The Korean Itch: What Japanese Wish They Could Bring Home

Just as many Koreans live abroad, many foreigners live in Korea. These foreigners often express high satisfaction with the convenience of life in Korea. We want to introduce you to the culture that long-term Japanese residents in Korea miss the most.

Let’s look at the aspects of Korean life that the Japanese praise.

Korean food is very popular among the Japanese. With the recent global recognition of Korea’s spicy flavors, many foreigners now enjoy spicy dishes. Japanese residents who have lived in Korea often list spicy food as one of the things they miss the most.

Japanese people are not as accustomed to spicy flavors as Koreans are. While Japan also has spicy dishes, they are not as spicy as those in Korea. Japanese individuals often miss the fiery spiciness of Korean food.

Korea’s delivery culture is so developed that it can be considered one of the best in the world. What was once possible only for fast food like chicken and pizza is now available for all kinds of food. Everything can be delivered, from Korean fast food and traditional meals to coffee and cake from cafes. The most surprising thing is that many places offer 24-hour delivery.

Japanese people who have experienced this culture in Korea can’t help but admire it. In Japan, when people think of delivery, they usually only think of pizza, as Japan’s delivery culture is not as developed as Korea’s. Japanese people who have experienced this convenient culture in Korea often miss it when they return home.

These days, many people enjoy online shopping. It’s very convenient because everything is delivered right to your doorstep with just one touch on your phone. Everything from clothes to food is delivered to your home. This convenient online shopping service is incredibly well-established in Korea.

Japanese people living in Korea named online shopping malls one of the most convenient aspects of Korean culture. They particularly admired the variety of clothing shopping malls where they could buy various clothes. While Japan also has online clothing shopping malls, they mentioned that they cannot purchase as wide a variety of clothes as in Korea.

The internet speed in Korea is exceptionally fast, regardless of location. Even the Wi-Fi available on the streets boasts speeds comparable to data connections.

Koreans who are used to fast internet in Korea often find slow internet speeds inconvenient when they go abroad. On the contrary, foreigners who have lived in Korea are amazed by the internet speeds here and usually long for astonishing internet speeds even after leaving Korea.

Japanese people in Korea also expressed satisfaction with the fast internet speed and the availability of Wi-Fi everywhere. They complained that, compared to Korea, there are significantly fewer Wi-Fi spots available on the streets in Japan, and even when a Wi-Fi signal is detected, it often doesn’t connect.

Of course, they also said the internet speed is slower than in Korea.

If you ask foreigners what they envy about Korean homes, the answer would undoubtedly be the heating system. Korea has developed heating systems that can keep the house warm. From the traditional ondol heating system handed down from the past to the modern pipe-type heating system, a suitable heating system is well-equipped according to the characteristics of the living space, so the indoor temperature is very warm.

This is the aspect that Japanese people who come to Korea admire the most. Japan does not have well-equipped heating facilities like Korea. In the cold winter, the best method is to rely on a heater or a warm water bottle.

Even the kotatsu, a heating device used on cold winter days, is very dry, so people hesitate to turn it on even when it’s cold. Only the lower body stays warm with a kotatsu. It is not something that can raise the overall body temperature. If you use it for a long time, there is even a risk of burns, so you need to be careful.

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