The XQ Sumimasen Podcast

Living in Japan often means running into problems that would be much easier if you had stronger Japanese, more technical knowledge, or enough money to hire someone else. AI has started filling some of those gaps for us, especially when it comes to work, translation, and dealing with Japanese websites. In this episode, Devin and I compared how we use AI in our daily lives as foreigners in Japan. We talked about the things it has helped us create, the time and money it has saved, and the mistakes that remind us why human judgment still matters. Watch the Full Episode Listen on: Spotify Apple YouTube Doing More Without Hiring Someone Else AI became useful to both of us when it started helping with real work. Devin uses it as a copywriter and has also been using it to learn Python and automate parts of his workflow. Instead of manually moving information betwee...

One of the things I love about living in Japan is that I’m still learning new things years after moving here. Sometimes it’s a food I’ve never tried, a custom I’ve never noticed, or a phrase I somehow managed to go over a decade without hearing. Other times, it’s something much smaller—like realizing a hand gesture I’ve used my entire life means something completely different here. In this episode, I talk about some of the Japanese gestures that caught me off guard over the years and the stories behind how I learned them. A few were harmless misunderstandings, while others made me rethink habits I never would have questioned back home. They’re all good reminders that understanding another culture isn’t just about learning the language—it’s also about learning the unspoken ways people communicate. Watch the Full Episode Listen on: Spotify Apple ...

Language never stops changing, and that's something I've noticed even more after living in Japan for so many years. Because I'm not surrounded by everyday conversations back in the U.S., I'll suddenly start seeing words online that seem like everyone else already understands. Half the time I'm left wondering whether they're compliments, insults, or just another internet joke that somehow became part of everyday English. In this episode, I explore some of today's American meme slang and compare it with the closest Japanese equivalents I could find. Along the way, I also talk about how difficult it can be to separate reliable information from recycled internet myths, especially when slang evolves faster than dictionaries can keep up. Watch the Full Episode Listen on: Spotify Apple YouTube Slang Doesn...

Living in Japan has always felt fairly predictable when it came to everyday prices. For years, I rarely thought twice about grabbing a drink from a vending machine or picking up groceries because prices stayed remarkably stable. Lately, though, that's changed. Like many people living in Japan, I've found myself stopping to look at price tags and wondering, "Wasn't this cheaper not that long ago?" In this episode, I share my personal observations about Japan's recent price increases and compare them with what economists, government agencies, and researchers have been reporting. I'm not trying to explain global economics—I'm simply connecting what I've experienced as a parent living in Tokyo with the data that's helping explain why everyday life feels different. Watch the Full Episode Listen on: Spotify Apple ...

When I first moved to Japan, I assumed I had a pretty good idea of what counted as a "bad word." Between anime, Japanese classes, and being married to a Japanese wife, I knew words like kuso , baka , and chikushō . But it didn't take long to realize that real-life Japanese and anime Japanese can sound very different. Words that subtitles translate as extreme insults often aren't nearly as harsh in everyday conversation, while other expressions can carry far more weight than they appear to. In this episode, I break down how I personally interpret Japanese swear words and insults, not by memorizing vocabulary, but by paying attention to tone, relationships, and context. Understanding those differences has completely changed the way I listen to Japanese conversations. Content note: This episode discusses and quotes Japanese swear words and insults. The YouTube version is embedded here because Spotify’s player is not displaying this part...

Living in Japan is full of little moments that teach you something new. Some lessons come through language, while others come from accidentally breaking a cultural custom you didn't even know existed. Most of the time, nobody calls you out in the moment. Instead, you find out later through a friend or family member, giving you the chance to learn without feeling embarrassed. In this episode, I share some of the mistakes I made while living in Tokyo and what they taught me about Japanese culture. None of them were major, but together they helped me better understand the importance of social harmony and why so many customs exist. Looking back, the mistakes themselves weren't nearly as important as the lessons behind them. Watch the Full Episode Listen on: Spotify Apple YouTube Learning That the Little Things Matter ...

