As I’m sure many of you would love to travel to Japan, it’s not exactly possible at the moment. Having to take multiple covid tests, spending weeks locked in a hotel room (that is, if you can even get over there, which is a luxury only Japanese citizens or spouses with spousal visas are able to do), getting calls on Skype about how you’re feeling, being tracked wherever you go for the first two weeks, etc. all add up to make it not possible to travel for most of us.
So what’s a way to tide you over until things start to open back up, you may ask? Well, the way I’ve been able to survive has been watching virtual tours of Japan on Youtube, such as from the channel VIRTUAL JAPAN.
Here’s one of my favorite videos from them, showing a really cozy looking spot in Japan. Putting these videos on as background ambience while working on something else is beneficial and helps with focus a little (and while you’re distracted it gives you some cool visuals and partially scratches the itch of not being able to travel).
Especially if you have an HDR monitor or phone that’s able to support HDR video, these videos look stunning. As a bit of Japanese practice, plug in some headphones or turn up the sound a lot and see how much you’re able to understand! This really helps with immersion, as it’s almost like going on a walk around Japan yourself. Also, reading signs or posters around the cities is really helpful too. Try it out and let me know what you think!
How have you been able to cope with being locked from most travel? Have you ever been to Japan before?