Hello, I’m Taro.
“Taro” is a handle name, not my real name. I’m based in Japan, occasionally passing through various places when work or curiosity allows.
A Brief Background
I’m a Japanese native, born and raised in Ibaraki Prefecture, just north of Tokyo. Although I consider Ibaraki my hometown, I’ve lived in several other parts of Japan, including Hokkaido, Chiba, Saitama, and Ehime. Moving around within the country has quietly shaped how I see Japan—its regional differences, habits, and unspoken rules.
I hold a master’s degree in physics from a national university. My research focused on phenomena in Earth’s magnetosphere, using numerical simulations and satellite data to examine whether theoretical models aligned with observations. It was a fairly niche topic, but it trained me to think carefully, question assumptions, and stay comfortable with uncertainty—skills that turned out to be useful well beyond academia.
After university, I started my career in Tokyo as a server engineer, working with system infrastructure and networks. Later, I moved into real estate marketing, where analytical thinking meets business decisions and practical constraints. My work occasionally takes me abroad, which naturally feeds into my long-standing interest in travel.
How I Travel
I travel for both work and personal reasons, often staying long enough that people assume I live there. My travel style sits somewhere between an ordinary tourist, a backpacker, and someone on a business trip—depending on the place and timing.
I’m generally more interested in everyday life than famous landmarks. Local food, small routines, and conversations tend to leave a stronger impression than checklist-style sightseeing. Tourist spots are fine, but I rarely feel the need to center a trip around them.
Places I’ve particularly enjoyed include Malaysia (especially Sabah), Italy, Mexico, Oman, Bahrain, Greece, southern Vietnam, Taiwan, and Indonesia. This list isn’t definitive and will probably change over time. One area still high on my list is Malaysia’s east coast, which I haven’t visited yet.
Languages
• Japanese (native)
• English (CEFR B2)
• Malay (basic conversational level; studied at a Malaysian university and continue learning as a personal interest)
I don’t aim for perfect fluency everywhere. Learning just enough of a local language to function—and occasionally make mistakes—often leads to more genuine interactions than relying solely on English.
Why This Website Is in English
I originally considered writing in Japanese, but chose English to reach a broader audience. There aren’t many Japanese travelers writing from a Japanese perspective in English, and I think that viewpoint is often missing.
This site is my attempt to share how a Japanese traveler experiences different places—what feels familiar, what feels strange, and what doesn’t quite fit expectations. It’s not meant to be definitive or authoritative, just honest.
The site is still evolving, and so is the content. Expect adjustments, rewrites, and occasional second thoughts.
What “JPGo2” Means
JPGo2 reflects the idea of Japanese people going places—inside and outside Japan—and sharing observations along the way. “Go2” refers both to movement and to pointing others toward experiences they might not have considered.
If you’re interested in travel, cultural differences, or quietly observing how people live in different parts of the world, you may find something here that resonates.
