Japanese Work Culture ~ Due Diligence

I’m actually in the process of writing up a second part to a prior entry I made and I was going to include this topic but figured that this was something that could quite comfortably stand alone. For you see, it’s not really news that Asians work bloody hard. In England, the highest number of Asians are Pakistani, Bangladeshi and Indian and they’ve done well for themselves. But the Japanese working culture is indeed what I would describe as a culture shock. And while it doesn’t directly affect me – as more often than not, I still see a two-day weekend and I don’t work nearly as many hours as the rest of the country – I’ve come to find that the way in which Japanese people regard work is quite interesting.

Look at that dedication.

Now I was previously aware from other sources that the Japanese – especially the men – are extremely conscientious. They bring home bacon like no tomorrow to support their families and anyone who does this is to be commended really. But I didn’t realise the exact extent of what it means to be a worker here. Because as a worker, you’re not just another employee; you’re an important piece – a cog even – operating inside a well oiled machine. And the harder you work, the better it is not only for your superiors but for your fellow colleagues as well. Everyone needs to work together. There is no “I” in “team” and all that jazz. And fundamentally, there are a lot of rules that must be followed, making it a far cry shy of where I’m from.

In the UK, the working week is fairly fixed. Most people work Monday to Friday, 9am until 5pm. There are folk that work early mornings however and some that do nights, but the “9 ‘til 5” momentum still stands and when Friday comes, people throw off the shackles and let loose. My general working week is Tuesday to Saturday (with a few changes here and there every couple of weeks) but what I came to find when leaving my house particularly early one Saturday morning was that there were lots of people out and about. This surprised me for 7.30 in the morning because on a Saturday in London, there’s barely a body about unless their staggering home after that Friday night. The train was positively rammed and it started to make me realise that whatever routine I may have been used to back home, does not exist here.

People work around the clock. Just because it says you’re starting time is 8am, it doesn’t mean you arrive at 8am. You have to arrive earlier – sometimes thirty minutes earlier or more. Arriving on time is frowned upon here and arriving late is just damn right bad manners. Persistent offences without a valid reason could even get you fired. In a similar fashion, leaving on time is just as bad. People might finish at 6pm but as a method of demonstrating commitment to one’s job, people will often leave later. (I sometimes wonder if people race in order not to be the first to leave). As a result, I could be coming home at midnight and I’ll see a train full of people heading in the opposite direction as they make the commute home. What’s more, I never see my neighbours but I can hear them and I’m aware that they leave for work earlier than I do and on occasion will return home later than I do.

I do not envy them.

I’ve also, noticed that it’s rare for people to have two consecutive days off. A friend of mine will work a five day week with a day off and then will work a four, five or even six day week (depending on whether it’s crunch time) before the next day off. This makes scheduling days or even evenings out quite difficult but I think the offices here try to make up for this by incorporating company events e.g. the infamous bounenkai (end of year party) and shinenkai (start of year party).

This “working culture” however doesn’t just extend to adults however, but to children as well. It isn’t uncommon for me to see kids out and about in school uniform on a Saturday as they make the trek to their cram schools or extra curricula activities. And they come out in their droves. I had even considered that some schools spilled over onto Saturdays at one point but I suppose that this time of year being exam period means that even the kids are working hard, whether trying to pass that high school entry exam or making their families proud.

Might not be a mansion but at least he made it.

Even the homeless are at it. In the UK, we attach a stigma to homeless people. They smell, they smoke, they drink and as such, it’s very difficult for a lot of them to find work. After all, who wants to be served by scruffy looking vagabond in the supermarket? But in Japan, not having a home doesn’t necessarily mean one doesn’t have a job. They might not have a most appealing of jobs but even the homeless have found alternative ways of survival. Some have even made little communities and ramshackle abodes for themselves as a means of shelter. In the UK, most folk sleep on the streets and if they try to make something for themselves, the police will move them on. In Japan, I think most people consider the homeless untouchable – literally – so as long as they’re not harming anyone, they’re left to their devices.

Otsukaresama desu! This is something that is frequently used in the workplace to acknowledge fellow workers and their hard work. I frequently use it during meetings or whenever I make a phone call to head office. I suspect this has become a necessity or has always been a necessity because following hard work comes the fatigue and everyone likes to be thanked in some way or other for putting in all those hours. Because when one day ends, the next begins. And at the end of that day, it I often see various people flaked out or fast asleep on the train. (Believe me, I’ve been there too).

So dust yourself off, roll your head back and close your eyes, young man. You’ve seriously earned yourself that kip.

