Tag: Tokyo

What to Do If You Experience an Earthquake in Japan: A Traveler’s Guide

Japan is one of my favorite places in the world, but there is one reality every traveler should understand before visiting: Japan has earthquakes.

The recent earthquake in the Kumamoto area is another reminder of that.

On July 28, 2026, a powerful earthquake struck Kumamoto Prefecture in southwestern Japan, reaching a magnitude of 7.1 and maximum intensity of 7 on Japan’s seismic intensity scale. The earthquake caused significant damage and disruption across the region.

That doesn’t mean you should cancel your first trip to Japan. Far from it.

But if you’re traveling to Japan for the first time, you should know what to do if the ground suddenly starts moving.

The good news is that Japan has extensive earthquake preparedness systems, early-warning technology and procedures designed around earthquakes. And as a traveler, there are a few simple things you can do to make the experience much less stressful.

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The First Place You Return To

Every traveler has that place.

The one they find themselves returning to every single trip.

Not because it’s the biggest attraction. Not because it’s the most famous.

But because somewhere along the way, it became part of their story. For me, Japan has two of those places.

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Tokyo, the Second Time Around

The first time you arrive in Tokyo, it hits all at once.

The size. The movement. The constant flow of people and sound and light. It’s exciting, but it’s also a lot to take in. You’re figuring things out in real time—how the trains work, where to go, how to move without getting in the way. Every step feels new, and every decision takes a little more effort than it should.

You’re in it, but you’re still adjusting.

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The First Train Ride After Landing in Tokyo

There’s a moment at the start of every trip to Japan when it suddenly feels real.

For me, that moment doesn’t happen at the airport.

It happens at the train station.

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The Dream of Living Somewhere You Don’t Need a Car

Living in Florida means accepting one simple reality: you need a car. And it’s something that is almost always a major pain on a weekly basis.

I dream about about living in a place that would not require a car just to make it down the street.

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What 20,000 Steps a Day Does to Your Mind in Japan

One thing I didn’t fully understand before traveling to Japan was just how much walking I would do.

You hear people say it all the time. Bring comfortable shoes. You’ll walk more than you think. But it doesn’t really register until you’re there, moving through the cities day after day, watching the step count climb higher than it ever does at home.

Twenty thousand steps becomes normal.

And strangely enough, it never really feels like a burden.

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The Space Between Destinations

When people talk about travel in Japan, they usually talk about destinations.

Tokyo. Osaka. Kyoto. A specific temple, a neighborhood, a restaurant worth waiting in line for. Those places matter — but the longer I spend in Japan, the more I realize that the parts that stay with me live in between.

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