Omiyage Culture in Japan

It's an exciting time when you get to go on vacation. In Japan, it's no different. You finally get a break from school and/or work in order to enjoy some time away from everything. But in Japan they have one thing to worry about when on vacation, and that's what to bring back as a souvenir for people. Let's talk about the souvenirs in Japan.

Stories From Japan: Stop Giving me Stuff

Hello! Welcome to another story time! "Stories from Japan" is a little series on my blog where I tell stories from my personal experiences in Japan. In this story, I'll be talking about my time in Japan as a student where I really needed to learn a phrase to use in order to stop receiving street advertisements.

Things I Can't Get Used to in Japan

I can study and practice as much of the culture as possible but there will always be things that I just will never get used to in Japan. My visits to Japan have been pretty frequent, probably more than the average person. I'm very lucky to visit as often as I have. But there are things that will always trip me up when over there. And I don't think I'll ever get used to honestly. Let's take a look at those things!

My Life Adjustments in Japan

Before, I wrote a blog post on what I would miss if I moved to Japan. My friend was genuinely curious, but what he didn't think about was all the changes people have to go through when you get to Japan. My situation wouldn't be as bad as others because I'm already very familiar with the culture and way of life over there. Most of my concerns would be more personal, with the exception of two that would probably apply to many people. I'm going to share with you the things that I would have to adjust to if I moved to Japan.

How to Behave in Japan

This may seem like an obvious topic but I'm realizing that its actually not. When people travel abroad leisurely, like for vacations, they only think they are on vacation. They don't think about the bigger meaning behind visiting a different country such as Japan. I'm going to share with you how you should behave in Japan and why it's so important.

It May Seem Rude to You, But Not in Japan

You know how there are certain things you do in your country that can be considered rude? Well, in other parts of the world it may be the opposite. I say this a lot, but Japan is a unique country with it's own culture and lifestyle. What you may think is rude, may not be in Japan. I live in America, so I will be talking about concepts I'm accustomed to.

Queue Culture in Japan

Japan is already different from a lot of other countries, but their culture is stands out the most. If you have ever been to Japan you probably experienced the differences in Japanese culture and the culture you come from. For those of you who have not been to Japan it will either be a fun experience or a difficult one. One of the things about the Japanese culture that amazes me id the "queue culture," or the standing in line culture.

Learn the Culture Before Going to Japan

Many blogs, sites and videos will always recommend you learn the Japanese language before traveling to Japan. While that is important it is not as important as learning about the culture. You can get by without the language as I have mentioned in a previous blog, but you won't be able to get by without knowing the culture. If you don't know the Japanese culture you may do something to give a bad representation to foreigners which can lead to other people having a bad experience of Japan.

Japanese Work Ethic

The Japanese work ethic is very different from the work ethic I'm used to in America. There are several good and bad things about the work ethic in Japan. I think the Japanese work ethic is great overall, but I feel it is one of the aspects of Japanese culture that could possibly make or break a foreigner's decision in moving to Japan.

Things You'll Need to Prepare for in Japan

Japan is a very different country, from all other countries in the world. It's a country that has modernized but still held onto its traditions and unique culture. The things you're used to in your own country may not apply in Japan, and I'm not talking about major things such as the language. I'm going to discuss the smaller things that you won't catch unless you actually experience Japan because not a lot of people talk about the smaller things. You could call these things mini culture shocks.

Not so Secret Secrets of Japanese Language

Learning Japanese is already hard enough with all the vocabulary memorization, the grammar rules and the thousands of kanji characters you'll need to study. But all those things are just what's on the surface of learning Japanese. There's more to the Japanese language that some people may not realize. I'll be talking about those not-so-secret secrets you may hear about that can help you understand Japanese a little better. Many of these are well known but I'm going to talk about them for the people who are studying the language and may not know, and for those who may need a refresher, or for those of you who may know nothing about the Japanese language but are interested in learning.

Cherry Blossom Season in Japan

Spring is here! Where I'm from there's no spring season, just summer and a fake winter. As you can imagine I don't get to enjoy nice weather too often. So being able to experience spring in Japan was a special moment for me. Not only was the weather nice but I got the chance to see the cherry blossoms up close in a Japanese setting (I say this because the U.S. has cherry blossom trees that were gifted from Japan, but it's totally not the same). Cherry blossoms are a big part of spring in Japan, but there are many other things that come with the spring season that accompany these iconic flowers.

Christmas in Japan

Christmas in Japan is very unique, yet familiar at the same time. There are many things that are involved when it comes to Christmas in Japan. Let's just get into it because there's a lot to cover.

Length of Celebration

Here in the states, people usually start going into high gear with Christmas cheer after Thanksgiving. In Japan the Christmas spirit arrives right after Halloween. There's no major holiday in between the two so Christmas is celebrated through November to December in many ways. I recently went to Japan for two weeks in November. This was the perfect time because I got to experience autumn and Christmas in Japan at once.

Public Restrooms in Japan

This may seem like an odd topic but if you ever go to Japan you'll understand the greatness of public restrooms. For those of you who have been to Japan you probably know what I'm going to talk about. Japan is a country of rules, manners, and privacy (keeping to yourself). In this post we're going to talk about the privacy aspect of Japan through restrooms!

