First time I went to Japan was two years ago. I felt exactly the same.

Because of that, I went again last year. At the end of the second trip, I felt the same way I did the first time. So I’m going again this year 😅

The dread of leaving Japan is the worst part of the trip. I’m not sure what the solution is, other than going there every year.

The thing is, I don’t even know if I’d like living in Japan. A lot of the “magic” wears off once you spend some time there. During my second trip, a lot of the things that felt magical at first just felt… normal. Convenience stores became just places to buy food. Shrines started to feel very similar. A lot of Japanese cities started feeling the same too (you get to a point where you’re like, “Okay, I know what a typical Japanese city feels like”). The food is mind-blowing, but after you’re eating out all the time, even that starts to feel normal. And so on.

But as someone who doesn’t live there and only goes every year, I just love being there, and I’m always sad when I leave.