Things I learnt in Japan

1.When you enter a store, restaurant, any establishment where you are looking at making a purchase you will be met with a chorus of いらっしゃいませ! (e-ra-shy-ma-se (as in ‘set’) ) from each and every person who works there. This quite literally means, ‘Welcome to our store’ or ‘Come on in’.

Now it doesn’t matter if you’ve already been in the store for like ten minutes browsing, if a new staff member passes you, you will be met with the same greeting. It’s quite funny that they’re telling you to come on in, when you’re literally already in the store.

The thing I find strange about this practice is the fact that you are not expected to say anything back. In fact you shouldn’t. I like to give a little head nod, or Ohayo, to show that I have acknowledged them, but everyone else I’ve seen doesn’t even pay them any mind. Though I must say that when I acknowledge them I am also met with silence as they continue on their way, but hey I’m being polite.

Which brings me to the fact that half the time the greeting is said in such a bland tone that it resembles nothing of an upbeat greeting as it should. Instead it sounds like a drone that the staff members are forced to say to every single person they see, whether or not they’ve seen them a few minutes before hand.

2. Check where the toilet flush is beforehand.

Now I have never had the misfortune of not knowing where the flush button on the toilet is, like I have seen in many horror Japan videos on Youtube, but still it’s good to check beforehand.

Now I only say this because, every single toilet that you walk into in Japan will be different. It will have different buttons, the panel will be next to the toilet, it will be on the wall, the toilet will flush automatically, it will say it’s manual flush but flush automatically anyway, the flush button will be on top of the panel, there are three different buttons depending on what sort of flush you want. And it will be in Japanese.

So maybe before you sit down, just do a quick check, so you’re not left in an embarrassing situation soon after.

And don’t get surprised by the loud and most times automatic ‘discreet sound’ that emits from the toilet to cover up any unflattering noises. The noise is described as resembling a constant flushing sound, but if you try hard enough you can almost trick yourself into thinking it’s a calming rainforest.

3. They drive on the left, but it’s not the universal rule

So, yes they drive on the left, something that was very surprising to me when I came across it before I left.

But while say in Australia to generalise everyone, we drive on the left so in most situations we’ll walk on the left, at least I do because that’s what I’m used to. But enter Japan who drives on the left but then proceeds to walk whichever which side they want, and that goes for every single person.

Now while this may seem normal, some people just don’t like to adhere to the rules of walking. But what I really found strange about this was the signs at train stations; I’ll use Tokyo as an example because it’s where I noticed it the most.

So Tokyo is a big city, but everything in Tokyo is still classed under the title of well, Tokyo. So it would seem right to assume that they would have the same rules everywhere they go. If you were to assume this in relation to the walking rule you would be wrong. You see most of their train stations have a ridiculous amount of stairs; I would know I dragged my suitcase and my tired legs up them more times than I can count.

The fact is you could be at two stations in Tokyo that are twenty minutes away from each other and you will be expected to walk on a different side. They have signs for it to at the top of the stairs, telling you which side is going up and which is going down. They just switch it every chance they get.

So don’t get comfortable.

4. There will almost always be a line for the female toilet.

Always.

Unless you find a shopping mall which has a toilet on every floor that is somewhat empty, the chances of you not having to wait in line for the toilet are slim.

The fact is that they just didn’t put enough toilets in with the amount of people living in Tokyo, so the result a long line that often leads out of the door.

5. People in Tokyo are rude.

Not rude in the sense that they do it intentionally, but I feel like people are in too much of a rush to really even give a thought to the people around them. You will be cut off as you walk, when you’re standing in line you will be pushed even when there’s nowhere for you to go. (You’d think that because you’re standing in line you’re all going to the same place at the same time, but there is always one or two that get just that little bit impatient.)

I did a lot of research on Japan before I left. Mostly to get a feel for the people by reading other travelers accounts. Most of them said how nice the Japanese are and how willing they are to help you even without you asking.

Now I’m not saying that they’re not nice, they are, and the majority were not blatantly rude.

Saying that Japanese people are the nicest around and always willing to help is like saying that every single Australian fits into the stereotype that we’re all super friendly and easy going. But it’s just that, it’s a stereotype and a generalisation. Japanese people are humans and have no real need to be the nicest people you will meet. They’re not there to help you out in your every time of need.

6. Blowing your nose

This was one that really shocked me when I got here.

That was because all I had read in relation to Japanese people and blowing their noses was they don’t do it in public, ever.

How shocked I was when people were blowing their noses everywhere, as is normal I think anywhere else. What I had read people saying was that Japanese people think that blowing your nose in public is rude, so if need be they will do it away from people. But plenty of people were doing it everywhere I went and not a single person batted an eye.

So I think we can just stop spreading that false information now..

7. There really are no bins

Yet another thing I read before I left.

It’s really surprising to see just how clean the streets are when the only bins to be found are in convenience stores and perhaps the random one on the street. The only rubbish that I really saw lying around was the disposable white masks.

It’s funny how a country with minimal bins remains clean while a country like Australia that has bins everywhere still has rubbish lining the streets.

8. Japan KFC does not have popcorn chicken

Now I went to a few global food chains while I was here, McDonald’s, Subway and KFC.

McDonald’s, was pretty much McDonald’s with the exception of a teriyaki burger here and there.

Subway I was not impressed with at all. I had it once in Sendai and never again. Nobody messes with my subway order and yet it was messed with. Their meats are different and they don’t have half the salad options that we have in Australia. NO OLIVIES! What kind of horrible world are they living in to not know the beauty of olives on their subway? I ended up with some chicken thing with lettuce and carrot, because no I do not want seaweed on my subway, thank you!

Now their KFC was good, I’m not going to like Bobbi and I ate it a lot mainly because of me, but I know she secretly wanted to go.

It was pretty normal, burgers, chicken, you know KFC. Oh and it was a bit cheaper to.

But there was no popcorn chicken… like is it even KFC without popcorn chicken? I’m not convinced. Also the chips are not chips. They’re like some weird wedge curly fries hybrid that still tasted good, but there was no famous KFC chip salt that let’s be honest is the reason KFC is so good.

So while good, it wasn’t.. well it wasn’t Australian KFC.