20+ Peculiarities of life in Japan that can be challenging for foreigners

Many know that Japan is a unique country, which harmoniously combines cutting-edge technology with centuries-old traditions. Millions of tourists visit it and leave fascinated with what they see. However, anyone who has lived in Japan for more than a year knows that much of what visitors see is just a colorful facade, and that real life may not be as comfortable and prosperous as it seems.

We, from awesome.clubwe read on various forums the opinions of Japanese and foreigners who have lived in the Land of the Rising Sun for some time and learned some, perhaps not so pleasant, particularities of the Japanese way of life.

Japan is a small nation, with about 73% of its territory covered by mountains. The remainder is home to 126 million people. Simply put, the free space really is worth its weight in gold. That’s why almost everything there is tiny: apartments, cars, parking lots, coffee shops, streets and much more. Visitors to the country may experience mild claustrophobia. “It was a feeling I felt everywhere I went in Japan,” declared one tourist.

Over 90% of Japanese people live in cities. Therefore, crowds and queues can be seen almost everywhere. Nor should the millions of tourists visit the Land of the Rising Sun every year. Also, no matter where you go, it’s always polite to say “sumimasen” (“excuse me”), as you are bound to accidentally bump into someone.

Japanese cities are perhaps not considered the most picturesque. Everything is relatively clean and the transport infrastructure is excellent. However, buildings are often gray, most city streets are not divided into pedestrian and car zones, and green spaces are considered by authorities to be a setback. In general, most cities are strictly utilitarian, with an enormous amount of steel and exposed concrete in the architecture.

In Japan, it can be challenging for an expatriate to become a “native” in Japanese eyes. Even if he lived there for decades, became a citizen of the country and raised a family with a local, he will probably always remain a foreigner.
This is how an Australian who has lived in Japan for over 30 years says: “What bothers me here are the times when, for example, I go shopping with my wife. The attendants only interact with her and don’t look at me. Even when I hand over the money to pay for the purchase, they look at it and say thank you. When it comes to buying clothes, they don’t even talk to me (and I also speak Japanese). It’s like I don’t exist.”

Foreigners tend to have more difficulties when it comes to renting an apartment. The country has adopted complex bureaucratic systems. For example, until very recently, foreigners were required to register their name in the local language (latin letters were not accepted) and to have a special wooden stamp, made only for opening a bank account.

The Japanese are not in the habit of walking through parks, sitting in coffee shops and reading quietly in open spaces. They usually work a lot and, consequently, have little time for rest and leisure. The Japanese sense of humor can be very different from that of Westerners. A young man who has lived in Japan for ten years commented: “In my hometown, I used to make everyone laugh in middle school, but when I went to Japan, nobody understood my jokes. And when the Japanese laughed at his jokes, I could barely smile. Forget irony and sarcasm, they are considered in bad taste. At best, they will take your jokes seriously.”

Public displays of affection are not common in the country. Both boyfriends and married couples rarely kiss outside their homes, even when no one is around.

Japan uses an unimaginable amount of plastic packaging, which always catches the attention of tourists. Just buy, for example, a package of cookies or other snacks and, inside, you will find individual portions of the product placed in other plastic bags.

Anyone who thinks that all Japanese only eat healthy food is wrong. There are many additives in various foods. If you are allergic, for example, to eggs, it will be a challenge to find meals without this ingredient, as it is added to almost everything.

Residents of the country have an average of ten days of paid vacation. However, the Japanese rarely use these days in a row. They usually take vacations for special occasions like weddings or urgent needs like getting a medical check-up. Cycling on Japanese streets can be chaotic and even a little risky, but nobody seems to mind. The police can pull you over if your headlights are not on and simultaneously not turn on because you ignored the traffic light.

The Japanese generally like to have their own agenda and plan all of their future events, and spontaneity can be difficult for them to accept. Therefore, if you call your Japanese friends and invite them to lunch in the next few days, your invitation has a high chance of being declined, since even small appointments need to be planned, on average, two weeks in advance. It is very difficult. find a trash can in public places. It is assumed that the person should carry his rubbish with him and then throw it in the proper place, as per the waste recycling rules.

In public restrooms, such as shopping malls, paper towels are not always available to dry your hands. Each person is expected to carry a small towel for these purposes.

In most homes, bathrooms are equipped with a heated seat and a bidet. Many cheap apartments are quite small and have thin walls. So street noise and neighbors’ conversations can be heard. In addition, in some homes there is no insulation or central heating, so in winter it is quite cold inside the property, especially in the northern regions of the country.

Japan lacks kindergartens. City halls have the resources to build them, but are often prevented from doing so, as a large part of the residents of the areas where these preschools would be built may protest, due to the “noise of the children”.

It is not customary to talk on a cell phone in public transport. In general, any loud conversation can be considered rude and annoying. Otherwise, the person will be repeatedly asked to be quiet, or even politely removed. “This happened to my Australian friend,” said one Reddit user.

Tourists and expats alike commented on the Japanese custom of playing music in stores and retail environments. One resident wrote: “One of our local grocery stores plays marching band music non-stop. I’m not kidding”.

It is very challenging for men (mostly foreigners) to find shoes above size 43 in Japanese stores. It is also difficult to find women’s shoes larger than size 40. Owners of large feet by Japanese standards need to go to specialized stores or order online.

In small towns, where there is little variety in bakeries, it is difficult to find bread that is not excessively airy and light.

In Japan, it is not customary to eat in public places, although there are several exceptions to this rule. For example, it is allowed to eat ice cream. It is also possible to eat on public transport, as long as it is discreetly in some corner. They usually do it with small portions, slowly stirring the packages and with their heads down.

In traditional recipes for Japanese dishes, tomatoes are rarely mentioned among the ingredients. The fact is that they began to grow it throughout the country only at the beginning of the 20th century.

What fact about life in Japan was a real revelation for you? Let us know in the comments!