Won't Miss #163 - Japanese artificial sweeteners

Artificial sweeteners in Japan are expensive, usually not zero calorie, and are not as sweet as those back home. In part, I'm sure this is because the market for such things is not as large in Japan as it is in the West and tastes don't run toward as much sweetness as we want in the U.S. That being said, I personally use such sweeteners in my coffee and tea because I'd rather not bath my teeth in

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Will Miss #162 - tanuki

While it may seem that I like tanuki ("raccoon dogs") statues being present in Japan because it tickles my inner tittering juvenile nature, that's not actually the case. I like these statues because their presence says something about the Japanese people. It says that they aren't so hung up on seeing genitalia that they would nix the idea of putting a representation of an animal with a giant

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Won't Miss #162 - Japanese toilets

In this bathroom diagram from a train station, the solid toilets are Japanese-style and the ones with a hollow center are Western-style.It probably surprises everyone that it has taken me 323 posts to get to the subject of Japanese toilets. They are often talked about (and reviled) by newcomers to Japan. What many neophytes don't know, but will soon realize, is that the Japanese also dislike

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Will Miss #161 - beautiful, abundant, cheap tea sets

Because Japan is a country with a long history of tea-related culture, you can get teapots and tea sets nearly anywhere. In fact, you can buy some decent pots at 100 yen shops. Second-hand stores often have very nice sets of pots with cups or just cups that are obviously new (wrapped in their original paper and boxes). One near my home appears to have an endless supplier of them and it takes

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Won't Miss #161 - converting the calendar

That's right. It's March 1, and the year is 22.The Japanese use both the Gregorian calendar years that Western folks use and their own system based on the number of years that the current emperor has been in power. The current emperor's calendar is referred to with "Heisei". This year is Heisei 22. Any time one does business with the government, and in some cases fills out various forms for other

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Will Miss #160 - Doutor

There are a lot of coffee shop chains in Tokyo including Starbucks and Starbucks wannabes. Before the Seattle coffee invasion, there was Doutor. Frankly, I've rarely had their coffee (and thought it was just "okay" when I did have it), but I love their freshly made, somewhat elegant, warm and not gut-busting sandwiches. They used to have a chicken bagel sandwich which had a soft, toasted bagel

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Won't Miss #160 - peeping Toms

I can't speak for everywhere in Japan, but Tokyo has issues with "peepers" or "peeping Toms". Women have to be very careful to keep their curtains drawn if they don't want some pervert to find a vantage point and watch them. I'm not sure why this is relatively common in Japan, but I suspect it has to do with a variety of social and (pop) cultural factors. Japanese men are notoriously "shy" about

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Will Miss #159 - easily scaring off solicitors

Newspaper salespeople are a scourge in Tokyo. They frequently come to the door and sometimes aggressively try to convince people to buy subscriptions. I've been told by my Japanese acquaintances that sometimes the salespeople get angry and rude if they are turned down. Some even bang on the door, try to grab the door and yank it open, and one apparently tossed something angrily at a door. Being

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Won't Miss #159 - mail order limitations

One of the most frustrating things about living in Japan (or abroad in general) is that you can't order many items from the U.S. and have them shipped abroad. This is often so for computer and electronic items as well as software, but also clothing, packaged food items, and kitchenware. The electronics and sundry household items are limited because allowing goods sold more cheaply in the U.S. to

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Will Miss #158 - easy acess to service centers

My husband and I bought a Nikon camera from Amazon in the U.S. (because it's cheaper than Japan) and had it shipped to his parents in California. My husband picked it up when he visited them. Shortly after getting back to Japan, the camera broke and we were able to take it directly to a Nikon service center about 10 minutes from us by subway. And we got to repeat that about a week later when it

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Won't Miss #158 - loud gulping in drink commercials

Some time ago, I can't recall when, Japanese beverage manufacturers decided that the experience of sucking down a can of beer would be more appealing to consumers if they showed someone with their head thrown back pouring the contents directly down their throat (bypassing that pesky tongue and taste buds) while playing a loud exaggerated swallowing noise. I hate that sound effect with the

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Will Miss #157 - doll festival displays

March 3 is the doll festival in Japan. During this festival, parents with daughters set up a (sometimes elaborate) display of dolls representing a royal court. Businesses also put up large or small displays as a way of promoting their goods or simply as a way of being a festive part of the season. The dolls are often beautiful and some are unique representations (like favorite pop culture

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Won't Miss #157 - gaijin ignoring gaijin

I wrote an article for Tokyo Journal at one point about a phenomenon which every foreigner ("gaijin") will experience sooner or later (likely sooner) when visiting Japan. If you see another foreigner on the street and smile, wave, say hello, or nod, at least 30% of the time, if not more, the other foreigner will ignore you. This happens for a variety of reasons which I spent 800 words saying in

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Will Miss #156 - bodily function free talk

In one of my earliest experiences in Japan, a student told me that she was not feeling well because she had had "loose bowls" (meaning "bowels", or diarrhea). I was surprised to hear her tell someone who was, but mere moments ago, a total stranger, that she was spending a lot of time in the toilet. It turns out that Japanese people are not squeamish about such things. I'm freely told about

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Won't Miss #156 - Japanese deodorant

Body chemistry does differ based on your biological history, and many Japanese people either do not use deodorant or don't need it. My husband is not Japanese (or of Asian descent) and he also does not need deodorant, so some Europeans also do not require it. Some people are just lucky, but not me...and not some Japanese people who really need it but seem clueless. One of the things I learned

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Will Miss #155 - Cozy Corner

While many Japanese cakes are pretty and lack taste, I do like Cozy Corner. It's not that all of their sweets are fabulous (though many are excellent), but rather that they offer a lot of variety in one place and many tiny little cakes, pies or puddings (as well as larger ones) that allow you to sample a wide variety of treats without buying or eating too much. Cozy Corner boxes are one of those

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Won't Miss #155 - Invasive Paternalism

Japan has a much more paternalistic culture than most Western countries. Sometimes, this is beneficial, but sometimes it is a step too far and violates privacy. For instance, many countries are having problems with obesity and Japan is no exception, though their problem is not nearly as severe as that in Western countries. In Japan, one of the current "solutions" to the problem is to have

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