Joys of Japan
I knew Japan was going to feel different, to be different from much of what I have experienced thus far in my life and in my travels. Because it’s a country with an extensive history of conquest, war, and continual development, I knew it would be at a standard all its own. Of course, we all know Japanese brands like Nintendo and Toyota, which are widely loved and impressive. I have come to love the simplicity of Uniqlo’s clothing, and been amazed by the innovative Japanese technology that “just makes sense” on the internet. However, I found it to be fun to discover these differences first hand.
Other places we have visited like Vietnam and Taiwan, have tumultuous current or quite recent histories that are present when moving about the country. The old flags and frequent spotting of military camo around northern Vietnam in Hanoi, and the recent tension between China and Taiwan were evident. However, the history and culture present in Japan is ancient, expansive, and remarkable. Instead of visiting museums of current conflicts, we learned about the history of the civil conflicts within the country and the conquests to surrounding areas at castles from the 1300-1600s, and even before. It is even possible to visit an old dwelling of ninjas from the 1800s, and see hidden doors and tools ninjas used way back then. The long-standing history of Japan felt different from other places we have visited, although somewhat similar to the traditional culture present in Thailand. Not only do I find myself comparing Japan to other places I have traveled, but also the young and vastly different country I am from, the United States.
We began our Japan adventure in Kyoto, which is sometimes described as “Japan in a nutshell.” It definitely holds within it many historical, cultural, and natural sites that bring millions of visitors. It was my favorite city that we visited on this trip. It was a fairly small city, so it made the adjustment to the country a bit easier. We quickly learned the few train lines and frequented the bus routes. I will be describing several highlights below, and Eric will chime in with his favorite topic, the delicious foods that we enjoyed.
Fushimi Inari Taisha and summiting Mt. Inari. This iconic shrine features thousands of red-orange torii gates, which form somewhat of a tunnel that guides you through various trails up Mt. Inari. Inari is the Shinto god of rice. The torii gates are donations by individuals and companies in hopes for good fortune. "...The custom to donate a torii began spreading from the Edo period (1603-1868) to have a wish come true or in gratitude for a wish that came true, with successive gates being added up to the present day by donors out of gratitude." -Wikipedia. The smaller gates start at a donation of about 400,000 yen (2,700 USD), while the larger ones are over a million, sometimes even 2 million (13,400 USD), like one we saw a guy working to install along our way.
This turned out to be the first of what ended up being several hikes during this trip. We enjoyed some beautiful views of Kyoto, and explored smaller shrines and places of private worship along the way. It was a beautiful introduction to the country and to what would come.
I enjoyed exploring the art in Kyoto, like the old architecture, the wagara patterns found on kimonos, but especially the papermaking. I was familiar with washi tape before our trip, but what you find in craft stores in the states is nothing compared to what I found in Kyoto. Washi is the traditional Japanese practice of making paper from various plant fibers. Throughout the city there are tons of small shops selling various patterns and types of washi paper. I love paper and crafting with it, so this was my dream come true. More than once I explored a few paper stores while Eric patronized the local bakeries or kitchen supply stores.
Rain. Our first day out exploring we did not bring a rain jacket or umbrella. We learned from this amateur mistake quickly. Thankfully, we found ourselves stranded at a peaceful temple that we didn’t mind spending an extra half hour at, but we learned our lesson after that.
We were in Japan during the summer rainy season (June-July), and it did rain frequently, but not too often that it impacted our experience much. One thing that became clear was the preparedness of the Japanese people for rain and sun. Everyone carried an umbrella, each of our hotels had umbrellas for us to borrow, and some shops even offered umbrellas as we waited outside in the queue. The umbrellas were both protection from the rain and the sun. The tip to watch the locals and do as they do was especially essential when it came to this.
Walking. Exploring the cities of Japan is best done by foot, in our opinion. We enjoyed walking through the Kyoto Botanical Garden, along the river, and throughout the city’s neighborhood streets. While we weren’t there during the cherry blossom season in the spring or during autumn to see the brilliant tree colors, we did get to see the blooming hydrangeas and everything was green, since it was the rainy season. We frequently walked along the Kamo River that runs through the city to enjoy the fresh air and beautiful scenery.
During the summer months there is a tradition dating back to the 1600’s called “noryo yuka” or “kawadoko”, which is when restaurants open up outdoor tables facing the river to enjoy the cool breeze and watch all the people milling about the riverwalk paths.
