The Alexis Angle – Japan

Japan is almost the complete opposite of Costa Rica, with giant cities and buildings everywhere and the culture too! I like both equally, but for different reasons, so here are different things I have noticed about Japan:

Bikes

In Costa Rica, motorcycles were VERY common. It doesn’t snow there, so they can be used year round. In Japan, bikes seem to be the equivalent of motorcycles in Costa Rica. I’m actually sort of jealous of the bikes here, because they are all made so well. Each bike is basically the same: they all have baskets in the front, the kickstands are in the back and also act as a lock for them, going around the wheel. Some also have car seats built into the front or back for children.

Friendly People

In Japan it seems like no one here has a mean bone in their body. I was at a Starbucks the other day, and an American woman and a lady working as the cashier were trying to understand each other. The lady that was ordering was trying to point and gesture, not knowing any Japanese, and the cashier was trying to use her limited English to understand. Neither of them got frustrated, the cashier just laughed and smiled. I’ve seen this everywhere, like at the store, on the streets (if they will look at you) and in restaurants. I was on a train the other day and an older lady sat in front of me (I was standing), I was so surprised and happy when she smiled at me. I smiled back and she started saying things to me in Japanese, gesturing and pointing at me while talking to my family. Sadly we had no idea what she was saying, but she was really sweet. People here are just so nice.

No Personal Space – But Not in Each Other’s Business

I was calling my friend a few days ago and I was showing her how unbelievably busy a shopping street we went to was and she says “I love how literally no one is looking at each other, they’re just minding their own business.” I thought that was very true. In Japan, it is very hard to have personal space when the place you live in has millions of people in it. Trains are unbelievably crowded at times and so are streets. But believe it or not, I could trip and fall flat on my face in that crowded street and no one would look at me. That’s very different from Colorado, where I would be asked by 20 different people if I was okay, and laughed at by another 10.

Gas Station/Convenience Store

Japan’s convenience stores are like a smaller version of grocery stores in Colorado. They have full meals that you can buy, eat, and still be healthy. If I tried to live off of gas stations in Colorado, I would not be living a healthy life. The best thing you can buy there is an apple.

Clothing

I sometimes wish I could have brought more pants in my backpack. Japanese culture is overall pretty modest and basically the only things I took with me on gap year were shorts and T-shirts. I have gotten dirty looks for wearing my nike shorts before, but usually people don’t look at me. Most of the pictures of me in Japan have me wearing the exact same two pants over and over again!

There are so many cool things about Japan, like the shopping streets, lights, and food. I could talk for hours about how different Japan is from anything I’m used to. Nothing in Colorado can really compare, and it’s so cool to be able to say that I’ve been bowed to by a deer or waved at by a robot! I really love Japan!