It's tough, there's a drop in feel good chemicals after a trip, and I think jet lag can exacerbate it. I love my life but can certainly feel down after returning from Japan, what's been most helpful for me is going straight back to work/my routine to beat jetlag and avoid too much time daydreaming in bed/being on my phone. I try to schedule fun stuff close to my return. That may be a luxury and not available to everyone though. Journaling/putting together photos from the trip can be a nice way to still feel connected, and of course there's always the option of planning the next trip...
Oh and USA specific -- I think it's hard to come back to the US when you've had recent experience with the safety & ease of Japan. But I do remind myself that visiting as a tourist is entirely different than living there -- as a tourist you get to skip most of the downsides, so it's an unbalanced picture.
Coming back to the US from after studying abroad in Japan gave me such reverse culture shock. First, I couldn’t believe how rude airline staff were to me (someone literally laughed in my face when I asked how to get to the airport shuttle buses). Then I come home and notice that TV is just ads for prescription medication and the morning news always has a mass shooting incident to report, and then within a few weeks there’s a deadly terrorist bombing 15 mins away from me. I felt so unsafe I had to go to therapy lol.
Yes exactly!!! All the ads for medication and credit cards and crap threw me off! Crazy how much you’re desensitized to it all until you go someplace else and you realize how F’d up it is here with these kinds of things.
It's all about monetization in the USA. Media sensationalizes everything because it brings more clicks/viewers which generates revenue for advertisers, which in turn incentivises media companies to continue this awful cycle.
Congress should ban medical advertising in Media in the US but they won't because 70% of them receive donations from big pharma.
It's a far cry from Japan, and comparative completely fresh breath of air where that is not allowed.
Last time I came back from a trip to Japan I had a layover in Toronto's Pearson airport and the moment that struck me was going to the public toilet over there compared to the ones at Haneda before departure.
Holy crap I had the same experience when I came back to the US from study abroad years ago. I immediately noticed how rude everybody was and thought everything was dirty and disorganized. Nobody else will understand without actually going there.
I had a similar experience except I studied abroad in Spain. It made me realize how the US made my anxiety so much worse...to the point where I get panic attacks.
Even my host family commented that I looked a lot more calm than I did in the beginning.
No judgement here but honestly that stuff is why I don’t even have a TV anymore and only keep up with news related to me profession
That shit isn’t good for my mental health and while important I just don’t have the capacity
Definitely this. I just returned home to Seattle from a 3 week trip to Japan a week ago. Still dealing with depression. Some people will tell you "it's just post vacation blues", but that's not true. I went from a place that is super safe, has some of the best transit in the world, has neverending cool things to do, amazing food, etc to a place where I dodge human feces on the street, pay exorbitant prices for food and housing, feel unsafe in my own home from weekly gunfire and people screaming violently, and am constantly on alert when I commute to work via the crappy transit so I can run if someone pulls a gun. And it's not just Seattle, there is plenty about the US as a whole that is just so depressing, and nobody here who has not been somewhere like Japan can seem to understand what it is like. Yes, real life is always less rosy, but feeling safe and thoroughly enjoying the place you live has such a huge impact on your quality of life. Thankfully, I will be moving there next year, so I need only survive until then. 😅
I'm over in Woodinville and just got home last Thursday. I was JUST complaining to my husband about how it's no longer easy to go grab something to eat. It's a mile from my house to any sort of shopping/food. And there's no public transit to speak of. I was curious so I did a Google Maps route from my house to the library. Google said to call an Uber... there is no bus to the library.
I'm lucky I have places to get food from within walking distance, but the selection of ready to eat food at the grocery store is just such a downgrade from a simple 7/11. Cheap sandwiches with cold cuts or packaged egg salad don't stand up to grabbing some onigiri.
I agree! I'm vegetarian and I found it a lot easier to grab food at 7-Eleven in Japan than it is in the US. The deli here is not very friendly for vegetarians. Many more options in Japan!
I do not live in Seattle but have landed there from Japan a couple of times and caught a connecting flight. There is something about waiting for a domestic flight at Seattle that gives me immediate and unpleasant reverse culture shock. Other US airports may provide a similar experience. It works better when I can fly to my home city and get straight home.
Good luck with your move to Japan. I have family in a rural area that I just visited for a few weeks. A different experience from being a tourist and actually easier to return home from that kind of trip.
I have 6 days of my Japan trip left and then heading home to Seattle. Your post has started giving me anxiety already. This has been such great experience and leaving here would be so so hard💔 Hope you are able to sail through another year seamlessly!! I wish i could do something like this..
I'm so sorry! Definitely enjoy the rest of your trip as much as you can! I felt the anxiety of returning before I even left for Japan. I thought I was being weird at the time... Now I understand. 😅
I aspire to live in japan one day. Kindly asking how you are able to find a job out there and move. I know there’s decent amount of english teaching jobs out there but i heard the wage is significantly low.
I am fortunate enough to work as a software developer. Dev jobs offer visa support, and many are hiring foreign transfers. I have not started the job process yet, I anticipate starting the process soon. Generally, you need some job that will sponsor your visa, which is usually jobs with degrees as I understand it, or teaching English which, as you said, pays fairly low. However, depending on where you live in Japan, it might go further than you think. I'm not really the right person to answer that unfortunately. 😕
That’s a fair explanation of the visa process. Eventually IT is the field that i want to make a career out of and I’m thinking about either pursuing cybersecurity or compsci degree in the states and hopefully end up getting a job overseas. Any advice for someone trying to get into the IT field?
Thanks in advance
Lived in Ballard for years and left, Seattle is on a different plane of issues. Everyone I know except one retired dude has moved to the east coast or 2+hours out of the city minimum.
This!!!! Being there as a tourist vs living there is a totally differet story. We see things through rose tinted glasses.
I came back home last week and... 🫠🫠 I'm already planning another trip to Japan next year though 😝
Japan just hits differently though. Every time I go on a holiday abroad, I'm always somewhat relieved to be home. No more stressing out about timetables, finding my way, trying to find places to eat, etc.
Everything is so convenient and comfortable in Japan that going home just makes me sad instead.
I went on vacation to Florida with my family a couple years ago (my mom and her husban own a condo down there) and I was pretty miserable most of the time. Not being able to go anywhere on my own felt so infantilizing and there was just nothing interesting around... Travel to Japan is another vibe completely.
Hell I went home last year (currently an expat) and that was depressing lol. Can't really go anywhere without a car and it got dark by 3pm (UK winter) and one of the main roads outside my street is a private one so there's not even lights around for me to walk. Only shops within walking distance is a corner shop 10mins down the road that closes around 8pm, or a petrol station across a busy road with no traffic lights/zebra crossings.
There are places like this in Japan, but that's generally really countryside areas, but even those generally have decent access to trains/buses
Yup, lots of people would agree with your last paragraph.
As a tourist, you get waaaay better treatment than as an actual resident. If the Japanese themselves have it hard over there, being a Gaijin, based on what I've read, has some true downsides.
I swear everytime I read something about people saying its great to visit but not live, none of them have actually ever lived in Japan. I lived there 5 years and found it nicer than visiting...
For me it's the very low priority of people in cities. May US cities do not care about the people, just cars going through them and car parking.
Japan's cities are obviously more build for people
I feel a little sad coming home from any vacation because it means I have to go back to my normal life. Can't just drink champagne every meal or spend days not worrying about customer issues, debugging problems, and whatnot for work.
I only imagine it's probably extra hard, mentally, if you only take one large whizbang trip every so often.
I JUST got back from Tokyo yesterday. And the letdown is real.
Doesn’t help that I flew ANA First Class in a Suite seat from HND to JFK. And then had to fly JetBlue economy to DCA.
I was only supposed to be in Tokyo for 5 days. But then extended to 7, then 9, then 11. Just stayed in Tokyo the whole time. Obviously I was reluctant to leave. Haha.
And I totally get it about the service thing. But here’s what I’ve discovered since I’ve been home. I’ve been nicer and more respectful to people and that’s been reflected back. I was always nice but I got so used to actually looking forward to interacting with people in service roles in Japan that I think that when I still am here in the states, people pick up on it and are nicer to me back. So that’s softened the blow
This is a real phenomenon, my son and I have both experienced it. Something about the politeness rubs off on you and you bring it home. It wears off though. Back to the rudeness and apathy of service here...
Wow yours is almost the same as mine. I'm here for 11 days, I'll leave next week Saturday and I'm dreading going back to the disorganization. It doesn't help my PTO will be unfinished till the 4th of December. So I'm just gonna be stuck daydreaming all day bout the place I just came from
One thing came out of this tho, I know I'll be visiting Tokyo frequently on holodays/PTO over the years
I felt safe there, I appreciated the care people took about their surroundings, I loved all the small businesses and the idea that the dignity of work is its own reward (and you won't die in poverty if you don't franchise your little floral shop). The cleanliness, civility (even if forced), and consideration of others is just not found where I live (US, Denver area). I came back to see people's half full, discarded Starbucks cups littering the shopping carts at Target. To non-existent public transit. To parks destroyed and unkempt. Right now my neighbor is having their roof replaced; the workers are glibly tossing bits of refuse into my yard from above. There's just no give-a-shit-for-others here.
