Some Personal Observations of Japan
I recently had the opportunity to go on a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Japan with my father, my father's friend, and my father's friend's son. It wasn't just my first time visiting the country, it was also my first time visiting Asia. I was originally scheduled to visit Japan back in May 2020, but the arrival of COVID-19 threw a wrench into my travel plans, postponing the trip to May 2023. Now that I'm back, I can confidentally say that I had a great time. There's so much to unpack that it's impossible for me to write down all my experiences in one blog post. So to start things off, I will unveil a list of my personal observations of the country:
- Japan is clean and safe.
- Cash is king.
- Vending machines are everywhere. They carry drinks, cigarettes, ramen, snacks, etc.
- Japanese people love French baking. They combine it with their native ingredients such as matcha.
- For every 10 Japanese people, at least 7 wore face masks.
- Public transportation is quiet.
- Food is cheap and delicious, including the food you buy from convenience stores like 7/11, Lawson, or Family Mart.
- People drive on the left side of the road.
- In Tokyo, people walk on the left hand side. In Osaka, people walk on the right hand side.
- Japan has white sand beaches. Shirahama is just one place to see them.
- Japanese people will reach out to help you if you are lost. For example, we were confused as to which subway station to get off to transfer over to the other subway line on our way over to the Tsukiji fish market and a random Japanese woman helped us find the right one.
- Saw one homeless person in Shinjuku. Haven't seen more after that.
- Japanese people will appreciate it even if you speak a little bit of Japanese.
- Japanese toilets have a bidet to help clean yourself up after you used it.
- There are slippers in Japanese bathrooms.
- Lots of hills and mountains. About 70% of the country is covered in them.
- There's little to no industrial development on the hills and mountains, which comes down to their respect and reverance for nature as per their Shinto religion.
- Japanese women will use umbrellas in daylight to keep their skin pale, and therefore, their beauty intact.
- Most Japanese people are thin. A tiny number of them are overweight.
- Everyone's naked at the onsens. Got used to it quickly.
- Japanese chefs don't skimp out on quality when it comes to cooking non-Japanese food.
- There are shrines and temples everywhere.
- Text at musueums and exhibits are usually provided with Chinese, Korean, and English translations.
- Japan is a net importer of energy.
- Most Japanese people drive Mazda's, Subaru's, Honda's, and Toyota's. The rest drive non-Japanese brands.
- A lot of Japanese homes in the countryside grow their own produce to ensure food security.
- Small, narrow and compact are the dominating characteristics that can be seen on the roads, homes, garages, vehicles, mini-trucks, etc. This is a byproduct of living in a small island nation.
- No tipping.
Of course, I should note that this list doesn't represent the entirety of Japan, and I may have forgotten to include more observations, but this should help provide anyone a good idea of what Japan is like. If you have any questions about Japan, please don't hesitate to send me an email. I'll do my best to answer them in a timely manner.
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