Ten Eleven Things I'll Miss About Japan

A few small pieces of what makes me want to live here

As my personal adventure in Japan comes to an end, I felt like writing about ten things I'll sorely miss about this country. Please take note that only things were considered, not people. There are certainly more than ten people I would miss and I'm not about to try and rank them. Of course, not everything about this country will be missed, so in the interest of fairness/catharsis I've written about them as well. You can read that list here.

Technically not a convenience store, but it's open twenty-four hours a day and sells a variety of goods for less than a dollar, making it one of the most convenient stores ever!

Honorable Mention: Convenience Stores (コンビニ)

OK, we obviously have convenience stores in the United States, often with the very same names as these stores in Japan, but only someone who's never been to Japan could assert they are the same things. Aside from the stellar service (see #2 below), convenience stores in Japan offer a wide variety of food worth eating, some of which is actually pretty good for you (see #3 for more on that). They also tend to be quite clean, can serve as a cheap alternative to bars (see #1), and invariably feature a full range of trash cans (although that admittedly ties into something about Japan that pisses me off).

NHK Sports coverage is without equal in this world. The reception on a moving train leaves something to be desired though.

10. NHK (日本放送協会)

NHK is Japan's public television service and it's a giant organization that offers thousands of programming every day across its different channels. While this may not impress folks who grew up with the BBC (on which NHK was reportedly modeled), for an American like myself NHK is a stunning example of awesomeness. There are no commercials so their programming is not restricted to what appeals to advertisers. Their programming runs the gamut from the limited appeal of shogi to mainstream motion pictures. In particular, their sports broadcasting benefits greatly from the lack of commercials. It increases the feel of actually attending the event itself, especially a domestic baseball game where the alternate audio channel omits the announcers. It's like sitting in the stands!

What time is it? Where is the bus now? Answers should always be this easy.

9. Public Transit (公共交通機関)

I've always been a fan of New York's public transit system - it may not always run on time but the access it offers to a variety of destinations throughout the five boroughs is convenient and effective. However, it pales in comparison to the extensive system in use here in Japan. Sure, the prices can be a little higher (fares are typically based on distance rather than the flat $2 NYC charge) but unless there's some kind of accident they always run on time. Of course, the Japanese system actually covers the entire nation rather than just one metropolitan area. Even without using the shinkansen (probably the coolest train on Earth) one can easily traverse the country without a car. Sure, they have the advantage of a smaller country than ours, but that doesn't excuse the consistent inconsistencies of Amtrak and Greyhound, does it?

Fight, rikishi! For everlasting peace! Oh, and money too.

8. Sumo (相撲)

Is it a sport or a religious experience? Actually, it's both! Although the obesity of 99% of the competitors may seem wholly unappealing at first, one only has to follow one tournament to get hooked. With the increasingly visible foreign minority succeeding in the sport, the overall variety of the personalities behind all that body mass is more evident than ever. The intensity and brevity of each match is offset by a long, ritualistic introduction that initially seems boring but quickly justifies itself as a necessary precedent to the action, kind of like the moments in between pitches at a baseball game. I've seen some sumo coverage on ESPN2 sometimes but they condense two weeks' worth of fighting into a thirty minute highlight reel. Stripped of the anticipation and momentum, it really just is a couple of chubsters pushing each other around.

Happiness is an automatically heated seat.

7. Washlets (ウォシュレット)

It washes you, okay? That's all I have to say about that!

A shôtengai as seen in Kyoto.

6. Shopping Arcades (商店街)

Every Japanese city of note will have at least one (but typically many more) of these small streets jam packed with stores, restaurants, bars, pachinko parlors, etc. Often they include a roof so that foul weather does not deter the activity, which make them valuable conduits for getting around in the rain. In places like Umeda there are also long stretches of shops and such underground, offering added shelter from excessively high or low temperatures. These places are almost always crowded and very bright, day or night, which in my opinion gives them an exciting yet completely secure feeling. The only real equivalent I can think of would be putting a roof over St. Mark's Place (where there are, coincidentally, lots of good Japanese restaurants) although I think there tends to be a frequency of shady-types that make the experience a little less magical. Not to mention there's really not much in the way of bright lights there.

"With parts made in Japan..."

5. Karaoke (カラオケ)

Stop right there: you were about to say "I sing karaoke all the time!" I know you do but unless you sing karaoke in Japan you're being robbed. First and foremost, Japanese karaoke is sung in a private booth rather than on stage in front of strangers. While I know the latter can be fun at times, there's no comparison to the sheltered, safe experience of gathering your friends into a soundproof box and getting nuts. The song selection is also much more diverse here, including thousands of English, Japanese, even Chinese and Korean songs too! Not to mention the abundance of places offering unlimited drinks to help the music flow. I will definitely sing a tune or two back home but I'll be thinking of the songs I sang in Japan the whole time.

