A little friendly comparison

...between America and Japan. You see, there are a great many things here that the great country of Japan has thought of having that do not exist in the States. On the other hand, there are a few categories where Japan is sadly lacking. And, seeing as I am one month into my stay here, I figured now would be a good time to post these thoughts. Here is a small list of the ones that stick out the most in my mind:

Something Japan has: First and foremost, one that is fresh in my mind because I just went to the bathroom: heated toilet seats. Although Japanese toilets have so many buttons you hardly want to sit down for fear of pressing the wrong one and ending up getting an appendectomy, they have the most wonderful feature of always being warm. After the initial shock of wondering who was sitting there before you and if they were the Human Torch, you really get used to the pleasurable sensation of not freezing to death while using the bathroom. I think this may be the thing I miss the most about Japan, sadly enough.

However, on the flipside, Japan does NOT have the guarantee upon walking into a restroom of finding a Western style toilet. Learned this one the hard way. There is also a shocking lack of soap and dryers in Japanese public bathrooms. In a country where most public surfaces are so clean you could eat off them (I certainly think you can do this in the trains), I feel this is a bizarre oversight. No wonder they're so paranoid about swine flu, if no one washes their hands properly.

Something else Japan has: free green tea in almost all restaurants. It comes complementary with meals, the way a glass of water would in the States. It comes in all forms: usually it's chilled, but at the sushi restaurant my host parents took me to, there were little tubs of powdered green tea (macha) that you put in your cup, which you then filled with hot water from a spigot at your table. I got a real kick out of that one, and even told my host parents how much I liked it, which they found amusing.

However, Japan does NOT have napkins. Period. The closest they come are moist towelettes, which you are likely to get at many a restaurant. The alternative is usually Kleenex, which puzzles me to know end. I mean, that stuff comes apart when you get liquid on it, and you just end up with a hand full of tissue shreds.

Another thing Japan has: the most adorable socks you've ever seen in your life. It makes sense, considering this is a country that regularly requires the removal of shoes to enter certain stores, restaurants, and other buildings. I, of course, can't handle the constant changing of footwear, and kept accidentally wearing the toilet slippers outside of the toilet at the traditional Japanese inn we stayed at.

In an unrelated topic, Japanese people do NOT have dryers. They, much like my host family in France, proudly air dry their laundry, whether it be from balconies or windows or in the front yard. I've seen all types of clothing, underwear included, on my walks to the bus stop. And this is from a country that thinks that people shouldn't be heard while going to the bathroom.

Japan also has a shocking number of machines that talk to you or play you songs. My family's washing machine plays at least a bar of music every time you turn it on and again when it stops washing. The bath controls talk to me when I press the button to heat up the water. If you walk up to automated machines to buy tickets or withdraw cash, they verbally welcome you. I'm not sure if I think it's annoying or wonderful.

In an effort to round off the list with equal haves and have nots, I give you this: Japanese people do NOT seem to have a coherent social norm for smoking. That was slightly awkwardly worded, so let me explain. Smoking is not taboo here by any means, but I am constantly surprised by the way Japanese people do it. They hide behind signs outside of buildings so you can't see them doing it, only the smoke rising from behind the signs as if the building is on fire. But then, I frequently am greeted by this sight in the morning as I wait at the bus stop: men, perched lightly on their bikes, apparently exerting no effort at all though they just climbed a steep hill, with an umbrella in one hand pointing straight up when it's raining...and a cigarette clenched firmly between their lips. It never ceases to amaze me.

Tomorrow I leave for HIROSHIMA! Can't wait!