Japan is such a wonderful country. Most of whom I know, Japanese and foreigners alike express their fondness of the many aspects of the country: its people, food, celebration and culture in general. Most of them, when they leave the country, they wish they could go back and experience again the many things that they like about Japan. For those who are not in Japan anymore or are planning to leave Japan soon, let’s see how many of these random things below will make you long to be back or stay longer.
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Automatic toilet.
One of the many surprises (if not confusion) that a foreigner can experience in Japan is the automatic toilet. All you need to do is sit, relax and press the right button. Be careful which button to press though, otherwise you’ll end up in a mess or an emergency call.
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On-time trains and buses.
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When it comes to transportation, I can say that Japan is world’s number one. Trains and buses are always on-time and are very reliable. The technology is so superb that in some areas, you can check in a monitor how many more stops away the bus is.
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Food
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Wherever we go, wherever we are from, it’s normal to miss the food in the country we stayed. Japan is not an exemption. Japanese food is great and will surely make you crave for more when you leave. How can you not miss sushi, ramen, yakiniku, yakitori, onigiri, miso soup, and the list goes on.
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Onsen.
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A great stress-reliever in Japanle is going to the onsen or hot springs. Japan is blessed with many natural hot springs and it is part of their customs to go to hot springs, all year round, most especially in winter. I like going to onsen and when I leave Japan, I always wish I could go back right away and soak myself in Japanese onsens.
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Ofuro.
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In Japan, all bathrooms have bathtub and the Japanese people take a bath (ofuro) at night. Bath time is a great bonding time for parents and kids when they do it together and it is a good time to relax when done alone. Well, in my country, we rarely have bathtubs in the house. We take a shower in the morning instead.
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Nomikai.
Nomikai means drinking party. Yes, we do have drinking parties in our country but the experience in Japan is different. The party is started with a message from the group leader. Then, everyone holds their glasses up and says the word ‘kampai”. And the drinking and talking goes on. I miss having my glass filled by my friends. In Japan drinking parties, one should fill each other’s glasses instead of just pouring your own, as what we are used to in our country.
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Nomihoudai tabehoudai.
Houdai means as much as you can, which translates nomihoudai as drink-all-you can and tabehoudai as eat-all—you can. I think, it’s only in Japan where you can eat really good food and drink assorted alcohol like there’s no tomorrow.
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Sakura viewing
When I think of Japan in spring, there’s no other thing that comes into my mind but sakura or cherry blossoms. People all over Japan celebrate the coming of spring by watching the bloom of this amazingly beautiful pinkish-white flower through an activity called hanami or sakura viewing.
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Purikura
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Purikura is a booth where you take your pictures and edit them with different designs. With purikura, you can look like a celebrity. It is so much fun to do especially when done with your friends. The pictures are pocket-size. I did purikura once with my friend and I almost couldn’t believe that was me in the picture.
10. Fruit-picking
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One thing I always miss about Japan is the fruit-picking activity. Orange-picking, strawberry-picking, blue-berry picking, grape-picking. Fruit picking depends upon what season but usually it is in autumn and winter.
11. Konbini
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Konbini or convenience stores are everywhere in Japan. There are lots of them but the big ones are Family Mart, Lawson, Mini-stop and 7-Eleven. These stores open 24-hours and sell a wide range of product more than enough to make our lives easy and convenient.
12. Anime and Manga
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The anime and manga enthusiast are sure to wish they’re in Japan to watch more anime and read more manga (comics) right here in the country where these originated. Although you can watch them in YouTube or buy the book online, there is nothing compared when you have it here, fresh and updated.
I know that there are still many things I haven’t mentioned here which makes people miss Japan when they leave the country. Some of you may be juggling thoughts in your mind recalling all those good things you have experienced in Japan when you were here. After all, those things are just a thought away. Feel free to remember and never forget. For if you keep thinking of those memories, those will never fade. Keep the memories in your heart.