This post is long overdue. Honestly, I was planning on writing it last year when I returned from my sabbatical but it kind of got lost in my drafts. I might have forgotten some things by now, but check out my list of things making Japan the most awesome place in the world – or at least in the top five.
A little thing I like to call honesty or “not stealing from other people”: Somebody lost a jumper near the Metro station entrance. I saw it there on the fence. Next time – maybe a day later – I passed by it again and I saw that somebody actually went through the trouble of finding a bag and packing it, in case of rain or whatever. This is Japan for you.
Queues: They take them seriously. And so should you while you are here (or probably in general).
Train etiquette: Aka a little bit about how to not bother other people while using public transport. Basically: don’t smoke, eat, drink, talk (and yes, no talking on the phone either), make sure your phone is on silent, take priority seating seriously, take train queues seriously, don’t take up seat space and so on. You can breathe though. To directly quote my friend Ian: “There are signs informing me of rules everywhere and I’ve kind of got used to ignoring them all as I can’t read them.”
Where good manners matter.
And the toilets are next level. The Japanese culture of toilets as high-end technology devices is usually the first thing that makes an impression on a foreigner when they arrive in this magical country. Or as I like to call it – making an experience out of a pretty ordinary task.
Maps that don’t point north: Very Pirates of the Carribean stuff.
A country where being considerate takes on a completely new meaning.
Where taking your shoes off before entering a house or a hostel is a must and you’ll get special slippers if you want to use the toilet.
Where bicycles have amazing gadgets (like umbrellas, reinforced frames and hand warmers) and if you have a kid you’ll probably want to import a Japanese bike.
Where restaurants/accommodations offer cute looking umbrella holders to their guests. What they also do when it’s raining is they wrap every single umbrella for you in a plastic wrap which they dispose of when you leave. Lots of plastic packaging everywhere, making this the only negative thing I have to say in this post.
And where restaurants give you cool options to store your bags while you eat. Oh, they also love their Pachinko, karaoke and other video games in Japan. Also – you can actually still buy an original Nintendo Game boy here.
Rockstar Ian
There are jobs for everyone here and many men are employed to stand at the entrance to a car park to make sure that pedestrians don’t get ran over by cars. Or they have a special person just so this person can say hi to every single passenger boarding public transport.
You can buy a drink from vending machines on the street – they are on every corner. But you can also buy other, sometimes strange stuff from similar vending machines. We even found a vending machine selling fried chicken and fries. Oh, you can also see plastic food everywhere. This way, you know exactly what you’re going to get when you order. You can literally see every dish in a plastic version in the restaurant’s window.
Where escalators have a system: you stand on the left and walk on the right in all cities except Osaka which changed the system for a World Exhibition back in 1970 and never bothered to change it back. Yp, it is surprising if you are from Slovenia.
Oh and if you are thinking some things are too crazy to do or wear or whatever, you will probably see much crazier things on your first day walking around Tokyo.
All in all, Japan is out of this world. If you think going to India is a cultural shock, the shock you experience coming to Japan is of a completely different kind. It is not about poverty, smells or anything like that. But it is kind of like coming to this new, strange, alien world. There is a part of my brain that was able to shut down in Japan. The part that takes care of logistics, transport and worries about punctuality. If you are a tourist here, life really is good. Everything is organized, people are helpful and you can really enjoy your trip without worrying about anything.
PS: Don’t even get me started on the Japanese food.
So, go to Japan. You will definitely not regret it.