Movie: Bakemono No Ko (The Boy and the Beast)

Bakemono no Ko (バケモノの子) is an award-winning animated movie released last July 2015.  The plot follows a kid, Ren, who ran away from home after his mother died, thinking that his father has abandoned him.  He walked the streets full of anger and hate – until he ran into Kumatetsu. Kumatetsu is one of the top contenders […]

Crepe Amelie

I’m not a big fan of desserts, so when I stumbled upon Crepe Amelie’s Dulce de Leche, it felt like love at first sight (or taste, rather). Just cutting through this masterpiece, cream oozing out of each layer of crepe – looks and feels so good. And the moment you take a bite – bursts […]

Oshaberi Salon – Tanabata

The Japan Foundation Manila (JFM) is organizing an Oshaberi Salon this July 8 for Tanabata! The Oshaberi Salons are different “Japanese-speaking” activities where Nihongo enthusiasts can freely join and practice their Japanese. To be honest, I have never attended one session (because I get intimidated by those who speak good Japanese), but to those of you […]

Anime: Attack on Titan

I finally got around to finishing all available episodes of Attack on Titan on Netflix (US)! It is as good as people say it is. I did not read the manga, so I really had no expectations on the story, nor saw any of the twists coming. Warning: Spoilers ahead! Eren is your typical protagonist […]

Travel Expense Tracker for Groups

Have you ever had a hard time tracking your travel budget and expenses, especially when you travel in groups? I have created a very simple Travel Expense Tracker that automatically does this for you. The tracker is saved on Google Sheets so you and your travel buddies can access and update this at the same […]

Japan Tourist Visa Application for Filipinos

The application for a Japan Tourist Visa is not as difficult as let’s say, applying for a US Visa.  Everything is coursed through an agency, and there’s no need for personal appearance (with the Embassy).  Japan has relaxed the requirements for Filipinos to encourage tourists to visit their country. Traveling to Japan is at its […]

5 YouTube Channels for Japanophiles!

Don’t we all wish we live in Japan? Unfortunately, most of us don’t. Fortunately, the Internet helps bridge that gap to a certain extent. Here are 5 YouTube channels you should follow to keep the Japanophile in you alive! 1. JPCMHD (Japanese Commercials in HD) – Japan is so unique and creative in so many ways, that […]

#Thirstday: The Bottle Shop

There was a time when I went out for drinks with friends every Thursday night, and we called it “Thirstday”. Today, I thought of reviving that tradition – it might not necessarily be with the same friends, but I wanted to introduce a different place each week where you could go chill and enjoy the weekend one night […]

Utada’s Back With 2 Digital Singles

Utada’s back with 2 new digital singles – 真夏の通り雨 Manatsu no Tooriame (Midsummer Showers) and 花束を君に Hanataba wo Kimi ni (A Bouquet For You). Manatsu is the theme song to NTV’s news show, “NEWS ZERO”, while Hanataba is another theme song for a drama called “Toto Nee-chan”. If you don’t have it yet, you can […]

Oasis, The New Kindle E-Reader

The new Kindle is here – called Oasis, this is a thinner, more powerful, albeit significantly pricier than its older brothers, Kindle Paperwhite and Voyage. What’s new? Ergonomic design – the new Kindle Oasis features a handgrip on one side so that the weight of the device is near your palm, just like when you’re […]