Travel Gear: Medications

The first time my partner and I arrived in Japan, we were stopped at Customs. Something prompted a search of our bags. Maybe the official spotted that my partner looked rather miserable with a cold.  The official found an American over-the-counter cold medication containing pseudoephedrine. It’s illegal to bring this substance into Japan, but, after…… Continue reading Travel Gear: Medications

Suica Balance

Used NFC (near-field communication) to read the outstanding balance on my Japanese Suica stored-value card: ¥421, almost four US dollars. The balance expires in 2028, but I plan to spend it much sooner than that.