Foreigners blogging about life in Japan
Many foreigners who life or regularly travel Japan blog about their experiences. These blogs often are very personal and full of small treasures such as nice anecdotes, travel tips, interesting food and gadgets and much more.
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Directory of foreigners blogging about Japan
The Black Belt Blogs
These are the veterans that are established for a while and also are recognized as top blogs by other bloggers and the media.
Green Eyed Geisha – Japan like you’ve never seen it before from the skewed perspective of a foreign (at least to some people) twenty-something living with her Japanese beau in Tokyo. Learn more…
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Black Tokyo – Black Tokyo was created to provide a voice and a network for Blacks living in Japan. BT also seeks to provide news on Japan and will address inaccurate or false information, stereotypes and other issues concerning Blacks in Japan.
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Surviving in Japan – The unconventional how-to guide for living in Japan with unique how-to’s, tips, guides and resources for expats living and “surviving” in Japan. This blog is from Ashley, who also writes the Lifelines column in the Japan Times. Learn more…
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The Adventures of a Foreign Salaryman in Tokyo is written by a 30-something foreign guy slaving away as a mid-management salaryman in the corporate world of Japan. His blog related wonderous tales of his adventures at work and general life in Tokyo as he tries to balance work and family. He has a very unique style to select topics and write about them. This blog was selected by CNNgo as one of the top 10 Japan blogs 2010. Learn more…
Kirainet – This is the blog of Hector Garcia who also is the author of the book “A geek in Japan”.
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Where Mt. Fuji meets Matterhorn – Japan explained from the inside with a global viewpoint. A swiss mid-aged lady who has travelled the world sharing her observations and experiences in Japan. Learn more…
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Loco in Yokohama is the blog about the life of a black american in Yokohama. “Loco in Yokohama started back in late 2008, borne out of my desire to share the things I was seeing and experiencing, and the life I was leading. It was simply a reason to write. It’s come a long way (as have I) and the best is yet to come.” Learn more…
This Japanese Life
The Blog of a New England expat’s “self-help guide” to surviving in Japan. Learn more…
The Green Belt Blogs
These are the challengers who blog for more than a year but have not yet received the public recognition to become a black belt. Let’s have a close look for a great emerging blog.
Paul Hartrick dot com – Australian writing about this and that he observes in Japan.
Michael John Grist – Micheal has a special interest in all kind of ruins and write about Japan in general and more specifically ruins in the real world as well as in fantasy worlds.
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JINGRISH – This is a funny blog that pics up funny Japanese-English on signs and advertisement in Japan.
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Japan it UP! – is a blog of a american graduate student writing about his experiences and areas of interest in Japan.
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Jamaipanese – is the personal blog of Kirk Brown, a young Jamaican living in Kingston who has a great interest in Japan and its people. Learn more…
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A Modern Girl – This blog is about living in Japan and writing from the viewpoint of a so-called modern girl (モダンガール) – independent and living in the city and being model consumer.
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Uchujin – The Blog of Adrian Storey a.k.a. Uchujin a photographer and film maker living and working in Tokyo. Learn more…
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Whoa I’m in Japan – If you’re looking for an insider view on what it’s like to live and work in Japan, you’ve found it. Want a detailed breakdown on the nitty-gritty of life in Tokyo? Check out Amanda’s diary. You want to know the issues she faces as an expat in Japan? Click over to “What’s up with this Place” and read her editorials. Or maybe you’re more visual? Well in that case check out her youtube channel and “virtual Japan” series. Learn more…
The Brown Felt Hat is the blog of an Australian living in Fukuoka but also reporting about trips to Kyoto, Tokyo and Hyogo with many photos. Learn more…
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Budget Trouble – This is the blog about personal travel and experiences of a woman in Japan. It features many nice photos and the travel reports follow the Japanese seasons. It also was featured by Lonely Planet. Learn more…
Japan Blog for Foreigners – Japanese male student from Nagoya writing articles about Japan for foreigners.
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Pink Tentacle – provides stories about Japanese art and technology often around recent news or trends.
