Just Japan Things
The way everything is in compartments, from feelings to sex to tiny bites in bento boxes
They start and end a sentence with thank you and if that’s also what they wanted to say, it’s an arigato tornado.
The women don’t seem to laugh, they giggle. Kawaii, from head to toe. Took a picture for a group of old women in a hotel lobby, they thanked me a million times, and giggled, they only get more kawaii with age.
Misplaced the train pass, which I couldn’t find as I got out of a taxi, the driver overturned the back seat to look for it, nodding and apologising profusely for my stupidity.
kuidaore (食い倒れ, くいだおれ), meaning to eat until you drop
Ramen shops with no English menus, the people are here to eat, not to enjoy each other’s company, you get separate booths so you can slurp in peace. You don’t have to talk to the waiter with your mouth full, you get little wooden cards, for noodle refills and more Asahi.
Rows of old men in front of rows of pachinko slot machines. Walked into a whiskey and absinthe bar which wasn’t on google maps, that should have been enough of a sign, stayed long enough (2.5 seconds) to smile at three women in bunny ears behind the bar, before I got a royal Japanese gettgefuckouttahere, never been thrown out of a bar this politely.
The toilets aren’t toilets, a button to wash your bottom, a white noise machine with a volume control and a deodoriser.
Two suits walked in and sat next to us on a weekday afternoon, they ordered a beer, some octopus and a salad. The younger suit bows before pouring some beer for the elder one. Hah, such obvious sucking up culture I think, before the older one does the same.
Little notes of respect, that add up to this weird machine, I just keep wondering if they want to break free. The loudest I’ve heard a group of Japanese men was at an Indian restaurant, like the tandoori chicken gave them a license to yell.
