🇯🇵 Japan Travel Highlights

Comedian Chay (Chad) Darena joins host Ari Shaffir to talk about a roughly two-week trip to Japan with his friend Matt. The trip was sparked by Super Nintendo World at Universal Studios Japan in Osaka, but it also became a whirlwind of food, nightlife, wrestling, and unexpected encounters.

Where They Went & What They Did

• Tokyo: Explored neighborhoods including Shinjuku and Akihabara, visited arcades and shops, and wandered through tiny bars in Golden Gai.
• Osaka: Visited Super Nintendo World, watched Japanese pro wrestling, sampled local food, and enjoyed the city’s lively nightlife.
• Kyoto and the Mount Fuji area: Made shorter stops, including a visit to the town near Fuji, but felt they moved between destinations too often.
• Chay also performed comedy at Tokyo Comedy Bar and at another show for expats.

Memorable Experiences

• Super Nintendo World: Mario Kart rides, game-inspired areas, animatronics, and familiar music made it a standout for Chay, a longtime gamer.
• Food: They loved ramen, udon, takoyaki (octopus-filled batter balls), and convenient 7-Eleven snacks such as onigiri. Chay’s favorite discovery was carbonara udon.
• Convenience-store hack: Combine a Japanese egg-salad sandwich with the convenience-store fried chicken for a quick meal.
• Nightlife: Golden Gai’s compact bars—many seating around a dozen people—made it easy to move from one spot to another. They also encountered karaoke, anime-music clubs, and unusual themed entertainment.
• Wrestling: After meeting a wrestler through a local connection, they attended a show and later spent time with wrestlers at a bar.
• Unexpected connections: Meeting a Japan-raised woman in a Golden Gai bar led to a local tour and introductions to other people. The guest says being open to chance encounters made the trip especially memorable.
• They also saw an elaborate gathering of modified Japanese cars near the Mount Fuji area.

Practical Travel Advice 🧳

1. Don’t try to see the whole country in one trip. They wished they had spent longer in fewer places, especially Tokyo and Osaka.
2. Build in downtime. A slower day can help balance late nights and busy sightseeing.
3. Learn basic etiquette and phrases. Chay recommends learning how to say thank you and understanding local expectations, such as keeping noise down on trains and following smoking rules.
4. Carry a small bag for rubbish. Public trash cans can be hard to find; convenience stores are among the places where you may find bins.
5. Research local laws and stay alert to scams. Be cautious about unsolicited offers, especially around nightlife, and confirm prices and charges before agreeing to services.
6. Use convenience stores strategically. They can provide quick, inexpensive food while you’re on the move.
7. Consider where you stay. Their hotel was in Kyoto while they spent much of their time in Osaka, making late-night returns inconvenient and expensive.
8. Use trains for long-distance travel. They praised Japan’s rail network and bullet trains, though the right pass depends on your itinerary.

Places Chay Wants to Visit Next

• Okinawa, which he describes as having a distinct identity and a climate similar to Hawaii.
• South Korea, especially Seoul and Busan, potentially combining it with another Japan visit.

The episode also includes a brief discussion of Chay’s earlier travel and diving experiences, plus promotions for his comedy special Hot Chocolate and his other projects.