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This year I was going to do my little trip through some parts of Asia and Japan was MOST certainly on the list. In fact, I was going to end my trip in Asia with Japan. Thankfully I was able to go to China and was so happy to see the Harbin Ice Festival, which was absolutely amazing. BUT, I digress. Needless to say, the pandemic totally put a screech on my trip.
The reason why I pick specifically Japan is because its one of my favorite places in the world, for many reasons. The people, the food, the culture and many more. So I am curious to know what do you guys miss the most about Japan? If you've visited the "land of the rising sun".
What I miss the most about Japan:
-The convenience stores AKA "Konbini". Yes, we have them here in America and throughout North America. Other than WAWA here in the east coast of the U.S., nothing compares to the Konbinis like in Japan. We got 7-11 here but again, it can't even compete with Japans. Japan's 7-11, Lawson, Family Mart (Daily Mart is a hit or miss with me) are simply wonderful. The food selection is quality and plentiful, its always so clean, no bums hanging about, so easy to get almost anything you need, inexpensive, clean bathrooms. When in Japan I purchase at least 80% of my food and goods from Konbinis. I practically live off them while in Japan. Its TRULY convenient.
-Arcades and pachinko. The arcade scene in Tokyo and Osaka are definitely much more alive than here in the states and I absolutely LOVE hitting up the arcades while in Japan. One of my favorite things to do is to hit up a konbini, get me a beer and cigarette and spend/waste (depending how you look at it) my money playing plenty of 2D side scrollers and fighting games. The pachinko is something else. Insanely loud and so addictive, I see why some of the Japanese are so into it.
This may be a bit TMI for anyone who's sensitive
-Public bathrooms. Yes. Yep. In most places, I absolutely try my best to use the public restroom. Well, for urinating, I can do. For defecating, no way. In Japan, totally different story. I actually made sure I dropped a load a few times. Public restrooms (other than the local parks and even then, not so shabby) are top notch. I would never drop a deuce in a public toilet in L.A., Chicago, NYC etc.
-Public Transportation and the Shinkasen. Tokyo is revered for its magnificent transit system and rightfully so but many other cities in Japan are equally as impressive, sort of. I understand Tokyo handles many more people than so many other cities but regardless. Other than rush hour, I never not enjoy my time on public transportation. In Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, I absolutely love the jingles that every station has, how clean and sanitary the stations are, how orderly people are, how the populace usually monitor their volume. You can see people get funky like a monkey on weekend night but non-the-less, its a pleasant experience for me.
The Shinkasen....I dream of getting back on the shinkansen again. Every single time I am on it, I have the best sleep. Its so smooth, so fast, so convenient, I can keep going.
-Gotchapons. I've spent so much money, collecting so many different gotchapons. They are so quirky and there's such a plethora of gotchapons. Some I still have till this day, they are so much fun. For me anyway! I'm just simply into it.
-The old and the new meet. As high tech as Japan is its actually still in the past in a lot of ways. Despite the major metropolitan areas in Japan, you'll still see much of the past mixed with the new. Many temples right next to skyscrapers. It's so mesmerizing to me.
-Long walks at night time. I usually walk late at night in many cities, no matter where I am at in the world. And I can hold my own, no doubt. Even then, I would be lying if I said I wasn't a wee bit nervous in certain cities, in certain areas at night time. And I know danger lurks absolutely anywhere and that includes Japan. However, walking the streets of Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, Kobe, at 3am feels infinitely more safer than if I was walking the streets of NYC, LA, Mexico City, Juarez, Miami, London, Paris, etc,etc.
I just feel so much more at peace and I love the fact that you can be walking the streets of any big city at Japan late at night and its dead quiet. Yet, not too far away you can run into people partying it up till the next train runs at 5-5:30am (in Tokyo and Osaka at least).
Anyway, I can probably keep showering Japan with superlatives but I want to hear some of your thoughts. So please chime in!
Onsens/Public baths that are in the middle of streams/nature. So peaceful, even moreso being submerged by hot water with snow falling. Incredible.
Politeness & Respectfulness - Having lived in other parts of Asia which are much more loud i.e. Koreans & Chinese. I really appreciated my time in Japan where people used headphones when they wanted to listen to loud TV's, etc. People in Japan are just hyper-aware of people around them, and have it ingrained in their culture not to disturb people through yelling, shouting, loud tvs, etc.
Safety - This is quite common throughout much of Asia....but definitely Japan as well.
Convenience - Everything is built properly so that no matter where you live, you have access to multitudes of conveniences.
Bike Culture - Quite common for older generation to bike everywhere, and stores accomodate them well.
Nature - Mountains & Ocean everywhere within easy striking distance.
I just feel so much more at peace and I love the fact that you can be walking the streets of any big city at Japan late at night and its dead quiet. Yet, not too far away you can run into people partying it up till the next train runs at 5-5:30am (in Tokyo and Osaka at least).
Anyway, I can probably keep showering Japan with superlatives but I want to hear some of your thoughts. So please chime in!
The bolded part is what I miss the most. I don't know why I feel so at peace there, but I do. For me, it is heaven on earth.
I miss travelling via shinkansen. I miss the amazing Japanese bakeries. I miss the adventure, the beauty, the people and the shopping.
