The people of Japan are the real highlight

I've been to a lot of countries and the thing I'll remember most about Japan isn't Mt. Fuji or even the extraordinary matcha everything — it's the people. In Kyoto and out in the countryside, I encountered a warmth and generosity that felt completely genuine.

One local family essentially adopted me for an afternoon after I got lost trying to find Mt. Fuji. seamless public transport became a shared experience I couldn't have planned. That human connection is something travel can give you and Japan delivers it more than most places.