The Best of Surviving in Japan 2010

Happy New Year! Yes, things have been quiet here the past couple weeks due to the Holidays, but I hope you've had a chance to relax a bit and enjoy time with family and friends, as I have. I'm looking forward to the new year for Surviving in Japan, and to show you some exciting new things, and of course, continue providing helpful and useful content for anyone living in Japan (or who will be living in Japan).

And now, to present Surviving in Japan's top content for 2010. Enjoy!


1. 10 Reasons to Visit (or Not Visit) Shizuoka

I'm surprised this one landed the top spot, but a Japanese search site ended up linking to it and sent a huge amount of traffic. Nonetheless, if you're planning a trip to Japan, or you're in Japan and thinking about travel spots, this post will give you a brief overview of how great (or not great) Shizuoka prefecture is.

2. how to find (good) deodorant in Japan

So you're living in Japan, and perhaps calling Mom or a friend in your home country to send you deodorant at regular intervals. Is that really necessary? Read this post to find out.


3. moving to Japan? Read this first.

I've covered frequently asked questions people often wonder about when packing for a move to the land of the rising sun. What to bring? What not to bring? Find out here.


4. a guide to sanitary napkins in Japan

For the folks out there who wonder, "are Japanese pads REALLY smaller than Western ones?" The answer is a resounding "no," and I've done a complete guide of brands, types, sizes and all the Japanese words you need to know when looking for sanitary napkins in Japan.


5. a guide to tampons in Japan

Similar to the above, a complete guide to tampons, including size comparisons (with pictures) between Japanese and Western brands, brand names, and words to know.


6. how to find hydrogen peroxide in Japan

This one was tricky when I first arrived. I was so accustomed to using hydrogen peroxide for a myriad of things but couldn't seem to find it anywhere in Japan, even after looking up multiple translations. Eventually I was successful, so here's how you can also find hydrogen peroxide in Japan...


7. how to do a furikomi (bank transfer)

Whether you want to transfer money home or need to pay for something via bank transfer, I've got you covered in this how-to guide. You can also download a free .pdf how-to from Google docs here. Or download the .pdf here. (The latter works better for smartphones).


8. make life easy - 8 tools for surviving Japan

Though there are easily lots of tools that are useful when trying to get by in Japan, I've covered the basics in this post. There was also a good article recently in The Japan Times about various apps for living in Japan.


9. Fukuroi Fireworks Festival (袋井遠州の花火)

One of the larger and more popular fireworks festivals, or hanabi, in Japan, and also the first fireworks festival I experienced after moving to Japan. Lots of photos for your perusal as well.


10. 8 ways to winterize your Japanese apartment (or house)

It's January - which means it's quite cold in most parts of Japan. (And ridiculously cold in some areas...) If you haven't already winter-proofed your living area, I've got lots of tips (and pictures) of items that may help. And if you're wondering, I've also written up a guide to heaters in Japan...


There you have it. The top 10 posts on Surviving in Japan in 2010. Next I think I'll do a "favorites" post, as in, some of my favorites from the year. What do you think? Did you have any particular favorites?

Here's to 2011! Wishing you all the best for the coming year! Thanks so much for all your support, encouragement and kind feedback over 2010.  I truly appreciate you all.