Arashiyama. This includes the famous Arashiyama Bamboo Forest and the surrounding area, which was at the top of many recommended lists online. The bamboo forest itself was lovely, although quite small and busy. It pales in comparison, in our opinion, to other bamboo we have seen (in Thailand or Vietnam).
What I enjoyed more was the Sagano Scenic Train where we got to look down on the Hozugawa River and gorge below.
My favorite part of visiting this western district of Kyoto was the Otagi Nenbutsu-ji Temple, which features 1200 stone statues of rakan, or devoted followers of Buddhism. The temple has a weathered past and was destroyed multiple times due to storms and flooding. However, in the 1980’s and 90s a new priest who also was a sculptor began teaching visitors how to carve the small statues. I spent quite a while taking a close look at each of the characters since they each have a unique and sometimes whimsical expression, position, or item they were holding. One of my favorite temples, for sure.
Tea. Since living and traveling around Asia, my interest in and love of tea has increased dramatically. After visiting and learning about the history of tea making in Taiwan and observing the Chinese and Japanese influence, I was curious to learn more about Japanese tea. In Taiwan, the most commonly grown tea is oolong, and is the birthplace of bubble tea. In Japan however, green tea reigns king, alongside the queen, matcha (ground speciality green tea).
While traveling in Japan, my daily routine included at least one bottle of the original bottled tea, Oi Ocha. Then often I would stop at a teahouse for a cup of hot tea or matcha. In Japan, tea is traditionally served with a Japanese sweet, which isn’t all that sweet compared to American desserts, but is still delicious. Often it is made with mochi, red bean paste, or other delightful ingredients. Watching the matcha experts prepare my beverage was impressive, peaceful, and precise.
Hiking. Our experiences hiking in Kyoto were at times unexpected, but always beautiful and peaceful. After spending a few days in Kyoto we decided to venture north to the last stop on the train line. We headed to Mount Kurama, which included several temples and shrines along the summit path. We hiked up lots of stairs to what we thought was the top, although there wasn’t actually much of a viewpoint. We saw that the trail continued so we followed it through the forest, down the back of the mountain, past many shrines, and to our surprise it led to a nearby mountain town. People were enjoying lunch along the river, but we decided to keep going and walk back to the train station to return to Kyoto.
Since this first hike turned out to be shorter than we expected, we decided to venture on another loop our friend Pepe told us about. We guessed the route would be a pretty chill park-type vibe. We were mistaken, to say the least. Thankfully, we had started our day pretty early so we had plenty of daylight. Also, between the first and second hike we stopped to fuel up at a mom and pop cafe serving home cooked omurice.
After our bellies were full we embarked on what turned out to be quite the hike loop. Immediately, we knew this was not going to be chill or flat. It went straight up from the get go. We ended up hiking up to the top of Mount Daimonji. The view was spectacular and gave a panorama of the whole city of Kyoto. The trail itself had lots of ups and downs, shrines throughout, and additional pathways. It was beautiful with historic, ancient vibes.
We hiked up another peak and ended our hike at Nanzen-ji Temple. By the time we made it to the temple, we looked disheveled and needed a break from walking. The temple had zen gardens, walking paths, and a brick aqueduct passing through the temple grounds. It was buzzing with visitors snapping pictures and looking fresh, unlike us. We ended our day of hiking by walking along the Philosophers’ Path. This stone path follows a canal in a quaint neighborhood in the northern part of Kyoto. This walking path got its name from a famous Japanese philosopher who used to walk and meditate along this route on his daily commute to Kyoto University. It was a serene end to the day.
Foods of Kyoto by Eric
I would like to begin by thanking everyone who gave us tips and recommendations for places to eat throughout our stay in Japan. That coupled with articles from the TimeOut website really made eating an easy task. Ultimately, Japan has endless delicious eats so the cuisine was going to be hard not to love.
We were warned that to eat in Japan, you will most likely be spending much of your time waiting in the queue. From our very first meal in Kyoto, this was true. If there is a line at a restaurant, then it means it’s a good place to eat. The time needed to wait in line quickly became an essential consideration when planning our meals. In fact, we learned that if there was a restaurant we were particularly interested in, we should give ourselves 60-90 minutes before the time we want to eat just to make sure we were in line and guaranteed a spot to eat.
Japanese food is internationally respected and loved, and has some of the most populated cities in the world. For both of these reasons there are SO MANY restaurants everywhere in the major cities. It is common to find ramen shops with 5 seats, sushi counters with only one chef and a few customers, and tiny bars tucked away in the alleys. The number of restaurants is astonishing, even coming from Thailand. Japanese people respond to a dense population with sophistication and can find a space for a delicious shop anywhere, even the smallest of spaces.
