How to Blow All Your Money in Japan

There are many blogs out there that share how to save your money and budget in Japan. Even I've done that kind of blog before. This time, I'm going to talk about the total opposite. I want to share with all of you the many different ways you can drain your wallet while in Japan. If you like spending money, this is the blog post for you!

Top 5 Romance Anime

I've already done a favorite anime and favorite shojo manga list, so I'm going to try and make this list as different as possible. What I consider to be good romance anime is something that makes me really feel the emotions of love. This is a hard list to make because a lot of romance anime are fused with other genres such as fantasy, slice of life, comedy and drama. You may not see your favorite romance anime in this list because I'm only mentioning my favorites that are really hardcore romance (like I wouldn't suggest these to my guy friends because they'd totally not enjoy these). Let's get this started!

If You Like New Orleans, You'll like Japan Pt.3

And we're back with another segment of "If you like New Orleans, you'll like Japan" blog. I've done two of these so far, a Part 1 and Part 2. I didn't think I'd come up with more ideas but I've got four more similarities for you all that New Orleans and Japan shares.

Let's get started!

7 Places You Need to Go in Osaka

Osaka is the second largest city in Japan. It is known as the food capital of Japan, but Osaka has a lot more to offer visitors. Osaka is a very lively city with something for everybody to enjoy. Let's explore Osaka while I recommend these 7 places to check out.

If you are interested, I also did a post on places to go in Kyoto.

Things I Can't Get Used to in Japan

I can study and practice as much of the culture as possible but there will always be things that I just will never get used to in Japan. My visits to Japan have been pretty frequent, probably more than the average person. I'm very lucky to visit as often as I have. But there are things that will always trip me up when over there. And I don't think I'll ever get used to honestly. Let's take a look at those things!

My Life Adjustments in Japan

Before, I wrote a blog post on what I would miss if I moved to Japan. My friend was genuinely curious, but what he didn't think about was all the changes people have to go through when you get to Japan. My situation wouldn't be as bad as others because I'm already very familiar with the culture and way of life over there. Most of my concerns would be more personal, with the exception of two that would probably apply to many people. I'm going to share with you the things that I would have to adjust to if I moved to Japan.

How to Behave in Japan

This may seem like an obvious topic but I'm realizing that its actually not. When people travel abroad leisurely, like for vacations, they only think they are on vacation. They don't think about the bigger meaning behind visiting a different country such as Japan. I'm going to share with you how you should behave in Japan and why it's so important.

Buying a Kitchen Knife in Japan

In my household, my husband is the cook. It works perfectly because he actually likes cooking and I'm pretty bad at it. So we have this agreement in our house that he does the cooking and I do the clean-up after. Work for me! So when we went to Japan in November of 2016, he knew he wanted to leave the country with a Japanese chef knife. Yes, I'm talking about one of those huge, sharp knives that I'm terrified of chopping my finger off with.

Adventures at Tokyo DisneySea

Japan's second Disney park is Tokyo DisneySea. Just like Tokyo Disneyland, this Disney park can also be fully explored in a day. I personally did one day in each park and felt fulfilled. Tokyo DisneySea is known for being the more mature of the parks as it has more thrilling rides and the park has a worldly theme that adults can appreciate. This Disney park is highly praised and is a crowd favorite, especially for couples. Let's get deeper into what makes this park so pleasing.

Stories From Japan: Where's the Ramen?

Here's another story from Japan, back when I studied abroad in Kyoto for the summer in 2010.

This story takes place in the first week of my study abroad program. One of my goals going to Japan for the first time was to have a true "ramen experience." The only ramen I knew of at the time was the cup ramen and the packet ramen everybody in high school ate dry (still never understood that phase). I've seen ramen in Japanese dramas and anime, so I wanted to get a bowl of real ramen in Japan. This was before pocket wifi and sim cards were popular for your phone usage while traveling. I had to look for ramen the old fashion way.

