In the basic structure of a flat world map, it appears as if Japan is one of the farthest corners of the planet. Well, not only its particular location as an island on the edge of the map but also the particular traditions and customs of its society. make Japan one of the most unique and picturesque countries in the world. Today at we want to talk to you about what life is like in Japan, we will explore some of its most particular customs and you will be able to contemplate how the ancient legacy is combined with modernity in the country of the Rising Sun.
What life is like in Japan, the country of tradition and modernity
1. General aspects about what life is like in Japan
Herodotus, who is considered the father of history, recorded in his second book of history (which is titled Euterpe, the muse of music) a tour he took through Egypt, being an ancestor of tourist guides. On this journey, Herodotus is surprised seeing several of the traditions of the Egyptians that are contrary to those of the Greeks; for example, funerary traditions, or the fact that Egyptians eat their food outside the home and relieve themselves inside it (which would suggest that ancient Greek society did the opposite). Well, when wondering what life is like in Japan, anyone will most likely end up equally surprised by many of its customs that seem so distant to us.
Perhaps one of the works that best summarizes the Japanese tradition in philosophical concepts is The Empire of Signs of the French philosopher Roland Barthes, in it you can find a surprise similar to what Herodotus found in the Egyptian people, of course with concepts 2500 years away and in totally different situations, especially in the case of post-structuralism. But well, the point with this work is that Barthes proposes that Japanese society has managed to consolidate a complete perspective on existence. We will go into this further in the next paragraph.
We could say that the West is governed by the linguistic sign proposed by Ferdinand de Saussure, where meaning and signifier have a relationship of arbitrariness, in other words, the word table does not look like a table, however that word refers us to the image table acoustics. This concept has been challenged from the philosophy of language, even from pragmatics; but well, Barthes states that Japan is not governed by the linguistic sign, in fact it dares to say that in Japan the empty sign governs. To avoid philosophical complications, I will explain the empty sign with one of the examples that appear in the Frenchman’s work: The empty sign is described by the Japanese concern where the wrapping has more meaning and importance than the gift that is kept inside.
Obviously there are an infinite number of edges in the work of the French author, but this is an article about curiosities and not about philosophy. The above has only served to give you a taste of what life is like in Japan, Many of its traditions will surely seem crazy and even insane to you., but you must understand that it is a completely different society that responds in a particular way to its environment. Always think about this, global questions and local answers.
2. Homes and lifestyle
It is complex to list the particularities of what life is like in Japan, so it has been decided not to do it here in that way, otherwise it will be explained calmly in continuous text, although if you are interested in seeing a list of Curiosities about Japan, check out this article. I have also decided to raise things more understandable for us Westerners and little by little we get a little more crazy.
Most likely, you are from Spain or Latin America, you use WhatsApp as the main means to communicate with your friends, coworkers, partner and family, although of course, there are those of us who do not use it, but that is the generality. Imagine that this messaging application is not so common in Japan, in fact there are very few who use it, The main messaging application used is Lineso it might be a good idea to download it before traveling there.
Surely when you ask yourself what life is like in Japan you will have thought about leisure, because if you go as a visitor, you should keep in mind that it is about a country with about 120 million inhabitantsso visiting a restaurant unexpectedly in Bogotá, Lima or Barcelona is not the same as a restaurant in Tokyo, even more so when it comes to relatively large groups, which is why most people book in advance in restaurants and bars, This also influences the incredible Japanese punctuality.
Surely you have seen some Japanese hotels on television, where the sleeping cubicles are really narrow, well this is very right, in fact, since the population density is so high in the small space in which they are located, it is natural that the Japanese look for alternative ways to live. One of those ways is micro houses, which yes, are exactly what they sound like they are. Sometimes architects work only on a parking space, but the designs are amazing, the distribution is perfect and many prefer it to another.
3. Trade
It is necessary to talk about commerce to find out what life is like in Japan. This country has a place called the Sample Laba store where the “Consumers Club” meets, the point with this store is to try samples of new products, ranging from makeup to alcoholic beverages. The savings this represents is gigantic.however there are some rules to be able to belong to this club: first you must speak Japanese, be over 16 years old and pay a membership of about nine US dollars annually, not to mention that you have to pay another three dollars each time you enter. the store.
