I have been a weirdo in Japanese society since I was a little girl. I was different from most of the kids at school, I didn't find it funny when other people are laughing and I didn't like the TV shows they were crazy about. I was always wondering why I was different, and why I found it so hard to make friends. But when I was about 17, suddenly I realised that there could be somewhere else that I feel comfortable to live in. That's when I started studying English by myself. Then when I was 20, I met great friends from Germany and Spain. They made me realise that people can be unique and different from others, which is opposite from the Japanese-way-of-thinking, and that makes the world interesting.
Though I've been hoping to live abroad for more than 10 years, I still am living in Japan finding it very stressful. I don't find Japanese TV or music good at all, I don't read Japanese books, I don't buy Japanese beauty products either, I hate Japanese fashion...but I found out that there are so many people who are interested in Japan. Some people say that I'm lucky to be living here. I'm aware people want something they don't have, but there are some people who really don't belong to where they were born in and it's not always that the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence.
So here are the things I LOVE and HATE about Japan.
LOVE
1. Shrines and Temples
I love Japanese shrines and temples so much. My favourite is 明治神宮 (Meiji Jingu) in Harajuku. Although it's in Harajuku which is such a crazy area, the property is huge and I usually walk around in there for hours. It's really a shame that we cannot see any of the traditional sides of our own country on daily basis since all the buildings are new and modern looking. I sometimes need to go to Kamakura or Enoshima to feel the atmosphere of the olden days.
2. Services
Japanese services are very reliable. Trains come on time, deliveries are very quick and they usually don't lose your parcels and shop assistants are very polite most of the time. In Japan, customers come first. They have to treat you like a king. They use very polite language with attitude of kindness with a big (and fake) smile. It's great when you are a customer!
3. People follow rules
Yes they do. People stand in a queue to wait for a train without doing queue jumping. People don't talk on their mobile on the train because that's against the rule. In Japan there are many rules to prevent people to bother other people. And they follow those rules most of the time. I was shocked to see how dirty and messy the trains, buses and public spaces were in London compared to Tokyo.
4. Food
I'm not going to lie, I think Japanese food is the best in the world. For people who are used to strong tasted food, maybe Japanese food tastes really weak and boring sometimes. But if you have ever tried the true Japanese food such as fresh Sushi or Kaiseki dishes, you must know what I mean -it's such a delicate and elegant food that no other country can copy.
HATE
1. Too many people
When I went to Oxford-street, I head people complaining that there were too many people. But to me, it was nothing compared to Shinjuku in the morning. Standing in a packed train for more than an hour where people are kicking you, punching you and your face is 3cm away from a greasy old man's head is a hell. Streets are always crowded, trains are packed and there are so many people everywhere. Of course it's not like this in countryside but unfortunately this crazy city with so many people is the one I'm living in.
2. People don't care about you
Maybe you don't agree if you have come to Japan before. But don't forget, they are always very kind to people from other countries. They try to talk in English somehow, they take you to where you were struggling to go to, they take photos of you....but I thought people are much more friendly and nicer in London.
For example, when I get a panic attack and finding it hard to breath in the train, nobody cares. People don't stand up and offer their seats, they don't say anything, they just look at me and say nothing. When a blind woman was walking in the station looking lost, nobody helped her. (Obviously I helped her and took her to the platform) When a pregnant woman is standing in a train in front of a priority seat, middle-age men are sitting there reading newspapers without offering their seats. Japanese people don't talk to strangers at all and that's another boring thing.
When I banged my head against a wall in Notthing Hill, people stopped and took care of me. A kind lady brought a chair from somewhere, and another kind man offered to go to the pub near there and get some ice. In Tokyo, there are some kind people of course but most of the time they just ask if you're OK, and then leave. I felt that it's a lack of communication that's making the Japanese society worse.
3. No sense of design
From a packaging of food such as milk, vegetables, snacks and beverage to a book cover, I feel that people don't pay much attention on the design, especially on the daily necessities. Also I hate it when a notebook or wrapping paper has got an English quote that doesn't even make sense. They should at least check their English before start selling it. Art and design are not paid too much attention here. I wish people cherish the Japanesey design more than modern and western one.
4. People are super stressed out
Japan has one of the highest rates of suicide in the world. Every single day someone jumps on a track. Companies force their employees to work really hard. I'm working in a small company but still they sometimes expect us to work on our day off without getting paid. Even when we work overtime, we don't get paid. Sometimes I have to punch out before a meeting. And that's not rare, and must be worse in a bigger company. There are loads of people who work more than 50-60 hours a week, no wonder why you see so many people sleeping in the train leaning on a stranger's shoulders.
Every country and city have positive and negative sides. But finding a place where you feel comfortable to live in is one of the biggest themes in life in my opinion. I am so thankful for the fact I can choose where to live, and I have possibility to be able to get out of Japan someday. There are things I love about Japan, but on the other hand I think differently from the most of people here that makes it hard for me to be who I am here, if that makes sense. There must be somewhere I can be myself and I'm willing to find it.
Where do you think you belong to? Do you like your own country? What do you think of Japan?
