Safety: This had to be first, because as a parent it is my absolute favorite thing about Japan. After living under the fear of school shootings, kidnappings and terrorists attacks, it is nice to take a breath and let down our guard a little bit. I don't yet fully understand why it is so safe here, but I think a lot of it has to do with the culture being so focused on harmony. I still have a hard time believing that my kids take the train by themselves to school. This includes walking several city blocks and changing trains! They have adjusted well to city life and to the freedom that they have, I think it will be really hard for them to come back 2 years older but lose some of the freedom they gained here.
Being Polite: People are just really polite here. It is really refreshing. As part of that, you get incredible customer service everywhere you go. It is truly extraordinary. Getting your hair done at a Japanese hair salon - unbelievable! It takes about 3 hours for a cut & color, but believe me, you don't mind it at all! They wash your hair for 15-20 minutes and while doing so, you are in a chair that lays you completely horizontal and you're covered by blankets, after the hair washing, you get a shoulder and head massage. When they color your hair, they literally work the color through all the strands of hair, section by section. I can't wait for my next hair appointment!
No Tipping: That's right, no tipping! For anything! And for amazing customer service. What?!?
Gracious to Foreigners: Americans could learn a lot about how to treat foreigners from the Japanese. There is no attitude here of 'this is Japan, speak Japanese', people really try to help you if you look lost or if you're looking for something. Most people are nervous to speak in English (even though they all take it for 6 years in school) but they will try to help you as much as possible. I also find that if I can get someone talking, they do know English pretty well, but they are such perfectionists that they don't think it's good enough to talk to a native English speaker.
Process and Order: So this is something that I love and yet drives me crazy sometimes. They truly have a process for everything and it makes it very nice in areas like getting on and off the train and standing in lines etc. but it sort of drives me crazy at work because things take so much longer than they need to. Another good example is their train system - it is so easy and you can set your watch to the trains - they are always on time! And the driving here - everyone is soooo courteous! Even though they drive on the other side of the road, it has been fairly easy to learn to drive here because everyone drives so slow and polite. But don't get me started on the process around getting your driver's license…
The Sights: Japan is truly beautiful. We live in a great area that has access to many ancient and beautiful places. We still have so many to see, but we have really enjoyed what we have been able to get to so far. A post on that soon!
Uniqlo: Japanese technology in clothing at affordable prices. Love this store!
The Toilets: I want to bring some back with us! Why has this technology not caught on in the US?!
Lack of American pop culture: As the mom of an 11 year old girl, I feel like she regained her innocence when we moved here. She went from acting like she was 13 back to 11! I love that Miley Cyrus is not idolized here! Japanese do like American pop culture, but it's just not so overwhelming like it is at home.
The Quiet: Maybe this is connected to 'being polite' and 'process and order', I'm not sure, but it is so quiet here! Even in a sea of people on the train or walking down the city streets, it's just quiet. It is a huge no-no to talk on your phone while on the train. It's nice (most of the time).
The Underground: There are more layers to every city under the ground. So genious! Especially in the super hot summer and the cold winter months! And more real estate. Why didn't NYC do it?!
City Living: This isn't really specific to living in Japan, but we are living in a city here and really enjoying high-rise living. No yard work? Yes, please! We love being able to walk everywhere rather than drive. We also love being able to try so many different cuisines within a few minutes of our home. Indian, Thai, Vietnamese, Chinese, Italian (not so great here)…and um Japanese.
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