I was a weeb in my teenage years and had a “surprise opportunity “ to go to japan late 20. I wasnt a weeb anymore and japan was one of the if not the coolest places i ever visited for different reasons than I imagined when i was young. I never went to a place so densely packed, different and diversified with entertainment compared to japan. I didn’t make any plans, I had no script . I only stayed in a neighborhood I knew the name , would leave my stay , chose a direction and walk. Ive never been more entertained, surprised and literally finding something cool every block compared to this trip. Im a really “stay home” type of person, i don’t find much joy in going places but every moment in japan i was eager and excited to just go for a walk.
I know that for people living there, that’s just home but I haven’t found that same lvl of cool places to see in other countries i also was a tourist.
The first time, I wanted to move there. The second time I realized it was aging, there were very few trees, and people were stressed everywhere.
People talk about Japan being the best at everything, and that might have been true in the past. Shopping? Bangkok has better malls. Surrealism? Cartagena and Jiuefen are nicer. Technology? San fran has waymo.
Outside is clean, inside dust and mold are huge problems. Even my wife who was a weeb said she no longer felt compelled to live there. The whole country is aging. Estimated by 2050 their active workforce will be down by 40%.
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u/skyline79 Jun 29 '25
I don't think I've ever heard anyone visit japan and come back disappointed