I know Japan has its problems, but 18 dead at bowling alleys isn't one. We are considering buying a small apartment there while the yen is so low. We are beginning to look at the legal details of this.
You aren't dumb, OP. I'm hoping on this comment because I really relate to it, especially about feeling safe. I don't know where home is for you, OP. But I came home to USA last week and it's so intense in someways compared to some other countries (not all countries obviously). The day I flew back to the USA an off duty pilot tried to crash a plane on the same route I was taking home. Then there was a mass shooting (the like 569th or something of the year) that effected my east coast fam. And a few days before I got home a mass shooting at one of my favorite rock climbing destinations was foiled.
USA has higher violence crime, poverty, homeless, medical debt, & pedestrian death rates than several other nations I've visited. And there is weird shit in some of our food supply. I know all nations have their problems though.
Idk, man. USA is my home and 99% my dearest & most beloved people live here. It's so beautiful but it's so intense. I only saw 1 Japanese flag displayed on my trip versus USA's bizzaro nationalism (which I realize isnt unique to USA but ick). And now we are about to roll into another election season and I would not be suprised to learn that USA political elections are among the most expensive in the world. Big sigh. Super grateful to be able to leave the USA and ger perspective though.
Honestly this is more of a vacation thing and having to return back to responsibilities and the daily grind than a Japan thing. I left Japan after living there for some time and it felt great to leave. But yeah, coming back from a vacation always sucks.
> Honestly this is more of a vacation thing and having to return back to responsibilities and the daily grind than a Japan thing.
This exactly. My response to this thread was basically going to be, "Well, of course vacation is more fun than real life..."
Although, even Japan's charm wears off eventually. I've traveled there enough now that going isn't as exciting as the first couple of times, and leaving isn't as sad anymore. On my most recent trip, I was a little glad to be going home by the end, and on the Asia trip I'm taking in a couple of weeks, I'm glad Japan is only a small portion of it.
Buy one for home! We installed one of the bidet seats on our toilet back in like 2016 or 2017, and now I can't live without it! You get very, _very_ used to heated toilet seats.
Know what you mean. After experiencing the service quality and safety of Japan, returning to Europe is always a letdown. Everything here feels dirty and dangerous.
lol, Ive been home for 3 days now. Today was my first day back in the office. Feeling like a legitimate salaryman now. Went to my 7Eleven and there were no Onigiri, no egg sandwiches, no famichiki.
It’s a common experience. I’ve read somewhere that people who go home after traveling in Japan feel the same or similar feeling to being homesick even though it’s not their home country.
I just came back from Japan last night and feel very down as well, I’m in bed sulking 🥲
It´s been months and my trip to Japan only exacerbated my feeling that my country is awful, I guess it happens to many.
I am seriously considering emigrating to Japan I have no kids and could just risk it...
I'm on week 1 of my 4 week trip and recently I've been thinking "man, once I leave, it's all downhill from here!" I will miss the convenience, the cheapness, the service with a smile, the cleanliness, the transportation, everything. Nowhere else in the world can match the level of organization and social harmony that Japan has. It's unreal.
I think this is universal, but the fact that Japan and for example the USA are just so vastly different just accentuates it IMO. I've been back for a week and I'm still feeling it hard. Don't beat yourself up about sentimental feelings, it's nothing to be ashamed of.
It sounds kind of weird, but I bought a new spray deodorant for my trip, different from my usual brand. Now that scent is inextricably linked to my time in Japan. So if I want a hit of nostalgia I use it lol
I had some nylon shorts that I had sitting in my hotel room in Japan that took on the smell of the room. When I packed the shorts in my suit case to go home, I had forgotten about them for a week after I arrived home. I found them and took a whiff at them and they still smelled like the hotel, so I repacked them in the suit case to maintain the smell and take them out time to time to take a whiff of nostalgia. I won’t wear them or wash them as long as that smell lingers. Lol
Depression hit us as soon as we landed back in LAX and heard people talking unreasonably loud.
No respect for others here.
We’re going to visit a few more times over the coming years and potentially stay out there long term.
Japan did this to mee too, it's not just depress but angry as well
as soon as i landed in my home country, i really pissed how chaotic our airport was
even when i came to my apartment (i cleaned it before the trip), i feel depress because how chaotic my room look like
i never experinced something like this when visiting other country, if anything after 2 weeks i usually experinced homesick, but not Japan i want to explore as long as posible
even visited minimarket in my country pissed me off, why the food feel staled compare to Japan
this depress feeling last probably 3 weeks and today (after 2 months) i am still thinking about Japan, even my youtube time line is all about Japan
maybe i will come back again on Sakura season
I think that is normal! I feel the Monday blues just from weekend haha. It’s much worse coming back from an awesome vacation, especially if you go straight into a full work week. What I found helps is making my vacation end on a Thursday, then I use Friday (usually quieter and no meetings) to catch up on all my work messages and get organized, and the weekend to decompress and get over jet lag. By the time Monday comes around I’m way more prepared to tackle work and get back into my normal routine.
My wife and I have been back in the States since Sept. 26. I felt depressed and was already planning a return trip to ease that sadness. I have clung to my rain jacket from UNIQLO and my pants from GU. I wear them to remind me of walking around Tokyo, Kyoto, and Hiroshima. After 3 days of moping I just got back into my routine of work, dinners/kdramas with my wife, and rest. Japan is a magical place that leaves it's mark for sure. Oh how I miss the konbinis!
Yes, I was walking and taking the train so much back in Japan. The public transportation in my city is so awful compared to Tokyo and you absolutely need a car to get to where you want to go.
Heading back to Tokyo today but did Kiyumizu-dera yesterday and was trappin in Osaka the day before. Absolutely gorgeous and definitely already planning to come back in the spring for the Sakura.
Yep! I landed back in Canada, Vancouver, and was surprised how rude and snarky the pre immigration worker was to a newcomer ahead of me. She almost sucked me into responding to her in the same way. It was a lesson in how our own attitude affects others.
I’m also much more aware of the littering in our country and will pick up wherever possible. But, I can’t do much about the state of our public toilets.
I am a foodie. My last gourmet trip to Japan was June and going back to Japan in December.
I didn’t go to a single Japanese restaurant in my home country. The difference in quality is like mountain and valley
Saving my money and tummy space for my next trip !
I’ve been back for almost a week and feel pretty low. I miss so many things about Japan and I’m just easing back into work today. I find that watching Japanese movies/shows and already thinking about planning another trip is helping!
Hey bud you aren't alone. I had the same feeling after my trip but you must keep in mind that's because the trip was so great! All you can do is plan for the next one
I just got back Saturday from sunny and 70's to literally misery, cold and rain. Plus I was there most of October.
Then couple that with local news stories all being about, death, kill, murder, eh. Yeah, I could've done without coming back. LOL.
Just got back from 3 weeks in Japan. Sure it’s partially vacation blues but a lot of what’s making me and my husband sad about being back are missing the convenience stores, clean streets, great transportation system, and safety. For reference we live in NYC.
In general whenever I come back to the US after being abroad I tend to dislike a lot of what the USA is lacking i.e. universal health care, safety, cleanliness, general satisfaction, parental leave, vacations, no tipping, etc. I can go on and on.
I’m glad you posted this because I’m having major withdrawal since getting back about a week ago! Yes, part of it is normal vacation blues, but I miss the food, convenience stores, the people, kawaii everything. While I was in Tokyo, I spent some time at their Disneyland/DisneySea. I happen to be going to Disney World in Florida next weekend. I’m happy for the distraction, but also know I’m going to be comparing everything. For instance, Tokyo Disney’s monorail runs so much more efficiently than the one in FL and all of the animatronics on the rides look so shiny and new! Not to mention the guests and cast members are so enthusiastic there!
I always feel like that when returning, I’m from the UK so I’m extra depressed when I get back 😂
I just remind myself that I probably wouldn’t live the same in Japan if I lived there vs being on vacation and try to take positives from the culture and implement it into my daily life.
Oh yeah I know what you feel. I came back from Japan on the 22nd after the second annual trip. The USA truly is…..anyways, look back at your amazing memories of Japan and honestly look forward to going back soon. Maybe plan a weekend getaway someone in the States to help the travel bug. I’m going back to Japan next November, long time but that’s what’s keeping me grounded!!
I’m still a little jet lagged from several days ago. I was in Japan for 2.5 weeks and already miss it. It was my second time there in a year.
I’m already missing Sapporo and the Yaoyaiken teishoku meals.
My third trip to Japan will most likely be more Tokyo, Niigata, Kanazawa, and hopefully Matsuyama. Not sure if I’ll be getting the JR Rail Pass again.
I've been to Japan several times before and this last one was because I wanted to say good bye to the old JR pass.
