Weekend Stupid Questions Thread – 23 July 2022

36 comments

1. Two days in a row I am having calf cramps when I sleep. Any remedies to recommend?

2. What’s the deal with not being able to visit people in hospitals still persisting? I could go walk around and wait in the lobby/hallways all I want but I’m just not aloud to go in the room? I’ve had a hard time understanding the reasoning behind it.

3. I’ve mentioned before about the Japanese language apparently not having a word for “douchebag” despite their (douchebags’) obvious existence in the country.

   More recently, I talked with two Japanese people about “flirting” and they both agreed there’s no Japanese language equivalent; that the English word partly encompasses a few words like 口説く, ナンパ and イチャイチャ, but there’s no direct translation.

   But obviously these two people could be forgetting something or I might not have explained it properly. So do you guys know any Japanese word that means “flirt”? Or is this another piece of vocab absent from the language?

4. So it seems that taxis allow taking pets (cat in my case). But what about the city buses? Can I take the bus with my cat? The cat is inside a transport bag of course, it’s also not a big one.

5. Moving apartment. The new place has a a washing machine tray space thing that looks like this https://ibb.co/4smWVcm

   It’s 59cm from one side to the other, but only 46cm up to the drainage pipe. The estate agent said that we’d probably have to hang a washing machine over the edge of the tray and use books or some other object to stabilise it, so that the drainage pipe can be connected properly to the washing machine.

   Is this tray just designed for very shallow washing machines, or is there some method to be able to install washing machines of area 59×59 cm^2 in the tray?

6. How do you dispose those dehumidifiers? Like pour the water and throw it or leave the water and throw it?

7. Any tips when reaching out to landlords?

8. Any sponge recommendations? I mean for general use in the kitchen for dish washing. I have a Sponge Daddy from my home country and I love it but don’t wanna pay 2500¥ for it on Amazon. I wanna get one for my bf’s place because he cooks a lot and his sponges get worn down so easily. I am a clean freak so I do enjoy testing out sponges, but if anyone has a “holy grail” type sponge they use, lemme know!

9. I have an interview for a part time gig soon. In the email, they said I don’t need to wear a suit. Should I go for business casual or casual is just fine?

   specifically, they said, “スーツ以外の格好でご参加をお願いいたします。”

10. Anybody eat a whole food plant based diet in Japan? Someone recommended I do on the complaints sub bc I went to the doctor w tachycardia and high blood pressure. I get the blood test results back on Wednesday and probably more tests done, but I am thinking changing diet/losing weight can only help in my case. Looking for some tips/easy meals to throw together when I don’t feel like cooking

11. Ok sooooo I have some old cans that have gone bad that I would rather not open but might be required in order to recycle… is that just what I gotta do? Or is there a way to just.. get rid of it? lol

    (Reminder that this thread is for stupid questions and I am, therefore, sticking to the theme)

12. Does anyone else’s Japanese partner absolutely hate Enka music? Do young people tend to think it’s lame/cringe/awful?

    I quite like it but my husband can’t stand hearing it haha

13. Yea 2% is quite high, shop around. Also consider a variable rate loan too, as they are way less.

    One thing to note is that 2% (or less should you find better than 2%) is on the assumption you’re a resident of that home. If you leave Japan or change address then the home loan interest will also increase.

14. they can be used in either drain. It has enzymes and orange oil, so no foul chemical smells. I get mine from PAL system. Amazon also carries it. 排水管とまってキレイ 6g×10錠入 There’s a smaller size package (4 ?) too if you just want to try it out. I don’t use it as much in the bath drain (laziness on my part bc I store them under the kitchen sink), but your comment reminded me that I should. Without this drop-in stick, that drain has gotten a little yucky to clean. Thanks😊

15. Does anybody have a “western” recipe for 冬瓜? Looking around, I find only Chinese style recipes, which of course makes sense and surely taste great. But just to mix things up I was wondering if I could swap it in for a butternut squash soup, or something like that.

16. Any good kn95 masks for kids(4 and 6), want to take them to the states but will have to transit on a domestic flight to do so.

17. Trying to get from Naha Airport to Moon Beach in Maeganeku by public transport (we don’t drive), but we land at 10:30pm. Google Maps didn’t come up with any suggestions other than wait til morning.
    Any pointers?

