Random Things about Japan

Traffic here is British style. The drivers are on the right hand side and you drive on the left side of the road. Walking on the sidewalks is not random. Seems like there are laws as to which side on the sidewalk to walk on depending on your direction.

Books: you read a book from back to front with sentences going from top of the page to bottom of the page in neat rows.

Many people are out and about in surgical masks. They are not germaphobes but they’re just wearing the mask when sick to be considerate of others and to help contain the spread of germs.

Little cute charms/ tokens on bags and cell phones are popular.

Many people sleep in the metro even standing up and many are messing with their smart phones and electronic devices.

Women are elegant. All students have uniforms depending on the school they attend. Business men have black suits and favor pointed shoes that make their feet look long:)

There are kitty cat restaurants where you can have a meal and pet a cat at the same time.

Many people get around by bicycles. Bicycles are parked in front of people’s houses left unlocked, even overnight.

Many of the newer houses’ exterior walls are clad in little ceramic tiles similar to a shower.

Important documents are handed with with both hands.

Tipping is considered rude. If you want to tip for exceptional service you need to put the money in an envelope.

Japanese people are very warm in their interactions with friends and laugh a lot.

Older people are out and about and socialize withe their friends in restaurants, cafes and parks. Same for young children.

The train system is impeccable. You can get anywhere by train in a short time. Wait time is usually less than 10 min.

We are surprised that we haven’t seen many foreign tourist here. For a week we have seen only a handful. Foreign children we have seen so far: 4.