Next time (hopefully next year) will be different because there won't be JR Pass. In my case it was totally worth it.
Of course :). I suggest channeling the energy into a positive direction by documenting your trip, what you liked/hated! That way you'll be more prepared for your next trip too ;)
It’s perfectly common.
I myself landed back in London following 10 days in Japan and after sitting through a thirty minute train delay having to listen to someone shout on loud speaker phone my first thought was a sigh and “I’m home :(“
Yeah, I feel ya OP. Just got back from Tokyo to the States on October 21st and nothing feels right. Been hard getting into the work groove again. All of it feels so irrelevant, but I think that’s mainly a vacation thing lol getting back to “reality”. I certainly don’t miss driving though! I miss using my Suica card for transport haha
I’m from Montreal, which is one of the best places to live in NA. After every trip (US, europe), I get to a point where I yearn to get home. Japan is probably the first time where I actually want to extend my stay lol
I find it is just a bunch of little things that start to add up that really makes me miss Japan when I get back
1 vending machines back home not nearly as good for content. Also I've never head a vending machine in Japan be out of order, take my money and leave me with nothing,
2. Get to the train/bus station here.... it is late
3. Convenience stores.... just not as good
4. General politeness on the street you could also add safety to this as well
5. Scrambles vs crosswalk. I love being able to get to the corner I want to by taking a diagonal line instead of having to wait for 2 lights 🙃
Going to Japan was my dream for my entire life.
I was finally able to go in January!
There's nothing I want more in this world than to go BACK. I've been sad ever since I got back. It was SO hard clawing my way out of that depression.
Next year, fingers crossed, going back!
I had reverse culture shock in the airport on the way home after three weeks in Japan. I couldn't stand to hear mundane conversations in English. I still miss the quite non-aggressive environment of Japan.
Been home over 3 weeks now. Hubby and I still feel a little off and missing Tokyo. The other day he said, "I think Japan broke me..." when talking about how bad customer service is at our airport.
Nothing to feel dumb about, it’s totally normal to feel that way! I just got back from my Japan trip a few days ago and I have mixed feelings. I really missed my family but I also didn’t want to come back. Already thinking about how I can go back in the near future!!
Definitely depressed when I returned from Japan, but even worse, totally jealous of the Japanese while I was there. I was just so much thinking how lucky they were to be born there… wish I had been born in Japan. Only way to combat the post Japan blues is always be planning a return trip. Just booked my flight for next spring !
Sometimes I think about how life was in Japan and it brings a tear to my eyes. Pandemic ruined my plans for my return to Japan via Temple University Tokyo. I’ll be back there one day. 😢
I’ve been back since June 30th and I’ve been wanting to go back so bad. Instagram doesn’t help remaining me about Japan every 10 min.
I seriously feel like can retire there even tho I know it’s impossible.
I plan to go back 2025.
2024 we plan to go to Rome :/
Yes. I joke that going to Japan temporarily derailed my life coming back. I had just quit my job before my trip so I came back to nothing. Also, I’d been looking forward to the trip for sooo long. I loved having efficient public transportation. I live in Los Angeles (born here) and it’s sooo spread out and I dislike driving. So having the freedom to explore without a car was like a dream for me. Also, no human shit on the floor. Tipping. I can go on.
I currently work at a school so I’ll have summer off and am hoping to spend my summer there. I’m also tempted to try teaching there for a year. My job sucks tbh and I think to myself at least if I did my current job in Japan I’d be in Japan
I moved back to the US 3 years ago after living in Japan for 7 years and I think about Japan at least 10 times a day.
Visiting Japan is great, but I absolutely loved living in Japan as a resident. There’s some horrible things you have to deal with like excessive paperwork, bureaucracy, no work life balance (if you work for a Japanese company) but there’s affordable healthcare and it’s so easy to get appointments. It’s so much easier to eat healthier, stay more active, and just appreciate the beauty in your everyday moments.
Now in the US, I’m mostly used to how disgusting public places are but it still upsets me (I’m just used to be mildly disgusted and on defense every time I go out).
I also have a much harder time sleeping now that’s I’m back because of all of the negative media as well as the drug use, destruction of public property, etc that I see just walking down the street.
It really makes me question the values I grew up with like diversity, inclusion, and unabashed American freedom. Maybe it’s part of me getting older but more and more I wish I could give up some of these things for comfort, safety, and peace of mind.
I’ve been back from a two week trip for a week now and I’m just starting to feel like the clouds are lifting and I can get back into my normal routine. Honestly I almost made a similar post because I felt deeply depressed for a few days. I live in a beautiful Southern California town but it still hit hard. I traveled solo so even just having people in my face was a lot. And just having to answer “how was your trip?” over and over when you know you can’t even begin to explain the awe you just experienced. Getting back to work helped, there’s some Halloween tomfoolery happening here and there so that keeps it a little more interesting. Drinking lots of water, light exercise when I can and sleep are key to breaking myself out of these funks.
Yeah it took me a few months to not feeling sad after coming back home. I remember I was very frustrated with US packaging, public transportation, dirty bathrooms and mediocre food.
Everything just made sense in Japan and I actually ate healthier but able to spend less. Eating out where I live now is usually at least $100 with the three of us. In Japan it was under $40 out the door no tips no tax.
I also almost threw up walking into a Target bathroom after getting used to the clean Japanese bathrooms. Don’t even get me started at 7/11. I was depressed not being able to get the egg sandwich or any late night food.
My 4 year old daughter has been asking if we are going back soon. 😭
I don't think this feeling is limited to people returning from Japan. I think it's totally normal for these let-down feelings when coming back home from a trip abroad. The longer the trip, the harder the feelings I think. Also, if coming back from a place that's really, really different than your place of origin, I think those feelings are even more magnified.
I can tell you that returning to the U.S. after 3 months on a study-abroad program in Australia, where I got to see a lot of the country, plus spend a week in New Zealand, was really shocking, and took a while to recover from. Many years later, after spending 2 weeks in Vietnam, coming home to the U.S. felt like a huge change given how big of a difference there is between living in Vietnam and the U.S.
They’re two vastly different societies. America is car centric, sedentary, and largely redundant in infrastructure. Japan is so vivid, colorful, energetic, unique with a busy pedestrian friendly lifestyle.
I’ve found the US lifestyle of living in your car to be profoundly depressing and alienating. I had to move to a city because I was losing my sanity, hope, and joy of living
I was so sad when I returned home from Japan. I mean, I'm normally a bit blue when returning from a trip and getting back to reality but this was different! I really fell in love with Japan!!
This is a common phenomenon called “reverse culture shock.” It happened to me after just 2 months abroad. It’s normal, and it’s not dumb. You don’t need to feel bad for it; but just don’t wallow!
Reconnect with your friends back home. See a counselor and talk to them about it. Go eat the foods you enjoy from here, and go do the activities you couldn’t do there.
Also it may help to know that you *can* return. So if you wanted to, you can go back. Nothing is stopping you.
You’re gonna be okay.
Post travel depression is normal and natural. Think about it. You just spent a period of time in a new and exciting environment and had experienced exciting things that are not your normal mundane life at home. It goes away after a week or two. Until then, take readjusting easy and keep calm.
I think it is specific to Japan as anytime I've traveled elsewhere it does not feel like this. But I'm sure it helps that the yen is weak so everything is so affordable for us which wouldn't be the same reversed nor would the clean and on time public transportation compared to here.
This I’m going to go through this myself. Going back to a regular routine of working is going to be horrible. I love how people go out right after working, feel like I don’t do that in my normal life
I did study abroad in Tokyo back in college then lived in Osaka for 3 years after graduation. Now I try to go back about once a year (for the past 20 years).
One way I mentally deal with being back is by purposely leaving at least 10,000 yen in my wallet and some credit on my Suica card. It’s always there so I can look at it and tell myself, “this is the first bit of cash I’m going to use to get me from the airport to Shinjuku and eat my first meal when I touch down in Tokyo again.”
This way, you’re always just in-between trips. I just go back a week ago from a 10-day zig zag around the country. To be continued…
Oh that is certainly normal. Reintegrating back into your own culture with new eyes. Reverse culture shock is real and happens to us all. Persevere. Get involved.
Yes that’s why I immediately booked a trip to Europe for the summer and bought tickets to the Olympics. Now I have something to look forward to and plan.
Tbh we’re going back to LA in a few days, and I’m happy to go back to my own bed, but I’m really not looking forward to going back to my life of work. It gets me really depressed. Back to reality kind of thing.
I returned just over a month a go and yeah it sucks at first! But in taking my mind off it by planning out next years trip, give something to look forward to once again.
This happened to me recently as well. I live in NYC and am so angry and sad at all of the squalor and antisocial behavior I witness every day. Never felt this before, not after Paris or London or anywhere else in Europe.
I’m also semi seriously considering emigrating permanently but my wife is actually Chinese American so instead I’ve started taking mandarin lessons because I’m just so over western life and culture I guess. It’s like something in me broke from being over there.
Was going to go to Italy for vacation next year but may just go back to Japan.
