Planning a trip to Japan or already living here and wondering what to buy at 7-Eleven Japan 🏪? Convenience stores here—known as konbini—are on a completely different level from those in many Western countries. They’re clean, safe, and stocked with surprisingly high-quality food that can easily stand in for a …

If you’ve spent time in Japan, you’ve probably noticed that gifts appear in places you wouldn’t expect—after a coworker’s weekend trip, at the start of a business meeting, even when visiting someone’s home for the first time. Japanese gift-giving isn’t just politeness; it’s a cultural language built on gratitude, humility, …

Step into a Japanese home, a traditional ryokan, certain restaurants, or even a temple, and you’ll notice something immediately: shoes come off at the entrance without question. For many visitors from shoes-on cultures, this can feel surprisingly formal or confusing at first. But after a few days in Japan, most …