I talked about five things I really miss about Japan yesterday. While I had an absolute blast in Japan over the summer, there were a few things that did annoy me to no end. I’m sure some of it has is just culture shock since I’m used to living in Western culture and some is due to the fact that Japan is easily the weirdest country on the planet. It’s this sort of thing that makes me glad I live in a country that makes sense.
- Smoking in restaurants. This bothered me in Europe as well. Well, let me get this straight…I don’t mind smoking. I don’t mind the smell or whatever but mostly, it’s the knowledge that it’s killing me slowly. Even then, it’s not a big deal other than in restaurants, where smell is part of the culinary experience. I don’t quite understand why people spend a bundle on food only to smoke beforehand since that pretty much kicks your tastebuds in the nuts. What’s worse is that the smoking section might be a mere foot or two away from the non-smoking section. How Japanese people live so long when almost half the country smokes (and cigarettes are cheap…) is beyond me.
- Tokyo is expensive. Not as expensive as most people think but it does add up to quite a bit. It’s very noticeable when you live in a city like Richmond where lunch is rather cheap. Fruit and veggies, in particular, are absurd. Getting around Japan on the shinkansen can add up too, with one way’s going upward of $100 for a non-reserved seat. Rail travel on the JR and subways will be around $5-10 a day, depending on where you go.
Oh, and don’t get me started on the taxis, which jack up their prices after the trains shut down at 12am so getting home after a night at the club will cost you about $50 for a real short ride. I don’t get why the trains shut down early anyways. It’s like being punished for being fun.
- Summer is f’n hot. I couldn’t wear any regular t-shirts during the daytime in Tokyo because it would be too damned hot due to the 35-40 degree Celsius weather everyday. The humidity makes it even worse.
- Cash only! If you’re buying electronics from a large department store, then you can probably put it on your plastic but for the most part, restaurants, some clothing stores, and all the train ticket booths only take cash. Paying for a $150 grade A5 steak dinner in cash? Well, at least no one is going to mug you when you’re carrying around a grand.
- The mind-numbing politeness. I realize this might sound strange but it does get to you eventually. For a good week or two after I came home, I realized I was still bowing and saying “Sumimasen.” (excuse me). However, more than that…it’s seriously annoying that doing nearly everything is rude in Japan. Talking on your phone in a subway car or bus is rude. Blowing your nose is rude. Trying to get the splinters out of your wooden chopsticks is rude. Eating while walking is rude. Pretty much anything that makes anyone around you aware of your existence is rude. It’s deadly constricting. That’s probably the reason why I don’t think I could work in Japan…there’s just too much procedure and protocol everywhere.
But despite these annoyances, Japan is seriously just a heck of a lot of fun and I’d recommend going to anyone. Just be prepared for a plethora of bowing battles.
{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
“For a good week or two after I came home, I realized I was still bowing and saying “Sumimasen.” (excuse me).”
I don’t even believe that you EVER said that…
Its amazing how one gets into a habit of doing certain things.
I almost missed this post, I thought my feed reader messed up and displayed your previous post again.
I can see how the politeness can get tiring. It’s nice at first but then you realized it’s gotten to a point where saying “thanks” or “sorry” means absolutely nothing since its meaning is so diluted.
I have noticed that a lot of Asian countries allow smoking to a high extent. When I was in Tokyo on vacation, I didn’t notice too much smoking, but did notice that the smokers are mostly young girls. Another thing you’re correct about is the politeness. They REALLY REALLY are polite
-Mike
Heck yes, the smoking thing totally screwed me over to be honest. Kinda strange, but in the UK we have had a non-smoking ban in place across the country for over a year now, so no smoking in hotels, offices, restaurants, pubs, clubs, etc, etc… so when I went to Japan, I felt like I had gone back in time. Strange how small things like that I take for granted.
i heard though from a fellow traveler that the locals tend to give tourists a bit more leeway when it comes to doing things that might normally be considered rude. so there’s a bit of leeway there.
@kouji:
This is true. In fact, for the most part, Japanese people will not tell you you are being rude. That in itself is somewhat rude. No, seriously. They are too polite to tell you you’re doing something wrong most of the time, leaving you mortified when you find out later.
However, some will quietly remind you of your wrongdoing or you’ll get funny stares.