Louise George Kittaka, a freelance writer for the Japan Times, touched on the challenges she and many others face as working mothers in Japan. Here is a brief excerpt from our conversation.

Please also listen to the entire one-hour podcast (link below).
realgaijin.substack.com/p/ama-with-t...

Happy New Year from the Land of the Rising Sun! The Japanese tradition of waking up to watch the sun rise on New Year's Day is called Hatsuhinode (初日の出), which literally means "first sunrise." Good luck to all in 2025!

Yesterday I had lunch at a truck stop where they serve piping hot oden (おでん), which is pronounced "oh-den" in Japanese. Oden is a traditional winter snack made with a variety of ingredients such as fish cakes, daikon radish, konjac, and eggs simmered in a flavorful dashi broth. Real comfort food!

A couple of weeks ago we were lucky enough to visit the crater of Mt. Aso, an active volcano surrounded by a huge caldera. Due to the poisonous gas emanating from the "sea" inside the volcano, the viewing area at the summit is rarely open.

Shichi-Go-San (七五三) is a traditional Japanese festival that celebrates young children. It is held annually on November 15th. The name literally translates to "seven-five-three," the ages of the children celebrated: Three-year-old girls and boys, five-year-old boys, and seven-year-old girls.

While Tokyo undoubtedly offers plenty of stimulation and excitement, autumn - even this late in the year - is an opportunity to see Japan's beautiful countryside at one of the most beautiful times of the year. This is the Kappa Waterfall (かっぱ滝) in Kumamoto Prefecture in the middle of Kyushu.

Aspiring "Onsen Meister" (温泉マイスター) Real Gaijin coming to you live from a beautiful hot spring in the middle of Japan's southern main island of Kyushu. There is not much better than the chance to see the fall foliage from the vantage point of an outdoor bath!

This is the Makinoto Pass (牧ノ戸峠) in the Kuju Mountains (くじゅう連山) in Kyushu, Japan. Without a cold snap a few weeks ago that normally causes deciduous trees to turn color, it has been more of a nuanced, slow transition for the trees this year.　#KujuMountains #Kyushu #MakinotoPass #FallFoliage #Oita