Stories From Japan- Losing Things

Before taking my husband to Japan for our honeymoon I told him stories about my adventures in Japan and taught him everything I knew about Japanese culture. I wanted him to be prepared for Japan and understand the life people live over there as compared to here in America. One of the things I've always mentioned to him is how safe and honest the people are, for the most part (there are bad eggs everywhere). He was amazed when I told him you can feel safe at night compared to where we live, in New Orleans, where being out at night alone is not such a smart idea. Another thing he seemed to enjoy hearing was how nice and honest the people were. I gave him a scenario that if you were to lose something in Japan you'd most likely get it back in a short amount of time because people are just caring over there.

You know, I've repeated these things to him about Japan but I never knew if he actually believed me. I'm so glad he got to experience it for himself while on our honeymoon.

Story time!!!!

For our honeymoon, we spent two weeks in Japan. The first week was a guided tour which I've talked about in a previous blog post, and the second week was on our own. While on the tour we stayed at different places, moving to a new hotel almost everyday. Most of the hotels we stayed at had a breakfast, some American style and some Japanese style.

While staying in Kyoto for a few days on the guided tour we were getting tired of eating the same breakfast foods such as eggs, bread, miso soup, etc. We noticed a family restaurant across the street from the hotel that advertised breakfast. Pancakes sounded great, so we decided to grab breakfast there. I brought my purse with me while my husband brought his Nintendo 3DS. We both brought our Nintendo 3DS everywhere in order to fill the StreetPass program on the system (I've also talked about this in another blog post).

We enjoyed breakfast. My husband loved the service and the no tipping rule in Japan. We knew we only had an hour to eat because we had to meet back up with the tour to start our day. So we payed for our meal at the register towards the front of the restaurant and left. We were walking away from the restaurant, to the crosswalk, when we heard a woman yelling behind us. She was saying sir in English with a Japanese accent. We stopped and turned around to face her, worried what she could want from us. We were surprised to find her running towards us with a Nintendo 3DS in the hands. When she reached us, she handed my husband his Nintendo 3DS with both hands and went back to the restaurant. When she was out of sight my husband started panicking. He was so embarrassed for leaving his Nintendo 3DS in the restaurant, in the booth we were sitting in. He was even more shocked about getting it back after leaving it at the restaurant. Once again, where we are from we would never have seen that Nintendo 3DS ever again because someone would see it and keep it. My husband kept on repeating how amazing it was to get his Nintendo 3DS back from the lady who worked at the restaurant all day. It's probably one of his favorite stories to tell about his experience in Japan.

I hope you enjoyed this little story. It kind of proves how honest of a country Japan is and how the people have good morals. Sorry there were no pictures. Thanks for reading!

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How Much Luggage Should You Bring

There are a lot of stresses that come with traveling. One of the many things you need to consider while traveling is how much luggage is necessary to bring. There are many aspects to your travels that can determine it. How long will you be traveling? How much stuff do you need to bring back? How much moving will you be doing?

I have considered all these questions for myself, in my own travels. Some questions will weigh out more than others. I have discovered this for myself and have come to a conclusion for my next travel plans to Japan in the coming month. Many of you will think I'm crazy but I'm hoping to accomplish what I have in mind.

Why I Love Japan

One of the most frequently asked questions I get is why I love Japan. I get this question from relatives, friends, and strangers. I've thought about this recently and it has occurred to me that I've been giving typical answers like "I love the culture" or "I like anime." Now, all of that is true. I freaking love the culture to death, and anime is what got me started on Japan. But the problem with these answers is that it's not my real, true answer. I've been giving easy answers out. I thought I did this because I get this question a lot and was just sick of answering it all the time but its actually more personal.

Stories From Japan- Those are not Onion Rings?!?!

For those of you who don't follow my blog, I participated in a short-term study abroad program. It was a lot of fun exploring Japan but I couldn't forget about my studies. I was taking two classes at a college in Japan. In order to "graduate" from the program you couldn't have anything lower than a C and you couldn't miss more than two days of class. I thankfully had no problems with these conditions. I missed only one day of class due to being terribly sick and I got a B in both of my classes. I remember on a few papers I wrote for class the teacher wrote, "You could do better." She was probably right, but I was in Japan. I was fine with earning a B.

Don't Get Offended in Japan

Whether you're going to Japan as a tourist, a student, or a long-term resident you shouldn't get offended in Japan. You are the visitor in that country which means you should be trying to grow accustomed to the Japanese lifestyle and mannerisms. Even if you don't try to be accommodating to them, you should at least try to be more understanding. Japan does some things way differently than other cultures that can come across rude but it them it is normal behavior. When people don't try to understand the culture they are temporarily living in they may get offended by actions that are not meant to be taken in a offensive way.

I'll be sharing three gestures/mannerisms in the Japanese culture that may seem rude to other cultures. Be open-minded and understanding about these gestures so you can avoid taking it the wrong way when you go to Japan. Not all Japanese people do these things, but it is very common.

Public Transportation Etiquette in Japan

One of the most common and popular ways to get around Japan is through public transportation. Cars are not convenient for an every day commute to work or even going into the city to hang out with friends. The parking is limited and costly at times, and there's also a ton of traffic in the bigger cities. Cars are convenient for more rural areas outside of the city or to use for weekend getaways. But since we're talking about an every day use, public transportation is the way to go even though it sometimes has its own inconveniences.