I'M TOO GROTTY FOR JAPAN
solo travel | Asia | Japan| story time /time to moan
I'm too grotty for Japan
Rules, rules, tules. So many rules
I have a confession: I’m not in love with Japan. I know—that’s practically travel blasphemy. But hear me out.
I live for the thrill of new cultures, for the weird and wonderful differences that make traveling so addictive. And yet, after two weeks here, I haven’t felt that spark. You know, the magic everyone else seems to rave about.
Maybe I’m getting older. Maybe it’s the language barrier. Maybe it’s the fact that times are tough for locals right now. But something feels… off.
That said, I have nothing but respect for Japanese culture. The precision, the order, the deep-rooted traditions—it’s fascinating. And the people? Incredibly kind and polite. Even when I’ve been a clueless tourist, fumbling my way through broken Japanese, people have gone out of their way to help. Their hospitality is next-level.
But still, I feel like an outsider looking in, unable to connect with the city in the way I usually do.
Tokyo: A City That’s Everything and Nothing
Tokyo is a lot. It’s chaos and precision in the same breath. I zigzagged my way through:
- Shinjuku (yes, including the red-light district)
- Shibuya
- Koenji
- The Metropolitan area
- Chiyoda City
- Nakano
- …and a few random neighborhoods where I 100% got lost.
First impression? For a city this packed, it is eerily quiet.
Shibuya Crossing, the busiest intersection in the world, should feel like electric mayhem. But instead, it’s almost… solemn. You’d think it was a funeral procession. There’s no chaotic shouting, no laughter bouncing off the buildings, no public displays of frustration. Just silence.
I get the appeal of peace and order, but where’s the life?
Am I Missing Something?
I want to love Japan. I really do. I admire the culture, I’m in awe of the respect and kindness of the people, and I understand why so many travelers are obsessed with it. But something just isn’t clicking for me.
Maybe I’m just not looking in the right places. Maybe I need more time, or a different approach. Or maybe, just maybe, Japan and I aren’t meant to be.
What do you think—does Japan’s quiet order make it special, or do you crave a bit more chaos in your travels? Drop your thoughts below!
Lake Fujikawaguchiko: A Stunning View… for a Day
After the muted energy of Tokyo, I was ready for something different. Enter: Mount Fuji. And damn, did I get lucky—I saw it in full, unobstructed glory. Not a cloud in the sky.
But here’s the thing: three days at Lake Fujikawaguchiko? Two days too many.
It’s stunning, don’t get me wrong. But once you’ve seen the Gigantic Fooj (as I lovingly named him), well… you’ve seen him. And at -8°C, for someone actively running from winter in the UK, I was over it the second I realized I had to walk 400m just to have a morning cigarette. Pain.
The Fuji Dilemma: Where Do You Stay?
If you ever make it here, you’ve got two choices:
1️⃣ Stay at the North End – Enjoy uninterrupted Fuji views, bask in the silence, and… have absolutely nowhere to eat or drink past 3/4 PM. Also, unless you enjoy sprinting for the last bus at 17:24, you’re kinda stuck.
2️⃣ Stay near the station – Pay a bit more, fight the crowds, and play a game of patience trying to snap a clear shot of the Giant.
I chose the first option, which was all very serene and peaceful until dinner time came around, and I was hungry, freezing, and nowhere near a bar.
My Brief (But Iconic) Baseball Career
After a full day of Fuji admiration, I needed something to break up the stillness. Enter: a random batting cage. I had never touched a baseball bat in my life, but turns out, this London girl has some serious skills. Who knew?
If you ever find yourself at the lake and need a random cheap and fun side quest, I highly recommend taking a swing.
Aokigahara: The Forest I Almost Missed (and Barely Made It Through)
I hadn’t actually planned to visit Aokigahara Forest. In fact, I didn’t even realize it was so close until two guys at my hostel casually mentioned it over breakfast. With no plans for the day (and a growing case of cabin fever), I figured—why not?
Sometimes, the best travel experiences are the unplanned ones.
But this? This was not that.
I stepped into the forest alone, expecting eerie beauty, maybe a bit of quiet reflection. Instead, I felt completely unsafe. I don’t know if it was the overwhelming silence, the dark history pressing down on me, or just my overactive imagination, but every single noise made my skin crawl.
After about ten minutes of pure paranoia, I noped out of there and walked straight back to the entrance—where I bumped into a group of Australian lads about to do the same walk. I kind of joked that I was scared (I really was) and asked if I could tag along on the trail with them.
What started as a horror-movie setting quickly turned into one of the funniest afternoons of my trip. We took the absolute piss out of each other for being scared, jumped at every rustling leaf, and somehow managed to turn a haunted forest into a comedy show. Strength in numbers, eh?
Had I not overheard that hostel conversation, I might’ve missed Aokigahara entirely. Had I gone in alone, I probably wouldn’t have lasted more than five minutes. But instead, I walked away with a hilarious memory, a new group of mates, and a newfound appreciation for unexpected travel moments.
Am I Missing Something?
I want to love Japan. I really do. I admire the culture, I’m in awe of the respect and kindness of the people, and I understand why so many travelers are obsessed with it. But something just isn’t clicking for me.
Maybe I’m just not looking in the right places. Maybe I need more time, or a different approach. Or maybe, just maybe, Japan and I aren’t meant to be.
What do you think—does Japan’s quiet order make it special, or do you crave a bit more chaos in your travels? Drop your thoughts below!
Next Stop: Kyoto
Fuji was cool, but was it life-changing? Not really. Still, I’m glad I saw it in all its glory.
Now, let’s see how Kyoto treats me… or how I treat Kyoto