Where rainy-season storms meet trembling ground The other day, I was reminded that living in Japan means accepting that nature occasionally likes to keep things... interesting. Take last month. We were in the middle of the rainy season – that damp stretch from early June to mid-July that every resident complains about while quietly acknowledging that, without it, the country would have a slight agricultural problem. After all, it provides around 20–30% of Japan's annual rainf

Driving on Japan’s expressways can be challenging at times. There is speeding. There is frequent undertaking. Many drivers appear to believe the fast lane is a perfectly acceptable place to live permanently. And tailgating is apparently a favourite pastime. I experienced the consequences of that last year, when the driver behind me failed to stop in backed-up traffic and crashed into my then three-week-old car. Two months of chiropractic treatment and three months of negotiat

A Swiss expat hunting for familiar flavours, traditions, and identity in Japan After our monthly team meeting at work, we usually order lunch. Sometimes bento boxes. Sometimes curry. The other day, somebody suggested biryani. Then one colleague suddenly asked: ‘Are there any Swiss restaurants that do food deliveries in Tokyo?’ The question caught me completely off guard. Because despite having lived here for many years, I genuinely didn’t know. Someone else then pointed out:

Language misunderstandings and cultural nuance The other day at the supermarket, I found myself in a situation that has become increasingly common ever since shops stopped automatically giving you plastic bags and instead ask whether you would like to purchase one. All for the environment, of course. And, conveniently, a little extra income. Shop assistant: ‘Fukuro wa go-riyō ni narimasu ka?’ Would you like a bag? Me: ‘Daijōbu desu.’ I’m OK. Shop assistant: ‘Kashikomarimashit

Tokyo encounters and expat reflections May is my favourite month in Japan. No heating. No air conditioning. The bedroom window stays open all night, and the cool air drifting in before dawn keeps the room at exactly the right temperature. The sun rises before five, the birds begin their morning conference outside the window, and getting out of bed suddenly feels far less offensive than it did in January. By six o’clock, the temperature is already pleasant. Around twenty degre

Swiss traditions reimagined through Japanese life If you’ve ever visited Japan, you’ve probably encountered the country’s legendary high-tech toilets. And if you haven’t, somebody has almost certainly told you about them in the tone normally reserved for spiritual awakenings. 'Heated seats!' 'Automatic lids!' 'It plays waterfall sounds while you do your business!' Western travel articles and blog posts love describing Japanese toilets as 'like operating a Boeing cockpit,' whi

Switzerland’s demographics and cultural evolution In recent years, something has caught my attention whenever I visit Switzerland. Increasingly, I’m greeted not in Swiss German, but in standard High German – proper, crisp, newsreader-level High German. In shops. In restaurants. On support lines. Everywhere. For those unfamiliar: Swiss German is a spoken language, and it differs considerably from standard High German, which in Switzerland is mainly reserved for writing – and t

Swiss diaspora life and cultural identity abroad I recently realised something mildly unsettling. I'm officially one of the 340,000 Swiss people who have emigrated since 1993. That’s right. I’m not special. I’m a data point. According to the latest figures, more than 838,600 Swiss nationals live abroad — about 11% of the population. Roughly one in nine Swiss people has looked at Switzerland, nodded politely, and said, “Lovely country. I’ll take it… but from a distance.” Which

Swiss winter culture meets modern quirks Even high up in the Swiss Alps, winter is drawing to a close – finally, most will agree. The Olympians and Paralympians towards the south of the border have returned home – with or without medals – and what's on most people's mind now is where to catch some guaranteed summer sun this year. Yes, Switzerland likes to think of itself a a winter sports nation, but essentially, winter sports happen only in winter. Makes sense. Yet, somewher

Swiss geography, identity, and cultural contrasts As a Swiss person living in Japan, I’m occasionally reminded that my homeland is famous for two things: mountains and not having a coastline. Ah, and chocolate and cheese. So, four things. And neutrality. Five. But definitely not beaches. Japan, meanwhile, is basically all coastline. Fish is fresh. Sea breezes are real. Children grow up knowing which direction the ocean is. In Switzerland, we grow up knowing which direction th

