Hi, I’m Jo !
I’m a bilingual Mum.
I lived in Japan for more than 12 years total – my first year as an exchange student in a small country town called Kurashiki when I was 16 years old.
Hubby is from Scotland, I’m from Australia – we met in Kobe, Japan.
Our family is a tight little gang and we relocated to Tokyo from Australia when my youngest was 4 months and my eldest was 2 years old.
Even though I speak the language and had a decent grasp on cultural ettiquette and different expectations, it took me longer to adjust to life in Japan with children than I expected. My blog is me sharing my tips, findings and mistakes along the way in order to hopefully help other parents and their kids adjust to life in Japan or just make the best of their Japan holidays.
Our life is colourful, adventurous and exciting – while, at the same time, we are boring too, in all the right ways.
This is my blog – my blog about me just being me and sharing:
– little snippets of my life
– mistakes I’ve made
– things I’m loving in Tokyo right now
– the tips and tricks that I wish I’d worked out much sooner in 12 years, in total, living in Japan
I’m also extremely active on Instagram- so for daily Japan tips and what I’m up to, come follow me HERE.
The Tokyo Chapter Blog
I started my blog a little over 2 years ago and I’m still scratching my head and smiling over the amazing and warm response I’ve had.
Some people come by to get all nostalgic for a life or holiday they once had in Japan – others save my tips for a bucket-list rainy day.
Some people just want to see what we get up to in this bustling, fascinating, gigantic city.
Basically, my blog is the information and, hopefully, relatable content that I wish I’d had available to me when I first travelled to and moved here…
Are you travelling to Japan soon?
I have a “Japan pre-travel checklist” right here!
Are you travelling to Japan with children?
– What to pack and how to plan ahead
-Where to stay in Tokyo with small children
– What are my favourite family-friendly hotels in Tokyo?
-What are my favourite family-friendly hotels in Kyoto?
– Tips on flying with small children (from someone who does it often)
– Jetlag Tips
– How to call an ambulance / seek medical help in Japan
– What’s inside my Tokyo nappy bag?
– What is open in Tokyo before 10am?
– Which restaurants have high chairs in Tokyo?
– Where are the coolest parks?
– What are our favourite playcentres?
– Where are the fab places to go with kids on rainy days?
– What was it like to be a breastfeeding Mum in Tokyo?
– My kid-friendly posts on other cities in Japan
– 7 quick ways to mess up your Tokyo Day out with kids
–Where to buy nappies / diapers in Central Tokyo?
– How to say some baby / child related words and questions in Japanese ?
-Tips on riding the bullet train with kids
– Wondering if it is easy to get around Japan with children?
– Want to know what basic train etiquette to speak about with kids before you travel
– If your child is a fussy/ picky eater I have some hacks for where to eat so that not everyone has to dine on McDonalds or sandwiches everyday
Are you moving to Japan?
I think these articles might help you settle in sooner and make your adventures a lot more colourful.
– The things that I found to be tricky when I first lived here with kiddies, and how we then settled in
-Things to consider when choosing a house/apartment in Japan
– Our family’s earth quake plan
– How to call an ambulance / seek medical help in Japan
– How I would go about learning Japanese if I was starting from scratch now
– Japanese phrases that will help you out of tricky situations
-Suggested itineraries and detailed area guides
– Our family Tokyo breakfast & brunch spots
– A comprehensive list of all the things I prefer to buy outside of Japan
– Information on the expensive fruit deal in Japan
My story
I was an exchange student in the Japanese countryside for one year in high school.
I fumbled and flopped my way through a language obstacle course that was my daily life, and then the deep and mucky swamps of culture shock – I’ve literally slipped and rode my bike into a rice field – and ultimately, fell head over heels in love with Japan.
Since then, I have lived in Japan on and off for years and years at a time. My Japanese experience includes life as a poor language student, an executive assistant, a bit of a party girl, a professional interpreter and, now, a stay-at-home Mummy of two smiley little ones.
I know what it is like to see Tokyo with a limited budget, as a single person who wants a mix of tradition and kawaii/kooky, as half of a loved up couple out on the town and as a parent who just wants the whole family to have a spectacularly safe and happy time.
Let’s be buddies
I’m on facebook, instagram & here on my blog. Instagram is probably the easiest way to catch me but email works too.
It’s very important to me that my readers know that my blog is in my voice and based on my opinions of places and restaurants that I have personally visited.
I talk about restaurants, services and specific places because I have visited, tried and tested them myself and feel they are worth recommending to my beautiful audience.
Should you find sponsored content on my site, I will make sure it is clearly disclosed.
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