The Most Japanese Place outside of Japan

Hawaii - A place many many people have heard of and most likely associated it with the image of "Paradise". But what does it look like? 

Honolulu was my first destination in Hawaii, like most tourists, we ended up at Waikiki. I've been told that Honolulu, especially Waikiki, is just another city, nothing too special. But no one told me that it would be such a cultural shock being in Hawaii. There were Japanese signs everywhere, stores with Japanese speaking associates and of course, delicious Japanese restaurants every other block. 

The main strip of Waikiki looks somewhere between Beverly Hills, Las Vegas and Miami. Abundance of sunshine, palm trees and luxury boutiques. Roads are wide and people stroll around casually. There isn't a tidbit of Tokyo or Osaka here. Yet in Honolulu is where I've seen a surprising amount of Japanese travelers (Way more than Chinese, considering the population difference!). Perhaps after all Japan is still one of the places closest to the Hawaiian Islands. 

Whether it is the early 1900s settlement of Japanese population that planted the roots or the demand from the swarm of Japanese tourists in recent decades, the Waikiki today is a mystical blend of mainstream USA and Japan. 

On one end of the strip, I see people lining up for Cheesecake Factory, yet on the other end, I found mouthwatering authentic pork katsu. Whatever this dynamic is between the 2 cultures that were at extreme odds at one point in history, I am totally in love with this hybrid experience.