organize an annual Orphanage Christmas Party for the orphanages in collaboration with the YIWC, a highlight of the…
The cold weather that has set in recently may lead you to believe winter will linger, but the Setsubun Festival, which takes place every year around the 3rd of February, heralds the traditional first day of spring. It is also a time when families ward off evil through associated rites and welcome fortune into their homes. While we have no control over the weather, maybe it is possible to manufacture at least some portion of your good luck. It’s easy to sit inside hiding from the winter chill, but good fortune may need a guiding hand to find its way…
The daguerreotype is one of the world’s oldest photographic processes. It was actually the first commercially successful means of photography dating back to the early 19th century. It involves recording an image on a special silvered copper plate. For not making use of technological advances, the result is quite stunning, standing up to anything produced with 21st century know-how. Photography, it seems, has simply become more convenient, not more beautiful. Unfortunately, there are not many daguerreotype photographers left in the world. The process is difficult and dangerous. One of these rare photographers, however, is active right here in Yokohama: Arai…
Finding vegan restaurants close to downtown Yokohama can be a bit of a task. But located just a short walk away from Okurayama Station, vegan cafe and restaurant Sairam offers a healthy variety of deli options, sweets, and drinks. A fermented brown rice (which is high in nutritional content and often used to help detox) and miso soup set is available for ¥500, with free refills on the rice. All of the deli items are priced at ¥450 per 100g portion. Though the selection changes slightly each day, you will find mouth-watering teriyaki hamburg made with soy protein and…
Happy New Year, Yokohama! As you, our readers, are thinking about positive changes that you can make in 2017, we are similarly looking to make improvements to our publication. As we are here for your benefit, please don’t hesitate to contact us and let us know what kind of content or columns you’d like to see in the magazine or on our website. We also have a survey on our site that we’d appreciate you take. It will only take a few minutes of your time, and will help us serve you better. We have another request. Even if you’ve…
When the end of the year arrives, many of us probably think with surprise, “Wow, I can’t believe it’s here already.” We then begin to reflect on what we’ve accomplished. Maybe a few of us feel the pressure of some unfinished project or task that we’d like to complete before the New Year. And who doesn’t look forward to relaxing during the holidays? The end of the year comes with many emotions. We hope yours are overall net positive. It helps to be a part of a good community. Yokohama is a big city but feels small; it definitely has…
Yokohama offers a diverse selection of international cuisine, including Arabian, which had been difficult to find until Al Ain opened just a ten-minute walk from Kannai Station’s south exit. Those looking for authentic meals from the heart of the Middle East should definitely visit this unique restaurant. Owner and chef Ziad Karam always greets customers with a warm welcome. After arriving in Japan 25 years ago from Lebanon, he worked as the ambassador’s chef at the Embassy of Kuwait, where he served kings and heads of state. In contrast to the seriousness of such a setting, he is quite down-to-earth…
Many people living in Japan are familiar with Suntory’s famous mascot, Uncle Tory, but few may know that its creator called Yokohama home. Ryohei Yanagihara (1931- 2015), a long-time Yokohama resident, came up with the original design for the character in 1958, and it has since been featured in extensive marketing campaigns and on every can of Tory’s Highball and spin-off products. He also worked on the illustrations for some extremely popular Suntory marketing campaigns like “I want to be more human” and “Let’s drink Torys and go to Hawaii”. Yokohama residents have many more reasons to be proud of…