Well,
it has certainly been a while hasn't it. Heck, this year is almost over but
before we get to the positives, I figured I'd introduce a few of the things
that I think aren't so great about living in the land of the rising sun. There
is a general image that Japan is a wonderful place full of rich culture,
technology and quirkiness - and to some degree that's correct - but every
country has its flaws and as a result, I figured I'd introduce my own
perspective on that.
Winter
Japan
likes to think it's one of the only countries to have four seasons (insert eye roll here) but when Winter
hits, it is bloody cold. England gets
very cold too but at least when you step through your front door, it actually
feels like you're at home. Not necessarily in Japan however. Central heating is
not a thing here. When the houses are erected, they do them very quickly
(that's a good thing) but they also build them out of light-weight material (I'm
convinced that this to contribute to withstanding earthquakes). So when you
open your front door and step inside, it literally feels like you've just
stepped back outside again. And waking up in the morning feels like you've been
sleeping in ice (it took me an hour to get out of bed this morning). So if
you're a Summer being like me, get ready. You've probably never experienced
anything like it.
Red
Tape
Over
here, things are very regimented. There's a system in place for everything.
This isn't necessarily a bad thing as it keeps things neat, tidy and everyone
knows where they stand. But I feel like a lot of it is unnecessary and things
would run a lot more smoothly if Japan "trimmed the fat" a little. A
lot of this red tape comes into play when moving house or trying to buy a
car...etc. When I moved house, I spent a couple of hours at the estate agent
having a guy run through the entire contract which included a section about
being responsible for changing my own light-bulbs. A coworker of mine had to
have the police verify that he had a parking space available for the new car he
was buying. You need a license in order to ride a jet ski here (I rode a jet
ski for five minutes in The Canary Islands free of charge, no license
necessary). I understand why some of these things are done now that I live here
but in some cases is it really that necessary?
Flexibility
....or
lack thereof. This relates to the above. As I mentioned before, Japan is very
good at putting
systems into place that everyone and anyone must follow (the
rules for foreigners and natives are sometimes different however, but that's
another entry). Because of this, if one tries to deviate from the norm, it's a
little bit difficult for people to handle. This isn't anywhere near as apparent
as within the service sector. I've heard that most restaurants, hotels...etc,
have a manual which dictates how they're supposed to behave, speak and conduct
business when dealing with customers. So when they have to deal with a different
situation - that's not in the manual - all hell breaks loose. I once went to a
cafe for some breakfast. They had a morning set in place and a selection of
drinks to choose from included. I didn't want any of the drinks listed but I
was prepared to pay the same price anyway. The staff insisted that I order a
drink irrespective. So they gave me an iced tea which I didn't drink. What a
waste.
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| Photo courtesy of jpninfo.com |
Healthcare
In
England, healthcare is free (ish) so coming to Japan which has a system similar
to the United States was a bit of a blow to me (and it's not cheap either).
That said, because I'm now paying for my healthcare and because it's Japan, I
figured the healthcare would be much better than back home but boy, was I
wrong.
The
first issue is that unlike back home, there are no general practitioners out
here which means that you have to find a specific type of clinic that deals
with your problem so let the search begin. The good thing is that there are
loads of practising consultants. The bad thing is that almost anyone with a
license can be one but it doesn't necessary mean they're actually any good. Doctors
are also called 先生
(sensei) or "teacher" out here so patients usually defer to them and some
doctors think of themselves as superior and all-knowing when in truth, they
could use some fine-tuning and bed-side manner training of their own (bedside
manner doesn't really exist out here by the way).
Furthermore,
doctors also have a habit of prescribing medicine that treats only the symptoms
and not necessary the actual problem itself so the issue actually reoccurs and
you end up having to go back. As a result, I'm convinced that the healthcare
here isn't actually about helping people get better but about having them come
back so that the doctors can line their pockets because you're still paying
them after all. Therefore, I'd take my free, under-staffed and over-capacity
NHS any day. At least I'll get better.