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My Japanese Experience is about exploring Japanese language and culture with some focus on calligraphy, food and many beautiful photos. Learn more…
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Tiny Reactors – A personal perspective on living in an out-of-the-way place in Japan. I try to comment on social and political events, religion, philosophy, literature, and language. My blog features photos of the natural world and some of the things that I find on my various excursions. My interests are varied and I hope that my blog reveals some of that. Learn more…
Japan Australia is a blog about Japan containing useful tips and advice for living or travelling to Japan. It is dedicated to Japanese travel, food, cooking, fashion and culture. Learn more…
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Just a Gaijin Mama – An American mother and wife reviews random Japanese items used in her daily life. These reviews often are related to Japanese food and snacks. Learn more…
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Resident Alien – I’m an EFL teacher/parent/occasional translator (Japanese to English) whose children were raised and partly educated in Japan. Having lived, studied, and worked in Japan for 17 years, I still enjoy reading and speaking Japanese, and my children strongly identify with Japan. I blog a lot about life in Japan, Japanese customs, the Nihongo Noryoku Shiken (I passed level 1 over 20 years ago), Japanese people I have known, stereotypes about the Japanese (and other Asians) and teaching in Japan. Learn more…
Hey from Japan – A humorous description of life and learning in Japan. I cover places, culture and anything Japanese. Learn more…
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sleepytako came to Japan in 2005 to study at a university in Kobe. When he’s not working, sleepytako is taking photos of urban detritus, working on cataloging and visiting the various onsen and sento in Kansai, and slowly completing his goal of riding every train line in Japan. Learn more…
The Temple Valley Times is the online English language newspaper for Temple Valley, a neighborhood of Craneview ward, Yokohama, Japan. Learn more…
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Big Sushi, Little Fishes continues the on-again, off-again narrative of my adventures as a long-term expat in Japan – a narrative first started some thirteen years ago with Postcards from Hokkaido and maintained sporadically through other efforts such as Tokyo Kills Me. Learn more…
Caroline’s Life in Japan is about life, food, fashion and love in Japan. Learn more…
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Jay Dee in Japan shows the experiences of a Canadian living in Japan, as well as many photographs. You can find out what it’s really like to live in Japan. Features include Japan by Train, a walking guide for neighbourhoods around train stations. Learn more…
BIG IN JAPAN I’m Portuguese, but I’m not sure where my home is… Now I live/work/study in Japan, tomorrow… I have no idea 🙂 Learn more…
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Evening Lanterns From England to Japan to the Prairies of Canada and back to Japan again. Exploring all things artsy to the ugly in a cultural way. With lots of photographic images for company discovering this quirky country, a second time around. Learn more…
Life of a Foreign Hachikin “I write about my daily life in Kochi prefecture, Japan, the punk music scene around Shikoku, my own band, my travels, food, and art.” Learn more…
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Short, Small & Sweet The adventures of a dimpled girl living and working in the smallest prefecture of Japan. I’m Ru, an ALT on the JET Programme in the small city of Tottori. This blog is a record of my life in the city of Sand Dunes + pears, travels around Japan, things I like, and occasional doses of food ventures. Learn more…
Teach Yourself Japanese Follow the misadventures of missing American Eddie Trombone, described in a manuscript believed to be written by Mr. Trombone that was found in an abandoned Osaka apartment and is being pieced together by the friendly staff at the US Consulate. Learn more…
Fish ‘n’ Chips with Soysauce Daily life ramblings of a half Japanese British chic who is in the middle of an identity crisis while currently working in Japan, specifically a winter wonderland. Content involves a lot of travelling, food, fashion, music, pop culture as well my struggling to balance and understand the two cultures I am born with. Learn more…
Kansai Gaijin A fun perspective on travels in Japan from an American studying abroad. Focus on shrines and temples, shopping districts, and random cultural experiences during a 9 month-long stay in the middle of Kyoto and Osaka. Learn more…
