The features of life in Japan listed in the post are our subjective opinion. We don’t want to offend anyone :) Japan has more pros than cons.
Come and see it with your own eyes 😉
For those who are interested in life in Japan not only from the disadvantages:
Japan is, without exaggeration, a unique country. Nanotechnology here is surprisingly combined with ancient traditions; some customs operate on a par with laws. We decided to collect 30 of the most interesting facts about Japan and share them with you.
Guys, we put our soul into the site. Thank you for that
that you are discovering this beauty. Thanks for the inspiration and goosebumps.
Join us on Facebook And In contact with
The Internet is replete with an abundance of facts about Japan, most of which, perhaps, are difficult to surprise anyone. About Japanese punctuality, workaholism, islands with animals and square watermelons Only the lazy don't know. But there are unobvious things that can easily confuse even the biggest lover of Japanese culture. For example, what is the idea behind the “idle room”? Is there a store that sells just one book? Why and where are the Japanese disappearing? Answers to these and some others, no less interesting questions you will find in this article.
website found out 14 unusual facts about Japan and the Japanese, after reading which you will look at the Land of the Rising Sun with different eyes.
For the Japanese, there is nothing worse than the loss of public respect. Failed exam, dismissal from work, divorce, debts - these and others failures in life often lead to an attempt to rid yourself and your family of discussions from society. Someone commits suicide, and someone simply disappears from the lives of loved ones forever.
Every year, between 80 and 100 thousand people disappear in the country. Usually, neither the state nor even families who decide that their loved ones committed suicide are looking for missing people. By the way, the topic of “disappearing citizens” is a taboo in the country; they try not to raise it again.
For those who decide to disappear, there are 2 ways. The first is the Sanya area, a slum within Tokyo. Due to the reputation of a city of tramps and mafia, the area was removed from all maps so as not to spoil the appearance of the capital. Living there is very difficult due to the conditions and hard work. The second way is to stay in hometown, change jobs and try not to be seen by family and friends.
Another form of escape popular in Japan among young people is otaku, when man runs away “into oneself”, leading a parallel life as a hero of his favorite anime.
Some, having decided to become an otaku, dress up in the costumes of the chosen characters and can disappear for a long time in an alternative reality. Some create it at home, covering themselves with anime paraphernalia and character-related things and leading the life of recluses, while others prefer to spend time in clubs in the Akihabara area, where various goods are sold for those who consider themselves otaku.
You can't buy love, but you can rent a professional actor who will become whatever the client asks him to become. You can even rent a baby for a couple of days - there are agencies that will “rent” him. And one of these is Family Romance, created more than 8 years ago by Ishii Yuichi.
The main goal of the agency is to help people survive loss or cope with loneliness. But we have to deal with different orders. For example, playing the role of a cheater or apologizing for an entrepreneur who made a mistake. There was even a case when the agency ordered an entire wedding with the participation of 50 actors. It cost the customer $18 million.
This kind of work has back side: most often actors are lonely and afraid of getting lost among their roles. Few people know their real selves - they are not allowed to talk about themselves, so people are only attracted to the images they create.
No, this is not footage from the movie Pacific Rim, where similar walls were built to protect against kaiju (monsters) emerging from a rift at the bottom of the ocean, this is modern Japan.
After the Great East Japan Earthquake, which occurred in 2011 and caused the accident at the Fukushima-1 nuclear power plant, the country's government took up the task of protecting coastal cities. It was decided to build 12-meter walls, which in the event of a tsunami should take the brunt of the impact and, if not prevent a possible disaster, then give people more time to evacuate.
Initially, local residents supported the creation of the walls, but after a while their opinions were divided. Some feel uncomfortable: the walls are too high and block the view of the sea, and many townspeople even feel like prisoners. Others believe that the wall is a guarantee that the 2011 disaster will not happen again.
You hate apologizing, but you need to do it? Especially for such cases, there are agencies in Japan that will do this for you. Moreover, the “apology experts” from such companies are quite good psychologists, savvy in their field, and, perhaps, will be able to get out of even the most difficult situations at first glance.
Prices at such agencies vary depending on the type of apology and the agency itself. On average, they charge about $240 for an apology in person and $96 for an apology over the phone or by email. Some agencies charge hourly pay(average $33 per hour).
Some, on the contrary, prefer not to post the price list publicly, but to provide consultations over the phone - usually such agencies have unusual options such as apologies to especially sensitive or extremely hot-tempered people.
