{"id":26678,"date":"2020-05-11T04:19:47","date_gmt":"2020-05-11T03:19:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/?p=26678"},"modified":"2020-06-03T13:28:40","modified_gmt":"2020-06-03T12:28:40","slug":"culture-shock-every-day-in-japan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/2020\/05\/11\/culture-shock-every-day-in-japan\/","title":{"rendered":"Culture Shock every day in Japan"},"content":{"rendered":"<h4>Like this post? Help us by sharing it!<\/h4><ul class=\"wpfai-list\"><li class=\"wpfai-list-item facebook\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F26678&amp;t=\" title=\"Facebook\" class=\"wpfai-facebook wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-facebook fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item twitter\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/twitter.com\/share?text=&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F26678\" title=\"Twitter\" class=\"wpfai-twitter wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-twitter fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item pinterest\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/pinterest.com\/pin\/create\/button\/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F26678&amp;description=&amp;media=\" title=\"Pinterest\" class=\"wpfai-pinterest wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-pinterest fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item linkedin\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/linkedin.com\/shareArticle?mini=true&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F26678&amp;title=\" title=\"Linked In\" class=\"wpfai-linkedin wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-linkedin fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item envelope\">\r\n      <a href=\"mailto:?subject=&amp;body=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F26678%20-%20\" title=\"E-Mail\" class=\"wpfai-envelope wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-envelope fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item stumbleupon\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/www.stumbleupon.com\/submit?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F26678\" title=\"Stumble Upon\" class=\"wpfai-stumbleupon wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-stumbleupon fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item reddit\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/www.reddit.com\/submit?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F26678\" title=\"Reddit\" class=\"wpfai-reddit wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-reddit fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><\/ul><p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"InsideJapan Tours - Stay Inside Japan, part two: culture shock with Brett Plotz\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/WphghVVXt6Q?start=1&#038;feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">If you\u2019ve spent any time in Japan, you know it can be quite a bewitching place. The delicious food. The\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">quiet shrines. The peaceful gardens. For some, that is enough. Their time in Nippon goes by in a flash and they leave with cherished memories. For others, they have an amazing time, but become stuck on certain things: why is everything so clean? How did that waiter know I was going to drop my chopsticks and have a new set ready for me so fast? And wait<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0\u2013\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">where are all the trash<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">cans? For those who have those remaining, niggling thoughts (and for those who are just curious) maybe a little culture shock could be the cause.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_26702\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-26702\" style=\"width: 1024px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-26702\" src=\"https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Tea-Ceremony-2-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"Japanese hospitality\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" srcset=\"https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Tea-Ceremony-2-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Tea-Ceremony-2-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Tea-Ceremony-2-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Tea-Ceremony-2-564x376.jpg 564w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Tea-Ceremony-2-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Tea-Ceremony-2-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Tea-Ceremony-2-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Tea-Ceremony-2-900x600.jpg 900w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Tea-Ceremony-2-720x480.jpg 720w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Tea-Ceremony-2-1440x960.jpg 1440w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Tea-Ceremony-2-390x260.jpg 390w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Tea-Ceremony-2-780x520.jpg 780w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Tea-Ceremony-2-510x340.jpg 510w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-26702\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Japanese hospitality<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Culture shock can immediately bring up negative connotations; however, it doesn\u2019t always have to be a bad thing. Culture shock can sometimes simply be an observation or curious musing about something notable\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">in<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0another culture. Japan\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">offers<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0these in spades.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Most people hear of the clich\u00e9s<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">:<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0the packed trains, the futuristic toilets, the outrageously expensive fruit. Those are all very\u00a0interesting, but\u00a0seem ephemeral and quickly forgotten. On the other hand, there are\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">observations<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0that seem superficial, but, when you think deeper about them, become\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">revealing<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">. A little window into Japanese\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">life<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0where you may gain a bit of insight into this fascinating culture.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span data-contrast=\"auto\">From Iowa to Japan<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">First, I\u2019ll share a story. When I <\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">arrived in<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> Japan in\u00a02006\u00a0I knew very little of the country and even less of the language. Coming from rural America (the state of Iowa), I could name a few things\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">that were Japanese<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">,<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">outside of ninja, samurai, sushi, and Nintendo. However, I dove into my new life here headfirst, ready to learn as much as I could about my adopted home. Of course, I was placed in what turned out to be the Iowa of Japan. I loved it, but it seemed very familiar<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">: a s<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">mall town, few people, everyone knows everyone. I felt at home instantly.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">That didn\u2019t mean I would skip a chance to head to the big city, though. Within my first month living here, I\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">hopped on a bullet train headed for Tokyo. After an\u00a0absolutely overwhelming\u00a0day<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">,<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0surrounded by millions of people, I was equal parts exhausted and excited. The city was just\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">as<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0the movies portrayed it, and I was hooked. So hooked, in fact, that I decided to stay overnight. I needed to find a hotel room.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_26691\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-26691\" style=\"width: 1024px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-26691\" src=\"https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Tokyo-Street-1024x640.jpg\" alt=\"Streets of Tokyo\" width=\"1024\" height=\"640\" srcset=\"https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Tokyo-Street-1024x640.