I came to Japan in the spring of 2011 when my sister who lives in Japan invited me for a month-long spring vacation. During my stay (and even up to now) there are several things that surprised me.
11. There are many elderlies. It is a known fact that Japan is an aging country. When I first came here, I was surprised to see people looking beyond their sixties/seventies working as traffic aid, gardener, and even working in the malls. In my country the Philippines, most people you see around are young. Mall workers are usually in their 20s to early 30s. It is also uncommon in the Philippines to see groups of elderly hanging out in a restaurant or taking a walk in the park. Whereas in Japan, this is fairly common.
10. People wear masks. I was very surprised to see many people wearing masks when I first came to Japan. I asked my sister if there was a spreading disease or something but she said people wear it for protection, especially for people who are having kafun allergies, which was fairly common during springtime. In the Philippines, if you wear a mask, people will speculate that you are ill and need to wear a mask to avoid spreading the “contagious disease”. When I came back to the Philippines, my students were all very surprised and kept asking me if I were sick when I wore a mask to protect me from chalk dust from writing on the blackboard.
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9. Some fruits, vegetables, and spices are oversized. I was so amazed when my sister took me to the supermarket. The ginger was big and the other vegetables were as well. Eggplants, tomatoes, and bell peppers were bigger than the usual size I have seen in my country. Eggplants also came in different shapes. The round eggplants amazed me the most. That feeling of amazement from seeing something different is a precious experience. I don’t get that same feeling anymore for being here for a long time already.
8. There are many buildings they called apartments and mansions. I was also amazed by the buildings in Japan. There are many apartments and mansions. The smaller buildings are called apartments and the high rise are mansions. Some are government housing dedicated to low-income families. In the Philippines, big houses are called mansions, and the mansions in Japan are what we call condominiums. Although condominiums in the Philippines usually have more elaborate designs and hotel-like lobbies, complete with amenities such as swimming pools and clubhouses. These are for Filipinos who can afford them. Housing in the Philippines is still way behind developed countries. People below the poverty line mostly live in shabby houses in lots that they don’t own. ‘Squatter’ as they are called. I hope one day the Philippines can also provide government housing like in Japan to improve the living conditions of the impoverished.
7. Most people wear subtle colors. Unlike in the Philippines where color and variety is the more popular trend, in Japan, I noticed that this was not the case. Most Japanese wear colors that don’t make them stand out from the crowd. They like to blend in and match the season. Pastel colors are the trend in spring. I also noticed that most Japanese don’t wear revealing clothes. Filipinos on the other hand, have no problem wearing colorful, sometimes showy attire. We like to be different and it is okay to stand out in the crowd. When we went to Huis Ten Bosch, a famous tourist spot in Kyushu, I made sure to wear the most colorful attire to match the happy and festive mood I had. That time, I was told that my outfit was really colorful and “medatsu”. Medatsu means to stand out. I thought it was a compliment. Maybe it was or maybe not. Now, that I have been here for a long time, being medatsu is rather a thing to be avoided. It is better to blend in than to stand out in Japan.
6. People bow when they greet. When my sister said Konichiwa, which means hello, I noticed that she did a slight bow to the person she was greeting. I noticed that other people do it too. Vendors and restaurant staff sometimes do it by welcoming their guests. The funny thing is sometimes I noticed my sister do a slight bow even when talking on the phone. In the Philippines, bowing is not a common practice. Instead, we move our heads or eyebrows up with a smile to greet a friend coming our way.
A tip: when you leave Japan, try to sit on the window side and watch the airport workers wave goodbye and bow to the leaving plane.
5. Japanese money bills are big and always look new. In the Philippines, we call Japanese money “lapad” which means wide. Before coming to Japan, I didn’t know that Japanese money is actually big in size, the reason why it is called ‘lapad’. Japanese money bills are always crisp and new. In the Philippines, it is not unusual to see folded (sometimes dirty, stapled, and marked) bills, Recently, when the Philippine government released a new one-thousand peso bill with a strict handling guideline that says no folding of the bill, there was a mass uproar against it.
