Japan - Working Trip

 

Me and some of the Japanese Team in front of cherry blossom, Kumakura

 

 

Well, I’m busy here in Japan and don’t really have time to write my blog, but I’ll just jot down the things that surprise me about Japan, or at least things I’d forgotten about Japan:

1. Lots of people wear masks
2. The toilets are sophisticated – seats are heated, you can play music (on some), there’s a bidet function and a splash function; however, they still also have the crouch toilets (you don’t see these at all in the UK, Switzerland, or Germany, as far as I know).
3. The Japanese like to drink! I thought that because they are so rule-driven, they would not ever drink more than the number of recommended units. However, they are a party people!
4. You get a hand towel with every meal, even on a visit to Starbucks.
5. The air in Tokyo was much cleaner than I was expecting it to be.
6. They all eat with chopsticks (yes, I’d forgotten!)
7. They laugh a lot and are extremely hospitable
8. Linked to the above, they watch your reactions and react accordingly – I’ve realized that my face gives more away than I realise!
9. Maybe I’ve been lucky, but the metro hasn’t been as busy as I expected. Maybe it’s because I’m a little late by Japanese standards and so miss the worst
10. Despite hierarchy, the entire office was open plan; it all looked a bit crowded to me!
11. Gift-giving is part of the culture and I had forgotten, much to my embarrassment.

Hopefully a more extensive blog next week!