Sometimes you might feel like Japan isn't as fun as it once was which is perfectly understandable as it happens to me every few months. Perhaps this is because I surround myself with Japan this and Japan that, that I become very used to it and don\'t get the chance to go to Japan because well, work. It feels like a giant tease and my brain says "stawp!!" over and over again. But, is that the case for everyone?

I'm not a weeb, I'm not too much of an otaku either. I'm actually just interested in Japan as a hobby and the hobby of learning more about the world.  I like anime, jpop, and the cool history behind Japan but sometimes the infatuation just leaves and perhaps that's the case with you sometimes.  If it hasn't happened yet, you haven't been a part of the J-community long enough. So how do you fix this if it does happen?

Here are 5 different ways that I know how to rekindle that love

#1. Take a break with no deadline
The first thing you should do is take a break with no actual deadline. Deadlines are stressful and the whole time you know there's a deadline, the more stress you will be about said thing. It doesn't work too well when you try to overcome a psychological barrier.  So take a break from everything that is Japanese including Anime, JPop and well, everything that remotely reminds you of Japan. 

It's kind of like you're running on empty but now need to refill your tease-o-meter.

#2. Explore different things!
If all you've been doing is watch anime, I've got news for you... Japan's culture is maybe 2% anime at most, there's a whole 98% other things to explore! And believe me, a good chunk of it is just as good.  Go on YouTube and experience virtual tours in VR or in HD / 4K, 8K etc... When I got into the J-Culture in 2005, 240p was common for everything. HD wasn't a thing yet on Youtube and the idea of walking around in VR Japan was only something I was day dreaming about at the time. There was very little information about Japan and the Japanese language on the internet too. You had to pay to learn more about it! Now there's Jappleng and other sites and apps... So there's a lot to explore and it's available for you for free!

#3. Make new Friends, explore things together
Jappleng is designed to find new friends in the J-community. Simply add them as a friend, talk to them, join the chat, use the forums, use the comment system, use J-Spot social, create clubs, use the J-blog system, use the chat etc etc etc... There are so many ways to interact with others using only Jappleng and even if it's not through Jappleng that's okay as well. Exploring new things with other people is a fantastic idea!  Just don't meet random people you find on the internet.

#4. Explore yourself
Why are you interested in Japan? Who are you? Why are you here? What are your goals in life? Figuring out yourself is a great way to rekindle any lost love for anything. Meditation is perfectly acceptable in any religion and non-religion. Don't worry, this isn't voodoo or demonic arts, this is just a normal part of life where you relax yourself and either think of nothing or do some self-reflection. Learn to meditate, learn to take time to explore yourself however way you see fit.  There are many articles and videos online to help you achieve this.

#5. Get rid of outside stress
Sometimes you might be over-stressed, and perhaps J-stuff is your outlet for stress relief. That's fine, but psychologically this will probably burn you out eventually. If you live a happy stress-free life, you won't have to feel like J-stuff is a chore or that it's no longer that interesting.  Exploring yourself (#4) can also be very helpful to getting rid of stress.  If you don't have a ritual, get in the habit of having one even if it's just taking 10 minutes in your morning to clear your mind and drink tea or coffee. A good morning is the path for a good day.


BONUS TIP:
Combining these tips in a creative manner can help a lot!  For instance, if you combine #5 by creating a morning ritual for drinking Japanese tea with folding origami (#2 explore new things), then you get to work on two things at once!

BONUS TIP #2:
Get into the habit of a good sleep schedule. Without adequtae rest and without waking up naturally, you're harming what could be a good night's sleep. A good bed helps but a good habit is even better!

While I'm certain there are other ways to go about rekindling your love for the J-culture, these are what I found out helps me the most.  They aren't just things that help with J-culture but also with other facets of life.

Once again, this page is from a old section called News in Japan which hasn't been a thing since about 2016. But Jappleng has a lot more to offer such as:
- Entertainment section for Anime lineup, news, reviews and more (over 14,000 anime titles!)
- Education section to learn Japanese and about Japan for free
- Club Jappleng to create and join fan clubs, study groups etc...
- Travel Guides to learn more about Japan, immigration and tourist attractions
- Community forums, dedicated chat system, J-Spot social network
- Japanese practice games and other fun stuff like Yokai Trainers
- Massive Japanese <> English dictionary with over 500,000 words
- Achievements, unlockables and more!

We're really big with over 10-million pages! This is a volunteer / free project so please consider Registering an account and being part of our awesome community!