5 THINGS THAT SHOCKED ME ABOUT JAPAN.

Japan…

Exotic and far away country that is getting more and more popular every year. According to the JNTO visitors have increased their number from 10.3 millon in 2013 to 26.3 million last year. So if you’re not planning on visiting Japan any time soon, you are missing out BIG TIME.

When reading about Japan we usually come across something like: “Japan is a really safe country”, “Vending machines can be found even on top of Mount Fuji”,  “Toilets look like they belong on a space aircraft”, “People are really nice”, “Take a shower BEFORE you enter the onsen!”

While I agree with all of that, travelling around Japan I discovered things that were for me even stranger (specially considering where I’m from), and some that were different from the stuff I had read. So here for you is a list of 5 things that shocked me about Japan.

1 Japan is a BIG country with lots to see.

When I started planning our trip to Japan, I thought we would be visiting the whole country in two weeks. “It looks small on the map” I said to my husband. Imagine my surprise when I realized that a flight from Okinawa (a beautiful island in southern Japan) to Sapporo (town named after the famous beer, in northern Japan) would take 4 HOURS!

Obviously my plans had to change so I focused my attention only on central Japan.  I highly recommend sticking to a specific area and spending quality time in each city, otherwise you’ll spend too much time in trains or flights, or jumping from place to place instead of getting involved in the everyday life experience.

2 Everyone speaks English.

A lot of posts say that not many people speak English in Japan, so I was a little (a lot!) worried; I even took Japanese lessons a few months before our trip (hardest thing ever). What if we got lost, didn’t know what to order or took the wrong train? (which, by the way, DID happen).

But I shouldn’t have worried. Every person we spoke to knew at least a few words of basic English. Menus in English were a rule in every restaurant. Even in the smallest town we visited, a place called Nachi-Katsuura, a really nice chef went out of his way to establish a conversation with us.

Our greatest surprise was at the airport, where we met a policeman who spoke perfect Spanish!! So relax, you’ll be able to communicate just fine.

3 There are no sidewalks.

One of the worst things about Mexico City are its streets and traffic. Usually there are potholes every 10 meters, speed bumps every 100 meters, traffic lights that don’t work, cyclists going the wrong way, buses stopping wherever they want and people crossing streets everywhere but at the cross walk.

You can only imagine my awe at the order, cleanliness and perfection than can be found in the streets of Japan. In some places there are no sidewalks as such, just a different design on the pavement or a line painted on the floor that divides the street into two spaces: cars and pedestrians. In the subway, stairs and streets there is also a line in the middle to indicate where you should walk depending if you are coming or going, climbing or descending. Piece of advice: try to follow the unwritten rules and walk in the right lane.

4 People at restaurants eat really fast.

This one was a real shock for me and my husband, and I think all Latin-american people will agree.

In Mexico, lunch or dinner time involves 5 to 15 family members or friends, 2 to 6 hours of talk, laugh, drinking, fighting, crying, making up, etc, etc, until it’s time for the next meal. In Japan, it involves a single salaryman or maybe a couple or friends or a family of three who come in, order, eat quietly in about 20 minutes, and then leave.

The ordering system in restaurants is unlike any other I have encountered: you enter the restaurant, the hostess takes you to your table which already has plates, cups, chopsticks, water, ocha (tea), soy sauce and menus. Then two minutes later the waitress comes and takes your order (whether you’re ready or not). Then she leaves, returns five minutes later with your food and the check, and never comes back.

“But what happens if you want dessert?”, you may wonder. And so did we…

If you care to know our recommendations for eating in Japan, click here.

5 Matcha is a key ingredient of Japanese cuisine.

Ok, ok, maybe I’m exaggerating but before we went to Japan I had never heard of matcha, and now I can’t live without it!

Matcha is a finely milled green tea powder that can be added to any food. The “normal” way to have matcha is in tea, but you can find matcha almost in anything: sodas, milkshakes, ice creams, butter, soup, cookies, pastries, cakes, scones, muffins, mochi (a kind of pounded rice cake)… the list is endless.

Please share the things that shocked YOU the most about Japan!