Travelling: 7 Reasons Why I Miss Japan

Recently I have been going through my backlog of photographs taken from around the world, as it’s one of my new year’s resolutions. And the photos I started with were my photos from my time in Japan from late 2010. The reason I started at Japan is because I’m doing a free e-book for anyone signed up to my newsletter, containing 20 of my favourite photos from Japan. The only problem with this however, is while looking through 1000 photos from just over a week in Japan, is that I have come to realise how much I miss Japan, even though I was only there a short time. I asked myself ‘Why do I miss Japan? What is it about Japan that makes me want to go back?’ My favourite number is 7, so here are 7 of my reasons why I miss Japan…

1. It’s a beautiful country.
I spent a lot of my time in Japan taking photos. Photos of temples, photos of shrines, photos of the scenery. Even though my photography skills weren’t as good as they are now, the scenery in Japan is so amazing that it’s quite hard to take a terrible photo. There’s plenty of places in Japan, especially around Kyoto, that left me awestruck with its beauty and culture.

Amazing Japanese garden behind a temple in Kyoto

Some of the spectacular Japanese scenery

2. Kyoto
Kyoto holds a special place in my heart, for a number of reasons. It’s a very laid back city, and has lots of temples and shrines dotted around the city that will keep anyone amused for days as you go around and explore them. I suggest hiring a bike like I did (Kyoto is fairly flat) and riding round to some of the temples. It gives you the flexibility to have your own routine, and get to see some of the temples that you want to. Whenever I think about returning to Japan, I plan to stay in Kyoto for longer than I did the first time.

Black and white photo of a temple in Kyoto

3. Bullet Trains
You might think it’s odd that this is one of the reasons I miss Japan, but allow me to explain. Not only are bullet trains super cool to start with, but the train system in Japan rarely runs late, so you can expect trains when they say they are going to arrive. I find this great, and convenient, especially when you are planning to head to another city. Another big plus about bullet trains – they are fast. It’s not too bad when you want to head to the other side of the country and you can experience a fast, comfortable train that only takes you a few hours to get Tokyo to Kyoto.

The Shinkansen (Bullet Train) coming into Kyoto Train Station

Japanese Shinkansen (or bullet train)

4. The People
One of the things I remember most about Japan, is how friendly and polite the people were. More so in Kyoto and Nara, as it was further away from the big city of Tokyo, but I found that the majority of the Japanese people would go out of their way to help you. Our bartender at the hostel took us out clubbing at 1am on a Wednesday. Some old Japanese man we met took us to his house to show off some katanas (swords) that he had made. There was even someone at our hostel that asked for directions, and because the Japanese man couldn’t explain the directions in English, he got into his car and drove them to the hostel.
Also during our time in Nara we had lots of kids run up to us and ask for autographs (I guess because they liked the look of our writing). But it made us feel like celebrities, that and the school kids wanting photos with us too.

Wez (before my travel beard) holding a Katana

Getting our photo taken with some schoolkids in Nara

Me, Mark and Matt posing with some of the locals

Wez signing autographs for Japanese schoolkids

5. The Culture
Culture in Japan is a funny mix I find. They are one of the most technological advanced countries in the world, which you will notice if you visit Akihabara in Tokyo. Yet on the other hand, the country is full of the old ways, with temples, shrines, customs, and even family honour still. Japan is quirky, always doing weird things, they have anime, maid cafes, an obsession with giant robots.
All this I feel is a great mix of culture, all rolled into one. There is always something new culture-related to experience while in Japan.

Wez being silly at a quirky Japanese stand

Quirky Mascots in Nara, Japan

6. My first solo travel experience
Another reason why Japan holds a special place in my heart, is it was the first place I travelled to solo. The first night I stayed in a capsule hotel in Shinjuku, something I don’t think I was ready for, and I won’t lie, it freaked me out at first. But by the time I reached Kyoto, I met up with a few other solo travellers, and we shared stories, visited new places together, and generally had a good time. I think this was start of my wanderlust.

Making new friends at the bar

Wez convincing the bartenders to have a photo in Kyoto, Japan

Mark, Matt and Me posing with the bartenders in Kyoto

7. Cherry Blossom Festival
While I never saw the Cherry Blossom Festival while I was in Japan, anyone that talks to me about Japan probably hears me talking about this at some point. I’m a photographer, and cherry blossoms look amazing. If I had the choice to go back to Japan at any time during the year, it would definitely be during the cherry blossom festival (usually around March and April).
These are just some of the reasons I’m missing Japan while I’m editing and processing photos for my ebook.