Japan 2.0

Japan once again!
The first time it was through the books
Murakami, Kiga Higashino, Ryu Murakami to name a few… These books showcased the simplicity of the locals and the dark side of the city and that’s one of the reasons Japan fascinated me as a place to travel and explore so in June 2018 was the first time, A time where everyone questioned us Why Japan?
To answer it’s a place so little we know about..
The first time was a touristy visit going to the temples, streets and viewing the towers of each city we visited.
Japan was coming alive through the pages I had read, the streets sounded familiar and some streets I specifically visited since they were mentioned and described in the books.
The recent Trip to Japan was being an exploration of what all does the city has to offer besides the tourist sights and the humanity the people showcase in the country.
The food was and still is the best in Osaka.
The city was buzzing and full of tourists even closer to midnight, unlike Tokyo which seemed busy with people chasing their dreams..
Kyoto is still a small town where you can walk around and still discover the city.
The vintage shops and the second-hand Market seem to be thriving in the country with more than 80% population that has aged over the age of 70 and living a minimalistic life.
Retail was thriving with American, British and Asian tourists shopping at malls and brands that are relatively cheaper in Japan from countries like the US & India.
The Osaka Expo was an experience like no other, an endless Snake line on a hot afternoon, which tested not just ours but quite a few people’s patience too.
Since we had to register and get specific slots for pavilions we managed to only get one the Blue Dome, the others were long queues to enter and waitlists, The magnitude of the whole expo was huge 130+ countries participated and the tourism it brought to the city and country has been huge.
The designs and the sustainable options used to create them were interesting.
This was the first time we visited an expo abroad that had so many cultural influences on just design but food too the expo offered.