Articles and lists of reasons to visit Japan abound. Personally, I've never come across lists talking about reasons why you might never want to visit Japan. Tastes are personal things, so no matter the country, there will always be things we don't like. For that reason, we are going to share a list of 17 reasons why you never want to travel to Japan.
As I like to make things complete, within the 17 reasons there will still be secondary reasons far exceeding the number of 17 reasons. I believe there are over 100 reasons in this article why you might not want to go to Japan at all! And still at the end I want to leave a list of quick reasons that I won't need to go into details.
I hope you definitely do not want to go to 日本 after reading this article. I tried to write an appropriate article for all types of readers. So pay close attention to the way the article is written and the final direction it takes for you to understand the message I want to convey with it. In the end, I left a conclusion and I hope you read it.
Table of Content
1 - Fear of Natural Disasters
This is one of the main reasons that prevents someone from wanting to visit Japan. A country with over 100 volcanoes, annual typhoons, daily earthquakes, and still with the terrible tsunamis, can scare anyone wanting to visit the country. Fortunately, I can say for sure that this reason doesn't need to be an obstacle, and that it is much easier for you to die shot in Brazil than in a natural disaster in Japan. Do I really need to be afraid of earthquakes in Japan?
Luckily, the Japanese and their homes are well prepared for earthquakes. And even though tiny earthquakes happen almost daily, they do absolutely nothing. The only one responsible for a large number of deaths is the famous tsunami, and the deadliest recently was in 2011.
2 - The difficulty of socializing in Japan
One of the real reasons to keep someone away from Japan is the great difficulty of relating and socializing with the Japanese natives. Some Japanese are grumpy and ignorant old men, others are very shy to the point of making human contact with ease impossible. Only with a lot of effort will you be able to understand Japanese thoughts.
Maybe you want to socialize with the Brazilian community in Japan, most of them are always on hand to help you. And although some Brazilians in Japan are busy and grumpy, I'm not saying this with sarcasm, many can really help you to have a good experience.
3 - The language is very difficult and the Japanese do not speak English
As much as I find it very easy to get around Japan, many use the language as the main reason for not wanting to go to Japan. To make matters worse, the Japanese really suck at English, as much as the Brazilians. Only a tiny fraction of the population makes an effort to learn another language.
Fortunately we can find information with our beloved roman letters in most big cities which helps a lot when getting around. Japan is also well signposted, it is really not necessary to be fluent in the language to live in Japan. The proof of this is in the majority of Brazilians who live in the country.
4 - The climate, seasons and allergies
Japan is one of the few countries in the world where stations work correctly. Here you find an intense spring full of flowers that cause allergies in many people, a very hot summer with heavy rains that even kills people, an all yellow autumn full of falling leaves and a cold and intense winter full of snow that covers the cars..
5 - Things are not cheap as you think
Although nothing compares to the terrible Brazilian taxes that make a 1200 iPad cost 4000 reais, things in Japan are also expensive. This is because the salary of a Japanese is 7x higher than ours, so basically for those who are there it is not so expensive, but for tourists. If you are going to visit Japan, prepare at least 100 reais for daily food. If you don't know how to save in Japan, get ready to pay 6000 yen for a custom shirt.
6 - Everything is sold in units
Even if you buy a packet of cookies, it will likely come with other packets of cookies inside. It can be useful to make you eat less, but be prepared to buy bananas, corn and other foods individually rather than by the kilo. Lots of packaging that will sometimes annoy you when cleaning and separating the trash.
7 - Everything in Japan is very cute
Maybe you are someone who doesn't like anime and cute things, Japan will easily irritate you by exposing these cute things everywhere or the concept of kawaii. In Japan, you will see signs with cute characters, people dressed up as cute characters, posters of anime characters on the train, and much more. If you are someone who hates cuteness and fantasy, Japan is not for you.
8 - Having to take off your shoes
Some may find it extremely annoying to have to take off their shoes whenever they enter a home, school or public place with tatami mats. Undoubtedly, the culture of taking off your shoes and other aspects can put an end to the desire to visit Japan, even though this gesture is hygienic and beneficial for everyone in the home.