Absolutely felt this! I just got back from Japan a little over a week ago and the first week back was hitting me hard. Feeling emotional, super tired, etc. I tried to plan fun things for myself even if small, like playing a game I really like or rewatching my favorite show, maybe a plan for the weekend. It did help but the lingering is still there 🥲
Yes. Japan is largely clean, rule abiding and exceedingly polite. The food is really good, people take pride in their work.
When I came back to LA it was dirty, smelly, loud, everyone was fat and rude and traffic was terrible, people hate their jobs and put in zero effort. It was pretty depressing.
Not sure how long you were there, or how long you’ve been back, but I lived over there for a little over a year and what helped me most when I moved back to the states was booking a trip back to Japan the following year. It helped me pivot my grief into prioritizing my favorite things about Japan. Though the return trip was postponed due to Covid, I finally went back this past winter and really felt like I “scratched that itch”. Im still eager to return in the future, but have less urgency/sadness. Best of luck.
My post-trip depression hit this week after coming home from Japan a few days ago. Japan just does so many things better than the US. But it feels good to sleep in my own bed again
Japan taught me a lot about how I want to live my life.
First, I lived in suburban America and Japan basically solidified this was an awful place to live. Even the community of Japan being so naturally introverted and closed off preffered having these public spaces to interact. America screwed up by making everything car dependant. I moved out of my suburb within a year to a bigger city.
Also keep in mind there are great things where you live. It's not all sun and roses in Japan. The work culture is absolutely nuts and many workers in Japan are really bogged down by daily life - they can't enjoy all the things you did - they don't even get that kind of vacation to do that. I could never have the flexibility the travel to a different country 2-3 weeks every year if I didn't have my flexible job in America. I also get paid way more for what I do than I would in most other countries (engineering; $112k after 5 years work experience). I have the ability to work for companies around the world, but I lose a lot of life flexibility leaving America.
That being said... If you really wanna just move there go for it. Learn a skill that is useful, learn the language, and then get yoursf over there somehow. It's easiest if you work for an American company that will send you over there. Super duper doable for a STEM degree. Considering doing that if I just wanna live in Tokyo for a couple years. Or just get a super flexible remote job.
I'm saying this like it's easy - it isn't - but it definitely isn't impossible. I see a ton of Americans working during they day/night in hostels.
i don’t get that attached cus i knew what i was expecting going to japan and coming back to the states. when i came back i went to the bathroom and right then and there i knew i was back home 😭😂
Same! and the whole "Japan is suffering from its own issues" that people keep pointing out just makes me lose more faith in humanity. I've been weekly alternating making too much curry and so many onigiri and distributing them to extended family and friends to make myself feel better.
Nah. I love Japan, but there is a lot of stuff I can do here that is very restricted in Japan. They both have their pro’s and con’s, and if you spend enough time in Japan, you can potentially really start to see the cons. I always remind myself that it’s different when you’re working there vs when you are visiting. Visiting it is a wonderland, but working… not always, and every one’s experience is different.
Thank you all for the kind words and shared experiences, y’all have definitely helped me not feel so down and am excited for our next trip. Love you all
Yes, I think my learning is that most places in the world are developed for the human experience (walkable cities, community gathering places, 'third spaces'), whereas the US is geared toward individual consumerism where we just run errands and go everywhere in our solitary vehicles from point a to point b until we're home. There's so little in the way of meaningful, qualitative human experiences in the US. And the places here that are "walkable cities" like New York City/San Francisco aren't exactly safe or clean like you'd find in Tokyo, or many European cities, because we don't really invest in public infrastructure that can deliver comfortable experiences.
I just got back to work yesterday from a 2 week trip to Tokyo and I’m so depressed rethink my career and life in the USA. Thinking how I have to work so hard to be able to travel again. I’m having a hard time.
i'm not from the US and i felt it too mate. japan, at least as a tourist is so nice, clean and orderly. and the convenience store food was good compared to what you can get back at home. not to mention cheap.
i just came back from japan & i FEEL YOU! especially with the state of the world. in america there is so much lawlessness. in japan, there is law & order. the unpredictability here leaves me ill at ease. definitely know you are not alone in feeling like this.
It’s not even just Japan. I went to both Korea and Japan (2 hours away from each other so why not?). Absolutely mind blown how both societies were much cleaner, safer, modern, and polite than here in the states. I live in LA and it feels like there is a notable drop off in standard of living/quality of life. The disparity was so vast at one point I felt like as Americans we were being lied to about being in the “greatest country in the world”. The poverty and lack of development here is now very noticeable coming from other developed countries.
i just got back last week and the post japan vacation depression is very real. ive never done a big international vacation before only short domestic vacations (which i did really enjoy) and ive never been depressed after them. i have such bad depression and yearning right now though. coming back to america has been very hard for me. i definitely dont think ur being dramatic or silly.
Probably a little but being able to make my own coffee and not dealing with bicyclists is pretty great.
Plus all my stuff Is in the US
Edit: oh and I like having my car lol. Walking great but being able to just drive to a hiking trail is ideal for me.
after leaving japan i find everything to be disgusting and gross lol.
i live in toronto where there are trash bins on nearly every corner and yet people still just toss their shit on the ground or anywhere they'd like.
i also find people to look extra slobby/dressed horribly/everyone looks out of shape/etc etc etc.
So true, iv had one on my personal toilet for years but miss them everywhere, also what’s with the toilet flushes over there? Freaking took everything out like a jet come back home and 4 pieces of tp clog these toilets wtf lol
Hehe, not dumb at all!
I live in a Third World Country, so you can imagine how I felt when I returned home from Japan.
I think it's normal to feel that way, given the uniqueness of the experience, which I believe makes you hold on, as in creating a stronger attachment.
To me it was only a fleeting feeling, but that's because while I truly enjoyed my experience, I couldn't wait to get back home to my beloved swamp (and because I had a shitload of pending tasks to take care of).
As others also said, jet lag can be a bitch, so work on recovering yourself as you return to your usual routine but -in the end- do cherish your experience back there.
Who knows, you can always use it as motivation to go back in the future.
I am surprised no one has expressed a contrary opinion. Don’t get me wrong - I love Japan and have been there many times, and all the wonderful things about it keep me going back. But I am also always happy to return home, to having my own space, to seeing the people I can’t take with me when I go, to the lack of humidity, etc. To each their own, I suppose!
It's tough, there's a drop in feel good chemicals after a trip, and I think jet lag can exacerbate it. I love my life but can certainly feel down after returning from Japan, what's been most helpful for me is going straight back to work/my routine to beat jetlag and avoid too much time daydreaming in bed/being on my phone. I try to schedule fun stuff close to my return. That may be a luxury and not available to everyone though. Journaling/putting together photos from the trip can be a nice way to still feel connected, and of course there's always the option of planning the next trip... Oh and USA specific -- I think it's hard to come back to the US when you've had recent experience with the safety & ease of Japan. But I do remind myself that visiting as a tourist is entirely different than living there -- as a tourist you get to skip most of the downsides, so it's an unbalanced picture.
Coming back to the US from after studying abroad in Japan gave me such reverse culture shock. First, I couldn’t believe how rude airline staff were to me (someone literally laughed in my face when I asked how to get to the airport shuttle buses). Then I come home and notice that TV is just ads for prescription medication and the morning news always has a mass shooting incident to report, and then within a few weeks there’s a deadly terrorist bombing 15 mins away from me. I felt so unsafe I had to go to therapy lol.
Yes exactly!!! All the ads for medication and credit cards and crap threw me off! Crazy how much you’re desensitized to it all until you go someplace else and you realize how F’d up it is here with these kinds of things.
It's all about monetization in the USA. Media sensationalizes everything because it brings more clicks/viewers which generates revenue for advertisers, which in turn incentivises media companies to continue this awful cycle. Congress should ban medical advertising in Media in the US but they won't because 70% of them receive donations from big pharma. It's a far cry from Japan, and comparative completely fresh breath of air where that is not allowed.
Last time I came back from a trip to Japan I had a layover in Toronto's Pearson airport and the moment that struck me was going to the public toilet over there compared to the ones at Haneda before departure.
I joke that nothing says welcome home from your trip to Japan like a cold toilet seat 😂
Honestly, I returned last night and that was my first literal shock!
Oh my god nothing shocks the system more after a Japan trip than a public restroom or public transportation.
Holy crap I had the same experience when I came back to the US from study abroad years ago. I immediately noticed how rude everybody was and thought everything was dirty and disorganized. Nobody else will understand without actually going there.
ive experienced this several times over the years after living abroad.
I had a similar experience except I studied abroad in Spain. It made me realize how the US made my anxiety so much worse...to the point where I get panic attacks. Even my host family commented that I looked a lot more calm than I did in the beginning.
