Trying to somewhat catch up on these re-caps before the year’s over!
October started off with me having finally arrived in Japan after a frustrating 48 hours in transit, and then promptly falling ill due to said journey, but it was all well and good because I was on the road with D again.
The first thing I thought when D picked me up at the train station was “wow, he’s a lot smaller than I remember.” Even though we FaceTimed often, I guess 7 weeks was still long enough for me to kind of forget how my own boyfriend looked like. When I mentioned it to him, he insisted it was because he lost weight in Italy, but did you see what he was eating??
Even though I missed Tokyo (which D fell head over heels in love with), I still had 3.5 weeks in Osaka. We had picked Osaka as our main Japan base because it’s a lot cheaper (less than half the price of Tokyo) and is still a large city.
I have to confess something that will probably get me a lot of hate comments (okay, maybe just some confused expressions): I did not really like Japan. Gasp! I KNOW. Who doesn’t NOT like Japan?! Everyone raves about how beautiful and amazing and futuristic and unique Japan is. Maybe I found it a bit… mediocre… after all that hype. I know I’m being a bit unfair because I mostly just stayed in Osaka, which isn’t exactly known for being too interesting.
We stayed about a 15 minute walk from Dotonburi/Shinsaibashi, which is like the city center of Osaka, with a lot of bright lights, shopping centers, eateries, boutiques…
Dotonburi at night
It looks cool, but there’s only so many times you can hang out there before it gets old.
I think the thing about Japan that I found underwhelming is that the tourist sites are honestly nothing to write home about. Osaka is known for some historical landmarks and temples, but I really wouldn’t go out of my way to see them. Most of them left me with a feeling of “hmm.. this is it?”
Osaka Castle was completely underwhelming
I only had two items I wanted to check off in Japan:
- play with the deer in Nara, and
- see a geisha in Kyoto
The first one I managed to accomplish. Nara was my favorite day! I have about a hundred pictures of the deer, so I don’t really want to ruin it now. I will have a separate post soon with all kinds of cute overload, so here’s just a little sneak peek!
The second item, not so much. I was really looking forward to going to Kyoto, thinking that maybe the old town would be more of my style, but it didn’t live up to my expectations either.
I was imagining a quaint, charming town transporting me back to old Japan (you know, like all the pictures you see). But what I found instead was a large confusing modern city with pockets of quaintness tucked away, and you have to search really hard to find them. I had no idea where to find the cute old parts and the public transportation was confusing to use. I’m sure my horrible planning skills are to be blamed.
I didn’t even see a geisha! It was all I wanted to do. However, you can see a thousand tourists dressed up in kimonos.
the bamboo forest was pretty, but a lot smaller than I thought
But it was still a fun trip because I got to finally meet Adelina from Pack Me To (check out her Japan highlights)!! She was one the first bloggers to interact with me and introduce me to the travel blogosphere. We met up in Kyoto and then again in Osaka. One of my favorite things about having a blog is having friends from all over the world! And I really do enjoy exploring a new city with another blogger because we don’t get annoyed with each other when we pause every 5 feet to take photos.
Adelina and I in Kyoto! – the sun was really something
Another thing about Japan that just didn’t do it for me was the food. I’ve never been that big a fan of Japanese food (usually too bland for my spice-loving tastebuds) and I was hoping that I would like it more in Japan, but I’m really sad to say that I remained ambivalent. We actually ended up cooking most of the time with ready-prep foods from the grocery store.
But of course, we all know by now that it’s not a monthly re-cap if there’s no food collage. So even though I can’t say that Japanese food is my favorite, here it is:
1. soba // 2. pork ramen // 3. chicken curry (made at home!) // 4. takoyaki (octopus balls) // 5. chicken broth ramen // 6. sushi // 7. tsukemen (dipping noodles) // 8. Beard Papa cream puff! – these were amazing // 9. omelette rice
I feel kind of bad that I’m saying so many negative things about Japan, because I know it is a great country with a very interesting culture. I want to go back (to Tokyo next time, or Okinawa or somewhere more country-ish) and I want to like it. I feel like I shouldn’t make such sweeping generations when I was only there for a short amount of time and only stayed in one area. But it’s my blog, dammit, and what’s the point if I can’t be honest on my blog?
