{"id":7912,"date":"2025-06-02T12:13:04","date_gmt":"2025-06-02T11:13:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/monocultured.com\/blog\/?p=7912"},"modified":"2025-06-02T14:06:53","modified_gmt":"2025-06-02T13:06:53","slug":"visiting-japan-osaka-tokyo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/monocultured.com\/blog\/visiting-japan-osaka-tokyo\/","title":{"rendered":"Visiting Japan: Osaka &amp; Tokyo"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Osaka \u2192 Tokyo \u2192 Osaka \u2022\u00a010 days in Japan 2025\" width=\"660\" height=\"371\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/V5MafpjMrc0?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Me and my brother travelled to Japan in May 2025, primarily to visit the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.expo2025.or.jp\/\">Expo2025<\/a> exhibition in Osaka, but we also made a detour to Tokyo. As usual I shot a bunch of video, and above is a chronological cut.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As is so often the case with my videos, it&#8217;s mostly observational and rather detached \u2013 as it happens, that&#8217;s also rather fitting for Japan: it&#8217;s difficult to penetrate the surface of both Osaka and Tokyo. The cities are huge and sprawling and the press of (polite) people will guide you along the path of least resistance to do a lot of shopping and eating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" src=\"https:\/\/monocultured.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Japan_resa_v2_00086575.jpg\" alt=\"Mateusz standing with a small backpack in s Swedish driveway\" class=\"wp-image-7913\" srcset=\"https:\/\/monocultured.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Japan_resa_v2_00086575.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/monocultured.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Japan_resa_v2_00086575-640x360.jpg 640w, https:\/\/monocultured.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Japan_resa_v2_00086575-768x432.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">I like to travel light \u2013&nbsp;I had a less-than-full carry-on with me.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>We flew from Stockholm to Osaka via Helsinki, and didn&#8217;t bother buying stow-away luggage on the outbound trip. We did figure we&#8217;d shop a bit while there though, and the only option was to buy 2\u00d723kg each, which seemed excessive. For some reason, it was cheaper to buy a return flight from the same city rather than from Tokyo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" src=\"https:\/\/monocultured.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Japan_resa_v2_00086705.jpg\" alt=\"In-flight world map with our plane being tracked\" class=\"wp-image-7914\" srcset=\"https:\/\/monocultured.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Japan_resa_v2_00086705.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/monocultured.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Japan_resa_v2_00086705-640x360.jpg 640w, https:\/\/monocultured.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Japan_resa_v2_00086705-768x432.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Most airlines <a href=\"https:\/\/www.alternativeairlines.com\/airlines-flying-over-russian-airspace\">avoid flying over Russia<\/a> these days, so we took the long way around<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" src=\"https:\/\/monocultured.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Japan_resa_v2_00087563.jpg\" alt=\"View of small colourful hotels in Osaka\" class=\"wp-image-7922\" srcset=\"https:\/\/monocultured.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Japan_resa_v2_00087563.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/monocultured.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Japan_resa_v2_00087563-640x360.jpg 640w, https:\/\/monocultured.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Japan_resa_v2_00087563-768x432.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">There is no coherent colour, style or scale to the urban space \u2013&nbsp;neither in Tokyo nor Osaka \u2013&nbsp;which gives rise to some odd buildings and skyscrapers jostling low shotgun housing<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" src=\"https:\/\/monocultured.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Japan_resa_v2_00087704-1.jpg\" alt=\"Pedestrians in Osaka\" class=\"wp-image-7925\" srcset=\"https:\/\/monocultured.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Japan_resa_v2_00087704-1.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/monocultured.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Japan_resa_v2_00087704-1-640x360.jpg 640w, https:\/\/monocultured.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Japan_resa_v2_00087704-1-768x432.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" src=\"https:\/\/monocultured.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Japan_resa_v2_00087743.jpg\" alt=\"Urban smoking room in Osaka\" class=\"wp-image-7926\" srcset=\"https:\/\/monocultured.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Japan_resa_v2_00087743.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/monocultured.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Japan_resa_v2_00087743-640x360.jpg 640w, https:\/\/monocultured.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Japan_resa_v2_00087743-768x432.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Smoking has been increasingly banned in Japan, which was a total surprise to me \u2013\u00a0growing up watching Japanese movies, it seemed everyone smoked all the time. Not so much any longer, only designated areas or some restaurants with fewer than 20 seatings allow smoking. Annoying for a cigar smoker such as I.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" src=\"https:\/\/monocultured.