The Japan Files ~ Sexism and the Salaryman

I got a lot of questions when I told people I was headed to Japan, but the question I received the most (after “when are you going?”) was “why?”. Why Japan? Why don’t you teach in London? What’s Japan got that London doesn’t? And like many others who have crossed the divide, we all have our reasons. We might have had some interest in Japan for quite some time. We might desire to kickstart a new career or enhance job prospects for an old one. Or we might not have had any interest in Japan at all and were simply curious about living somewhere outside of our own norms. On one occasion however, somebody asked me a variation of the above. They asked me why I would want to go to a country that is essentially sexist.

Now I’m aware that in the East, the rules are a little different concerning men and women. There are a lot of what I would consider “old-fashioned” values that are very tried and true here. And while I can’t speak for other countries, I can about Japan, both based on having noticed personally as well as based what I’ve read.

You see, the salaryman – the typical Japanese businessman – is a huge feature here, probably in a similar way to all those businessmen back home. But while being an office jockey in the UK mightn’t mean you’re held in high regard, the salaryman is seen as some sort of ultimate gateway to a comfortable lifestyle. But with this gateway comes long hours, hard work and a lot more than just company procedure because let me tell you this - Japanese people work really hard. So I can understand the necessity to blow off some steam. But as a woman from the west, I can’t help but wonder about certain establishments and what have you that sort of pander to the men here.

Let’s take the izakaya for example. I see this as fundamentally a bar designed for people to get together and drink the night away. Izakayas are popular with Japanese and foreigner alike however, usually because they offer an all-you-can-drink option (nomihodai) for a set price and for a set amount of hours. On occasion, they’ll offer food – more often than not with an all-you-can-eat option (tabehodai). Heck, sometimes they’ll even combine them. These usually manifest as a type of bonding facility as with Japanese workplaces, team-building and togetherness is paramount for the function of almost every company. And what better way really for a group of guys to bond than wile eating, drinking, smoking and getting royally merry.

Next we have the Host Club. Now Host Clubs which target females are in existence as well but I’m pretty sure this wasn’t always the case. I believe I’ve already mentioned the basis for these institutions. You go in, order a drink, select a “host” and spend your evening chatting and/or flirting the night away in their company. And really, what man wouldn’t want to spend his evening with an attractive woman? Men are visual creatures after all and as creatures, they simply can’t help but ogle potential as it skirts by. Maybe that’s why Host Clubs are such big business.

I found this hotel in Nagoya

This brings me to my next point. The Love Hotel. I’ve already heard it said that these were primarily designed for businessmen to sleep with their secretaries while their wives sit at home under the impression that they’re hard at work.  It’s a bold statement, I know and while I’m sure that not everything that goes in there is entirely innocent, I also understand that it’s impossible to generalise. After all, for some, it probably genuinely is merely a basis to spend time with a significant other. At the same time, however, coming from the west, I can’t help but wonder what an ordinary hotel has that a Love Hotel doesn’t – excluding the boutique style rooms. Why the apparent need for secrecy if one’s relationship is legitimate?

Next up are porn mags and other adult reading material. Now these are apparent in the West as well but in the UK are usually kept on the top shelves so as to keep out of reach of minors. What’s more, you aren’t allowed to stand and read them in the shop either. A newsagent is not a library. But in Japan, not only are porn magazines within arms-reach of anyone, but it isn’t uncommon for your typical salaryman to stand there and have a flick through while he makes up his mind as to whether it’s worth buying or not. And apparently, people read these openly on the trains and other methods of public transport as if it’s standard reading material. So our salaryman gets his jollies and no one bats an eyelid.

Chikan or perverts who grope women (usually on trains) are known very well in this country as well. There are often warnings about them all over the place and I believe it still occurs to this day. In the West, if a man gropes a woman on a train I believe she would become rather vocal about it; that or someone else having seen the attack would step in out of pure disgust. In Japan, this isn’t generally the case. It’s quite common here to turn a blind eye and people aren’t generally vocal about such things. But even though Japan has taken steps to try to warn women about them – they’ve even created women-only train carriages to help them feel safe – I don’t think I’ve ever heard of a chikan getting arrested…

Lastly, I’ll talk about the workforce. While the new millennium has seen an increase in working women, it isn’t uncommon for women to ditch the trade here after marriage. There has been an influx of career women however (the equivalent to the salaryman) but in contrast to those women who drop off the work ladder to start families, these career woman usually end up sacrificing married life for the job due to the high demand that work places on people in Japan. And while I’m sure there are some women that manage to maintain working while at home, I wonder if it’s as common as it is in the West.

