Life in Japan – The bright side

As a tourist in Japan, you do not and will not ever get the full package. While I dislike/don’t really agree with the things that were mentioned in this post, I do start to feel a sense of belonging to this country that has treated me relatively well in these 3 years.

What do I like about Japan? What does this country have to offer which made me continue staying? I would say it is a trade-off, probably. I do kind of enjoy this two-life life, where I can call two countries home.

Safety

Not unlike Singapore, Japan is safe in many aspects. I do not have to worry about getting mugged at gunpoint or keeping an eye out for pickpockets lurking in the dark. The trains are so packed yet I do not have to worry about my belongings even when my bag is wide open. But girls, still protect yourselves in packed trains because although Japan is safe, many perverts lay waiting for their next target.

Professionalism

Japanese treat their work seriously AF. Trains and train stations are good example of this where you can see the staff doing their checks with utmost seriousness by pointing here and there. This is the reason why their service standard is world class. Professionalism is different from treating your customer like kings. Most people’s impression of professionalism in Japan comes from the service sector, but in the back office setting, professionalism is still displayed. For example, even though we can be on first name basis with our clients, when it comes to work we use the appropriate language and do not play around with personal relationships. There is a sense of responsibility imbued in most people.

This is also why performances staged by the Japanese are world-class. I’ve been invited to watch a dance concert and it was the best performance I’ve ever watched with my experiences in dance and performing arts. Everything from the lighting to the plot to the moves, awesome would be a word of insult. I was wondering why didn’t they charge more for the ticket because the value it delivered was much more than the 3,000 yen I paid. I felt that every concert that I’ve been a part of failed miserably (I’m terribly sorry to those affected but you guys will feel the same way).

This was the community that put up the performance titled Storyteller.

https://www.facebook.com/Egopression/

Service standard

Japanese treat their customers like royalty. This culture stems partly from the professionalism that they display in their work, but the customer-is-king is still a separate culture by itself. Go anywhere, and you will be greeted with smiles and politeness.

You get a series of 90 degree bows after a purchase (usually a boutique) and they send you out of the door or to the elevator. Look back once and you get one bow. Look back again and another bow. Look back one last time and stare at them, I haven’t tried this.

Obviously not everyone is genuinely cheerful when they serve especially to unreasonable customers. There was once when I was settling my lunch at Yoshinoya on a random weekend and I saw the staff dealing with a rude old man. She was really patient and tried to meet all his demands, but as he left, she showed her unhappiness (not intentionally to the rest of the customers) by shoving and throwing things violently. Still, they managed to keep their temper in check at work.

Please do not take advantage of the patience and kindness service staff give us.

Cinema

When the credits start rolling in Singapore, the lights come on and people start leaving right? In Japan, although some people with an urgent need to clear their bladders will leave discreetly, the entire cinema will watch the credits roll until the very end, not missing out on any mid or post credit scenes. However, the main reason is obviously not that because most movies don’t have credit scenes. People respect the movie makers and the music; we acknowledge the people who have put in the hardwork behind the scenes. The lights do not come on until the screen goes black. If we are not interested in the credits, we close our eyes and listen to the music.

Talking or using the phone is frowned upon, actually everywhere in the world, but in Japan thankfully, I have not seen anyone doing that. Some people including me do use the phone discreetly if we have to, but it is nothing like turning on our screens while watching the movie. We do it really discreetly, using our bags to cover the light and bury our head inside.

The only downside to watching a movie in Japan is the x2 price of Singapore.

Dentist

Singapore dentists are earning way too much. A wisdom tooth removal in Japan costs around S$60 on the cheap side and maybe slightly over S$100 on the expensive side. Due to the mandatory health insurance, a regular visit to the dentist for cleaning costs around S$20 – S$30.

Convenience stores

I really like that I can get healthy food from convenience stores, which in other countries, are populated with oily fried food and sweet drinks. Although packet fruit juices are not exactly healthy-healthy, they are still healthier than cola. Whatever you need, you can find them at convenience stores and they are just a hundred steps from each other.

I also like that I can get non-sweet drinks, like a wide range of tea selections, not that darn sweet pokka green tea.

It is also convenient to settle for a simple meal if you don’t have time to eat. There are usually seats in convenience stores so if you have a packed schedule, you can spend 5 minutes gobbling up a couple of onigiri.

Bicycle culture

No E-scooters/PMDs or such nonsense. We use our strength to move about and keep fit. On many roads there is still a lack of bicycle paths, but motorists are used to the culture and keep a safe distance from cyclists. Bicycles are also a convenient way to get around central Tokyo because as I mentioned, driving is impractical and trains are sometimes inconvenient for short distances, or locations are inaccessible by trains.

Cyclists are patient and we do not ring the bell unless necessary. We will usually slow down before the pedestrians, wait until they take notice of us before passing them.

Good driving culture

Although I seldom drive due to the slow traffic, for the times I have driven out of Tokyo, I was met with really good driving culture where giving way is a priority. Like cyclists, Japanese drivers do not hit the horn unnecessarily. When people give way to us, we turn on the hazard light for a few blinks to express our gratitude.

When there is a jam at the front, hazard lights are turned on too to inform the motorists behind that traffic is slow. Flashing the high beam is used as a gesture to give way, unlike in Singapore where it is often used as an expression of unhappiness or a milder form of the horn.

Personal seal

After this trip back to Singapore and making visits to banks, I have decided that I like the benefits of a personal seal more than the trouble it gives. Basically in Japan, we get our personal seal, which is like an Emperor’s seal we see in dramas. It could be your surname, full name or first name. You can use multiple seals for multiple purposes. You can have a formal one and an informal one. This seal represents your signature, so if you register a seal with a bank, you can only use that particular seal with that bank. The main trouble with this system that I find is carrying the seal around because if you forget to bring it when you need to, it causes delays and missed opportunities.

However, after visiting a few banks in Singapore, I saw a common problem. I faced it myself too. I had forgotten what signature I’ve used for DBS and had to re-register it. I’ve seen other customers re-registering theirs too at other banks. Sometimes, you just cannot sign it the same way as you did. The personal seal prevents such inconveniences from happening because you just stamp it.

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Also read the dark side.