Undesirable employees are usually fired. In Japan, the rules for dismissal in many large companies are very different and extremely unfavorable for employers. Thus, early retirement at Sony means payment of benefits in the amount of 54 monthly employee salaries.
Not wanting to pay such sums, companies came up with a solution: transfer workers to “idle rooms”, where they receive the most boring tasks. They read specialized literature all day, watch videos for several hours, etc. And at the end of the day, everyone is required to submit a report on the “work” they have done.
Sony doesn't see anything wrong with idling rooms. But critics believe that the main goal of such rooms is to make employees feel forgotten and useless and simply quit.
In Japan, where the problem of loneliness is quite acute, many find a way out by visiting establishments where this feeling is at least briefly dulled. For example, places like Soineya (literally “sleeping together store”) and similar places are popular, where you can simply sleep next to beautiful girl. No intimacy, just sleep and hugs.
Usually in such establishments they pay for entrance (about $27) and then everything is at a fixed price. So, 20 minutes of sleep will cost the client another $27, and for an hour you will have to pay about $54. You can choose some additional services for an additional fee. For example, you can sleep hugging each other, stroke the girl’s head, look into each other’s eyes for a certain time, put your head on each other’s lap, etc. - each item has its own price list.
Another way to cope with loneliness in Japan is kyabakura clubs, where you can talk and drink in the pleasant company of your interlocutor. For money, of course. Budget establishments will cost $27 for 40-60 minutes, more sophisticated ones - $45-137 for 45-90 minutes.
The girls who work in kyabakura are often called modern geisha (kyaba-jo, or "hostesses"), and their job is to entertain with conversation and drinks. In traditional kyabakura, girls do not provide any intimate services, so a client can be kicked out of the club even for trying to hug his interlocutor.
Such clubs are popular among businessmen, and also as a way for companies to reward their employees. But, of course, the main clients of such clubs are single men and those who lack warmth and attention in the family.
Moomin Bakery & Cafe is a cozy place in Tokyo, which has already been nicknamed the “anti-loneliness cafe” online. All visitors who come here alone are seated at a table with huge plush Moomintrolls, in whose company you can have a snack or just drink coffee.
The idea quickly caught the fancy of both the Japanese and numerous tourists, which is why there are often long queues at Moomin Bakery & Cafe and you have to wait for a table. Those who don’t want to wait can always buy something in the bakery at the cafe.
Micro-homes (aka kyosho jutaku) became popular in Japan in the 1990s, when housing prices began to rise sharply. Unlike apartment complexes, they do not take up much space and are perfectly placed on tiny pieces of land that are unsuitable for anything else.
Often the “scraps” that designers take on are no larger than a parking space for a car. Sometimes you even have to take on asymmetrical platforms - they usually cost less and are in demand.
Seeing such a piece of land, it seems that there is not enough space for absolutely anything. But designers have repeatedly proven the opposite: despite their size, living in such houses is much more comfortable than in cramped apartments in ordinary complexes.
Sample Lab - a store in Japan where You can be the first to try or test samples of a particular product- from sauces and alcoholic drinks to cosmetics and much more.
To become a member of the “consumers club”, you need to be over 16 years old, speak Japanese and pay an annual membership fee of approximately $9. Also, with each visit to the store, you pay a little less than $3. This is done to exclude all “lovers of free things” and so that the club consists of people who are truly interested in a particular product.
One of the features of the store is that for visits and questionnaires, everyone is awarded points that affect the number of products that can be tried.
1. The Japanese people are unusually hard-working. They are able to spend up to 18 hours at work without lunch, sleep for two hours, and then go back to work.
2. They don’t really like to vacation in Japan; 4 days off in a row is a vacation for them.
3. The Japanese, although not muscular in appearance, can be very strong physically.
4. As a rule, when the Japanese drink alcohol, they start to blush. They try not to drink a lot, although there are exceptions to every rule.
5. Many Japanese are inclined to draw and sing.
6. When the Japanese have lunch at their workplace, they do not stop working.
7. In Japan, it is considered normal to hear a forty-year-old man enthusiastically tell at work how he accidentally saw underwear high school girls on the subway.
8. According to the Japanese, learning to speak their language is extremely difficult, even unrealistic. Therefore, they have great respect for those who at least say hello in Japanese.