So is Japan sexist?

Probably.

But then is Japan really any different from anywhere else. In the West, men also, pay for the company of women – albeit for a slightly different (often illegal) method of company. Pornography, while often viewed privately, is still prevalent. In the workforce, sociologists talk about the infamous glass ceiling that prevents women from excelling and moving up the career ladder. And who needs an izakaya really when all you need to do is head to your local boozer and drink as much as your wallet will allow you.

So all in all, while I do believe to an extent that Japan does cater moreso for the typical salaryman or man in general, I don’t believe the country is any more sexist than anywhere else.

The Japan Files ~ General Misconceptions

The world is rife with stereotypes. All Black women are aggressive? All slim people are healthy? All Japanese people are short…? And while I do believe that stereotypes possess a small manner of truth to them (a very small manner), I also dislike stereotypes because it’s not physically possible to generalise an entire population. So for this article, I’m going to talk about some common generalisations that people – including myself – have made about Japan and I’m going to both confirm or debunk them.

So let’s kick this thing off with the thing about Japanese people being very short. For the most part, things are much smaller her. My fridge is small; my washing machine is small – heck, my apartment is small and yes, some Japanese people are small. But some Japanese people are really tall as well. I find this to be especially the case with men. Now I’m pretty tall myself and people are often amazed at my height – granted, I’m a foreign woman – but I’ve even seen Japanese women tower over me, making me look tiny. So let’s kick this conception to the curb, shall we? Japanese people come in many different heights.

The same thing could be said about size. I’ve already had it confirmed by a Japanese friend of mine that in Japan – thin is in. Thin gives way to small, and small and cute things dominate here – especially for women. But in Hiroshima, I’ve seen many a shape – men and women alike. I’ve seen super lanky women and big and rotund men. My students are all different shapes and sizes and while I’m pretty sure I’m the only one I’ve seen with my particular shape so to speak – I’ve yet to come across someone wearing tight or revealing clothing – I don’t feel so out of place. In terms of shape and size, I could very well be walking around London.

Now, bodies aside, I reckon I’ve mentioned it in the past but Japan has a big drinking culture – very much like the UK. But unlike the UK, people are under the notion that the Japanese can’t hold their liquor. Now of my very small circle of Japanese friends, a couple have admitted that it takes all but one drink to put them under the influence – although I wonder what actually passes for drunk over here. For the most part however, the Japanese are pretty much like people anywhere else in the world. There are some people that can hold their drink and some people that really should start taking lessons. I mean, I was at a party and I had no idea that this small Japanese woman was wasted. She managed to switch from Japanese to English with perfect ease at one point and simply kept knocking them back whereas in the UK, I’ve seen what can happen when the average British punter knocks back around seven or eight pints.

And speaking of mannerisms, I’ve constantly heard it said that Japanese people are super polite. And once again, a lot of the time it is true. Starbucks here is a perfect example of this. I have never gone to a Starbucks in Japan and felt unwelcome. People welcome you into shops (most of the time), and I even had a random stranger come up to me welcoming me to Japan. But Japanese people are like any other people really. They have their good days and their bad ones; they may or may not be good at hiding how they feel. And they may get drunk and unruly. I’ve been turned away at a shop with a rather abrupt “no” when I asked for help. I’ve had people jump in front of me when going through the ticket barriers. So yes, while some people are generally quite nice here, some people just aren’t.

And speaking of politeness, let’s not forget Japanese children. Now before I arrived, I expected that most children would be pretty well behaved due to that famous Japanese notion of uniformity and not making waves. I promise you this – Japanese children are like western children who are like any other child in the world. Some will be adorable to behold and some will be little demons in disguise. Children are children are children. They will love you, laugh with you, laugh at you and they will test your patience. Don’t let this culture of politeness fool you. Kids will be kids and teenagers will definitely be teenagers.

Which brings me to my final point. Rules. In the UK, there are rules that don’t necessarily warrant a fine or are difficult to police like littering or drinking alcohol on the underground. Naturally, people will still do things if they know they might not be caught. I already mentioned the idea of uniformity being common here and it is. People will queue up to get on the train. People will wait at a road crossing for the green man to appear even when it’s quite obvious that no cars will be coming for a while. But people are people and there are some people that break these rules. Some people smoke on the street even though they’re not supposed to; some people kick and break vending machines. And I’m pretty sure that there’s a person that purposely drops a bag of rubbish every day in the middle of the street near my ward office just because. I’ve had people admit to me that they prefer to play to the beat of their own drum. So yes, while some people conform to rules here, some people just don’t want to.

