One thing about Japanese is that they are very hospitable, even to strangers. Where we turn a blind eye whenever we see tourists, Japanese are all out to help. Like when I first got to Tokyo, I was wandering around in the subway trying to find where to go, when a kind soul approached me and asked if I needed help. When I told her I needed to go to the Haneda Airport, she immediately brought me to the appropriate platform and told me when the train will arrive. It is really nice of her, although there are displays showing the train arrival and destination, so I can read on my own. Nevertheless, I really appreciated her help.
Then when we were in Hakodate, the cab driver who drove us back to the hotel, made a detour and let us down at the river side. He said it was a complementary service for us tourists. He asked us to pose at the river side where the big Christmas tree was at the background, and took photos for us. In halting English, he told us he is an amateur photographer and even showed us his compilation of photos he took around Japan. He also gave us a photo he took at the top of Mount Hakodate! He was so nice that we took a photo with him!
In Hokkaido, most of the people cannot really speak English. So when we were trying to order food and they had no way of explaining to us, they took out a real sample. For instance, there was a dish that consists of scallop, so the waitress took out a scallop for us. And there was a dish that consists of a certain fish, so she took out the entire fish to show us! In Sapporo, I was trying on a dress that cost 6030 Yen, and I tried bargaining for a discount. I asked the sales assistant if she could cut the price, but I forgot who I was talking to. She thought I meant literally cut the price tag, so she took out a scissors intending to cut away the price tag!
In every restaurant we went to, we were always treated with the utmost courtesy. They bowed when we sat down, bowed when we got out. Even when we went into the hotel, those who took the same lift as us would bow when they got out of the lift! In Niseko on New Year's Eve, we had dinner at a cosy restaurant before going to watch the fireworks. The waiter in the restaurant told us the timing of the bus was at nine in the evening. However the bus was delayed. He specially ran out of the restaurant in the cold without any coat and told us that the bus could be delayed as it was New Year's Eve! Wow, talk about customer service!
The bus came at that moment, so we got on the bus, but the waiter stood outside the restaurant and watched until the bus went off. Imagine how cold he must have felt! We gave him a big wave as the bus went off! Why do people here not go this kind of extra mile? When I was in Sapporo, I was lugging my luggages at the train station trying to go up the platform when an old man called me and told me that there was an escalator at the other side. He must have seen how I was struggling with the luggages! So I thanked him and found the escalator before going up.
When I was finding my way to the Imperial Palace, I stopped by a police box to confirm the directions. He had no idea what I was talking about, but he tried his best to help me by calling an English-speaking officer and translating for him what I wanted. So he confirmed that the directions were right so I thanked him and went on my way. When I met my friend in Yokohama, I was only expecting to see just her and her son, but her whole family (parents) came along. She even bought something for me and treated me for lunch! Her parents even bade me farewell and wished me a good flight!
Talk about hospitality! It is in their culture to be polite and nice to others! And they did it with a sincere heart, not because they were obligated but because they were really willing to do it. Japanese has a good national education on conservation and cleanliness. Finding a trash bin in Japan is even harder than finding a restroom (and there are already not that many restrooms even in public areas!), yet the place is generally clean and tidy. People keep trash until they find a trash bin or else they take home to throw. No one litters on the streets.
Even for recycling. I see children throwing paper, bottles and cans into the appropriate sections of the bins, instead of just throwing anywhere. If it is our local kids, they will throw their trash just anywhere! In Niseko, I saw people finishing their bottled drinks, and then going into the welcome centre just to throw the bottles into the recycling bin there, instead of the normal trash bin outside. They have no qualms doing this, as if it is part of their lives! We really should take a leaf out of their books!
However, Japan is a country full of rules. They do not bend the rules. For instance, in the train back to Tokyo, there were quite a number of empty seats, perhaps due to people who miss the train or whatever reason. Yet, because my ticket is not for a reserved seat, I was not allowed to sit down. The conductor does not care whether the seat is empty, as long as the ticket is not the valid one, I was not allowed to sit at the place. For us, as long as there is an empty seat, why not? But for them, they do not think the same way. So the seat can be empty all throughout the journey with many people standing in the corridor, but still no one can sit there if they do not have the appropriate ticket.
Furthermore, when I reached Narita Airport to check in, I was there one hour before the check in time, but was stuck in the queue for a long time because the self-service check in counter went down. Whatever counter staff available had to try to rectify the self-service check in machine, and did everything manually, so it took a very long time. I was in the queue for about an hour, when suddenly the announcement came that it was last call for me! I panicked, and was ushered to the late check-in counter.
I was steaming mad when I went there because I had already been queuing for so long, and now I was late! Worse was when I went to the late check in counter, both my luggages exceeded! The rule was that each piece of luggage could not exceed twenty kg, so my luggage was eighteen and hand carry overnight bag was four, making both twenty-two kg altogether. However, they said I exceeded so had to either check in one or else incur a penalty of 7000 Yen!
