Japan Observations

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Japan is a unique country in which you will have unique experiences. Here are a few of our most interesting observations.

• POLITENESS — everyone is so polite, and they have some interesting customs. The train conductor bows when entering and leaving the carriage, and first welcomes everyone (that is what we think he said). All service staff are equally polite, wish it was the same in Australia.

• INNOVATION — we came across many examples of clever innovation, things we wonder why we don't have the same at home. Many fridge doors that we used would open from either side, such a simple mechanism. The toilet was another place full of innovation.

• TECHNOLOGY — The toilet was not a simple hole in the ground, though there were a few squat style toilets. Mostly, they were more like a plane cockpit. The seats were often heated, lids raised automatically, a cleaning spray, then options for bottom washing and drying, and finished with automatic flushing and hand washing. You don't have to touch a thing ... which leads us to cleanliness.

• CLEANLINESS — You have to remove shoes before entering a house, and switch to another pair for the toilet. The streets are very clean - we often could not find a rubbish bin to place our trash, we had to carry it home and dispose of it there, which must be common practice for all.

• FRIENDLINESS — We were travelling with kids, so it was no wonder that they got lots of attention and smiles. All the locals we met were very helpful and friendly. They love gift giving - we were adorned with gifts wherever we went, from the abundance of paper cranes, to a flannel from a bike shop owner, as well as a gift voucher for a market place by a stranger.

• EFFICIENCY — the ultimate example of their efficiency is the train system - you can set your watch by the timing of the trains. Space efficiency is also amazing, with every tiny corner and nook being used for something, no space is left under-utilised. Cars in garages have only centimeters of room on each side.

• CONSERVATISM — Japanese people dress neatly and conservatively (most of them, some dress quite radically). Sun umbrellas and hats are common, to protect from the sun.

• CUTE, CUTE, CUTE - Everyone in Japan loves cute things. It is not unusual to see adults in cartoon character t-shirts, Hello Kitty still has some popularity (maybe not so much anymore?), there are always many tiny made trinkets to buy, even the food comes in cute portion sizes.

• SMALL - Everything is little. The rooms, the doorways, the people, the dogs, the souveniers, the food serves. Small food serving sizes matches the size of the people, hence the reason we believe there are not many fat people in Japan.

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