So I think the message here is to consider that hearsay isn’t always guaranteed. And just because something may seem commonplace because of the associated culture, it isn't always set in stone.

Sense & Sensibility ~ Making “Sense” of Japan

Let’s face facts.

I’m a foreigner.

In every way shape and form out here.

And as a foreigner coming from halfway across the globe, there have been times where I’ve scrunched up my face and asked myself why the native inhabitants of this land do the things that they do. And it’s to be expected really. I’m an outsider looking in and the customs, characteristics and what have you are obviously going to be much different to what I’m used to. So I try to make sense of it because I’m sure that in the same way that thousands of foreigners have had to make sense of the UK and it’s primarily “British mannerisms”, I’ve simply got to stick my ore in and make sense of everything around me.

People like to look good here. Whether it’s the smart looking thirteen-year-old in school uniform, the polished salaryman on his way to work, or the aspiring fashionista prowling the streets, looking good and dressing well makes a lasting impression. And don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing wrong with wanting to look good. What I don’t get however is when wanting to look good crosses outside logic. In fact, I’ve had this disagreement with a good friend of mine who’s very much into fashion also, but right now it’s rather cold here in Hiroshima. I’m reminded of London every time I set foot outside my door. So I can’t understand why anyone would walk the streets without a coat or why any woman would walk the streets in a miniskirt (without tights mind you) simply at the expense of making a statement. And don’t get me wrong, people in the UK do this as well but I tend to find that this is more apparent when people have the intention of getting completely sloshed. Maybe alcohol numbs the senses; I’m not sure. In Japan however, it could be eleven o clock in the morning, raining ice cubes and someone somewhere will be “making a statement”.

The same could be said about high heels. Now Japanese women are known for being short and heels are known to elevate, making one’s legs look longer and provide women with a little elegance in their step. So I get it. Really, I do. It’s the same for women in the west. We wanna look taller, thinner, sexier, a little more lady-like…etc. Nevertheless, I also run on the side of logic and wonder why anyone would buy a pair of heels that are clearly impossible for them to walk in. Now irrespective of my height, it’s on occasionally that I wear heels and usually it’s a low heel as I feel comfortable walking in them. In Japan, it seems that the taller (and sometimes thinner) the heel the better. I’ve seen women struggling across a straight terrain or walking up stairs as if pulling themselves through mud. It does not compute to me why anyone would desire to put themselves through such aggravation.

In the UK, when you join a mobile phone company, most companies will have tariffs which allow you to contact other people who might happen to be with different networks. This is of course as long as you don’t exceed the minutes within your allowance (note: this doesn’t usually apply to premium rate numbers; I was caught out before). In Japan, they have a thing about loyalty. Take me for example. My mobile provider, Softbank, will allow me to call any other Softbank user free of charge (between 1am and 9pm only) but will charge me ridiculous amounts if I even think about contacting their competition e.g. Docomo, AU….etc and other premium numbers. What makes this kind of redundant is that most people in Japan use this handy like app called LINE which not only allows you to send free texts but also, allows you to make free calls (video calls as well). So all I can think of really is why one of the “big three” doesn’t offer a loophole for network-to-network communication because I’m pretty sure they’d have customers flocking in their general direction.

Got a runny nose? Feel that line of mucus creeping along your nasal cavity? No hanky available? Well it’s perfectly acceptable to sniff that booger back in. Perfectly acceptable in the UK too. But people don’t just sniff here; they snort. And sometimes very loudly as well. I’ve yet to find a woman that snorts (although I’m sure there’s one somewhere) so I’m dubbing this is a male-only thing. Nevertheless, I’m already aware that blowing your nose out in public is a little bit taboo here and I think it’s because it’s considered bad manners – maybe because of the sound it makes. But what I don’t get is that if it’s the noise that’s genuinely the issue, why is snorting – which makes an equally loud noise – seemingly acceptable here? Or maybe it isn’t and people turn a blind eye to it which is also, common here. But it gets me thinking to myself…what?

It’s pretty universal that when you’re standing at a zebra crossing and the green man appears, as a pedestrian, you have right of way. Japan is no different in that respect (compete with bird noises). What I’ve found however, is that if you’re standing at a junction and you have right of way, a car can turn into the road that you’re walking across even though…you know, you have right of way. Oh certainly, they’ll wait for you to cross (although I have nearly been ran into once already), but being from the UK, I’m not so used to having to deal with this unless I’m purposely crossing the road when I’m not supposed to. Because fundamentally, back home, if a car is allowed to turn into the street, the red man will remain as a warning whereas the green man signifies that cars are barred, at least for a little while.

