6 Things You'll Get Addicted to After Living in Japan

2. Nomihodai karaoke (otherwise known as all-you-can-drink-until-5am)

It’s not healthy, and it wouldn’t be legal in many countries. But in Japan, it is common for traditional izakaya (Japanese-style bar-restaurants) and other establishments to have an all-you-can-drink plan for surprisingly little money. Some places offer just one or two hours of all-you-can-drink on particular items. My favorite version of this unhealthy pastime was camping out in a private karaoke room until 5am, with a waiter just a phone call away to bring me umeshu, plum wine, while I belted out an off-key rendition of REM’s “Losing My Religion.”

3. Tofu

Slimy and bland, tofu has a bit of a bad reputation in the West. The ways it’s prepared in Japan, however, could turn even the most ravenous red-meat carnivore into a convert. Skewered, coated in salty miso paste and grilled on an open flame; lightly battered and topped with spring onion; served alongside shrimp and sweet potato as tempura; diced finely and added to noodle soup dishes: the varieties are endless, creative and always delicious.

4. Onigiri

An onigiri, at its simplest, is just a rice ball. Fast-food versions, however, are usually the size of a fist, wrapped in nori (dried seaweed sheets) and stuffed with tuna salad, grilled salmon, pickles or other tasty morsels. Available at any corner store for small change, onigiri are Japan’s version of a sandwich, are just as satisfying, and usually healthier.

5. Flower viewing

Much of Japan is the proverbial concrete jungle, and the open green spaces are few and far between. Perhaps it is because of this, not despite it, that the Japanese are flower crazy. Each month ushers in a different bloom that everyone — frail old grandmother, suited salaryman, teenage boy—flocks to ooh and aah over. Every year they behave as if they’ve never seen such beautiful flowers before, snapping endless selfies with the flowers (felfies? flowfies?). Most Japanese have a soft-spot for the delicate pink cherry blossoms that are said to embody the national sensibility, which bloom in March and April.

6. Onsen

A bit of a culture shock for the inherently prudish Anglo-American tourist afraid of public nudity, but once you’ve taken the plunge into your first onsen—or public bath sourced with hot spring water—you will wonder how you ever lived without them. The prettiest are to be found in remote mountain villages, where you can sit in an onsen cave, or enjoy one with a view of mountains or rice fields. Just don’t even dream of getting in without thoroughly washing first though: some onsen notoriously displaying ‘no foreigners allowed’ signs because of previous faux pas. (Tip: if camping in Japan, they may be the only way you will get clean, as Japanese campsites are usually not equipped with full facilities).