Interesting facts of Japan

People have very different impression about Japan especially when it comes to the food, language, stay but I believe Japan is the friendliest country in all terms. Some unique things which are present in Japan as follows (of course there will be many things and my post will be updated as and when I found anything new)

• Airport delivery baggage service – This is one of the best facilities I have ever seen in a country. When you land on Tokyo airport (Narita/Haneda) there is baggage delivery facility direct to your home. So, travelling become very convenient and tourists can cover few places as well on the same day without wasting time.

• Vending machines – Another good thing is one will find vending machines every 10-15 mins distance. So, if you don’t want to carry any drinks along with you; you are free to go. Mind it vending machine drinks are not free so carry cash at least. In Japan we have lots of types of vending machines like banana, apple, milk, toys, umbrella etc..

• Pet love business – Here pet maintenance and purchase is quite expensive. Hence Japanese found an option. People having pets will stand on stations/roads and those who want to love pets can pay and love their pets. Is it not something unique??

• Trash management – I am not talking about country trash management. Its personal trash management. It is bit difficult here as you won’t find trash bins easily. usually available on stations or big malls. It is better to carry a small bag to put your wraps in it and then throw.

• Prayer style – Pray style of Japanese is very like Indian. Joining hands and pray. Only additional things these people do are bow twice and clap and then join hands.

• Mobile phones – Here people are crazy about mobile phones. They continuously play games on mobile. But there is strict rule as no mobile phones in trains/bus. You can talk on mobile phones on roads or at home or any other place where it is allowed. Trains/buses mobile should be in silent mode.

• Patience – Japanese people are known for not breaking any rules. And when there is a queue these people wait for unlimited time. Just to eat something which has queue for 2 hours these people spend without any argument or complaints.

• No eating on roads – Here nobody can eat on roads. So don’t take wraps or drinks and roam on roads.

• Wash hands before lunch – Again a same tradition followed in India. Here all restaurants provide wet warm napkin for hand clean before lunch.

• Bowing – Bowing is the method of giving respect to everyone. Everyone means everyone to all objects. These people are very polite.

• Another similarity between Indian and Japanese is overall body structure. Both are almost equal in height though Japanese are more fair.

• One more similarity between India and japan is language. Sentence formation is very similar to Indian languages like marathi,hindi unlike english For e.g.

तो माणूस आहे -- Are wa otoko no hito desu (are wa is तो otoko no hito is माणूस and desu is आहे)

• The best quality I have seen here is people help you to any extent whether it is related to them or not. They don’t consider language barrier while helping. So you don’t struggle while getting anything here.

• Time perfect – Here Time management is at most important. Everything happens on time. I haven’t seen any train/bus/flight/meetings delay by single minute. So you have to be very quick...

• Another Indian similarity is taking out footwear before entering home. This is Japanese tradition. Once you enter home there is another tradition of wearing futon (Slippers)

• Japan especially Tokyo is the most costlier city in world. This is true. Everything you get is damn costly. A normal hair cut for e.g. is just 1000-10000 yen.

• Wearing masks is very common in Japan. How much people think of others for this it is a good example. If you are suffering from cold/sniffing nose, then people wear mask so it will not affect others.

• One interesting thing I noticed is girl’s attire. Girls are wearing skirts which looks very pretty like a doll.

• Another good quality I noticed here is whenever you are travelling in an elevator, person standing near to buttons will stop till all people alight from elevator.

• One unique behavior I have observed and strictly followed by All train drivers is they always point and call important indicators before start. As per them to concentrate on things it is good to point to the respective thing. focus is their way of work to avoid mistakes. This is written in their occupational standards.

• Another notable thing is Japanese people laugh very loudly. Whether they are in office or outside they laugh without hesitation. (Of course but not in trains or silent places)

• Yet another similarity with India, Japan economy is cash economy. Many businesses run on cash. Especially rural areas will not have cashless option. Govt is trying to motivate cashless option by giving some cashback etc.

• Whenever you go to any restaurants a simple but unique and useful way these people have implemented. Below every chair there is a small box where you can keep your luggage. So that you don’t have to think where to keep your luggage or umbrellas

• Trustworthiness is in every person here. Nobody will touch objects of others until specified. If they found anything in trains/roads etc. they just announce for 2-3 times and the submit to local authority who will further take care to give to respective person. No thefts at all.

