Interesting facts about Japan

I have achieved something I have dreamed of for years and found myself in Japan. If you want something too much, life somehow gives you opportunities. Anyway, I will explain how I went to Japan in another post. In this post I will give you some interesting information that I have seen and heard in Japan. As you know, Japan has a very different culture. I felt like I was on another planet. I wanted to share these interesting and fun details with you.

There are no trash cans. They take their trash home.

I was wondering how there would be no trash cans in this clean country but apparently that’s one of the reasons. Because where there is a trash can, there is trash. At first we couldn’t figure out where to throw our trash, then we realized there are trash cans around the vending machines. As the vending machines are everywhere, the problem was solved. So you need to know where to look. 🙂

Vending machines are everywhere.

Since we talk about Japan, we have to mention the vending machines. They are everywhere you can think of. There are many kinds of vending machines. And did i mention they are EVERYWHERE? You can find them on a deserted alley or inside of a shrine. It is said that they even exist on top of Fuji Mountain. Can you imagine?

Fruits are given as gifts and they are very expensive.

The square watermelon you see above is 115 dollars as of July 2017. I was thinking how a fruit can be given as gift, and then I saw the prices. They are really pricey. The square watermelon is made to fit the fridge I heard.

Everything is matcha flavoured.

The green tea called Matcha is very famous in Japan. They put green tea in almost everything. Chocolate, coffee, sugar, ice cream, cakes, cookies and so on. Whatever comes to mind. I can’t really complain because I really like how it tastes.

It is better to slurp if you are eating ramen.

If you are in Japan, don’t think why people are eating like this. Because especially if you are eating ramen, the more you slurp, it means the more you like it. I couldn’t manage to eat it like that and I usually made a mess trying. However if you can do it, good for you J If you ask what ramen is, you can see the picture above. It’s a kind of Japanese noodle.

Every restaurant has food samples in the window.

Sometimes in Turkey, they cook the meals on the menu and put a stretch on them to show how they look. But they usually look horrible. Here of course, the Japanese have found a practical way. They prepared the meals on the menu from plastic kind of material . It’s very interesting and looks appealing.

You feel like you are both in the past and in the future.

While you are looking at the high tech skyscrapers and your neck gets sore, you suddenly find yourself in a temple situated in a forest right in the city where people walk around in kimonos. It is hard to explain, you have to see it for yourself. The Japanese are really advanced and contemporary and deeply connected to their traditions and past at the same time.

They are very helpful and they don’t know how to say “no”.

Everyone I met in Japan was very gentle and helpful. They are all really kind and it is a cultural thing. Sometimes they bow too much that you start wondering if their backs hurt. 😀 When you are asking for a thing in the market, instead of telling you where it is, they take you there. Or when you are asking somebody the way and they mislead you somehow, they run after you for meters to tell you the right way. They also don’t really know how to say “no”. I couldn’t decide if that’s a good thing or a bad thing. Let’s say you asked someone a question but they don’t know the answer. They feel really bad and you can see it from their faces yet they won’t say they don’t know the answer. Because they’re programmed to help.

There are cat and owl cafes.

Think about a cafe full of cats. While you are sitting and enjoying your drink, you can also pet the cats. But the entrance is not free. The one that I saw was charging 200 yen for 10 min but you had to stay at least half an hour. Unfortunately we couldn’t go in because we didn’t have enough time.

Toilets are masterpieces of technology.

Since we are talking about interesting details, we have to mention the toilets. They are really practical. For example, you can use your toilet seat heated in winter so that your bum stays warm all the time. You can also change the heat of the water used, it can be hot, warm or cold. The water can come from the back or the front. In public restrooms, you can play music, some noise or sound of toilet flush so the other people won’t know what you are doing. If you have a baby, they put a baby seat so they don’t walk around. I don’t need to mention how clean they are since we are talking about Japan. 😀 I wouldn’t want to talk about the toilets this much but they made toilets worth talking about. 😀

Actually, I can talk about Japan forever. This whole blog could be about Japan. However, I just wanted to share some details that I find interesting. But if you can go to Japan, see it for yourself. Because it is always better to experience it.

Much love,

-B.