A Love Letter to Japan
How a trip to the other side of the world brought us closer together.
The trip that almost didn’t happen
Here I am, more than two weeks after our Japan trip ended, still talking about Japan to everyone I meet. The interesting part is that I feel I’m always adding something to the story, not just repeating the same things again and again. Maybe it’s because I need to relive those beautiful moments over and over again. That’s also the main reason I’m writing this down now. I’m experiencing Japan again through memories, photos, and videos, and this piece of writing will be an extra layer to come back to and feel better when I’m feeling down.
Japan was at the top of my bucket list for years, and this year was not our first attempt to get there. I did so much research, always impressed by their culture, planning future trips in advance since I was in my early 20s. We had another go in April 2020. We booked everything, but one month before flying, we had to cancel it all because of COVID. Five years later, we booked another flight, along with accommodation, trains, and experiences, holding onto even more hope than the first time. We planned everything for months again, but there was something we didn’t think of. If in 2020 it was a global pandemic that stopped us, now, in 2026, we had to navigate around four major war zones. Luckily, our layover was in Seoul, Korea, and we finally made it.
A fifth birthday in Tokyo
We landed in Tokyo just the night before Alex turned 5. The journey from the airport was a teaser of the famous saying that Japan is 50 years ahead of the rest of the world. On our 40-minute ride from the airport to our hotel, we didn’t see much of the city. Not because it was dark outside, but because we drove most of the time under the city, swapping one tunnel for another. Our driver, listening to us being amazed but also a bit frustrated because we couldn’t see anything, did a detour. He exited the tunnel around the Shinjuku area, and that gave us our first real glimpse of the city.
The next day, on Alex’s birthday, we started early. We couldn’t sleep being fully jet-lagged, obviously, so we took advantage and visited one of Tokyo’s most popular places and its oldest temple: Senso-ji. It was so nice and peaceful in the morning. We picked our Omikujis - with a mixed outcome of good and bad fortunes - made our wishes, had some great coffee, bought new glasses for me because I snapped mine, ate a great bowl of ramen, and admired the cherry blossom.
Then we moved to the main event for Alex’s birthday: Teamlab Borderless. Actually, it wasn’t just for Alex, because Florence and I loved it too. The concept is really interesting - art moves from one room to another, and you see different projections in the same room over time. That’s why they call it borderless. It was the best immersive digital art experience I’ve ever seen. We ended it with a special drink, surrounded by digital petals projected onto our table. After sunset, we went to the Shibuya area to check out the famous scramble crossing, had some drinks and cake, and headed back to the hotel.
The quietest big city on earth
Over the next few days, we just walked down random streets, visited parks and anime stores, played in arcades, and ate a lot of great food. But what we learned about Tokyo was something totally unexpected. Even though we spent three days in a city of 40 million people, we didn’t feel the pressure of a massive metropolis. The streets, the trains, the stations, and the restaurants were all quiet, peaceful, and clean. We felt safer than anywhere else in the world.
That was the first reverse culture shock we had. People are more aware of others and respectful to each other than anywhere I’ve ever been. I always thought British people were top tier in terms of politeness, but no. The Japanese are way ahead. We felt so welcomed, even with all the differences between us.
Chasing Mt. Fuji
Our first experience outside the big city was a day trip to Mount Fuji. We were a bit nervous because the days before were cloudy and hazy, with blue skies peeking through just for a few moments, before the clouds rolled back in. The chances of seeing Mount Fuji in March are very low - under 20% - and clouds are the last thing you want on a Mt. Fuji trip. We explored Hakone, went on a boat ride, took a cable car, and visited some other places very close to Mt. Fuji, but there was no sign of it. It was too hazy and cloudy.
But on our drive to the last stop, a small village called Oshino Hakkai, the clouds suddenly disappeared. The sky became totally clear, and a few minutes later, we looked out the left-hand side of the window and saw the peak. It was massive and imposing. At just shy of 4,000 metres, it was the highest peak I’ve ever seen. We drove around it, visiting Oshino Hakkai, and it never left our sight.
Slow mornings in Kyoto
Our next big city was Kyoto. Our research focused heavily on temples, history, and genuine traditional habits. But what impressed us more than anything was the area where we stayed: Omiya. We loved the peacefulness hiding just behind the big boulevards. You could be on a massive street, walk for just five minutes, and feel like you had ended up in a village with hundreds of years of history. People were walking and cycling, the noise levels were close to zero, and the houses were so beautiful that we stopped every minute or two just to take photos.
Of course, we did the temples, the torii gates, the bamboo forest, the castles, and TeamLab again. But we also started our mornings with slow walks, quiet coffee shops, and wandering around non-tourist residential areas.
The best steak of my life
Osaka was our final main stop, and we saved it specifically to explore the food scene. We’d heard it’s called Japan’s Kitchen, and oh, we tried so many things. Ramen, obviously, but we also did a sushi masterclass, tried okonomiyaki (savoury pancakes), kushikatsu (deep-fried skewers), takoyaki (octopus balls), and a lot more that I can’t even remember.
But I think the main food event of this trip was eating Kobe wagyu beef in Kobe city. That piece of steak raised my standards so much that I think I’ll be chasing that taste and texture for the rest of my life. Back in Osaka, we did some shopping, went to an outdoor TeamLab - because why not? - had more amazing coffee, walked down more clean and safe streets, got lost in train stations a few more times, and tried to make the most of our last few days.
What really matters
On our last day in Japan, I asked Alex what his favourite part of the trip was. He simply said that he liked spending time with us. Florence and I replied, with tears in our eyes, that we loved spending so much time together too. (And, of course, he quickly added that he also loved playing Mario Kart and the TeamLab experience).
Anyway, it was the best reminder that we just don’t spend enough time with our kids when we’re at home. Work, daily routines, and other stuff easily eclipse what actually matters the most, especially when they are so young: just being with your children.
Leaving a piece of my heart behind
Speaking of tears, I’ve heard stories of people crying after leaving Japan. I used to think they were just exaggerating for likes and views. I actually thought it was a bit funny. But after spending almost two weeks in this amazing country, I became one of them.
I walked past the immigration desks in tears. I was so sad to be leaving, but also so happy that Japan had taught me so many life lessons. Until next time, I will keep thinking of Japan. I’m going to try to bring a bit of their culture and the things I’ve learned into my day-to-day life. I hope we get to go back, explore more of the countryside and the smaller southern islands, and let this beautiful country be my life teacher all over again.