Why everyone is going to Japan

And every single recommendation I have for Japan

2 Jul 2025 — 2 min read

For tourists, most countries can be boiled down to a city or two.

There’s the capital city, and then one “side trip” for [insert nature/beach/other secondary activity]. Think: Bangkok and island hopping in Thailand, Cape Town and a safari in South Africa, or Buenos Aires and wine country in Argentina.

The “capital + contrast” formula lets us see different sides of a place with limited vacation days.

But aside from a handful of European cities, most of us are also removed enough from the place/culture that, even if we had the time, we don’t exactly have a list of all the worthwhile places to hit in Vietnam between Ho Chi Min City and Ha Long Bay.

I can only think of a few countries where there’s an obvious list. But, when you narrow it down to countries that also make it easy to see all those places… Well, I can think of just two: Japan and Italy.

They both have a half-dozen points of interest, and they are relatively small countries with great public transport. Hopping between cities is a breeze.

Add the fact that Japan feels “different” but still more approachable than the rest of Asia, is known for being super safe, and now with the falling yen… well, I’m not surprised that everyone is going to Japan.

It’s great, and I spend a lot of time there for a reason!