On September 6, 2016, I, Kevin Henrique, embarked on a 27-day trip alone to Japan. I have been struggling for many years and finally realized my dream. After this long period of absence from the site, I now return with a long series of articles writing every detail and impression of my trip. This article will be the guide, index and map of my entire trip.
In this base article I will talk a little about my personal impressions about the trip, create an index of all the places I visited, and a list of all the subjects that I intend to address on the website and that are related to my trip.
I hope that my experience will inspire you all. I want to show in this series of articles that it is possible to know Japan, and that there are different realities. Unfortunately I come across many negative people on the internet, who complain and end up spreading these negative thoughts on other people. If you are a person who dreams of knowing Japan, or have misconceptions about Japan, or live in Japan but don't feel happy, or find life difficult? My articles will help you to have a different and unique view of Japan.
Índice de Conteúdo
First impressions
Unlike most people going to Japan for the first time, I had no problems or suffered cultural shocks because I had a lot of knowledge about Japan itself. I realized that I had more knowledge than the Japanese I visited. Indeed, a tourist is able to know Japan more than a native during his whole life. But don't think it happens because Japanese works a lot. In my entire life I only leave Goiás twice, I never worked 8 hours a day, and in my trip none of the Japanese and Brazilians I met worked 12 hours a day as most people imagine.
The Japanese houses where I stayed were huge and had nothing small, one of them belonged to a Brazilian. Food? For those who don't like fish, I only ate sushi twice, there are so many varieties of different and cheap foods that you will be completely indecisive and lost. I feel sad for those who think Japanese people are thin because food is expensive and they eat little (笑). Japanese people eat a lot, some even more than us Brazilians... Breakfast is super complete and looks like a lunch, the variety of foods in each meal is amazing, not to mention the processed products, cheap restaurants, etc. The good thing is that I ate a lot and came back thinner.
The conclusion I had on this trip is that Japan is identical to anime and dramas. If you disagree with me, know that just because I am saying something I am not claiming that it is 100% like that. I have no complaints to make from this trip or from Japan. The only complaints and regrets I have are:
- I couldn't see Mount Fuji;
- Not having tried all the foods;
- Not having known Hokkaido;
- Have to go back to Brazil;
During the trip I stayed 13 days in a Hostel located near Akihabara in Tokyo. and the rest of the trip I went to the Kansai region of Osaka where a friend arranged for me to stay with some Japanese families who were learning the English language. I also stayed for one day at the home of 3 Brazilian families, in Gunma, Hamamatsu and Shiga.
Places I visited
During these 27 days I visited the following sites: (List is not complete and is being updated).
- Tokyo Area
- Akihabara
- SkyTree
- Tokyo Tower
- Odaiba
- Ginza
- Ikebukuro
- Shinjuku
- Shibuya
- Yokohama
- Minato Mirai
- Shinagawa Aquarium
- Kyoto and vicinity
- Mount Inari (tori)
- Shiga
- Mount Eizan and Sakamoto City
- Kinkakuji (golden pavilion)
- Arashiyama (bamboo forest, mountain of monkeys)
- Osaka and nearby
- Sakai
- Hyogo
- Nara
- Kobe
- Osaka Aquarium
- Osaka castle
- Umeda Sky
- Shinsekai
- Many other neighborhoods and places;
- Other cities
- Gunma - Isesaki
- Hamamatsu
- Aviation Museum
- Teleferico, Yakiniku, Onsen
- Nagoya
- Nagoya Castle
- Science museum and planetarium;
- Oasis 21 and downtown;
- Okunoshima - Rabbit Island
- Hiroshima
- Peace Park and Museum
- Hiroshima Castle
Photos and videos
Anyone who wants to track details of my trip can access my instagram or facebook. I’m also preparing a lot of content for our channel on youtube that is still being modified and unified.
The article is still halfway through, but we recommend also reading:
Travel Articles
Below I will leave a list of articles that I have written or intend to write with knowledge and experience gained on this trip. The list will always be updated.
Culture and Thoughts
- Are Japanese cold and independent?
- Do Japanese eat little? Is the food expensive?
- Are Japanese houses really small?
- Different types of experiences in Japan.
Tourism and Places
- Yakiniku - Japanese barbecue
- My onsen experience
- Train station stamps
Languages and others
- It is possible to write your name in Kanji!
- Understanding the phrases heard at a train station in Japan.
- I understand the phrases heard on a bus in Japan.
- His experience does not define Japan.