Living in Fukuoka 
Posts from an EFL Teacher, American Expat, and Mother living in Fukuoka, Japan.Learn more…
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Muzuhashi ムズハシ
Reflections on life in small-town Japan, including translations, TV, music, school life and cycling. Learn more…
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Japanese Rule of 7
The authors relates his life in Japan in a very humorous way. He also gives advice on the reality of living and working in Japan. Learn more…
Usolee’s Weblog
Everyday here may not be sugoi, but sugoi things happen everyday. Learn more…
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Paperdoll…
The Blog is about an Australian girl who teaches English in Japan and observe the Japanese Culture from with humor. Learn more…
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The Japan! Japan! Blog
A blog about a Filipino student in Japan with anecdotes on food, culture and especially bento. Learn more…
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Having a ball in Japan
A blog about the adventures of a volunteer fire fighter and great fan of football in Japan. Learn more…
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Tubby Gaijin
This blog is about the life and travels of a British web designer in Japan. With beautiful pictures and posts on many cool-geek Japanese events, this blog is a good way to discover Japan through its pop-culture. Learn more…
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Mochigashi
This blog is about a young women living and working in Yokohama, Japan. With tips on living and pictures of traveling this blog is a help for foreigners planning to stay/staying in Japan. Learn more…
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Rachel Lake
This blog is written by a Canadian girl living and teaching English in the Ehime prefecture, Shikoku. With posts on her travels outside of Japan too you will discover with her the life in Japan. Learn more…
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Like Some Cat From Japan
This Blog is written by a American girl in her twenties married and living in Kansai. While teaching English in Japan she also discovers the beauty of the Kansai region and share our thoughts about life in Japan, culture facts and so on. Learn more ….
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Haddock and Dill
This blog presents daily posts retracing the life of an American family in the after-war Japan. The author kept the complete collection of letters sent from her mother to her grandmother between 1941 and 1979. More than a blog about life in Japan it is a real piece of history revealing us the lifestyle of Japanese people after the war through a beautiful writing and many illustrations. It is a must read blog for anybody interested in Japan’s History! Learn more …
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Japan As I Find It.
This blog has nice pictures along with complete and comprehensive posts on various topics mostly about living, travelling and discovering in Japan. The Irish author is a young woman living and working in Tokyo. Learn more…
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Tokyohometown 
This blog is a photo blog showing many weird aspects of Tokyo but also the funny, interesting and cultural aspects. With regular post more or less long it is an interesting source of information for any Japan lovers. Learn more…
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Chasing cherry blossoms This blog is about the life of a JET in Japan living in rural Japan, discovering the culture and travelling around. Learn more…
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Camachosan This blog groups many short articles with beautiful pictures and photos of the authors tribulations in Japan. A clear and nice blog to discover life in Japan and its more or less known tourism spot. Learn more…
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Upbeat and Downstairs A blog about the life of an expat in Tokyo with events, food reviews. Learn more…
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Tokyo Desu This blog is written by two foreigners living in Tokyo and writing with humor and sarcasm about all of Japanese weirdness and extravagance. Discover another, weirder, side of Japan. Learn more…
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THE WHITE BELT BLOGS
Many blogs only are maintained for a year and then abandoned. The white belts are blogs that have not yet seen their first anniversary and therefore still have to show that they will last. Let’s encourage them by visiting them and giving advice where necessary. After completion of the first year of existence the white belts graduate to green belts.
