Culture shock isn’t one big thing. It’s lots of little things. In fact, they are so little that often you don’t even realize they are having such a strong effect on you. So what are some of the things about Japan that are different from the States?
Trash. There are multiple categories for sorting out your trash. The two most basic are burnables and plastics. There are special bags for each kind of trash (issued by the city but available for purchase anywhere). Most communities have certain days assigned for which trash can be put out for pickup that day. Trash is not typically picked up in front of your house, but rather in a community designated area (maybe up the street a short walk). Many communities have a calendar with assigned trash setup/cleanup days on which you are expected to set out the trash bins that afternoon and then make sure the area is swept clean after pickup the next morning.
Cash. Japan is still a cash heavy culture. There are still some places that only accept cash for payments. Get used to pulling money from an ATM, something that I rarely, if ever, did in the States!
Left side of the road. Yes, we drive on the left side of the road from the right side of the car. Be prepared to hit the blinker when you want the windshield wipers and vice-versa for a few weeks until you adjust!
Bowing. All the time. To everyone. Everywhere. There are so many types of bows and they become sooo natural with time. Our sons started bowing when saying “thank you” without even realizing it! At 8 months old our second son naturally bowed when key phrases were used that typically are associated with a bow.
One way roads. Honestly, I feel like where I lived in the States there were very few one way roads. Here in Japan, they are very frequent. Yes, I have turned the wrong way down a one way road before. Not once, but twice. It does take some getting used to!
Itty bitty roads. This will depend on where in Japan you are. In Niigata, the roads around our house were particularly narrow and required careful steering of my very small Toyota Vitz. Oh, did I mention these roads were actually 2-way? So yes, sometimes you have to back up to let the opposing traffic pass so that you can then go through.
Back in to your parking spaces. Almost everywhere. Everyone backs into the spaces at stores and even in their own driveway. It is considered safer to back into your parking space than to back into traffic when you are leaving. I actually have grown to love this!
Grocery portions are all smaller. Those big family packs of chicken from Kroger? Yeah, not a thing here. Take everything at your typical grocery store in the States and shrink it down. Even eggs come in a pack of 10 rather than 12. The grocery carts are much smaller and I have filled my basket to overflowing on multiple occasions to the amused glances of other shoppers. It is my understanding that most people in Japan go to the grocery store (supa) multiple times a week if not daily, so the smaller portion sizes do make sense.
And how well do you know your fish?!? Three years in, I feel like I am just beginning to branch out a little with fish. There are so many varieties which can be cooked and seasoned many different ways. Just the other day I prepared and cooked Sanma for the first time, much to my husband’s delight. But I am grateful for the pre-seasoned packs of fish that just have to be cooked in the standard fish grill that comes with most Japanese homes! And the fish will inevitably be served with white sticky rice. Oh how I have come to love rice. When first coming to Japan, I could rarely finish my portion of rice. Now I can eat it three times a day (and we often do). Though the battle to constantly clean sticky rice off the floor with toddlers…it never ends…
Heating one room at a time. Yep. No central heating or air. So it becomes important to keep doors between rooms closed, especially in the winter and summer. But why would we cool down the entire house if we are only using one room at a time anyways?? Oh, and this makes the heated toilet seats especially wonderful in the dead of winter. Yep, you guessed it, no heat in the bathroom.
Curtains…because NEIGHBORS! Yes, your neighbors might be close enough for you to open the window, reach out, and touch their house. So curtains are especially important! Both the thick outer curtains and the sheer inner curtains. Because there are times you want to let in the sunlight without letting all your neighbors look inside your house.
Laundry. It’s different here guys! Hanging laundry out on your porch is the standard! Most people don’t own a clothes dryer. If they do, then they still have to be careful of what they put in it because the dryers here tend to be tough on clothes (ask the three pairs of slacks that I ruined within a few weeks of coming to Japan). Then again, clothes hung outside on a sunny day in our sunny city of Nagoya dry very quickly, have a nice fresh scent, and require no electricity to dry! So that’s a win. :-)6
No shoes inside. Never wear your shoes inside a home. Anytime there is a small step up into a room, expect to take your shoes off. The “genkan” is the entryway just inside a home where you stop, take your shoes off, and neatly line them up or place them in the shoebox (getabako). Slippers are commonly worn inside, but be sure to take even the slippers off if you walk into a tatami floored room or onto an area rug! Oh, and bathroom slippers are often available for when you need to step onto the less-clean floors of a bathroom.
Oh and you can’t understand anyone. This gets better. I promise it does. But it was particularly rough for the first 6 months. I spent so much time just smiling and nodding but wishing I could really communicate. Now, 3 years in, I can understand lots more but there are still moments I stop and think, what on earth did that person just say??
Nor can you read anything. This gets better too, if you take the time to study the written language. Which is why I highly recommend a formal language school! It takes time but is so worth the effort to learn to read Japanese characters. With 1000s used here, I will be forever learning. But knowing many of the basic ones used in everyday life has made my life so much easier!
Have I missed anything? What stood out as different to you? Are any of these things surprising to you?