Ramen discount, Japan's best outdoor hot springs, and Pokémon Day festivities
・J A P A N・
 
Breaking the ice
 
February in the UK blew us off our feet with celebrations of love and friendship as well as storms that made us hold on to our hats. The lifting of all restrictions in England felt like the end of an era and had us waiting for more signs of spring.
 
In Japan the announcement of floating hologram registers at convenience stores kept the excitement levels high which were further amped up by Pokémon Day festivities. Everyone was expecting to see some sunny weather but northern parts of the country got covered with even more blankets of record-breaking snow.
 
Let’s take a look at what else is happening in Japan right now, get some inspiration for later, and explore our Postcards from Japan on February's philosophy of taking small-steps, KAIZEN!
P O S T C A R D S 
from
J A P A N

New day, better me
We started this year filled with hopes to finally stick to our resolutions but just like many times before, that exercise schedule didn't work exactly as planned, and that's where KAIZEN 改善 comes to the rescue!
 
Taking small steps to progress towards our goal is key to KAIZEN which means 'continous improvement'.
 
It's often used in traditional crafts and business but relates to those little things we do each day like going beyond your step goal, spending five minutes a day on your Japanese language practice, or sticking to those meditation plans!
 
This month we had a chat with our friends in Japan about all the challenges they have turned into opportunities and revisited a friend from the Tohoku region who'll be joining our talk at Japan House!
 
Here are a couple of things we learnt along the way:
1) When preparing for your trip, focus on casual phrases and daily conversation 🎌
2) Otaru and its charming canal is a beautiful pace to visit in Hokkaido in winter ❄️
3) Michinoku Coastal Trail in Tohoku is Japan's longest official walking trail 🥾
 

Read on below for more
That’s it from us for this month!
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