So, I moved to Japan this year in August on a working holiday visa, and I'd travelled here two times before (in 2012 for 3 weeks, then again in 2013 for 5 weeks). Of course, living here is very different to travelling, as goes with all countries I assume. When travelling Japan, there's a lot of exciting, interesting and unusual things to see and do, along with unique cultural experiences. But once you attempt life here, trying to fit in with and contribute to society, things get a bit more serious.
Akihabara: the city the visit if you love your anime and videogames
I explored Tokyo in Winter of 2012, and visited Iwate for a week, which was amazing (and for someone who hadn't seen snow before, it was a fantastic experience for me). I'd dreamed of going to Tokyo when I was in high school, so as I stood at an intersection in Shinjuku on a cloudy Winter's day, it dawned upon me that I'd achieved one dream from my younger years. I was pretty happy then.
Hirosaki Castle in Aomori
The second visit was during early Autumn in Iwate, with the boyfriend, and we explored more of Tohoku together; we went to Aomori to see Hirosaki Castle, and briefly visited other places like Akita and Miyako. All in all, I enjoyed myself. And while he worked, I went out to explore the town, spent some time at a net cafe (and took advantage of free drinks), and just did my own thing. We also went to Ibaraki for one of Japan's biggest firework events, which was a bit daunting for me (being a social-phobic introvert), but enjoyable nonetheless. So the second trip was deemed a success in my books.
View of Morioka, Iwate ('Scuse the image quality)
This year, I came during the end of Summer, and the boyfriend and I spent the first couple of weeks doing activities for fun and relaxation (including a visit to Disney Sea in Chiba!), before attempting to settle into life in Japan. It turned out to be more rough than I expected. I admit I was very naive, thinking it would be easy to settle down, attempt to find work at some point, or even just live in as a housewife until I was ready to work. It's not like that, and I wish I could slap my past self for trying to believe that it would be easy. I was homesick for days, had to come to terms with the cultural differences, and one of the toughest issues to deal with was catering for my vegan diet (Maybe it's easier in places like Tokyo and Osaka, but here in Iwate, I haven't found a whole lot of options that suit my stingey budget). I'm doing my best to deal with these things, but it's still slow.
One of the few veggie-foods I've found: Rice burger!
It's been just over 3 months, half-way through my visa, and I haven't achieved a whole lot, but we've done some travel so that's a plus. I'll write a bit about my first impressions of life in Japan, the good and the bad, so no biased opinions! I like Japan, I like Australia (because it's home), and once we start travelling more, I'm sure there'll be other countries I like too (but we'll get to that once it happens ;D)
SO!! First off, the culture in Japan is quite different compared to Australia. People here are much more reserved and care about how they appear to others and in society, whereas people are quite carefree in Aus and don't care much about what people think about themselves. The Japanese also keep up a more strict professional image in the workplace, which was a bit confusing for me at first since I come from a country where shop assistants would sometimes have casual conversations with you, and friendliness is much more desired. Here, staff are almost robotic sometimes, not showing a lot of personality and just doing there job without straying away from their professional image. (Image is very important, I say again!) There's also a lot of pressure within the workplace, especially for big businesses and office workers, to the point where employees must attend drinking parties otherwise they'll be looked down upon. (What happened to freedom? What if people can't physically drink alcohol for health reasons?)
Rice paddies abound! (Yamagata Prefecture)
I guess that's more of a negative point, because a more positive aspect of Japanese people is the amazing politeness. They're generally quite shy and want to make a good impression, so they're usually very friendly (and some even go out of their way to speak a little English to foreigners, just to challenge themselves!). It's also very safe here, so no need to worry about walking alone at night (for me, a young woman, that's amazing), and people leave their bicycles and clothes hanging outside (so maybe burglars are scarce?). Some houses around the countryside also have vegetable gardens with no fencing, so I guess it's safe to say that people don't go digging up others' gardens. (Australia, take note!)
Ducky roadwork blocks
Another trend I noticed in Japan is what I like to refer to as 'Cute Culture'. Almost everywhere you look, there's something 'cutesy', from sign imagery to food, even roadwork blockades are in shapes of cute animals. I did read something in relation to the vast amount of cute things in Japan a long time ago, and now it makes sense to me. Maybe life for the Japanese is just so tough sometimes, with the amount of work and trying to upkeep personal image, that there needs to be something to take the seriousness away. All the cute images around do take the mind off of life's serious points, so maybe it's a way to keep people sane? I'm not an expert in culture observation, it's just what I personally thing. Maybe compare it to people in western countries who look as pictures of cats to take their minds off things. Anywho, the level of cuteness here far exceeds what I saw at home, which is quite different for me, but it's not unpleasant.
At least I can still make some mean veggie burgers at home!
The most difficult thing I am dealing with is the lack of plant-based food varieties available. Of course there are fruits and vegetables (in various sizes too), but the variety isn't as versatile, and the cost of foods vary differently compared to Australia (carrots don't have a long shelf life, and bananas are a bit more expensive, which is sad). Nuts and dried fruits are available, but they're quite pricey and only come in small bags. But when it comes to sauces, powders, soups, breads and even some soy milks, I have to be extra mindful of hidden ingredients. Many savoury foods like curry sauces and soups have meat and fish ingredients, almost all breads have milk and/or eggs in them, and some soy milk brands have dairy ingredients in them. I did find dairy-free soy yogurt, and it would've been alright if there wasn't any gealtine added to it...I must admit, I'm a bit disappointed, but I guess the vegan population in Japan is very scarce so vegan foods aren't in demand. Sucks for us who live on veggies, because we need to be extra creative and careful, and the cost really does add up. Not to mention, there aren't many places we can go for a meal out...BUT! That being said! There are some yummy things to nom on that are plant-based, such as sweet potatoes in sweet sticky sauce, mochi (glutenous rice balls), jellies made with agar instead of gelatine, natto sushi rolls and inarizushi. Also tofu is available in vast amounts. So all is not totally lost! *thumbs up* And there are a few specialty shops that sell things like flaxseed oil, quinoa, chia seeds and such, so there are options, you just need to hunt them down and pay a bit extra for them (being imported and all).
Okay! Those are a few things about Japan I thought I'd share, both good and bad. If you're travelling to Japan or looking to live here too, hopefully you could gain a little insight from this post. I'll probably write more in future too.
If there's anything you'd like to read about Japan, or if you have any questions, let me know! I'll do my best to search and write about something you'd like to know about! But for now, I'm going to enjoy sitting in this kotatsu, because it's getting chilly these days~
Until next time! *hugs and cookies for all*
