My views do not necessarily reflect the views of my employer.
September 10, 2025
According to Japan guide, American village is a shopping area that was built for the ‘nostalgic pleasure’ of residents from nearby military bases, as well as ‘an interesting diversion for locals.’ Michele and Steven noticed there was a Philly cheesesteak restaurant – and possibly a store that sold pretzels (which we hadn’t been able to find since we were in Alaska). They were craving some home comforts, and I wanted to see what ‘America’ looked like through a Japanese lens.
Apparently the large central parking lot was part of the intended American experience.
When we arrived, I immediately spotted my first stop:
The coffee I’d had in in Hawaii was so good! The cafe didn’t open until 11am (not very American), but fortunately we didn’t have long to wait.
We walked in circles trying to find the shops Michele had scoped out online.
We found the Philly place and split a cheesesteak. It was… fine.
Now that felt American-themed! Trash cans are surprisingly hard to find in Japan – I joked that I finally felt at home!
We wandered through the shops, soaking in the odd mix of foreign and familiar vibes.
Ultimately we settled on pizza for our main meal. Rina, a resident from Australia was with us. At the restaurant, a large group sat nearby. I suspected they were Australian based on their mullet haircuts. Rina leaned over and asked if I also heard the Australian accent. She struck up a conversation, and sure enough – they were a sports team from Brisbane, which happens to be where Rina is from!
I can’t really say the visit made me feel like I’d been ‘home,’ but that’s fine – I’m very happy being a world traveler. And the pizza was very good.