Unusual Japan(51-61) - Japonly

Because Japanese are "odd".

51/WC


You prefer water or paper?

In Japan, no need to choose, you have the 2. You can adjust the temperature of the seat and the water and choose background music: classical, waterfall,…or flushing for the most modest! Bref there are the most sophisticated toilets of the world and of a surgical cleanliness !

After all, didn’t the toilet invented modern art with Duchamp and his readymade concept with its simple inverted urinal he called "fountain"?

52/Smoking area

At every street corner, the only salvation for smokers because in Japan it is not only banned smoking in enclosed public places but also in the streets, parks, ... by cons you can still smoke in bars and restaurants, some even offer "personal smoking area" kind of huge bell glass with suction hose coming down on your head.

Otherwise, you also have oxygen bars that we begin to see for the last few months in Europe too.

53/ High tech

An example: the robot "ASIMO" (Advanced Step in Innovative Mobility) from Honda.

One of the main innovations compared to the older generation is that it is able to modify its trajectory while walking without stopping before performing a rotation. It detects the movements of objects and their trajectories, going up and down stairs, recognize faces, including human speech, analyzes its environment, keep his balance on the moving surfaces and can even hop up!
Asimo is not yet marketed and should eventually help the disabled, elderly or sick and may also perform dangerous tasks for humans.





Lire un extrait de la famille Inobe en 2025 (in french only)

54/Convenience store

The kombinis those multi-services supermarkets become the "fifth vital infrastructure in the country, after the networks of water, gas, electricity and telecommunications," as says Karyn Poupee in his book "Japanese."

Don’t forget to have a look at the food section!

55/Karaoké

Etymologically kara (Karappo) = empty & oke (okesutora) = orchestra.
Karaoke was actually born in the USA with the bouncing ball and playbacks discs but it is in Japan and other Asian countries (Korea and China among others) that it is the most popular.

We walked through the door of one of them knowing that we were not going to sing and indeed we drank more than sung.
We had the excuse of the language and the private nature of the party to which a member kindly let us participate.
In fact, we sang on the way back...

56/Look & uniform

This is the girls’look, whether in uniform or loli-loli (term used for a young girl, cute & sexy, although it is far from Nabokov's Lolita) who draws your attention first. Worshiped by the Japanese youth, young women exaggerate the childlike and men revere ... sometimes obsessively ... We have indeed found them rather cute and funny, never "sexy", our point of view is probably not the same ... So we were surprised about the number of girls who walk the feet inside, what is corrected in our childhood. In a country with such advances, it surprised us even more, we learned later that it was for them the ultimate in feminine elegance, because it is a child pose and encouraged therefore to keep and was even given a name: uchimata!
Agnes Girard's book "Erotic Japan" decrypts the different facets.

In October, the salarymen (suit and tie) switch from short-sleeved shirts to those long sleeves, the "Koromogae" (= change of wardrobe) for the period of summer begins on June 1, ending on October 1st.

57/Tattoo

The traditional tattoo (Irezumi) dates back to the Edo era where the prisoners at the end of their sentence, were covering their identification by artistic tattoos. Later, tattoos have been adopted by bandits, prostitutes and Yakuza. Recently elevated to an art, it nevertheless continues to be misunderstood by most of the population.

Often found:
The dragon: serpent horned deer, scales of a carp, claws of an eagle, horse nose, it symbolizes wealth and fire protection.
Koi: he is often swimming against the current, he symbolizes courage. A Chinese legend maintains that when he arrives at the top of the waterfall against the current, he turns into a dragon!
Cherry trees: they symbolize the transience of life, they are adopted by the Samurai and then Yakuza
Historical figures, folk and literary kabuki, geisha, samurai ...
Spiritual figures: Buddha, Kami (Shinto gods) Fudo (the guardian of hell)
Clouds, waves, the sky that make up the background.
The concepts of Yin and Yang play an essential part in these drawings. If the fire is the main reason we find rivers and waves in the background...

58/Salutations

Sign of politeness highly respected and respectful. Even the ticket machines in the metro have an avatar that greets you upon arrival and thank you at the end with a bow !
The right angle:
5 ° happening everywhere to say hello, thank you, goodbye, I'm sorry ...
15 ° for a more formal greeting, it is used for a client for example
35 ° to express the gratitude
45 ° to mark a profound respect or excuse
90 ° requires a lot of flexibility ...

It comes easily almost by mimicry.

59/Golden Week

This is THE week off in Japan and we were there!
It includes 4 public holidays:
April 29 - Showa no Hi, Birthday of Emperor Shōwa
May 3 - Kenpo Kinen Bi, Memorial Day of the Constitution
May 4 - Midori no Hi, Nature’s Day
May 5 - Kodomo no Hi, Children's Day

Many festivals are organized and tourist places are mobbed by the crowds!

60/Dogs

Takeaway, luxury pastries, luxury spa offering all kinds of services: pedicures, massages, mud or rose petals baths... there is almost everything.

We took this picture at the Tokyo Midtown mall, 3 other poodles were waiting "kindly" on beautiful white sofas. A photographer and interchangeable decor awaited them at the exit.







The statue of Hachikō at the Shibuya Station exit.
Every morning, he accompanied his master to the train station where he took his train, and every evening he came to expect him. This touching ritual regulated the lives of those who witnessed ... until the fateful day when he did not return. Hachiko continued to wait. He waited every day, until the end (for 10 years). By dint of patience and fidelity, he became a legend...

61/Omiyage

Little shop where they sell all kinds of goodies to offer at lot of occasions. They love to offer a lot of little things, among the many opportunities, there are 2 parties Ochugen & oseibo:  family, friends and neighbors offer the gifts of summer & winter.
Among the souvenir gifts, we loved the little key chains, jewelry from the Gion district, origami sets and watches seiko found at flea market!

To bring back also: manga, football jersey, video games,...

Travel plans
Un voyage au Japon (FR)