By now, it’s no secret (at least to those who know me on Facebook and/or Twitter or very personally) that we just got back from a week-long stay in Japan. For us, probably more for my sister and me, it’s a dream come true. The place that we’ve only heard from other people’s stories, from anime and manga, from pop culture, and everywhere else has finally become real for us. There was a lot to take in, too much for just 7 days spread across Tokyo and Nagoya, so here’s a very brief list of 10 things I learned in our short stay there.
1. People pick up after themselves.
Whether it be in fast food, food court, or just outside, Japan has developed the discipline to pick up their trash and dispose of it properly. Heck sometimes they’re known to pick up other people’s trash too if they see it. Walk any street in Japan, whether it be in the big cities or the suburbs and you’ll rarely (but still sometimes) see any trash in sight. Strangely, they don’t have a lot of public trash bins around either, most of them concentrated in train stations or specific spots. Many just take their trash home with them. It’s probably a discipline that has been developed over decades of training. Hopefully it won’t disappear soon.
2. Trains take you everywhere but are confusing as hell.
Like in Hong Kong, there are train stops everywhere and there are lines that will take you where you want to go. Unlike Hong Kong, however, Japan, particularly Tokyo, has like a dozen different tracks or lines. Sometimes to get from one place to another, you’ll need to make two or three transfers. To make matters worse, some trains change their line names after certain stations. Some even “split”. Pro Tip: Download an app that will guide you through those. It’s not only a convenience, it’s necessary for survival.
3. Left isn’t always left.
Somewhat related to train stations, sometimes going forward means you have to stay left. In Japan, unlike in the US or my home country of the Philippines, cars, trains, and people stay to the left. Well, almost. In some train stations, pedestrians are required to walk right, which I presume is just as confusing for locals as it was for us, because not all stations do that. We still haven’t figured out why.
On a related note, when crossing streets, or sometimes even just walking down sidewalks, the concept of staying left also doesn’t exist from time to time.
4. People try to help, even when they can’t.
Being a highly industrialized and advanced country, you might expect a lot of Japanese to know English by now. Reality can’t be further from the truth. Some do have a very rudimentary understanding of some English words, but that’s as far as they go. But unlike one other Asian city I shall not name, Japanese people try to be as helpful as they can in assisting foreigners. And barring that, they are respectful or at least sympathetic to their plight. They’d try to get someone else to help. They won’t just simply snub you or put up a face that practically tells you you should understand their language or else.
Their helpfulness goes beyond language too. One somewhat rainy night we got lost going back to our Airbnb room. We stopped by one small restaurant to ask for directions. With my rudimentary understanding of Nihonggo, an address in Japanese, and some Google Maps magic, we got an idea of where to go. But even though I told them I (sorta) understood where to go, they insisted on accompanying us back to our place. It was a humbling and amazing experience to say the least.
5. It’s a geek’s paradise. Sort of.
So all those stereotypes about the Japanese geek (otaku)? They’re pretty much true, though not as widespread or common as you might think. Electronics? Check. Anime/manga? Duh. Games? Sure thing! Cars? Of, course! (You might want to check out Nagoya for those too). Tokyo’s Akihabara and Nagoya’s OSU are great places to get lost for those.
Some things you might find rare are some of the Western geek trends, like comics from Marvel and DC, TV shows, and stuff like that. I’m sure those also reach Japan one way or another. They’re just not as ubiquitous.
6. The food is amazing.
I think this one needs no explanation. Japan is one of the big countries when it comes to cuisine, not just for those in the West but even for some Asians too. And it isn’t just the food you always hear about like tempura or sushi. And even those have different qualities, different tastes. And, of course, different prices. Here’s another pro tip: when going on a food tour, don’t limit yourself to Tokyo. Other places like Nagoya have their own special unique flavors, even for something as common as katsu. Yes, I’m talking about you, miso katsu. The food culture in Japan is honestly overwhelming for a foreigner and is one reason why 7 days are definitely not enough.
7. You walk a lot. A LOT.
You might think you’ll find easily get fat from all that food, but the Japanese seems to have devised a solution to that. You will walk a lot. And that’s no understatement. Sure, there are trains, but they naturally have fixed stops. Tp get anywhere beyond stations, you walk. Everyone walks. Which is good, because you burn off what you eat. Sort of. People also bike to get from A to B. You shouldn’t be surprised to see people in their formal office wear biking around. Of course, that’s no reason to pig out all the time, but at least it’s a fallback.
8. You’ll need easy to remove footwear.
With all that walking, you’ll need some footwear to go along with that. But while that may be true, there’s one thing you have to keep in mind. Japanese still take off their shoes in many places. When you enter places of residence, whether it be a house or even a hostel, you will, more often than not, be required to take off your shoes. More than that, some restaurants also do that, or have areas where you squat or kneel down to eat. Japan has been known for this sometimes peculiar practice and so far it has persisted to this day. It might be more of a problem during winter when boots are more than just a fashion statement.
9. There are vending machines everywhere.
This is more of a fascination than a discovery. Japan is already known for its vending machines, but I never expected them to be that ubiquitous. Every street has one, sometimes even two. Even places where things are supposed to reflect antiquity (Edo Wonderland/Nikko Edomura, Imperial Palace East Garden, etc.) you’ll find them hidden in a corner. That is why you’ll never have to worry about being thirsty or running out of cold, green tea. And people drink a lot of that there. Strangely, not much vendo machines for snacks. And there are very few for cigarettes.
10. I LOVE IT!!!
The biggest thing I learned about Japan is how much I loved being there. I tried to set my expectations low because, as they say, fact is stranger than fiction, but Japan was everything I hoped it would be and more. The culture, the history, the weather (admittedly, I haven’t experienced summer), the environment, the organization, the geekiness, almost everything. Of course, I only got to experience it for seven, activity-packed, food-filled days, so I only got to see the best of the best, so to speak. It will take more than a week to really get a feel of the real Japan. And I’m definitely coming back to find out.
