CONTRIBUTED BY JEANINE CZUBIK
Having just surpassed the one year point on Okinawa, I feel especially aware of the proximal occurrences of Veterans Day and Thanksgiving. Whether it’s living so close to base, participating in more spouses events, or simply living overseas, I am particularly overwhelmed with gratitude. Thankful for our military sacrificing their freedoms to provide ours. Thankful for my husband and the opportunity to live overseas, and experience the Okinawan and Japanese cultures.
When I contemplate my first year, I am also thankful for the shopping opportunities. There are many things I’ve discovered in the local ecomony that have me astonishingly remarking: genius. My husband would argue that the multi-function toilet seats qualify for this designation, but so many times these are practical and inexpensive items I find that simply make life better. Some of them I have learned about on this website, like the mesh bags for the kitchen sink. Genius. Others I’ve found at the 100 yen, like the thin magnetic whiteboard calendar I put on the fridge in an attempt to keep my husband in the loop of my schedule. Maybe not so genius, but darn convenient.
When you're out shopping off base, what are the things you buy that make life better?
I buy my kids’ toothbrushes from the Monkey Store. They cost Y99. I’ve paid over $2 for the same toothbrushes at the BX. I also buy my kids the spoon/fork lunchsets from the 100 Yen Store. They’re cute, come in a variety of designs/characters, and can be reused instead of wasting plasticware.
Hello Jeanine,
Thank you for the post. I never knew about the mesh bags. Our garbage disposal in MFH isn’t the best. Maybe the mesh bags will be a great solution.
Joanna, good to know about the tooth brushes too.
Can’t wait to see what other great shopping ideas get posted
Take care ~DB
One of the things I just love here is the packaging. Even the cheapest 100Y toy is in a plastic bag that has the sticky on it so that you just peel it open instead of having to RIP into the bag. So VERY Japanese!
Although this doesn’t necessarily make our life easier, one of the things which we look for that is unique to Japan is the different flavors of kit kats. It’s become one of my family’s favorite games- finding new kit kats. In the last couple of months we’ve tried orange, V-8, bubble gum, Benimo, apple vinegar, what I call ‘vanilla twist’ and green tea. It’s a fun thing to look for and my kids love it. When we are able to find them they are generally at the Lawsons or similar stores and usually not the stores closest to the base. Although we have found them at the Max value before. Try them. It’s kind of a fun tradition/game to start