Since flying to Europe cost me 3 months of rent, my family and I have been going more on holidays in other Asian countries.
Japan always gets the label as "the cool kid" on this continent, but after living here for a few years I have really come to appreciate some of the things that other parts of Asia can offer, which Japan lack.
For example, Taiwan has become one of my favourite destinations. I never gave it a thought before, but I have realized that it is basically Japan without all the egg shells on the ground. It's similar, but people are so wonderfully casual and laid back, and I truly love that you can go to any night market, grab some food and a good beer, and then you just get sucked into whatever social citcle is there, and they don't give a fuck about how bad my Chinese is or how bad their English is. They still wanna chat.
Also the whole night market thing is something most Asian countries have, but Japan sadly seems to be lacking (outside of festivals).
I had similar experiences in Southeast Asia. While Japan is also a country heavily favouring the community as a whole instead of the individual, I come to realize that it is often more about maintaining order and social expectations, rather than forming strong personal bonds within the smaller communities.
There are of course social and cultural expectations in other Asian countries, but I feel that Japan is lacking that "We got your back. We help out each other" mentality that the others have.
Another thing is food. Like many, I remember coming to Japan with the idea that Japanese cuisine was the top of the top, but honestly I have been really surprised by some of the local food I have tasted across Asia. You rarely hear about food from Malaysia or Nepal despite these countries having some really unique and interesting flavors.
by yukirainbowx