A Home From Home Japan

(Picture by Lauren Shearer)

So Japan, where do I start? I don't know why or how as I've never been to Japan before but I felt like I was at home the moment I stepped off the plane. I'll try to explain the best I can but I'm not sure I understand it myself.

I have always been a city boy (as in living in a big city not a supporter of the blue shite from Stockport) I grew up in Manchester, we do things differently there and there is nothing better than being a manc, it must be something in the water.

I spent most of my life in Manchester, I left for a while and the place went down hill until I returned :) I lived in the sticks of Yorkshire for a while but soon realised when I moved to the city centre that it was where I belong.

There is something beautiful even magical about Japan, you are surrounded by technology and innovation on a day to day basis, but they have managed to keep their traditions, their customs and the charm of the old style of Japan. They have somehow managed to simply make it work and it works beautifully. From a stunningly beautiful traditional Japanese garden surrounded by high-rise buildings and technology (picture above) to traditional style Japanese house with state of the art key less entry to the doors, to vending machines on every corner that you can purchase anything from a bottle of coke to a car YES a car from a vending machine (google it).

Sometimes you stumble across a place that just feels like home, you know it's not home but you know you are and would be very comfortable there no matter how long you stayed for. Japan had that for me I just felt like I had been there before like I knew what to expect. I could happily live there I am not sure if it will be the place we end up dropping our bags and saying that's it to travelling for a while because we have so much more of the world to see, but if Japan is to be the next place I call home then I would be very very happy.

The one thing I like the most is if I was to live there for any prolonged period of time then I would need to learn the language, there is something romantic about how Japan have welcomed tourists with open arms to their country but unlike India decided they were not going to change any of their ways. By this I mean in India everything is in English, advertisements, TV programmes, road signs, you name it its English, Japan however NOTHING is in English the street signs, the TV, the advertisements. The vast majority of people do not speak English so learning the language would b the only way to survive there and lets be honest there is nothing wrong with learning a new language and educating yourself a little further.

People said it was expensive and if you are a traveller it is expensive especially when you've been eating meals for £1.50 and drinking beer for 70p and living in accommodation for £2 a night to go from that to paying £5.50 for a beer £3 a meal & £20 a night accommodation it seems very very pricey for a traveller but that is no more expensive than living in the UK, we are happy to head out on a Friday or a Saturday night at home and blow £100-£200 a night on beer and food so for me it's no different at all.

The public transport is NEVER LATE!!! Yes Northern Rail you could learn something from them, taxis are no more expensive than back and neither are buses. The main difference is the cost of living in Japan compliments the way of life something we have not grasped yet in the UK.

So as it stands right now almost 8 weeks into the trip I have found somewhere I could happily spend a long period of time, maybe one day I will live in Japan but for certain I will return and for longer next time.

Take care Richard :)