This is Today's Japan. Amazing

We all could learn a little from this culture.

 

#1 Bus Drivers In Japan Were On Strike But Continued Driving Their Routes While Refusing To Take Fares From Passengers

 

#2 Drink Cans Have Names Written In Braille On The Top

 

 

#3 Japanese Fans Stayed Behind After The FIFA World Cup 2014 Match To Help Clean Up

 

 

#4 There Are Baby Seats Attached To The Wall In Most Bathrooms

t

 

#5 I Recently Gave Birth In Japan. Here Is Some Of The Hospital Food I Ate

 

 

#6 You Can Often Find This Kind Of Toilet In Japan. Wash Your Hands And Reuse The Water For Your Next Flush

 

 

#7 Japan's Manhole Covers Are Beautiful

 

 

#8 Most Japanese Schools Don't Have Custodians. Instead, The Students Do The Cleaning Themselves As A Part Of Showing Gratitude To The School And Learning How To Become More Productive Members Of Society

 

 

#9 The Note In Japanese Says, "I Accidentally Knocked Over Your Bike And Broke The Bell. I Am Very Sorry"

 

 

#10 This Is How Smooth The Bullet Train Is In Japan

 

#11 I Dropped My Shopping Bag On The Streets Of Osaka And When I Went Back To Look For It Later That Day, Someone Had Placed It Next To A Tree Untouched

 

 

#12 Commuters In Tokyo Pushed A Train Car To Save A Woman Who Fell And Got Stuck Between The Car And The Platform

 

 

#13 Koi Fishes Even Live In Drainage Channels In Japan

 

 

#14 Japanese Toilets Often Have A Button That Plays White Noise/Water Sounds So You Can Poop Without Other People Hearing Your Business

 

 

#15 Another Reason Why I Love Japan

 

 

#16 In Trains You Can Rotate The Seats In Any Direction

 

 

#17 Another Great Japanese Invention: Umbrella Lockers. So You Don't Have To Carry Them Around Inside A Building And Nobody Takes Yours 'Accidentally'

 

#18 This Toilet In Japan Has A System Of Occupied/Vacant Toilets Information

 

 

#19 Expectations Meet Reality In Japan

 

445points

 

#20 This Japanese Gum I Have Came With Little Pieces Of Paper Inside For You To Spit Your Gum In To When You're Finished With It

#21 This Shopping Center In Japan Has Free Refrigerated Lockers For Your Perishables So You Can Keep Shopping After You Get Your Groceries

 

 

#22 Photo I Took Of Tokyo Commuters Waiting For Their Train

 

 

#23 At Narita International Airport (Tokyo) They Give You Free Origami Instead Of Candy

 

 

#24 Japanese Being Japanese

 

 

#25 This Smartphone Wiper Dispenser In Japan

 

 

#26 In Japan, Even The Deer Are Polite

 

 

#27 In Japan, The Ground Crew Bows And Waves Goodbye To The Departing Aircraft

 

374points

 

#28 Ordered This From Japan And It Came With A Little Note And Origami Crane

 

359points

 

#29 This Bedside Lamp At My Hotel In Japan Can Be Half Lit

 

 

#30 Japanese Airport Staff Sorted Luggages On The Belt By Their Colour

 

#31 Toreiyu Tsubasa Train In Japan Is Equipped With Footbaths So You Can Enjoy A Relaxing Trip

 

342points

 

#32 Children's Seat On The Fujikyu Railway Line In Japan

 

339points

 

#33 Almost Everyone In Japan Reverse Parks

 

 

#34 Japanese Often Line Up For Buses, Trains, Restaurants Or Shops And Can Wait In Lines For Long Periods Of Time. Kids Learn How To Line Up As Early As Kindergarten As It Teaches Self-Discipline, Cooperation And Respect

 

 

 

#35 Tokyo Train Company Tsukuba Express Apologized For 20-Second-Early Departure

 

#36 This Lift In Japan Has A Seat That Can Be Used As A Toilet In An Emergency

 

 

#37 Restaurants In Japan Display Fake Food That Looks Just Like The Real One From The Menu

 

 

 

#38 Japanese ATM's Have Cane Holders Due To The Aging Population

 

 

 

#39 There Are Over 300 Scramble Intersections In Japan Where You Can Cross A Street Diagonally

 

 

#40 At Some Tourist Spots In Japan There Are Stands To Hold Your Smartphone So You Can Take Good Selfies

#49 In Japan They Sell Square Watermelons To Fit Better In The Refrigerator

 

 

 

#50 Toothpick At A Mall In Japan Had A Mint Coated Tip

 

 

 

#51 This Urinal In Japan Is A Video Game You Play With Your Pee

 

 

 

#52 Only In Japan Would Someone Leave These Out While They Sleep

 

#53 Designated Smoking Rooms On Trains In Japan

 

#54 This Japanese Handrail Bends With The Steps

 

 

Home and unpacking/wrapping it up

Unpacking and sorting all our treasurers, gift and memories, I was wondering where the Japan-ophilia originated. Throughout my life I have been attracted to everything associated with this supremely aesthetic culture: our house has a distinctly asian feel, I admire the deep sense of honor, and we love the food and fashions. I think it started with this little geisha doll I got when I was ten years old...or it could be my first ikebana lesson at age five. In any case, it's in the blood.

Re-entry

Burning some tiles....

DUH !

Dr. Charles agrees (but there may be some argument from some other academicians or art pontificators)

Sake at the Shrine

To make all things harmonious on earth as it is in heaven, donors happily contribute sake to the shrine. Corporations, perhaps individuals, can get naming rights on the Donor Wall. In Japanese, of course.

WE’LL BE BACK

We saw many Japanese young ladies taking pictures of each other - from the BACK. Could it be the sexy necklines or those beautiful obi tied so intricately...? We'll just have to return to find out the answer to another beguiling custom.
Perhaps the Japanese gardner was just too busy pulling that pesky weed from the gravel path.

Kenjisan

Our Overseas Adventure Travel leader, Kenji Murakami, was extraordinary!! He packed every day with activities, but we never felt rushed or herded. "Shall we go?" was an invitation rather than a request and there was always something new, an additional treat, an experience not listed in the itinerary, a surprise he wanted to share around every corner. He gently introduced the timid travelers to unexpected experiences, modified plans to accommodate various preferences and encouraged everyone everyday. Always calm, patient, knowledgeable and humorous, he took all the stress out of traveling while expressing his heartfelt love of Japan. He is a wonderful guide and now, I hope, will become a dear friend.

Farewell Japanese Dinner

Our final day in Hiroshima was spent revisiting the Peace Gates and Museum followed by an extraordinary dinner - each serving was a work of art. The stunning presentation of every morsel was supremely aesthetic and each course was served with quiet humility. Flakes of gold in the sake put the entire experience over the top! How can we ever be capable of appreciating such beauty??

Final day in Hiroshima

We work up to a 6.0 earthquake centered near Kobe, noted that the Bullet Trains were down and the rainy season had officially begun, so we headed to the Itsukushima Shinto Shrine and Oh-torii Gate. It actually - and quite impressively - floats on the water without any attachments or pylons.

Probably one of the most scenic spots in all of Japan and a miracle to behold.