Another week on the road, another five things learned. From history lessons in Nara to a deep appreciation for tea and a very good boy named Hachiko, this week has been full of discoveries.

Here’s what we’ve picked up along the way:

1. Hachiko Was the Best Boy

We’d heard the name Hachiko before but had never really looked into the full story. That changed when we re-visited Tokyo and wandered through Shibuya where we saw the famous statue dedicated to him. If you don’t know the tale, Hachiko was an Akita dog who waited at Shibuya Station every day for his owner, even after the owner passed away. For nearly ten years, he continued to wait, proving that dogs truly are the most loyal creatures on the planet.

The story hit us right in the feelings. It reminded us of another famous dog, Greyfriars Bobby, from my home town Edinburgh and just like Hachiko, Bobby stayed by his owner’s grave for years, refusing to leave. There’s even a statue of him outside a pub in the city, where people still visit to pay their respects. This pub, as it happens, was one of the first pubs Ash & I visited before we even started dating so it’s special for us.

Standing in the middle of Shibuya, watching people take photos with Hachiko’s statue, we couldn’t help but feel the same emotions we did back in Scotland. Loyalty and love seem to transcend time, place, and even species. (And if you’re wondering, no, we didn’t adopt a dog on the spot, but it was tempting.)

2. Ash’s Name is Famous in Japan

This week, we stumbled upon a fun fact about Ash’s name that made us do a double take. In Japan, Ash Ketchum, the protagonist of Pokémon, is known as Satoshi.

So, every time we hear people talking about Satoshi in Japan, there’s a brief moment of confusion before realising they’re likely referring to a childhood icon rather than Ash himself. It’s been a fun conversation starter, though, and we’re now half-jokingly considering introducing Ash as “Satoshi” to see how people react.

We actually discovered this while exploring a few Pokémon card shops, where Ash, our Ash, was in his element. With an old love for Pokémon, these shops were a bit of a pilgrimage for him. Between browsing vintage cards and spotting rare finds, we happened to learn this little nugget of trivia that made our visit even more special.

3. Tea Field Fans Are a Thing

On our bus ride from Nagoya to Nara, we noticed these giant fans spinning in the distance across tea fields. At first, we thought they were some kind of high-tech scarecrows keeping birds away but as it turns out, after a bit of research, these fans help prevent frost from settling on the tea leaves in colder months.

The way it works is really quite fascinating actually, when temperatures drop, the fans circulate warmer air from above down to ground level to stop frost from forming and damaging the delicate leaves. Given how much tea we have started tea consume in Japan (helps with the coffee budget, you see!), it feels only right that we now understand a bit more about what goes into making the perfect cup. No more mindless sipping for us, we’ll be tea connoisseurs by the time we leave! And with Kyoto coming up in a few weeks, we’re looking forward to delving even deeper into Japan’s tea culture.

4. Japan Has Had Many Capitals (But Nara Was Special)

We knew Nara was famous for its bowing deer and impressive temples, but we hadn’t realised it was actually Japan’s first permanent capital before Kyoto and Tokyo took over the role. Japan has had multiple capitals throughout history, including Kamakura and Edo (which later became Tokyo), but Nara played a particularly important role in shaping the country’s early political and cultural identity.

Back in the 8th century, Nara was the heart of politics, culture, and religion. Modelled after the Chinese capital at the time, it became a centre of Buddhist influence, and many of its grand temples, like Todai-ji, home to the colossal Great Buddha, still stand today. Though its political reign was short-lived, the city remains an important cultural gem - just now with a lot more deer demanding snacks. Of course, these deer left us with quite a few more memories, but we’ll save that for another post!

5. Japanese Castles Were Built to Burn (But Get Rebuilt Anyway)

Japanese castles are breathtaking, but what’s even more interesting is their design. Unlike European castles made of heavy stone, many Japanese castles were primarily built with wood, meaning they were prone to burning down, whether from war, accidents, or lightning strikes.

Yet, despite this, they keep coming back. Many castles we see today are reconstructions, rebuilt using the same traditional techniques. We’ve now visited Matsumoto, Kanazawa, Nagoya, Osaka, and Himeji castles, and with each stop, we’ve been picking up knowledge and noticing differences between them. Some are original, some are modern rebuilds, and some have even been moved from their original locations! Learning about their histories as we move through Japan has given us a deeper appreciation for the resilience and dedication to heritage that keeps these incredible structures standing.

Final Thoughts

This week has been a mix of history, nostalgia, and unexpected discoveries. From finding the Japanese links between Ash’s name and Pokémon to realising just how many times Japan has moved its capital, we’ve had plenty to keep us thinking. Our castle tours have only made us more eager to explore Japan’s past, and we’re already looking forward to Kyoto’s deep dive into tea culture. But perhaps what stuck with us the most was the story of Hachiko because whether it’s a dog waiting at a station in Shibuya or a little statue in Edinburgh, stories of devotion have a way of making the world feel a little more connected. Here’s to another week of learning!

5 Things We Have Learned This Week… #5