It’s already warming up, and I hope (fingers crossed) that the coldest part of winter is behind us. But there’s nothing like a strong wind to ruin a day. To help keep it cozy in my room, at least, I tape bubble wrap over the window glass, and seal the edges with packing tape. The bubble wrap helps put a pocket of air between the room and the window, the same way that double-pane glass works, and the tape, of course, seals the edges from that strong wind. I have to go out in the cold no matter what, but at least when I get back my room is a little bubble safe from the winter.

I really enjoy onsens and spas, though my budget doesn’t let me visit them often. So imagine my joy when, browsing the 100 Yen shop for much more boring supplies, I found an entire shelf of little one- or two-time use bath salts and aromas. Even if you don’t read Japanese, you can easily spot them thanks to the big colorful drawings of people (or cute animals, or in one case a daruma) soaking peacefully in a bath. Figuring out which scent is which is easy, too, with the pictures of flowers, pine, and lemon on the front. It’s not quite up to par, but I’m still glad the 100 Yen store is helping me create a budget spa experience.

Anyone who has grown up around snow will laugh at me, but this winter, after Tokyo’s big (and only, so far) snow, I learned the magic of table salt. The steps in front of our house had iced over, and it was too hard to break apart easily. Coming from a place that doesn’t have snow, I thought that the salt that they sprinkle the streets with to de-ice them was some kind of special formula. But, faced with slippery steps every time I tried to leave for work, I decided to see if the bag of table salt in the kitchen would do the trick. And it did! I threw handfuls of the stuff onto the sheets of ice, and they crackled and broke apart right away.

So, a lesson for all of us who aren’t so familiar with snow. Thank you table salt.

There’s a Japanese saying that goes “If you’re prepared, you’ll have no regrets.” Earthquake preparedness is an important part of living in Japan, and an important part of making sure you get through a disaster with as little stress as possible. Do you have enough water in your house, or non-perishable food, to last you and your family for a week? What about flashlights, extra batteries, or an emergency plan to notify your loved ones that you’re okay? Though it can be a little stressful to put these things together, as in a way it makes the idea of another disaster more real, that will likely be worth the relief that this preparedness provides if a disaster does happen. Next time you have a few hours after work, school, or on the weekend, get an earthquake preparedness kit and an emergency plan in place. If you’re not sure what your kit needs or what kind of resources are out there during a disaster, volunteer organizations like WaNavi (www.wanavi.org) provide free resources. Stay safe!