This article, the things I love about Japan, is the second edited import from a previous blog I had that I am closing down. It was originally written and posted on 24th Feb, 2020.
Please click here for my first imported article. “Why Does it Feel so Vulnerable to Showcase our Creativity?”
Things I love about Japan
Japan is renowned internationally for its superb cuisine and fascinating architecture, culture, nature and language. However, it’s the smaller things that truly make this country unique and home for me. These are some of the things I really miss when I go back to visit England.
1. Heated toilet seats
It is mind-boggling to me how many people in the UK still face the heart-stopping piercing cold of a ceramic toilet seat in the middle of winter. I wouldn’t swap my heated toilet seats for anything now. A quick internet search informed me that the idea for the modern day Washlet actually originated in Switzerland in the 1950s. Japan, however, made it into the high-tech marvel it is today. Toto`s Washlet Zoe is in the Guinness Book of Records as the most sophisticated toilet in the world. In reality, not everyone has something that advanced in their home here. However, according to Wikipedia, in 2016, 81% of Japanese homes had one form or another of the bidet toilet installed.
2. Hand towels in restaurants.
Most establishments will bring you a free glass of water or tea and some kind of wet serviette or towel as soon as you are seated at your table. These towels are called oshibori in Japanese and have long been a part of Japanese hospitality culture. Depending on the season the hand towel will often be heated or chilled. I absolutely love this custom and miss it a lot when I travel abroad.
3. An amazing escape clause for events you can’t or don’t wish to attend.
In Japanese there is a really useful expression: “Yoji ga arimasu”. Literally this means, “I have something [important] to do.” The best thing is, no one will usually question you as to what that something actually is. They will just automatically assume it must be extremely important if it means you can’t hang out or need to cancel something. It is so much easier than feeling like you have to make up a really convincing excuse when the truth is you would simply just rather curl up in front of the TV.
4. Highway service areas.
No doubt this is in direct correlation with the fact that highway tolls aren’t particularly cheap here in Japan. However, as a result, the toilets are usually clean, brightly lit and often decorated with fresh flowers. They have great changing areas for babies and ample vending machines selling soft drinks.
Some of the bigger stops boast restaurants, shops, bakeries, hot food stalls, souvenirs, toys, CDs, games, books, dog runs, play areas, viewpoints, gasoline stands, information desks, monitors showing you the status of the road ahead, weather reports and more. The one thing they do not sell though is alcohol, since there is a zero tolerance policy in Japan towards drink driving.
An additional perk is that the highways are often built over and through mountains and valleys, necessitating a vast number of bridges (and tunnels). This makes them literally “high roads”. As a result, the scenery at some of these rest stops can be some of the best to be seen in Japan.
5. Paying at the till in restaurants
Once a meal is over, it’s great being able to just stand up and walk to the till (usually near the exit), swiftly pay and leave. There is no hanging around, waiting for someone to notice your desire for the bill. There is also no need to worry about tipping, for it isn’t a custom in Japan. It’s practical and simple.
6. Bullet trains.
The whole experience is still amazing to me, even after 19 years here.
It`s easy to buy tickets, with stations having desks and ticket vending machines available. The information about train times and destinations is clear. They are almost always exactly on time, barring a natural disaster. You know exactly where to wait at the platform. People queue in an orderly fashion. There is ample leg space, way more than economy seating on a plane. People are usually quiet on board making for a peaceful journey. Carriages are non-smoking. Stops are announced clearly. There is free Wi-Fi and there are often charging points for mobile phones. I would actually prefer to take a four and a half hour ride on a bullet train than the 90-minute flight up to Tokyo, any day.
7. Japanese bathrooms.
Japanese bathrooms are designed so that you shower outside the tub and then once clean, you soak in the bath. Unlike a British bathroom, you have the space and freedom to splash water anywhere. You can often set the exact water temperature too. The removable shower head, strong water pressure and being able to sit down to wash makes washing every crevice of your body so much easier. Modern baths can be filled automatically to a set depth and temperature which can be maintained or turned off for a while and then reheated. The bathroom itself has a fan to dispel steam and many have heater and cooler functions too.
8. Small portions
I love that meals are served in small portions here. Teishoku is a set meal that usually consists of one main dish that comes with rice, miso soup and two or three much smaller dishes. Desserts are often bite-size too, rather than a full meal in themselves. I love how when dining out with others you share larger dishes. It means you can try more things. Generally meals are varied here, both in flavours, colours and texture, but they are also aesthetically pleasing. Everything is presented carefully, making the whole eating experience a delight.
9. Removing shoes before you enter a house
This is a custom that despite finding strange at first, very quickly became absolutely natural to me. It always feels so uncomfortable now to walk into someone’s house with shoes on, or to see someone else do so, especially on carpets. The thought of carrying all that dirt from outside into the house makes me cringe. Removing shoes in the entrance is a custom my parents have adopted too after visiting here.
10. Hot springs
A Japanese onsen, (a hot spring) is a truly unique experience. Many of them are found in the most stunning picturesque locations: on mountainsides, overlooking the sea, even in caves. There is nothing like relaxing in a hot bath looking out over a snow covered mountainside, icicles hanging from the roof, snowflakes dancing down, the steamy outline of other naked bathers dotted around. I always feel a sense of freedom to shed my clothes. It’s almost as though I’ve removed the barriers between me and nature and the universe and for a while we are all one.
There are so many other things that make Japan special too, but above are just 10 of the things I truly appreciate and would honestly miss if I were to leave this country.
Click here to read about a 4 day mini road trip through Western Japan that I took with my kids.
Japan is such a cool country with an amazing culture!
I would love to experience the Bullet trains! In fact, I wouldn’t mind giving a heated toilet seat a go too! Japan is on our bucket list to travel to one day.