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 just because the trip was long and intimidating, 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 needed to chill and follow their lead. That was perfect for me - I could rest easy knowing I wouldn’t fall off a cliff 10 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 smaller city further inland. We visited a bunch of Shinto and Buddhist shrines along the way, collecting stamps in a small book we bought. Each shrine has a unique stamp to commemorate your trip, encouraging tourists to travel far and wide. We collected about 10 stamps each and came home with an awesome souvenir.
The food was a major highlight for me. Thanks to the great dollar-to-yen rate back then, we were able to eat amazing food at insanely low prices. Sushi was especially cheap since it’s a native dish and not the “exotic delicacy” we pay boatloads for in the States. We became regulars at a small bar where you stood at the counter and ordered sushi directly from the chef. Getting recognized by the staff after a few visits was a cool experience.
Yet surprisingly my favorite meal of the trip wasn’t sushi. It was a lesser-known meal called “teishoku” (定食) that’s basically a big platter of side dishes. You order from a list of options like miso soup, edamame, ginger, and tempura, all of it served in one go. This was a great way to try out new dishes, even intimidating ones like nattō (sticky, fermented soybeans). I would combine everything into a single bite and just bask in the flavor. Like the sushi bar, our preferred teishoku place was tiny, easily missed, and run by a crew of passionate people. Wandering down a random alleyway can reward you with some killer food in Japan.
Other fun stops are posted below. I highly recommend Japan to anyone who can stomach the 10-hour plane ride - it’s an awesome time!
