The Total Fertility Rate ("TFR"), measured as children per woman, is the average number of children a woman is expected to produce during her reproductive years if she experiences the age-specific fertility rate and is alive throughout this period. Globally, a TFR of 2.1 is accepted
In recent years, there has been a noticeable increase in financial technology companies, also known as fintechs, that have been gaining market share from legacy financial institutions. Fintechs have sprouted up in various corners of finance, including loans & deposits, mutual fund & share investments and foreign currency exchange. These
30% of your life is spent in the confines of your home, assuming on average everyday you get six hours of sleep, and spend one hour before and one hour after work at home. Given the amount of time spent at home, it makes a whole lot of sense that
"Scope creep" is a term that describes seemingly small and insignificant changes to an agreed plan over time that ultimately results in material budget overruns. This term is commonly used in software development. For example, a Product Manager who wants a feature built lays out the requirements to
When was the last time you came across another person's handwriting? This thought arose during a visit to Dazaifu Tenmangu (Japanese: 大宰府天満宮), a shrine located in Dazaifu, Fukuoka (Japanese: 福岡). In Japanese shrines, you can purchase small wooden plaques called ema (Japanese: 絵馬), write down your wishes and
In the first act of Mr. Bean's pilot episode The Exam, Mr. Bean - played by Rowan Atkinson - sits for a mathematics test. He has come well-prepared and is seemingly confident about his chances of success. That is, until he opens the test paper and realises he has
Extending my visa's Period of Stay is one of the periodic administrative tasks I need to do. In Japan, this is not terribly difficult provided you like following checklists, filling in forms and have all your supporting documents in order. The problem most people face is the long
Summer is now in full swing in Japan. This week, Tokyo has experienced five or so consecutive days of daily highs in the high 30's. In some Japanese prefectures, the daily high has even exceeded 40 degrees celcius. Nearly 30% of Japan's population is aged above
"Breakfast is the most important meal of the day", goes to the common saying. I am not sure whether there is any scientific evidence to support this saying, but it makes sense that following a good night's rest, your body naturally craves a satisfying meal. Every
Enrolment in some form of health insurance is mandatory for all long-term residents of Japan. This applies regardless whether you are a Japanese citizen or a non-citizen resident. Japan has a Universal Health Coverage ("UHC") system funded by a combination of insurance premiums paid by members,
Chances are that when you see a clinic (Japanese: クリニック) in Japan, there will be a pharmacy (Japanese: 薬局) next door or within walking distance. Pharmacies are not to be confused with drug-stores. The former is for buying prescription medication while the latter is for buying over-the-counter
On July 5th (Sunday), I will sit for the N2 level of the Japanese Language Proficiency Test ("JLPT"). This test is administrated by the Japan Foundation. The test paper is divided into three sections: (1) Language Knowledge (Vocabulary & Grammar) (2) Reading Comprehension and (3) Listening. To pass