I finally arrived in Japan last night. With two layovers along the way in Abu Dhabi and South Korea, it took me about 24 hours to get there. It was a long trip.
The first flight, from Paris to Abu Dhabi, took about six hours. The plane was an Airbus A380, which meant that I got to fly on the largest airplane in the world. Since I had visited the Airbus museum in Toulouse, I was excited to be on board. During the flight, I read a book on my tablet and tried to sleep (but failed).
A woman sitting next to me, who looked to be in her thirties, became very sick and needed support from the cabin attendants. After having some sweets and water, she felt much better. She told me she had experienced the same thing once before, and that it was caused by low blood sugar. We talked for a while, and she told me she was heading to Muscat, the capital of Oman, to meet her family. I hoped she would have a great time with them.
Because the plane arrived late in Abu Dhabi, I had to head immediately to the assigned gate for my next flight. The second plane was smaller and packed with Korean passengers. I sat by the window next to an elderly couple from Greece. They looked extremely excited, as if it were their first time on a plane—although it later turned out that they had traveled quite a lot. They were such a sweet couple.
I watched a movie called 42, which tells the true story of Jackie Robinson, the first African-American Major League Baseball player. I was deeply impressed by his mental strength in overcoming the severe discrimination he faced. When the cabin lights were dimmed for sleeping, I tried to sleep again but failed once more. The husband next to me also seemed to struggle with sleeping. For most of the flight, all I could think about was how far it still was to Seoul. It felt very long.
I arrived at Incheon Airport in South Korea on time, around 11 a.m., and ate a Korean meal at the food court. Since I had more than eight hours of layover in total, I decided to look for a place to rest. I was surprised to find a nap room filled with reclining chairs. I slept there for about three to four hours.
After that, I walked around the airport. More than 90% of the people were Korean, but I also noticed some Japanese travelers. I can usually tell the difference between Japanese and Korean people. I then settled into a seat near the gate for my final flight from Seoul to Osaka, Japan. Most of the passengers waiting there looked Japanese, though there were also a fair number of tourists.
Before boarding, it still felt unreal to be heading back to Japan after spending more than three years living in other countries. The two passengers sitting next to me were speaking English, so I assumed they were from the United States. Even though the flight was less than two hours, a meal was served. Unfortunately, I missed it because I was in the bathroom at the time. Since I was not hungry after all the meals on the previous flights, I decided not to ask for it.
The flight felt very short compared to the earlier ones. Hearing Japanese spoken everywhere reminded me of an episode from my favorite YouTube channel, Austin and Arthur Show. The channel discusses cultural connections between the U.S. and Japan. Austin, one of the YouTubers in the channel, once mentioned that what felt strange when he visited the U.S. was that everyone was speaking English. I felt the same way at that moment. I had really come back to Japan.
The followings are my personal takeaways from this trip.
French Judo vs. Japanese Judo
I visited many judo dojos and joined their practices during this trip. I was often asked about the differences between judo in Japan and in France. I noticed many differences, but the biggest one was how judo is perceived.
Many French judokas were surprised to learn that judo is a minor sport in Japan, which also surprised me. In France, judo is recognized as an important educational activity and is actively promoted. In contrast, Japan often focuses heavily on winning competitions from a young age—what we call 勝利至上主義.
Looking back, it was common to see exhaustion and burnout among judokas in Japan. I experienced this myself as well. As a result, while the technical level of Japanese judo remains very high, the overall judo population is decreasing.
However, I do not think it should be concluded that one approach is better than the other. I am proud to be a Japanese judoka, and I believe many others feel the same way. The more important question may be whether this mindset applies not only to judo but also to other aspects of daily life.
Cultural Differences
I truly enjoyed traveling in Europe—not only as a judoka, but also as a traveler. I met and connected with many wonderful people along the way, and I had countless unforgettable experiences.
It is difficult to clearly define cultural differences, but I felt that people in France tend to work to live rather than live to work. This helped me realize that there are many things in life to enjoy beyond just working and earning money. Of course, this is only my personal impression, and others may feel differently, but it is always fascinating to observe and learn about cultural differences.
I would like to conclude by sincerely thanking everyone I met who supported me during this journey. Without them, my experience would have been completely different. I strongly resonated with a quote from a book I was reading on my return flight, Confessions of a Middle-Aged Backpacker:
“I began to understand that the people I met along the way defined my travel experience more than the place itself.”
— Chris Gattanella
The Path of the Trip in Europe