Usually I get sad to leave a place, but in this case, I started to really look forward to our next destination, because we were going to…
Oct 23- present: Taipei!
One of my favorite cities in the whole world!!
rainy and cloudy, but I still love it!
Last April, we were in Taipei for only two weeks. Not nearly long enough to even scratch the surface of the city, but more than sufficient time to fall in love with it. We knew we had to be back. So this time, we’re here for a whole three months, the longest stint since we started traveling! I can’t even tell you how good it felt to walk into our airbnb again. It really felt like coming home.
I think for me, Taipei answers that traveler’s conundrum of whether it is better to go somewhere new or go back to somewhere beloved. As exciting as exploring new places are, there is still nothing like returning to somewhere that feels like home.
Over the next few months, I hope to bring to you a lot of posts on Taipei. That is… If I ever finish playing catch-up on China and then there’s still more Lyon! So stay tuned!
Have you been to Japan and how did you like it?
Wow, I think that is so cool you got to stay in the SAME Airbnb that you stayed in last time! It really is your neighborhood in that case! I felt like that when I returned to Berlin 2 years after I studied abroad there and stayed with my friend (who was currently in the program) in the same apartment building! As if I never left ;)
What have you been up to in Taipei?
I do adore Japan, but I have a completely different experience… I was staying in rural areas in the Akita prefecture near the beach… I think I only spent one day in a city, and that was in Akita… nowhere as large as the cities you were in! So I remember amazing greenery, the hostels, camping on the beach, a lantern festival, and endless karaoke. I would recommend getting out of the big cities if you end up returning.
Yeah! It’s so cool staying in the same Airbnb. It’s more of a guesthouse with other rooms and we’ve been having fun meeting over travelers. I’m starting to think of it as a second home hehe. And we already told our hosts were coming back in the spring and next winter again!
Next time we go to Japan, I want to go to Toyko (D loved Toyko and the food there) and maybe to a smaller town. I really do want to like Japan! A lantern festival sounds so amazing!
This is so interesting! I’ve honestly never been drawn to Japan, and I think it’s mostly because I’m a little nervous that I’d be so overwhelmed and out of my comfort zone. I suppose that’s not necessarily a terrible thing! I think it’s wonderful that you share your honest opinion. I’d be interested to see how you felt if you had another base!
Japan wasn’t very high on my list of places to see either. But D has always been very interested in the food and culture. I didn’t really find Osaka to be that different or overwhelming, but D said Tokyo was a complete sensory overload!
We all like different things at different times, I guess. After having all those intense emotions in LA with your family, I bet that Japan would’ve been underwhelming for me too. One day maybe when you go back you will see it with brand new eyes!
I do want to experience Japan again and try to like it. Maybe another time will be better, like you said :). I want to understand what people find so fascinating about it.
Noooooo, you’ve broken my heart. Hehe. I haven’t been to Japan yet but it’s on the top of my ‘must visit’ list and I’m hoping to make it there in autumn 2016. But hey, don’t feel bad – sometimes we can hype things up so much that they’ll never live up to the expectations we have. Enjoyed reading this.
I’m sure you’ll love it Andrea! Daniel fell in love with Tokyo. I hope you make it there. I remember reading that you’re hoping to teach and live there for a while :).
I love that you are always honest, Anna! I’ve never been to Japan so I can’t comment but I would definitely like to visit one day!
It must be really great to feel settled for a while in Taipei :) And that is so great that you managed to go back to the same air bnb as before!
It feels soooo good to be back in the same Airbnb in Taipei… really like coming home! I can’t believe 3 months is just flying by. I already don’t want to have to pack up and leave!
Haha don’t feel bad Anna, we cannot like all places… I didn’t like Paris the first time I went there (and that got me strange looks because I lived in France!). I went a second time and I liked it a bit more, so there is still hope for Japan ;) I haven’t been in Japan and it’s not on my top to-go list, so I cannot comment on that. And it’s so cool that you found a place like Taipei that feels like home :)
Japan wasn’t high on my list either. But then again, neither was Taipei and I fell in love with it! I know we’ll be back to Japan because D loves it, so I’ll just try again. :) (And I didn’t like Paris too much both times I’ve been there heh.)