Our first two meals in Kyoto were ramen from Honke Daiichi-Asahi and sushi from Sushi Sei. Already both were in the top ten percent ramens and sushi we’ve had. At first we struggled to get our bearings about all the dining etiquette and phrases one should do and say. And even by the end we still were not saying everything quite correctly. During these two first meals, we were fortunate enough to have the chefs and front of house staff kindly show us the ropes by explaining all the components of the meal and what all the sauces and condiments were on the tables.
A perfect example of waiting in line was when we ate at Ramen Sen-no-Kaze Kyoto. We had hiked up two mountains that day and were in need of some comfort food. I can’t think of a better meal than ramen to comfort our aching bodies. Had we known how the next two hours would play out, we would have chosen a different place to eat. We put our names in the queue and waited outside in the waiting area. We ended up waiting almost two hours, which was far too long, however the ramen was by far the best we had in Kyoto and one of our favorites on the trip. The pork chashu was unbelievable and in the end, it was worth the wait but don’t ask me again to wait in that line.
We wanted to continue trying all the hallmark dishes (within a reasonable budget). Our food adventures continued with eating tonkatsu, fried pork loin, from Katsukura Tonkatsu Sanjo Main Store and trying an izakaya, a casual Japanese bar that serves small plates, at a standing bar called Suiba.
Japanese folks take frying anything in tempura very seriously it seems, especially tonkatsu. We opted to try their Hiraboku Kinkaton pork, otherwise known as their “phantom pork” due to its marbling and low melting point. It was incredible. The whole experience was unique. We were given bowls with sesame seeds and were told to crush the seeds and add whichever of their three sauces to it to dip our pork and other fried items we got. While this restaurant was in one of the larger outdoor malls, we still had to walk through a quaint alley to get to it.
Suiba is a great example of a delicious, tucked away spot. It is a small standing izakaya bar that has cheap alcohol and above average small plates. We ordered several dishes including their Japanese-style potato salad, mackerel and okra, chicken hearts, and much more. We went when there weren’t many people, but later walked by and it was beyond packed with people both waiting and eating/drinking outside.
Neither Em nor I had ever tried soba noodles before. They are made of buckwheat and when we looked up places to try soba noodles, many had similar older looking restaurant vibes. Again, like all other Japanese dishes, Soba noodles seemed to be taken very seriously. We chose a long-standing spot called Honke Owariya Main Branch, which has been around for more than 550 years! As we were being seated, we walked through small seating areas where almost everyone was eating in silence. The whole experience was calm, relaxing and quiet. When we got our food, it was basically just the noodles with some light sauces. The focus is on the noodles themselves and the sauces accentuate the flavors of them. It was quite delicious and I hope to visit more soba spots in the future.
Japan has many famous restaurants, and entertaining cooks. The internet has made some of these restaurants quite viral. Kichi Kichi Omurice in Kyoto is probably one of the most famous restaurants in the world due to its internet presence. We hadn’t tried omurice before this, so we had no comparison. We were in the neighborhood at the right time, and decided to wait in line like everyone else for the left over open spots they save each day. We happened to get a spot for later that day and figured we might as well! The experience was pretty unique. There was a bar area for those who reserved seats in advance to sit at and watch “the show”, and a large table for people like us who get in with no reservation and sit at a shared table. Fortunately for us, we were seated at the bar and got to see Motokichi up close. Since we already put in our order ahead of time, he was working on all the mise en place for service.
As a true internet sensation, he provides phone stands so you can easily record as he makes the food. I thought it was pretty good, but wasn’t blown away. Motokichi’s enthusiasm was by far our favorite part. The experience was cool and unique, but I think it’s a bit overhyped.
Later in our trip I was determined to find another omurice place to compare it too. On our way up Mount Daimonji, we found a small ma and pa shop (more like grandma and grandpa shop) called Fu-ka. This spot had a much more chill vibe as we were the only customers there at the time. Their omurice tasted more home cooked with pads of butter around the rim melting into the sauce. That said, I actually enjoyed this one more. It wasn’t as rich or refined but something about it (maybe the waaaaay cheaper price and lack of hype) did it for me.
In Thailand, craft beer is expensive and hard to find. So whenever we travel to places where craft beer isn’t blocked by governmental barriers, we try to indulge a bit. While we found several breweries in Kyoto. One in particular that we stumbled upon was ShalaraCraftBeer. We were served by Leon, a half black American - half Japanese young man who spoke a little English. He was a nice guy and interested in learning more about our travels, so we spent the next hour speaking through Google translate and telling stories. Yes, we both got lost in Leon’s eyes.
