Articles and lists with reasons to visit Japan are abundant. Personally, I have never found lists discussing reasons for you to never want to visit Japan. Tastes are personal, so no matter the country, there will always be things we don’t like. For this reason, let’s share a list of 17 reasons for you to never want to travel to Japan.
Since I like to do things thoroughly, within the 17 reasons there will also be secondary reasons exceeding the number of 17. I believe there are more than 100 reasons in this article for you to not want to go to Japan at all! And at the end, I want to leave a list of quick reasons that I won’t need to go into detail about.
I hope that definitely you do not want to go to Japan after reading this article. I tried to write an article suitable 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 Contents
1 – Fear of Natural Disasters
This is one of the main reasons that prevent someone from wanting to visit Japan. A country with over 100 volcanoes, annual typhoons, daily earthquakes, and the terrible tsunamis can scare anyone wanting to visit the country. Fortunately, I can say for sure that this reason does not need to be an obstacle, and that it is much easier for you to die from a gunshot in Brazil than from a natural disaster in Japan. Do I really need to be afraid of earthquakes in Japan?
The good news is that the Japanese and their homes are well prepared for earthquakes. And even though tiny earthquakes happen almost daily, they do absolutely nothing. The only thing responsible for a large number of deaths is the famous tsunami, and the deadliest one recently was in 2011.
2 – The difficulty of socializing in Japan
One of the real reasons that drives someone away from Japan is the great difficulty of relating and socializing with native Japanese people. Some Japanese are old grumpy and ignorant, while others are so shy that it makes human contact difficult. Only with a lot of effort will you be able to understand Japanese thoughts.
You might want to socialize with the Brazilian community in Japan; most are always willing to help you. And although some Brazilians in Japan are busy and grumpy, I’m not saying this sarcastically; many can really help you 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 are really terrible at English, just like Brazilians. Only a tiny fraction of the population makes an effort to learn another language.
Fortunately, we find information with our dear 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, the seasons, and allergies
Japan is one of the few countries in the world where the seasons 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 can even kill people, a yellow autumn full of falling leaves, and a cold and intense winter full of snow that covers the cars.
5 – Things are not as 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 happens because a Japanese salary is 7 times higher than ours, so basically for those who are there, it is not that expensive, but for tourists. If you are going to visit Japan, prepare at least 100 reais for daily food. If you do not know how to save money in Japan, be prepared to pay 6000 yen for a customized shirt.
6 – Everything is sold in units
Even if you buy a pack of cookies, it will probably come with other packs of cookies inside. This can be useful to make you eat less, but be prepared to buy bananas, corn, and other foods individually instead of by the kilo. Many packages will sometimes irritate you at the time of cleaning and separating the trash.
7 – Everything in Japan is very cute
You might be someone who doesn’t like anime and cute things; Japan will easily irritate you by displaying these cute things or the concept of kawaii everywhere. In Japan, you will see signs with cute characters, people dressed 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 every time they enter a house, school, or public places with tatami. Undoubtedly, the culture of taking off shoes and other aspects can dampen the desire to visit Japan, even though this gesture is hygienic and beneficial for everyone at home.
9 – Houses are very small
Be prepared to stay in a very cramped and small apartment for a steep price. If you think that’s enough, you might want to stay in a smaller place like a capsule hotel or a shared hostel. The Japanese are small and prefer small and practical things, so be prepared to squeeze in Japan.
10 – You don’t want to see epic mountains
80% of Japan is made up 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 watching TV while drinking a cold beer?
11 – The cities are gigantic making a beautiful view impossible
The streets of Japan are narrow, the city is very bright and full of buildings, which prevents people from enjoying a beautiful view. Ironically, the cities usually do not have lighting beyond that present in the stores’ banners that pollute your visual environment.
12 – Japan is very organized and clean
It is not a good idea to visit Japan if you do not like clean places. The Japanese are constantly cleaning places; trash on the street? Never! You will have to walk blocks to find a trash can because you won’t find that easily either. In Japan, you cannot cut in line, nor stand on both sides of the escalators. There is a natural order to everything in Japan.
13 – The Japanese are very punctual
Don’t think about being late; nothing in Japan is usually late. Trains, buses, meetings, and everything happens always at the scheduled time. If something unexpected happens, you will have to hear thousands of apologies from employees or through announcements on loudspeakers. 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 might prefer to see these animals in a zoo and not in free and comforting places. You prefer to see only dogs and cats on the street; have you ever imagined bathing in a natural hot spring with monkeys? You probably dread that!
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 Japanese houses have a bathtub (ofuro) instead of the traditional shower.
16 – You just wanted sushi, but only find diverse restaurants
Many imagine eating only sushi in Japan, but discover that Japanese cuisine has nothing to do with sushi or fish, but rather with rice and noodles. Many cannot 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 will get lost with the gigantic amount of restaurants with menus from all over the world and be indecisive about what to eat.
17 – Respect for others is very high
The Japanese are somewhat obliged to respect others (you will be too). If you think about grabbing someone in public and exchanging kisses, you can forget it; that is not easy. They avoid looking at others for personal matters while trying to do everything thinking of others. You may get irritated with so many thank yous or apologies you will hear while walking down the street. Not to mention people bowing constantly, even when talking on the phone.
Other quick reasons for you not to want to go to Japan
After this serious joke I wrote, I decided to list even more things that might make someone dislike Japan. These are reasons that do not affect everyone and 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 when slurping noodles;
- Right-hand traffic;
- Tattoos are prohibited;
- Streets crowded with people;
- Wearing 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 Japan, 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 somewhat sarcastic and ironic way, although the first 10 reasons are indeed a significant 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 make 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 life difficult for themselves and others. I hope you understood this article with a somewhat ironic tone and wish to share it with friends. Thank you and see you next time!
No one can give you negative reasons except yourself!
Leave a Reply