9 - The houses are too small
Be prepared to stay in a very cramped and small apartment for a hefty price. If that's enough, you might want to stay in a smaller place like a capsule hotel or shared hostel. The Japanese are small and prefer small and practical things, so be prepared to be cramped in Japan.
10 - You don't want to see epic mountains
80% in Japan is composed of mountains with volcanoes, forests, cliffs, natural hot springs, snow, and many wild animals. Why would anyone want to visit Japan to enjoy these things? Isn't it better to stay at home sitting and watching TV while having a cold beer?
11 – Cities are giants, making it impossible to have a beautiful view
The streets of Japan are narrow, the city is very bright and full of buildings, which prevents people from enjoying a beautiful view. Ironically, cities do not usually have lighting other than those present in banner stores that pollute their visual environment.
12 - Japan is very organized and clean
It's not a good idea to visit Japan if you don't like clean places. The Japanese are constantly cleaning places, garbage on the street never! You'll have to walk blocks until you find a piece of garbage because you can't even find that easily. In Japan, you can't skip lines or stand on either side of the escalator. There is a natural order to everything in Japan.
13 - The Japanese are very punctual
Don't think about being late, nothing in 日本 tends to be delayed. Trains, buses, meetings, and everything always happens at the determined time. If something unexpected occurs, you will have to hear thousands of apologies from staff or through announcements over loudspeakers. The punctuality is a catastrophic scenario for Brazilians.
14 - There are many animals roaming freely in Japan
You don't want to see monkeys, rabbits, deer and other wild animals walking the streets of Japan. You may prefer to see these animals in a zoo rather than in free, comforting places. Prefer to see only dogs and cats on the street, never imagined bathing in a natural hot spring with the monkeys? Probably terrified of it!
15 - The fearsome public baths of the Japanese
Many do not accept the idea of having to bathe in fantastic hot springs naked without any clothes. Others may find the water too hot and feel uncomfortable knowing that most 日本の家 have a bathtub (ofurô) instead of the traditional shower.
16 - You just wanted sushi, but you only find different restaurants
Many imagine eating only sushi in Japan, but I found that Japanese cuisine has nothing to do with sushi or fish, but rather with rice and noodles. Many can't stand the sweet and sour taste of Japanese food rich in ingredients and seasonings. Perhaps you prefer food full of salt and pepper. Maybe you'll get lost with the huge number of restaurants offering menus from around the world and be indecisive about what to eat.
17 - Respect for others is very great
The Japanese are kind of obligated to respect others (you will be too). If you think about grabbing someone in public and exchanging kisses, you can get your horse out of the rain, it's not easy. They avoid looking outsiders for personal things while trying to make the most of things thinking about the next. You may be irritated by so many thanks or apologies that you will hear as you walk down the street. Not to mention people bowing incessantly, even when talking on the phone.
Other quick reasons why you might not want to go to Japan
After this serious uproar I wrote, I decided to list even more things that can make someone dislike Japan. These are reasons that do not affect everyone and that can be described quickly in one line.
- Many vending machines;
- people wearing masks;
- Pachinko;
- Yakuza;
- There are many nerds and otakus;
- There are many train lines;
- Long lines for restaurants and other places;
- Noise while sucking noodles;
- Right hand in traffic;
- Tattoos forbidden;
- Streets crowded with people;
- To wear uniforms;
- Lots of superstition and ghosts;
- People sleeping on the train;
Are there reasons not to travel to Japan?
If after these reasons you still want to go to 日本, you can kill yourself! Maybe you want to read the infographic on this same subject written by my friend Tsuge.
I tried to write this article in a sarcastic and ironic way, although the first 10 reasons are really a big obstacle to making your trip to Japan. The message I want to convey with this article is that no matter the difficulties, there are always positive reasons for you to take this trip.
Another message I wanted to convey in this article is that many of the difficulties and negative reasons that people create are not real. Sometimes people generate so many exaggerated ideas in their heads that it ends up making their own lives and other people's lives difficult. I hope you have understood this article with a somewhat ironic content and want to share it with friends. Thank you and see you next time!
No one can give you negative reasons but yourself!