Posts - Me Time Japan

You’ll Never Grow Weary – Me Time Izakaya Hopping Guide in Tokyo

Me Time Japan Team | April 29, 2025

If you’ve always dreamed of traveling to Japan and can’t wait any longer for your friends to join you, Tokyo is a perfect place to jumpstart your solo travel adventures. You’ll never feel like a fish out of water among the other tourists that visit this food and drink culture hub each year. In addition, you will never weary of dining alone because the Japanese culture in Tokyo favors those who love to drink and eat alone! If you would like to enjoy a fun and non-intimidating solo night out, please head to our Tokyo favorites list below where you can enjoy a delicious dinner to relax, reflect and recharge. … arrow_forward

Ikigai in Action: Tama’s Secret to a Long and Happy Life

Me Time Japan Team | March 21, 2025

Our sister site, Me Time Japan in Tama, has been exploring the vibrant personalities of Tokyo’s Tama area since last summer. One common thread we’ve noticed in our conversations with them is “Ikigai.” Ikigai (生きがい) is a Japanese concept that represents one’s reason for being—the passion, purpose, or fulfillment that brings joy to everyday life. It’s the deep sense of satisfaction that comes from doing what you love, contributing to something meaningful, or simply appreciating the small moments that make life special. Each person we’ve met radiates a sense of vitality, and we believe it’s because they have found their ikigai. We invite you to step into their life stories … arrow_forward

Table For One Me Time Guide

The Taxi-Driver’s and Pro Solo Foodies’ Eatery Guide in Tokyo

Me Time Japan Team | February 8, 2025

Taxi drivers in Tokyo always know the fastest way to get to the train station or airport. They also know where the best restaurants are to dine. During our many taxi rides across the city, we talked to drivers about the best places to have Japanese B-kyu gurume—a unique Japanese style of B-class gourmet cuisine which is prized for its flavors. This cuisine is typically prepared in small restaurants, using local and relatively inexpensive ingredients. A complete meal here typically costs under 1500 yen (US$15), which better fits a driver’s budget. Here are our results of taxi driver B-kyu gurume restaurants in Tokyo, where the food tastes like you are transported straight to … arrow_forward

Me Time Guide Cultural Footprint

Walk a Monk’s Path as a Modern Minimalist Solo Traveler

Me Time Japan Team | February 3, 2025

Whether we feel joy, gratitude, anger, or sadness, our minds always react to various situations with different emotions. However, instead of accepting those initial emotional impulses, the Japanese try to be more mindful. By thoughtfully changing the way we react by consciously being more neutral, we can theoretically spend our days more comfortably. A monk at a temple in Shizuoka said, “by reacting either very negatively or extremely positive means you are walking on the edges of the path. On the other hand, people should decide to be more neutral, walking firmly down the center of the path.” While we stayed at the temple, the monk taught us that we … arrow_forward

Life Style Cultural Footprint

12 Japanese Life-Changing Concepts to Live a Happy Life

Me Time Japan Team | January 25, 2025

We can certainly learn from different countries around the globe their respective different philosophies through one’s culture and historical past. Those philosophies can help us live more meaningful and fulfilling lives. For example in Japan, people are keenly aware about focusing on the moment at hand and striving to be mindful—this is a state of active and open attention to the present. In this article, we’ll share with you to 12 beautiful Japanese aesthetics that can inspire us to embrace happiness as well as enjoying a peaceful and healthy life. Iitokodori Iitokodori is a Japanese process means discovering aspects of the influences around you and creating something unique of your very … arrow_forward

Life Style

Discovering Zen in Design – A Deeper Exploration

Me Time Japan Team | December 29, 2024

Every Sunday remains an opportunity to reset, inviting a fresh perspective on Zen and mindfulness. It’s about creating space to pause, breathe, and embrace life’s natural flow. As we reflect on simplicity and balance, we explore how these principles can enrich our daily lives and environments, allowing us to live more fully and with intention. In this continuation of our previous article, our sister site, Me Time Japan Travel, delves deeper into Jun‘s insights, exploring the philosophy behind Zen and its influence on architecture. 9. Preparing for the week ahead? I try to schedule my week regularly, with early morning time for all kinds of writing, mornings for management meetings, … arrow_forward

Life Style

Designing Peace: Conversations on Zen and Space

Me Time Japan Team | December 8, 2024

Every Sunday is a day to start with a fresh perspective, exploring themes of Zen and mindfulness. It’s a moment to create gentle pauses in the flow of daily life, embracing a sense of ease, richness, and natural balance. Join us on this journey to discover the comfort of living authentically, with space to breathe and grow. Our sister site, Me Time Japan Travel, had a conversation with Joe Jun Liao, delving into the interplay between Zen and architecture. Jun shared insights on the profound connection between mindful design and intentional living. 1. Where do you find your Zen? To answer that, I’d first need to define what my Zen … arrow_forward

Me Time Guide Life Style

Why Reading Alone Together is so Appealing

Me Time Japan Team | October 30, 2024

There is a breath of fresh air blowing through book clubs, which have been a traditional type of community in the United States. It is coming from silent book clubs, which allow participants to enjoy solo activities and reading at the same time. Book clubs can be brought up as one type of hobby-based gathering traditionally seen in the United States. An ordinary book club will issue an assigned book that the participants all read, then they will hold a meetup to share their opinions, including their impressions and thoughts. There are some people who enjoy this style. Yet conversely, there are a number of such clubs that see members … arrow_forward

Me Time Guide Life Style

The Joys of Solo Living: Finding Happiness and Fulfillment Alone

Me Time Japan Team | October 1, 2024

Four years ago, Sucheta Dutt launched Solo Living, an online media and community in the UK to share the beauty and fun of living alone. We asked to her about solo living through email interviews. I’ve been told many times by foreigners who love Japan that as a country, it might be the most prepared and advanced for solo activities, especially when it comes to food, and thanks to this interview I found it to be not entirely off the mark when it comes to the UK. In Europe, eating alone is seen as strange or lonely. We talked to Sucheta, founder of the online media and community “Solo Living,” … arrow_forward

Japanese Diaspora

Tibetan Literature in Japan: A Growing Phenomenon

Me Time Japan Team | September 15, 2024

Tibetan literature spread rapidly around the world in the 2010s. When White Crane, Lend Me Your Wings: A Tibetan Tale of Love and War was published in Japan in 2020, the book went into reprint in just two months. We explore the appeal of Tibetan literature with researcher Izumi Hoshi. Izumi Hoshi, a Tibetan researcher and translator, says that Tibetan literary works are very effective in capturing the feelings of people living in the contemporary era. It is often difficult to understand the daily lives of Tibetans because news reports are never sufficient to understand what people are feeling and what they are doing in their daily lives. On the … arrow_forward

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