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Japan_resa_v2_00098855.jpg\" alt=\"The feet of two people standing in the correct place for boarding a subway\" class=\"wp-image-7952\" srcset=\"https:\/\/monocultured.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Japan_resa_v2_00098855.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/monocultured.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Japan_resa_v2_00098855-640x360.jpg 640w, https:\/\/monocultured.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Japan_resa_v2_00098855-768x432.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" src=\"https:\/\/monocultured.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Japan_resa_v2_00087829.jpg\" alt=\"Subway platform with stickers on the floor guiding passagers.\" class=\"wp-image-7927\" srcset=\"https:\/\/monocultured.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Japan_resa_v2_00087829.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/monocultured.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Japan_resa_v2_00087829-640x360.jpg 640w, https:\/\/monocultured.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Japan_resa_v2_00087829-768x432.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>There are a lot of arrows and instructions all over the place. The &#8220;less is more&#8221; approach to information hasn&#8217;t won much ground here, and in addition to boxes, arrows and lanes, there are people in uniform every 50 meters that keep announcing to &#8220;stay left&#8221; or &#8220;move along&#8221; \u2013&nbsp;I&#8217;m assuming that&#8217;s what they were saying, since my Japanese is nonexistent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" src=\"https:\/\/monocultured.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Japan_resa_v2_00087947.jpg\" alt=\"Entrance to the Expo2025\" class=\"wp-image-7928\" srcset=\"https:\/\/monocultured.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Japan_resa_v2_00087947.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/monocultured.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Japan_resa_v2_00087947-640x360.jpg 640w, https:\/\/monocultured.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Japan_resa_v2_00087947-768x432.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" src=\"https:\/\/monocultured.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Japan_resa_v2_00088330.jpg\" alt=\"Detail of the giant wooden circular platform surrounding the Expo2025 exhibit\" class=\"wp-image-7929\" srcset=\"https:\/\/monocultured.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Japan_resa_v2_00088330.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/monocultured.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Japan_resa_v2_00088330-640x360.jpg 640w, https:\/\/monocultured.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Japan_resa_v2_00088330-768x432.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" src=\"https:\/\/monocultured.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Japan_resa_v2_00088566.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-7930\" srcset=\"https:\/\/monocultured.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Japan_resa_v2_00088566.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/monocultured.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Japan_resa_v2_00088566-640x360.jpg 640w, https:\/\/monocultured.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Japan_resa_v2_00088566-768x432.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" src=\"https:\/\/monocultured.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Japan_resa_v2_00089430.jpg\" alt=\"View of the Expo2025 area from the circular walkway\" class=\"wp-image-7931\" srcset=\"https:\/\/monocultured.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Japan_resa_v2_00089430.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/monocultured.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Japan_resa_v2_00089430-640x360.jpg 640w, https:\/\/monocultured.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Japan_resa_v2_00089430-768x432.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The most impressive part of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.expo2025.or.jp\/\">Expo2025<\/a> was the giant wooden walkway they&#8217;d built around the whole area. Even though we were there in the middle of the week, the queues to get in to any pavillion were prohibitive, often requiring booking using arcane websites.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Expo website is a complete mess and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/r\/OsakaWorldExpo\/comments\/1kilmzz\/theres_a_30_minute_wait_to_get_to_the_ticket\/\">Reddit is replete<\/a> with people complaining about their difficulties obtaining tickets or even knowing <em>how<\/em> to buy the proper ticket. It blows my mind that an event which has required years of planning, millions dollars and international collaborations galore, can screw up something as important as their main platform for selling tickets and informing visitors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" src=\"https:\/\/monocultured.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Japan_resa_v2_00090325.jpg\" alt=\"Missing and wanted people on a noticeboard\" class=\"wp-image-7932\" srcset=\"https:\/\/monocultured.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Japan_resa_v2_00090325.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/monocultured.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Japan_resa_v2_00090325-640x360.jpg 640w, https:\/\/monocultured.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Japan_resa_v2_00090325-768x432.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Missing and wanted people on a noticeboard<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" src=\"https:\/\/monocultured.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Japan_resa_v2_00090473.jpg\" alt=\"Man looking down an urban street festoned with lights and signs\" class=\"wp-image-7933\" srcset=\"https:\/\/monocultured.