Frequently asked questions
Over the years we’ve done a few Q+A’s. Below you’ll find a sampling of the questions we’ve answered.
Looking for advice about Japan?
Most of our answers are to personal questions. If you want advice about working, living, traveling to Japan or learning Japanese, your question is probably better answered by people actually living in Japan. These subreddits are a great place to start, and most have their own FAQ or wiki.
Search before posting. A site search on Google works well:
site:reddit.com/r/japanlife it jobsTravel questions
Living in Japan: jobs, schools, hospitals
Moving to Japan
Learning Japanese
Posting your pics
Translation requests
Teaching in Japan
For more vetted information, try the Japan Times or official government sources at japan.go.jp.
Our Q+A videos
About our family
Where’s the Mom?
She’s very camera shy.
Where’s the Dad?
I’m the cameraman (and also the guy who responds to everything and is writing this)!
How did your mum and dad meet?
In Canada a long time ago.
Are you American?
Nope, we’re Canadian.
What’s the ethnic background of the kids?
Half Japanese (Mom) / Half Canadian (Dad).
But what’s the real background of the Dad?
Dad’s parents are from Guyana and Belize.
So the Dad is Central / South American?
No, actually my Dad is Chinese while my Mother is Scottish, English, Spanish and Native American.
How did you guys decide to move your family to Japan after several years in Canada?
We always wanted to move to Japan, but never had the opportunity. When we were young and got married, we thought we’d hop back and forth between countries, but with kids and jobs, we realized it wasn’t so easy. After many years in Canada we were able to move to Japan.
How long have you been living in Japan?
Our family moved to Japan in 2013 and lives in the city of Tokyo. While it’s ginormous, it’s not as busy and filled with concrete as you think (well, it depends where you live in Tokyo).
Do you guys have citizenship in both Canada and Japan?
The kids are both Canadian and Japanese citizens until they’re 22, at which point, they’re supposed to pick one or the other (Japan doesn’t allow dual citizens). Dad is a Canadian Citizen and a permanent resident of Japan and Mum is a Japanese citizen and a permanent resident of Canada.
The kids, language and school
How did Aiko and Shin learn to speak English?
Aiko and Shin were born in Canada and lived there for seven and four years. Aiko had a strong base of English before moving to Japan. Since Shin was four when he moved, his English wasn’t as strong before the move.
Does Aiko prefer to speak Japanese or English?
Japanese. Because she’s better at Japanese.
Are Aiko and her brother retaining their English well or are they losing some?
Aiko thinks she’s losing her English. Shin’s is definitely getting better (he couldn’t read and write English before, but now he can). He also speaks clearer now.
Since the kids know English very well, do their schools place them in Advanced English classes?
Nope, they take regular English classes that happen in regular Japanese school.
Since the kids speak Japanese to mommy and English to you, what language do you and mommy speak to each other?
Aiko and Shin speak Japanese to Mommy. Mom mostly speaks English to Dad, but sometimes they speak in Japanese to practice. This is tough, because we want the kids to retain English, but I (Dad) need to practice my Japanese more.
Does the cameraman speak Japanese?
A little, but my kids in elementary school are better than me.
Why were Japanese names chosen for the kids instead of something more Westernized?
The kids have Western middle names. Because we were living in Canada at the time the kids were born, we wanted them to keep their Japanese heritage. In Canada, it’s not so weird to have non-Western names, but when the kids are in Japan, having a non-Japanese name would make them stand out more. Also, the Japanese names chosen were ones that wouldn’t be so difficult to pronounce in English (but they still do pronounce it wrong).
Do people (ethnic Japanese) treat you or your children “different”?
Aiko thinks no, but sometimes they say gaikokujin, which means foreigner.
What do visitors do about indoor shoes during a school cultural festival?
Schools have slippers for guests, but many parents who visit would bring their own. Festivals are mostly outside, so you wouldn’t need special footwear. Aiko also wanted to let you know that there are Saturday classes once a month and there are slippers for visitors.
Eat with your mouth closed (comment about Aiko)
She was an eight year old kid eating. She now tries to.
Life in Japan
Why do people take a bath when they’re already clean?
Because it’s relaxing.
Gross, I’d never use the same water as someone else.
You have to remember that you’re already clean and you’re family.
Gross, I’d never wash my clothes with grey water.
The water from the bathtub is relatively clean because there’s no soap in there. When it’s used to wash clothes, it’s only for the wash cycle with detergent. The rinse cycle uses fresh water.
Can you have pets in Japan? Does Aiko have any pets?
We used to live in an apartment that didn’t allow pets. We now have our own home and two cats. Certain places you can have cats, dogs, birds, fish (small animals).