My Adventures at Tokyo Disneyland

The most famous Disney park of course, is Disney World in Orlando, Florida, where they have the most parks and many visitors from around the world. The second most known Disney park is Disneyland in California. Not everyone may know this, but there are many Disney parks outside of the United States. Some of the different countries are home to a Disney park or two, with its own unique twist due to its location. Today, I'd like to introduce you to Tokyo Disneyland!

Most Frequently Asked Japan Travel Questions

Everything you want to know about traveling in Japan is right here. I'm going to answer some of the most frequently asked questions about traveling in Japan. They are in no specific order, but I'll have a short answer and a long answer for each question so that you can read as little or as much as you'd like on each question. I hope I cover any topics you may be interested in. Enjoy!

Thanksgiving in Japan

My husband and I planned a trip to Japan during Thanksgiving week. We did this because it is also an wedding anniversary week. Spending our anniversary in Japan was a great experience, just as it was to have our honeymoon in Japan. Going during this time meant that we would be away from our families for Thanksgiving for the first time. If you are big on Thanksgiving like my husband proclaims he is, then don't travel during this time. You will feel homesick in Japan.

How to Fully Enjoy Japan

This may not seem like a big topic to go over. Just going to Japan is all the enjoyment you need, but when you get there you may forget that fact. This is going to be a short blog but still very important.

You may have all of your Japan trip planned out, like where you're going and all the places you'll see. You may think your schedule is jammed with a lot going on but once you are there you will notice that there are free spaces in your schedule. And not only that but say you have been very active all day (you'll be doing a lot of walking for sure), you'll start to get tired and want to rest. You'll be going back to either your small hotel room or your small airbnb. Now if you're going back to go to sleep then that's fine, but if you're going back to your place of stay just to relax you will be making a grave mistake. If you do that for one day, you'll continue making the same decision of retiring for the night the next day and the day. Soon you'll start to get bored and want your trip to end sooner. That may seem very hard to believe but you will start to feel that way whether you know it or not.

It May Seem Rude to You, But Not in Japan

You know how there are certain things you do in your country that can be considered rude? Well, in other parts of the world it may be the opposite. I say this a lot, but Japan is a unique country with it's own culture and lifestyle. What you may think is rude, may not be in Japan. I live in America, so I will be talking about concepts I'm accustomed to.

Stories From Japan: Is that a Tengu?

I've encountered a lot of animals in Japan, from deer to monkeys and your common house-pets. I never thought I would have such an abnormal encounter to a common outdoor animal such as a crow. Crows are kind of those universal birds that every sees around outside. From my past experiences with crows, they are loud and seem like they always have a watchful eye on you but nothing more. In Japan, I experienced something completely different.

Experience Autumn Season in Japan

Japan is a place that's a great example of having all four seasons. It's mostly known for it's spring time cherry blossoms, as it is a sight to see. But another season that should not be ignored is autumn. For someone like myself who comes from a place that just has summer and winter, the autumn foliage an amazing experience. There are so many colors during the fall season in Japan that it gets to be mesmerizing. I'm just used to colors green and brown, or no leaves at all. So I'm going to give you my opinion and experience of autumn in Japan!

Queue Culture in Japan

Japan is already different from a lot of other countries, but their culture is stands out the most. If you have ever been to Japan you probably experienced the differences in Japanese culture and the culture you come from. For those of you who have not been to Japan it will either be a fun experience or a difficult one. One of the things about the Japanese culture that amazes me id the "queue culture," or the standing in line culture.

Learn the Culture Before Going to Japan

Many blogs, sites and videos will always recommend you learn the Japanese language before traveling to Japan. While that is important it is not as important as learning about the culture. You can get by without the language as I have mentioned in a previous blog, but you won't be able to get by without knowing the culture. If you don't know the Japanese culture you may do something to give a bad representation to foreigners which can lead to other people having a bad experience of Japan.

Japanese Work Ethic

The Japanese work ethic is very different from the work ethic I'm used to in America. There are several good and bad things about the work ethic in Japan. I think the Japanese work ethic is great overall, but I feel it is one of the aspects of Japanese culture that could possibly make or break a foreigner's decision in moving to Japan.