Just different – Following your feet

Japan is different – Pachinoko, manholes, vending machines, breakfast, shopping streets

Pachinoko – Japanese pinball Upon entering a pachinko parlour for the first time, the first thing that hits you is the fog of cigarette smoke. Inside you’ll find row upon row of pachinko machines and lots of noise, not least bells and cartoon voices. Mostly male players are watching silver balls bounce around (pachin refers to…

Japan is different – plastic food, queueing, hygene, public baths, stamp books

Continuing the the theme of differences, here are some more things that are very different in Japan. In this post I look at plastic food, queueing, hygiene, public baths and proof of visiting. Plastic food Many Japanese restaurants show the food they serve in their window, but it isn’t freshly made food, but plastic food.…

Japan is different – taxi, futon, eating, distance and trash

I’ve already mentioned trains, toilets and white gloves, here are 5 more differences between between Europe and Japan. Taxi red and green The first time I tried to hail a taxi, they all drove past. As in many countries, Japanese taxis have a red and green light on the roof. I let the taxis with…

Japan is different – toilets

In the same way that Japan is at the technological forefront when it comes to trains, so it is with toilets. Warm toilet seats, integrated bidet with sprinkle or shower, water pressure level, positioning (and much more), automatic flushing when you stand up, and even a water sound simulator to drown out the sound of…

Japan is different – trains

The Japanese love trains – no matter if it’s a ultra-modern high speed bullet train, or very slow local train – and local trains are very slow. You can see this in many different ways. Japan rail personel salute the incoming shinkansen, the platform supervisor salutes the leaving train. Train conductors bow and say hello…

Japan is different – white gloves

Something I noticed when travelling around Japan was the number of people wearing white gloves. Almost all drivers – taxi drivers, bus drivers and train drivers and conductors, most often, but not always wear white gloves. But it’s not only drivers- the police and postal workers also wear them. When I looked into it, there…