Now I can’t generalise. I’m sure there are plenty of people that don’t snort, or that full out refuse to wear seven inch heels, but it’s difficult not to make connections and associations when you see things occur time and time again. I guess this is how stereotypes come about but that’s another topic for another day. I simply can’t help but go “huh?” from time to time however, and I suspect they’ll be other instances that make me cock an eyebrow in surprise and/or curiosity. All I can do however, is deal with it. I’m on new terrain now and as they say:

When in Rome….

Japan ~ The Land of....

So in roughly six days, I will have spent one month Japan and I must say that I’ve had myself a handful of experiences and in such a short amount of time no less. There have been highs and lows – typical things that come with being a foreigner in a strange place. And I’ve had to navigate my way about quite a lot in these last few weeks. I wonder what I would have done had it not been for my maps and the wonderful Hyperdia. But while Japan does have a lot to offer in terms of splendour, beauty and other opposites from London town, some things just seem a little “standard procedure” even though for a foreigner like me, it’s a little different. But it wasn’t like I wasn’t expecting a complete overhaul. After all, I’ve heard from Japanese people in my own country that they could not believe how unclean it was. Culture shock for the win. But in the same way that my life back home had these typical characteristics, Japan has its very own version as well.

Train Lines

I can’t speak for the rest of England but in London, we utilise two systems – the underground (or the tube) and the overhead trains which frequently lead outside of the city and all over the UK. For someone coming in, it seems rather complicated. There are many lines on the underground and various service providers for the overhead crawlers. I’ve spent a fair amount of time in three cities already – Nagoya, Osaka and of course, Hiroshima – and it seems like every city has its own subway and overhead trains which lead into other cities with their own subways and overhead trains. Osaka was particularly chaotic for me (although I’ve heard Tokyo is worse). I’ve been very fortunate however in that most train lines and their stations provide information in English (I can’t fathom how people navigated the systems all those decades ago). But when a subway station has a Hankyu line and a Kintetsu line counterpart, both of which are called different names and you need to take this train to get on this line to get to Nara and then another line to get to Kyoto, it starts getting a bit hazy. And then of course, there are the famous JR lines which are not for the faint of heart.

In London, when a train is going to split and terminate at separate locations, the destinations of both stations will appear on the screen as well as an explanation both on screen and over tannoy. On the JR line, this was not the case for me. It only specified the furthest station so while all the signs were pointing at a specific platform, I was supremely baffled for a good twenty minutes, trying to figure out why platform 9 had seemingly no trains heading back to Osaka. It was only by chance that I heard “Osaka” (amongst other Japanese being spoken) over the tannoy that I hesitated a guess that the train was going to split (I’d nearly been caught out once before). So with limited Japanese, I asked someone if I was in the right place and low and behold, the first three coaches of a sixteen coach train would be travelling to my destination. Imagine that – I had a 13 in 16 chance of heading somewhere completely different.

That said, if I had to go back, I’m pretty sure that I’d be able to navigate the train lines a little better but for a first timer, it was a bit overwhelming.

But speaking of trains…

Sounds

In London, when a train is going to arrive, you can hear it approaching whether it’s meandering alone the tracks or zooming out of a tunnel. In Japan, when a train is about to arrive, you hear a sweet little jingle. And I think these jingles are different dependant on the station or area. I found these to be quite endearing.

What I also, found was that whenever you stand at a zebra crossing and the ‘green man’ appears indicating for you to cross, it also, plays a sound and more often than not, it sounds like some sort of bird or generic beeping noise. In London, the ‘green man’ is a silent emblem of safety. In Japan, it’s a mini fanfare singing your presence across the street.

Pachinko

His Highness lives about fifteen minutes from my apartment

When I first arrived in Japan, I adopted the ‘fly mentality’. What this means is that I reckoned that anything with bright lights must be interesting. And the bigger and bolder the lights, the more I was drawn to it as Japan has drummed up some interesting buildings. But what I’ve also, come to realise is that most buildings with fancy lights and extravagant structures usually only mean one thing, and this thing is called pachinko. Now in Japan, gambling is illegal. However, as a means of sort of undercutting the rule, pachinko was born and sort of represents what we westerners would call a slot machine. I’m not a gambler in my own country so I don’t understand the game well but from what I can understand, players have the chance to win balls. These balls can then be exchanged for prizes, which can then be taken offsite to be exchanged for money. I tend to find more men in there than women but I have seen to odd old-aged pensioner giving it a whirl. What’s more, they’re allowed to smoke inside and often when I walk passed one, I can smell the fumes five metres away. As I despise smoke with a passion, I think I’ve been giving pachinko a miss. Still makes for some interesting photos nonetheless.