1000 Things about Japan – We all know the feeling when being in Japan. There are things we love and things we hate about this country. This is a very nice collection of the things we might miss or not when eventually leaving Japan. Learn more…
Intheinaka is a simple blog documenting the travails of one British exchange student living in and experiencing the Japanese countryside. Bringing you photos from Matsuyama City, Ehime Daigaku, and anything I happen to lay my viewfinder on, and my ramblings on many things Japan! Learn more…
GETtoJAPAN.com is committed to helping those interested in Japan and learning Japanese get to Japan. We introduce a 6-step process in which users can effectively implement from virtually anywhere in the world, in order to obtain the proper motivation to effectively learn Japanese, and the knowhow in order to get there. The website offers completely free services full of insightful information about Japan and Japanese from those who have “been there and done it.” Learn more…
Life in the Land of Wa – A Canadian couple with two small kid’s preparations to move to Japan and what they encountered when they arrived. Daily life, travels, discoveries, and frustrations for a family of four in Japan. Learn more…
July’s Culture Medium – This is about an american gal turned Japanese “salaryman” for a while, blogging her experiences as she and her daughter moved from Silicon Valley to Japan and beyond.Learn more…
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Dai Gaijin Big Japan Visits – Once a year I escape S.W. Ontario and run loose in Chiba / Now Zushi, Kanagawa prefecture for a few weeks! Minimal knowledge of Japanese, poorly xlated google maps, and a nice 1 speed bike! Helpful hints on buying too much fun gomi online, building a bilingual XP pc, visiting fun places and eating yummy food! Learn more…
In an eye’s wink – An Indian’s blog, studying Japanese language and culture as a major at University. Learn more…
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The Pink Spider Web – A Swedish young lady writing about her travel in Japan, food as well as Japanese music and concerts.
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Always a Gaijin – This Blog is about providing News, Information, Stories etc, that the writer found concerning, interesting and maybe comical living In Japan As A Gaijin.
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Japan Translated – Topical Japanese news stories adapted and translated into English, along with fun facts about lifestyle, business, culture, food and entertainment in Japan.
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Adrienne in Japan – A blog about a Canadian girl living and working in Nagoya.–
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Half Rife – The Japanese often refer to people of mixed descent as “haafu” (half). Not half-Japanese, or half-something, just half. It’s as if they don’t realize that the word half means hanbun (half-of-something). Maybe I should go around referring to Japanese as jyuubun, literally ten parts of something or whole. My life is rife with this. Or is it my rife is life with this? Learn more…
Dream of Nippon It’s about the “desperate” struggle to gather money to visit Japan, and at the same time giving my wife the honeymoon of her dreams. Learn more…
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Rurousha My blog focuses on life in Tokyo, but it often wanders off track and ends up on a mountain. I write mostly about “old” things like mythology, traditional customs and Tokyo’s shitamachi; but I also enjoy hiking, fishing and photography. Oh, and books. Lots of books. Learn more…
Everyday Japan is about the every little thing that happens around me in Japan. The topics can vary from Japanese culture to local food, even fashion and people, but mostly focus the various places I visit in Japan. The main feature is to present light reading and nice pictures about Japan. Learn more…
The Expat Wife A luxury lifestyle blog written by an expat wife currently living in Tokyo. Learn more…
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We Love Kansai A blog about life in the Kansai area, a relatively unknown but very chill part of Japan. Through informative and personal posts, I hope you’ll get a feel for life in the part of Japan and perhaps make a point to visit some time. Learn more…
Aidan in Hospital Leukaemia patient (AML), about to have bone marrow transplant in Japan. Blog will chart my progress. AIDAN IS IN NEED OF A BONE MARROW DONOR!!! Learn more…
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The Mad Poppet Crazy about Japan is a blog dedicated to chatting about Japanese culture, news, technology, entertainment, and pretty much anything Japan related that interests me. Learn more…
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Susie Somewhere A blog about my new life in Sendai. I’ll be writing about settling in, my perceptions of life in Japan, and about pursing my interests (food, crafts and the outdoors) here in Japan. Learn more…
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Chuckzilla Eats Tokyo is the blog of a Canadian teacher at an international school and lives in Japan for the first time. It is a nice documentation of his impressions of Japan wit many pictures. Learn more…
Travel Japan I’m living in Japan as an English teacher for the next few years. While I’m here, I’ll be traveling to everywhere from Okinawa to Hokkaido and writing about life in Japan and any cultural differences I experience.Learn more…
An Englishman in Japan My blog allows me to combine some of the things I like doing best – writing, photography and travel. My daughter set it up for me as a way to share my experiences with friends and family at home, but my objectives keep growing. My blog is a personal view of the things that I see around me in Japan. Learn more…
Zoooming Japan does what the title implies. It zooms Japan, bringing it closer to everybody and offering a lot of details about the country.As the author lives in the countryside, it gives you a different insight! Japan is not just the big cities! Learn more…
