I took you guys with me on my Japanese New Year trip from Tokyo to Nagoya—plus I brought my little doggo to visit my Chinese aunt and Japanese uncle. It was honestly a full “typical me” adventure: I got lost right after arriving, felt a little creeped out because no one was around, and then finally made it to the coziest family New Year dinner. Since my aunt is Chinese, we started with homemade Chinese dishes (fried tofu, shrimp—my favorite), and I lowkey missed China so much in that moment. On January 1st, I experienced the Japanese side of New Year: cleaning the house to start fresh, staying in because almost everything is closed, and just eating, resting, and living that super slow countryside rhythm. I also shared something that surprised me—my uncle told me a lot of families don’t really eat osechi ryori anymore, even though it’s always “the” tradition online. Instead, they do things like hot pot (nabe), and honestly that felt way more realistic. We still did hatsumode (first shrine visit), but it was so crowded we couldn’t even get in—so I did what I do best and ate festival snacks (yes, I finally got my chocolate banana). I also explored downtown, hit an arcade + secondhand store, found boba that was cheaper than Tokyo, tried insanely big shrimp in this area, and ended with peaceful farm views, mountains, and freezing cold walks with my dog.