Oh, and if it isn’t a pachinko parlour, it’s probably a karaoke joint. More often than not however, it’s pachinko.

But speaking of karaoke…

These places are just about everywhere too. There’s one not fifteen minutes from my front door but I’ve been discouraged from going there due to its limited music selection. I have been to a karaoke bar at least three times however and I’ve had a very good time. I believe they’re regularly used by young people and salarymen trying to blow off some steam. A lot of the karaoke places I went to offered an all-you-can-drink option for a select amount of time (also, known as a nomihodai) so you have the option of wetting your whistle, singing your lungs out, becoming roaringly drunk and drunkenly singing the night away. Unfortunately, however, not all karaoke bars cater to the incompetent-with-Japanese-English-foreigner so the first time I went, we spent twenty minutes of our allotted hour slot trying to figure out how to use the machine. Generally, however, it is true that you get what you pay for so the bigger the establishment, the wider the selection of songs, drinks, options and what have you. The most I’ve spent on karaoke is 1000 yen however for a couple of hours which I don’t think is all that bad…but then I’m not much of a drinker.

So would I go back?

In a heartbeat.

Recycling

In London, most if not all households will own one bin. They’ll layer it with bin liner, fill it to the brim with all their waste and then toss it into another bin outside which the bin men come and collect once or twice a week. In Japan, the waste system is a bit more intricate. You have to separate your plastics from your burnables and your burnables from your cardboard. If you don’t do it correctly, you can be fined which is a bit much for the foreigner who’s used to chucking things all together at once. So far so good for me however. If I’m unsure about something, I’ll put it on its owned or I’ll head to the local convenience store and chuck it there. What I also, find interesting about Japan is that despite being a relatively clean country, there are no bins on the street so I frequently have to wait to find a convenience store or a train station if I’m out and about, just to drop my trash off there. People don’t litter so much here either which is a good thing but I find the lack of bins a little annoying as who really likes walking with rubbish really? But I understand that the reason bins are few and far between is because they consider them an eyesore here. Understandable because in London, bins regularly become over-flown and someone else’s leavings spilling out onto the street is not attractive in the slightest.

Bikes

In London, I can comfortably say that more people own a car than a bike. In Japan, I can’t say for sure but I believe that a lot of people own bikes and if they own a car, they probably own a bike too…or at least they know someone who does. In my family, my mother is the only one who owns a bike and actively uses it. In Japan, bikes are everywhere. And instead of riding them in the road like they do back home, they ride them on the pavement - something which is frowned upon in London unless you’re a child. Over here, a bike is looked upon like a car. In the same way that people can be caught out for drink-driving, you can be caught out for drink-riding and the limit for alcohol consumption is much lower here than in the west so just a little food for thought. People are also  encouraged to register their bikes here as it’s not uncommon for bikes to get stolen. You are also, encouraged not to ride and chat on a phone but what you can do is hook an umbrella to your bike if it’s raining. In the UK, I think it would be considered a little odd but it actually makes a lot of sense. Who really likes riding home in the rain anyway?

~

So yes, just a few things that have stood out to me in particular since I arrived here. I'm sure I'll find a few more regular occurrences, especially in my own city that mightn't be typical of the rest of Japan. 

The Capsule Hotel ~ Japan’s Answer to the Hostel

Well, it wasn’t on my to-do list but it was certainly something that I desired to experience and not even a month in, I’ve managed to have the opportunity to stay in a Capsule Hotel. Now for those in the cheap seats, a capsule hotel is a hotel designed to house those who don’t require the luxuries of a typical hotel. So all in all, there is no eating area, no en suite bathroom and no bar, lounge, night club or swimming pool. Fundamentally, the capsule hotel is exactly what is says on the tin. Your bedroom is a capsule – a small compartment in the wall amongst many other small compartments in the wall. The only thing you do in there is sleep…or watch television. I stayed at the Capsule Hotel Asahi Plaza in Shinsaibashi, Osaka and my capsule was thus below:

Capsule 430 at the Asahi Plaza

So I suspect you’re wondering why I would find such a tiny compartment rather exciting. After all, it’s nothing compared to the five star options that some of us westerners are used to. Nevertheless, while it may simply be nothing more than a hole in the wall, the fact that it’s not something that exists where I’m from makes it even more interesting to me. I’ve lived in my tiny little London bubble all my life so now that I have the opportunity to try new things, I’m taking them as they come. And as yet another Japanese invention, it was only right that I opted for a capsule hotel – even if it ends up only being once.