Lastly, a friend of ours and amazing chef, Pepe, was also traveling around Japan at the same time we were. So when we found out we were in Kyoto at the same time, we made sure to meet up. Having another foodie with us, we knew we would be going to some great places.
With Pepe we went to an izakaya restaurant, a gyoza spot, a magic-themed cocktail bar, a wagyu restaurant, and a yakitori restaurant. Each place has fun stories to tell but our favorite spots were Gyoza-dokoro Sukemasa - Takatsuji Main Shop and Hitomi.
If you specialize in one thing, you usually do a great job of it. Having now gone to a gyoza restaurant where they literally only sell gyozas and cheap beer, I can say it was one of our favorite places in Kyoto. The ambiance was lit, the gyozas were the best we have ever had and Pepe and our server talked anime for a while.
On our last night in Kyoto, we weren’t sure if this yakitori place was going to let us in since we didn’t have a reservation. Thanks to Pepe’s sweet “sumimasen”, they let us in with the stipulation that we only had an hour to eat. But once we ordered our food, I think they took a liking to us because they allowed us to stay longer. To which we responded by ordering more and more food. One guy was manning the grill the whole time and the food was excellent. We tried almost all parts of the chicken and enjoyed many highballs to end the night. It was a great way to wrap up our time in Kyoto.
The next quick stop on our Japan adventure was to Osaka. We didn’t spend much time there and mostly enjoyed the food the city had to offer.
Through friends, TV, and research, a consensus was made to us that pizza in Japan is sought after and is among the best in the world. So while it seemed odd at first to think about getting pizza in Japan, we quickly became akin to the idea and found a place that was at one point considered second best in the world. La Pizza Napoletana Regalo was a tiny, one-man operated pizzeria that blew us away. The quality of ingredients was high and fresh. The taste was pure umami and salty. Just perfection. We knew right there that we had to try a few more pies before we left the island.
Chukasoba Kazura had a distinctive ramen that was unlike any other we had. Its creamy white color took us by surprise but the taste of that broth still haunts me today. It was so unctuous and covered the whole palate. It was no surprise Em and I immediately had to lay down for a few hours after this bowl. Must have been all the collagen or fat but 1000% worth it.
Kuromon Ichiba Market is adjacent to the main Dotonbori area. It has all the specialty foods tourists look for at reasonable prices. We tried uni for the first time. I was somewhat of a fan, Em was not. But the main attraction for us was the beef. We had not had any A5 wagyu or anything close at this point and we figured this was our chance. Even with the prices half of what they are around the world, the A5 was still bonkers-expensive for us and we struggled to justify it. That said, a market lady and a stranger who spoke both Japanese and English informed us that the A4 Wagyu is still incredible and they sold theirs at market price. Justified. And boy was it incredible. Definitely the nicest piece of beef we have ever had.
We stopped by the famous Dotonburi to see the bright lights, eye-catching signs and try a few of the local street foods. While the main area wasn’t our vibe at all, we did stop at Takoyaki Juhachiban Dotonbori to try some takoyaki, which i think just isn’t our kind of food to be honest, but the way the street vendors cook it is fun to watch.
As we were finishing our time in the area, we walked down a tiny alley to find a restaurant called, Okonomiyaki Okaru, that prepared okonomiyaki and yakisoba tableside. We ordered both and watched intently as the server came to mix and steam/grill the batter, before slathering it with sauces and drawing the famous Osaka tower for us. Both dishes were fantastic. Glad to have walked away from the mayhem to find it.
The main landmark we visited was Osaka Castle, which taught us about the destruction and tumultuous history of the country back in the 15-1600’s. This castle featured stories about the war and conflict between various groups vying for power at that time. The castle also included an observation deck on the eighth floor that provided a beautiful view of the city.
Our final stop in Japan was to Tokyo. This is an internationally known city for its technology, train system, unique fashion, and much more. It was all of those things, and more. What struck me the most was the density that exists in the most populous metropolitan area in the world. Due to the massive population of 37.5 million, the Japanese have innovated impressive ways to exist in such dense environments. One adaptation is to make everything small. Teeny apartments, narrow shops, and miniature sized cars. I’ll never forget the tiny bathroom in the Korean fried chicken restaurant that I was barely able to fit into, and then I looked at the sink that was barely big enough to hold the spout. The constant crowds of people were unavoidable. I know Japanese people are used to bumping into hundreds of strangers every day, but I was not, yet.