I never feel bad when I don’t like somewhere that everyone else seems to love. I have come to realise that I just like different things, I just really enjoy nature and less people, so cities are never really all that great for me. Even though we are heading to NYC for the holidays (which is going to be crazy busy), I have found us some hikes to go on so we can spend a good few days outside of the city, I might even come back not falling in love with NYC, who knows.
Life’s too short to like the same things as everyone else and not just enjoy your travels!
NYC for the holidays… how exciting! It looks so beautiful and festive! I kinda feel the same way that huge cities don’t excite me too much (NYC isn’t high on my list though I do want to go if there’s an opportunity). Taipei is a good balance for me in that it’s a city but feels smaller, and is surrounded by mountains. I’m looking forward to hearing how you like NYC!
It’s exciting! We arrived yesterday and we’re just getting in to the swing of the city. We choose to go a lot earlier in the year, before we’d really decided that cities aren’t for us, but I think it’ll be like no other city. I really enjoyed the little peak we had on the way to our hotel yesterday, we start our exploring on Monday, so I’ll find out then if I can hack it in the big city!
Hmm interesting. I’m playing around with Japan for Nov. 2016 ( I hear the fall colours are beautiful and it’s not as busy with tourists) so glad to hear your take. I also desperately want to see a Geisha so sounds like I’m going to have to do some hard-core digging on where to find these old town pockets and hopefully get lucky!
Yes, definitely do your research for Kyoto to get to the old areas!! I thought the whole city was old so I could just get there and walk around, but it wasn’t that way at all. I do blame my poor experience in Kyoto on my lack of research. And I hear the fall colors are gorgeous too. D is talking about going back in fall as well.
Blog friends are the best kind of friends! ;) Woohoo about being in Taipei now! Definitely looking forward to seeing those posts. :)
I have so many posts planned for Taipei! I just need to not procrastinate so much and write them. And I agree… I get so excited to meet a blog friend in person!
I really admire your honesty! Like you said, it’s your blog and if you can’t be truthful and write what you feel, then seriously, what’s the point? I’d still like to visit Japan and see for myself, but then again I’m a Japanese food freak!! :D So fun that you got to meet up with a blog friend.. the best part of blogging really is having friends from all over :) and yayy! Taipei!!! For a whole three months! Must be nice to feel settled again. There’s nothing like feeling comfortable like you’re at home. Can’t wait to read all about it!
I think if you love Japanese food, then you’ll love it! D really enjoyed the food there. I would admit that Japanese grocery stores are amazing… there are soooo much ready-prep meals, so we did that most of the time. I liked that more than restaurant food! Yeah, I’m so happy to be in Taipei, but these months are sure flying by fast! Less than a month left already :(.
I haven’t been to Japan, but it’s surprising that you found Japan’s food bland! That’s actually what I thought about Taiwan’s food lol but maybe I wasn’t eating the right food hahaha. Your Japanese food collage looks awesome though! I saw this one Japanese drama about a patisserie, and their cream puffs looks scrumptious! Can’t wait to see your Taipei posts :) I know for sure it’s gonna give me the feels!
Really! I think Taiwan food is probably more on the bland side, but there’s always chili sauce to spice it up, hehe. In Japan, I actually thought a lot of the food at the restaurants were too salty! So I didn’t like that either. I do love those Japanese cream puffs… I practically eating one a day!
We also visited Japan with our three children back in September for two week, and overall had a lovely time. There were a few moments which I did not enjoy as much (such as trying to work out the Tokyo train system and some of the very crowded places we visited), but that was probably the same with any trip I have ever done.
I think that using Osaka as your base was probably not a great decision – we stayed in Tokyo, Kyoto and then also spent some time in the Nagano prefecture, and I always aim to find accommodation which is centrally located so that the local attractions and activities are accessible. We did go through Osaka when we did a day trip to Universal Studios from Kyoto, but when you are already an hour away on the train from places like Kyoto that significantly reduces the amount of time you get to do things. I find that planning our itinerary to mix things up between city and country helps to provide a good level of diverse experiences on the trip, and I am sure that my kids (and we) will never forget our amazing day trip on the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route.