I wasn’t alone for the experience but upon arrival, we had to remove our shoes at the entrance and put them in lockers. After completing some paperwork, we were issued with keys and a quick run through for where everything was. First impressions were that it was quite cool. I was in ‘foreigner-fantasy’ mode where everything and anything new looks amazing. The women’s’ capsules were separate from the men’s and the first thing that hit me when stepping into the lift heading down was the heat. Now I’m a fan of heat so this was nice for me but I reckon that the high temperature was coming from the bath and shower rooms as inside them was a sauna as well. Get in. We were issued a key that permitted us entry into the women’s area and which also, served as a means for us to put away our belongings inside a locker.

Now in true Japan style, these lockers were quite narrow and I had a small suitcase, a laptop bag and a large coat with me. I managed to shove my stuff in the locker however and in return, I found a couple of towels, a sponge and a pyjama set waiting inside. Unfortunately, said pyjamas were not westerner friendly. The bottoms were like shorts on me whereas they pretty much fit to the floor on one particularly small Japanese woman. There were laundry bins all over the place however so when you were done with yours, all you had to do was toss them inside.

Now I wish I had taken a picture, but also, in the women’s’ area was a powder room. This came complete with multiple sinks, stools, face wash and moisturiser, sterilised brushes and hair dryers. I thought this was a nice touch as the day I stayed in the hotel, myself and my collective were off on a night on the town so it was nice to have a room-length mirror to get ready in.

We had to return our keys to the front desk when we left. I suspect this is quite common in Japan as I’ve stayed in a couple of hotels now and upon re-entry, we simply had to quote the number and we were issued with our keys again. I wasn’t sure initially where people got dressed so opted to get dressed in my capsule. This was a bit uncomfortable and I’d often knock the sides of the capsule because I’m obviously not a small person. I was more concerned with disturbing the prominent quiet that seemed so prevalent about the capsules. It was really warm inside however and there was a small curtain that you could pull down if you wanted to shut out light or desired your own privacy.

I never used the television as I was so tired when I got in but I noticed that inside the capsule was a built-in alarm clock which I also, thought was cool.

Be aware that you are sleeping next to other people so if they start snoring, you’ll most definitely hear it. I had to deal with this for roughly twenty minutes in addition to people shuffling around but I was so tired that I flaked out soon afterward.

I woke up before the alarm I’d set and proceeded to do my morning ritual. During this time, I discovered that most people just got changed wherever they liked. Some got changed in the locker rooms but the most common location was obviously the bathhouse. I got the Japanese bathhouse experience only the water was a little bit too hot for me. There were a lot of people about but I suspect this was because check out times were fixed at 10am and any time later would incur a fine.

It was also, indicated that people had to vacate the premises between twelve and two in the afternoon to allow time for cleaning. This didn’t affect me so much as I only stayed one night but I can understand why this might be annoying for people who want the option of sleeping in.

Overall I had a pretty positive experience. I can’t speak for all Capsule Hotels but I figure that it’s probably not the best option for couples and definitely not something you should go to if you’re claustrophobic.

Asahi Plaza was located right in the middle of a night-life hotspot so it was a good location for what we needed it for. I would therefore give this Capsule Hotel, three and a half stars out of five.

Advice? It’s better to experience it for yourself.

Stupid Foreigner Moments ~ The Other Side

So, it’s been roughly two days since my arrival in Japan. I’ve become somewhat acquainted with my fellow staff members as we rough it through together. However, having spent the vast majority of life in a country where almost everybody speaks my language, finding myself now flipped to the bottom of the food chain, as it were, has become something of a rude awakening. Now, I mentioned earlier that one of my concerns with regards to coming to Japan was the language barrier that I was due to experience. I know basic Japanese from my poor attempts at self-learning and the ten week course I took upon arrival, but while some of it has been useful, my weaknesses with Japanese are as clear as day. I can say basic sentences and my pronunciation is pretty good – I’ve been told – but my listening ability sucks horrendously which makes having a small conversation extremely difficult. What’s more, I can’t help but think that from the native language speaker perspective, I must look like that annoyingly stupid foreigner that natives roll their eyes at.