9. If you don’t know Japanese well, but go out for a drink with Japanese people, be prepared for the fact that after some time they will start teaching you all sorts of bad words.
10. The strength of emotions in Japan is shown by intonation and increasing the volume of the voice, and there are simply no curse words more offensive than the words “idiot” or “fool” in the Japanese language.
11. People in Japan are very honest, so don’t be afraid of forgetting your umbrella in the subway car. There is almost a 100% chance that it can be picked up from the lost and found.
12. Previously, there was no theft in Japan; even lost wallets with cash were returned, but now this is not the case.
13. Residents of Japan always do everything according to the instructions, and if they see an error there, they are immediately lost.
14. Prostitution is prohibited in this country, so intimate services are often called massage.
15. Guides to various brothels are published monthly in all major Japanese cities.
16. Get into a brothel where Japanese women work, white man It won’t work, but you can go where there are Filipino or Chinese women without any problems.
17. In pornography in Japan, genitals cannot be openly shown; because of this, they are always hidden on the screens by a mosaic.
18. The Japanese like to wash themselves every day; they are very clean. But they are not particularly good at cleaning, so their home is usually a mess.
19. It’s not enough for a Japanese to wash himself simple soul, you need to take a bath.
20. In Japan, all family members take a bath, and the water does not change. True, before getting into it, everyone first takes a shower. When everyone is washed, the water in this bathroom is used for washing.
21. If a Japanese family has a child under eight years old, he usually takes a bath with his parents.
22. Residents of Japan love to visit hot springs or public baths.
23. In Japan, an adult brother and sister may not talk to each other at all and may not even know their phone number.
24. If a person is caught with drugs in Japan, it doesn’t matter what it is or in what quantity, he will still go to prison.
25. Even if a Japanese man smokes weed in Amsterdam, and another Japanese man sees him and tells the police about it, the first one will end up in prison.
26. In Japan, wild marijuana can often be found in the mountains, so in the fall the police are on duty there and monitor cars with non-local license plates.
27. In Japan, you can buy hookahs or pipes for smoking weed everywhere.
28. The Japanese consider every white person first of all to be an American, then an Englishman or a Frenchman.
29. Japanese has three types of writing.
30. Previously, hallucinogenic mushrooms were not legally drugs and therefore were sold completely freely.
31. According to the rules, on highways the speed should be limited to 80 kilometers per hour, but all drivers exceed it up to 120, since the traffic police usually do not stop up to this limit.
32. For speeding, a motorist can face a minimum fine of $150, and the maximum penalty is prison.
33. As a rule, Japanese police are not that incorruptible, but sometimes you can talk them out if you pretend to be an idiot.
34. For any serious offense, the police are allowed to keep a person in jail for up to 30 days and not allow him to see a lawyer.
35. Any Japanese car, even the most powerful one, in the domestic transport market will be equipped with a speed limiter and a speedometer up to 140 or 180 kilometers per hour.
36. The Japanese are very knowledgeable about food and treat it with some fanaticism. When they travel abroad, it is for the most part not for the purpose of seeing something, but for the purpose of trying the local food. When they return home, they will brag about it to everyone.
37. About 70% of all television programs are about food.
38. Japan has very skilled cameramen; they make amazing, high-quality documentaries.
39. In Japan, it is customary to give sums of money on every occasion. Most often, everyone gives 100 dollars, the main thing is that the gift should not be less than 50 dollars - this is considered indecent.
40. When you are given money before going somewhere, you simply have to bring this person a gift, otherwise they will think badly of you.
41. The best gift There will be some food from the trip for the Japanese.
42. The gift that needs to be brought does not have to be in the amount of the donated amount; it can be cheaper.
43. Residents of Japan celebrate New Year at home with their parents: for three days they eat and watch TV.
44. Any Japanese can eat incredible portions of food.
45. On January 1, everything is closed in Japan and no one works. But now this rule is already ignored by large shopping centers and shops.
46. There are many convenience stores in the country where you can find anything you want.
47. Japan is considered a safe country in terms of crime levels.
48. The Japanese have great naivety; they can believe in almost anything.
49. In Japan, in any city, all the bars are usually located in one area.
50. In Japan, if people are going to go out for a drink, they will definitely visit at least three establishments during the night.
51. After this, the Japanese go to eat, most often it is ramen.
52. A very small number of Japanese are able to confess their love by looking directly into the eyes of the object of their feelings.