Alisa’s Own Blog Kids blog by a Japanese/American kid living in Japan and going to Japanese school. Learn more…
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With Aloha from Japan A collection of thoughts, opinions, adventures (and/or misadventures) of a Hawaii girl and her husband during their time in Japan. The blog covers topics such as food, travel, shopping, sightseeing and any other topic of interest to the author. Learn more…
The Girl in Translation It has been a dream of mine for years and years to live in Japan. I worked hard to make that dream a reality and I am about to embark on the adventure of a lifetime. It occurred to me that someone might actually be interested in reading this tale. So, here it is, the story of that journey. Learn more…
Life in Japan Daily comic strips about life in Japan. I’ve been living in Japan, teaching English, studying Japanese, and drawing comics since 2004. …blogging since, 2011. Learn Japan…
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Julie Learn Japanese – Ikimasho! My adventures in learning Japanese and my love affair with Japanese culture, history, pop culture…From the day I fell in love with Toshiro Mifune-san to the day I found myself singing children’s songs in Japanese class with my fellow adult white non-native speakers… Learn more…
Aussie On The Izu After revamping the website in February 2012, this blog now serves as a space for my ruminations on life, travel and Japanese culture . At first, my goal was to make the website a memento of my time on the JET Programme but I have found that I enjoy dispensing advice and travel tips so I am hoping it will become something more. Join me as I discuss life on the Izu Peninsula under the shadow of iconic Mt. Fuji! Learn more…
Hokkaido Kudasai Every day life and all things new for an American who recently moved to Japan. Learn more…
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The Only Blonde in Osaka 21 year old blonde Kiwi seeks fame and fortune via pretentious and gimmicky travel blog that will inevitably discuss mundane observations of an exchange student’s everyday life in Osaka, Japan, with a special focus on Japanese toilets. Learn more…
Grinning Studios is a blog about creativity and creative people in Japan. On the pages you can find information about creative people and events, interviews, a podcast and more! Grinning Studios is all about telling the world how creative you are. ”Stay Creative, It’s Good For You.” Learn more…
Viva la Highstreet!
The reason nah reasons I started this blog is firstly because this blog is sort of an amalgamation of my three hobbies
clothes and shoes and make up and bags, clicking pictures of others as well as mine writing. Learn more…
The Japan Rants
Rants and raves about Japan, Japanese Culture and Life in Japan. Some are just for fun, some a little more serious.Learn more…
Me, A Cranberry Ale
Blog of a foreigner (third-generation Japanese) living in Japan who has many passions. Learn more…
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Life is a Journey
Notes about traveling and living in Japan. The articles are written either in English, Indonesian or Japanese. Learn more…
Bunny & Spice
The author shares her daily life in Japan as well as advices on Natural Beauty Products. Learn more…
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Tadaimatte Japan
The blog is about the difficulty the author had to re-adapt to her home country, the reverse culture shock and how to find way to reconnect with Japan once home. Learn more…
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Tokyo Consult
This blog is about traveling and photography, for now it is only about Tokyo. Learn more…
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Japan Trip Blog
The blog of a newlywed couple who went traveling in Japan and took videos of what they saw. Learn more…
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Registered Alien
This blog is written by a Canadian man living in Tokyo with his wife and two kids. Through the blog he explains his view on Japanese culture, teaching English and living in the capital. Learn more…
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Japan Finds
This blog is about a Japan lover and writer living in Tokyo. In this blog you can find posts about traveling, culture and also the Anime, manga and cosplay. Learn more…
Gaijin Go Japan
This blog presents different places in Japan where the author went his girlfriend and her family. With maps and breathtaking pictures it is an ideal guide for people wishing to plan a trip to Japan. Learn more…
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Tokyoburgers
A blog about the quest for the best burger in Tokyo with pictures, addresses and evaluation. Learn more…
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Life in the Land of the Rising Sun
The blog of a newly married couple living in Japan and exploring all the beauty of Japan’s nature. Learn more…
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Sneak in Japan
This blog is a lot about Kendo but also about life in Japan in general. Learn more …
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Dario no Tabiji ダリオの旅路
This blog presents the impressions on Japan of an Italian man. It offers some nice posts on culture and tourism in Japan. Learn more…
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…and they lived Happily Ever After..in Japan 
This blog is about a young American woman who married a japanese man after college and is now living in Japan. Learn more…
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Purple Pen in Japan
This blog is written by an ALT from the Philippines whose living and working in Japan. With many anecdotes about working as an ALT in Japan and and practical advices on living in Japan this blog is very interesting for anybody who is or plan to live in Japan for a while. Learn more…
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Sakura Panda Tea Time
This blog is about the life of an English man and a Chinese woman living and discovering Japan through fun and interesting videos.
