So here I was, struggling to think of something to write for this blog. I've got a few ideas for bigger posts, but words are tricky things. Some days they flow down from heaven upon golden chariots, leaving hot cocoa and doughnuts to all the good little girls and boys. And other days, they hide in the walls, darting out only to kick you in the knees and take your lunch money. So I needed some topics that I know I could write about, but not necessarily my usual epics in miniature. And that's when it hit me; as an outsider, I notice many things about Japan that range from the slightly off to the downright weird. These things are too small for their own blog posts, but just right for a collection of blurbs. So without further ado, let's get into the first edition of Japanecdotes!
-There is not a single store in Japan where you hand over your money to the cashier. For reasons that are beyond my comprehension, the customer is supposed to put their money in a shallow little bin. Sometimes it's a little plastic thing they hand you, other times it's a part of the cash register. And this isn't some device that then sorts out your money; the cashier then picks up your money from the bin and puts it into the register. Oddly enough, the reverse isn't true. The cashier personally hands you your change and receipt. Maybe they just don't trust the handwashing techniques of strangers. Wise move on their part.
-On the subject of stores, every restaurant gives you a little wet wipe along with your meal. From McDonalds to the more formal sit-down affairs, you will always get your little moist towelette. While you can use it for your hands, it is also acceptable to use it to clean up your face; a welcome blessing in the hot, sweaty summer. I see no reason why this isn't a thing in the United States. It means nobody has to get up and use the bathroom to wash their hands, it probably costs the company a few cents per meal, and, let's be honest, I don't want to eat my meal looking at somebody's unclean face.
-Going with the theme of buying food, there are some grocery stores in Japan where you are expected to bag your own groceries. The cashier takes a pretty good guess at how many plastic bags you'll need, gives you a few of the right size, and off you go. They'll have a long shelf right in front of the cashiers for you to set your things down and bag away. If the cashier's guess was off, they have a few bag dispensers for your convenience. And let me tell you, it makes checking out of a grocery store a heck of a lot faster since you don't have to wait as long for people in front of you. Sure, you have to bag your own food, but that's time you'd spend anyway waiting for someone else to bag it for you.
-And to end on a completely different note, the trains here are timed brilliantly. During the day, they come once every ten minutes or so, and the intervals are set to favor the most-traveled routes. Provided you don't switch to a local train, it's likely you'll never have to wait more than a minute at each transfer station. One time, on the way back from church, I watched my connecting train pull up across the platform at the same time we pulled in. Both sets of doors opened simultaneously, and I simply walked across the platform and into the waiting train. You can't get much better than that. Unless you got catapulted into your next train, then you wouldn't even need to stop. Maybe I should patent that one...
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