So I am sad to hear that you did not enjoy it as much as some of your other travel experiences, but I definitely believe that investing time to research and plan your itinerary for a trip is very worthwhile to give yourself the best opportunity to have a great trip. We only get to travel periodically and we saved up for three years to be able to do our Japan trip, and we definitely did not want to leave things too much to chance. So we planned and our efforts definitely paid off.
I do blame the mediocre Kyoto experience on lack of planning, which was completely my fault. I was really thrown when I arrived there and it wasn’t an old town like what I was expecting. And all the major sites to see were so far apart from each other and I had trouble figuring out the transportation! I definitely agree with you that when you travel on vacation, it’s important to plan to get the best experience and the best use of your time. I’m really happy to hear that you guys had such a good trip! I do want to return and try to like it more.
We stayed in Osaka most of the time because since we’re full time travelers, we can’t afford to stay somewhere pricey like Tokyo for too long, and moving around too much costs more too. But D was in Tokyo before Osaka (I didn’t make it back in time to join him there… sad) and he really really loved Tokyo! He did say Osaka is pretty boring compared to Tokyo, heh. Next time, we will go to Tokyo!
Yes, Kyoto is quite a spread out city and you definitely need to plan how you are going to get around, and you also need to triage which temples you see – there are so many that you have to just make a short list of which ones really you want to see and also work out the transportation options.
I agree that Tokyo and Kyoto were pricey accommodation options – we used Airbnb and stayed in apartments – for five of us we paid $A268 (Tokyo) and $A293 (Kyoto) per night for reasonably central accommodation and that would definitely add up over time.
Oh yikes! That is quite expensive. I think we lucked out with a REALLY good deal in Osaka. For an entire month, our apartment was only around $850 US! Of course, it was about the size of a box, but we definitely couldn’t complain.
Well, the reasons you could not connect with Japan is also probably the reasons why so many people fall heads over heels for Japan. Don’t worry, it happens. Nobody is going to judge you (hopefully).
The thing with Japanese food is that, they take their food health very seriously, so it is all natural, natural, less spices, no spices, that sort of thing. But I hope you at least liked their ramens. The tonkotsu ramen that I had in Tokyo left me speechless and in tears (metaphorically)…
Hahaha. D also said the ramen he had in Toyko was life-changing. I dunno… I thought the ramen was good, but nothing that I would crave to have again! I think maybe the food just really doesn’t suit my palette. But I admit that I did like that the food was so healthy there. Most of the time, we bought ready-prep meals from the grocery store and made them at home. And I did feel very healthy and lost some weight/fat! I was happy about that! And now I gained it all back plus some in Taipei…
As a Japanese I’m sorry to tell you that you’re much too optimistic about “food health” in Japanese cuisine. Typically we do not eat enough fresh vegetables and too much fat (lots of stuff is fried).
Also about the naturalness, it’s only true if you prepare your own food. Japanese restaurants lower costs and cut corners by using non-natural ingredients a lot.
I fear your image of Japanese cuisine is based on myths. There is some healthy stuff, but it is not popular and not on the daily diet of the average Japanese. I think Europeans eat a lot healthier than Japanese.
Anna!! I’ve been living for Japan for 6 years now and your impressions are completely understandable. I also think Kyoto is overrated… It’s a bit out of the way, but you should pay Kanazawa a visit if you find yourself in Japan again. It’s got as much history as Kyoto (I think it was the capital for the shogunate, while Kyoto was the capital for the imperial family? I’m too lazy to look it up), but the city has taken care to preserve the traditional architecture, and it’s not well known outside Japan so it doesn’t feel as crowded and touristy. I went there in November when the leaves had turned and it was so picturesque, I was shocked that so few people were there. Anyway, have fun in Taipei!
Brianna!! I do I want to go back to Japan… definitely to Tokyo because my boyfriend LOVED it and wants to show me it, and the second reason would be to see you again!! Your Kanazawa suggestion sounds exactly like somewhere I’d be interested in visiting! I’m gonna email you to chat more!
