Something that many of us as foreign parents in Japan are surprised at is the amount of candy Japanese mothers feed their kids - especially in public, such as on the trains and in supermarkets. It seems that the need to keep the kids orderly and quiet supersedes any health concerns and so at the first whine from the stroller, out comes the candy. We can only assume that what goes on in public is probably continued to some degree at home and so you have to wonder if this is setting an extremely negative diet pattern for these kids later on in life.

This week's Gadget Watch focuses on cameras and related bits, with a few miscellaneous goodies thrown in too.

The Japanese take their work seriously, and thus most jobs available are “full on”. This means that your working hours and your stress levels are likely to be high, and of course this takes a toll on your body in general and your eyes in particular. Some of the most common eye conditions that you can come down with are also the most embarrassing, namely styes and conjunctivitis (“pink eye”).

There have been three key things that document the passage of time that I thought I’d share with you on: failing eyesight, dental work, and staying fit. The chances are that you are not 50 yet, since most of us come to Japan when we’re young and footloose, so I’ll try to keep things generic.