Tropical fruit salad-inspired condoms… — I recently took a trip to Brazil and fell in love with the island of Florianópolis. The nature is stunning, the quality of life is like nowhere else and men are hot. Today, I want to talk about something that surprised me during my visit — Brazilian condoms! Yes, you…

When books are lost in translation — Mr. Kazuo, my manager, called me at his desk. He had a “gift” for me. This was very unusual in Japan, especially in the context of business. He handed me a package, and I could see he had ordered from Amazon. The package wasn’t that big, so I thought it…

#5: Gaman, the stoicism of samurai warriors and the resilience of survivors of natural disasters — For nine years, I lived in Japan, pursuing what I thought was my dream job. I had always been captivated by Japanese culture and learned the language at age 16. Later, I got a master’s degree in Japanese language and civilization. My expectations of the country were heavily influenced by…

Did it work? The answer is… — A long time ago when I was still young and unconscious, a complete stranger offered to hold space for a sex ritual supposed to heal my vaginismus. Vaginismus is the body’s automatic reaction to the fear of vaginal penetration. Living in Japan had left me traumatized by sex and my…

People hardly ever look into each other’s eyes (except maybe during love-making). — Years ago, during my initial introduction to tantra, I recall a specific exercise that left a lasting impression on me. I sat face to face with my partner, John, our hands resting on our laps while gazing into each other’s eyes for an uninterrupted thirty minutes. A lot happens during…

Keep an open mind — It’s important to know what you want in a romantic partner. It’s equally important to keep an open mind, not to miss out on potential meaningful relationships. In fact, sometimes the person who’s right in front of you may be the perfect one. …

Curiosity killed the cat — Anxiety can often lead us to do things we regret later on. In my case, there is one experience that still haunts me to this day. I gave in to my anxious impulses and looked through my fiance’s phone to see who he was texting. As I’m sharing this story…

Such as having an exit plan! — I naively thought I could meet a boyfriend through Tinder because it has worked for me in the past. Let me reformulate what I’ve just written. My friend Kaitlin naively thought we both could meet a boyfriend on Tinder because it worked for us in the past. Tall, blond and…

Fancy cocktails and 350 sex toys to try — I’ve encountered many weird things during my time living in Japan but nothing was weirder than “Shibuya’s Vibe Bar Wild One.” This is not a bar with chill “vibes” as I first thought when I heard the name. “Shibuya’s Vibe Bar Wild One” is actually a sex toy bar that…