ALT August: How to Live Happy and Healthy

Posted on 08/10/2021 Last updated on 10/05/2021

CONTENTS

Hey guys! Welcome to your summer vacation. If you’re like I was, you’re new here and you don’t know many people yet. And you don’t have much money to throw around. While this combination of factors might seem less than ideal, never fear! You, too, can enjoy a month’s vacation for the books without blowing your budget (and even without friends!) There are a few factors that are going to go into making the best of this month:

Photo by Julie Fader on Unsplash https://unsplash.com/photos/n8EfDqmzn5M

Get Fresh Air and Get it Daily!

August isn’t ‘my’ month, exactly. What I mean to say is that I have quite an aversion to summer temperatures. Still, it is so important that we get outside every day. Personally, when I wake up, and I have nowhere that I have to be, necessarily, so it’s very easy for me to accidentally not leave my apartment. During this happy and healthy summer, my friends, keeping yourself locked inside is not an option. The solution to this is a morning daily walk. Morning sun is some of the best for us.

But, you may be thinking, this is impractical. I don’t want to wake up in the morning and go for a walk. And that’s why you’ve got to give yourself an incentive. Every morning, you’ll not just walk (while listening to music or a podcast that interests and/or motivates you, might I suggest), but you’ll walk to somewhere. A conbini? A grocery store? It depends on the time you head out the door.

For a budget-friendly summer, allocate a set amount (like 200-300 yen) to spend on this daily breakfast (or lunch) purchase. Don’t forget to account for the 10% sales tax! The price, including tax, is often displayed on each package in a non-emboldened font above the item cost. Maybe try something new every day, or maybe find a favorite and stick to that. To get the most from this experience, I suggest you don’t limit yourself. If you think I am telling you to consider ice cream for breakfast, you’re correct.

Eating as you walk is a slight faux pas in Japan, but ‘reading the room’ is even more important, I daresay. If you are in an area where no one is around, and your ice cream will melt in between the time you’ve purchased it and the time you get to your next destination, eating it as you walk won’t hurt anyone. Just be neat with it. If you really feel self-conscious about it, find a nice shady spot to sit or stand while you eat, like your own little picnic-on-the-go. There are a plethora of parks across Japan, even in the biggest cities. If you’re like me, you can take your morning snack with you to a park bench and enjoy it there, before heading to your next destination.

Be Flexible!

I am someone who benefits from a schedule. I know this. And I have a hard time setting one in an informal environment, like my apartment. Know thyself, and do what’s best for you. For me, it’s probably best that I keep to my school schedule, to a degree. I am most productive in the morning, especially once I have eaten, and so I would take a daily trip to the library at this time.

In the library you can: study Japanese, study some other academic material, read a book, plan lessons for autumn, budget, daydream and write or draw about it (maybe even while listening to music), study and learn to play cards or chess, read all about a hobby you think is cool but with which you haven’t had much exposure. This is your summer vacation. Keep it light! Keep it fun.

Stay at the library for an hour or three. And then! Go somewhere. You can be flexible about this! Make a list of places you’d like to explore or things you’d like to do (suggestions below) and choose one while you’re at the library. Or put the activities on slips of paper in a zip-lock and draw one so you don’t have to make a decision.

On moderate weather days, why not take the train to a stop you pass every day and wander around? Take some cool photos of yourself and remind yourself what a complete rock star you are for so many reasons, not the least of which is that you live abroad, which is something many people will never be able to say they have done. Post one or two online if you’re looking for remote human contact– genuinely, people who are still at home love to have a glimpse at the sights we come to accept as ordinary (you could also post a photo of your morning snack if you have one you find exceptionally delicious and/or interesting).

If you don’t want to take photos of yourself, look for beauty all around you and snap pictures of whatever catches your eye. You might even buy a disposable camera from somewhere like Don Quijote (an adventurous afternoon exploring this place in and of itself) and snap what will be tangible photos. To get the film developed, take it to a camera shop. By the end of summer, you’ll have physical souvenirs of your time here that you’ll be able to keep and admire no matter how long you stay or where you someday live.

