Before moving to Japan, I considered myself knowing at least the basics about this country. I have spent a few years reading everything I could find that had “Japan” in the title. I have also visited Japan a couple of times before moving in. Spending two weeks of holidays in Kyoto and Tokyo, just reinforced my confidence. Oh boy, how wrong I was… I had no idea…
But seriously, some differences are obvious, but their consequences in daily life are not. And there were a few of these that definitely surprised me.
Broadly speaking, Japan differs from Poland and New Zealand (two countries I was living in before) in two major ways. The weather conditions are different and the culture is different.
First, the weather
Japan has four distinct seasons: winter, spring, summer and autumn. The seasons come and go quite rapidly, so I am always caught off guard. Each time a new season rolls in, I am like: what? It is soooooooo hot/cold now! Why? When did it happen?…. Maybe it will change when I will be here for longer, but this first year is definitely a ride in that sense.
Japanese seasons are also quite intense. It can snow in Tokyo in winter. If it is a rainy season, the water floods some parts of the country. When the summer starts, it immediately blasts with unbearable heat and 120% humidity. These extremes require extreme measures to prevent the dire consequences.
At the beginning of the rainy season, I got drenched a few times, this was not a nice experience, so I decided to follow the lead of my Japanese friends and buy rain shoes. Not only are they waterproof but they look like normal shoes. You can choose rain version of your favourite Converse sneakers or even heels. The rainy shoes look almost exactly the same but are made from waterproof textiles or rubber.
As we have come to Japan with one suitcase each, obviously we needed to buy some more clothes. Japan welcomed us with clothing totally targeted to the weather. If it is summer, the clothes are airy and fast drying. Not only the sporty types of cloth, all clothes. Even business shirts have their elegant quick drying version to accomodate for insane humidity.
After having a year and a half of continuous winter, first in New Zealand and then in Japan, I had a hard time adjusting to Tokyo’s summer. My sufferings were slightly eased by purchasing a sun umbrella. In Tokyo, summer heat hits you from both directions: the sky and the pavement. Especially if the pavement is made from asphalt or concrete. Having an umbrella cuts at least half of the heat. Sun umbrellas usually have light colour on the outside to reflect the sun rays, and black on the inside to “absorb the heat from the pavement and not reflect it on your head”. Anyhow, it works.
Additionally, Japanese retail’s “seasonal” products take the concept of passing time to the whole new level. Every three weeks there are new products released in relation to some holiday, tradition, or season. When I am writing this article there is a boom for clear Matcha latte (amazingly authentic taste but looks like pure water – chemistry is magic), as well as chocolate and mint sweats. Some staple products such as green tea, won’t have their taste modified from season to season. But they are surely not left out of the whole seasonal changes business. The packaging changes, and also the tea is kept cold or hot depending on the season.
I cannot keep up with all these changes, nor they make sense to me, at least not yet. The worst thing is when I try something and I like it. In two weeks it disappears, and I am screwed. On the other hand, there is always something new to try. Brilliant for a foodie like me.
When talking about Japan, I could not omit the fact that it is prone to earthquakes. As they are relatively often, we had to safety proof our house, something we have not done in New Zealand (which is also affected by earthquakes, but way less). We have used special expanders for example to close the gap between a bookshelf and a ceiling. Also, the furniture are quite heavy in Japan. We have bought a chest of drawers and a couch from IKEA and it took Tomek 2 days to assemble each. Many parts and heavy elements being a reason. At least they seem to be robust and stable. We have already experienced some earthquakes and everything was fine. None of them was very strong though.
Now culture and traditions
The first thing I had to sort out was to buy official name seals (hanko) for myself and Tomek. These are used instead of a signature on various documents ranging from a lease for an apartment to parcel delivery slip. Seals come in three sizes, the biggest being the most “official”. Also, women and men’s seals differ, namely male ones are slightly bigger. Useful – if you see a seal you can tell the sex of the owner straight away.
Japan is using business cards for introduction when meeting for the first time in professional setting. This is especially useful for me, as Japanese names are still quite challenging to remember after just hearing them once. It also helps Japanese people with my surname, as in general, it is not easy to anyone who is not Polish. I did have business cards before, but in Japan I actually get to enjoy using them quite often.
Although Japanese are known for working a lot, a few times per year they take time off to celebrate with friends and family. One of these times come in summer when many local festivals take place. The traditional clothing worn to the festivals include yukata of jinbei. Yukata is a light versions of kimono (one piece). Jinbei is a two-piece set of short pants and top. Jinbei is especially popular among children, as it is easily kept in order. Both jinbei and yukatas can be super colorful incorporating motives like goldfish or yo-yo balloons (yo-yo balloon is a traditional summer toy: balloon on a rubber band with a little bit of water in it).
This summer we have bought jinbei for our daughter. She had summer festival in her preschool, so we wanted her to enjoy this special time with her Japanese friends in a traditional manner. She has chosen the pattern (yellow background with red goldfish) and loves to wear it on hot days.
What are your favourite Japanese unexpected “things”?