I’ve never been to Japan, but I think it’s great that you’ve been honest about it. It’s hard sometimes when places don’t live up to the hype! But I’m super curious now about Taipei. It’s somewhere that has never even been on my radar … but now I’m intrigued! Can’t wait to hear more about it. x
Taipei never really interested me either, but when I went earlier this year, I loved it so much!! I think it’s because it’s such a livable city with a really fun atmosphere. It’s very modern, but still feels very much Chinese and different. I’ll be sure to write a lot about it! x
I think it’s good your honest! I hate when everyone only says rosy things about a country – so not true! I want to see Japan definitely – I don’t know what to expect except a lot of culture shock and I think that’s why I want to see it :)
Weirdly, I never felt any culture shock in Japan. I think other Asian countries like Vietnam or Cambodia gave me much more culture shock. I think because Japan just feels like a modern city. But I didn’t go to Tokyo, and D says that it’s really overwhelming there! I hope you get the chance to go someday!
As usual, I enjoyed reading your honest opinions. Such a shame about the robbery, that really spoils things – and scary that you were in the room at the time, but those divine sunsets, wow. Regarding Japan, we’ve been once and spent two weeks in Kyoto in an Airbnb sharehouse in Higashiyama. This area had an old-world feel to it’s streets and lots of temples and traditionally dressed locals. We may or may not have seen a Geisha but saw lots who could have been, although probably only one genuine in the two weeks. Staying in the area behind Kiyomizu-dera and Yasaka Shrine and Gion – was what made our stay so enjoyable. There was a lot to see in our immediate area and from there we could walk gradually (with a bus ride thrown in) to the Philosophers Way and the temples up there. Having two weeks made it easy to visit the shrines and temples on the other side of the city without pressure. I confess though that on day 2 we met a Japanese Friend who took us across town to the most difficult area to reach by public transport, so we got a lesson in how to use the system. From Kyoto we took a train to Osaka for the day and went to the Dotonbori area which we enjoyed, but once was probably enough. After hearing your opinion of Osaka, I am glad we stayed in Kyoto and only went there for the day. You’ve got me thinking about visiting Taipei!
I bet 2 weeks in the old part of Kyoto was just wonderful! I don’t know why we couldn’t find the Higashiyama area! We went to Gion and walked all around and gave up after a while of searching since our feet were already tired. And that’s even better that you met a Japanese friend to show you around! I think Osaka is a decent place to live in, as it’s priced well, but from the touristic point of view, just one day to see it is enough! Ooh I hope you can visit Taipei someday. I think it’s a really fun place to live (and I love the food here!) and Taiwan as a whole is beautiful to explore too!
I hope you had a wonderful New Years, Jan!
We did have a great New Year – quiet though. My only worry about Taipei is the language issue. I’m not sure how that would go with no-one speaking English and presumably signage would not be readable either.
You wouldn’t have trouble with the metro system because there are English signs, but eating the local street food could be a problem :(. The more popular or Western cafes/eateries will all have English menus though. And almost all the youth do speak English (they are required to learn it in school from a young age), though they may be shy about it. But if you just talk to them, they’re all happy to practice!
Thanks Anna. Sounds doable.
I have mixed feelings about Japan too. For the most part they’re positive, but I was disappointed by a lot of the sites and historical things we attempted to do. I’m super thrilled that we finally met up though!
I completely agree… most of the sites were a major letdown! I guess it’s more about the food and atmosphere there. I’m so glad to have met too!
Oh so sorry that you didn’t like Japan but I have to admit that you’re the first person to say this which kind of made me think that Japan is real. Lol. Everyone’s loving it, it’s quite impossible for every single person would love it. So finally, a negative review which makes it look like a real place.
It’s okay to not love a place, you’re not supposed to anyway. Plus, to each his own right? ?
Dear Anna,
I just wrote a lengthy post at LP’s forum because everyone seems to love Japan but not me… Thank you for your post!
