10 Things I Do Miss About Japan

10. Food portions

I don’t need seconds of creamy mashed potatoes. With the limited options available to me, I ate only as much as I needed. The curse of an addictive personality; this is the reason I don’t stockpile food in my apartment: it would be gone in a matter of hours.

9. Japanese kids

Being a celebrity in their eyes, hearing random "HELLO"s as I walked down the street…

8. Nightlife

Being the foreign celebrity amongst Japanese girls and the occasional sumo wrestler; just try dancing with one of those guys. All night karaoke with friends. Catching the first train from Hiroshima at 5:55 AM. Also in favor of the late night snacking options, which includes 3 AM ramen.

7. Scenery

Waking up to smoking volcanoes. Always being surrounded by mountains.

6. Cherry blossoms

Ya gotta love those trees.

5. Understanding

Knowing the day-to-day life in another culture, and seeing how we’re not so different.

4. Everyday adventures

I suppose I made the most of this myself, but it still holds true: traveling to distant islands; meeting descendants of samurai; hiking into volcanoes; hitchhiking across Kyushu; cycling to hot springs…

Adventures in Japan

3. All Japanese food

Sushi, sashimi, yakiniku, fugu, basashi, ramen, yakitorii, onigiri, udon, yasai, daikon, satsuma imo, gohan, edamame, ocha, oolong. It does a body good.

2. Cleanliness

Clean air, clean streets, clean food, clean people.

1. Onsen

Nothing beats a good soak. NOTHING.