Why you love Japan, and everyone else does too
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I lived in Japan in the 1990s, shortly after the time where you could make an absolute fortune teaching English there. I had a friend who had been there for several years, blonde, blue eyed and British, and her teaching jobs included car show modeling in a pink kimono. She flew to Singapore to get her hair done, with that late 80s money. I made regular early 90s money. My mom visited me twice, she talked about it the rest of her life, and exactly zero other people even considered a visit or asked about Japan.
It appears that Japan is having a renaissance now. Everyone is going, or just got back, or dying to go. Even my sister in law went - for 33 years she hadn’t asked me one question about my time there, and then she went twice in 11 months. Shogun just won something like a zillion Emmys, well deserved. When people find out I used to live there and I speak Japanese, it’s as close to celebrity as I’ll probably ever experience. (Except for the super weird time I was recognized on the streets on Seattle as the Director of the Online MBA at Washington State, a 5 hour drive away.]
People go for different reasons, of course. There is the food, the temples, the culture. Cherry blossoms. Anime. Geisha. Gel pens and stationery. Hot springs. Egg salad sandwiches and ramen. Train station boxed lunches. Sumo and Noh and SMAP. Wagyu and omakase sushi. Tokyo Disney, Hello Kitty and the Sapporo snow festival.
I’ve done all these things - they are great, for sure. But if you had to pick one thing that people love about Japan, every person who loves Japan even a little, even if they can’t articulate it, it’s the experience. Let’s take a trip, for example, from Tokyo to Niigata, where I used to live. You can get the ticket online or in person. There are clear signs in the station, which is super clean. The station has tons of shops, and will always sell nicely wrapped gift snacks, in case you need an omiyage. [A Hello Kitty cake, perhaps?]. The train will be on time. It will be spotless and no one will try to poach your seat. Train stations sell boxed bento lunches - and always have a local specialty. There will be working drink vending machines, if you want cold or hot tea, or coffee, or soda. There is also at least one train cart person working - she [always she] will bring that cart down the aisle, like an airplane cart if it had good things on it. She’ll be super polite and patient, and apologize if they run out of your favorite dried squid. There will be a clean bathroom that is definitely not out of service, and you’ll get to your destination on time. If, by some bizarre twist of fate or act of god, your train is late, the train employees will profusely apologize for inconveniencing you. No one has ever apologized to me on the CTA and they never will.
When you travel, you buy souvenirs, right? One of the best from Japan is also one of the cheapest. A handkerchief or a little hand towel. All Japanese people carry them - they don’t have paper towels in public restrooms. You can use it to make a little tablecloth on the bullet train so you can eat your lunch neatly. If it’s hot out, you can wipe off your face. I use mine so my silverware never touches the outdoor tables at restaurants. Totally practical, but also, they will be under 1000 yen [7 bucks or so] and the department store salesperson will wrap it as though you had bought the crown jewels. They will have a perfectly sized little bag that it will be folded into, and then a sticker or a ribbon tying it. Then the salesperson will walk out from behind the counter and hand you the bag, thanking you and bowing. Again, 7 bucks and a better purchasing experience than anything you’ve ever bought.
The experiences there are not only amazing, there are some that you’d never have anywhere else. How about a vending machine that makes fresh fries, or hot pizza? A vending machine of cans of hot coffee or soup? In small noodle shops, there is a ticket machine for orders - you press the button of your miso ramen with molten egg [my fave] and your order is transmitted to the chef. Somehow in America we save on labor costs by making customers do more work and still tip, and Japan gives you a cute machine and we love it.
Even if you’re not specifically a Disney person, Tokyo Disney is a different world. I used to live on the train line that went direct to Tokyo Disney Land [TDL] and went more than once. It is essentially the Magic Kingdom, if Disney could get cleaner and safer. (Like so safe that you’ll see kids napping on benches without their parents.). In 1994 I went to Subway [the restaurant, not the highly efficient mode of transport] and then to Disney. With the apparently global Subway tuna salad food poisoning, I ended up in the Disney Clinic. Nurses wore old fashioned uniform dresses with cute hats with Minnie on them, and I learned the Japanese word for vomit, which I have never forgotten. [吐きます, in case you go to Subway]
The real win, however, is Tokyo Disney Sea. The only one in the world, this park is water- themed, with lands dedicated to Venice, New York/New England, Mermaid Lagoon, etc. This year FantasySprings opened, maybe you can get in in 2025. Often called the “adult park”, Disney Sea is all about the experience. Rides, though certainly popular, seem almost secondary in the best Disney date spot.
Even if you never eat fast food in the US, go in Japan. When I lived in Akita [northern mostly rural area] one of my teenage students got a job at then brand new first McDonald’s in the prefecture - you’ve never seen anyone prouder. Then, and now, fast food menus have “smile” on the menu for 0 yen - you can ask for and get one! Take a moment to imagine doing that in the US. The food will look like the pictures, it will be as good as McDonald’s or Starbucks can be! (You can also leave all your bags and tray on the table if you go to the bathroom - yes, I did this in Shibuya, Tokyo, and no issues. )
There are centuries of cultural background that lead to Japan being like this, so I won’t even get into the why. Will the US ever be like this? No, but you until you get to Japan [trust me, go], you can find pockets in the US. Today I went to my nail artist, for example. This is how she brought me water. Akiko is amazing.
TikTok is all over the “Japanese head spa.” Most of them are not Japanese, by the way. not a bad experience, but if you want the master, go to Masa Kanai in New York City. Pre-Covid, you waited months to get in, and now we are close to being back there again. Once you meet Ritsuko, you’ll understand. Head heaven.
Sadly, Covid killed one of my favorite Japanese experiences in NYC. In 2018 Goku Sleep opened, and it was the most bizarrely Japanese thing ever. Remember, this country created not only geisha and samurai, but also Nintendo and robot cafes. Upon entering, you were given water and a cookie and sat dow to watch a video streamed on the mirror about how an explorer found this ancient head massage technique and brought it to you. Then a private room for an hour in a special recliner for a head massage. Afterwards you’d be led to a tatami mat floored room to have hot tea and another snack, in case you were parched after your great head-venture.
You’ll probably find the most Japan-ness in NYC, or LA, or Hawaii - I spent a week in Honolulu before I moved to Niigata so I could have “Japan light.” I have no doubt, though, that there are crazy cool experiences in other parts of the US - please share them!
Here’s a thought too - should I organize a group trip to Japan?