So I recently gave a presentation about the little differences I’ve noticed between Japan and the US. Although I had talked about many things, there were a few that I think stood out. 1. Being able to pay household bills at a convenience store (woah, that’s actually convenient!) 2. Supermarkets having dedicated space to bag your own groceries and move the cashier line along quickly. 3. Public transportation absolutely always being on time. 4. Advanced alien-technology toilets that wash your bum at the push of a button, and are equipped with heated seats for cold nights. 5. Paying “key-money” (basically a monetary “gift” to your landlord) upon moving in to an apartment. 6. National healthcare, and being able to visit the doctor or hospital without fear of breaking the bank. 7. The requirement to recycle. Sounds annoying, but it quickly becomes an easy part of daily life that you don’t really think much about. 8. A lot more people smoke here than the states. Or maybe it’s that we just don’t see as many smokers these days due to so many places being restricted in the US? 9. Washing machines—check. Dryers? Still haven’t seen or heard of someone having one at home. Line-drying is another part of life that you quickly used to. 10. The amount of dogs that I have seen wearing clothes. It’s strange and adorable. 11. Taxi doors opens automatically, and if you touch them, you will incur the wrath of the driver. Only need to learn this one once. 12. Wearing surgical masks. You may have seen this and wondered why so many people are afraid of germs, but usually they’re worn when you feel sick and don’t feel like spreading it all over everyone else. Very normal to see. 13. Bicycles having frame built-in key locks. Very convenient. 14. And on that note, extremely low crime (at least here in Hanamaki, for sure). 15. No tipping at restaurants or anywhere else—Everyone is just paid a living wage for their work, go figure! Never had bad service, either. There are many more, but I’m curious what you all think. Those who have been to Hanamaki or Japan in general: have you noticed some interesting differences between here and home? Feel free to let us know!
Posted on: Wed, 28 Aug 2013 01:29:38 +0000