Women love to shop. And the women’s love for shopping does not fade by age. One Thursday at 9:30 a.m., I passed by a supermarket and saw five to six women making a line in front of the supermarket. They were all around aged the late 60s to 80s wearing walking shoes. Some people held their shopping carts, and others held mobility aids. “Why do they come early even to wait for opening the supermarket? ” I wondered.
Interviewing senior people makes us well prepared. When I conducted a one-on-one interview with a woman aged around 65, I had to be in the interview room much ahead of time. Then, I prepared my mind for good listening and good observation. “Your respondent is here. Are you ready?” A receptionist told me 10 minutes before the appointment time.
A couple of days ago, I took a train in the suburb area of Tokyo. It was just before lunchtime, the autumn sun shone sharply through the windows, and all was a little chilly. There was plenty of space and free from the rush-hour crush of workers and students.
On a Saturday afternoon, I sat down on a chair at the entrance of a department store to rest my tired legs after shopping. At the entrance, there were two elderly women with silver hair sitting next to me and were talking to each other. “Do you often come to this department store?” asked one woman. “No, the first time in three months. I used to come here for shopping every week when I was young.
On April 26, 2019, around 20 Japanese professionals with different backgrounds participated in our sensory workshop in Tokyo. People came to the sensory workshop with various degrees of sensory research knowledge and industries, such as marketing research agencies, fragrance, and printing companies.
The Japanese government revealed the name of the new nation’s era as “Reiwa (令和)” on April 1. The government says that the English translation of the new era name is “beautiful harmony.”
Blooming Sakura tells us that spring is coming. The cherry blossom front (桜前線, “Sakura Zensen”) moves across Japan from the south to the north, from February to May.
“Wow! How cute this bento is!” When you see a bento box of a kindergarten kid, you may find a smiling face on the Onigiri. You can see that the hand-made bento makes the child smile by looking at and tasting it.
Japanese gardens are known for their tranquil atmosphere and lack of noise. Although they are quiet, the serene visuals and pleasant aromas have a calming effect on the mind.
It’s enjoyable to tune into Japanese TV food shows that showcase various restaurants and food shops from morning until night. These programs capture the details of the food, including how it appears when eaten.
