japan vs. america! round #1

March 30, 2010

I am fascinated by everything I see and I am amazed over and over by the people here. Everyone I have interacted with has been gracious and kind, even if completely confused by my questions and ignorance. The Japanese women are beautiful...many of the young girls in Tokyo look like dolls. I see many young women that have tried lightening their hair as much as possible so that it has become a light brown color and they wear it styled in long, ornate curls, with large bows and headbands. They wear layers of lacey, feminine tops and dresses with leggings or nylons, and 4- to 5-inch heels. Their make-up is immaculate, with long, false eyelashes, baby-pink blush, glossed lips, and perfectly polished nails. This doll-like appearance is everywhere...I see soft pinks and feminine shades all around me and bow-shaped accessories adorn bags, coats, shoes, and jewelry.

Also, everyone is constantly on a cell phone, but only to text-message. It’s funny to see men and women of all ages text-messaging in the subways, but it is because cell phones are so expensive here that nobody uses their minutes if they can spare them. Also, it is a huge cultural faux pas to talk on one’s cell phone while on the bus, subway, etc. because Japanese people feel that it is an extremely rude interruption to everyone else. Text-messaging is more acceptable because it can be done in silence. It makes me smile to imagine my parents or their neighbors sitting on subways, text-messaging their friends.

I guess it’s natural to subconsciously compare my new surroundings to those from home or automatically take note of the differences, but I’ve had several people “warn” me not to become too obsessed with the culture/area here that I am dissatisfied with everything in America (specifically, Brad :-D). On the other hand, I have had people tell me that going abroad will make me appreciate even more all that I am blessed with in my home country as though nothing could ever be better anywhere else than it is in the United States...(How appropriately “American” to think so). Well, I think I will experience a little bit of both. I cannot speak for the rest of my time in Japan, but I have definitely noticed some things that I like better in Japan and some things I miss from back home.

First, the sushi is definitely better here...go figure. I realize that sushi is always “fresh,” but it tastes so much fresher here and the flavor is incredible. Also, the wasabi is completely different! It is much stronger here (many American restaurants served a wasabi-like paste rather than legitimate wasabi). I mistakenly added my usual amount of wasabi to a sushi dish and ate a piece...I thought my nose was going to burn clear through!! Ha ha still, it was delicious and I quickly learned my lesson. ;-)

Also, I may surprise some people by saying that the toilets here are amazing. Everyone warned me about the “floor urinals” in Japan and I will say that I laughed out right when I walked into a bathroom at the Airport and found myself looking at a porcelain hole in the ground. These are NOT the toilets to which I am referring as favorable. Most hotels, restaurants, and shops here have western-style toilets in additional to the traditional ones. In my room at the Narita View Hotel, the toilets could have had their own remote controls. The seat was heated and could play music, in addition to several self-cleaning options. Also, right in line with the conservative nature of the Japanese culture, the toilets had censors so that once you sat on them, water would run down the basin to mask any sound of you actually going to the bathroom—for all the shy people out there who hate using the bathroom when there are people within “hearing range.”

Strangely, I definitely miss the convenience of garbage cans in America. I can honestly say that I had never considered this convenience before I moved to Japan, but there are seriously no garbage cans along the streets or anything to toss trash. The Japanese have a complex garbage system that requires all items to be sorted into several categories before being thrown away. I could spend an entire blog post trying to explain the different rules and regulations of waste disposal (maybe another time), but ultimately, it’s enough to make me want to hide all my trash in a hole for a year and then sneak it into a dumpster somewhere on my way to the airport next Spring. Also, all recyclables must be tied and sorted before thrown into their corresponding bins. Wastebaskets in most of the hotels and restaurants are tiny and sometimes non-existent...who knew?

I was also surprised to learn that smoking is allowed virtually everywhere that I’ve been in Japan. I giggled a little to myself in the hotel foyer today when a young couple checked in and asked for a non-smoking room. I have only been here a week, but I have already learned that there are no such luxuries. However, there is a kind little reminder on my headboard requesting that I not smoke IN the bed... for safety reasons, of course. Other establishments ask customers to only smoke in their rooms (because this makes SO much more sense). Cigarette smoke lingers subtly in the air and especially indoors. I can definitely say without reservation that I miss Utah smoking regulations...I’m sorry for not being more considerate of a person’s choice of whether or not to smoke in public, but I much prefer the air around me to be free of this pungent and poisonous odor. I was amazed at first to walk around Japan and still see so many people wearing flu masks everywhere they go (seriously, people wear them ALL the time it's crazy)...I had thought for some reason that people stopped wearing these after bird-flu and mad-cow disease fears deteriorated...however, with so many people smoking all over the place, it may actually be a wise investment. I’ll look into it. :-D