The last time I visited the land of the rising sun was back in 2014. After nine years I’m going back, for a third time.
I’m beyond excited! It’s not my first major trip after the pandemic, I went to South Korea for three weeks last October 2022 but you know… it’s Japan 🤩
I love South Korea but after my fifth trip, it was hard to find new stuff to visit and explore. I know it sounds like bragging but I’m not, honestly. I’m very fortunate to be able to do this, have a work that enables it and a family that supports me. I know it 💜
Tomorrow I start my trip and it’s going to be different to what I’m used to. I will not take a direct flight to Tokyo (there’s none from Barcelona anyway) but against all common sense I’m taking one of the longest layovers available. Why? Well, the layover in Seoul (South Korea) 😁 Do I need to tell you more? I’ll spend an evening and sleeping Seoul, meet my Korean Tapas podcast friends and continue with a short 2-hour flight to Tokyo the next day. On the way back home will be the same plan, spend half a day in Seoul, sleep there and take the morning flight to Barcelona. It’s the first time doing such a thing, I’ve always taken the shortest possible trip to my destination doing the quickest layover available. Not this time!
Japan will have a special place in my heart, back in 2009 that first trip was the farthest vacation I’ve ever taken. The most interesting? Probably too. It was fourteen years ago and I was very young (21?).
It awakened in me a deeper love and fascination for Asian culture that triggered a series of travels to the continent in the years after 🌏
🤔 It’s hard to explain why Japan is so special as a tourist, as someone coming from Europe. In my travel blog, I’ll try to document these things and bring you along for this 20 days of adventure.
I can’t wait to get lost with my camera in the Japanese streets, devour the food and soak my butt in their thermal baths ♨️
Where to tag along?
- Instagram for quick stories
- My travel blog for curated street photos, will try to post daily!
- Mastodon where I’ll share the new posts
Talk to you soon 👋 🇯🇵
Ricard
Almost a month ago I posted “Back to Japan” and left you hanging. Sorry about that. Truth is I was updating my travel blog and posting Instagram stories, with the occasional updates on Mastodon updates.
So, how was it?
Amazing, awesome, fascinating, incredible just marvelous.
It was everything I was expecting it to be. Mind you, it wasn’t my first time. I knew what I was getting into and enjoyed every last bit. A 3-week vacation gave me plenty.
Sure there were meh parts here and there, but what trip doesn’t have those? Like the worst airplane turbulence I’ve ever experienced when landing in Seoul and Tokyo. I was sweating profusely and about to puke all over. I do not want to repeat that.
Overall I enjoyed it a lot, the clean streets, the perfectly timed transportation system, the cultural shock of high skyscrapers next to a shrine… but especially the food. It’s just so good and so cheap. The service industry in general is just outstanding in Japan. They might not speak English but that doesn’t stop them from wanting to help you.
The temperature was excellent, with colder mornings and afternoons, and a warm midday. I stayed very long, 3 weeks, so by the end of it the temperature was a little bit high (in Tokyo).
I could see the cherry blossom across different cities and towns, it was just beautiful. I arrived shy of the full bloom, but that’s ok too. It meant fewer people.In general busy tourist areas were crowded, what would you expect? But as soon as you move away from them you could enjoy the local life.
Would I go back a 4th time?
Yes. That country is just that incredible. There are still things I could visit, and re-visit again.
Want to enjoy some food pictures? Check out ricard.photos
I’ll be posting more stories (in Spanish but you can always Google Translate!) on my travel blog.
Talk to you soon.
Ricard
Have a wonderful trip 😊
Thank you very much! 💜