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Japan_resa_v2_00090473.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/monocultured.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Japan_resa_v2_00090473-640x360.jpg 640w, https:\/\/monocultured.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Japan_resa_v2_00090473-768x432.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" src=\"https:\/\/monocultured.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Japan_resa_v2_00090676.jpg\" alt=\"Street view of Osaka with colourful store displays\" class=\"wp-image-7934\" srcset=\"https:\/\/monocultured.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Japan_resa_v2_00090676.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/monocultured.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Japan_resa_v2_00090676-640x360.jpg 640w, https:\/\/monocultured.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Japan_resa_v2_00090676-768x432.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" src=\"https:\/\/monocultured.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Japan_resa_v2_00091000.jpg\" alt=\"Closeup of claw machine picking up stuffed toy\" class=\"wp-image-7935\" srcset=\"https:\/\/monocultured.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Japan_resa_v2_00091000.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/monocultured.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Japan_resa_v2_00091000-640x360.jpg 640w, https:\/\/monocultured.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Japan_resa_v2_00091000-768x432.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>If you don&#8217;t know where you&#8217;re going, you&#8217;re going to end up in one the many shopping districts. And you will find blinking noisy machines enticing you to grab toys with janky claws. I swear these machines are rigged to drop the stuff on purpose.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" src=\"https:\/\/monocultured.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Japan_resa_v2_00091649.jpg\" alt=\"Terms and conditions on a TV screen \u2013 rules for how to use the public baths\" class=\"wp-image-7936\" srcset=\"https:\/\/monocultured.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Japan_resa_v2_00091649.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/monocultured.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Japan_resa_v2_00091649-640x360.jpg 640w, https:\/\/monocultured.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Japan_resa_v2_00091649-768x432.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>In most bathing facilities (Onsen) you&#8217;re not allowed to enter with a tattoo. At our hotel you had the option of covering it up if it was small enough, but anything larger and you&#8217;re barred and can be thrown out. This seems to be changing though, and we saw a few young Japanese sporting larger sleeve and leg work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" src=\"https:\/\/monocultured.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Japan_resa_v2_00091771.jpg\" alt=\"Roof view from APA hotel &amp; resort in Osaka, with a view over the city\" class=\"wp-image-7937\" srcset=\"https:\/\/monocultured.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Japan_resa_v2_00091771.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/monocultured.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Japan_resa_v2_00091771-640x360.jpg 640w, https:\/\/monocultured.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Japan_resa_v2_00091771-768x432.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Roof view from <a href=\"https:\/\/www3.apahotel.com\/hotel\/kansai\/osaka\/namba\/\">APA hotel &amp; resort<\/a> near Namba, Osaka, with a view over the city<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" src=\"https:\/\/monocultured.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Japan_resa_v2_00092039.jpg\" alt=\"Bar view of a noodle shop in Osaka, Japan\" class=\"wp-image-7938\" srcset=\"https:\/\/monocultured.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Japan_resa_v2_00092039.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/monocultured.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Japan_resa_v2_00092039-640x360.jpg 640w, https:\/\/monocultured.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Japan_resa_v2_00092039-768x432.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Finding vegan food proved <em>really<\/em> difficult, which is a shame since Osaka is famous for its cousine. Even when I managed to order some noodles with tofu, they slapped a slice of ham on top of it as garnish. I&#8217;m not a picky eater so make do with whatever, but when so much of the culture is centered on sharing food, I miss out on a lot by not partaking in it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" src=\"https:\/\/monocultured.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Japan_resa_v2_00093391.jpg\" alt=\"Interiour view of Oko Oko, a vegetarian restaurant\" class=\"wp-image-7941\" srcset=\"https:\/\/monocultured.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Japan_resa_v2_00093391.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/monocultured.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Japan_resa_v2_00093391-640x360.jpg 640w, https:\/\/monocultured.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Japan_resa_v2_00093391-768x432.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Adorable vegetarian \/ vegan place \u2013\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.oko-osaka.com\/english-menu\">Oko Oko<\/a> \u2013\u00a0run by one upbeat woman. One of the few times I ate my fill.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" src=\"https:\/\/monocultured.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Japan_resa_v2_00096209.jpg\" alt=\"Man preparing food in a small vegetarian eatery in Tokyo\" class=\"wp-image-7947\" srcset=\"https:\/\/monocultured.