5 Things That Are Awesome and Kind of Weird In Japan

Alright folks, I know it has been a couple of months, but I have been busy busy.

I am not going to pretend I understand really anything about the culture here or that I have learned much Japanese, but there have been a few wonderfully strange moments in the last couple of months that make this adventure worth while.

1) Super-Hero Loving Japanese Gate Guards

The Japanese people are the most respectful and kind people I have yet to meet in my life. They also take their jobs very seriously, so when something unexpected happens it is quite entertaining. Every day when I go to work, I need to show my ID at the gate to get into the base where I work. Japanese Gate Guards are employed at many of these gates. Typically, the interaction is very quick, very professional, and without a lot of emotion. That was, until, I purchased Batman seat covers for Stinky Pete (my beater of a jeep-type car that I absolutely adore despite his strange odor). A few days after buying my batman seat covers, I entered the gate prepared for my usual 20 second interaction of flashing my ID to an expressionless gate guard who thanks me and waves me through. However, one day it was different. As I pulled up to the gate, the gate guard looked in through my windows with his jaw dropped and he literally ran up to the window and exclaimed, "You like the Batman?!" and then after a long pause, he eclaimed in a deep voice, " Me...same!". Then he lifted his arms and flexed his muscles. It was....glorious.

2) Japanese People Sing in Their Cars (just like us) but Sometimes They Do a Little Extra.

This is actually not my own personal encounter, but a friend's. She was driving in her car and looked over to see a woman of around 80 years old singing to her stereo. The woman then reached over and picked up something off the seat and started playing a tamborine as she sang along to whatever music she was listening to.

3) Japanese People Love to Take Pictures.

Ok, so I know this is sort of a stereotype and usually it is me who is taking pictures of mundane things like a sign or a snail, but upon traveling to Tokyo for a one day exploration trip, I met the most stereotypical Japanese photography enthusiast ever. A fanny pack wearing, camera strapped around his neck, white sock and sneaker wearning nerd (thing a character from a John Hughes film) came up to my co-worker and I and asked to take our picture since we were "dressed nice". He then proceeded to make us do at least 20 poses, such as faces together, standing close, and the finally of making us look over our shoulders at him. Each time saying, "ok. maybe just one more".

4) There is no NO in Japan.

At home, maybe typically means maybe. Here is means something entirely different. Japanese rarely say NO to you even if your request is impossible. If you try to make a flight arrangement and there is no plane that actually goes to the location you desire, a Japanese person will not say, "The plane does not go there". Instead, you will get an answer such as, "Maybe, you would like to take the train.". Or if you want to order something on the menu such as Shrimp and they are out of it, you might get an answer like, "Maybe today you want to the chicken". This was very confusing at first. However, It is kind of nice, never to be told NO.

5) There are Very Large Bugs Here and Catching Them is Considered Fun.

Driving to work in the morning, I see dozens of Japanese school children in their school-yards wearing their uniforms and armed with gigantic nets. Where as many Americans, such as myself, have no desire to see a fist sized beetle or a Cicada the size of a small dog, you can actually buy pet bugs here in the store and for the Japanese it is fun to catch singing Cicadas and keep them in a cage. It is also, apparently fun, if you are an old Japanese man to chase an American around the park laughing while holding a really loud Cicada while the American screams in terror.

So what sort of awesome and weird things are happening in the states?