There are also many interesting posts on cultural aspects. Learn more …
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OkiNinjaKitty
This blog is about the life and travels of Kathryn who lives in Okinawa. With articles on many of the different beautiful sceneries and places to be of Island, her blog is a great source of information with beautiful pictures. Learn more…
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Kyoto Baths
This blog present an interesting insight in a place every foreigners know about but that many of us don’t dare to enter: The public baths or Onsen! Discover the best Onsen places in Kyoto through this site. Learn more…
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Life in Japan A funny and easy to read blog made of comic’s strips. In this blog you discover the family, work, life of a foreigner married in Japan. Very interesting and with great graphics. Learn more…
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Sumo Joe says… This blog has three authors, all passionate about Japan, who share their thoughts, impressions and passions for Japanese culture. Learn more…
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Wander in Japan A blog about an Italian man crazy with Japan who travels there even just for a weekend. Learn more…
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Deep Japan An original shape for a blog, here you can ask questions and the replies will be given by a team of foreigner living in Japan for a long time. It is the principle of “Senpai” where you are taught by the ones with more experience. Learn more…
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Wander Tokyo A blog with travel information, cultural facts but also good tips and living and food. Learn more…
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Tokyo Trendy is a blog with beautiful pictures of many of the best places to go in Japan as well as food review and cultural post. A great blog to inspire your own trip to Japan. Learn more …
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At our blog you will learn all about living, working, and traveling Japan. As well we cut through the hype and negativity about teaching English here and, have down to earth advice on how to teach English in Japan. Learn more…
JAPAN BLOG DIRECTORY 
Just a small correction-Life in the Land of the Rising Sun has been maintained since August 2010. Thanks and happy reading! 🙂
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Hi, thanks for pointing this out. We already fixed it.
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Surprised to see 1000 Things About Japan in the white belt section, too.
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We just renewed the site and give up the belt concept.
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I want to make a correction as well.
“Zooming Japan” has been around for almost 2 years now, so you might want to move it into another category. Thank you! 🙂
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A year later and I see that this list hasn’t been updated.
I hope somebody can find the time to update the list soon and finally take my blog out of the “white belts”. My blog has been around for several years and has not been abandoned ever.
Thank you.
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Just a good resource for anyone wanting extra/movie work in Japan. There are jobs that pop up with no experience required on http://www.alttokyo.com. Currently the acting/movie producers group have some extra work next month near Ueno.
here is direct link http://www.alttokyo.com/groups/film-making-acting-extras/
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Hello, this is a great Japan blog from Indonesia: Jepang.net
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Lets go to japan, They are all a nice and very care of foreigner
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Hi!
Thanks for this list.
I’d like to add my own blog, “Texan in Tokyo” – I’ve been blogging for just over 2 years (as the white wife of a Japanese salaryman) and just passed 1,000,000 page views.
The link is http://www.howibecametexan.com
Thanks!
Grace
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Have a look at my blog. It’s about my experience in Japan. I am updating it regularly. It’s discoverjapanwithnanachan.com
Hope you like it. If you have got any comments or tips just post them on my blog and I will answer you.
Arigatou gozaimasu
ありがとうございます
Nanachan
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http://suntorytimes.blogspot.jp/
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