Hanami: You, Me, & 200 Sq Ft in Japan

Julia and Marc are your average creative millennial couple, full of the anxieties and optimism of their generation. When the economy takes a downturn and Marc loses his engineering job, the pair realize that their relative lack of ties means they can pool their savings and his severance to embark on a new adventure: Moving to Japan! (Until the money runs out, anyway…)

The pair move into a tiny apartment and enroll in a local Japanese school as they begin to acclimate to the local culture. Whether learning about the local fire patrol or the beautiful terror of Japanese toilets, the pair embrace their new surroundings with equal parts fear and wonder.

Their journey is documented lovingly by Julia herself. Fans of anime and manga will notice the cheeky influence of noted mangaka (manga artists) like Akira Toriyama (DragonBall), Rumiko Takahashi (Ranma 1/2), and many more throughout the book, alongside thoughtful and heartfelt cultural observation.