Things I didn't try early on: road trips

When we first moved to Japan, we were car-less for a year. That first 12 months didn't make a lot of sense to get a vehicle, since we were in downtown Tokyo and it would have been more of a hindrance than a help. Because of that, one thing I didn't try early on was car road trips.

We got used to taking the train a lot of places, or the shinkansen for longer distances. Obviously there's plenty of convenience in the train network here, but I do think there's something nice about being able to travel around in your own vehicle, or even a rental vehicle!

It's also so easy to road trip here when there are such great michi-no-eki wherever you go! I've loved getting to explore lots of those, and getting to try out regional cuisine or pick up fun souvenirs at many of them.

A michi-no-eki in Yamaguchi Prefecture