18. Where can I buy melatonin(5mg)? I see few options online but dunno if those are legit.

19. if you live in Tokyo, do you hang clothes on the balcony? is it too dusty to do so or is it eminently tolerable?

20. Sorry for a crude topic:

    Japan has a creepy obsession with micrometer-thick condoms, ‘like it isn’t there’, etc. The default condom in my home country is way thicker than here.

    I don’t want to feel better, I want to last longer. Can anyone recommend some thicker condoms / ones aimed at no more finishing early? One brand I tried recently absolutely clowned me.

21. is there ANY atm here that lets me withdraw in nominations of 1000 yen with an international debit card (bank of america)?? all of them want at least 10,000 minimum and it’s so annoying

22. I have an iPhone 8 from Softbank. When I move to the U.S. in a few months, can I use it with a U.S. carrier, like AT&T, Consumer Cellular or Verizon, etc.? (I’ll be pinching pennies like crazy, so anything I can save on, I’ll try.)

23. I’m fresh off the proverbial boat (Got my zairyou like 3 days ago) so I’m still getting used to the atsui, so I have a question related to that.

    How do people feel with regards to tank tops? I love wearing them, especially in this weather, but I don’t think I’ve seen anyone wear them here aside from other foreigners…

24. Has anyone ever re-tinned their cookware in Japan? Hoping for a recommendation or two on where to go to get that done. I can definitely do a search to find a place, but thought I’d reach out here first.

25. I have a friend traveling from the states to Singapore with a layover in Japan. They wanna bring melatonin with them and we’re asking if they can bring it with them since they won’t be leaving the airport.

    Will they run into any problems if it is just a layover and they are not actually entering the country?

26. My left eye has suddenly been twitching, particularly in daylight. If this isnt a sign I’m getting old and falling apart… anyway, is there any diy remedy like otc medicine/eyedrops I can take?

27. I haven’t been to a swimming pool for ages and wanted to look into indoor pool options in Tokyo, particularly in/near Shibuya. Are there any good resources or suggestions of public or inexpensive locations that are fine with tattoos? This has been an issue for just finding a regular gym, and I know it’s especially a big deal for public pools too.

28. So, Magic the Gathering:

    Can anyone tell me about the MtG scene in Japan? Just moved to Chiba and would like to know how it’s currently going over here. Still popular?

    Any good websites to buy cards at, besides stuff like Mercari? A store aggregate site like TCGPlayer would be great.

29. Boyfriend has a fever of 39.5~40 and suspects it’s Covid. He hasn’t been answering his phone, I assume he’s just sleeping, but when we last spoke it sounded like he couldn’t find a clinic to see him because of his fever. I suggested he might want to call an ambulance but he seemed hesitant. What should he do? He is in Komae.

30. Recently-arrived white guy here. Earlier today I went shopping at the local MyBasket. When it was time to check out, there was no one at the register, so I waited. More people gradually queued up behind me, and we all just sort of stood there. After about five minutes, a worker got behind the register and started scanning our purchases.

    Is there something I should’ve done or said to get a cashier? Because I was at the head of the line, maybe I had a responsibility. I know in restaurants I need to call for service.

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32. Has anyone done 医療脱毛? Any company you can recommend?

33. Any recommendations and info for e-scooters? My wife and I are thinking to buy a couple for each of us, but still unsure which one compliant to the law and regulations here, and where is it okay to drive them around

34. Any successful ways people have found to network professionally in Tokyo?
    I work at a gaishi and would like to meet similar people in that crowd.

    If possible in my age range (30s) since we’re at similar spots in our careers.

    ACCJ feels quite transactional and a little fake…TAC is pricey…

    Any other thoughts?

35. Still waiting on mail my sister forwarded (new credit card) from the US on May 6th of this year, and I’m wondering at this point would it be better to cancel the card and try again with a faster shipping method. Anyone have any recent experiences with receiving letters from the US?

36. When I went to a 7-11 ATM today to draw money from my home country bank account, it asked me if I want to deduct my balance in yen or in my country’s currency. Previously they didn’t ask this question, so I’m assuming it’s because of the shitty yen rate situation?

    If so, which one should I choose to get the most money/deduct less from my account?