10 Things We Learned in Japan - KK/LL
1. The reputation for punctuality, practicality and appreciation for beauty and tradition that one often associates with Japanese people is based on reality. Everything has a place and purpose. Public spaces are tidy and citizens take care to clean up after themselves. Trains come and go on time - to the minute. Tradition is revered and adhered to throughout the country. #nowillynillyness
2. If you want something laundered, you’ve come to the right place. Throughout our trip we’ve washed our clothes by hand (many times) and have also used the laundry services at hotels as needed. When we sent our (very basic) clothes to be laundered in Japan, they came back as if brand new...cleaned, pressed, folded, with tissue paper folded in, tied with a bow and in sealed plastic bags. Each item and every item...Including underwear, socks and bras. It was incredible!
3. Geishas are *not* prostitutes or courtesans in spite of what "Memoirs of a Geisha" would have one believe. Gei = art and Sha = person. They entertain customers by traditional Japanese dance, reciting verse, playing musical instruments including the shamisan, calligraphy, performing traditional tea ceremonies, and they are trained to be consummate conversationalists and hostesses. There's a whole long history which explains the current misperceptions, but supposedly present day geishas' training is entirely by choice and includes about six years of studying the arts. There are fewer than 1,000 geishas today, and even those who attain the status of geisha may only remain in that role for a few years until they choose to attend college or get married.
4. October is Apple picking time. The apples are everywhere and they were some of the best we’ve ever eaten. #alreadymissingJapaneseapples
5. Japanese food really is amazing. The food and the way it is served is a wonderful experience. Their white rice is THE best anywhere and the flavors in their soups and meats are mouth-watering. Not being really into fish, we aren’t in a position to personally comment on the vast array of seafood available there, but we’ve been told it is also incredible...and we believe it. Meals are served with care, including a warm cloth for your hands. Each portion has a special plate/bowl/serving dish or even just a section of a plate, as is the case with bento boxes.
6. Heated toilet seats. Yes, please! They also have controllable music settings—we had never seen that before but...good stuff. Tip: make sure you know which buttons control which function. Those seats also have bidet function and more! #easydoesit
7. Use Google translator. It was very helpful. As it turned out, not all Japanese speak English and surprisingly neither of us speak Japanese, either. Thank you Google!
8. The two primary religions in Japan are Buddhism, which was brought to Japan in the 6th Century from China and India, and Shintoism which dates back to ancient times and was begun in Japan. There are 1,600 Buddhist temples and over 400 Shinto shrines in Japan. Shinto, an indigenous religion founded in ancient Japan, is really more of a mindset than a religion. There are no manuscripts. They believe that when good or bad things happen it is nature rewarding or punishing them. Someone can be Shinto as well as adopting another religion. (Many of the Shinto Shrines include Buddhist Temples on the same grounds.) The Tori gates seen throughout Japan symbolically mark the transition from the profane to the sacred at Shinto shrine sites. They are often orange because that’s considered to be the color of happiness. #nowyouknow
9. Anime and Manga are an integral part of Japanese culture, capturing the attention of millions of fans worldwide. Home to all of the the Pokémon, Mario and the rest of the Nintendo characters, Dragon Ball Z, the wonderful world created by Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli including Totoro, Kiki, and Kiki’s black cat Jiji, not to mention Hello Kitty and the entire Sanrio gang, and so many others. Cute anime figures are used in much of the advertising and signage in Japan. Many of the sites we visited had their own animated emoji-like characters on their tickets and on the merchandise sold in their gift shops. (Note: Tickets to visit the popular Ghibli Museum sell out three months in advance.)
10. We could have easily stayed another month in Japan. There is so much to see and we barely scratched the surface in eight days. The people are lovely and the land is gorgeous. Also, contrary to rumors, we saw no nuclear, glowing fish.
Bonus: The whole “Western toilet” thing took on new meaning in Japan. Many restrooms had both squatting toilets (as in...squatting over a toilet bowl hole on the floor) as well as “Western toilet” options. We will forever be thankful for Western toilets.