Japan was my first non-English-speaking destination. I crammed Duolingo for months beforehand, confidently mistaking streaks for fluency.
Shibuya
After touching down in Japan, we took a bus straight to Shibuya. We stepped off several blocks from our hotel, facing a maze of narrow, zigzagging streets. Testing out the eSIM, we pulled up Google Maps and immediately began testing the durability of our new suitcases against the district’s sometimes unforgiving pavement.
Right away, I fell in love with how walkable the area felt. The streets were narrow, but so were the storefronts—each one a new treasure waiting to be discovered. We passed restaurants open to the street, a still-thriving Tower Records (which I was surprised to see still existed), and continued beneath the green line—the Yamanote Line that loops around Tokyo.
Eventually, we reached our hotel’s street. It was incredibly narrow, one-way, and without sidewalks. Being Japan, there was, of course, a row of vending machines at both the entrance and the end of the block. We checked in and were welcomed into the smallest hotel room we’d ever seen—but we were happy nonetheless.
Shinjuku
Tokyo Photographic Art Museum
Kyu Asakura House
Quirks
One of the things that stood out to me while exploring Tokyo was the presence of designated outdoor smoking booths. Smokers are required to use these enclosed spaces, which keeps the surrounding public areas free from smoke. It’s a thoughtful balance between accommodating smokers and respecting everyone else’s comfort.
I also loved the umbrella dryers and locking stands at the entrances of museums and other buildings. On rainy days, you could quickly dry or securely store your umbrella before heading inside. I hadn’t encountered this so systematically implemented before, and it made navigating the city in wet weather noticeably more convenient.
Another striking difference was the absence of public trash cans on most streets. Instead, you carry your waste with you until you reach your destination. While this can occasionally be inconvenient, the result is remarkably clean streets. It reflects a strong sense of collective responsibility, and the cultural norm of personal accountability clearly contributes to the city’s overall tidiness and order.