Of course, there were other neighborhoods that were not in the thick of the chaos that I enjoyed exploring. But no matter where we were in the city or country the vibe was always clean and pleasant.
On the first night we were in Tokyo we found a free observatory to get a glimpse at the enormity of the city. On the 45th floor of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building there is a 360 view of the city. Spoiler: you can NOT see the end of the city, even that high up. It just goes on and on and on.
As we walked through Omoide Yokochō, an alleyway with food stalls and tiny bars, we got another perspective on this sardine can of a city.
A few more highlights of our time in Tokyo…
Kappabashi Dougu Street, which is a famous area in Tokyo with any and all kinds of kitchen supplies. Think impressive Japanese knives, beautiful dishes, and the most expensive chopsticks you can imagine, among a multitude of other items. Eric would return the following day to purchase an amazing #$%#$ knife from KAMATA Hakensha. While browsing the stores on this street I stopped at a corner as a black van came to a stop at the curb. Out came a few white foreign men, looking quite dapper. I remember thinking, “Wow they must be rich to get a nice fancy van to drive them up to that specific store to shop for kitchen supplies.” And guess who it was?? Neil Patrick Harris! I promise! (Eric doesn’t believe me and I have no concrete evidence, besides my word and my memory.)
So many iconic things to see in Tokyo - next up, the Shibuya Scramble. This is the intersection with a pedestrian crosswalk that is known to be the busiest in the world. It is in front of one of the craziest train stations in the city. They say that per green light, which occurs every 2 minutes, 3,000 pedestrians cross. That means there are about 300,000 pedestrians crossing the intersection each day, and 1.5 million (or more) per week! It is Tokyo all in one moment - people everywhere, advertisements flashing, huge TVs in all directions, stimulation to the highest degree.
Instead of staying in Shibuya or Shinjuku, we decided to avoid the huge crowds and massive metro stations by staying in Korea Town. It was still bustling but the train station was smaller and our stay was only a five minute walk from Shinjuku.
The queues in Tokyo were thankfully not as long as they were in Kyoto. Maybe it was because in this larger city there are more restaurants for people to choose from.
Our first meal was quite simple to choose - Korean fried chicken (or yangnyeom chicken). At Shin-chang, They deep fry the chicken and then I believe they grill it to finish it off. They pour a spicy gochujang sauce over it as well. That, coupled with a soy sauce fried chicken for Emily, made for a great first meal. The beers were cheap and you get your own private cubicle to enjoy your meal in peace. We loved how you order on a tablet and the staff brings you everything soon after.
Since we did not have the budget to go all out on an omakase meal, we decided conveyor belt sushi at Kaiten Sushi Numazuko, would be a nice substitute. 😛 It was a great way to try various fish we otherwise would never see. The miso soup of the day came with fish head. Absolutely delicious.
There was one day that our morning wasn’t going according to plan and we ended up wasting most of the day. We felt defeated and needed to somehow make up for the lost day. So we decided to have a four-part dinner. We shared each dish we tried so we ended up eating a little bit at each place but by the end of the meals, we felt satisfied and better about the day.
This four-part meal started off with one of the best banh mi we have ever had at Ebisu Banh Mi Bakery. A simple walk-up stand in an alley with no seating. This was followed by yuzu ramen and rice with pork at AFURI Ebisu. Fortunately for us, it was the shop’s 20th anniversary and we were given a few extra ramen in dehydrated form as a gift. Our third stop was a wagyu burger joint where we split an incredibly juicy burger. Recommended by one of the top burger makers in Bangkok, it was really good. And for our final stop on this dinner tour, we were able to get a table at Seirinkan. This Beatles-themed pizza place only serves two pizzas! Marinara and cheese. So we had to get both and they were spectacular. The Japanese really take pizza seriously, especially the tomato sauce. A great and full meal-ender.
Being half Mexican, I am always trying to find Mexican food when we travel. We were recommended Los Tacos Azules by a few friends so we had to check it out. We waited in line for almost an hour but once we were inside it was quite pleasant. We immediately knew this was going to be an expensive meal. The portions were small and the flavor was definitely geared towards Japanese folk. All that aside, this place was delicious. Even though it is far from the big neighborhoods, I am so thankful it exists. The quality of ingredients was unreal and we enjoyed ourselves very much.
My boss at Haawm is a twin. His twin is named Cy and lives in Tokyo. This would be the only person we knew living in Japan who could show us around a little bit. That is of course besides Pepe who we would see throughout our trip.
