So,
as I was saying during my last entry, considering that Japan has so much that
is different to what I’m accustomed to, I figured that this needed a second
article. Because the longer I live here, the more things I discover and I
simply can’t help but write about it.
Vending
Machines
 |
| Decisions, decisions... |
I’m
sure this is no secret but Japan is full of vending machines. It is physically
impossible to walk down a residential or communal street corner and not come
across some manner of watering hole where for a couple hundred yen, you can
grab yourself a quick pick me up on your way to work or what have you. I’m not
sure why they’re so prevalent but I reckon it must come in handy during those
hot humid summers when you’re gasping for a drink but don’t quite want to make
the trek all the way to your local convenience store. Heck, there’s actually a
machine downstairs not one minute from my front door so if you ever fancy
something quick to wet your whistle, fret not – Japan has got you covered.
Mobile
Phones
 |
| I kid you not; this is exactly what it looks like coming home from work |
It’s
contagious. Heck, I even noticed it before leaving the UK, but in Japan, the
mobile phone is a necessity. And even I’m walking down the street at night with
my nose in my phone. The iPhone and the Android are the way forward and even
though we know that some big wig will come up with the next popularity boom
sooner or later, people simply can’t help themselves. And with so many handy
little applications, there’s something for everyone. I constantly see people
using the internet, playing games, watching movies or listening to music. The
mobile phone is no longer a source of communication for people; it’s a mini
entertainment system in your hand. It’s also, a language translator, a shop and
a GPS all in one. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve managed to find my way
when I’ve been lost. 4G is the way forward. And I’m already aware that it’s hit
the west too in full force. So join the epidemic! It’s catching.
Convenience
There
have been many a time that I’ve discovered something about Japan that does
exist in the UK that has made me exhale in pure ecstasy. And I know what you’re
thinking so please take your head out of the gutter because I’m talking about
how systematically clever things seem to be here; things that often make me
think – why don’t we have those in the UK. My first discovery was how Japanese
train carriages are almost always warm in the winter. I can’t tell you how
pleasant it is to step out of the blistering cold and to park myself in a booth
where there’s a heater underneath ready to warm up my tush. (I look forward to
the summer when the trains will then sport air con; no more sweltering hot
underground trains for me) Not to mention that more often than not, these seats
are moveable meaning that you can angle the seat back into the designated
direction of travel as and how you please. Trains aside though, even
western-style public toilets are convenient from its seat warming properties to
their in-cubicle sanitisers meaning that you can sanitise the seat before you
do your business; no need for squatting here (unless you’re find yourself face
to face with a Japanese style toilet but that’s another story).
Multi-Storey Entertainment
Where I’m from, a large department store like Debenhams or a Shopping Centre like Westfields with have multiple floors containing different shops, stalls and what have you trying to sell their wares on to the consuming public. What I’ve noticed about being in Japan however is that while this notion exists, shopping aside, multiple businesses will use the same address to sell slightly different services. All they have to do is pick a floor. For example, the ground floor (or the first floor as it’s known here) could contain a restaurant of some kind, but subsequent floors right the way up to sixth or seventh will contain karaoke bars, night clubs, eikaiwa and all manner of industry depending on where you look. And certainly, this does exist in the UK. I’ve worked in a training office where directly above me was a law firm, but in Japan, it seems that even their night life adopts this manner and I reckon it’s because everything here is much smaller and compact. Therefore, if you wanted, you could check out the jewellery shop on the ground floor and then after hours head up to that karaoke place on the third floor, have a meal on a fifth floor, grab some drinks at the pub on the fourth and then head down to the basement to dance the night away at a basement rave. Who says you need to travel from A to B to have a good time.
Courtesy
Remember
that thing that I mentioned about politeness in an earlier article? Well it
doesn’t just extend to verbal pleasantries but also to manner as well. For
example, it’s sort of an unwritten rule here to queue and not just at
convenience stores of ticket booths either. People will queue for public
transport be it train, bus or taxi; it’s just the done thing here. People will
also form a sort of queue at times when waiting to cross the road. I’ve seen
people hang back a little bit when someone is in front of them whereas it’s
always been my natural instinct to simply file into the gap that’s available at
the crossing. What’s more (and it’s something that I discovered only today in
fact) is that Japanese pavements come with these little textured portions that
for the longest while I’d only considered were merely decoration (and also, an
inconvenience when trying to walk in heels). Turns out, these portions of
pavement are for blind people so they can navigate their way along the
pavement. I thought this was quite brilliant actually until I discovered that it's actually old news and exists all over the world. What I can say however is that this "tactile paving" at least originates from Japan and complements this idea of consideration quite nicely.
~
As
for me, I’m hoping they’ll be a Part III to this expedition as it seems that
every day I’m discovering something new about this country – including the string of
okonomiyaki restaurants that are within walking distance from my apartment.
How
did I manage to miss those?