4. Vending Machines are everywhere.
Vending machines are everywhere in Japan. They are in train stations, bus stops, near a park, tourist spots, or outside an apartment complex. Or just along the streets. Vending machines are not limited to bottled drinks. There are also those that sell ice cream, coffee, hot choco, cigarettes, and snacks. I was surprised to see one selling condoms! Whereas in the Philippines, I haven’t seen or experienced buying in a vending machine. We have “sari-sari store” – a small residential shop that sells anything. Sari-sari means variety. The more complete and wide the selection of merchandise a sari-sari store has, the more popular it becomes in the neighborhood. Sari-sari stores are also everywhere. In a busy neighborhood, you will be surprised to see the number of sari-sari stores and that most houses have their own sari-sari.
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3. Toilets are fantastic!
Nothing beats Japanese toilets! I was very impressed with its very high technology and efficiency. Most toilets in shopping malls are very clean, have an automatic flush, and have different buttons for different purposes. Bidet’s water pressure – Strong? Gentle? Do you need a massage? Do you want to flush with a little water? A lot? Do you want to hide the sound of your pee with a recorded sound? Go ahead. Just press the right button. Make sure not to press the “call an emergency” button or else the alarm will sound and a couple of responders will come to your “rescue”. I had trouble one time I was in a hospital to visit a patient. I wanted to flush but pressed the wrong button. The alarm sounded and two nurses came. My mom also accidentally pressed the emergency button in a toilet at a subway station. Two women came rushing to the site. But, not all toilets in Japan are that hi-tech. The very old traditional style squat toilet still exists and usually found in a community park or old buildings. For women, watch where you face when squatting and how far your legs are apart if you don’t want to get your feet wet with the splash. In most households in Japan, toilets are high-tech. My sister’s toilet automatically opens and closes its lid and automatically flushes when you leave. Philippine toilets are pretty much basic. A small cubicle, a toilet bowl usually with no cover and if you’re lucky, some tissue paper. Don’t be surprised to be asked to pay for toilet fees in some malls or bus stops, too. Also a different fee for pee only and poo.
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2. People line up for their turn. I was very impressed with how disciplined and patient Japanese people are. They line up getting on and off a bus or a train. They line up to go up and down the escalator. They are always very patient and just wait for their turn. No complaints. No overtaking. Everything is in order. Whereas in my country, most people are impatient and just want to be the first. Many jump lines which sometimes can cause disagreements. Even inside the church when taking communion, in Japan, they do it by the proximity of the seat to the priest. But in the Philippines, everyone just flocks towards the priest to be the first. There are many instances that I can compare and contrast Japanese and Filipinos but this “waiting in line” in Japan is something that the whole world, especially my country, should learn and adapt to.
1. It is very clean and orderly in Japan! The cleanliness and orderliness in Japan will impress every visitor. I loved how the streets are very clean and clutter-free. There are no trash that can be seen on streets. There are no broken roads and almost no open dirt that could turn to mud on rainy days. There are no excessive posters on building walls. Cars and other vehicles look new and well-maintained. Public toilets are clean and free. There are no beggars or obvious homeless people in sight. Houses are clean outside. Parks and playgrounds are plenty. Flowers and greeneries are everywhere. I never heard a car honk and even myself have never ever used the horn while driving for almost seven years already. Traffic is smooth. Japanese people dress nicely and neatly. No loud noise from car stereos or neighbors’ karaoke. It is peaceful, clean and orderly.
I fell in love with Japan the moment I arrived here. I wished to stay longer and it happened. I wished to stay even longer and now I am still here. A permanent resident and settled. I now call Japan my home. But despite that, there is still no place like my original home – the Philippines – where even though there is a big social disparity, everyone finds happiness in the littlest of things. People celebrate the littlest success. Scarcity doesn’t matter when Filipinos want to celebrate. And that is one thing hard to find in Japan. Japanese are frugal, practical and private people whereas Filipinos are celebratory and mostly open and happy people.
Dinner
