For Mr. K, who has had various shocking experiences since coming to Japan, one thing that has been especially appalling had to do with the climate.

“The heat in Japan! It’s just way too harsh! It was very hot last year, but this year? I just felt like going home (laughs). It’s warm in England during summer too, but I think it’s nothing compared to the heat and humidity in Japan.”

Indeed, last year was unusually hot for Japan, even the Japanese found it hard to endure. It is not difficult to imagine Mr. K being overcome with fatigue under the blazing sun in the summer. Hopefully, future summers will be easier on all of us...

As an employee in a manufacturing company in Japan, Mr. K had some things to say about Japanese work culture.

“Working adults don’t take vacations! When do they even rest? When I was in England, I toured Asia for a month and liked Japan so much I decided to move here. If you’re too caught up with work, you’ll miss the turning points of your life!”

As you may know, it is difficult to take paid leave in Japan. But it is as Mr. K says – a vacation will allow your mind and body to relax and perhaps enlighten you with a new outlook on your work and way of life. How I wish I could work at a company that allows one-month vacations…

Again, within the realm of work, there was something that shocked Mr. K.

“Japanese people are all serious. But since they are too serious, jokes don’t get through to them. If I say something funny during a meeting or in front of a client, they just have shocked expressions on their faces. I’ve gotten used to that kind of atmosphere (laughs).”

For British people who love intellectual jokes, the reactions by overly serious Japanese people must be quite painful.

On the flipside, Mr. K resents the behavior of those Japanese people whom he thinks are not serious at all.

“They operate on rubber time during work. They show up late for appointments or join the meeting halfway through. And their meetings are very long. I feel that they don’t seem to realise they are snatching away others’ precious time. British people are also considered to be tardy, but they don’t have such impolite behavior in business settings.”

This is a painful observation Mr. K has made...Instead of making the excuse that you have too much work on your hands, we should be mindful that we may be wasting the precious time of many other people.

With his large network of Japanese friends, Mr. K had this to say about Japanese people.

“There are many kind Japanese people. But I was shocked by the behavior of Japanese men. I don’t really see them doing things like holding the door open for women or giving way to them. It’s just beyond me, that they would rush to snatch seats on the train.”

It is as Mr. K says. It would be nice if Japanese men put ‘ladies first’ into practice one day..!

Now that Mr. K has spoken about Japanese men, what about Japanese women?

“There are many modest and kind Japanese girls. I really like that. But perhaps, they are just a little too shy. If they don’t express their opinions clearly, they might get overpowered by pushy men!”

Modesty is considered a virtue of Japanese women, but it is worrying that such an expectation can be troubling to women. Nonetheless, Mr. K reveals that there are still many firm women out there who are able to properly dodge advances from unpleasant men!

Now that Mr. K is in his second year of living in Japan, he has discovered for himself some of Japan’s charms.

“There are so many places you can drink at! And they’re cheap! Especially in Shinjuku, where there are lots of small izakaya restaurants. But the seats are small and packed together, so it’s pretty uncomfortable for large-sized foreigners like me (laughs).”

While there are many pubs all over town in England, Mr. K feels that nightlife districts crowded with various bars like Golden Gai in Shinjuku and in Shinbashi are unique.

Mr. K has also been shocked by some problems that would have gone unnoticed if he did not live in Japan.

“Tokyo is supposed to be the safest city in the world, but there are lots of chikan. And lots of anti-chikan posters, so you know there are many victims of chikan. Even if I were to get married and have children, I’m not sure if I can at peace raising my children here.”

For the uninformed, chikan are molesters who sexually harass others, most commonly women, in public spaces like on crowded trains. The term also describes the act itself. There are measures taken to prevent chikan, including women-only train carriages, but these measures do not completely eradicate chikan. Moreover, men are sometimes embroiled in false accusations of chikan. In fact, there are discussions about chikan day and night, which has greatly shocked the foreigners who live in Japan…

Last but not least, Mr. K shares, “This is the one thing I wish to clearly convey!”

“It’s amazing that each region in Japan boasts its own distinct charm! The urban landscape and food culture are totally different depending on where you go, so even travelling within Japan can be very exciting. Actually, since I moved here, I started travelling a lot more. Thanks to the express trains, accessibility is not an issue. I only knew how convenient Japanese trains are after moving here!”

Even though Mr. K has experienced his fair share of culture shock, he concluded that ultimately, with its delicious food and beautiful streets, Japan is a country that he loves. I am glad that he feels this way after living here! Hopefully, Mr. K will continue to enjoy and appreciate more of Japan!

Written by: Ran Tanaka