Now that I’m on the other side, I find that I get embarrassed a lot more and that’s it’s difficult to get my personality across, even with the most simplest of requests. Take this rather embarrassing encounter. (I’m really fortunate that I wasn’t alone when it happened). In an attempt to gain access to the internet, we were instructed to head to an internet café a station ride away. I’m pretty sure this “internet café” fits the description of what is known as a “mangakisa”, a place where comic book and anime fans come together to chill out, surf the internet, read manga…etc. In the UK, an internet café is just that – a place to surf the internet. There are no restrictions and no ties. You walk in; ask to use a computer; the staff member will point you in the direction of said computer; you may or may not need to log in; you surf the internet; you finish; you get up and pay and that’s it! Bob’s your uncle. At this internet café, we had to join. So this included filling out a form which was of course entirely in Japanese.

I still feel sorry for the staff members at this point – one had basic English and one had none whatsoever but we were instructed to fill out the form nonetheless. It was probably a really simple form but it look rather intricate, and as such we only filled out our names, dates of birth and the address section which I could barely remember off the top of my head. After a little more faffing around – their rates of pay were in English – we were lead to a non-smoking area (even though I could smell the smoke from the smoking area nearby). We had the option of using their computers or bringing our own and hooking it up to their ethernet cables so we did the latter. Only, I couldn’t find a plug socket and my laptop can only span roughly forty-five minutes to one hour; it also, wasn’t fully charged so I was panicking. What’s more, I didn’t know the Japanese word for ‘plug socket’. I tried to show the staff member with no English what I needed but obviously he didn’t understand and ended up merely untangling the charger wire from my laptop. So before my computer died, I loaded up Facebook and located two of my Japanese friends asking them for the word in question. Neither of them answered particularly quickly so I loaded up a picture of a plug socket and decided to find one of the members of staff. I beckoned him to follow – with my hand turned down and not up – pointed at the image and blurted out “kore wa arimasu ka?” while pointing at the image. At first, he said “no” and I had a WTF moment and then after realising that I had a travel adapter attached to my plug, he pointed to underside of the table next to me and I wondered how the hell I managed to miss it completely. I thanked him and felt stupid. Japan – 1, Melissa – 0.

I now understand why people smile a lot more when they’re put in situations where there is a language barrier. People smile because they feel awkward. They can’t quite feel themselves because they know that they’re not able to communicate to the extent that they would if they were with someone who spoke the same language. So they smile. Smiling is universal; everybody the world over understands a smile and for the most part, won’t find it offensive. But it can also, act as a barrier in itself to dissuade the “what the hell am doing” or “I have no idea what you’re saying” vibe that one feels when they’re no longer in a position of familiarity. I’ve had plenty of these moments in the last couple of days and for someone like me, who’s used to being able to put myself forward correctly, it feels like it won’t get any easier.

Another shocker for me was how prevalent katakana is. For those not in the know, the Japanese language has three alphabets, for lack of a better term. Hiragana: used for Japanese words; Kanji: derived from Chinese characters; and Katakana: used for foreign words. For example, my name would be written in katakana because of course, it’s a foreign word. Katakana is virtually everywhere – at least in Nagoya anyway. I see it more than I see Hiragana which is often at times mind-boggling. I had actually promised myself that I would learn Katakana before I arrived in Japan but didn’t do so. My back’s against the wall now.

On a lighter note, one of my customer’s at my previous company recommended a book called “Japan – The Original Point-and-Speak Phrasebook”. This book has images with words in English, Romaji and Japanese characters and came in handy when I went to a couple of Japanese restaurants. I was able to ask a waitress what she would recommend as I wanted something with chicken in it; I was also, able to ask if the food was spicy and all I had to do was point at the word/image and put it into question form. In the second restaurant, I’m pretty sure the waitress commented positively on using the book so I intend to carry it around with me until I become a bit more competent with my language abilities. I would recommend it to anyone with as limited Japanese ability as I have. It includes sections on being at the airport, taking a train, food, sports, emergencies and my personal favourite – being at a pharmacy/clinic/hospital. I expect I’ll catch a cold at some point so that section will serve as an absolute gem when I need to describe my symptoms.

I feel odd and sometimes, I want to hide away, but I know that I have to keep throwing myself in the deep end. I have to attempt things on my own as well if I intend to get anywhere. And above all, I have to study. Right now, I have the support of my colleagues who are pretty much in the same predicament as me, but it won’t be like that forever – especially when I head over to Hiroshima. So I will push, because even though it feels like a mountain to climb, it’s something that I must overcome.

I’m sure there will be more “stupid foreigner moments” to come however.