More and more people from around the world are visiting Japan.
These days, you don’t have to come all the way here to discover Japanese food, anime, culture, or everyday life. You can experience a little bit of Japan from almost anywhere.
As someone who was born and raised here, I’m genuinely happy that so many people have become interested in my country.
And when that interest turns into an actual trip to Japan, that makes me even happier.
But my own experiences traveling abroad made me realize something.
What’s normal to you isn’t always normal somewhere else
I remember sitting down at a restaurant in Europe and being asked a simple question:
Still or sparkling water?
I wasn’t expecting it.
At most ordinary restaurants in Japan, the water you’re served is still water. There’s usually no choice to make. So being asked to choose between the two was surprisingly unfamiliar to me.
I decided to try sparkling water for the first time.
I didn’t like it very much.
Of course, nothing bad happened. It was just water.
But I still remember that tiny moment of confusion over something that was completely normal to the people around me.
On another trip, this time in Southeast Asia, I went to buy some souvenirs.
I found something I wanted and expected to simply pay the price I was given. Instead, I found myself negotiating the price directly with the shopkeeper.
I wasn’t used to it at all.
How much was I supposed to negotiate? Was I expected to do it? Would I be rude if I didn’t?
And on another trip to a resort destination, I tried to buy a drink with a brand-new banknote.
The person selling it looked at the note, then looked at me with a puzzled expression.
I had no idea why.
None of these were serious problems.
But they stayed with me because they reminded me how easily something ordinary to a local can be unfamiliar to a visitor.
And that made me think about people visiting Japan
There must be moments like these for travelers here too.
Things that feel completely normal to me might seem strange or confusing to someone visiting Japan for the first time.
Sometimes you may not know what you’re supposed to do.
And sometimes Japanese people don’t explain these things simply because we don’t realize they need explaining.
That can lead to unnecessary confusion, stress, or even an unpleasant experience—not because anyone intended it, but simply because the culture or the way things work is different.
That’s one of the main reasons I started this site.
If you’ve been looking forward to visiting Japan, saved money for the trip, spent hours on a plane and finally made it here, I’d hate for something you simply didn’t know to become a bad memory.
Japan isn’t perfect, and I’m not here to tell you that everything Japanese is wonderful.
Some things really are confusing.
But there are also plenty of situations where knowing one small thing beforehand can make your trip much easier.
Those are the things I want to share.
I couldn’t have made this website a few years ago
There’s another reason The Japan We Know exists now.
I don’t speak English very well.
I was born in Japan, grew up here, and have lived here my whole life. There are many things about Japan that I know simply because they’ve always been part of my everyday life.
But knowing those things and being able to explain them to someone who doesn’t speak Japanese are two very different things.
Until recently, I didn’t really have a way to do that.
Now, with the help of AI, I do.
AI helps me overcome the language barrier and communicate what I want to say in English.
That doesn’t mean AI knows everything, and being Japanese certainly doesn’t mean I know everything about Japan.
If something needs to be checked, I’ll check it.
If a rule, price, service, or system can change, I’ll try to verify it using current and official information.
And when my own experience of living in Japan can help explain something, I’ll share that too.
AI gives me a way to communicate with you.
But I’m still responsible for what I publish here.
What I hope The Japan We Know can become
There are already many great websites about traveling in Japan.
I’m not trying to replace them.
I simply want The Japan We Know to become another useful place to turn when something about Japan leaves you wondering, How does this actually work?
How should you get from the airport to your hotel?
When do you need cash?
Why is everyone so quiet on the train?
What should you do with your luggage when traveling between cities?
How do restaurant reservations work?
And what about all those little things that nobody thinks to tell you until you’re standing there wondering what to do?
Some articles here will be practical guides.
Some will explain Japanese culture or everyday life.
And sometimes, I’ll just share something about Japan that I think you might find interesting.
But the reason behind all of them is the same.
I want to share the Japan I know, so that when you experience it for yourself, a little more of it makes sense.
If something on this site makes your trip a little easier, helps you avoid an unnecessary problem, or simply helps you understand Japan a little better, then this site is doing what I created it to do.
Welcome to The Japan We Know.
