The Japan TimesDec 27
Inspiration, innovation and identity — our 20 Questions interviewees had lots to say about their chosen careers and the paths that led them here in 2025. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2025/12/27/our-lives/2025-end-of-year-20-questions-wrap/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #community #ourlives #expats #livinginjapan #womensissues #japanesecrafts #shinto #anime #mixedrelationships #2025inreview
Finding a balance between tradition and innovation in 2025

With more than two dozen interviews throughout the year, our 20 Questions column highlighted diverse views on creativity, tradition and cultural hybridity.

The Japan Times
The Japan TimesDec 15
“Politics and daily life in Japan are very separate” — Chinese expats recount their parenting challenges and the conversations on identity they’ve had with their Japan-raised children. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2025/12/15/issues/chinese-children-raised-japan/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #community #issues #expats #immigration #china #chinajapanrelations #mixedrelationships #elementaryschools #juniorhighschools #highschools
Japan-raised Chinese children navigate complex cultural terrain

Despite bilateral tensions, daily life goes on for the hundreds of thousands of Chinese people who call Japan home — including the children and teenagers who have grown up here.

The Japan Times
The Japan TimesDec 8
Spousal violence can take many forms. Recognizing the signs of financial abuse is the first step toward reclaiming agency and regaining control. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2025/12/08/issues/financial-abuse-mental-health/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #community #issues #expats #mixedrelationships #marriage #divorce #mentalhealth #abuse #womensissues
Finding a way forward from financial abuse

In Japan, nearly 1 in 10 married women have been the victim of financial abuse. Two expats share their stories, along with the resources and advice that helped them through.

The Japan Times
The Japan TimesNov 28
Hand-poured candles, a mountainside town in Hokkaido and a love story that began on a British Columbia farm. North Candles isn’t just a brand, it’s a whole life that Alex and Mami St-Jean built from scratch. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2025/11/28/our-lives/north-candles-alex-mami-st-jean/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #community #ourlives #hokkaido #expats #smallbusinesses #canada #mixedrelationships
Alex and Mami St-Jean: ‘Home feels like the family we’ve created in Hokkaido’

The Canadian-Japanese couple behind North Candles, a soy wax candle business, reflects on their origin story, cross-cultural inspirations and the meaning of home.

The Japan Times
The Japan TimesJan 3, 2024
Biracial Japanese model Dulmi, a member of the 2023 class of Vogue’s Open Casting model search, hopes to be a voice of change in the modeling and beauty industries in Japan and beyond. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2024/01/03/japan/society/dulmi-sri-lankan-japanese-model/?utm_content=bufferf089a&utm_medium=social&utm_source=mastodon&utm_campaign=bffmstdn #japan #society #tokyo #race #fashion #osaka #srilanka #mixedrelationships
Dulmi: The biracial model bringing change to modeling in Japan and beyond

In a still-rare recognition of the diversity that exists in Japan, the Osaka native was chosen for the 2023 class of Vogue's Open Casting initiative.

The Japan Times