Korea and Japan.
What I noticed.
I'm Estelle. I work in marketing in Brussels.
I keep going back to Korea, and I went to Japan in 2026.
This blog is what I notice - small daily-life details, work observations, and what I think Europe could quietly learn.
What I've been writing.
Why nobody talks on Japanese trains
It isn't a law. It isn't even a strict rule. It's a single cultural instinct applied at scale. Once you see it, the calm makes more sense than the silence.
Read the pieceWhy Japanese trains are almost always on time
Average delay on the Tōkaidō Shinkansen: 18 seconds. How Japan actually got there, what Brussels could borrow, and what's structurally impossible to copy.
Unwritten rules in Japan: what I noticed on my trip
Three weeks in Tokyo, Kyoto and Hakone. The small social rules I noticed - trains, eating, onsen, photography, daily life. Honest, not a checklist.
Why Tokyo feels safer than Brussels
Walking back to my apartment in Minato at midnight, my shoulders relaxed in a way I hadn't felt in years. Here's what I noticed about Tokyo safety - and what Brussels could borrow.
First trip to Korea: a guide from someone who’s been twice
Two trips to Korea, including two months living in Seoul. Honest first-trip guide - when to go, where to base yourself, what to budget, what to skip.
Small things worth knowing.
The things I wish someone had told me before flying out. Payment cards. Queues. Polite habits. Allergies. Quick to read, easy to save.
- Tip· Japan
Japanese etiquette & language
Tattoos were fine, queues are everything, don't tip, bring a trash bag, and a few Japanese words go a long way.
- Tip· Hakone
Visiting Hakone
Plan the transport carefully, don't pin everything on seeing Fuji, and try an onsen - the rules are simpler than they look.
- Tip· Kyoto
Visiting Kyoto
Start early, and don't rely only on trains - Kyoto is more spread out than Tokyo and you'll need buses too.
- Tip· Japan
Eating in Japan
Book what you really want, don't only trust Google reviews, watch for tourist traps, and treat 7-Eleven as part of the experience.
Where I went, in order.
Two curated maps below — one for Korea (Naver, split by category), one for Japan (Google Maps). The places I'd actually go back to.
- SeoulSouth Korea
Two months as my base. Loud, then somehow calm.
8 pieces - TokyoKantō, Japan
Stayed in Minato. The trains made the trip.
4 pieces - KyotoKansai, Japan
Slower mornings. Quieter streets. Careful detail.
2 pieces - HakoneKanagawa, Japan
One night, one onsen. The reset I needed.
1 piece - BusanSouth Korea
A day or two by the sea. The breath after Seoul.
1 piece
Marketer in Brussels.
“Coming from Brussels, what surprised me wasn't the speed or the neon. It was how small details add up. Trains on time. Streets quiet at 2am. Corner stores that actually have what you need.”
I'm a freelancer based in Brussels. I keep going back to Korea, and I went to Japan in 2026. Most of what I write here started as messages to friends back home: small details I couldn't stop thinking about.