The Best Side Trip From Osaka: Okayama

When people decide to take the plunge and travel to Japan, they start planning their trip with what to see and what to do when over there. Many people, especially those who will be going for the first time, make plans to only go visit the big three: Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto with a possible pit stop to Nara. Nothing is wrong with this travel plan. I even did this travel plan the first time I went to Japan (no regrets). But once you have already become familiar with these places, where else do you go?

There are so many places in Japan that are worth visiting. Out of the many places to choose from, may I suggest Okayama.

Hiroshima: Visiting Japan's History

I knew at some point in all my travels to Japan I would want to visit Hiroshima. There are many reasons why people should want to visit Hiroshima, but in this blog post I am going to talk about the most important one: the atomic bombing of Hiroshima.

Don't Fear Going to Japan

First, a little back story to why I'm talking about this topic in my blog. As announced on my YouTube channel, I got a new job! This new job involves me educating college students about Japan and taking them over there for a month during the summer to study abroad. I'll link the program here.

Anyway, my university did a survey on Freshmen about what countries they would love to travel to but why they didn't go. I already knew finances were going to be an issue, but to my surprise it was fear that was commonly mentioned in the survey. So I would like to clear up any fears that people may have about going to Japan.

Desserts and Sweets in Japan

One of the many things people like to talk about when it comes to Japan is the food. Japanese food is simple yet precise, and aims for the best quality. The same goes for its dessert and sweets. Whether it be traditional Japanese sweets or their rendition of other countries' sweets, Japan aims for quality no matter how simple or complex it may look. I'm going to go over a few sweets that are definitely worth a try when in Japan.

The Joys of Exploring Japanese Neighborhoods

It's common for people who live in Japan to tell you not to plan out your trip to Japan, to just explore and find new things. I agree with that to an extant. It's easy for them to say that because they live there and have a lot of time to explore. For visitors, your time in Japan is limited. It's natural for you to want to fit in as much as possible. I plan out all of my trips when I go to Japan. But what I do is when I find a break in my already planned schedule, I try to explore the neighborhood I'm staying in just to see if I find something interesting.

Let's talk about the discoveries you'll come across during your travels in Japan.

Japanese Bathrooms in Japan

When looking for accommodations for your stay in Japan you may look at the size of the place, how big the beds are, if there's free WiFi or even how big the bathroom is. You won't be spending too much time in your hotel or other accommodation but it can still be a game changer on how big that bathroom is. The size of the bathroom can be a game changer for your trip to Japan. That may sound weird but it could possibly make things relaxing for you or super difficult. Let's explore Japanese bathrooms.

Two Uses for your Passport in Japan

This is not going to be a blog about how to get a passport. That is for another day. This blog post is about the two uses for your passport when you are in Japan as a visitor or tourist. Your passport has more functions than you know about. The main use of a passport is to get you into Japan when traveling, but did you know it still has purpose once in Japan? Let's talk about it some more.

What to do at Night in Japan

While you're planning your trip to Japan there will most likely be many things on your to-do list. Sometimes it can look really scary because you may be thinking how am I going to get all of this done during my trip to Japan? There is a simple solution, and not many people think about it. On your list of things to see and do in Japan is probably some stuff that can be done during the night hours. This can save you a lot of time for activities during the day.

Seeing Cherry Blossoms in Japan

My first and only time so far to see cherry blossoms in Japan was back in spring of 2014 for my honeymoon. I always heard it was a great time to go to Japan and that it was beautiful. Now that I went for myself (and I'm going again in 2019) I can truly say it is an amazing sight to see but no amount of pictures or stories will do the cherry blossom season justice. You really do have to go see it for yourself in order to really understand the beauty of spring time in Japan.

Why You Should Study Abroad in Japan

There are many ways to travel to Japan. You can go for vacation, a job or on a guided tour, but one of the best ways to experience Japan is through studying abroad. Whether you choose a program at a school in your own country or applying to a Japanese school, studying abroad has many benefits that other traveling methods don't offer. I'm going to be talking about why you should be studying abroad in Japan.

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!

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.

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!

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.