• Japan Post a govt organization but works so efficiently. They work Monday to Saturday from 9:00 – 21:00 and for everyone’s convenience they have delivery from Monday to Sunday from 9:00 – 21:00. Also, whenever you get a miss letter it’s just a 2 mins’ procedure to reschedule delivery. Scan the QR code and fill redelivery date and time. That’s it they will deliver on the mentioned day and time without fail...

• Tea is a favorite drink here like in India. Of course, here tea flavor and taste is different. These people have some green powder which is mixed in water and sip it. So, water can be cold or hot as per individual wish. Usually they have it with lunch or dinner. Tea tastes good. (I drink it daily while lunch) Very good for digestion.

• Another similarity between Japan and Tokyo or to be specific Mumbai and Tokyo is big city, crowded with lots of apartments and complexes, well connected, ready to fight with natural catastrophes. But Japan is always hit first by natural calamities and all credit goes to Japanese govt for managing everything.

• Here one good implementation these people have done is if people want to buy a car then they need to show a parking lot allotted to them. Only if the parking lot is there then car can be bought.

• A unique business these people do is “pet love” Pets are very costly to buy. Hence people who are having 2-3 pets sit on some stations with pets and people who would like to do pet love can pay them and do love their pets. Crazy it is..

• Garbage segregation and collection is a big task here. There are almost 7-8 categories in which garbage must be segregated. And collection happens on specific days by municipality. You will not see any bins on road. It will be always on station or some big malls. So whenever you are carrying any food/bottles then you need to carry a bag as well to keep it till you find bin.

• In Japan there is a rule that you cant eat in trains/buses and on roads as well.

• One very bad or irritating thing in Japan is electric wires all over. You can see the bunch of wires on almost every road. This is already a big concern in Japan. Due to typhoon or other natural calamities electricity supply gets disturbed. Govt need to take some action against it. Also while taking photos its bit irritating.

• Every crossing where schools are there; 2 persons stand at school time for students to safely cross the road.

• In office restrooms..there is a ringing bell..so if all toilets are full and people are standing then one can ring the bell so people inside toilets will understand that there is queue

• Mumbai is very much similar to Tokyo in terms of travel..crowded trains,office going people,good transportation..fast/slow trains etc. So people coming from Mumbai may not feel big difference in such scenarios..(atleast I didn’t feel the difference) Tokyo is definitely better than Mumbai

• Another good thing which I observed and inquired is how most of the Japanese people are fit and slim. The story behind it is government has policy to get your health checkup done every year at least once. While having health checkup then measure the waist and if it falls outside certain limit he gets a notification letter from govt to do certain courses. Also company has to pay the employee for his fitness if he is obese.

• Again a unique and surprising thing is Japanese people don’t use deodorants or perfumes. They don’t like strong smell and one fact is they don’t sweat much. In any of the supermarkets you may find some sprays but in very less quantity. Another thinking behind it is if you have strong perfume then it will have impact on other people so not to do that.

• There are mainly 2 religions followed in Japan. Shinto and Buddhism. Shinto is the major religion. You cant term this as religion as Shinto means a polytheistic belief system involving the veneration of many deities, known as kami. All things surrounded are considered as super natural power and these people pray to all such things. There are no religious holidays also.

• Shinto has derived from Hindu religion as once said. Few of Hindu gods are there in Shinto as well. For e.g Saraswati is called Benzaiten a goddess for music and economic fortune. Similar to this it has Ganesha,yama as well.

• In Japan there are no names for the roads/streets. Everything is based on the area. Also big residential complex has only numbers to the building and not name.

• In Japan to avoid fraud cases people use name stamp (inkan/hako) there are 3 types of inkan. One for banking one for contractual/legal signs and last is for general agreements/acceptance of parcels etc. Once you register inkan to your ward office then it can be used for either of the mentioned above.

• For all natural calamities, by default everyone mobile starts ringing a siren sound loudly to make people aware and take action if needed. These are push notifications by Japan meteorological dept in collaboration with all mobile operators

• Daily in Japan across country, 17:00 a bell rings which basically is a test performed on daily basis that in case of natural disaster when informing residents announcement system is working.

• All weirdest things and cutest things are available here..For e.g these people try to make everything cute..they assign mascot to each and every thing in cute way. Like drainage lid is made cute by drawing very cute pic on it..also weird things like poo museum is also respected here and visited too..

• The only thing which is cheap/equal in japan compared to India and may be other countries is xerox copy. here cost is 5 yen for both sides. I believe in India its 2 Rs for one side. 5 yen is equals to 3.5 rs..so 50 paise cheap. ;)

• Suspended monorail one of the longest suspended monorail which has guinness books of records