53. But those who can say this are wildly respected.
54. Most Japanese people are very shy and easily embarrassed.
55. When an older Japanese man proposes to a woman, he is so shy that he can only say something like “Can you make me some soup?”
56. Many older Japanese couples sleep in different rooms or on separate beds.
57. Having checked into a hotel, such spouses may even complain to the administrator that there is only one bed in the room.
58. Japan used to be considered a very expensive country, but now everything has changed.
59. About 80 percent of Japanese women laugh when they are nervous.
60. To start dating someone in Japan, you need to make a formal statement and ask “Please, let's date?”, before this happens, you just intimate relationships without obligations. It is worth noting that if the question is answered with a refusal, then repeated attempts are not allowed.
61. A guy or a girl should also officially declare their intention to break up.
62. Previously, a husband’s visits to prostitutes were considered normal. Now young modern Japanese view this differently.
63. If the wife does not work, then she manages the money, and the husband is allocated only a certain amount from his salary for personal expenses, which on average is about $300.
64. According to the Japanese, when you are overstimulated sexually, your nose may bleed.
65. Your nose will also bleed if you eat too much chocolate.
66. In general, nosebleeds are like this funny joke.
67. The Japanese simply waste an unusual amount of money.
68. In Japan, people are insured against absolutely everything that could happen.
69. If you do not have insurance and end up in the hospital, then you have serious problems.
70. In Japan, you are allowed to defer payment of health insurance or taxes for financial or family reasons. Health insurance is calculated based on a Japanese person’s last year’s income, and it does not cover all treatment costs, but only 70 percent.
71. Japan probably has the most polite service staff in the world, the service is simply fantastic.
72. It’s rare for a Japanese person to thank a cashier at a supermarket.
73. Women working at the cash register in a store always stand and bow in front of the buyer.
74. Store staff will never immediately say that they don’t have something. He will first take you around the entire store, as if looking for the product you need, and only then apologize and say that they don’t have such a thing.
75. In Japan, McDonald's works extremely slowly.
76. There are a large number of informers among the Japanese.
77. Most Japanese people swear at their country.
78. Young people in Japan often say that they would like to live in another country and not be Japanese.
79. Japanese who come abroad always travel in groups.
80. In Japan, there are a lot of football and hockey fans among women.
81. Japanese people often have severe complexes about their bodies.
82. In personal conversations, the Japanese sometimes say that China is a power, and their country is at the “fifth point”.
83. But at the same time, the Japanese consider themselves superior to both the Chinese and the Vietnamese.
84. Russian expression“What are you like a Chukchi?” identical to the Japanese “Are you Chinese?”
85. Young people who have non-Japanese friends always boast about this fact, it’s prestigious.
86. Visitors who know the Japanese language well are always praised and jokingly called Japanese who have just dyed their hair and put on colored lenses.
87. Young people in Japan also sometimes wear contact lenses, but they are mostly grey, purple or blue.
88. Fashion in Japan is unusually fleeting. Any fashion “boom” lasts no more than a year and then passes.
89. In Japan, shoes are taken off almost everywhere: in the house, office, restaurant or hospital.
90. Rules of decency require that removed shoes be turned with their toes towards the exit.
91. If you forget, someone else will do it for you anyway - either the owner of the establishment or the staff.
92. It is also indecent to step in socks on the place where shoes are taken off.
93. All Japanese put on or take off their shoes very quickly.
94. In Japan they believe that any other country is scary and dangerous.
95. Foreigners are ruining Japan.
96. In Japan, almost no one will invite guests to their house; if this happens, it is better to take it only as a gesture of politeness, and not an invitation.
97. Many apartments in Japan are very cramped and cold.
98. Once upon a time in Japan there were programs on TV that in America would be considered an insult feminine dignity.
99. Japan is a wonderful country.
Residents of no country in the world would like to be judged by Hollywood films. Just remember how they show our country and you and me. It's the same with Japan. If you think you have an understanding of her culture, you probably don't.
Let's separate myths from reality. True, this will not make Japan less mysterious; quite the contrary.
Officially, the city of Tokyo existed only from 1889 to 1943. Now it is not a city, but one of the prefectures, in other words, a metropolitan district, which consists of 62 administrative units. 39 of them are cities, towns and rural communities. The other part is 23 special districts, and often when people say “Tokyo” they mean them. Each of these districts is equal to the status of a city, each of them even has its own mayor.
