2024 Japan Trip
Last year marked my first trip to Japan, something I’d wanted to do for a very long time. I’ve been studying Japanese for a few years and grew up playing Japanese games, so the visit was long overdue. I held off mainly because I hadn’t travelled overseas before, but then the perfect opportunity landed in my lap - two globe-trotting friends asked me to tag along. They’d visited before and already cooked up an itinerary, so I just had to chill out and follow their lead. That was perfect for me - I could rest easy knowing I wouldn’t fall off a cliff five steps from the airport. I learned that Japanese cities are super tourist-friendly after arriving, but I still needed an extra push to take the plunge. I appreciate my buddies for that.
The trip lasted two weeks. We spent the first half in the capital city of Tokyo and the second in Osaka, a relaxed city further inland. We visited a bunch of Shinto and Buddhist shrines along the way, collecting stamps in a small book we brought. Each shrine has a unique stamp to commemorate your trip, encouraging tourists to travel all over the country. We collected about 10 stamps and came home with an awesome souvenir.
The food was a major highlight for me. Thanks to the great dollar-to-yen rate at the time, we were able to eat amazing food at insanely low prices. Sushi was especially cheap since it’s common in Japan (and not the “exotic delicacy” we pay boatloads for in the States). We became regular customers at a sushi bar where you stood at the counter and ordered directly from the chef. Getting recognized by the staff after a few visits was a cool experience.
My favorite meal of the trip wasn’t sushi, surprisingly. It was a more obscure meal called “teishoku” (定食) that’s basically a big platter of foods. You order from a list of side dishes like miso soup, edamame, fish, and tempura, all served at the same time. This was a great way to try new foods, even intimidating delicacies like nattō (sticky, fermented soybeans). My go-to technique was combining everything into one bite and just letting the flavors go wild. Our favorite restaurant was tiny hole-in-the-wall run by a passionate crew. Wandering down a random alleyway can reward you with some killer food in Japan.
Other fun moments are posted below. I recommend Japan to anyone who can endure a long plane ride - it’s an awesome time!
