Key Takeaways
- Last month, I toured Japan for three weeks. As you know, I was very excited. I had high expectations for a country that I had for years dreamed about
- And when you have high expectations, you can be easily disappointed.
- But Japan didn’t disappoint — it exceeded my expectations.
Last month, I toured Japan for three weeks. As you know, I was very excited. I had high expectations for a country that I had for years dreamed about seeing.
And when you have high expectations, you can be easily disappointed.
But Japan didn’t disappoint — it exceeded my expectations.
I loved Japan! Loved it beyond anything I expected. The food, the people, the architecture, the culture — it was bliss.
Just how much did I love it? Let me count the ways:
1. The Beautiful Temples and Zen Gardens
The temples of Japan are beautiful. The bells, the Zen gardens, the bamboo, and the torii gates really do instill a sense of peace and serenity. Best of all? You can find them all around the country, from big cities to rural towns. If I ever settled down, I’m going to create one of these in my own garden.
2. The Delicious Sushi
Sushi was one of the things I was most looking forward to eating while in Japan. After all, Japan is the birthplace of sushi. To be completely honest, even the worst sushi I had in Japan was still as good as the average sushi I’ve had elsewhere in the world. That’s how good it was!
The sushi trains (those little conveyer-belt sushi shops) even had great toro (high-quality tuna)! And the best sushi? The Michelin star, drain-your-wallet kind? So good, it makes you cry tears of joy. The flavor, the soft texture, the moist rice — heaven. I’ll be going back to Japan just for more sushi!
3. The Politeness
I couldn’t get over how amazingly polite everyone was. People went out of their way to be helpful. While getting lost looking for my Couchsurfing host, a guy walked me all the way to the address to make sure I got there. And a security guard who spoke no English just walked me to the ATM because he couldn’t explain the directions.
There was always an offer of helpfulness at the slightest indication of confusion. There was always an apologetic “sorry” — even the signs, when letting people know something was not allowed, began with “sorry.” There is simply a courtesy and helpfulness that permeates the soul of Japan.
4. The Friendliness
The woman who ran out of her house to talk to our tour group. The man who let everyone take 1,000 pictures of his dog. The college students to whom I gave English lessons. The owner of the noodle shop who spoke no English but wanted to have a fake game of baseball with me when I told him I was American. The old couple who just smiled at me while I ate at their sushi restaurant and gave me a thumbs up every time I said oishii (“delicious” in Japanese). The man who helped me place my order in Japanese and was shocked when I knew the names of fish in Japanese. Everyone was just helpful and genuinely friendly.
You don’t find that kind of genuine kindness in many places.
5. The Weird Boyfriend/Girlfriend “Service”
While in Osaka, my Couchsurfing host took me to the nightlife area and we did a little people-watching. There on the street were young men and women dressed in bad pop-star outfits chasing down rich men and women in order to be their “friend for the night.”
And I don’t mean in a sex worker kind of way. They are simply paid for their company (and even bought stuff!). Strange, right? (How come no one pays me to hang out with them?)
Apparently, they earn up to $1,000 USD for this per night, and there’s no expectation of sex at all! This makes the list for one reason: it’s fascinating. Talk about something that is culturally Japanese! I could sit there on the street with some popcorn and watch as girls and boys dressed like anime characters chase after sugar daddies and mamas who might buy them drinks or bad outfits.
6. The Cool Bullet Trains
Bullet trains cut nine-hour journeys down to 2.5 hours. That’s what more of the world needs. Spacious, clean, fast, and semi-perfect — they just need Wi-Fi and electrical outlets. They aren’t super cheap, but if you get a Japan Rail Pass you can ride around the country on a budget and save a ton of money!
There are also lots of other cheap ways to get around the country, too!
