Although I was born in Hong Kong and grew up traveling the world, I have always been fascinated by Japan, from learning about geisha as a child, to discovering anime as a teenager and then practicing traditional crafts as an adult.
At 19 I was invited to Tokyo and whilst I quickly learned that large group trips were not for me, Japan definitely was. I fell in love with all the food, scenery and culture I had been reading about for years, and started planning my own trip as soon as I got home. Since then, I have returned multiple times and visited over 18 prefectures, exploring everything from peaceful countryside to neon city lights by train, boat, and car.
Japan will always be a big part of my life and I love sharing my passion for the country with others and sending them off on their own adventures.
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Q&A with Lydia
What’s the best local dish you’ve tasted?
Osaka is my favorite city in Japan and, as to be expected from a place nicknamed Japan’s Kitchen, it’s home to a range of delicious local dishes. For me, it’s hard to beat a classic Osaka-style okonomiyaki, literally meaning “what you like, grilled”, it’s one of the staples of Japanese konamon cuisine. Hard to describe, okonomiyaki is a savoury cabbage pancake, mixed with meat or seafood, served in a smoky sweet Worcestershire sauce with Japanese mayonnaise and a sprinkling of salty katsuobushi flakes on top. As the name suggests, you can mix-in whatever elements you like but you really can’t go wrong with my favorite — pork, cheese and potato.
What’s the one thing you always pack?
I never travel to Japan without my stamp book. Almost every train station and museum in Japan has a collectable stamp, and I love finding them and building a real-time journal of my adventures. Each stamp is different and returning home with a completed book is a real unique-to-Japan souvenir that is fun to share with others.
What’s your most vivid travel moment?
I’ll never forget the time I stepped out of Ikebukuro Station and found myself in the middle of Fukuro Matsuri, the region’s largest yosakoi festival. Japanese festivals are always a blast to the senses, from booming taiko drums to delicious smelling street food, but nothing could have prepared me for the sights and sounds of 5,000 brightly costumed dancers performing on the city streets. With over 100 teams, I sat with the cheering fans and tried to pick a favourite, an impossible task given the talent of everyone involved. From costume changes to giant waving flags, traditional shamisen music to energetic jpop, Fukuro Matsuri is bursting with color and energy.