Go to a shrine and/or a temple. They are everywhere! They’re beautiful, and so peaceful and pleasant. Make a list of all of the shrines and temples in your area and check them out one by one. Go to a museum and/or a garden. There’s something for everyone– Google is your friend. Go to a movie. If the weather is too much, go from one indoor setting (the library) to the next. Go to a store and window shop (or actually shop, if you’d like to and can afford it). Thrift shops, furniture stores, appliance stores– it’s so interesting to compare store items here with what you’re used to.

The flexibility here is key. You could set up a different afternoon activity for each day of the week (Monday Movies, Tuesday Temples, Wednesday Window Shop, and so on) or, again, you can just randomize what you do every afternoon. After that, it’s time to go home. Depending on the time, you can stop by the grocery store on the way back and pick up something for dinner and/or the following day’s lunch, or you can go home and head back out around 19:00 when many next-day grocery items are reduced (much less expensive than having to rely on conbini options on the fly, regardless of whether or not you’re buying the groceries at a discounted rate). Which brings us to…

Photo by Marek Piwnicki on Unsplash https://unsplash.com/photos/4ypXMUtbJug

Eating Healthy!

Like many places, the following would make an inexpensive basic grocery list in Japan: Chicken breast/thigh, Ground beef, Eggs, Yogurt, Milk, Chickpeas, Corn, Onions, Bean sprouts, Iceberg lettuce, Cabbage, Daikon radish, Carrot, Potato, Ginger, Garlic, Bananas, Apples, Oranges, Rice, Noodles, Bread

It’s common knowledge that fruits and vegetables in Japan can be exorbitantly priced, but this isn’t true of all fruits and vegetables. Especially if you supplement the inexpensive produce on this list with the occasional splurge on something pricier than it might be at home. If it’s for the sake of variety and listening to your body, I think you’ll find you won’t end up feeling deprived or too pained by grocery prices. Meats (and fish!) are far more affordable here than they are in many places, and that helps balance the budget.

From the above shopping list, one can easily make a classic American breakfast (good for an anytime meal) of eggs, hash browns, and toast. French toast is also an easy one here (maple syrup is surprisingly easy to find, near the cereal/bread/jam section). Sweet or savory omelets. Fried rice. Pulled chicken sandwiches. Stir fries. Soups. Slaws (incorporating apple!). Salads. Mediterranean chicken or beef sandwiches. All are possible with a little planning and preparation. But the question is; do you really want to?

If you like to cook, the sky’s the limit, but if not, I don’t blame you, especially when it comes to trying to keep your apartment cool. It was a pleasant discovery to learn that Japan’s readymade grocery options are not going to break the bank, especially because there is not much space for food preparation in my kitchen. Also, it’s summer. Give yourself a break. Treat yourself to food that requires no preparation effort from you if you feel like it.

On the other hand, if you actively enjoy spending time in the kitchen, and if you have the apartment space, Japan is an excellent place for culinary adventures. So many options and so much room to explore. I personally don’t have much kitchen space, so I’ve been a bit lax in my kitchen experimentation, but rest assured that even limited, it is possible to eat well and affordably on these islands.

Photo by Samuel Berner on Unsplash https://unsplash.com/photos/8ySFhqh5P6o

Conclusion

Japan can feel like quite an isolating place when you’re new here. While the suggestions I have outlined in this article may sound a little cheesy, taking care of your mental health is not something to be taken lightly. Please enjoy your summer, and for this month and beyond, never miss the chance to keep yourself physically and mentally well.

Of course you may feel like taking a couple of days a week to just do your morning conbini run and then come right back home to chill and watch YouTube or Netflix all day. Maybe you’d rather not grocery shop every day and would like to reserve a day for meal prep. Wonderful. Do it. But promise me you won’t forget to remind yourself that you’re incredible a couple times and take a few dance breaks if you’re inside most of the day, at the very least. Promise? Okay!

So there you have it! A guide to a simple, affordable, fun summer in Japan. If you happen to have friends (yay you!) all of these activities would be just as fun with company. In any case, I wish you well. As with everything in life: do your best, believe in yourself, don’t quit, and success is yours. September will be here before you know it! Happy exploring!

Photo Credits:

Top photo: Jake Givens on Unsplash

1 – Photo by Julie Fader on Unsplash

2 – Photo by Marek Piwnicki on Unsplash

3 – Photo by Samuel Berner on Unsplash