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Tokyo-Street-300x188.jpg 300w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Tokyo-Street-768x480.jpg 768w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Tokyo-Street-564x353.jpg 564w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Tokyo-Street-1536x960.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Tokyo-Street-2048x1280.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Tokyo-Street-1200x750.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Tokyo-Street-900x563.jpg 900w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Tokyo-Street-720x450.jpg 720w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Tokyo-Street-1440x900.jpg 1440w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Tokyo-Street-390x244.jpg 390w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Tokyo-Street-780x488.jpg 780w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Tokyo-Street-510x319.jpg 510w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-26691\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Streets of Tokyo &#8211; photo by Mike Reddy<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">As luck would have it, it started to rain. Heavily. Not knowing what to do, I flagged down a taxi and climbed in. I had been in taxis in other cities around the world, and so somewhat knew what I was in for. With the driver looking at me expectantly, I reached into my foggy brain and tried to come up with one of the ten or so Japanese words I had learned during my month living here.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">I managed to say I needed a hotel but could go no further. The driver looked away, nodded his head, and took off. He stared straight ahead into the driving rain. I could see he was\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">t<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">rying to dive into his brain and reach the little English he knew, as well. This was going to be a challenge, I thought. Then the driver spoke up.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u201cBig money? Little money?\u201d he\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">asked<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">It took me a minute to understand he was trying to ascertain my hotel budget. Did I want an expensive room or a budget one? After\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">I answered<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">,<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0\u201cLittle money<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">,<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u201d he nodded and kept driving.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_26694\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-26694\" style=\"width: 1024px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-26694\" src=\"https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Taxi-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"Taxi through Tokyo\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" srcset=\"https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Taxi-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Taxi-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Taxi-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Taxi-564x376.jpg 564w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Taxi-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Taxi-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Taxi-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Taxi-900x600.jpg 900w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Taxi-720x480.jpg 720w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Taxi-1440x960.jpg 1440w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Taxi-390x260.jpg 390w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Taxi-780x520.jpg 780w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Taxi-510x340.jpg 510w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-26694\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Taxi through Tokyo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">After a few minutes, he pulled into a parking lot<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">,\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">parked<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">, and stopped the meter<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">. I was trying to count<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0out<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0the money so I could pay him, but before I could, he got out of the car, popping an umbrella over his head. He gestured I should stay in the car and took off running towards the hotel. Perplexed, I dutifully waited in the back seat.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">After a few minutes, he ran back and hopped in the driver\u2019s seat. He turned around and said, \u201cNo good. Full.\u201d I realized he had gone into the hotel and asked for a vacancy on my behalf, knowing my terrible Japanese would only hinder things. He put the car in\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">drive<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0and drove off<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">This driver\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">continued<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0to other hotels and did the same thing. Finally,\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">at<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> the fourth hotel, he ran back to the taxi, smiling. He had found me an open room! I looked at the taximeter and noticed the driver hadn\u2019t turned the meter back on after the first hotel. He just smiled and said the word \u201cservice<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">,<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u201d which I later found out meant \u201cfree\u201d. I paid a very small <\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">charge<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> and tried to tip the driver. He, of course, didn\u2019t accept the money. This guy had gone far above and beyond<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">.<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0I was incredibly moved.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>Japanese Hospitality<\/h3>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">This incident made such an impress<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">i<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">on\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">on\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">my early days in the country that, 15 years later, I still haven\u2019t forgotten<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0it<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">. Since then I\u2019ve come to learn so much\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">about<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0the concept at the heart of what that man did:\u00a0<\/span><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">omotenashi<\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Omotenashi is best described as the Japanese word for hospitality, but it\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">means so<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0much more.\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Omotenashi\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">is a concept that emphasizes care over expectation; it is the practice of looking after a customer without expecting anything in return. That is why the taxi driver, and many other\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">people in the service industry here in Japan,\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">refused to\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">accept a tip. He did what he did because it made for a better experience for me, the customer. To go even further beyond\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">the<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Western\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">mantra, here in Japan it is said that\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u304a\u5ba2\u3055\u3093\u306f\u795e\u69d8<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">,<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0the customer is god.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Talk about a culture shock! And you can see examples of\u00a0omotenashi\u00a0everywhere you look: the department store staff bowing as you enter, the little baskets under seats in restaurants so your bags and coats don\u2019t have to touch the floor, and the warm towel you are given before each meal.