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Japan_resa_v2_00096209.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/monocultured.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Japan_resa_v2_00096209-640x360.jpg 640w, https:\/\/monocultured.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Japan_resa_v2_00096209-768x432.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Just like in Poland 20 years ago, a good option for finding vegan food is to look for places with a &#8220;healthy&#8221; profile. Here we&#8217;re in a small restaurant near Kitazawa, close to our apartment in Tokyo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" src=\"https:\/\/monocultured.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Japan_resa_v2_00101111.jpg\" alt=\"Crowds of people along the Osaka canal\" class=\"wp-image-7957\" srcset=\"https:\/\/monocultured.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Japan_resa_v2_00101111.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/monocultured.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Japan_resa_v2_00101111-640x360.jpg 640w, https:\/\/monocultured.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Japan_resa_v2_00101111-768x432.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" src=\"https:\/\/monocultured.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Japan_resa_v2_00093102.jpg\" alt=\"Storefront view of Don Quijote \u2013\u00a0&quot;Donki&quot; \u2013\u00a0a huge store full of knickknacks\" class=\"wp-image-7940\" srcset=\"https:\/\/monocultured.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Japan_resa_v2_00093102.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/monocultured.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Japan_resa_v2_00093102-640x360.jpg 640w, https:\/\/monocultured.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Japan_resa_v2_00093102-768x432.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" src=\"https:\/\/monocultured.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Japan_resa_v2_00093700.jpg\" alt=\"Closeup of Evangelion action figure\" class=\"wp-image-7942\" srcset=\"https:\/\/monocultured.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Japan_resa_v2_00093700.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/monocultured.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Japan_resa_v2_00093700-640x360.jpg 640w, https:\/\/monocultured.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Japan_resa_v2_00093700-768x432.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" src=\"https:\/\/monocultured.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Japan_resa_v2_00093863.jpg\" alt=\"Closeup of anime girl figurines\" class=\"wp-image-7943\" srcset=\"https:\/\/monocultured.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Japan_resa_v2_00093863.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/monocultured.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Japan_resa_v2_00093863-640x360.jpg 640w, https:\/\/monocultured.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Japan_resa_v2_00093863-768x432.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Don Quijote is a chain of discount stores all over Japan, with the larger ones having dedicated floors for electronics, books, toys and what have you. It wasn&#8217;t as cheap as all that, probably because they make a mint off of overwhelmend tourists who appreciate having everything in the same place, but it&#8217;s great fun just browsing and <a href=\"https:\/\/monocultured.com\/blog\/\">buying stuff based on packaging<\/a>. If you&#8217;re looking for bargains, I&#8217;d recommend the second hand chain BookOff \u2013\u00a0especially if you&#8217;re looking for toys or clothing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I have a hard time getting my head around the sexualisation of girls in Japan, and to my eyes it just looks profoundly fucked up. From the old men who rent (seemingly barely pubescent) girls as coffee dates, to kids in bunnysuits luring you into bars, to the <em>really<\/em> young streetwalkers in some areas, there&#8217;s a fetish of childlike girls that&#8217;s just straight up pedo. I&#8217;m sure one could read up on it and see nuance in the phenomena, and perhaps I&#8217;m just ruined by too many years on the uncouth side of the Internet, but it was jarring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" src=\"https:\/\/monocultured.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Japan_resa_v2_00097077.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-7948\" srcset=\"https:\/\/monocultured.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Japan_resa_v2_00097077.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/monocultured.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Japan_resa_v2_00097077-640x360.jpg 640w, https:\/\/monocultured.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Japan_resa_v2_00097077-768x432.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" src=\"https:\/\/monocultured.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Japan_resa_v2_00094258.jpg\" alt=\"A door leading to &quot;Cigar nest&quot; in Osaka\" class=\"wp-image-7944\" srcset=\"https:\/\/monocultured.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Japan_resa_v2_00094258.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/monocultured.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Japan_resa_v2_00094258-640x360.jpg 640w, https:\/\/monocultured.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Japan_resa_v2_00094258-768x432.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Most interesting places need to be sought out \u2013\u00a0this cigar bar was two flights of stairs up an anonymous building, and had only place for six. Many places are one-person run shops, which gives a very entreprenourial vibe to the city. Wherever there&#8217;s a small space, someone will start a buisiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" src=\"https:\/\/monocultured.