Seasonal shifts and cultural rhythms in Japan As the days begin to warm, there comes that hopeful moment each year when we realise we can finally turn off the heating and open the windows. Fresh air enters the living room. Spring announces itself. Life feels lighter. In a densely built neighbourhood, however, fresh air rarely travels alone. It arrives accompanied by sound. Last year we discovered one particularly dedicated contributor to the urban soundtrack: a neighbour acro

Memory, longing, and life between two countries The other day my wife and I went to see Bryan Adams in concert. This guy really rocks. And I don’t just mean in a 'good for his age' sense – which is usually polite shorthand for 'still upright and not entirely embarrassing'. No, he genuinely rocks. Especially when you consider that he’s 66. Sixty-six! An age where most people start complaining about their knees, their eyesight, and music all sounds the same these days. Meanwhil

Pandemic habits and cultural differences in Japan It’s flu season. And Covid is also still doing the rounds. At this point, I’m beginning to suspect we’re not getting rid of it anytime soon. Walking around Japan at this time of year, it can sometimes feel as if the pandemic never really left. Masks everywhere. On trains. In shops. On the street. Sometimes even outdoors – alone, in wide‑open spaces. Or worn by drivers sitting solo in their car, presumably protecting themselves

Emigration, identity, and Swiss diaspora stories In 2026, I will have lived in Japan for 30 years. Thirty years. Long enough to forget that Sundays once meant closed shops, but still short enough to be asked, every now and then, when 'I’m going back home.' What I only realised recently is that this urge to leave Switzerland – to look over the mountains and think maybe somewhere else would be nice – is not a modern phenomenon at all. It’s about 2,000 years old. What I’m refer

Swiss politics and humility from afar On December 10, Switzerland’s parliament elected Economics Minister Guy Parmelin as president for 2026. If your immediate reaction to this news was a polite nod followed by 'Wait, Switzerland has a president?'. Congratulations, you are responding correctly. Because Switzerland’s presidency is one of the most Swiss things imaginable. It exists, it functions perfectly, and it makes absolutely no fuss about itself. In most countries, becomin

Mountains, identity, and Swiss nostalgia abroad If there is one thing Japanese people know about Switzerland, it is this: Mountains. Alps. Snow. Yodelling, possibly while skiing downhill. As soon as they find out I’m Swiss, the conversation inevitably drifts upwards. Literally. 'You must have grown up surrounded by mountains.' 'You probably went hiking every weekend.' I usually nod politely, because explaining reality takes longer than smiling. The truth is this: yes, Switzer

Searching for Swiss comfort food in Japan Growing up in Switzerland, bread wasn’t just food. It was infrastructure. Bread had a starring role at breakfast, a reliable supporting role at lunch and dinner, and a quiet cameo appearance whenever someone felt a bit peckish. With roughly 200 officially recognised types of bread, there was enough variety to keep life interesting, balanced, and pleasantly crumb-filled. One thing united all of them: it had to be fresh. This wasn’t dif

Language mastery without literacy in Japan Japanese people usually assume that because I speak Japanese – more or less fluently (and sometimes noticeably less than more) – I must also be able to read it. After all, there are "only" 2,135 daily-use kanji characters. Out of roughly 50,000 in total. So surely, after 29 years in Japan, I should have picked them up by now. Plenty of time, right? One per week and I’d have finished the lot before my hairline started its slow, steady

Swiss winter nostalgia meets Japanese life I’m writing this from Nagano – roughly 230 km away from Tokyo – where we are spending our Christmas and New Year's Holidays. When people hear Nagano, their brains immediately start projecting skiing montages: powder snow, mountain peaks, and some heroic skier flying through the air in glorious slow motion. Understandable, since Nagano Prefecture is often referred to as the "Roof of Japan", surrounded by enough mountains to make a Swi

Missing Swiss flavours while living in Japan No matter how long we live abroad, how well we master the language, or how convincingly we nod at jokes we don’t quite understand, our stomachs eventually betray us. Assimilation may work on the outside, but deep inside, the gut is waving a little national flag and shouting, “Feed me what I grew up with!” Take my Japanese wife. Though our daily meals are mostly Western, she is occasionally seized by an undeniable, primal urge for p