12 Unusual Facts About Japan Seen by Westerners Who Moved There

We try to learn as much about other countries as possible through TV shows, movies, books and Instagram, but you can only really understand a place after you’ve lived there for a long time. This statement applies especially to Japan, as it seems that there will always be something to surprise us.

O incredible.club took a look at the blogs of people from western countries who have moved to Japan and shared some observations about this amazing country.

In Japan it is common to shave the arms, as hair on that part of the body is considered indecent. Even people who move to this country have to adapt to this habit. Also, many women completely shave their faces. Some do it once a month, others every day at home buying special shavers that are sold in local stores.

Depilation of the whole body is very popular (except hair, eyelashes and eyebrows). In the spring, beauticians who provide such services begin to actively promote them and give discounts.

Young people are not far behind either. They usually shave their faces at the beauty clinic so they don’t shave every morning. In the same way, in order to have a perfect face, they shave their eyebrows a little and generally take care of themselves thoroughly. For example, it is normal for a young Japanese man to use foundation makeup.

Due to high housing prices, not all Japanese people can rent an apartment. Therefore, in the country of the rising sun there are homeless people. Many build houses from cardboard boxes. Some manage to make shacks, as in the photo above.

Homeless people even build cardboard houses downtown. Inside there are no amenities, so people without a home have to go to the public baths for free in the morning, which are practically on every corner.

The owners establish very precise rules about the number of people who can live in the apartment. If the place is only for one person, then even moving in with his wife is forbidden, everything is very strict. In some cases, apartments are rented to girls only. In the student residences and close to the university with artistic specialties, it is possible to dedicate yourself to music inside the apartments. Often, many landlords do not want to rent their apartments to foreigners, even if they have a job and have lived in Japan for several years.

Rarely do apartment owners allow pets. And if they allow it, most of the time the tenant will have to pay approximately one more rent per month. In addition, animals in the country are expensive: for a pug you will have to pay about 1,000 dollars (approximately 4 thousand reais).

People hire special moving services, which collect and transport their things. At first, companies communicate with neighbors, apologize for future discomfort, noise and the truck that will occupy the middle of the street, among other things. As an apology, the person who moves can offer a box of candy or napkins.

Before the porters arrive, an appraiser goes to the site, describes all bulky furniture, appliances, and fragile objects, and assesses the total volume of things to be transported. The company can recycle old appliances and also sell and install new ones on moving day. Before removing a piece of furniture, all walls are covered with a shock protector.

Each vase is wrapped in paper, the clothes are not removed from the hangers (since they fit in a special box along with the holder), and the shoes are kept in portable boxes with dividers. There are also special boxes for household appliances, dishes and clothes. Workers create a plan for the distribution of things so that later the shelves are in almost the same order.

In final graduation projects (for example, like the one in the previous photo), at least a few months are spent. But students have about half a year to create it, as most of them are signing contracts with their employer and don’t have to waste time submitting resumes and attending interviews.

Hiring for jobs takes place in March-April, a year before graduation, and in the so-called “job-hunting season”. Students start sending their resumes to companies in the penultimate year of their studies.

Those who during the 2-3 spring months could not find work in large companies try their luck in medium and small ones, where hiring takes place in summer and even autumn. It is interesting that large and medium-sized companies do not hire men and women with dyed hair or men with beards.

Many Japanese rest only on Sundays, while their salary may already include overtime. If in a certain company the salary is calculated without overtime, it is considered that it is possible to leave on time without any impediment and not work at home. New employees receive approximately 10 days of paid leave per year (including sick days). The longer the employee’s time at the company, the more vacation days he will have. But over the years, only one or two days are added.

As employees often work more than usual and rarely take vacations, on April 1, a law was passed that obliges the country’s workers to take more rest. Now, in addition to the mandatory 10 days of vacation, the company is forced to not operate for 5 days so that employees can rest. These days can be distributed throughout the year. Likewise, it is forbidden to work more than 45 hours a week (otherwise there will be a fine). Nor can you work between 10 pm and 5 am, otherwise the employee will have to undergo two mandatory medical examinations per year (instead of one), which will be paid by the company.

Possibly due to workaholism, Japan has become a leading country in the aesthetic design of things (cosmetics, clothing, office supplies, etc.). To relieve stress and tension, men drink a few beers after work, while women often go to the shops and buy cool things.

Due to high demand, many visually pleasing and sometimes strange places appear. Recently on the streets there was a street food stall manned by a shiba inu dog. Next to it was the inscription: “I am a dog, so I cannot give you change.” Any surplus will be tipped to the dog.

For example, it is better to take large bags with you to work, even if they are almost empty, otherwise you will not be considered a serious person (the same applies to men). It is strictly forbidden to enter the house with shoes, even if they are new or you just decided to try on newly purchased shoes. It is believed that only the dead can be inside the house with the shoes, as it is part of the custom. For the same reason, it is strictly forbidden to stick chopsticks for food in rice and other dishes, since food with buried chopsticks is placed near photographs of the deceased.

It is difficult for foreigners to get used to Japanese medicine. In this area, unlike many other countries, not everything is done for the patient’s comfort:

The opening hours of hospitals coincide with the working hours of companies. Therefore, to go to the hospital, you need to take time off from work. The clinics are not open on weekends or holidays. Many drugs are often prescribed, from 5 to 6, for different symptoms. That’s why everything is written in the “medication booklet”, where everyone is noted. Discrimination is often manifested in medical institutions, they may even not accept foreigners, claiming that the institution only serves Japanese people (although this is not quite the case). Such situations occur more frequently when the person speaks bad Japanese.

But it also has its advantages. Mandatory health insurance costs around US$200 to US$300 (about US$800 to US$1,200) per month, but only covers about 70% of medical expenses and medications. Some drug companies send boxes of cold medicine for free to different companies (as pictured). When they run out, you can order another one, but this time you’ll have to buy it. If you need an ambulance, the service is good and fast, regardless of the citizenship of the person who needs the service. For those who have health insurance, nothing is usually charged.

Different types of garbage are thrown out on certain days. For example, organic waste only twice a week. For this, certain areas are indicated directly on the street, and bags are placed under a special net.

There are practically no garbage cans on the streets. That’s because people pay for garbage collection, so you have to take it outside. That’s why many Japanese people keep small trash bags that they carry with them. In some schools, mothers receive all the dirty diapers that were used by their children.

Nowadays, masks have become something more important: firstly, they are in fashion, as models in the form of the faces of cats, anime characters and others are sold. Girls can cover their face when they don’t have time or don’t want to put on makeup before going out. Some practically do not take it off and use it as a method of isolating themselves from the outside world, as if to say that they do not want to talk. In general, in Japan people like to remain anonymous and not stand out in any way, so much so that even at Starbucks the tradition of writing names on cups could not be adapted.

The lower level is underground, and it is possible to lift the car using a special control. The owner of the vehicle…