My Favorite Things About Japan

These are a few of my favorite things:

• Soaking in a hot tub at an onsen (natural hot spring), rotemburo (outdoor onsen), or spa center. Also, sand baths!
  
• Japanese people are incredibly nice and many, both friends and strangers, have gone way out of their way to help me.
• Festivals!
  
• Bicycles!
• The food: sushi, tempura, ramen, and my favorite: the all tofu restaurant.
  
• Beautiful gardens, temples, and shrines.
• Extreme appreciation of flowering trees.
• Every town has a local specialty food and everybody knows it.
• The smell of fresh tatami (straw mats).
• Traditional Japanese inns, or super clean youth hostels.
• Efficient public transportation.
• Volcanoes!
• Karaoke!