Japan - the country of contradictions / Japonia - kraj sprzeczności.

 Over 2 months in Japan and I have a brief idea of this country, so full of surprises. It has started really well, the day of my 30th birthday we took a cruise from Busan to Fukuoka, business class! I even got a birthday card together with my ferry ticket! We were guided to our super comfortable seats and handed a pair of slippers and a big box of goodies. I didn't realise at that time how symbolic these gifts were. The first thing I saw, when entering our compartment were vending machines - hot and cold drinks (free and unlimited!) and... ice-cream. Another Japanese symbol, as I would find out later on. 

3 hours on the ferry flew by - we tried most drinks from the machine, got ice-cream and even got a souvenir picture at the deck with my birthday date. And so we finally stepped on Japanese land! And the stop was... a covey belt sushi restaurant. I was happy as a little kid, watching my sushi plates arriving, accompanied by happy music. Surprisingly, there were many vegetarian sushi options and a really tasty miso soup. It filled my belly and my heart ❤️ 

Fukuoka was a good introduction to Japan - a vibrant, dynamic city with nice charm and many busy small streets to wander around. In few days I had a small bite of local culture - I learned what yatai were (small food stalls spread around the city), discovered an underground city, visited a traditional market, tried red bean mochi, bought countless drinks from vending machines, saw blooming plum trees, had a meal at Izakaya (and tried some sochu offered by businessmen from the neighbouring table - not my favourite), experienced an earthquake simulation, entered a shinto shrine through a big mouth and found my new favourite snack - onigiri. It was a different world, full of signs that I couldn't understand, but I didn't experience a real 'cultural shock' - it felt different, but in a friendly way.

Japan, like every country, has things you love and things you hate, and few things that combine both. I really like the fact that people are quiet and respectful, even in bigger cities you can find peace - nobody is shouting or disturbing others. That's one of the rules people really follow in here, sometimes maybe to a surprising extent, but other people's comfort should not be disturbed. No loud music in public spaces, no rubbish laying around, no being pushed in the crowd and definitely no guys whistling after you in the street. People are impressively disciplined and polite. Some say they are polite, yet not nice, but I experienced both. I did experience discrimination, too, but mostly people are curious seeing 2 foreigners in local places. They often try to chat with us, breaking their natural shyness and try to be helpful, many times without us even asking for help.

There are many things in Japan that are really convenient and so intuitive that I ask myself why they don't exist in Europe. Simple things, like a little shelf to put you phone by the toilet or a child seat in toilet cabins, free water (cold and hot!) and tea in every food place, places to eat and heat your food in almost every shop, free, clean! public toilets at every corner... Of course, all of this is possible because people respect public spaces. Nobody steals toilet paper (or anything in general), people sort out their rubbish (even after a picnic packing it in separate recycling bags) and clean after themselves. It is really impressive how almost everyone just respect these common rules, no matter the age or social status. It makes life in a society so much easier!

Then there are things that are convenient, but have their disadvantages, too. Like convenience store - they are at every corner, very accessible, filled with snacks (onigiri!) and ready-to-eat meals, with clean toilets and evening discounts. Every time you stop by to use a toilet, you're sure to get some small snack. Sadly - always packed in several layers of plastic. Plastic coffee cups with plastic lids and straws, disposable chopsticks, wet towels to clean your hands and a very polite lady always asking if you don't need a plastic bag. Once you finish your snack, you've got a weekly amount of plastic that is quite difficult to dispose of, unless you throw it directly in the store. Japanese recycling system is really strict, but it also means that there is very little possibility to get rid of your rubbish anywhere but at your home (which becomes quite difficult if you're living in a car). There are no bins in public places (which often means you have to carry your coffee cup or banana skin all the walk around the park and till you go back home). There are no organic waste bins and, surprisingly, no bins for plastic, apart from plastic bottles. Who would have thought that rubbish can be such a big problem in such an organised country?

Another thing that I love about Japan are onsens (hot baths). Some of them are public and you can warm yourself for free, others you have to pay for, but it's always worth it. There is nothing better after a day of snowboarding than immersing yourself in hot water! Many onsens have outdoor pools and often you can enjoy a wonderful view, while relaxing in the hot bath. In winter it's a real treat, but in summer it's the last thing I'd dream of. And here comes a little problem, as in Japan public showers don't really exist. It is a cultural thing, people used to use public baths to wash themselves and some still do. I guess we will have to adjust to this customs and use rivers and lakes to cool ourselfs down...

There are so many more surprising things about Japan, I discover them every day. More will be coming soon!