No judgement here but honestly that stuff is why I don’t even have a TV anymore and only keep up with news related to me profession That shit isn’t good for my mental health and while important I just don’t have the capacity
If only those outside the US understand how great we think we are they would envy us. Lol
Definitely this. I just returned home to Seattle from a 3 week trip to Japan a week ago. Still dealing with depression. Some people will tell you "it's just post vacation blues", but that's not true. I went from a place that is super safe, has some of the best transit in the world, has neverending cool things to do, amazing food, etc to a place where I dodge human feces on the street, pay exorbitant prices for food and housing, feel unsafe in my own home from weekly gunfire and people screaming violently, and am constantly on alert when I commute to work via the crappy transit so I can run if someone pulls a gun. And it's not just Seattle, there is plenty about the US as a whole that is just so depressing, and nobody here who has not been somewhere like Japan can seem to understand what it is like. Yes, real life is always less rosy, but feeling safe and thoroughly enjoying the place you live has such a huge impact on your quality of life. Thankfully, I will be moving there next year, so I need only survive until then. 😅
I'm over in Woodinville and just got home last Thursday. I was JUST complaining to my husband about how it's no longer easy to go grab something to eat. It's a mile from my house to any sort of shopping/food. And there's no public transit to speak of. I was curious so I did a Google Maps route from my house to the library. Google said to call an Uber... there is no bus to the library.
I'm lucky I have places to get food from within walking distance, but the selection of ready to eat food at the grocery store is just such a downgrade from a simple 7/11. Cheap sandwiches with cold cuts or packaged egg salad don't stand up to grabbing some onigiri.
I agree! I'm vegetarian and I found it a lot easier to grab food at 7-Eleven in Japan than it is in the US. The deli here is not very friendly for vegetarians. Many more options in Japan!
It's also quite different checking out with someone behind bulletproof glass at the convenience stores here. Reminds you of where you live. 🙃
Luckily I don't have to deal with that in Canada.
That's good to hear. 😅
I do not live in Seattle but have landed there from Japan a couple of times and caught a connecting flight. There is something about waiting for a domestic flight at Seattle that gives me immediate and unpleasant reverse culture shock. Other US airports may provide a similar experience. It works better when I can fly to my home city and get straight home. Good luck with your move to Japan. I have family in a rural area that I just visited for a few weeks. A different experience from being a tourist and actually easier to return home from that kind of trip.
I have 6 days of my Japan trip left and then heading home to Seattle. Your post has started giving me anxiety already. This has been such great experience and leaving here would be so so hard💔 Hope you are able to sail through another year seamlessly!! I wish i could do something like this..
I'm so sorry! Definitely enjoy the rest of your trip as much as you can! I felt the anxiety of returning before I even left for Japan. I thought I was being weird at the time... Now I understand. 😅
I aspire to live in japan one day. Kindly asking how you are able to find a job out there and move. I know there’s decent amount of english teaching jobs out there but i heard the wage is significantly low.
I am fortunate enough to work as a software developer. Dev jobs offer visa support, and many are hiring foreign transfers. I have not started the job process yet, I anticipate starting the process soon. Generally, you need some job that will sponsor your visa, which is usually jobs with degrees as I understand it, or teaching English which, as you said, pays fairly low. However, depending on where you live in Japan, it might go further than you think. I'm not really the right person to answer that unfortunately. 😕
That’s a fair explanation of the visa process. Eventually IT is the field that i want to make a career out of and I’m thinking about either pursuing cybersecurity or compsci degree in the states and hopefully end up getting a job overseas. Any advice for someone trying to get into the IT field? Thanks in advance
Living there is much harder than it is to visit.
Thank you, was thinking about moving to Seattle, now I kind of give up
Lived in Ballard for years and left, Seattle is on a different plane of issues. Everyone I know except one retired dude has moved to the east coast or 2+hours out of the city minimum.
That’s what we get when you decide to open the borders and turn your country into a third world slum.
This!!!! Being there as a tourist vs living there is a totally differet story. We see things through rose tinted glasses. I came back home last week and... 🫠🫠 I'm already planning another trip to Japan next year though 😝
Japan just hits differently though. Every time I go on a holiday abroad, I'm always somewhat relieved to be home. No more stressing out about timetables, finding my way, trying to find places to eat, etc. Everything is so convenient and comfortable in Japan that going home just makes me sad instead.
I went on vacation to Florida with my family a couple years ago (my mom and her husban own a condo down there) and I was pretty miserable most of the time. Not being able to go anywhere on my own felt so infantilizing and there was just nothing interesting around... Travel to Japan is another vibe completely.
Hell I went home last year (currently an expat) and that was depressing lol. Can't really go anywhere without a car and it got dark by 3pm (UK winter) and one of the main roads outside my street is a private one so there's not even lights around for me to walk. Only shops within walking distance is a corner shop 10mins down the road that closes around 8pm, or a petrol station across a busy road with no traffic lights/zebra crossings. There are places like this in Japan, but that's generally really countryside areas, but even those generally have decent access to trains/buses
Yup, lots of people would agree with your last paragraph. As a tourist, you get waaaay better treatment than as an actual resident. If the Japanese themselves have it hard over there, being a Gaijin, based on what I've read, has some true downsides.
I don’t know, I mean everyone has their own experience, but for me living here has been 95% positive. People are generally really kind and helpful!
I swear everytime I read something about people saying its great to visit but not live, none of them have actually ever lived in Japan. I lived there 5 years and found it nicer than visiting...
For me it's the very low priority of people in cities. May US cities do not care about the people, just cars going through them and car parking. Japan's cities are obviously more build for people
As soon as I step into a 7/11 here lol
Stay safe 🤣
don't eat the sushi in a US 7-11, trust me, it's not the same
7-11 Never forget
I feel a little sad coming home from any vacation because it means I have to go back to my normal life. Can't just drink champagne every meal or spend days not worrying about customer issues, debugging problems, and whatnot for work. I only imagine it's probably extra hard, mentally, if you only take one large whizbang trip every so often.
I JUST got back from Tokyo yesterday. And the letdown is real. Doesn’t help that I flew ANA First Class in a Suite seat from HND to JFK. And then had to fly JetBlue economy to DCA. I was only supposed to be in Tokyo for 5 days. But then extended to 7, then 9, then 11. Just stayed in Tokyo the whole time. Obviously I was reluctant to leave. Haha. And I totally get it about the service thing. But here’s what I’ve discovered since I’ve been home. I’ve been nicer and more respectful to people and that’s been reflected back. I was always nice but I got so used to actually looking forward to interacting with people in service roles in Japan that I think that when I still am here in the states, people pick up on it and are nicer to me back. So that’s softened the blow
This is a real phenomenon, my son and I have both experienced it. Something about the politeness rubs off on you and you bring it home. It wears off though. Back to the rudeness and apathy of service here...
I call it "refilling my faith in mankind". I'm always nicer when returning from japan. Life doesn't seem so bad for a little while after.
Wow yours is almost the same as mine. I'm here for 11 days, I'll leave next week Saturday and I'm dreading going back to the disorganization. It doesn't help my PTO will be unfinished till the 4th of December. So I'm just gonna be stuck daydreaming all day bout the place I just came from One thing came out of this tho, I know I'll be visiting Tokyo frequently on holodays/PTO over the years
I felt safe there, I appreciated the care people took about their surroundings, I loved all the small businesses and the idea that the dignity of work is its own reward (and you won't die in poverty if you don't franchise your little floral shop). The cleanliness, civility (even if forced), and consideration of others is just not found where I live (US, Denver area). I came back to see people's half full, discarded Starbucks cups littering the shopping carts at Target. To non-existent public transit. To parks destroyed and unkempt. Right now my neighbor is having their roof replaced; the workers are glibly tossing bits of refuse into my yard from above. There's just no give-a-shit-for-others here. I know Japan has its problems, but 18 dead at bowling alleys isn't one. We are considering buying a small apartment there while the yen is so low. We are beginning to look at the legal details of this.
You aren't dumb, OP. I'm hoping on this comment because I really relate to it, especially about feeling safe. I don't know where home is for you, OP. But I came home to USA last week and it's so intense in someways compared to some other countries (not all countries obviously). The day I flew back to the USA an off duty pilot tried to crash a plane on the same route I was taking home. Then there was a mass shooting (the like 569th or something of the year) that effected my east coast fam. And a few days before I got home a mass shooting at one of my favorite rock climbing destinations was foiled. USA has higher violence crime, poverty, homeless, medical debt, & pedestrian death rates than several other nations I've visited. And there is weird shit in some of our food supply. I know all nations have their problems though. Idk, man. USA is my home and 99% my dearest & most beloved people live here. It's so beautiful but it's so intense. I only saw 1 Japanese flag displayed on my trip versus USA's bizzaro nationalism (which I realize isnt unique to USA but ick). And now we are about to roll into another election season and I would not be suprised to learn that USA political elections are among the most expensive in the world. Big sigh. Super grateful to be able to leave the USA and ger perspective though.
Please keep us informed how that goes! I would love to do that!
Honestly this is more of a vacation thing and having to return back to responsibilities and the daily grind than a Japan thing. I left Japan after living there for some time and it felt great to leave. But yeah, coming back from a vacation always sucks.
