March 2023 officially made it two years since I left Japan and moved back stateside. While I have enjoyed being closer to my family and friends, I find myself reminiscing about the three years that I lived in the land of the rising sun. Looking back on it, it was such a bold move for a single, childless, 26-year-old to make. I packed up three suitcases and moved all the way to a little city in northern mainland Japan called Misawa. I left Japan with way more than when I went (in several ways). I learned so much while I was there, and if I could go back in time and change anything, I wouldn’t (besides the pandemic that ruined my travel plans). Here are the five top things that I miss about living in Japan:

1. The Food

Before moving to Japan, I enjoyed the American version of Japanese food. I was inexperienced with real ramen and sushi that was raw. I kind of knew how to maneuver chopsticks before going, and once I moved there I had to become somewhat of a professional because a lot of smaller restaurants only had chopsticks. My love for ramen and sushi grew so much over there and I still have not had anything that compares since being back stateside. I enjoyed the basic miso ramen, but my favorites were BBQ curry ramen and spare rib ramen (the naps that I took after eating those bowls were the best)!

There were conveyor belt sushi restaurants where you would sit at a table with a tablet to place your order. Instead of someone bringing your order, it would come out on a conveyor belt next to your table. I found it to be very efficient.

Where I lived, there were egg vending machines that I found to be so cool and so convenient. It was very inexpensive and I always knew that the eggs were fresh.

I miss going to convenience stores like Lawson’s and 7/11 and getting my usual snacks. My favorites were the fried chicken nuggets (I realized that they were called Karaage-kun), and trying the different flavors of chips. There was a pizza-flavored one that I really loved. In both stores, there are so many different types of snacks and things that you could warm up to eat.

Down the street from where I lived was a cute small restaurant that I could only go to on Saturdays because of work and business hours. I miss walking to this restaurant and not having to wait at a table. Here are a few pictures of the meals that I had while there. Upon doing research to find the name of. the restaurant, I learned that the owner has changed the business to a ramen shop. I wish her well!

One of my favorite restaurants was called Gyu Kaku (I learned that there’s actually one in Atlanta but it’s not the same experience). I absolutely LOVED going there. It’s a chain yakiniku (similar to Korean barbecue) restaurant where you can order as much as you like for a certain amount of time based on the food package that you get. Of course you can get drinks, and I would always get the grape chu-hi.

2. The People

I didn’t realize how kind and polite the Japanese were until I returned to America. The level of customer service and hospitality compared to America is very different. When I would get lost in the airport in Japan, the Japanese would go out of their way to help me find my terminal. When this happens stateside, I receive help but I haven’t felt as though anyone went out of their way as the Japanese have. I do miss how the Japanese would always greet you anytime you walked into any store. It happens here, but it is very noticeable when it doesn’t.

I also miss the call buttons (pictured below) that were at a lot of restaurants. Instead of restaurant staff either not coming to check in or you or checking in too much, this button alerts them when you actually need anything. I wish that more American restaurants had something like this.

3. The Landscape

The pictures that you see of Japan are just as beautiful in person. Before I left, the cherry blossoms were blooming and I will never forget how beautiful they looked when you’re driving down the street. Yes, the petals fall off and are scattered everywhere, but it’s still immaculate to see.

From where I lived, you could see the mountains in the background. When visible, I loved looking at the snow caps mountains from a distance.

4. Travel Opportunities

I will write about the trips that I’ve taken while in Japan at a later time, especially my trips to Tokyo and Hiroshima. There are so many other places that I wish that I would’ve gone to but… the pandemic happened. I lived on a military base and the transportation office offered so many opportunities to explore the local area. I definitely took advantage of what was available when I could. One of my favorite trips was to a winery. I loved it because you were given a tour of the winery and then for about an hour and a half, they would lay out food along with multiple bottles of wine. It was basically an open buffet/bar. I went more than once, and I remember that on one trip, our guide ended up being drunk on the way back to base. It was so much fun!

5. Transportation

In Japan, the steering wheel is on the opposite side of the car and you have to drive on the opposite side of the road than how you would here in America. Even though it was confusing to have to switch sides, I do miss it sometimes. The first time that I came back stateside to visit, it was so hard for me to drive here in America. I was driving slowly and thinking too hard about which side of the road I should drive on. Then I would have to essentially re-program myself when I went back to Japan.

I also miss the train and air transportation. Where I lived, I didn’t use the train a lot because of how far away we were from big cities. We had a small airport and there were always cheap flights that would take you to Tokyo. When in Tokyo, the trains were very efficient, clean, and super helpful to get around the city.

Honorable Mention: Out of all of the things that I have mentioned that I miss, I do miss all of the absolutely amazing people that I met while in Japan. They are all a part of my life at such a critical time of growth and I am forever thankful and grateful that I met each and every one of them ♥️

I hope and pray that one day I’m able to make it back to Japan. It’s such a special and beautiful place. Yes, it is different from Western culture, but it does open your eyes to how others live on a day-to-day basis. I am so grateful for the opportunity to have lived there. I’m not sure if it’s something that I would do again (because I would love to have a similar experience in Europe), but I would recommend it to anyone.

Cheers to Japan! 🇯🇵