Here’s Part II of the Local customs series. Haven’t decided exactly how many are going to be in this ‘series’, but I’m going to call it series for now. 😉 Part 1 can be found here, in case you missed it.
1. Train seat preferences
If a local has a choice of any seat in a train, they will usually choose the one at the corner, near the door.
This can be nice as they would only have one person beside them, instead of one on either side. And corner seats usually have enough space for the person to rest their head if they want to take a nap.
Quick note: This only applies to regular trains.
2. Dog walking
It is good manners for people walking their dogs to not only carry a plastic bag and pooper scooper, but to also have a water bottle with them. This is used to spray the area after fido has peed.
I think it has something to do with washing away the smell, and reducing the acidity, so it doesn’t affect the ground – or so some locals have suggested.
3. Paper bags and rain
Store staff will usually ask if you would like to have your paper bag covered with a transparent plastic sheet if it is raining. This is to protect your new purchases and keep them dry.
4. Seeing double/triple
Like women all over the world, Japanese women love fashion, and usually do a good job of keeping up with trends. But there are some things that don’t change – the perpetual trend of wearing beige trench coats in Spring never ceases to amaze me. They are literally everywhere!
5. Canned soup
We all know that vending machines are primarily used to dispense drinks and snacks. And yes, we have all heard (or maybe seen) ones that sell interesting items. But have you heard of how you can get warm canned soup from a vending machine? It is happiness in a little can. Try it!
6. Washing rubbish
Japan’s garbage strict sorting rules mean that only certain types of rubbish can be thrown out on certain days. But when it comes to items like styrofoam food trays and milk cartons, people also rinse them before putting them into a trash bag.
I have heard that this is because they are going to be recycled. But I can’t help but feel that it’s a lot of work for something that’s going to be thrown out.
7. Face covers
When customers want to try on tops, the sales staff will usually politely ask them to use a face cover. A face cover is basically a sheet that you put over your head, and is so the customer’s makeup (and sweat?) does not accidentally rub off on the clothing.
I have been doing it for many years here, and without being asked (just because I know I have to anyway), but it still always feels strange to me!
8. Nasal greetings
The extremely high pitched and nasally “Irrasshaimaseeee” (welcome) that store staff scream to attract customers are seriously loud. And it doesn’t stop there! Many of them continue with phrases asking the passerby to come in, have a look, and even with “Time Sale” screeches. Oh, and ‘time sale’ means that there are items on sale until a certain time.
9. Bread crusts
Bread bought in supermarkets and convenience stores all have their ends removed. You can get complete loaves of bread from bakeries, but all other mass produced commercially sold bread come with their ends removed.
10. Menus in restaurants
Unlike in nicer restaurants where each person gets a menu of their own, most other restaurants only give out one menu for every 2 people. And instead of one person holding it, making their choice, and then handing it to the other person, they would lay it flat on the table. The positioning would be such that both people could read it at the same time.
So one person would flip the page, and both would look at the same page, at the same time. Why? I have no idea. And since this happens even when there aren’t many customers in the restaurant, I can only assume that it is because the restaurant staff either don’t want to have to deal with more work than necessary, or because it’s just the way it’s always been done.
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