Think Pink.

4. Cherry Blossoms (桜)

They may only bloom for a few weeks out of the year but these beautiful trees literally transform the entire nation of Japan. From the initial white buds to the full-bloom pink hotness, suddenly even the most mundane street corners come alive with color. Allegedly they smell terrific too, although I have yet to confirm this thanks to a cold I came down with during the oh-so-fleeting blossoming season. The trees shed their colors and spend the rest of the summer looking like ordinary green trees, offering no hint at the secret beauty they possess.

No such thing as "too much mayo" here.

3. Food (食べ物)

I don't know what it is about Japanese food but somehow I'm able to eat my fair share here and still manage to keep my weight under control. Maybe it's the overall low fat content that balances out the high carbs (since pretty much every meal includes rice or noodles) or maybe it's something else entirely. I must admit I don't eat fish nearly as often as I thought I would, although I don't know whether that's due to me failing to seek out the fish or the fact that there's just such a great variety of other things to try. I'm very fortunate that most Japanese foods are available in New York City but I can't spend all of my time in the city. Whenever I'm away at school or visiting my Mom, all that crazy deliciousness will be sadly out of reach, not to mention overpriced. So in the States I'm going to have to do with a lot less katsu kare, donburi, and onigiri. Plus I'll be stuck with only one measly variety of Kit Kat! Oh, the agony!

"We sincerely thank you for keeping this toilet clean. Please use it again in the future."

2. Service (サービス)

While there are exceptions to every rule, I must say that the service in Japan is light years ahead of the United States. On a basic level there are a number of ritualistic expressions and customs that simply make everyday transactions feel more pleasant. Enter any restaurant, retail store or even convenience store and you will be promptly greeted by every employee you can see. When you leave, regardless of whether you bought something or just used the restroom you will be thanked for your patronage. Train conductors, bus drivers, hell, even cabbies are well-dressed and polite at all times. Set foot in a hotel lobby carrying anything larger than a purse and the staff will immediately sweep in and offer assistance. The ironic footnote to all of this? Not a single one of these hard working folks expect (or would even accept) a tip.

Alcohol on demand - why can't we have this in the States?

1. Accountability

Maybe I've got the wrong title for this entry but bear with me here. My favorite thing about Japan is that, as an adult, I can freely indulge in adult activities without the hand-holding or censorship of a "protect us from ourselves" mentality. If I want booze, I can buy it in any convenience store or from vending machines or even at theme parks! According to the law you have to be twenty years old to drink but the rule is never thrown accusingly in anyone's face. Compare that to New York where, even in my late twenties, I am consistently carded and viewed with suspicion by bouncers, bartenders and supermarket clerks everywhere. Of course, once I buy my booze in Japan I'm free to drink outside if I want to. The same rules apply to cigarettes, although in the interest of public health/cleanliness the country is starting to restrict usage to designated "smoking corners" (喫煙コーナー). Still, that means you can smoke in the bar and most restaurants.

On a related note (in my opinion) Japanese TV is virtually uncensored. Admittedly, the language barrier excuses them from not caring about English profanity, but (non-genital) nudity and violence aren't edited either. In fairness I can't formally declare the reasoning behind these policies but I'd like to think it's because people are actually held accountable for their behavior here. If I get drunk, it's not the bartender's fault, it's mine. If I smoke and get cancer, it's not the tobacco companies' problem, it's mine. That isn't to excuse the American Tobacco Lobby from its shady behavior concerning marketing and addiction catering, but I've never been comfortable with the notion that someone who smoked cigarettes for forty years can suddenly plead ignorance to the effects and sue. I think it's also related to Japan's infamously low crime rates: for most, crime is not an option because of the resulting disorder (and those who do commit crimes often confess anyway).

But there's more! Look at love hotels, a business catering to the needs of consenting adults who just want a few hours to themselves. Can you imagine the shitstorm that would erupt if one opened in Midtown Manhattan? There would be outcries of "immorality," "promiscuity," and you know someone would cry out "What about the children?" Then, of course, every room would fill up with homeless people.

OK, I got a little worked up at the end there, but hopefully you get the idea. If you've never been to Japan, maybe some of these things sound appealing to you? Before you rush out and buy a ticket, read about the things in Japan that drive me crazy!