\u00a0All of\u00a0these small quirks of Japanese culture are all part of a larger concept of hospitality. It goes deeper than just clean streets and\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">absence<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0of litter on the sidewalk!<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_26706\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-26706\" style=\"width: 870px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-26706\" src=\"https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/b-japanservice-b-20150716-870x572-1.jpg\" alt=\"Department store staff prepare to open their doors to customers\" width=\"870\" height=\"572\" srcset=\"https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/b-japanservice-b-20150716-870x572-1.jpg 870w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/b-japanservice-b-20150716-870x572-1-300x197.jpg 300w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/b-japanservice-b-20150716-870x572-1-768x505.jpg 768w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/b-japanservice-b-20150716-870x572-1-564x371.jpg 564w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/b-japanservice-b-20150716-870x572-1-720x473.jpg 720w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/b-japanservice-b-20150716-870x572-1-390x256.jpg 390w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/b-japanservice-b-20150716-870x572-1-780x513.jpg 780w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/b-japanservice-b-20150716-870x572-1-510x335.jpg 510w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 870px) 100vw, 870px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-26706\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Department store staff prepare to open their doors to customers<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Speaking of cleanliness, Japan is renowned as being one of the cleanest countries on Earth.\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">Tokyo has almost 40 million people, yet no one is swimming in filth.\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">I\u2019d go so far as to say Japan has the cleanest public bathrooms in the world. Top three, at least! But did you ever consider why that is the case?\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Again, digging a little deeper may shed\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">some<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0understanding of the people and their mindset.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_26699\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-26699\" style=\"width: 1013px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-26699\" src=\"https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Purifying-at-Shrine1-1013x1024.jpg\" alt=\"Purifying oneself at Meiji Jingu in Tokyo\" width=\"1013\" height=\"1024\" srcset=\"https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Purifying-at-Shrine1-1013x1024.jpg 1013w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Purifying-at-Shrine1-297x300.jpg 297w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Purifying-at-Shrine1-768x777.jpg 768w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Purifying-at-Shrine1-558x564.jpg 558w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Purifying-at-Shrine1-1200x1213.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Purifying-at-Shrine1-900x910.jpg 900w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Purifying-at-Shrine1-720x728.jpg 720w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Purifying-at-Shrine1-390x394.jpg 390w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Purifying-at-Shrine1-780x789.jpg 780w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Purifying-at-Shrine1-510x516.jpg 510w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Purifying-at-Shrine1.jpg 1430w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1013px) 100vw, 1013px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-26699\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Purifying oneself at Meiji Jingu in Tokyo &#8211; photo by Jeff Krevitt<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">Some think cleanliness has deep-seated roots\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">in<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">\u00a0Shinto,\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">the<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">\u00a0indigenous\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">Japanese\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">religion. Purity is held to the utmost<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">\u00a0value<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">, including purifying the hands and mouth with water before entering a shrine.\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">Another example is<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">\u00a0taking off\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">one\u2019s shoes\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">when entering homes and certain restaurants. In Shinto<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">,<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">\u00a0cleanliness IS godliness<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">,<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">\u00a0and everyone takes it very seriously. Think of this next time you\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">observe\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">the shopkeeper using a straw broom to sweep up non-existent dust in front of his\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">store<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">!<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">So, as you can see,\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">Japan is just different. That\u2019s part of the reason we all ended up falling in love with it. There are all sorts of reasons why it is different<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">,<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">\u00a0and most of it comes down to\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">these\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">entrenched<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">quirks of culture or history. There are various elements of<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">\u00a0the<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">\u00a0culture you might know a bit about and there are the elements that you had absolutely no idea about. It is those things that<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">,<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">\u00a0even after you have lived in Japan for years, still pop up from time to time and surprise you. Whether you are in the country for a couple of weeks or many\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">decades<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">, these cultur<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">e<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">\u00a0shocks remind you why this country is so special.\u202f<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h4>Like this post? 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Help us by sharing it! If you\u2019ve spent any time in Japan, you know it can be quite a bewitching place. The delicious food. The\u00a0quiet shrines. The peaceful gardens. For some, that is enough. Their time in Nippon goes by in a flash and they leave with cherished memories. For others, they [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":61,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_sitemap_exclude":false,"_sitemap_priority":"","_sitemap_frequency":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2367,2355,2368],"tags":[4536,4539,4542,4545,4548],"class_list":["post-26678","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-japanese-culture-and-history","category-first-trip-to-japan","category-only-in-japan","tag-japan-culture","tag-omotenashi","tag-culture-shock","tag-hospitality","tag-cleanliness"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26678","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/61"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=26678"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26678\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":27230,"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26678\/revisions\/27230"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=26678"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=26678"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=26678"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}