Another peculiarity is that vending machines have triumphed in Japan, as they represent greater efficiency, a feeling of security and a constant flow of money. In Japan there are vending machines for almost everything., from eggs to used underwear (yes, literally everything). You may be interested in this article on Japanese Inventions.
On the other hand, if you are interested in books, there is a very curious bookstore in Tokyo, in fact it is quite small, but still many people go to it. This is Morioka Shoten, a bookstore that sells only one book a week. and it really is like that, Its owner chooses weekly the book of which she will request copies for sale., but it is only one and decorates the bookstore according to the theme of the book, so if the book is about floristry, the bookstore will be decorated in a week like a flower shop. It’s like entering the plot of the book physically.
4. Loneliness
It is no secret to anyone that the incredible wave of loneliness that is hitting the Japanese nation and, now that costs have been incurred, the entire world, social networks have had a negative influence to increase this phenomenon; oh well, Japan has tried to solve this problem with commercial meanswe include them in a separate point because we are already losing our minds in this article about what life is like in Japan.
Uffffffffffff! Here we go. One of the most sober things to combat loneliness are cafes for singles, in fact they have become very popular nowadays, however the Moomin Bakery & Cafe. In these people can go in pairs or larger groups, however when a person goes alone they are offered an extra service and that is to provide a huge stuffed animal that will be sharing the table next to her throughout your stay. He is adorable, in my personal case, even if I had been married for 25 years, I would still go alone to have coffee with a giant stuffed animal.
Another peculiarity is the payment for human contact, we cannot ignore this when talking about what life is like in Japan. Family rental agencies stand out: for a price, actors are hired to emulate what is needed, a father returning home after a war, the happy family, babies are also rented to emulate the paternal life and there have even been cases of rentals of 50 people to emulate a wedding; Yes, there is no privacy in any case.
and if the above seemed strange to you, you haven’t seen anything yet. In some places people also pay for hugs, even for extra costs you can pay a person to sleep hugging you for as long as your pocket can bear, in the same way as the previous one, there is no privacy of any kind. There are also those who pay in specialized clubs to talk to another person, generally with young women, these are considered the geishas of today (you may be interested in this article on Traditional Japanese Clothing). Even if the client tries to hug the «geisha» he can be expelled from the club, the point is only to talk.
Although if you don’t feel safe paying a person to share a few moments of affection with you, there is another way that can make you feel calmer. It is a huge armchair with a large stuffed animal that has long arms., in which people sit and hug him. It sounds adorable, although the price of the chairs is somewhat scandalous, as they range from $420.
5. Wait… What?
The sense of honor in the Japanese has transcended throughout their history, although of course, the traditional one is no longer common. seppuku to face dishonor (You may be interested in this article on Japanese Superstitions), however currently the Japanese choose other means. Whether it is failing an important exam, being fired from a job, or getting divorced, these situations can lead a person to lose their mind so much that in order to protect their family’s honor they decide to disappear. Some choose suicide, others simply disappear., they abandon their lives, their family and everything else. Annually there are between 80 and 100 thousand disappearances, which are not closely investigated by the authorities nor do family members pay attention. This is in fact a sharp topic, which is not advisable to touch on in the country.
The otaku community has grown throughout the world, however few cases are taken to the extreme as in Japan, which is essential to mention when wondering what life is like in Japan. Starting with the Akihabara district where this culture proliferates and Thousands of people come to buy artifacts related to the sleeve or to animebut the particular thing about this is that in some cases the otaku can seclude himself in his room for weeks and become a hermit, with his pillows, his toys, videos, magazines and so on.
Another peculiarity is the way to apologize, we often make serious mistakes and we don’t know how to apologize for it. Well no need to worry! Japan has the answer for everything, says a Colombian rock group «Solutions for everything, except for problems.» In the country of the Rising Sun there are several agencies specialized in apologizingso the person addresses them, comments on the…