Tokyo, Japan

What to Expect in... Tokyo

15. Baseball

Baseball might be a bigger deal here than in America. 

14. Old people

Japan has the highest life expectancy in the world and has few kids and few immigrants. The population is actually shrinking. Sounds like an economic disaster waiting to happen.

13. Sushi, sashimi, tonkatsu, and ramen

In Japan, food is an art.

Tokyo is always near the top of the list of cities with the best restaurants.

12. The toilet of the future

Sit back and let John do all the work. Some of the seats are heated, to, which is really relaxing.

11. Hello Kitty + friends

This is her kingdom. Respect the Kitty.

10. Karaoke

A common weekend activity is renting a small karaoke room with friends, complete with drinks and snacks.

9. Fashion

Walking around the shopping districts is like walking down a runway. These people are way into their looks.

8. Vending machines

They'll vend anything. It's really convenient having machines on the streets too.

7. A closed society

The Japanese are very protective of their traditions and culture. 

You can't work your way into being Japanese - you have to be born Japanese. 

6. Geeking out

Tokyo is the Mecca for video games, anime, and manga.

5. Wandering through the maze of train stations

Every train/metro station is an adventure. Don't expect any quick transfers. My first station was Shinjuku and I was completely overwhelmed stepping off the train.

Side note - ride the incredibly fast maglev train. It floats on magnets!

4. Being overwhelmed

Tokyo is flashy and insane, yet somehow chill. People are very polite and orderly and are certainly less pushy than the Chinese.

3. No crime (almost)

Can you really see any of these guys mugging you in a dark alley?

These people are incredibly polite and kind.

2. Men at work

The city is run by men in suits. They work extreme hours and often fall asleep on trains. Where are all the women? I think society expects them to stay at home.

Side note - Japanese businessmen are honest and don't try to rip you off like they do everywhere else. Japan has a fascinating business culture.

1. Being that awesome

Tokyo is everything I dreamed. 

I can overlook the outdated metro and the crappy public wifi.

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Seoul, South Korea

What to Expect in... Seoul

11. Spice, grease, and seafood

If you have acid reflux or don't like seafood, Seoul isn't for you.

Seoul isn't for me.

10. Shopping

Seoul has plenty of gigantic shopping malls and markets. The best part is that prices are relatively low in Korea. 

You won't be able to leave without 10 pairs of cute socks.

9. Paparazzi

The Koreans are fanatical about their K-pop and soap stars. They have some serious stalking issues.

8. The crazies next door

South Korea has a crazy dictator to the north who wants to take over the peninsula. You can take a quick trip to the border to see the standoff for yourself.

7. Cafes

I've never seen so many cafes in my life.

6. Not being lost in Asia for once

Not being lost in Asia is a huge deal. Getting around Seoul is cake because the transportation is incredible and everything is marked clearly. The public wifi is fast and easy to connect to, so you'll always have access to Google maps.

Side note - The trains are modern and the airport is a luxurious experience.

5. Nightlife

Seoul is notorious for its late-night parties. I recommend hanging around Hongdae at night to see the excitement.

4. Christianity 

Over a quarter of the population is Christian, which is a rarity in Asia.
They love their mega churches.

3. Fatigue

Koreans have among the longest work hours in the world. They're burnt out.

2. Out of this world, fashion

Really, their fashion needs to be kicked out of this world.

What the are they wearing and why are they wearing it?

1. The new Tokyo

Seoul is fighting with Tokyo to become Asia's capital of tech, fashion, music, and TV. Korea is a fairly recently developed country and has been the craze of Asian pop culture for some time now.

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