Fashion
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| Photo taken from Pinterest |
A
person I once knew said it perfectly. For
females, Japanese fashion comes in two types - little girl or grandma.
Obviously, there are sub-cultures and what not in between - visual kei,
b-boy...etc - but if we're looking on a general scale at what most members of
society would find acceptable, I believe female clothing fits comfortably into
those two categories.
In
Japan, youth and cuteness is life. The word 可愛い(kawaii)
or "cute" is constantly heard throughout the year. Girls love cute
things for example, key rings, bows, lace, frills...etc. So it's not uncommon
for girls and young women to pander to this image. It is seen on billboards, in
magazines and on television. Even ladies in their thirties want to look cute
and some will even behave a certain way. When I was living in Hiroshima, I used
to frequent a Starbucks and speak to one of the ladies working there. She had a
very young and energetic feel to her. I was convinced she was my age (I was in
my mid-twenties at the time) only to find out that she had two teenage
children. Mind was blown.
On
the other hand, women also dress more conservatively. They might show off their
legs the younger they are but cleavage is not a thing here and I very rarely
see older ladies exposing their arms in Winter or Summer. Office ladies might
adopt the white shirt and two piece black suit - blazer and skirt (often
knee-length). The shopping centre across from me has a whole host of old lady
garments too - usually good quality but overpriced.
This
is obviously an exaggeration but neither style particularly suits me. , I find
it increasingly difficult to find things I like here in order to dress how I'd
like. As a result, I'm pretty sure I dress more like a guy - especially when
I'm at work.
Loneliness
Since
coming to Japan, I have met lots of people. I've attended many events. I
laughed. I exchanged details. But Japan - or at least where I am - is actually
quite cold in places. I often hear non-Kanto folk (Kanto is the region I live
in) describe Tokyo to be that way (not too dissimilar to London) and I have to
say that it hits the nail on the head. As a foreigner living in Japan, I've
experienced it myself and I've heard it said so many times. To form connections
with the Japanese can be very difficult. A lot of Japanese people see
foreigners as temporary because a lot of foreigners - especially teachers -
come for a couple of years and then go home so all that effort forming a
friendship and putting effort into someone might seem like a waste to them.
In
addition, they do take a while to warm up to you. The whole 内・外
(uchi-soto)
or "inside" (in-group) and "outside" (out-group) is a real
thing here. The in-group being the Japanese and the out-group being everyone
else. I started salsa classes 6 months ago and it's only recently that the
group members have actually started to try to talk to me and include in - this is
including my teacher. They can start off very formal and cold towards you which
I'm presuming is just a way of sizing you up before they actually "open
the doors".
At
the same time however, if you make waves or have a dispute, rather than chew it
out like we do back in England, they'd rather do a slow ghosting whereby
they'll gradually stop hanging out with you and will stop contacting you and
that is universally accepted in this country because no one likes conflict.
Someone
might be very friendly and polite on the surface but may harbour deep-ridden
animosity towards you on the inside and you may never know. People often don't
talk about problems or issues with another. Complaining to someone can be seen
as burdening them or may make you look less than favourable too in some cases.
And being direct is an absolute no-no. I've heard a lot of Japanese people say
that they wish they could be direct but they simply just can't. It's not a
thing here.
Therefore,
as people from the west who deal with issues head on, who might talk openly
about ourselves from the off and who try to be more personable, it's is a
completely different system out here. So forming genuine relationships or
connections with people out here (more so apparent if you're here long term)
might feel next to near impossible and as a result, isolation or loneliness
might set in.
~
So
these are a few of the things that I don't like about Japan and I'd like to
stress that these are my own opinions so you should probably take them with a
grain of salt. Everyone experiences Japan differently. Some people haven't a
bad word to say about it while others are knee-deep in their feelings.
Such
is life right?
