Spring Break: 3 Things I Hated, Loved, & Learned Visiting Japan Last Week
Have you ever herded 82 cats through five airports, three subways, two ferries, one tram, a 200-mph bullet train, and daily buses in a foreign country?
I never had either. Aside from three lost passports, two sore throats, one missed plane, and one lost expensive ring, all went well. Almost everything was recovered, though not the hours spent at the U.S. Consulate.
My high school teacher husband leads these annual overseas trips, so I get to go as a chaperone every year. I never had a strong desire to visit Japan, but when you’re offered a free trip, it’s kinda hard to turn down.
Hanging orchids at TeamLabs. Highly recommended interactive place!
Overall, the trip landed in the fantastic category, mostly because of the fun adults we got to take. (And a spontaneous trip to Disney Sea!) But there were definitely a few things I would avoid next time and a few things I would gladly repeat.
Stick around till the end for 4 bonus travel items I love!
Shall we?
3 Things I Loved
1. Cleanliness
Starting out on a positive note, let’s hear it for fewer germs. Japan as a whole is extremely clean. Besides employing a crazy number of people to take care of their public restrooms, being respectful of others is a normal part of their culture.
What a concept.
So it makes sense that you’ll find toilet seat cleaner in each stall with a sign asking you to sanitize the space when you’re done.
2. Cherry Blossoms
The season is short, but we hit it just right! The white trees at the beginning were beautiful but a little disappointing, but by day four, we found the pink goodness in full bloom. And, of course, one of our chaperone friends hauled his huge legit camera over there, so he snagged some fun shots.
Chaperone Team ’25
3. Heated Toilet Seats
Don’t mock ‘em till you try ‘em. This unnecessary but generous phenomenon takes on a whole new meaning in the middle of a cold night. Suddenly you’re calm, content, and your cheeks are blushing. Ahhh….
3 Things I Didn’t Love
Hate is such a strong word, don’t you think? But here are a few things I don’t miss:
1. Sans Napkins
How people eat ramen and miso soup without napkins was a mystery to all of us. Daily asking for napkins got a little old, especially when they were super thin and a tad waxy, which translated to not absorbent.
2. Personal Space
Big cities are fun to visit, but the ridiculously crowded streets always feel overwhelming to me. Tokyo was crowded on steroids. Spring break for local students and cherry blossom season added to the chaos, so we knew what we were getting ourselves into. But the way people move through the streets is not what we’re used to.
The world’s busiest pedestrian crossing (Shibuya Scramble Crossing) has as many as 3,000 people simultaneously crossing on 6 crosswalks. Yes, we ran out first to snap this pic.
Lots of locals gently pushed their way through (especially on the subway) and stood close enough for us to identify their toothpaste flavor. I guess it makes sense though; if you’ve been raised with 14 million people around you at all times, that’s normal. I told my friend as we walked through the crazy scene, “This makes me want to buy a farm and get a pig.”
Speaking of little oinkers, did I mention I found a micro pig cafe?
3. Lame T.P.
Pretty sure I don’t need to go into this one, except to say it was see-through and the opposite of soft. I’ve never appreciated the 2-ply Kirkland “bath tissue” more than the day we got home.
And no, friend, the bidet option did not speak to me.
3 Things I Learned
1. When using chopsticks, don’t roll them between your hands, stab them straight up in your food, or use them to serve anyone else. These actions are all rude and make you look like a foreign rookie.
2. Subway time is quiet time. Unfortunately, everyone knows when the loud Americans get on. We seemed to have a hard time staying silent, especially when traveling with young teens who had never been outside their zip code.
3. Quite a few restaurants made us take our shoes off, but you’re supposed to keep your socks on. However, having holes in your socks is considered rude, so we told our students to make sure their socks were on the newer side. Nothing we could do about the stank though—especially after walking eight miles. Bleh.
Bonus—4 Travel Products
Here are a few items that made our international travel easier. They were affordable, compact, and I’d definitely buy them again. Click on the titles for the links.
1. Apple AirTag
This inexpensive tracking device is the easiest way to keep track of your everything without breaking the bank. You can plop a tag in any personal item and track it on your phone without worrying. We bought a 4-pack, and we each keep one in our suitcases and on our key rings.
Almost 13,000 people can’t be wrong. Losing your passport is not only a huge hassle, it’s embarrassing. This holder has a spot for an AirTag and therefore cancels that risk and keeps its location on lock. Comes in tons of colors too.
We have a few requirements for traveling students every year, and after witnessing three students lose their passports, this holder with an AirTag cutout will now be required.
Travel Neck Pillows
No, not all neck rolls are created equal. And if you travel multiple times a year like I do, I think we can all agree that approximately 95% of travel pillows are 100% lame.
Here are the two I own and would recommend. Hygienic bonus: They both get extra points for having washable covers.
This unusual design holds your head up, eliminates neck bobbing, and keeps your mouth closed to prevent the occasional gasping snore. It takes a little getting used to the first time since it’s firm, but I was impressed with how well it kept my head from tipping.
Bring on the dark! If you’re sensitive to light like I am, this hooded beauty perfectly blocks out the world. It also has a higher design that helps keep your head from falling quite as far. Super soft and perfectly squishy, I’ve also used it as a regular pillow when I’ve had a whole row of airplane seats to myself.
Happy vacation, friend! Where are you going next? Have you used any of these travel products? Tell me in the comments!
Want some more vacation hacks and products? I wrote this just for you:
3 Summer Vacation Hacks to be More Organized
4 Comments
Gilbert Mellis
I loved my 12 trips to Japan but never had to endure Tokyo. Just Osaka, Iwata and Iwakuni. In regards to cleanliness, I was impressed with that too but what made it especially amazing was the lack of trash cans and it was STILL clean. I was told it was because of the personal responsibility of the Japanese to take their trash with them to where they could dispose of it. So, no trash cans hardly but still way cleaner than the US!!
Carrie Talbott
I forgot you’ve been that many times! Tokyo was actually pretty fun to visit—but I would never wanna live there. Yes, we were all frustrated at the beginning, but then impressed with the lack of trash cans while keeping everything so clean. How did they do it?! I guess one way is they don’t eat or drink while they’re walking, so then you would actually have less trash with you. America could definitely learn a few things from their culture!
Rooooooyce Rippere
Great post, Carrie! I am so glad you got to go – being a chaperone is a great reason, but with that many kids, I am positive you did not get to visit the best tea gardens, museums, or art galleries. Looking forward to your next travel reviews!
Carrie Talbott
Not many of those, but it WAS an educational trip, so we hit quite a few places that some of the students would have described as boring. Haha. And looots of temples and shrines. Thanks for poppin’ by, amigo.