22 Cool Things About Japan That Seem Unusual To Foreigners

When we westerners think of Japan, we see cherry blossoms next to Mount Fuji, hear the never-ending nightlife in Tokyo, and taste sushi, of course. We idolize this country and its unique culture, dreaming of one day visiting it or even moving there, if only for a little while.

But as the online project JapanON shows, living in the Land of the Rising Sun can take some time to get used to. Sharing pictures and videos submitted by the locals, it reveals all the (little) things that are normal in Japan but rather unusual in other places around the world. Continue scrolling and check them out!

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Japanese language expert from Lithuania, Kotryna Kvietkauskaitė, told Bored Panda in an earlier interview on what makes Japan unique that putting in the effort to learn their language helps a ton when experiencing this exotic culture.

“In Japan, when a foreigner speaks Japanese, they can often get praise… even if they simply introduce themselves, which is one of the first things that students learn to do,” Kvietkauskaitė said, highlighting that you’ll often get points for simply trying.

Mastering this language is quite a challenge, although how fast you progress depends on you.

“One person might take 5 years until they learn to read Japanese fiction without any problems while another person might take 10 years. In other words, there isn’t a clearly defined point that can be reached after which a person can confidently state that they know Japanese as well as the average native,” she explained.

But don’t worry, you don’t need to wait for the perfect moment to visit the country; you can embrace and absorb this culture by going there in person as soon as you can.

Once you’re there, getting around all the historic temples, shrines, and zen gardens as well as spectacular natural landscapes is very easy. Japan has one of the most efficient and reliable public transport systems in the world, with a wide range of travel options including bus, train, and subway services across the country.