Brenda and Gloria's Top 10 Shockers!

While our moms, Brenda and Gloria, were visiting, they decided to compose a list of the things in Japan that shocked them most. Since we have lived here for 9 months now, we are so accustomed to Japanese culture that it was fun to see their reactions to things! Here is a list of their top 10 shockers!

1. Toilets: From the squatter toilets to the Western toilets with heated seats, this ranked #1 on the list of differences! The squatter toilets were always dreaded, but they looked forward to using the Western toilets with the heated seats and various buttons. On most of the Western toilets, there is a button labeled "Flush Sound." This provides a flushing sound so women can't hear each other going to the bathroom. Before we told our moms about this button, Frank's mom Gloria, kept pushing the "Flush Sound" button and waiting for the toilet to flush. She said she could hear it flushing, but nothing was happening! There are also buttons for cleansing, deodorising, and massaging...we're not quite sure how all of these work though! They also found the toilet slippers interesting. At most restaurants and homes, you have to remove your slippers or shoes when entering the toilet and put on toilet slippers. Using the restroom turned out to be a complicated process at first!

2. Power Lines: Our moms were fascinated with the power lines towering over the streets of Japan. Unlike our neatly assembled power lines in America, the ones here look like they've been knotted together and thrown up on a wooden pole. If someone ever needed to locate 1 wire, we're not sure how they could ever find it!

3. Masks: The #3 shocker of Japanese culture were the masks. When someone is sick or has allergies, they often wear a white mask over their mouth while they are out in public. They do this in order to not spread germs to other people or to protect themselves from the pollen. Children wear masks as well. They even make them with cute patterns and cartoons on them.

4. Small Cars: Our moms were so surprised with the cars in Japan. Although many of the cars here are a regular mid-sized car, there are many smaller cars as well. Here is a picture of Frank driving one of our company cars.

5. Narrow Streets: The streets in Japan are amazingly narrow. Usually it looks like a one-way street, but 2 cars are expected to travel on them.

6. Buildings under Construction: Another difference our mothers noticed was the covering put over all buildings while they are under construction. If a house, apartment, or business is being built or remodeled, a type of tarp is covered over the outside of the building. We are not sure if this is for appearance or safety purposes.

7. No Paper Towels or Soap in Restrooms: In Japan, everyone carries a small hand towel in their pocket or purse in order to dry their hands while they are in public. The children even carry them while they are at school. At some public restrooms they provide electric hand-dryers, but almost everyone uses their own towel. There is usually no soap also, which is very ironic to us considering they are so health and germ conscious!

8. Shoes On...Shoes Off...Shoes On...Shoes Off: Our moms were shocked with the "shoe rules" here in Japan! At restaurants, temples, homes, schools, and even some businesses, we had to remove our shoes and wear the provided slippers. There are some places you cannot even wear the slippers, such as walking onto a tatami floor or using the restroom. It takes some getting used to!

9. So Many Vending Machines: You cannot walk more than a block in Japan without encountering a vending machine. They are everywhere and provide almost anything...such as cold drinks, hot drinks, beer, cigarettes, soup, and we've even seen some with hamburgers and hot dogs! Our moms especially loved the cold milk tea in the vending machines. An interesting thing is that if a vending machine is in front of someones home, it is most likely owned by that family, which means they are scattered throughout neighborhoods as well.

10. Japanese-Style Hotel: When we went on a trip to Kyoto, we stayed in a ryokan, which is a Japanese-style hotel. This was definitely a shocker for our moms! We all stayed in one room and slept on futons on the tatami-mat floor. Our pillows were filled with beans and our shower was a community shower located 2 floors down from our room. You can't get more traditional than this!

Our moms both said their trip made for life-long memories to cherish and a deep appreciation and respect for the Japanese people and culture. Although they were shocked at many things, experiencing these differences is what made the trip so exciting!