Insane weekend: To Fukuoka (photos): Day 3

Friday was my last day in Japan, and it would be a short one because my ferry back to Korea was scheduled for the mid-afternoon. I spent much of the morning packing my stuff and checked out.

I went to have my last sushi meal and ate more than I did the previous night. Then I went and got some souvenirs for myself and my family, and started making my way to the ferry terminal. Here are my final glimpses in Japan.

Above: The mean streets of Fukuoka.

There are some quirks in Japan that I haven't seen elsewhere. First of all, Fukuoka is a city that really tries to get people to stop smoking. Anti-smoking banners and signs are everywhere.

Above: Even the cute scissors is discouraging smoking.

Above: A weird way to tell people to stop smoking. Scare tactic fail?

Another interesting thing is that buses in Japan operate differently from the ones I'm used to. The ones I've been to would have you pay your fare when you get on at the front of the bus. The buses in Japan are like the streetcars in Hong Kong -- you enter the bus through the back and pay and exit through the front.

Above: A Fukuoka city bus. You enter through the back, and exit and pay through the front.

By the time I got back to Seoul Station, it was late night. I quickly rushed home and went to bed, and got ready for the ill-fated DMZ tour the next day.

Overall, Japan was a refreshing trip but also a shocking one. It is so close to Korea yet the differences between the two are like night and day. I could easily see why visitors generally prefer Japan over Korea and why Japanese people might look down on Koreans. If I had a teaching job in Japan instead, I could see myself living satisfactorily there, but I'd also be broke since everything is so expensive.

It was also my first trip somewhere far without a family member or friend meeting me at the other end (not including the initial journey to Seoul). It was an interesting experience, and it was interesting meeting some of the other people such as backpackers or those who are long-term travelers. I could see myself getting addicted to traveling if I had the money.

Having been to Japan and the places I wanted to go in Korea, I feel like I've accomplished all I wanted to over here in terms of traveling (not including a possible journey to Beijing after my contract). My time here is almost done, and I look forward to coming home.