Want to know the truth about Japan?
What is Japan really like?
From the outside, the food is healthy, the people are polite, and it’s a tech marvel.
But is it really like that?
After living here for over two decades, I have learned that the Japan the tourists see, the Japan the media portrays, and the real Japan are not exactly alike.
So, let’s keep it real and delve into the truth about Japan.
Perceptions Vs Reality
There’s a big gap between how Japan is perceived abroad and how it is to live here.
Japan has always been portrayed as a futuristic wonderland.
Neon lights, robots, and a strong economy mixed in with sumo, kimonos and sushi.
At least, that is how many Westerners see it (before they visit).
But what exactly is the truth about Japan?
Is Japan Futuristic?
In contrast to the futuristic image the country has fostered overseas, the reality is different.
Almost everyone still uses a fax machine.
Why does Japan still use faxes?
40% of Japan’s population is over 60, and older people are more conservative with technology.
Japanese companies are run by older employees.
Japanese presidents average 60 years old.
It’s no surprise that outdated but reliable technology reigns.
Japan isn’t a futuristic paradise.
It may not have the latest technology, but it does the job reliably every time.
Mobile Phones
Japan’s cell phones were world-class in the early 2000s.
1999 saw the first camera phone, and Japan had 3G before the UK.
Twenty months.
People watched TV on their phones on the train to work.
Instead of conquering the world, Japanese phone companies focused on their 120 million citizens.
Why?
Galapagos syndrome was named after the Galapagos Islands, which have unique native species.
Due to isolation, Japan’s domestic-focused companies created unique devices.
When iOS and Android emerged in 2007 and 2008, Japanese companies lost their lead because they hadn’t focused on software development.
All those quirky, unique phones from the 2000s are gone, except for flip phones.
Like everywhere else, 50% of smartphone sales in Japan are iPhones.
More Old Skool Tech
Offices have mountains of paper, and it isn’t uncommon to see people using flip phones.
DVD stores are still popular, and you need a hanko (seal) for official documents.
Forget e-signatures for now.
During the Corona pandemic, when my UK family’s kids were going online, I had to walk to school and pick up my kid’s homework.
Then, go back and hand it in for it to be manually marked, and then return to pick it up.
I met more teachers during the pandemic than when there was no COVID-19.
Western logic does not exist here.
Is Japanese Food Really Healthy?
Japanese food is delicious, healthy, and nutritious, right?
Japan has a long life expectancy and low obesity rates.
Any book about Japan always has a chapter on the Japanese diet and how they live forever by eating fish.
People eat fish, rice, miso, soup, and vegetables at home.
It seems nutritious, but it’s high in sodium and carbohydrates.
Food Myths – Sushi
One of the biggest misconceptions about Japan is that people eat sushi every day or week when it’s actually only once a month.
While the fish is a good source of protein and omega-3, each portion is two-thirds rice.
Rice with vinegar, sugar, and salt.
It is a very carb-heavy dish.
Fish is eaten daily, but sushi isn’t.
So, it’s not the sushi that makes Japan’s diet healthy.
It’s the heavy fish consumption.
What About Ramen?
Ramen isn’t exactly healthy.
It’s like drinking salt water.
A 2019 study [1] found that Japanese areas with more ramen shops had more stroke deaths than other areas.
Ramen’s high sodium content makes it an unhealthy dish.
Once or twice a month at the right shop is fine.
Tempura
Take the freshest fish and vegetables and batter, oil, and salt them.
I wouldn’t call that healthy.
Katsu Don
Dredge a thick cut of fatty pork in breadcrumbs and deep fry it. Serve with unlimited rice and cabbage.
Marathon-worthy calories.
Again, it is likely unhealthy.
So, most Japanese meals are carb-heavy and salty.
Personally, I find it all quite tasty.
But healthy?
Not all.
Few Overweight People
Why is obesity so low?
Three or four lifestyle factors are key.
First, the Japanese are active.
Walking and biking are popular commute options.
Japanese walk 2,000 more steps per day than Americans, according to a 2008 study. [2]
Second, portions are smaller than in America.
Third, locals don’t snack much because they want to finish their meals (my daughter always finds a way to steal my secret stash of chocolate, though).
Japan considers food abandonment rude.
People don’t get hungry between lunch and dinner because of the carb-heavy meals.
Company Pressure
Over-40s must have their waistlines measured annually, and if they’re over, the company is fined.
Obesity rates, waistlines, and heart disease and cancer cases are low.
So, Japanese people aren’t necessarily healthier because of their food.
The Japanese diet is moderated by lifestyle and culture.
If you visit Japan and eat out or at convenience stores, you won’t experience its culture or lifestyle.
Japan is Weird- Or is it?
Japan is often portrayed as weird online.
Full of robots, strange games like Pachinko, maid cafes, and the like.
The media, though, latches on to weird things (which are weird here, too, and very rare).
For example:
- Square watermelons
- Dinosaur hotels
Strange things are discussed in articles and on social media.
- Japanese vending machines are everywhere.
Guilty as charged there.
- Capsule hotels and space-age toilets abound (soon to be guilty as charged)
And weird is fun, right?
So, social media, blogs, and TV will continue to talk about it.
A Cash Society
When I visited the UK recently, I noticed that nobody carried cash.
You can’t just slap your card in Japan and watch your money disappear.
Japan is still a cash-based society.
In Japan, most people carry 10 to 20,000 yen.
About $100?
Shops, bars, and restaurants often require cash.
Politeness and Friendliness
Japan is possibly the world’s most polite culture.
Every interaction has extreme etiquette and protocol.
I’ve heard countless stories of lost tourists in Japan being helped by a stranger.
I remember my parents leaving their camera in a taxi in Nagasaki.
We went up a cable car, then my mother realised.
An hour later, the taxi driver found us still up the mountain.
He had taken the ride up at his expense when he realized a camera was in the back seat, and it must be those tourists.
Surface politeness
While politeness and hospitality are present on the surface, it’s difficult to befriend and get to know someone here.
Culture acts as a barrier to really knowing someone.
Japan has a high uncertainty avoidance culture; people dislike spontaneity and unpredictability.
So, things are pretty reliable.
You could walk around a Japanese city for hours without anyone saying hello or making the first move.
It’s why many people here seem shy.
Then they get naked in an onsen in full view of strangers.
Shy?
I think not.
Anyway, I digress.
The emphasis on keeping your thoughts and opinions to yourself makes it hard to get to know someone.
Back home, we value politeness and keeping your thoughts to yourself.
In Japan, the concept is so strong that it has two words
Tatamae. This is your public stance.
Saying things to keep up appearances, keep the peace, and avoid giving an opinion.
Honne: What do they really think?
Japanese honne & tatemae etiquette can be hard to interpret and irritating for some.
Tatemae is the public thinking and communication style of most Japanese people. It involves putting others’ feelings above your own.
Reading the situation and communicating appropriately supports Japan’s cooperation and respect values.
As a tourist, you might not see this, but when you live here, things are different.
Before You Go
I love Japan.
I would not live here if I didn’t.
But the country has a big issue with how others perceive it,
Japan Inc. goes to great lengths to share how polite it is, how amazing the food is, etc.
But like everywhere, there is a darker underbelly.
If you visit as a tourist, chances are you’ll love it.
You will see the Japan you want to see and be happy.
Just know that the truth about Japan is not what tourists see or the media portrays.
So, the next time you see a TV program, take it with a pinch of salt.
Just not too much like the food here.