Tokyo summers can be surprisingly difficult to prepare for. Before moving here, I expected the heat. What I didn't expect was the humidity. Walking a few minutes outside can leave you completely soaked, and carrying groceries, camera gear, or even a backpack only makes it worse. After more than 14 summers in Tokyo, I've gradually found the clothing and gear that genuinely make everyday life more comfortable. None of this is sponsored, and there are no affiliate links—these are simply the products I bought myself after years of trial and error. Watch the Full Episode Listen on: Spotify Apple YouTube Staying Comfortable Starts with Your Clothing The biggest difference wasn't buying expensive gadgets. It was replacing ordinary clothing with fabrics designed for hot, humid weather. Quick-drying u...

Living somewhere for a few weeks and living somewhere for more than a decade are two completely different experiences. The excitement eventually fades, routines take over, and you begin noticing the little things that make a place both rewarding and frustrating. After more than 14 years in Tokyo, I've had enough time to experience the honeymoon phase, the culture shock, the everyday routines, and the quieter realities that only reveal themselves over time. In this episode, I reflect on what I genuinely love about living in Tokyo—and the parts that still challenge me. Watch the Full Episode Listen on: Spotify Apple YouTube Everyday Life Keeps You Moving One of my favorite things about Tokyo is how naturally active daily life becomes. If somewhere is only a station or two away, I'll usually bi...

Moving to Japan changes more than your address. It changes how you communicate, how you solve problems, and sometimes even how you see yourself. After living here for more than 14 years, there are plenty of practical things I've learned, but the biggest lessons weren't about paperwork or what to pack. They were about mindset. In this episode, I talk about some of the things I genuinely wish I'd understood before making Japan my home. Watch the Full Episode Listen on: Spotify Apple YouTube Learning Japanese Starts Over When You Arrive Before moving to Japan, I thought my Japanese was in pretty good shape. I'd studied it for years and used it regularly. Then I arrived. Suddenly, even simple trips to the convenience store felt intimidating. Conversations moved faster than I expected, peo...

When people picture Tokyo, they usually imagine places like Shibuya, Shinjuku, or some other part of the city filled with crowds, lights, and tourists. But when you actually live here long term, choosing where to build your life comes down to very different things. I've lived in Kasai for more than 14 years. It isn't one of Tokyo's famous neighborhoods, but its location, transportation, green spaces, and local community have made it a practical and comfortable place to raise a family and build a life. Watch the Full Episode Listen on: Spotify Apple YouTube Why Kasai Works for Everyday Life Kasai is still part of Tokyo, but it doesn't feel like the center of the city. The Tozai Line makes it easy to reach central Tokyo, while the neighborhood itself feels calmer and more residential. Y...

After living in Japan for many years, one thing that surprised me is how my entertainment habits have changed. Before moving here, I actively looked for Japanese music, TV, and anything that helped me learn more about the country. Once Japan became everyday life, though, I found myself doing almost the opposite. In this episode, guest co-host Devin and I talked about the shows, music, games, and online content we actually enjoy after more than a decade in Japan—and how living here has changed the way we unwind. Watch the Full Episode Listen on: Spotify Apple YouTube When Everyday Life Changes Your Interests Many people assume that foreigners living in Japan spend all their free time watching anime, listening to J-pop, or following Japanese television. For us, that hasn't really been the case. Liv...

The pandemic changed every country in different ways, and living in Japan before, during, and after COVID has made those changes especially noticeable. Some shifts happened almost overnight, while others have continued gradually over the past few years. In this episode, guest co-host Devin and I looked at several ways everyday life in Japan has evolved since the pandemic and discussed which changes seem likely to remain. Watch the Full Episode Listen on: Spotify Apple YouTube Everyday Life Looks Different One of the most visible changes has been how people approach health and public spaces. Masks, staying home when sick, and paying closer attention to illness have become much more common parts of daily life than they were before. While some habits are slowly returning to normal, others have become ...