Cathrin
original post:
Dear fellow travellers,
this has been bothering me for a while now and I am simply
trying to understand what went wrong and whether anyone has
had a similar impression.
Some of my friends have just left for their 5th vacation in
Japan and are really thrilled, but I came back pretty
disappointed and at a loss… Until now, I spent three to
four weeks each in Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, Kambodia,
Indonesia, Mexico, Peru and Nicaragua. I always longed for
Asia, but Southeast Asia seems to be quite a different
story! For those preparing for their holidays – sorry about
my post, but I’m sure you’ll like it just like everybody
else.
So what’s the problem? Maybe somehow it was not “exotic” as
I had expected?
To give you an idea, I spent about four weeks in Japan among
other places in:
-> Kyoto:
I learned that I think of Japanese gardens as sterile and
boring, although I usually enjoy botanical gardens, parks
etc., and for my taste, the temples lack atmosphere (vending
machines, crowded…)
-> Hokkaido
I really enjoyed this part of our holidays! Fantastic views
on hikes around Aka Dake/Akan National Park and Daisetzuan
National Park.
-> Japanese Alps
Kamikochi is incredibly busy and the easily accessible walks
where somewhat boring (the bit to Tokusawa!). Some other
parts are probably pretty awesome, but hiking in Japan seems
to require serious equipment and the paths are quite
challenging (crossing fields of snow, wading through
streams, scrambling over boulders). We were the only ones
not taking along sticks and in some places helmets etc.
-> Tokyo
That is my personal quirk. We spent about a week there. To
me most parts look the same (lights, crowds, shops). I have
to admit though that we even went to some kind of artsy
performance which was quite interesting, and to the robot
restaurant/show which was really fun. The VR walking
attraction attraction at some arcade was amazing and I love
drumming or doing Dance Dance Revolution, but I do not
really know what to do in Tokyo in the daytime (we did most
quarters with our LP).
What I liked:
-> Hokkaido and hiking
-> summer festivals (dancing in Gujo Hachiman, drumming,
fireworks…)
-> arcades
What I disliked:
-> Japanese gardens and castles where not as interesting
as I thought (e.g. Himeji)
-> food! no spices, no herbs, no vegetables, no fruit?! I
understand that fruits and vegetables seem to be expensive
and thus you are only ever given shredded cabbage, and I
would never have complained in a Third World country, but…
I ate onigiri all the time because the combo unsalted rice +
miso soup (not my cup of tea) + some fish/meat really wore
me out after a couple of meals. And ramen? In most places
unspectacula broth, exactly four slices of meat, 1 egg, some
spring onions… I preferred pho, where imho you get a more
sophisticated broth plus herbs etc…
(I tried oysters in Miyajima, raw horse meat, raw chicken –
just to show that I actually try to sample different foods.)
-> The Japanese seeming so incredibly distant while being
friendly and smiling all the time… Never have I felt that
isolated in any country!
In the end I’ll have to say that I spent about 4000€ on a
holiday that depressed me more often than not. It was
probably the most comfortable holiday in my life considering
buses, trains and hotels; still, I’d rather spent some hours
in a chicken bus in Nicaragua again…
So, please don’t crucify me for writing this. I do not
intend to depreciate Japan in any way. I am sharing this
because I am seriously and literally depressed about how I personally
felt, having invested all of my free time and money…
Even thought it was from a few years ago, your opinion is still true IMHO. I simply dislike Japan – it’s an ok country, nothing like a country worth worshipping. Beneath the hype and brain-washing advertisements, majority of the well known cities are just the same old same old sea ports in candy wrapper. If one skips the shrines (which mostly look the same, without distinct characters), skip the neon lit shopping streets, and ignore the pretentious over-politeness of their people, there isn’t much to be impressed about.
I particularly dislike the way their food is prepared. So much artificial colorings and favorings. Too much bare hand touching of food (YouTube yourself … I don’t and couldn’t make this up…)
Their sacred ritual dances and music are downright creepy.
To be fair, the spring blossom season (March – May) is sublime. Relaxing in your own private, open-air hot spring spa at Lake Kawaguchi while watching Mt Fuji with falling snow is a once-in-a-lifetime romantic experience.