Japan’s sleep culture and public transport habits The other day, on the train home from a weekend outing – fortified by a lunchtime beer – we managed to secure seats. It took me approximately three minutes to nod off. Fortunately, my wife was sitting next to me to inform me – at the appropriate moment – that our stop had arrived and it was time to get off. The incident reminded me of one of Japan’s most refined life skills. A skill that does not appear to exist anywhere in th

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

Travelling Japan as a Swiss expat in a changed world When you live on the other side of the world and far away from your nearest and dearest (and by 'near' I don't mean in the geographical sense, obviously), you want to make your trips back to your home country count and therefore plan them meticulously, in order to make sure they go smoothly and you can enjoy them as fully as possible. So when a few months back my other half hinted that she hadn't been abroad in almost five

A Swiss expat’s journey across continents, cultures, and expectations Today marks 27 years to the day since I boarded a plane in Europe on my way to start a new life in Japan. There used to be a time when air travel could be described with one word: Excitement. Especially when it involved a 12-hour flight to a far-flung destination on the other side of the planet. But in the last two decades, air travel has become much more complicated, and the words that are more likely asso