I am THRILLED to visit Japan — no amount of capital letters can adequately express my excitement. This is a country I had hoped to visit on my RTW trip, but knew it might get cut if my time in SE Asia ran longer than anticipated. Then my China plans changed and I had room to squeeze in Japan after all!

Flashback to late September 2013. I’ve just arrived in Osaka airport and, despite the fact that NO ONE speaks English, I manage to navigate my way to the metro en route to my hostel. And I begin to notice things around me… a family taking their daughters to ballet class. Businessmen in suits on their way to work. Students wearing backpacks, noses buried in books. It all feels so familiar.

For the first time since leaving Australia a few months ago, I’m in a society that is unmistakably similar to the United States. Yes, Japan is on the other side of the world and its residents speak a different language, but the Japanese engage in culture the same way we do in the States… or the same way Australians do in their continent. We’re connected by a first-world status that sort of homogenizes that tier of countries, despite the obvious differences. I notice it again the next day when I visit a giant park — joggers on the run, moms pushing babies in strollers, families having a picnic. Unlike the locals I encountered in Indonesia, who, for example, might spend an afternoon hauling chickens across their island via public bus, I can picture my family and friends at home doing the same activities as the Japanese on the other side of the world. These cultural similarities even make me miss home a little.

And the Japanese are impressively fashion-conscious! I feel like a slob in my travel duds: convertible khaki pants and bold-colored, dry-fit North Face t-shirts. I admire their clothing and accessories. For the first time on my trip, I miss engaging in that part of culture.

I’ve booked two nights at the Bonsai Guesthouse just outside of downtown Osaka. It’s a lovely suburb area with bike-friendly streets and lots of little shops and restaurants. And the hostel is a two minute walk from the metro.

There’s a relaxing bonsai garden on the rooftop. What else would you expect from a place called Bonsai Guesthouse?

I go for a walk around the neighborhood and soak up its charm.

Not since I studied abroad in the Netherlands ten years ago have I seen so many bicycles in one place. Everyone here rides bikes.

There’s a mini-mall that is partially indoors and outdoors. People even ride bikes down its narrow corridor.

I spot this gentleman making octopus balls (the official name of this popular dish is takoyaki).

The next morning I take the metro to Osaka Castle Park. It’s HUGE and reminds me of Central Park.

I pass a running group that reminds me of LA Leggers back in Los Angeles — that’s the club I trained with years ago to run marathons with my friend Molly. We used to run anywhere from 4 to 24 miles on any given Saturday morning at the crack of dawn along the beach in Santa Monica. After seeing a similar group at this park in Japan, it makes me miss my old running days. (But not enough to actually run.)

I wind my way through the park to Osaka Castle, on a hill above this moat.

I’m impressed. This is quite a structure:

There’s an observation deck on the top, but there’s a fee to go up and I’m content taking photos below.

I get excited when I see this hybrid bike / coffee shop sign in English. Unfortunately I can’t find anyone here (or in any other coffee shop) who speaks English. Which means I can’t ask for soy milk to accommodate my milk allergy. It’s now late afternoon and I’m desperate for caffeine.

Starbucks to the rescue! While most of their employees do not speak English, they do have a handy English / Japanese menu with photos so that Western customers can communicate by pointing to what they want (I also notice this at McDonalds when I stop in for ice cream). And all of the Starbucks I visit in Japan take soy orders seriously — they give customers a card for the drink hand-off so baristas can double-check that they’ve prepared a soy beverage. There’s also a soy sticker on the drink itself. I appreciate how careful they are.

I pop into a Japanese supermarket around the corner from my hostel and wander in awe, fascinated by the foods and beverages I don’t recognize. I start to drool when I pass by the sushi section…

And there’s a sweets shop near the metro that I adore. I stop here twice in two days for one of those glazed donuts on the far right.

A few more observations about this country — the people are incredibly kind. Even though I’m clearly a Westerner and can’t speak the language, locals still stop to help if they notice me reading a map on the side of the street. Luckily hand signals go a long way in communicating! And their politeness is unparalleled. Train conductors bow when they enter or exit a train car. Taxi drivers wear tuxes. Tuxes!

I’ve only been in Japan for a few days but I already love it here.