Seven Sunsets in Japan
2025-10-29
After months of influencing from friends, family, and social media, I finally made the quintessential tech-guy Japan pilgrimage.
I was largely motivated by food, having been sufficiently wowed by the Gyukatsu at a previous layover in NRT and being very influenced by konbini store snack reels.
Beyond food, I enjoyed the order of the public transit system, the courteous people, and the many sights to see. As I was researching things to do during my trip, I made peace with the fact that I wouldn’t be able to visit every attraction, and that was okay. It was also my first solo trip, so I made all the rules.
I was challenged by the language barrier at the start of my trip, often having to remind myself that only “chefs say irasshaimase”. Eventually, I memorized a few common phrases to get through most interactions.
I often felt a very visible pressure to spend money while walking through shopping districts in Osaka and Tokyo. The favorable exchange rate and tax-exempt shopping options were alluring, though I’m happy to have resisted the urge to go full level-7 susceptible. I’m both happy and sad that my feet do not fit Onitsuka Tigers very well.
There was always a fun new thing to try across the wide spectrum of restaurants, bars, and markets despite tourist hotspots being super crowded (I’m not the problem, the other tourists clearly are). Some of my best experiences came from aimlessly walking around and staring out the windows of buses to find interesting-looking places. The Sysco-addled American Mind cannot comprehend the rich culture and personality to be found in Japanese restaurants.
I was also regularly reminded of a trope about restaurants in Pune, India due to Japanese restaurants often posting rules for their customers: must order 1 drink per person, no picking your own table, no talking loudly, no changing of tables, etc. It seems like Pune’s rules seem can be far more interesting though.
I thoroughly enjoyed all of the quirks and adventures I encountered in Japan. Traveling by myself let me explore things at my own pace and turn navigation mistakes into fun side quests. It was a great way to reset after an exhausting year, and I’d recommend it to anyone considering the trip.
And now, the much-awaited sunsets.
Harukas 300, Osaka
Todaiji Nigatsudo, Nara
Fushimi Inari, Kyoto
Nijo Castle, Kyoto
Unfortunately as I landed in Tokyo, so did the cloud cover from some typhoons. I also hurt my leg at some point (probably overly strained from walking 25k+ steps a day in worn out shoes), so I didn’t get around as much as I wanted. Perhaps I should’ve bought those new shoes in Osaka after all.
Shimokitazawa, Tokyo
Skytree, Tokyo
Toyokan Theater, Tokyo
Images are heavily compressed because the idea of sending over 2 MB freaks me out. Sorry if they look bad on your display.
またね,
~ Amal