Every day, Instagram is flooded with countless carousels of girls roaming the streets of Tokyo in oversize denim jackets, or posing in kimonos on traditional tatami mats. There’s the requisite shot of a perfect toro nigiri, a thin veil of soy sauce glistening on top, or a close-up of a minimalist ceramic vase. On social media, at least, Paris has been usurped—according to a 2024 Titan Travel study, Japan is now the most searched-for travel destination on Instagram and TikTok. (On Google too.)
While Instagram sells the aesthetic dream, TikTok dives into the picture-perfect minutiae. Self-proclaimed experts—most of whom aren’t Japanese—have taken to the app to wax poetic about things such as the chime of Shinkansen trains pulling into the station. “Did you know they’re cleaned in exactly seven minutes between stops?” one video asks. Another video marvels at 7-Eleven’s self-heating ready-made meals, which customers can select by pulling on a string.
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AloJapan.com