Hi, I'm Sam, and I'm a Brit living in London. I love to travel, and I've ALWAYS wanted to go to Japan!
I cast my mind back to my pre-COVID trip and put together a list of casual observations about Japan/Tokyo that I thought were worth mentioning.
1. There are these lorries that drive around loudly playing music, presumably for promotional purposes.
2. There are certain restaurants where you can order via a vending machine!
3. You can buy sandwiches with the crusts already cut off!
4. You often get a little basket in a restaurant to store your belongings in while you sit and eat.
Love this idea- in Japan all restaurants/coffee shops supply you with a basket when seated to put your handbag or shopping in safely and tidily.
If you didn't already know, Japan likes to keep things ~neat~.
5. The traffic cones we saw were wayyy more exciting than ours.
6. Some places have special slippers to wear in the toilet for hygiene reasons. I'm told people do the same at home!
7. People don't just take their dogs for a walk!
8. Most stores in Tokyo will clip your shopping bag together with tape as a proof of purchase.
9. People cycle on the pavement as well as on the road.
10. Convenience stores have a truly wild range of drinks, including this fluorescent green melon soda, which I became addicted to.
11. The whole country is obsessed with cute things — e.g., kittens, puppies, rabbits, mice.
12. Train seats can be rotated in the direction of travel for your pleasure.
13. There are these flat wooden flip-flops called "geta" (similar to clogs) that Japanese people sometimes wear.
14. You can't smoke just anywhere — there are these designated cages on the street for smokers.
15. Ninety-five percent of the toilets are ~super~ fancy, with lots of buttons to enhance your toilet-going experience!
16. There are these "maid cafés" where young women dress up in maid outfits and serve you food and drink.
17. And finally, when a train pulls into a tube station, an adorable little jingle plays over the tannoy.
18. Bonus — I HAD to include this point about masks, which I wrote back in 2019: And of course, everyone wears face masks, for reasons as diverse as wanting to avoid air pollution, allergens, or germs or even wanting to cover up a spot or blemish!
Anyway, hope to see you again soon, Japan!!! 🇯🇵♥️🇯🇵♥️🇯🇵