I personally think Japan is the best when it comes to product design, packaging and merchandising. I have never enjoyed shopping in the US, but in Japan, I can't get enough and I usually end up buying way too much stuff because everything is so beautifully designed there.
I was doing fine with not missing Japan until I watched this video on YouTube. It represents everything I love about Japan - the scenery, the sounds, the people. I hope to visit again soon!
Last edited by kira kira; 09-21-2020 at 05:24 PM..
Onsens/Public baths that are in the middle of streams/nature. So peaceful, even moreso being submerged by hot water with snow falling. Incredible.
Politeness & Respectfulness - Having lived in other parts of Asia which are much more loud i.e. Koreans & Chinese. I really appreciated my time in Japan where people used headphones when they wanted to listen to loud TV's, etc. People in Japan are just hyper-aware of people around them, and have it ingrained in their culture not to disturb people through yelling, shouting, loud tvs, etc.
Safety - This is quite common throughout much of Asia....but definitely Japan as well.
Convenience - Everything is built properly so that no matter where you live, you have access to multitudes of conveniences.
Bike Culture - Quite common for older generation to bike everywhere, and stores accomodate them well.
Nature - Mountains & Ocean everywhere within easy striking distance.
All the transit options and the walkability. Or I could ride my bike which I did quite often. The Mountains, Mt Fuji or the ocean was there also to visit. I enjoyed all the small towns and the little restaurant's and shops. Tokyo can be overwhelming, but I was always on a train to Shinjuku or Central Tokyo. I really miss how polite the Japanese people are for the most part. I lived about 40 miles north of Tokyo in Fussa. I was based at Yokota AB.. After I lived in Japan I lived in Germany. Other than nearby ocean I had the same amenities. When I returned to the states I found I have never fully adjusted to the US again. Part of me had changed. I don't feel the connection to all the driving, and overall lack of respect in the US. If I was younger and overseas I think I would not want to return to this country. It is a sad mess. Living in Japan is a better quality of life.
So much to list I don't know where to begin. I can piggyback on pretty much every other post so far. For those of you who know me on here know that Japan is my favorite country and wish I could live there although it's not easy for a non-Japanese citizen.
Let me start off by saying I miss not needing 2 things that are necessary in the US: a car and a gun.
- More on not needing a car, the public transportation is top notch. Not only convenient and efficient but very clean. Also the mix of the municipal trains, express commuter lines (Ex: JR Narita Express), and Shinkansen.
- More on not needing a gun, the safety. Also the culture of respect and politeness.
- The technology, like the washlet toilets and the clean public bathrooms as mentioned.
- The convenient stores as the OP mentioned. We don't even have 7-Elevens in Georgia but we have QuikTrip and Racetrac which are a step up from the American 7-Elevens, but nothing compared to the Japanese conbinis.
- The food. Not only the best sushi but food in general tastes better and is healthier.
- The drinks. All the variety of beverages from the vending machines and conbinis.
- The onsens like someone mentioned, but even the household baths with the separate shower where you sit on the stool. The soaps and shampoo have a nice fragrance.
- Many traditions (music, performances, festivals, etc)
- Cherry blossoms and really all 4 seasons. The fall foliage of Japanese maples, the crisp dry winters with occasional snow (especially in the mountains), and the chirping cicadas in summer.
- The nature and scenery (the mountains, cedar trees, rice fields, etc)
- The eye candy. I may be a married man, but doesn't mean I can't enjoy the view. The fashion there is very admirable.
I'll piggyback on all that's mentioned so far and add one more thing: I also miss some of the almost obsessive-compulsive attention to detail to things for such a wide variety of fields and occupations. I have a family friend who does insect collection (mostly beetles of sorts) and would travel to Japan because there's such an intense community of collectors and enthusiasts who really get into the weeds. Another friend of mine studied Japanese traditional woodworking and the quiet intensity with which people honed their crafts was really impressive. This seems to apply to so many areas and fields in Japan and it's heartening to see people find things to really dedicate themselves to.
Visited Japan many times for business and vacation. I’ve been to Tokyo, Osaka and Yokohama.
Loved the safety, cleanliness, shopping, nightlife, dining options, culture, efficiency of the employees, Shinkansen (bullet train) and politeness/helpfulness of the locals.
I’ve spent about a decade in Japan. Absolutely loved it.
The trains in Tokyo are so awesome. Oh my, the restaurants! , the sake and Awamori, Roppongi when I was much younger (definitely not interested in clubbing now that I’m much older), Shinjuku neon lights, Tokyo tower (touristy, but still worth a look just to see how large the city really is)
Climbing Mt Fuji, White water rafting on the Oktama River, jet skiing Yokohama bay. Going to baseball games in Saitama and Tokyo Dome. Sumo matches. So many gardens and lake paths and hiking areas that I can’t possibly remember them all. Hiroshima Peace Park (the devastation of the bomb was really quite profound), Hokkaido Ice Festival, Churumi Aquarium in Okinawa, Ieshima Island.
Man, I did it all! I’m sure I’m missing dozens of things I did.
But the thing I miss most? That beautiful, cool, and calm Japanese woman that I let get away. Every guy has a woman or two in his past that he looks back on and thinks what might have been.
We were there for 4 months from March to July. Really, I miss a lot about Japan, especially my friends in Saitama, Tochiji, etc.
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