We ended up going to a few places with Cy. The first was a somewhat hard to find yakitori place, Jomon, on the second floor of a building down an alley. The skewers and vibe were on point. The fries had pieces of spam and were seasoned with anchovy. Definitely one of the best tasting items on this trip. This was followed by Cy taking us to his favorite cocktail bar/place, Addiction, to hang out. It honestly felt like a living room where everyone who came in knew each other and just hung out. We sat on a couch and chatted with the other customers
Our last meal with Cy was his favorite ramen spot, Kikanbo. He and I got the shop’s spiciest version. It was spicy and Cy ate it in about three minutes. Not able to catch up, we called it quits with half our bowls still full, considering you get quite a lot of noodles and pork in each bowl.
We should mention that while the above mentioned food doesn’t include all the restaurants we visited, it also didn’t cover nearly all our meals either. We ate several meals at convenience stores like Lawsons, 7/11, and Family Mart. They always had items hot and ready or foods they can easily warm up for you to enjoy. We tried many of their snacks and played around with combining items from each place. At times, we even would go to a nearby bakery and get a nice piece of bread to stuff Famichiki into to make a simple but delicious sandwich. These stores provide the average person easy and cheaper ways to eat on the go and we were very thankful for them.
Our final full day in Tokyo was spent at a port city about an hour outside of Tokyo called Kurakama. This historical town in the hills, near the ocean was a wonderful way to end the trip. We were ready for one more dose of nature away from the hustling and bustling crowds of the megacity.
This town caught our eye because of the hiking opportunities. There are three main trails in this area and we were able to trek two of them. We first hiked the Ten-en Trail from Kencho-ji to Zuisen-ji Temple. It was a nice walk past shrines and small temples. We were lucky to come during the blooming season of the amazing golden-rayed mountain lily native to Japan.
Afterwards, it was time for lunch and we walked through the downtown area to taste one of the best curries ever at Woof Curry. It was definitely one of our favorite meals in Japan. Eric loved it very much. I think it was because it almost tasted like a massaman curry. He still thinks about this magnificent meal.
Next, we got a quick view of the ocean and headed to the Big Buddha that Kurama is well known for. The beautiful and peaceful site was a nice reprieve before the next trail, which was part of the Diabutsu Hiking Trail. The trail ran from the Big Buddha to the train stop. We enjoyed more hydrangeas, stairs, and foresty vibes.
Despite the progress that exists in Japan when it comes to the innovative heated mirrors to prevent fogging up during a hot shower and the compact-sized fire trucks that can fit through the narrow streets, I did notice what appears to me to be antiquated gender roles that are still evident today. It struck me as strange when I was one of two women in line at the ramen shop lined with blue suited salarymen. I found the gaggles of giggling women at gardens and cute cafes strange.
The segregation of the genders felt perplexing at first considering the progress and ultra-modern aspects of Japanese culture. However, after reading more about it, this outdated conundrum is closely tied to the history and traditions in Japan. While the number of women working has increased to over 70% in recent decades, they remain far behind men in pay due to the nature of their work. Most men have dependable, standard jobs, while most women work casual, part-time jobs that don’t often have benefits. Men increase their income over the years, while women’s income remains fairly stagnant throughout their working lives. Women are still thought to be best served in the home. Once she is married, it is common for a woman to stay home and care for the family. It’s not surprising to me that many younger women today are opting out of marriage and the traditional life set for them.
Another fascinating aspect of Japanese culture that we observed (mostly in Tokyo) is the drinking culture. Not only is it common to stay up late (like until 9 am the following day) clubbing on the weekends for pleasure, but it is also expected that workers go out with the boss after work. Because the trains stop running around midnight, staying out late means into the early morning. These practices are unfamiliar to say the least, and make me tired just thinking about a lifestyle like that. This is confirmed by the number of sleeping locals we saw on the trains every morning.
Each place we have visited has its own personality, its own history and modern life. In Japan we witnessed the impressively organized and sophisticated society that it is today. Just like all other aspects of life, nothing is perfect.
I am thankful we got the chance to visit this amazing country and learn a bit more about it for ourselves. Maybe we will get to visit again and explore the less traveled places aside from the big three cities.
Our summer vacation continued as we headed to the United States. We visited friends in Chicago, family in Michigan City, and for the first time since we moved away, we returned to Seattle to visit friends and enjoy our old stomping grounds. While we won't go into detail about our times there, we will share videos we made from those cities instead. Please enjoy.
