In the 1980s, a friend of my father navigated through Europe in a camper van using only the map in the back of a pocket diary. He crossed France believing 'aujourd'hui' meant 'please'. Today, despite endless online resources, planning a family trip to Japan has become paralysing.
We are going to Japan for a fortnight in September, but preparations have stalled. My husband wants to simply Google 'two weeks Japan' and book whatever comes up, but I overthink every detail. I have accumulated 51 links in a dedicated email folder, plus countless Instagram and TikTok recommendations for 'must-sees' and 'hidden gems'.
The attention economy makes us doubt ourselves, and content creators push the idea that there is a 'right' way to travel. I feel overwhelmed by fomo—fear of missing out—and worry that I will choose wrongly and waste my precious holiday.
Yet in saner moments, I know there is no 'must' or 'best'. The cafe that 'looks nice' would probably be fine. So should I just go with a pocket diary map? Never. So I suppose I am asking: any Japan recommendations?
