5 Reasons Why You’ll Fall in Love with Japan

Every country in the world is so different that I hesitate to say I have a favourite. At the same time, I constantly find myself returning to photos and memories of Japan, as if I’m reminiscing about a lost lover. It’s one of the few countries that seems to universally impress and inspire everyone who visits it. Here are some of the many reasons why I fell in love with Japan and why you will too.

The People are Ridiculously Kind

I grew up in Canada which is considered to be a pretty courteous country by most standards, and even I was completely amazed by the politeness and friendliness of Japanese people. From the cashier at the grocery store to the vendors at my former hometown’s morning market, everyone was quick the compliment my (arguably terrible) attempts at speaking Japanese. When language barrier got in the way, I found that people were immediately apologetic for their limited English even though, obviously, as a Westerner in Japan it’s clearly my responsibility to learn Japanese, not theirs to learn English in order to accommodate me. When I asked people in the street for directions, they seemed to immediately feel responsible for me and would rarely leave my side before they were certain I could find whatever I was looking for.

It’s true that every country in the world is home to kind people plus some not so nice ones, but overall I felt like I could let my guard down in Japan. Tourist scams are virtually nonexistent (unlike many other parts of Asia), and locals seemed to genuinely proud that I wanted to visit their country.

Japanese is a Beautiful Language

Many people swoon over the sounds of languages like Italian and French, but I was immediately drawn to the softly flowing rhythm of Japanese. In addition to sounding quite beautiful, there are countless Japanese words and expressions that capture sentiments in a way that no English word can quite match. For example, omoshiroi describes something that is both funny and interesting. How often do you say something is ‘funny’ in English, but it’s actually more curious or unusual than it is ‘haha’-funny? Even before I understood a single Japanese word, I enjoyed listening to the sound of it being spoken around me. 

Sushi is Only the Beginning

This heading certainly isn’t meant to downplay sushi because truly eating sushi in Japan is everything I imagined it would be. It’s always enjoyable to try a much-loved cuisine in its home country, plus it was interesting to discover the differences between Japanese sushi and its Western counterpart. Rather than comparatively complex creations like California and Philadelphia rolls, Japanese sushi often consists of simple fresh on rice. 

For a small country, Japan’s climate varies dramatically from north to south, with different seafood, veggies, and meats flourishing in different regions. Almost every city in Japan has a signature dish, and trying the culinary speciality in each area of Japan is enough to bring out any tourist’s inner foodie.

The Balance Between Past and Present

There’s something truly compelling about the importance of tradition in Japanese culture. The country keeps pace (or sometimes moves beyond) the technology of every other modern nation, but centuries-old festivals and customs still play an important role in everyday life.  Homes are furnished with traditional tatami mats alongside high-tech toilets with warmed seats; you can travel by high-speed bullet train to pray at an ancient Shinto shrine. There’s this mesmerizing gracefulness about the way Japan can simultaneously be obsessed with every quirky contemporary fad, while still maintaining a reverent respect for its past.

You’ll Never Completely Understand It

Japan has a mysteriousness that makes it particularly captivating for many travelers. Even after living there for a year, I still don’t feel like I really ‘know’ Japan. I never stopped being mystified by the complexity of Japanese culture and its never-ending list unspoken customs. You can eat the sushi and visit the shrines, but Japan never seems to truly reveal itself. Japan has this way of drawing travelers in because the more you see, the more you realize there is to discover. 

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