Basics & Culture
Fundamentals of fair splitting, Japanese warikan culture, etiquette, and money columns.
Why a Licensed Architect Built the Bill-Splitting App FAMI-KAN — It Started With a Notebook and Guesswork Back in College
Back in college, I was the designated driver who loved to drive — so I ended up writing down everyone's expenses in a notebook after every trip. I had a calculator, but sorting out who paid what, and adjusting for the junior members, was pure guesswork. The numbers never quite added up. That hassle followed me into adulthood, until I finally built the bill-splitting app FAMI-KAN myself. Here's the developer's own account of why.
Is Warikan Common in Japan? A Tourist's Practical Guide
Separate checks are refused at most Japanese restaurants. Learn what warikan means and how tourists can split bills smoothly without blocking the register.
What Is Warikan? Japan's Bill-Splitting Rules Explained
Warikan in Japan is not the same as going Dutch. Learn the unspoken rules at izakayas, when betsu-betsu is acceptable, and how mixed groups settle up.
"Going Dutch": The Surprisingly Petty History Behind It
Curious why splitting a bill is called "going Dutch"? The answer lies in 17th-century Anglo-Dutch rivalry and an insult that became a modern social norm.
Why We'd Rather Lose $50 Than Ask a Friend for It
You negotiate salary easily but stay silent when a friend owes $47. Behavioral science explains why — and why a shared system beats a direct ask.
Tipping at Group Meals in the US: What You Actually Owe
Tipping on a US group dinner confuses even regulars. Learn when auto-gratuity applies and how to calculate 18-20% fairly when splitting the bill.