How to clean toddler teeth?

I think it is not safe to use a toothpaste for a toddler even if the manufacturer says it is safe. I never used a toothpaste for my son who is a toddler, as the dentist has recommended to wait until he can spit the toothpaste out.

In Akachan honpu and Kawachi, it is possible to find wet tissues for cleaning toddler teeth, I think it is the safest one. The tissues are called in japanese: HAMIGAKI NAPPU (歯磨きナップ）.

Mugi-cha

Roasted barley tea is the best drink for summer, called also mugi-cha in japan (麦茶), it is a popular tisane made from roasted barley. In Japan, it is regarded as a summer beverage. Many people in Japan believe that mugicha helps to cleanse the body.

You can buy prepared mugi-cha from shops, but I prefer to prepare it at home. I bought a bag of roasted barley (198yen, topvalue brand), the bag contains 52 small bags. I put one small bag in 1.5l of water and put it in the fridge for about 1 or 2 hours and the mugi-cha is ready.

You can give mugi-cha to children, it has no side effects. In the nursery school where my son is, they start to give mugi-cha from age 6 months. In shops specialized with baby food, it is possible to find mugi-cha for babies.

How can you travel cheap in Japan

You might be interested in discovering the beauty of Japan. Have you heard that traveling in Japan is very expensive? Well, traveling in Japan is not necessarily expensive. Fortunately, there are cheap ways to enjoy traveling in Japan.

• Transportation: Japan Railway (JR) provides very cheap tickets that you can use to take JR trains anywhere in Japan. These tickets are called 18 kippu. They are usually sold during vacation (see here). 18 kippu are sold as a set of 5 tickets. You are allowed to share with other people. One 18 kippu costs 2.525 円 (about 24 $) and you can use it for 24 hours with different JR trains! So convenient. You can plan your trip in advance by using this database of transportation in Japan.
  

• Hotel: There are youth hostels (Japanese website, English website) everywhere in Japan. Usually, one night costs around 3000円 (about 29$). Youth hostel is a dormitory, where you share your room with other people. An excellent opportunity to make friends. Women dorms and men dorms are separated in Japan. In some youth hostel you can stay in family rooms, but usually they are more expensive. I personally like staying in youth hostels because they are clean, cheap and offer a friendly environment, like a home!
  

• Food: Generally, the managers of youth hotel provide you with sanitary hot water if you ask. Now, you may ask what you can do with hot water. What about having Nescafe with sweets that you brought from home as breakfast? What about having sea food cup noodle as dinner? Moreover, some youth hostel have shared kitchen. So nice, you can cook your dinner and prepare sandwiches or obento for lunch.

Finally, is it safe to travel in Japan? Yes it is! Actually, Japanese are glad to meet foreigners that are interested in their local customs and sightseeing. If you behave politely and respectfully then you receive warm welcome and generous help.

Enjoy your trips :) !

A website to share Crime Announcement in japanese forums

I read that Japanese launched a website to share Crime Announcement on internet. The website is Yokoku.in where anyone can share crime announcements that can be found on any Japanese online forums.
I tried to see the website but it looks that it is not working for the moment

This is inspired by the stubbing in Akihabara on june 8, to prevent another crime at an earlier stage. The 25-year-old man went on a killing rampage in central Tokyo on Sunday, he posted a series of messages on an online bulletin board from his cellphone. He wrote that he intended to use his vehicle and knife to kill people in the central Tokyo district of Akihabara. Seven people died and 11 were injured. Kato was splattered with blood when he was arrested during the attack.
I started to feel that Tokyo is no more safe for families, may be it is exaggerated but when I think about the victims who died on that day, they did know that their lives will end like that. May be they were just walking or shopping. May Allah protect us inshallah.