Elderlies
- I never saw any very old Japanese men
- I saw many very old women, bent over with walking sticks
- I didn’t see a single walking frame or mobility scooter
It looks like there are stigmas involved regarding how the elderlies are seen in public
Bicycles
- Everyone rides the same type of bike, with the same stand
- The handlebar is curved and causes wobbly steering
- All road rules are ignored, as are bicycle lanes
It feels like a miracle none crashed into me, they are everywhere coming from every direction
Directions
Google Maps works well. I got a sense that many directions found online are translated from Japanese, so when it says look for a sign that says Hiroshima St, that sign is actually in Kanji. Getting lost is consistent.
Food
Aside from what you expect there is:
- An obsession with putting egg on top of things
- Impossible to get great cuts of steak. Boring round steak is everywhere
- French patisseries are quite popular
- 7-11 fresh food is cheap and excellent
Fusuma – Paper sliding doors
I get tradition, but how about a modern twist with actual rollers and a handle. Opening and closing them got old real quick.
Tatami Mats and Futons
Again, traditional, but not great. The mats might as well be vinyl, and making your own bed feels a bit inhospitable.
English
Officially, the level of spoken English proficiency is not very good, but far from the worst country. From a tourist point of view, it is non-existent. That’s their choice, but a metro police station in a tourist suburb of Tokyo should at least have multi-lingual leaflets on how to get help in your language.
This article gives many reasons why they lack English, despite learning it in school. The main takeaway for me is that the Japanese are perfectionists, perhaps more so than any other culture, and if they can’t be perfect at English, they just don’t. To save embarrassment.
People watching
They don’t have cafes with street tables. The occasional cafe or bar will have crates you can sit on – get in early, they are excellent for people watching.
Otherwise look for cafes/bars on upper floors with windows. But they are usually smoky.
Wildlife
I rarely saw much of anything, in the wild or in cities
Birds – rare. On a 2 hour forest hike I saw a handful of tits and singular instances of two other species. In the cities I saw two ravens and nothing else at all.
Insects – none (it was autumn).
Pet dogs – a couple of times a day in Tokyo I’d see little dogs being walked.
Cats – one in 3 weeks.
Seriousness
While not an issue while travelling, upon reflection seeing actual happiness or warm smiles was rare in Japan. I can’t say if the people are actually happy or not, but they don’t project it. Unless drunk.
Crime
It is a very safe country, especially when it comes to physical violence. But they aren’t immune from ripping off tourists.
Always ask if there is a minimum charge in bars and restaurants!
Avoid clubs where the staff or bouncers are not Japanese.
(Seems totally fine in non-tourist areas)