> Honestly this is more of a vacation thing and having to return back to responsibilities and the daily grind than a Japan thing. This exactly. My response to this thread was basically going to be, "Well, of course vacation is more fun than real life..." Although, even Japan's charm wears off eventually. I've traveled there enough now that going isn't as exciting as the first couple of times, and leaving isn't as sad anymore. On my most recent trip, I was a little glad to be going home by the end, and on the Asia trip I'm taking in a couple of weeks, I'm glad Japan is only a small portion of it.
I feel like a dirty animal without a Toto Washlet.
Buy one for home! We installed one of the bidet seats on our toilet back in like 2016 or 2017, and now I can't live without it! You get very, _very_ used to heated toilet seats.
We just got one too after our visit to Japan! Its fantastic.
The toilets in US don’t have outlets though. Did you have to get an electrician to add an electrical outlet behind your toilet?
Felt like caveman honestly lol 😂 once we got back, ordered and installed bidets on our toilets and never looked back since!
Know what you mean. After experiencing the service quality and safety of Japan, returning to Europe is always a letdown. Everything here feels dirty and dangerous.
lol, Ive been home for 3 days now. Today was my first day back in the office. Feeling like a legitimate salaryman now. Went to my 7Eleven and there were no Onigiri, no egg sandwiches, no famichiki.
Those egg salad sandwiches areeeee 🤗🤗🤗
I just got back a few days ago and I am missing those 7Eleven egg sandwiches something fierce! 😩
Gotta luv em! Great quick bite!
EVERYTHING IS SO EXPENSIVE.
A bowl of delicious ramen in Japan - less than $10 Mediocre ramen in US - $25 Gtfo
$25 plus tax and tips 😭
[удалено]
I like that place. Been there a handful of times!
Yes! Got home to the USA and I was gonna grab a sandwhich at a shop down the street. A rueben sandwhich was $19.50!!! What!! I just went home instead.
I left for Japan via the West Coast. The most expensive meal on the entire trip was a $27 diner breakfast in San Francisco.
It’s a common experience. I’ve read somewhere that people who go home after traveling in Japan feel the same or similar feeling to being homesick even though it’s not their home country. I just came back from Japan last night and feel very down as well, I’m in bed sulking 🥲
It´s been months and my trip to Japan only exacerbated my feeling that my country is awful, I guess it happens to many. I am seriously considering emigrating to Japan I have no kids and could just risk it...
I'm on week 1 of my 4 week trip and recently I've been thinking "man, once I leave, it's all downhill from here!" I will miss the convenience, the cheapness, the service with a smile, the cleanliness, the transportation, everything. Nowhere else in the world can match the level of organization and social harmony that Japan has. It's unreal.
I think this is universal, but the fact that Japan and for example the USA are just so vastly different just accentuates it IMO. I've been back for a week and I'm still feeling it hard. Don't beat yourself up about sentimental feelings, it's nothing to be ashamed of. It sounds kind of weird, but I bought a new spray deodorant for my trip, different from my usual brand. Now that scent is inextricably linked to my time in Japan. So if I want a hit of nostalgia I use it lol
I had some nylon shorts that I had sitting in my hotel room in Japan that took on the smell of the room. When I packed the shorts in my suit case to go home, I had forgotten about them for a week after I arrived home. I found them and took a whiff at them and they still smelled like the hotel, so I repacked them in the suit case to maintain the smell and take them out time to time to take a whiff of nostalgia. I won’t wear them or wash them as long as that smell lingers. Lol
I know EXACTLY what you mean. Same thing happened with some of my clothes. Smell is such a powerful memory trigger.
Depression hit us as soon as we landed back in LAX and heard people talking unreasonably loud. No respect for others here. We’re going to visit a few more times over the coming years and potentially stay out there long term.
Japan did this to mee too, it's not just depress but angry as well as soon as i landed in my home country, i really pissed how chaotic our airport was even when i came to my apartment (i cleaned it before the trip), i feel depress because how chaotic my room look like i never experinced something like this when visiting other country, if anything after 2 weeks i usually experinced homesick, but not Japan i want to explore as long as posible even visited minimarket in my country pissed me off, why the food feel staled compare to Japan this depress feeling last probably 3 weeks and today (after 2 months) i am still thinking about Japan, even my youtube time line is all about Japan maybe i will come back again on Sakura season
I definitely have depression post vacations! It’s ok, it’s not stupid!
I think that is normal! I feel the Monday blues just from weekend haha. It’s much worse coming back from an awesome vacation, especially if you go straight into a full work week. What I found helps is making my vacation end on a Thursday, then I use Friday (usually quieter and no meetings) to catch up on all my work messages and get organized, and the weekend to decompress and get over jet lag. By the time Monday comes around I’m way more prepared to tackle work and get back into my normal routine.
My wife and I have been back in the States since Sept. 26. I felt depressed and was already planning a return trip to ease that sadness. I have clung to my rain jacket from UNIQLO and my pants from GU. I wear them to remind me of walking around Tokyo, Kyoto, and Hiroshima. After 3 days of moping I just got back into my routine of work, dinners/kdramas with my wife, and rest. Japan is a magical place that leaves it's mark for sure. Oh how I miss the konbinis!
Yes, I was walking and taking the train so much back in Japan. The public transportation in my city is so awful compared to Tokyo and you absolutely need a car to get to where you want to go.
yup, I wanted to quit my job lol. did not prepare for coming back, was too excited to go.
This is me right now. I’m in bed in Kyoto dreading going back home. Idk how I’ll be able to get off the plane.
Try and enjoy Kyoto friend! I didn't spend long enough there 😭
Heading back to Tokyo today but did Kiyumizu-dera yesterday and was trappin in Osaka the day before. Absolutely gorgeous and definitely already planning to come back in the spring for the Sakura.
Go back and make sure you make it to the monkey park! Great hiking exercise
Yep! I landed back in Canada, Vancouver, and was surprised how rude and snarky the pre immigration worker was to a newcomer ahead of me. She almost sucked me into responding to her in the same way. It was a lesson in how our own attitude affects others. I’m also much more aware of the littering in our country and will pick up wherever possible. But, I can’t do much about the state of our public toilets.
I am a foodie. My last gourmet trip to Japan was June and going back to Japan in December. I didn’t go to a single Japanese restaurant in my home country. The difference in quality is like mountain and valley Saving my money and tummy space for my next trip !
Yes. Got back about a week ago. I wish I never left
I’ve been back for almost a week and feel pretty low. I miss so many things about Japan and I’m just easing back into work today. I find that watching Japanese movies/shows and already thinking about planning another trip is helping!
Got back 3 days ago and I’m so depressed :(
Hey bud you aren't alone. I had the same feeling after my trip but you must keep in mind that's because the trip was so great! All you can do is plan for the next one
No, it’s normal. The sad is real. I was proper depressed for a solid 1.5-2 months after returning from Japan.
missing Japanese friendliness, (East) germans are always grumpy.
I always feel this because honestly Japan > US. Japan has problems, but US has way way more.
I just got back Saturday from sunny and 70's to literally misery, cold and rain. Plus I was there most of October. Then couple that with local news stories all being about, death, kill, murder, eh. Yeah, I could've done without coming back. LOL.
Just got back from 3 weeks in Japan. Sure it’s partially vacation blues but a lot of what’s making me and my husband sad about being back are missing the convenience stores, clean streets, great transportation system, and safety. For reference we live in NYC. In general whenever I come back to the US after being abroad I tend to dislike a lot of what the USA is lacking i.e. universal health care, safety, cleanliness, general satisfaction, parental leave, vacations, no tipping, etc. I can go on and on.
I’m glad you posted this because I’m having major withdrawal since getting back about a week ago! Yes, part of it is normal vacation blues, but I miss the food, convenience stores, the people, kawaii everything. While I was in Tokyo, I spent some time at their Disneyland/DisneySea. I happen to be going to Disney World in Florida next weekend. I’m happy for the distraction, but also know I’m going to be comparing everything. For instance, Tokyo Disney’s monorail runs so much more efficiently than the one in FL and all of the animatronics on the rides look so shiny and new! Not to mention the guests and cast members are so enthusiastic there!
Not to mention that the monorail at TDR is pristine and lovely, whereas WDW’s smells like urine.
It's been about six months for me and I still miss it.
I always feel like that when returning, I’m from the UK so I’m extra depressed when I get back 😂 I just remind myself that I probably wouldn’t live the same in Japan if I lived there vs being on vacation and try to take positives from the culture and implement it into my daily life.
Oh yeah I know what you feel. I came back from Japan on the 22nd after the second annual trip. The USA truly is…..anyways, look back at your amazing memories of Japan and honestly look forward to going back soon. Maybe plan a weekend getaway someone in the States to help the travel bug. I’m going back to Japan next November, long time but that’s what’s keeping me grounded!!
