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When you’re planning your first trip to Japan, after a while, all the guides and articles start to look the same. Don’t tip. Do bow. Don’t stand your chopsticks up in your rice. It’s all good advice, but what about the rest? What about the little things that don’t make it on the top ten lists?
I’ve called these “spoilers”, but they’re not really. Knowing about this stuff in advance won’t ruin your trip — in fact, it just might help you enjoy it even more.
1. Everything has a mascot and a jingle. Everything.
A cute dog cartoon showing you the visa process at the airport? Sure. A jingle playing when you walk into the convenience store? Why not.
The Japanese are crazy about mascots, which means that everything from your chain hotel to your elevator instructions to your local shrine probably has its own kawaii (“cute”) little cartoon champion.
Jingles are scarcely less ubiquitous. Every subway stop has its own theme tune for when the train arrives, and you can even buy a CD of your favourite. Rubbish trucks play Japanese folk songs and Christmas carols. My personal favourite unexpected jingle was a cleaning cart being pushed by a janitor.
When you put it all together, it’s an adorable assault on the eyes and ears. Enjoy it!
2. Get used to looking up
With over 70% of the country covered in mountains, space is pretty limited in Japan — and if you can’t spread out, you have to spread up.
Skyscrapers dominate Japan’s city skylines, and it’s not unusual for hundreds of companies to live within the same building. This means that a quiet, nondescript street could be buzzing with activity behind closed doors — you just can’t see it from the ground. So, if you’re having trouble finding that great sushi place you were told about, try looking up!
3. Get used to looking down
Building vertically isn’t limited to above the ground! Japan may be known for its skyscrapers, but its subterranean world might be even more extensive. Never mind the tangled webs of subway systems — entire department stores also live underground, with vast warrens of shops stretching for miles beneath the streets. Yaesu Mall in Tokyo, for instance, has nearly 200 shops, including 60 restaurants and cafés, and it’s not at all unusual to find high-end eateries hidden away underneath department stores and train stations.
4. They know how to deal with weather
The Japanese take every weather condition in their stride. When it is hot, there are misting machines, air conditioning and fans galore. People carry umbrellas for sun protection and small towels to dab away sweat. When it’s cold, restaurants get out their heated kotatsu tables, bubbling vats of hotpot appear in convenience stores, and people warm up in steaming hot springs — often under the stars.
When it rains, everybody magically has an umbrella. Every store has a stand outside where you can leave it, and nobody will have pinched it when you come out. Some even have a contraption that’ll wrap your umbrella in plastic so you don’t drip indoors!
We could all learn something from the Japanese about dealing with the weather!
5) Limited or no Japanese is not a problem
Lots of people are put off visiting Japan because of the language barrier, but don’t be! What with the Rugby World Cup in 2019 and the coming Tokyo Olympics, Japan has never been more accessible to English speakers. For your first trip, you’ll probably be sticking to the better-known tourist spots, which means that you’ll encounter plenty of English — including train station announcements, restaurant menus, and street signs.
Of course, you’re not going to understand everything all of the time, but that’s part of the fun of Japan — and the Japanese are so friendly you’ll never be short of somebody to help you out.
6) It’s clean. So clean…
For a country with so few public bins (if you see one, use it!) it is incredible how clean and tidy Japan is. You probably know this already, but it’s still a surprise in real life.
The Sumida river of Tokyo has a fraction of the crisp packets you’ll find in London’s Thames, and the Dotonburi canal in Osaka is infinitely tidier than the canals in Birmingham. Even at rowdy gigs in rock clubs, the locals do not throw their empty plastic cups on the floor. At the end of the night, if there are any stray cups around, people collect them up on their way out. It is a beautiful thing.
7) Contrast and harmony
It has become a cliché to call Japan a “country of contrasts”, but it’s true. Thriving consumerism coexists with Zen Buddhism, tradition brushes up against modernity on every street corner, and “hole in the floor” toilets can be found in the same facilities as ones with 18 buttons. My favourite example is Japan’s obsession with the fax machine. Even today, while the country’s tech shops are overflowing with futuristic gadgetry, every office still has one — and uses it.
8) The bullet train isn’t *that* special
Before my first trip, my friends and colleagues were in awe that I was going to be riding a bullet train. I’m not sure what I expected — an experience to tell future generations about, maybe? They run about every 10 minutes. You buy a ticket, you get on, you get off at your destination. A clean and efficient train service isn’t to be sniffed at, but don’t be downhearted if it isn’t a trip highlight.
If you’ve been inspired by Cat’s trip to Japan, don’t hesitate to get in touch with one of our consultants to begin planning your trip today. We’ll put together a tailor-made proposal free of charge, or book you onto one of our fabulous group tours! Click here to contact us.