As the title posts what are two things you discovered in Japan 1 you love and 1 you detest! I’ll go first:
1: mabo tofu 😂 love it, can’t believe I didn’t find this in my home city.
2: “real” humidity – I thought I loved summer until I met Japanese summer 💔
28 comments
Delicious rice. So long for my low carbohydrate diet.
1. Apartment delivery boxes… I used to think these were the best thing ever – until I realized it meant I was almost always working late… =(
Regardless, it’s become a “must have” condition of any apartment I move to.
2. On time public transport. I could set my watch to my train/bus timings.
1) Chingensai. I’m a vegetarian and I could eat that every day.
2) Japanese TV. Enough said.
1: My spouse ! ❤
2: My spouse ! 😠
Just joking… Kinda.
1: 焼肉（ホルモン）
2: Bad Hygiene. Stop picking your nose and eating it! You are over 40 years old ffs.
1. Kotatsus are AMAZING! Maybe my main setup regret that I didn’t shell out for a better one
2. Winter as a season. Japan was my first time! The first couple of days, ok it’s cold but it’s pretty. Day 3 – trapped by a blizzard in a remote mountain station T.T
1: A lot of interesting places owned by small individual owners. It certainly feels warm compared to those owned by big corporate and chains
2: Reservation is required everywhere. It doesn’t matter if the place is popular or not. They would do the whole gesture of going back and forth about checking reservation before coming back and say no. I had an experience which it took them 10 minutes to put me in. And through out the hour I was there, the place isn’t even half filled. From where I am from we can often judge whether we need to wait or not by just looking from outside
1. Wait staff in restaurants not bothering you. They don’t work for tips, so only come over when you ask for them!
2. Workers in clothing stores keep bothering you. I would like to have a look in peace, I don’t need your osusume recommendations!
Kakigori. Especially in summer, and great for us lactose intolerant folk.
Humidity sucks. Dani sucks.
Love japan 🗾 😁
1. Packaging designed primarily to be opened easily.
2. Infantilism
1: Fart is otherwise known as Onara
2: Poo is otherwise known as Unchi
3: I get angry when I’m hot
1. sane drivers/traffic (i am from SEA)
2. japanese bureaucracy and how slow DX is here
1 – the ability to reserve a table by leaving your wallet or smartphone at the table while ordering at the counter.
2 – prepaid overtime as part of your salary
1. Love the winter. And wagyu yakiniku in cold days feels like heaven.
2. Pollen allergies sucks.
1. Sweet potato flavored ice cream. I went to Kawagoe once and tried a cone. It’s been a few months since I’ve left Japan for my home country and I think of it often.
2. Japanese summers. I’m from a country with what I thought was a brutal summer season. I now know Japan is so, so much worse.
1. Baskin Robbins 🙂
2. Cicadas 🙁
1. Deliveries are very convenient. Only here did I get next day deliveries. I can change pickup location or redeliver easily.
2. B.O. specially in summer and winter. At least get some deodorants!
The incredibly potent and offending lack of use of deodorant by the majority of Japanese men.
1. International communities. Tokyo is so diverse. I feel like I’ve learned so much about other cultures other than just Japanese while living here.
2. Japanese summer. I can’t. I think this is my hibernating period.
1. Second hand stores!! Like Book Off / Second Street
2. Too many refined carbs and not many alternatives easily available. ):
Due to my health, I can’t eat a lot of processed carbs, soy and sugars.
1- I can just live in peace. People will let you be and won’t bother you unless necessary.
2-everything closes after business hours and in the weekend, I am talking about essential services like clinics, hospitals, pharmacy
the longer you live in japan the more you start valuing your own identity
1) Japanese washlet toilets
2) Japanese traditional toilets
What a turnaround in their fortunes!
1. Affordable fresh meats and veggies
2. How common shallow and transactional interpersonal relationships are here (particularly in regards to marriage)
1. Peace of mind for the safety of myself, family, and property.
2. The reality of culturally accepted misogyny.
Okay cool but as a taiwanese/Japanese, i’m obligated to tell you that mabo tofu is not japanese
1. Japanese egg sandwiches. Is it the kewpie mayonnaise? Is it the bread? They’re perfect. Especially 7-11’s.
2. The lack of vegetable and meat choices at most supermarkets. I feel like I’ve cooked eggplant every way possible.
1. Dango. Gosh I love dango. Mochi is imported in omiyage form in my country but dango is impossible to be shipperd, so I discovered it here and wow.
2. I miss my Italian chocolate. How is it possible that even in Uzbekistan they have Kinder Eggs but not in Japan?
1. My husband. He’s great.
2. NHK tv. Everything about it drives me insane. It’s just constant food promotion hidden as tv shows and never ending ‘ehhhhhhh’ I can’t. I honestly cannot.