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Japan_resa_v2_00094739.jpg\" alt=\"Underground pipes and such marked out on the street \u2013\u00a0perhaps to prevent accidental digging or renovation?\" class=\"wp-image-7945\" srcset=\"https:\/\/monocultured.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Japan_resa_v2_00094739.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/monocultured.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Japan_resa_v2_00094739-640x360.jpg 640w, https:\/\/monocultured.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Japan_resa_v2_00094739-768x432.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Underground pipes and such marked out on the street \u2013\u00a0perhaps to aid planning or prevent accidentaly digging through the infrastructure?<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" src=\"https:\/\/monocultured.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Japan_resa_v2_00092273.jpg\" alt=\"Colourful manhole cover in Osaka, Japan\" class=\"wp-image-7939\" srcset=\"https:\/\/monocultured.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Japan_resa_v2_00092273.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/monocultured.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Japan_resa_v2_00092273-640x360.jpg 640w, https:\/\/monocultured.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Japan_resa_v2_00092273-768x432.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Colourful manhole cover in Osaka, Japan. These were all over the place, with each municipality or ward springing for their own. The sense of local and community pride really shines through in things large and small.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" src=\"https:\/\/monocultured.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Japan_resa_v2_00095651.jpg\" alt=\"Shinkansen bullet train arriving at the station\" class=\"wp-image-7946\" srcset=\"https:\/\/monocultured.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Japan_resa_v2_00095651.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/monocultured.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Japan_resa_v2_00095651-640x360.jpg 640w, https:\/\/monocultured.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Japan_resa_v2_00095651-768x432.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Shinkansen was a great to experience, but in the end it&#8217;s just a train. A fast train, mind you, but a train nonetheless. And I don&#8217;t know why I imagined that it&#8217;d be noiseless \u2013 I probably had it mixed up with a maglev \u2013\u00a0but it made noise just like trains back home. Comfy and fast though!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" src=\"https:\/\/monocultured.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Japan_resa_v2_00097704.jpg\" alt=\"A lot of wires in the air, both power and phones. \" class=\"wp-image-7949\" srcset=\"https:\/\/monocultured.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Japan_resa_v2_00097704.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/monocultured.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Japan_resa_v2_00097704-640x360.jpg 640w, https:\/\/monocultured.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Japan_resa_v2_00097704-768x432.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Both cities have their power go through the air, which is incongruent with how orderly the street level is. Where each curb and colour on the pavement seems accounted for, the aerial wiring looks choatic and improvised.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One conspiracy theory we were proffered by way of explanation was that when Tokyo wanted to put the power underground, the concrete companies bribed the politicians to keep them in air \u2013\u00a0since the utility poles were made of armored concrete. And so it has remained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" src=\"https:\/\/monocultured.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Japan_resa_v2_00100456.jpg\" alt=\"People in front of ticket vending machines, Tokyo subway\" class=\"wp-image-7956\" srcset=\"https:\/\/monocultured.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Japan_resa_v2_00100456.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/monocultured.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Japan_resa_v2_00100456-640x360.jpg 640w, https:\/\/monocultured.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Japan_resa_v2_00100456-768x432.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" src=\"https:\/\/monocultured.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Japan_resa_v2_00098646.jpg\" alt=\"Information display in the Tokyo subway\" class=\"wp-image-7950\" srcset=\"https:\/\/monocultured.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Japan_resa_v2_00098646.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/monocultured.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Japan_resa_v2_00098646-640x360.jpg 640w, https:\/\/monocultured.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Japan_resa_v2_00098646-768x432.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Once you learn how to navigate the subways, you&#8217;re one step closer to be comfortable in the city. Instead of buying a period card we bought single tickets \u2013 this was more expensive, but it also made sure that we exited the right way when trying to leave a station, since if you don&#8217;t have the correct ticket it won&#8217;t let you out. (And if you&#8217;ve paid too little for your trip, there are machines that easily allow you to pay the difference by the exit.