Top 10 Reasons to Make Japan Your Next Travel Destination

A couple of my friends have told me they wouldn’t want to visit Japan because of how the country came across in the 2003 Bill Murray film “Lost In Translation.” Well, I had the opportunity to go to Japan, and I can say from first-hand experience that the film did the country a grave disservice.

I was blown away by Japan and its people. While the culture is certainly different from the west, it isn’t so different that Americans should feel utterly off balance or out of place. I loved every minute of my time there and recommend it highly.

Here are my top ten reasons for putting Japan on your bucket list, but I could come up with many more.

1. The people are exceedingly polite and friendly. In fact, they’re almost polite to a fault, which makes for an ultra-pleasant travel experience. The Japanese people went out of their way to be helpful and were enormously patient and sweet to me everywhere I went. Even the agents at the airport security lines were polite! Look how they stand in line to get on the train:

2. It’s the cleanest country I’ve ever visited. I’ve been to nearly 50 countries on six continents, and I have to say that I’ve never seen a cleaner country anywhere. There was almost no litter, and public restrooms were clean (except for one I visited in a subway station.)

3. They’ve taken bathrooms to an entirely different level. Oh, how I miss the bathrooms in Japan. The toilet seats are heated, and there’s a bidet menu that includes a dryer for your bum. Often, there’s even a flush menu so that you don’t waste water if you don’t need a full flush. Some public restrooms have a dispenser that allows you to get some liquid antibacterial cleanser on some toilet paper so that you can wipe the seat clean. I even saw one public bathroom that included a seat for a baby within the stall!

4. The subways and other trains are enormously efficient. While I did see a sign or two announcing a train delay, I never experienced one. Every subway or train I took was right on time. People stood in line to get on the trains, there was no pushing or shoving, and most trains had automatic platform doors that would prevent anyone from getting dangerously close to the train or the track. That door would open first, followed by the train doors. (Check out my article about navigating the country and understanding how the subways and other trains work.)

5. They take creature comforts seriously. While it’s true that some Japanese hotel rooms can be smaller than we’re used to in the U.S., even the cheaper hotels provide slippers, nightshirts (sometimes even pajama bottoms), toothbrushes, hair ties, razors, shower caps, shampoo, and conditioner. Here are some other examples of attention to creature comforts:

The shinkansen bullet trains have been built with an exceptional amount of leg room.

If you have a layover between flights, there are dayrooms in Tokyo’s Narita airport that you can rent for about $10 an hour, which include a bed, private toilet, shower, soap, and shampoo.

There are designated enclosed smoking areas in many places, including outside of some train stations in Tokyo.

A shopping mall I visited in Osaka had baby carriages for rent, and many cities have parking lots for bicycles and motor bikes or parking spots on the street where you can lock your bike. I even saw a meeting room in a hotel that contained a crib!

6. If you like Japanese cuisine, you’ll be in heaven. But if you don’t, you’ll be able to find alternatives. I’ll admit that I’m not a fan of Japanese food, so I was a bit concerned about how I’d handle that. But I found that there were plenty of non-Japanese food options. That might be less the case in small towns or rural areas, but in the cities, there are restaurants serving American, Italian, and even Mexican cuisine, among others.

7. Gardens are everywhere. The Japanese certainly know how to design a garden, and in the spring, flowers are everywhere. Azaleas of several colors are particularly common, and of course, there are the famous cherry blossoms. I saw a few of those but traveled to the country specifically for wisteria season. I saw some wisteria trellises in a few locations, but the main place was Ashikaga Flower Park, which is a couple of hours by train outside of Tokyo. Read my article about this park, complete with photos and tips for how to get there without confusion.

8. The language barrier isn’t as pronounced as you might think. Yes, it’s more difficult to find English speakers outside of Tokyo, but I found that it wasn’t that difficult to communicate with people. Gestures work well, and most Japanese people know at least a few English words. If worst comes to worst, you can use a translation app on your phone. Signage is also frequently in both English and Japanese, although not always. Whenever I got confused, it usually took just a few minutes of looking to find someone who could help me.

9. There’s very little crime. Japan is one of the safest countries in the world. I felt safer there than I’ve felt anywhere. Case in point: On a train from Kyoto to Nara, I left my backpack (containing my camera equipment) above my seat. I realized it as I was traveling down the escalator from the platform and immediately zoomed back up the steps.

The train was getting ready to leave the station, but an attendant was standing there holding my backpack. No one had stolen my bag, and they cleared the train of lost items before it left the station. Also, since the country doesn’t have to worry about terrorist bombs, there are lockers in many areas where you can store your belongings for hours or even days.

10. History is probably right around the corner wherever you are. Even in ultra-modern Tokyo, some of the historic streets are very narrow, and you might run across an ancient shrine as you’re taking a casual walk. That happened to me more than once.

In addition to the shrines that you’ll see on tourist lists, there are numerous smaller, “less significant” ones all over the country. Plus, you’ll see people wearing traditional clothing all over the place. I can’t recommend travel to Japan enough. If you can swing it, go!