Fears of a tourist in Japan

I noticed that interest in Japan has been growing lately - probably in Europe and in the tropics it’s already boring, people want to go here, the country seems to have become closer and more accessible. But it is still completely incomprehensible to many))) Judging by the same type of comments, others associate cleanliness, strict ceremoniality, and strange food with Japan in the first place. If not the first, then the second and third may raise concerns - how to enjoy the country and not look idiotic?

1 fear: I do not understand. The Japanese are very bad with languages - that with English, that with the rest. Trying to fight this, they will joyfully yell at you: "Haroo!" But on this the linguistic abilities of many Japanese people, alas, end there. They’re advertising an audio language course on the radio and telling me that after only two years of study, a student at the American airport was able to say that he’s moving “that transit to Peru”! After two years! However, at major tourist points, staff still speak English. It’s wonderful if you speak Chinese !!! In large stores and everywhere in crowded places, including dragstors in the center of a large city, there are now Chinese-speaking personnel (due to the huge number of wonderful solvent customers from this densely populated country). In addition, all locations in the city are signed in English letters, including at train stations and the subway. In a situation, if you get lost, you can go to the policeman or to someone in uniform, you will surely try to help you calmly and benevolently. You don’t need to ask taxi drivers, they don’t know or understand anything at all, they speak with very strange local accents. Most likely, taxi drivers take those who could not adapt to this cruel world.

2 fear: I do not eat raw marine reptiles. That's exactly what you should not be afraid of. Raw tentacles will not haunt you. In Japan, there is a lot of Western-style food, you can easily sit down with a croissant on the street or crunch a baguette between things. Unless it urges you to eat borsch in the center of Tokyo (though there are restaurants of Russian and Ukrainian cuisine, what am I talking about?). Many people are not ready for a traditional Japanese breakfast, but it happens that in a hotel, for example, only he is provided. In this case you will have to have breakfast later, outside the hotel. If you are suddenly starving between sights, a small noodle shop, McDonald's or a combination will come to the rescue - you can choose a sandwich, pita, yogurt, and purely Japanese food. If you are traveling not in the summer, do not miss the opportunity to try the oden, it is prepared in every combination. Vegetarians and vegans can be difficult, as most Japanese dishes include animal proteins. But now there are many modern vegetarian restaurants, usually they have it displayed in the name, and it will most likely be in any language other than Japanese.

3 fear: I do not know the customs. Let's just say that no one expects from you that you know them. Therefore, you can relax and just behave modestly. Not to dance and crawl in the rock garden, not to break sakura branches, not to stick sticks in rice, not to gag on Skype in the subway - it will be enough. When I see foreign groups of tourists, it seems to me that they are very loud, large, they all move so unusually expansively, move their thick bare hairy legs and arms! So unusual! ))) But it can be seen from them that they do not hide their pleasure from this life, unlike those we will not point fingers at))) Personally, I think that it is not necessary to bow, it still looks among us non-native quite ridiculous and fussy. It is enough just to calmly and with dignity, without letting go of your arms and legs, to show your appreciation for the service provided. But where everyone takes off their shoes (and there are a lot of such places, including many restaurants), you must definitely take off their shoes too.

4 fear: Everything is very expensive. In Japan it’s expensive to move around, you have to be prepared for this. Catering, in my opinion, is cheaper and more interesting than in Moscow - I have slips of business lunches in my feed, and I want to say that they are very miserable and expensive compared to what you can quickly buy for lunch in a small eatery or even in combination. Shopping is absolutely for any budget. If you don’t have time to buy anything, there is also a lot of things at the airport, from sweets to cosmetics and medicines. Even the famous Japanese toilet for overseas stress is.

5 fear: I do not know how to behave in onsen and in a restaurant. Yes, just more modest! If you go to public baths, cover the tattoos with a beige adhesive. They come in any size, sold in dragstores. No one will climb under the patch. Before going to the onsen pools, there is a bath area - first you need to wash yourself, and then go clean to lie in the bathtubs. In the process, you can once again go rubbed with a washcloth, and many wash themselves again at the exit (especially squeamish). Do not make noise, in any case, do not take out cosmetics - masks, creams, etc. from the wash zone towards clean baths and pools. In the baths you can’t lie with masks and do procedures, the water there should be clean. But insects are allowed to be there. Near the bathtubs in the open air there are usually nets with the inscription "Gentlemen, insects also like onsen."

In the restaurant you can always ask the waiter (in many places on the table there is a call button) how to eat this or that dish. If you have a traditional Japanese dinner, where they bring many, many changes in tiny little dishes, then you will definitely be told on the fingers in what order. No fatal mistakes can be made here!

6 fear: I'm afraid to fall in love. And here I do not know how to help! The likelihood of a strong and hopeless romantic feeling is high :) If you are afraid that everything will be a lot after a trip to Japan, it is better to leave these plans.