By telling us your country of residence we are able to provide you with the most relevant travel insurance information.
Please note that not all content is translated or available to residents of all countries. Contact us for full details.
Shares
This trip was my first time in Japan and first time stepping my foot in Asia. I’ve previously travelled to a few places on my own but this trip really took me out of my comfort zone (in a good way). I visited Tokyo, Mt. Fuji, Nikko, Kyoto, Nara, Osaka, Enoshima and Hiroshima, all made possible with saving some money each month, the JR Pass, google maps and some friendly people. Solo travelling enables you to pick up on things more and digest your experiences better. I find the people in Japan really helpful and generally nice even with the language barrier. As a minority I thought I’d feel more out of place but it didn’t feel like it. Of course I got stared at sometimes (mostly in Osaka), which made me a bit self conscious but it didn’t affect my overall travel experience in the country. I received random acts of kindness which blew me away because living in London has made me sort of immune to such personal contact. I researched a lot about the country and their way of life and learned a few words in Japanese so that I was respectful of their culture and tradition as it means a lot to the people here. Doing something out of the ordinary isn’t as done here but foreigners get a bit of a pass. Still, my advice is to research a little before coming. They have an interesting culture which is different to what you’re probably used to. Going back to the tradition bit, a lot has to do with the spiritual/religious aspect of the country. Although Buddhism was introduced to Japan from India; the main religion is Shinto. It’s the country’s traditional indigenous religion (more of a spiritual belief), where they focus on ritual practices combined with Japanese way of thinking and behaving and their value system. What I’ve noticed during this trip and researched into is that although in the past, they were open to foreign trade until Christianity took a major role in the cultural shift of the country, it’s interesting to see how they have adopted a few styles of international culture over the years in many areas such as food. One example is that they would make spaghetti carbonara Japanese even though it’s an Italian dish, or the Kit Kat which is a popular global snack, is taken to the next level in Japan by coming in different flavours like green tea, wasabi, cheesecake and more. Maybe it’s a way to represent how far they’ve come since their self-isolation? This goes with many other aspects of Japanese living, the combinations make the country a surreal experience to witness. Although I’ve come across a few Christian churches, Japan isn’t known to be a predominantly Chrisitan country. Portuguese missionaries brought it here until they were banned. Japanese Christians tried to stay hidden but were persecuted by the shogunate due to colonisations and mass conversion seen in other countries like the Philippines. They were afraid that Japan might be next and lose its identity. This was one of the major reasons which resulted in Japan being closed off to the world (Sakoku), for a few hundred years from 1633 until 1853, hence the interesting relationship the country has between the traditional and new. Japanese people believe in balance. They focus on making things convenient for people so that you live a better life. I.e, cleanliness pretty much everywhere, heated toilet seats, details in the smallest of things such as giving you paper napkins and hand wipes for your meal etc. I had many memorable moments in the country such as talking with a kind gallery curator of the Okumura Commemorative Museum in Nara, for an hour. We talked about England, Japan and Nigeria (I’m Nigerian). Despite the language barrier, we understood each other. He let me charge my phone and offered green tea. It was a lovely cultural exchange type of conversation. My perspective is different of course than to someone living in Japan, but it’s been an interesting experience where I learned a lot. One of the most enlightening trips I’ve ever taken and recommend everyone go to experience Japan for themselves.