Twelve Things I Miss About Japan

For a really long time friends and family would ask, “Do you miss Japan? What do you miss about Japan?” For a while, I kept my silence because I could never really think of anything that made my heart ache. Honestly, I never thought I’d be writing this blog post admitting that, yes, there are things I miss about Japan. So here you are reading it and I here I am spilling my guts.

Time has passed and I finally nursed the hurts Japan inflicted upon me and my self esteem. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, check out my Japan archives here. There, I chronicle all my misadventures, including my very personal and real struggles while living in Japan. Keep in mind, I’m comparing my experiences between living in Korea and Japan and not the United States.

Now, I can truly see Japan for what it really is and really remember all the things I loved about The Land of the Rising Sun. So without further adieu, here are twelve things I missed about Japan.

Amazing Customer Service

The customer service in Japan is super top notch. In Korea, I’ve had servers be really rude to me before. Like even at some of the best hotels in Korea, they can’t even compare to the highest customer service standards in the world shown in Japan. This is attributed to the respect and humility deeply ingrained in Japanese culture and I am all for it.

It’s like once you’ve had the forbidden fruit everywhere else just sucks…

Cleanliness

Have you ever walked long periods of time staring at the ground to avoid giant wads of [frozen] spit? I have. It’s honestly the most gnarly thing in the world. I don’t know what’s wrong with Koreans and their need to spit every 5 seconds when they smoke (or when they’re sick), but it is disgusting.

I can’t even blame the old people here because the young people are just as guilty. Even when they’re not smoking hawking up loogies is prevalent.

Also, I can’t say everywhere in Korea is dirty because there are some clean places, but I always see a lot of trash on the street where I live and in other places of Seoul. Japan was a complete 180 from how filthy Korea can be.

Related: Things I Don’t Understand About Japan

Eating Alone

I can’t even begin to tell you how much I missed going to restaurants and not being turned away because I was alone. In some ways, South Korea has such a toxic group culture, it makes me sick to my stomach. Especially this whole fear of eating alone and not with your friends or family.

While I understand the communal food sharing culture, I’m also an expat living alone in a foreign country. I don’t have family here. Many of my friends live very far away from me so we can’t meet up all the time.

I like having a nice meal alone while I sit there quietly and enjoy my food. There are instances where I don’t want to be bothered to talk to anyone.

Good Manners

Japanese have fucking awesome manners and people around the world, Americans and Koreans included can learn from them. Some people don’t care and some people are just ignorant af, but in true Effie Trinket style, I am a stickler for certain manners.

Public Transport

On the trains in Japan, everyone is quiet because it is a rule to keep your phone on vibrate or silent mode. No one is obnoxiously recounting about how Risa got real brand new at the club and threw up everywhere in Roppongi Hills. I love being able to hear myself think.

One of my favorite parts about Japanese good public transport manners is there aren’t scary little ajhummas or ajhussi who physically assault me to get a seat on the train or bus.

Restaurants

With the exception of any drinking establishments, I also love how quiet restaurants are in Japan. Koreans and Americans are super guilty of talking way too loudly. I don’t know about you, but the atmosphere of a restaurant really means a lot to me.

Taking Photos

Seriously, thank you Japan for reminding me how aware people are of others and their surroundings. If I’m taking a photo, no one will walk in front of me. They will wait or go around. I honestly forgot people could be decent like that.

For example, in Korea, many Koreans are rude af and will walk right in front of you even though there is someone with a giant camera taking a picture of you. It seriously drives me up the wall when they also look right at the cameraman or woman and then at me and don’t even care.

Related: Things I Miss About Okinawa, Japan

Sailor Moon Stuff

I’ll be the first to admit I am a huge nerd. One of the reasons I got into Japan was through the anime. It prompted me to go on my old dial up AOL, do my research, and eventually start checking out books all about Japan.

I’m a huge collector of the proplicas and gashapons and to my delight there’s a permanent Sailor Moon Store in Harajuku. Two guess what was on my itinerary as soon as I found out.

Japanese Are Nice

While I was in Tokyo, I was running late for my flight. While in the subway, my lens cap came loose and went spiraling right into the tracks. You can imagine my horror as I watched it roll away from me in slow motion.

I alerted one of the conductors who then contacted management and helped me retrieve it quickly and efficiently. They even cleaned the cap and handed it back to me.

Thank you, kind train conductor men for recovering my fallen lens cap. Your kindness shall never be forgotten.

Related: Advice For Moving to Japan

Japanese Food

Dare I admit…. I actually missed the food?! Cue dramatic gasps and telenovela music with, “Aye dios mio!” When I was a snot nosed fresh out of uni kid, I was immediately plopped into living in Japan and Japanese food is the polar opposite of what I was used to eating.

I’m half Mexican so imagine all the delicious food I was privy to growing up. This means tacos, enfrijoladas, enchiladas, posole, and whatever delicious Mexican food you can think up. If you know anything about the cuisine, you’ll know it’s made of many strong flavors and salsa is as abundant as tortillas.

Now imagine my disdain at having to trade all that deliciousness for rice and blander food. You can see why I hated it.

As time passed and my taste changed, I finally realize how effing good Japanese food is. Some of the food I missed was:

• sushi
• kushikatsu
• melon soda
• Japanese beer
• okonomiyaki

Japanese Toilets

There’s nothing like sitting on a warm toilet seat when it has been cold as sin in the winter. There’s also nothing like a smile that comes to my face when my brother tricked me into trying the bidet and I screamed. Japanese toilets are the most fun thing in the world to play with and one of the best high tech things to grace the 21st century.

Also, they’re usually almost always clean! I can’t say the same for Korean bathrooms…

Related: Cultural Fatigue in Japan

The Japanese Language

Believe it or not, I actually missed hearing Japanese. I think it sounds so melodic when it is spoken. Since it’s spoken at a higher tone than Korean, I can easily listen and understand. To me, it’s always sounded soft and beautiful. Also, fun fact, but my Japanese is STILL better than my Korean. I can still carry better conversations in it. If you want to learn Japanese for free online, try Japanese Pod 101.

Hear me out. I still haven’t forgotten all the hardships I endured while living in Japan. There was a time when I cried often for months because the Japanese culture and lifestyle was getting under my skin.

I still haven’t forgotten the backhanded compliments people gave me (especially when I was strong af from Cross Fit) and the doctors constantly telling me I’m fat. (I’m not btw. I’m a US size 12, I have a very normal BMI, and weight.)

Going back to Japan made me realize all the things I loved about the country initially and why I chose to make it my home for three years. Have you ever been? If so, what do you miss about Japan?

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