With the recontracting deadline looming ahead, I had a very good long chat with three of my closest friends from JET who left the programme last summer and are settling into their new lives back home. I think their respective experiences are important to share because they cover the main three situations those returning will…
Hello Hyogo! I hope you’ve all had some nice R&R during your winter holidays, and for those of you who have gone abroad　- welcome back to the land of the rising sun! I’ll be the first to say that winter is my least favourite season [“You call yourself a Canadian, Paige?†There, I said…
Happy New Year Hyogo! I am writing to you from the past, in mid-December, far ahead of the New Year, hoping to leave my festive season free of editing work and full of food and fun. New Year has never been a big deal for me; parties are over-hyped, overpriced and impossible to get…
In amongst the faux snow and strains of, “I’mmmmmm dreammingggg of a whiteeeeee Christmassssss”, you may have also seen in your department stores and supermarkets ornate square boxes filled with products in every colour, begging to be bought at obscene prices. A far cry from roast turkey (northern hemisphere) or seafood (southern), this is osechi…
“So, what will you being doing this year at Christmas?†This question was met with various permeations of bemusement, amusement and indifference. These were the most common responses: “Nothing really†“Working†(this is a Japanese office after all) “Having a party with friends†“Drinking†“At lectures†“Eating Christmas cake†“What? Should I be doing something? 
Living in Hyogo you can’t get away from the big, fat, drunken cow in the room: Kobe beef. Locals boast about its Hyogo roots; and many travel far to taste the real deal. Of course it comes with a hefty price tag, so it’s almost essential you pick the right spot among the bright mooing…
Simple Chicken Nabe for One. As the “samui†grunts enter the staffroom you know what’s coming: winter. My solution to tackle this season is nabe, lots of nabe. Nabe is a soupy hot pot recipe literally full of meat and veggies ready to cure your winter blues (or flu?). It can be enjoyed party…
 As interviewed by Arjan Tulsi. When were you in Hyogo and where were you placed? I was in Harima-cho from 2009-2012, teaching at Harima-Minami Senior High School. In my first year I also had a visit school one day a week (Kinjo High School – a night school in Akashi). What was your…
Ishiyama-dera, temple number 13 on the route, and Mii-dera, number 14, are both located along the southern edges of Lake Biwa. We’ll take them on in numerical order. Ishiyama-dera is a beautiful temple upon a mountainside overlooking the lake; it is built on and amongst wollastonite rock formations that give it a different look from…