58. Back up “beep beeps”

In America most trucks have a “beep” warning signal that sounds when they are backing up, but in Japan all passenger cars also have this feature. At first I found it superfluous but having just gotten back after almost 7 months in the States, I found it a precious and comforting reminder that I was back in my second home.

57. Being called by my last name

I like being called “Miss Karner,” which in Japanese would be Karner-san, where the “san” could also serve, in a different context, as “Mr.” or “Mrs.” (Punctuation wonks: Do I need another period here?) I am called “Miss Karner” all the time in Japan, and if I was Japanese, even close friends would so address me. As it is, being American, they call me “Miss Linda,” which is fine with me, and which actually might have come from their way of putting family name first, so that, to a Japanese person not thinking cross-culturally, “Linda” looks like my last name, and they are, in fact, calling me “Miss Karner.” (Did I lose anybody there?) But my main point is that this form of address seems appropriate for people who do not know me well, such as receptionists, bank tellers and doctors. Calling people by their last names preserves an atmosphere of social politeness and respect for age. It makes the given name special, imbuing it with the intimacy that letting one’s hair down did in America in days gone by. It by no means diminishes the feeling of closeness in a relationship, once you get used to it, while preserving a way for really close friends to express that special bond.

54. – 56. Japan is totally set up for blind people!

Well, perhaps not totally, but there are far more amenities for blind people in Japan than I am aware of in the USA. 54. For one thing, in the cities and larger towns, there are strips of rounded bumps on the sidewalks so that blind people can walk along and avoid straying into the streets. At intersections, the rounded bumps form a bigger square, which is a clue to stop. 55. Since Japan is set up for pedestrians and public transportation, almost every intersection in Japan has a pedestrian signal, with an accompanying whistle to signal one direction, and a bird call to signal the other, although I haven’t figured out how the blind would know which way was which. 56. To top it off I see Braille in many places, such as elevators and on ATMs. But since Japan is a “zero defect” society, in 20 years of living there I only remember seeing one blind person!

53. Decopon!

No, it’s not a type of coupon, or a type of decoupage, it’s a type of orange, a kind of ugly, wrinkled-looking orange with a knob that forms where it was attached to the tree. But, the peel comes off very easily, and inside are sweet, sweet orange sections, that can be eaten whole with their membrane (other kinds of Japanese oranges have tough, bitter membranes that must be removed before eating just the little orange pulpy things inside . . . )

52. Estimates

In Japan, when you get an estimate for anything – a project of some kind, work to be done – the bill will never exceed the estimate! The estimate is an absolute upper limit. This is a very subtle aspect of the culture, but now that we know it, it is very reassuring!

51. Coming of Age Day

In Japan one becomes an adult upon turning 20, and every January everyone who will reach that milestone that year is feted in ceremonies at town and city halls all over the country (if they care to go . . .) It’s a national holiday, but the best part is that many young women dress for the occasion in the traditional kimono, and it is such a treat to see them in their colorful and elegant traditional dress and hairdos. Since the day comes during such a cold month, they often sport large fur collars as well. The young men tend to dress in suits, but this year I saw one wearing a silvery grey hakama, which is basically kimono culottes, and can be worn by women as well. He looked absolutely magnificent, very regal. Definitely a day not to forget your camera when you go out!

47.-50. Music education

In Japan they teach their elementary school kids to sing using do-re-mi, technically called solfeggio. Recently I was treated to two kids singing a common American tune (I can’t remember what it was . . . ) using this technique, and was quite impressed. They will have such a good command of the intervals in music, which should boost not only musical skill but music appreciation. I didn’t even know solfeggio existed until I was in a special high school music theory class . . .

48. They also teach all the kids to play the pianica, a combination keyboard/wind instrument. You blow into a tube connected to the keyboard to enable the keys to make a sound when pressed. The result reminds me of a cheap accordion, but hey – here we have musical training and kinesthetic coordination all in one.

49. Later in elementary school the kids all learn to play the recorder, a real instrument that they can enjoy all their lives if they choose to.

50. And somewhere along the way they become familiar with all the great western composers – Beethoven, Bach, Brahms, etc. How many Americans have even heard of Japanese traditional music?

So, I applaud the musical education of Japan.

45 & 46. Gift Wrapping

45.  The fact that they do it:
Japan is a gift-giving culture, and presentation is everything.  So virtually every store in Japan, including the supermarkets, will gift wrap for you. (I once received a gift-wrapped melon, a fruit that usually costs in the neighborhood of $40, but can go over $200 at certain times of the year . . . I understand that the high cost is for the pretty pattern . . . ) I love this service, since I am somewhat of a Scrooge when it comes to wrapping.

46.  How they do it:
I can’t adequately describe how they wrap gifts, but they do start with the paper on the diagonal, and when they finish all the ends are so neatly tucked in that it is a work of art! 

42-44. It’s a cash society!

Japan is still largely a cash society. Even though I use my credit card whenever possible in the U.S.A. I like paying with cash in Japan. You buy, you pay, it’s done – no bills, no interest. Of course, everyone complains about the 5% consumption tax . . .

The cost of living in Japan is very high, so you need a lot of cash to be prepared for contingencies. I like to carry about $250 equivalent around with me at all time; less than that makes me feel uneasy, whereas in the States I feel uneasy if I have more than $20 on me. But, 43. Japan is so safe, that $250 equivalent feels like $10. And what is more, 44. the technology in Japan is so good, that I routinely draw $450 equivalent from the ATM’s. Once, I remember buying a highway card, (for paying tolls) from a machine. I bought a $250 equivalent card from this machine (getting around $45 in free tolls in the bargain)! I can’t imagine doing that in the States, where I barely trust a Coke™ machine to give me a Coke™ and make the right change! Sorry to bust on my passport country, but that’s the way it is. Of course, as I was inserting the three 10,000 yen bills into the card machine, in a very crowded rest stop, at night, alone I was wondering “Am I a fool?” But the card came out with no problem, and no one seemed to be paying any attention to me. I wonder if Japanese people always feel totally secure with their technology?

41. Starbucks®

I love Starbucks® in Japan. Coffee shops have a long history in Japan as places to go to rest. Many coffee shops stock shelves of books – including comic books – and patrons can linger as long as they like over their beverage of choice. Starbucks® does not stock the reading material, but they do understand the relaxation factor, so I have always found the ones in Japan to be neat and tidy, with no visual distractions such as boxes of supplies blocking the aisles, or piles of trash at the cinnamon station. The barristas are polite and cheerful, and, when not serving customers they routinely wipe off the tables and generally maintain the appearance of the shop, and it is a pleasure to drink coffee there.