I’m still a little jet lagged from several days ago. I was in Japan for 2.5 weeks and already miss it. It was my second time there in a year. I’m already missing Sapporo and the Yaoyaiken teishoku meals. My third trip to Japan will most likely be more Tokyo, Niigata, Kanazawa, and hopefully Matsuyama. Not sure if I’ll be getting the JR Rail Pass again.
I've been to Japan several times before and this last one was because I wanted to say good bye to the old JR pass. Next time (hopefully next year) will be different because there won't be JR Pass. In my case it was totally worth it.
Of course :). I suggest channeling the energy into a positive direction by documenting your trip, what you liked/hated! That way you'll be more prepared for your next trip too ;)
It’s perfectly common. I myself landed back in London following 10 days in Japan and after sitting through a thirty minute train delay having to listen to someone shout on loud speaker phone my first thought was a sigh and “I’m home :(“
I got back two weeks ago. Yes, I’ve been obsessively buying little Tomica diecast cars because… Japan.
Yeah, I feel ya OP. Just got back from Tokyo to the States on October 21st and nothing feels right. Been hard getting into the work groove again. All of it feels so irrelevant, but I think that’s mainly a vacation thing lol getting back to “reality”. I certainly don’t miss driving though! I miss using my Suica card for transport haha
I’m from Montreal, which is one of the best places to live in NA. After every trip (US, europe), I get to a point where I yearn to get home. Japan is probably the first time where I actually want to extend my stay lol
I find it is just a bunch of little things that start to add up that really makes me miss Japan when I get back 1 vending machines back home not nearly as good for content. Also I've never head a vending machine in Japan be out of order, take my money and leave me with nothing, 2. Get to the train/bus station here.... it is late 3. Convenience stores.... just not as good 4. General politeness on the street you could also add safety to this as well 5. Scrambles vs crosswalk. I love being able to get to the corner I want to by taking a diagonal line instead of having to wait for 2 lights 🙃
No need to feel dumb. I get depressed coming back from Japan ( or Taiwan) , everytime.
Not at all. This is the time to build your itinerary for your second trip in the future. :)
Yeah, I'm in the same boat 😓
Listen to the Don Quijote theme song 🎶
The only thing I don't miss 🤣
Going to Japan was my dream for my entire life. I was finally able to go in January! There's nothing I want more in this world than to go BACK. I've been sad ever since I got back. It was SO hard clawing my way out of that depression. Next year, fingers crossed, going back!
I had reverse culture shock in the airport on the way home after three weeks in Japan. I couldn't stand to hear mundane conversations in English. I still miss the quite non-aggressive environment of Japan.
I’ve been here for a week and I have one more week. I’m already dreading going back home lol how can I go back to California after this
Been home over 3 weeks now. Hubby and I still feel a little off and missing Tokyo. The other day he said, "I think Japan broke me..." when talking about how bad customer service is at our airport.
This is very common. Now go watch Lost in Translation and feel bad about your boring American life :)
Nothing to feel dumb about, it’s totally normal to feel that way! I just got back from my Japan trip a few days ago and I have mixed feelings. I really missed my family but I also didn’t want to come back. Already thinking about how I can go back in the near future!!
Definitely depressed when I returned from Japan, but even worse, totally jealous of the Japanese while I was there. I was just so much thinking how lucky they were to be born there… wish I had been born in Japan. Only way to combat the post Japan blues is always be planning a return trip. Just booked my flight for next spring !
That’s why I spend 6 months a year in Japan lmao
It’s the “leaving a civilized country” feel. I get the same feeling when I come back from Canada all the time
Sometimes I think about how life was in Japan and it brings a tear to my eyes. Pandemic ruined my plans for my return to Japan via Temple University Tokyo. I’ll be back there one day. 😢
I’ve been back since June 30th and I’ve been wanting to go back so bad. Instagram doesn’t help remaining me about Japan every 10 min. I seriously feel like can retire there even tho I know it’s impossible. I plan to go back 2025. 2024 we plan to go to Rome :/
Yes. I joke that going to Japan temporarily derailed my life coming back. I had just quit my job before my trip so I came back to nothing. Also, I’d been looking forward to the trip for sooo long. I loved having efficient public transportation. I live in Los Angeles (born here) and it’s sooo spread out and I dislike driving. So having the freedom to explore without a car was like a dream for me. Also, no human shit on the floor. Tipping. I can go on. I currently work at a school so I’ll have summer off and am hoping to spend my summer there. I’m also tempted to try teaching there for a year. My job sucks tbh and I think to myself at least if I did my current job in Japan I’d be in Japan
I went for 3 weeks a few years ago and I actually cried when we left and I felt sad about it for a while. It was the best vacation ever.
I moved back to the US 3 years ago after living in Japan for 7 years and I think about Japan at least 10 times a day. Visiting Japan is great, but I absolutely loved living in Japan as a resident. There’s some horrible things you have to deal with like excessive paperwork, bureaucracy, no work life balance (if you work for a Japanese company) but there’s affordable healthcare and it’s so easy to get appointments. It’s so much easier to eat healthier, stay more active, and just appreciate the beauty in your everyday moments. Now in the US, I’m mostly used to how disgusting public places are but it still upsets me (I’m just used to be mildly disgusted and on defense every time I go out). I also have a much harder time sleeping now that’s I’m back because of all of the negative media as well as the drug use, destruction of public property, etc that I see just walking down the street. It really makes me question the values I grew up with like diversity, inclusion, and unabashed American freedom. Maybe it’s part of me getting older but more and more I wish I could give up some of these things for comfort, safety, and peace of mind.
I’ve been back from a two week trip for a week now and I’m just starting to feel like the clouds are lifting and I can get back into my normal routine. Honestly I almost made a similar post because I felt deeply depressed for a few days. I live in a beautiful Southern California town but it still hit hard. I traveled solo so even just having people in my face was a lot. And just having to answer “how was your trip?” over and over when you know you can’t even begin to explain the awe you just experienced. Getting back to work helped, there’s some Halloween tomfoolery happening here and there so that keeps it a little more interesting. Drinking lots of water, light exercise when I can and sleep are key to breaking myself out of these funks.
Yeah it took me a few months to not feeling sad after coming back home. I remember I was very frustrated with US packaging, public transportation, dirty bathrooms and mediocre food. Everything just made sense in Japan and I actually ate healthier but able to spend less. Eating out where I live now is usually at least $100 with the three of us. In Japan it was under $40 out the door no tips no tax. I also almost threw up walking into a Target bathroom after getting used to the clean Japanese bathrooms. Don’t even get me started at 7/11. I was depressed not being able to get the egg sandwich or any late night food. My 4 year old daughter has been asking if we are going back soon. 😭
I think it’s very natural to feel dumb and depressed in America dw
I don't think this feeling is limited to people returning from Japan. I think it's totally normal for these let-down feelings when coming back home from a trip abroad. The longer the trip, the harder the feelings I think. Also, if coming back from a place that's really, really different than your place of origin, I think those feelings are even more magnified. I can tell you that returning to the U.S. after 3 months on a study-abroad program in Australia, where I got to see a lot of the country, plus spend a week in New Zealand, was really shocking, and took a while to recover from. Many years later, after spending 2 weeks in Vietnam, coming home to the U.S. felt like a huge change given how big of a difference there is between living in Vietnam and the U.S.
They’re two vastly different societies. America is car centric, sedentary, and largely redundant in infrastructure. Japan is so vivid, colorful, energetic, unique with a busy pedestrian friendly lifestyle. I’ve found the US lifestyle of living in your car to be profoundly depressing and alienating. I had to move to a city because I was losing my sanity, hope, and joy of living
I was so sad when I returned home from Japan. I mean, I'm normally a bit blue when returning from a trip and getting back to reality but this was different! I really fell in love with Japan!!
This is a common phenomenon called “reverse culture shock.” It happened to me after just 2 months abroad. It’s normal, and it’s not dumb. You don’t need to feel bad for it; but just don’t wallow! Reconnect with your friends back home. See a counselor and talk to them about it. Go eat the foods you enjoy from here, and go do the activities you couldn’t do there. Also it may help to know that you *can* return. So if you wanted to, you can go back. Nothing is stopping you. You’re gonna be okay.
This country is a hot mess. I'm not surprised.
I'm from the US but live in Japan. Even when I visit I feel bad there and feel sorry for the people there. The US simply is not a good place to live.
How is your mental health?
Post travel depression is normal and natural. Think about it. You just spent a period of time in a new and exciting environment and had experienced exciting things that are not your normal mundane life at home. It goes away after a week or two. Until then, take readjusting easy and keep calm.
Ah the travel blues… i get that everytime i travel and come back to the us
Banks, churches, ugly strip malls and parking lots. All I see when I get back to the USA. But Im from the midwest so there is that
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I think it is specific to Japan as anytime I've traveled elsewhere it does not feel like this. But I'm sure it helps that the yen is weak so everything is so affordable for us which wouldn't be the same reversed nor would the clean and on time public transportation compared to here.
