Hey, fun week for me—we went to Japan! This was a trip I had been looking forward to for a while, and it did not disappoint. The journey itself was quite an experience. We left on Sunday, but thanks to the time changes, we didn’t actually arrive until Monday. It’s about a 14-hour flight to Tokyo, and while that’s a long time to be on a plane, I was trying to squeeze this entire trip into just a week, so I knew it was going to be packed.
The flight itself was good—no major issues. I tried to rest as much as I could because I knew we’d be hitting the ground running once we landed. When we arrived, we checked into our Airbnb, which was… let’s say, cozier than expected. The pictures made it look a lot bigger, but in reality, it was a tiny space where the kitchen, living room, and bedroom were basically all one room. It honestly reminded me of my college dorm, except this one actually had a kitchen—something my dorm was definitely missing.
One thing I quickly noticed about Japan is how much effort they put into separating their trash. I’ve seen recycling before, but Japan takes it to another level. They don’t just have basic recycling for bottles and plastics—there are separate bins for consumables, general waste, and different types of recyclable materials. It’s much more detailed than what I’m used to, but it was interesting to see how much effort they put into managing waste.
Another small but interesting detail was the laundry situation. Our Airbnb had a little hallway before the main room, and in that space was a compact, all-in-one washer and dryer. It was a single unit that washed and dried clothes, which I thought was neat, even though it was obviously pretty small. We also had heated floors, which was a feature we really enjoyed—except they were only in the living space, not in the hallway or bathroom. It was kind of funny because you’d step from a toasty warm floor straight onto a cold tile in the bathroom, but overall, it was a nice touch.
We spent a lot of time in Shibuya and Shinjuku, two of the busiest and most famous districts in Tokyo. Our first couple of days were in Shibuya, which has a younger, trendier vibe. There were tons of vintage clothing stores, secondhand shops, and new fashion boutiques. One of the biggest landmarks there is Shibuya 109, a well-known shopping mall with tons of little stores inside.
One of the most famous places in Shibuya is Shibuya Crossing, which is often called the busiest pedestrian crossing in the world. Every time the lights change, about 2,000 people flood into the intersection, walking in all directions. It’s a must-see when visiting Tokyo, and of course, it’s full of tourists filming the experience. We joined in and took some pictures and videos—it’s just one of those iconic things you have to do.
Another cool sight was the giant 3D cat billboard. It’s an interactive digital display that makes it look like a huge cat is leaping out of the screen. It was a fun little attraction, and there were always crowds gathered below, watching it.
Tokyo has a huge anime culture, and if you’re a fan of anime, you’d be in heaven. There were anime stores, themed cafés, and collectible shops everywhere. Even if you’re not super into anime, it’s still fun to see how much of an impact it has on Japanese culture.
Everyone raves about Japanese food, and while I can appreciate it, I personally prefer simpler meals—more of a meat-and-potatoes type of guy. But we still had some fun food experiences while we were there.
One of the most unique was the Teddy Bear Ramen Café. This place served ramen in a way I had never seen before—the broth came frozen in the shape of a teddy bear! When you placed it in the bowl, it slowly melted into the soup, and then you added the noodles and meat. It was fun and definitely something different.
Convenience store food is a big deal in Japan. They have Lawson’s, Family Mart, and 7-Eleven on almost every corner. Their convenience store snacks are way better than what we have in the U.S. Holly tried the famous egg salad sandwich, which has been trending on Instagram, and she absolutely loved it. Meanwhile, I skipped out on trying some of the wilder snacks, like mayonnaise and corn on a hot dog bun—just couldn’t bring myself to do it.
Most restaurants in Japan are set up differently than in the U.S. Instead of ordering from a waiter, you scan a QR code on your phone to see the menu and place your order—kind of like Uber Eats. Some places have kiosks where you order and just pick up your food when it’s ready. Also, there’s no tipping in Japan, which is a major cultural difference from the U.S.
One of the coolest experiences of the trip was checking out Tokyo’s car scene. We went to two car rallies—one on Thursday and another on Friday. On Thursday night, our driver was actually a professional drift racer. He told us how some Tokyo street racers bend or hide their license plates to avoid speed cameras. Apparently, after midnight, Tokyo police have to stop at every red light—even when chasing someone—so street racers take advantage of that.
On Friday night, we went with a different group called Tokyo Car Club. Since it was a weekend, we saw even more cars than we had the night before. It was a cool experience, and we learned a lot about the underground car culture in Japan.
We visited Tokyo Tower, which looks a lot like the Eiffel Tower and is lit up in different colors at night. We also went to Shibuya Sky, an observation deck that offers one of the best panoramic views of the city.
One of the most interesting places we went to was TeamLab Borderless, an interactive digital art exhibit. It reminded me of the Van Gogh immersive exhibit we had in Atlanta, but this one was themed around ocean life. One of the coolest parts was that you could color a fish, scan it, and then watch it appear in a digital tank. I drew a shark wearing a hat, and it was hilarious seeing it swim around with Holly’s fish.
If you’re thinking about visiting Japan, I recommend going sooner rather than later. They’re implementing new tourist taxes in October and again in January, so it’s about to get a bit more expensive.
Our flight home felt longer, even though it was technically only 12 hours. We left Tokyo on Sunday at 8 PM and landed in Atlanta on Sunday at 6 PM—gaining back all those hours was weird. Customs was a breeze, but waiting for our luggage took over an hour, which was frustrating after such a long journey.
Japan was an amazing experience! From exploring Tokyo’s bustling districts, to seeing futuristic digital billboards, to checking out underground car rallies, it was a trip to remember. If you ever get the chance to visit, I highly recommend it.
And remember—if you’re ever in pain, call Shane!