Can you believe it? I tried justifying that per luggage did not exceed, but they said luggage cannot exceed. When I tried to explain further, they conveniently said they could not understand my English! How convenient! In the end, I had to check in just my cabin bag and took my hand carry overnight bag onto the plane. How rigid! Other than that, I am rather impressed with the Japanese culture per se. I really do not mind going back there again!
Then when we were in Hakodate, the cab driver who drove us back to the hotel, made a detour and let us down at the river side. He said it was a complementary service for us tourists. He asked us to pose at the river side where the big Christmas tree was at the background, and took photos for us. In halting English, he told us he is an amateur photographer and even showed us his compilation of photos he took around Japan. He also gave us a photo he took at the top of Mount Hakodate! He was so nice that we took a photo with him!
In Hokkaido, most of the people cannot really speak English. So when we were trying to order food and they had no way of explaining to us, they took out a real sample. For instance, there was a dish that consists of scallop, so the waitress took out a scallop for us. And there was a dish that consists of a certain fish, so she took out the entire fish to show us! In Sapporo, I was trying on a dress that cost 6030 Yen, and I tried bargaining for a discount. I asked the sales assistant if she could cut the price, but I forgot who I was talking to. She thought I meant literally cut the price tag, so she took out a scissors intending to cut away the price tag!
In every restaurant we went to, we were always treated with the utmost courtesy. They bowed when we sat down, bowed when we got out. Even when we went into the hotel, those who took the same lift as us would bow when they got out of the lift! In Niseko on New Year's Eve, we had dinner at a cosy restaurant before going to watch the fireworks. The waiter in the restaurant told us the timing of the bus was at nine in the evening. However the bus was delayed. He specially ran out of the restaurant in the cold without any coat and told us that the bus could be delayed as it was New Year's Eve! Wow, talk about customer service!
The bus came at that moment, so we got on the bus, but the waiter stood outside the restaurant and watched until the bus went off. Imagine how cold he must have felt! We gave him a big wave as the bus went off! Why do people here not go this kind of extra mile? When I was in Sapporo, I was lugging my luggages at the train station trying to go up the platform when an old man called me and told me that there was an escalator at the other side. He must have seen how I was struggling with the luggages! So I thanked him and found the escalator before going up.
When I was finding my way to the Imperial Palace, I stopped by a police box to confirm the directions. He had no idea what I was talking about, but he tried his best to help me by calling an English-speaking officer and translating for him what I wanted. So he confirmed that the directions were right so I thanked him and went on my way. When I met my friend in Yokohama, I was only expecting to see just her and her son, but her whole family (parents) came along. She even bought something for me and treated me for lunch! Her parents even bade me farewell and wished me a good flight!
Talk about hospitality! It is in their culture to be polite and nice to others! And they did it with a sincere heart, not because they were obligated but because they were really willing to do it. Japanese has a good national education on conservation and cleanliness. Finding a trash bin in Japan is even harder than finding a restroom (and there are already not that many restrooms even in public areas!), yet the place is generally clean and tidy. People keep trash until they find a trash bin or else they take home to throw. No one litters on the streets.
Even for recycling. I see children throwing paper, bottles and cans into the appropriate sections of the bins, instead of just throwing anywhere. If it is our local kids, they will throw their trash just anywhere! In Niseko, I saw people finishing their bottled drinks, and then going into the welcome centre just to throw the bottles into the recycling bin there, instead of the normal trash bin outside. They have no qualms doing this, as if it is part of their lives! We really should take a leaf out of their books!
However, Japan is a country full of rules. They do not bend the rules. For instance, in the train back to Tokyo, there were quite a number of empty seats, perhaps due to people who miss the train or whatever reason. Yet, because my ticket is not for a reserved seat, I was not allowed to sit down. The conductor does not care whether the seat is empty, as long as the ticket is not the valid one, I was not allowed to sit at the place. For us, as long as there is an empty seat, why not? But for them, they do not think the same way. So the seat can be empty all throughout the journey with many people standing in the corridor, but still no one can sit there if they do not have the appropriate ticket.
Furthermore, when I reached Narita Airport to check in, I was there one hour before the check in time, but was stuck in the queue for a long time because the self-service check in counter went down. Whatever counter staff available had to try to rectify the self-service check in machine, and did everything manually, so it took a very long time. I was in the queue for about an hour, when suddenly the announcement came that it was last call for me! I panicked, and was ushered to the late check-in counter.
I was steaming mad when I went there because I had already been queuing for so long, and now I was late! Worse was when I went to the late check in counter, both my luggages exceeded! The rule was that each piece of luggage could not exceed twenty kg, so my luggage was eighteen and hand carry overnight bag was four, making both twenty-two kg altogether. However, they said I exceeded so had to either check in one or else incur a penalty of 7000 Yen!
Can you believe it? I tried justifying that per luggage did not exceed, but they said luggage cannot exceed. When I tried to explain further, they conveniently said they could not understand my English! How convenient! In the end, I had to check in just my cabin bag and took my hand carry overnight bag onto the plane. How rigid! Other than that, I am rather impressed with the Japanese culture per se. I really do not mind going back there again!
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