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But even if you&#8217;re comfortable navigating the metro lines, the stations are still giant by any standard and take time to traverse. The Tokyo metro system handles 6 million passangers <em>daily<\/em>, and is dimensioned accordingly. Ridiculously large \u2013&nbsp;and if you add some remodelling, repairs and rerouts to the mix, you end up staring at Google maps a lot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" src=\"https:\/\/monocultured.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Japan_resa_v2_00098777.jpg\" alt=\"Work crew doing road repairs at night, safety wests and lights on\" class=\"wp-image-7951\" srcset=\"https:\/\/monocultured.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Japan_resa_v2_00098777.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/monocultured.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Japan_resa_v2_00098777-640x360.jpg 640w, https:\/\/monocultured.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Japan_resa_v2_00098777-768x432.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" src=\"https:\/\/monocultured.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Japan_resa_v2_00098946.jpg\" alt=\"A Hintlab sticker along other stickers near Shibuya Crossing\" class=\"wp-image-7953\" srcset=\"https:\/\/monocultured.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Japan_resa_v2_00098946.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/monocultured.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Japan_resa_v2_00098946-640x360.jpg 640w, https:\/\/monocultured.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Japan_resa_v2_00098946-768x432.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A <a href=\"https:\/\/hintlab.org\">Hintlab<\/a> sticker near <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Shibuya_Crossing\">Shibuya Crossing<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" src=\"https:\/\/monocultured.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Japan_resa_v2_00099151.jpg\" alt=\"Silhuettes of people dancing in laser light in a club\" class=\"wp-image-7954\" srcset=\"https:\/\/monocultured.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Japan_resa_v2_00099151.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/monocultured.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Japan_resa_v2_00099151-640x360.jpg 640w, https:\/\/monocultured.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Japan_resa_v2_00099151-768x432.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Tomasz wanted to go clubbing so we ended up in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.womb.co.jp\/en\/\">The Womb<\/a> \u2013&nbsp;it was a slow night and mostly tourists, but I&#8217;ve never heard a soundsystem sound so good in a club before.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" src=\"https:\/\/monocultured.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Japan_resa_v2_00099514.jpg\" alt=\"Instructions for unpacking wrapped rice snack from a 7\/11\" class=\"wp-image-7955\" srcset=\"https:\/\/monocultured.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Japan_resa_v2_00099514.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/monocultured.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Japan_resa_v2_00099514-640x360.jpg 640w, https:\/\/monocultured.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Japan_resa_v2_00099514-768x432.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Instructions for unpacking a seaweed-wrapped rice snack from a 7\/11. These saved me many times over, and I&#8217;ve never eaten as much rice as during this trip.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>We spent 10 days or so in Japan, split between Osaka and Tokyo, and my reaction was similar to the one I had when visiting New York: It felt like I&#8217;d been here before, as if I was an extra in a movie.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If I ever go back to Japan I&#8217;d love to make plans to actually <em>do<\/em> something or <em>learn<\/em> something. Perhaps a design project of some sort? A documentary work? I need a mission to guide my travels \u2013&nbsp;I&#8217;m a pathetic tourist \u2013&nbsp;and I&#8217;d make sure to learn more than &#8220;thank you&#8221; in Japaneese. English is not enough, and Google Translate can only take you so far.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Me and my brother travelled to Japan in May 2025, primarily to visit the Expo2025 exhibition in Osaka, but we also made a detour to Tokyo. As usual I shot a bunch of video, and above is a chronological cut. As is so often the case with my videos, it&#8217;s mostly observational and rather detached &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/monocultured.com\/blog\/visiting-japan-osaka-tokyo\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Visiting Japan: Osaka &amp; Tokyo<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7912","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-doodles"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/monocultured.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7912","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/monocultured.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/monocultured.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/monocultured.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/monocultured.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7912"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/monocultured.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7912\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7966,"href":"https:\/\/monocultured.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7912\/revisions\/7966"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/monocultured.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7912"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/monocultured.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7912"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/monocultured.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7912"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}