Japan or Thailand?
The practical differences, drawn from our own write-ups rather than from a brochure. We are not going to tell you which is better - they are different trips. What follows is what actually changes between them.
Japan
Consideration for others is the operating system; quiet, clean and precise.
What we have written up
- 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art art museum
- Abashiri Drift Ice sea ice
- Abeno Harukas skyscraper
- Adachi Museum of Art museum
- Ago Bay bay
- Akihabara district
Worth knowing before you go
- Cash still matters - many small restaurants and shrines take no cards; 7-Eleven ATMs accept foreign cards
- Convenience store food is genuinely good - a national institution
- The IC card (Suica/Pasmo, also in phone wallets) taps you through trains, buses and shops
Thailand
Sanuk - the sense that things should be fun - runs deep; anger loses face instantly.
What we have written up
- Ao Manao bay
- Ao Thalane mangrove bay
- Ayutthaya archaeological site
- Baan Dam, the Black House gallery
- Baan Kang Wat artist village
- Baan Silapin Artist House arts venue
Worth knowing before you go
- Cash is still king at markets and street food; cards work in malls and hotels
- Tipping is not traditional - rounding up or 20-50 baht is appreciated
- 7-Elevens are everywhere and solve most small problems
Counts describe this site, not the countries: "places written up here" means how many pages we have finished, and it keeps growing. Currency, plugs and languages are practical facts and change rarely (plugs and voltage: Wikipedia, «Mains electricity by country» (after the IEC World Plugs list), read 15 October 2026); check anything visa-related with the relevant official source before you book.