Days 10–19: Japan Updates
- Nick McReynolds
- 1 day ago
- 4 min read
Japan has been everything I hoped for and more. It felt very me. A blend of structure and surprise, calm and chaos. I’ve continued making my way south and have now begun exploring the islands.
Lately, a new idea has been growing in the back of my mind. One that might soon take me out of Japan and into something completely different. I’m still sitting with it, so I’ll save that story for later. For now, let’s pick up where I left off.
Last Stop: Osaka
When I last posted, I was boarding the train to Osaka, Japan’s second-largest city with over 3 million people. I went in with zero expectations, not knowing what to see or where to go. I just started walking, clocking about 20,000 steps a day
I fell in love with the markets there. From traditional crafts like a beautiful decorative mask I found for my mom to picking out and engraving my first Santoku knife (Osaka is apparently known for knife making). The fish market was something else: oysters, squid, octopus, whole sea urchin. You could either take it home or have it cooked for you on the spot.
One of my favorite moments was having a cup of matcha. They made it in a way I’d never seen before. The tea shop had no menu. Instead, they asked me five questions to get a sense of who I am. Then they ground the leaves into powder and prepared a drink tailored to me. It was bitter, green, and one glass I felt like I had enough. Not sure what they were trying to tell me.
Osaka also had an incredible nightlife. We hopped between izakayas and clubs, laughing and drinking until late. One night, I met a Swedish woman who used to work as an architect back home. She quit everything and moved to Japan after getting accepted into a one-year Aikido program. She’d only practiced casually for about a month before applying. Now, she wakes up at 4 a.m., trains until noon, and spends the rest of the day doing chores. She said it’s been brutal. She continued that some days she just wants to lay in her room and cry the day away.
She told me she’d already hit her breaking point more than once. Each time, she was sure she couldn’t go any further but somehow, she did.
Then she looked at me, a little quieter now, and said,“Maybe that’s why I’m here. Because my heart knows my mind can do more than it says.”
We clinked our drinks, and both took a very long drink, both of us letting that moment settle.
We pulled a few other backpackers into our orbit and ended up spending most of the night (and following nights) in izakayas, playing drinking games and sharing stories.
One night, five of us stumbled into what we thought was a show, but turned out to be a formal Geisha performance. None of us understood the play. But we could feel how delicate and graceful it was, and how thoroughly unprepared we were for it. Still, we sat there, stinky sweat drenched backpackers and all, just taking it in.
Okinawa: A Detour, A Surprise
Then came Okinawa and it threw me for a loop.
I didn’t know much going in. Honestly, I thought it was just one island. I didn’t realize it was a chain of 160 islands. I assumed everything would be close together and easy to navigate. I was very, very wrong.
The main island alone is 463 square miles. And my lack of planning caught up with me quickly. I gave myself just five days here (based on online advice), but in truth, I could’ve spent a month.
To make things worse, I booked late and ended up with only one hostel option, which had good reviews but turned out to be in a pretty dull area and my bed felt more like a box. The area was a city, not a beach town. The nearest beach was a 30 minute walk and it sat beneath a double highway overpass.
Something felt off. So I started digging deeper. That’s when I realized the best beaches were hours away, reachable by car. I soon found out that many people rent 4x4s with tents on the top then proceed to travel island to island via car ferry and camp on the beach… and all the rental cars? Sold out. Also, I didn’t have an international driver’s license which apparrently is a real thing here. So:
Bad hostel, far from everything
All other hostels: fully booked
No car = no island hopping or beach camping
Scuba trips: sold out
I was stuck. The buses could get me around… but taking one for 2–4 hours each way didn’t exactly scream "relaxing island escape".
Then, like a devilish little voice in my ear, came the thought:
"Spoil yourself. You have the points. Use the credits. Put your feet up. Relax."
So I did.
I found a beachfront resort up north, right by all the places I originally wanted to explore. And just like that, everything changed. I had clean sheets, hot water, ocean views, free breakfast and dinner, and an e-bike to cruise the coast.
Waking up to the sunrise over the water, then riding through sleepy streets to find a seaside café before beach-hopping my way back… it was spectacular. I’ll admit, I could’ve planned it better. Hell, I could’ve planned it at all. But somehow, this turned out to be an incredible experience
What’s Next
Soon, I’ll be leaving Okinawa and heading back to Tokyo. This time I’m staying in Shinjuku, with one very specific goal: I have tickets to the Grand Sumo Wrestling Tournament. A dream come true.
After that… things are going to take a turn. A fun one. I’ll be stepping out of Japan and into something new. There’s something I need to do, and it’s calling me louder every day.
But more on that soon.
Separate posts that came during this section of the trip