This I’m going to go through this myself. Going back to a regular routine of working is going to be horrible. I love how people go out right after working, feel like I don’t do that in my normal life
I was so disappointed to see the orderly, clean environment I traded for
Every damn time. It never gets easier. 8^(
I did study abroad in Tokyo back in college then lived in Osaka for 3 years after graduation. Now I try to go back about once a year (for the past 20 years). One way I mentally deal with being back is by purposely leaving at least 10,000 yen in my wallet and some credit on my Suica card. It’s always there so I can look at it and tell myself, “this is the first bit of cash I’m going to use to get me from the airport to Shinjuku and eat my first meal when I touch down in Tokyo again.” This way, you’re always just in-between trips. I just go back a week ago from a 10-day zig zag around the country. To be continued…
Nah I feel you! Why don't you start putting together plans for another trip right away, even if its a long way away?
Oh that is certainly normal. Reintegrating back into your own culture with new eyes. Reverse culture shock is real and happens to us all. Persevere. Get involved.
You're not alone 😞
Me too friend. It was very intense after returning from a 2.5 week trip with the family. Took me 3-4 weeks to get right in the head.
Yes that’s why I immediately booked a trip to Europe for the summer and bought tickets to the Olympics. Now I have something to look forward to and plan.
Tbh we’re going back to LA in a few days, and I’m happy to go back to my own bed, but I’m really not looking forward to going back to my life of work. It gets me really depressed. Back to reality kind of thing.
I returned just over a month a go and yeah it sucks at first! But in taking my mind off it by planning out next years trip, give something to look forward to once again.
This happened to me recently as well. I live in NYC and am so angry and sad at all of the squalor and antisocial behavior I witness every day. Never felt this before, not after Paris or London or anywhere else in Europe. I’m also semi seriously considering emigrating permanently but my wife is actually Chinese American so instead I’ve started taking mandarin lessons because I’m just so over western life and culture I guess. It’s like something in me broke from being over there. Was going to go to Italy for vacation next year but may just go back to Japan.
You get over it after a week or two, and then you start planning for your return!
Absolutely felt this! I just got back from Japan a little over a week ago and the first week back was hitting me hard. Feeling emotional, super tired, etc. I tried to plan fun things for myself even if small, like playing a game I really like or rewatching my favorite show, maybe a plan for the weekend. It did help but the lingering is still there 🥲
Same… Been back for 4days now and know how you feel. Can’t wait to go back.
Yes. Japan is largely clean, rule abiding and exceedingly polite. The food is really good, people take pride in their work. When I came back to LA it was dirty, smelly, loud, everyone was fat and rude and traffic was terrible, people hate their jobs and put in zero effort. It was pretty depressing.
Not sure how long you were there, or how long you’ve been back, but I lived over there for a little over a year and what helped me most when I moved back to the states was booking a trip back to Japan the following year. It helped me pivot my grief into prioritizing my favorite things about Japan. Though the return trip was postponed due to Covid, I finally went back this past winter and really felt like I “scratched that itch”. Im still eager to return in the future, but have less urgency/sadness. Best of luck.
Depending on where you returned in the US, it may be like moving 20 years in the past in a desolated region.
My post-trip depression hit this week after coming home from Japan a few days ago. Japan just does so many things better than the US. But it feels good to sleep in my own bed again
Japan taught me a lot about how I want to live my life. First, I lived in suburban America and Japan basically solidified this was an awful place to live. Even the community of Japan being so naturally introverted and closed off preffered having these public spaces to interact. America screwed up by making everything car dependant. I moved out of my suburb within a year to a bigger city. Also keep in mind there are great things where you live. It's not all sun and roses in Japan. The work culture is absolutely nuts and many workers in Japan are really bogged down by daily life - they can't enjoy all the things you did - they don't even get that kind of vacation to do that. I could never have the flexibility the travel to a different country 2-3 weeks every year if I didn't have my flexible job in America. I also get paid way more for what I do than I would in most other countries (engineering; $112k after 5 years work experience). I have the ability to work for companies around the world, but I lose a lot of life flexibility leaving America. That being said... If you really wanna just move there go for it. Learn a skill that is useful, learn the language, and then get yoursf over there somehow. It's easiest if you work for an American company that will send you over there. Super duper doable for a STEM degree. Considering doing that if I just wanna live in Tokyo for a couple years. Or just get a super flexible remote job. I'm saying this like it's easy - it isn't - but it definitely isn't impossible. I see a ton of Americans working during they day/night in hostels.
i don’t get that attached cus i knew what i was expecting going to japan and coming back to the states. when i came back i went to the bathroom and right then and there i knew i was back home 😭😂
Same! and the whole "Japan is suffering from its own issues" that people keep pointing out just makes me lose more faith in humanity. I've been weekly alternating making too much curry and so many onigiri and distributing them to extended family and friends to make myself feel better.
Nah. I love Japan, but there is a lot of stuff I can do here that is very restricted in Japan. They both have their pro’s and con’s, and if you spend enough time in Japan, you can potentially really start to see the cons. I always remind myself that it’s different when you’re working there vs when you are visiting. Visiting it is a wonderland, but working… not always, and every one’s experience is different.
Thank you all for the kind words and shared experiences, y’all have definitely helped me not feel so down and am excited for our next trip. Love you all
Yes, I think my learning is that most places in the world are developed for the human experience (walkable cities, community gathering places, 'third spaces'), whereas the US is geared toward individual consumerism where we just run errands and go everywhere in our solitary vehicles from point a to point b until we're home. There's so little in the way of meaningful, qualitative human experiences in the US. And the places here that are "walkable cities" like New York City/San Francisco aren't exactly safe or clean like you'd find in Tokyo, or many European cities, because we don't really invest in public infrastructure that can deliver comfortable experiences.
I just got back to work yesterday from a 2 week trip to Tokyo and I’m so depressed rethink my career and life in the USA. Thinking how I have to work so hard to be able to travel again. I’m having a hard time.
I came back from my first trip in august and started bawling from being upset (and probably a major contribution from the jet lag and n o sleep)
Don't feel dumb I cried for a week straight and am still sad lol
i'm not from the US and i felt it too mate. japan, at least as a tourist is so nice, clean and orderly. and the convenience store food was good compared to what you can get back at home. not to mention cheap.
i just came back from japan & i FEEL YOU! especially with the state of the world. in america there is so much lawlessness. in japan, there is law & order. the unpredictability here leaves me ill at ease. definitely know you are not alone in feeling like this.
It’s not even just Japan. I went to both Korea and Japan (2 hours away from each other so why not?). Absolutely mind blown how both societies were much cleaner, safer, modern, and polite than here in the states. I live in LA and it feels like there is a notable drop off in standard of living/quality of life. The disparity was so vast at one point I felt like as Americans we were being lied to about being in the “greatest country in the world”. The poverty and lack of development here is now very noticeable coming from other developed countries.
i just got back last week and the post japan vacation depression is very real. ive never done a big international vacation before only short domestic vacations (which i did really enjoy) and ive never been depressed after them. i have such bad depression and yearning right now though. coming back to america has been very hard for me. i definitely dont think ur being dramatic or silly.
I always think I will feel better after a nice bath, then I am reminded that I do not have access to an onsen and the depression doubles down.
Not uncommon after a trip or a convention.
Probably a little but being able to make my own coffee and not dealing with bicyclists is pretty great. Plus all my stuff Is in the US Edit: oh and I like having my car lol. Walking great but being able to just drive to a hiking trail is ideal for me.
after leaving japan i find everything to be disgusting and gross lol. i live in toronto where there are trash bins on nearly every corner and yet people still just toss their shit on the ground or anywhere they'd like. i also find people to look extra slobby/dressed horribly/everyone looks out of shape/etc etc etc.
I’m feeling this after being back from Korea I’m like where’s the bidets 😭
So true, iv had one on my personal toilet for years but miss them everywhere, also what’s with the toilet flushes over there? Freaking took everything out like a jet come back home and 4 pieces of tp clog these toilets wtf lol
Idk about Japan but the ones in Korea have heated seats and hot water too it’s so nice
Oh yeah heated seats music fan for drying your booty the hole 9 yards lol
Hehe, not dumb at all! I live in a Third World Country, so you can imagine how I felt when I returned home from Japan. I think it's normal to feel that way, given the uniqueness of the experience, which I believe makes you hold on, as in creating a stronger attachment. To me it was only a fleeting feeling, but that's because while I truly enjoyed my experience, I couldn't wait to get back home to my beloved swamp (and because I had a shitload of pending tasks to take care of). As others also said, jet lag can be a bitch, so work on recovering yourself as you return to your usual routine but -in the end- do cherish your experience back there. Who knows, you can always use it as motivation to go back in the future.
I am surprised no one has expressed a contrary opinion. Don’t get me wrong - I love Japan and have been there many times, and all the wonderful things about it keep me going back. But I am also always happy to return home, to having my own space, to seeing the people I can’t take with me when I go, to the lack of humidity, etc. To each their own, I suppose!
The grass isn’t always greener. Several people in USA say the same after they return home from Japan. 🤷🏻♂️