Weve

I was initially resistant to the self-checkout kiosks at my local grocery store when they were introduced a few years ago. It didn’t take long, however, for me to start choosing those kiosks when the regular check-out lines were long. By that time, New Jersey had banned plastic bags, so…

This as-told-to essay is based on conversations with Take Kurosawa, 35, and Joey Stockermans, 37, two North Americans who started AkiyaMart, a website designed to help foreigners buy homes in Japan. Since launching in 2023, the site has evolved to not only display listings but also facilitate home purchases. The…