TOP 50 REASONS WHY JAPAN IS AHEAD IN THIS WORLD !!
Apart from bullet trains, there are multiple reasons why Japan is ahead in this world.
+ Japan is known for its rapid development after the United States detonated two atomic bombs over the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki on 6 and 9 August 1945, respectively.
+ Before visiting Japan, I personally felt that, - Okay, Bcoz of their establishment and improvement of new technologies, Japan is well developed country in this world. After arriving here and experiencing Life in Japan, I got many reasons to question and improve my knowledge on this topic😅
+ At first, I thought of making this blog with Top 5 Unique Features and Reasons on this topic. But later As the days goes on, My Experience and Learning goes on as well. Then I realised, there is nothing like Top 5 or Top 10. The way Japanese People live their everyday life itself is so different from the other countries and I just thought of listing the everyday life experiences and it has touched a half-century in the past 6 months. If I have waited for another 6 months of time, the reasons would have crossed even a 100😬
+ Inspite of their rapid development in technology and great infrastructures, People of Japan didn't forget about their culture, tradition and especially Basics of Life, even in this 20th Century.
1. Train Consistent Timing and Delay Slip
+ Japanese trains are some of the most punctual in the world
+ The average delay of Japanese trains is 18 seconds. What makes them so punctual. Drivers are trained in ultra-realistic simulators and drive one train line only.
+ If the train got delayed than the actual time of arrival, there will be a Station Master who usually will be distributing a delay slip to the passengers, which also acts as a proof of evidence for office professionals as well.
+ Even the Train Driver use to announce their apologies in the train on arriving to the station and Station Master use to apologies in a kind manner.
2. Cooling Mist During Summer Season
+ Summer in Japan will be super hot, as the temperature will be touching 38-40 degree Celsius mark, with high humid and almost 0 moisture level.
+ Japan Govt. has installed Instant Cooling Mist (Micro Water Sprinkling Machines) in public places, parks and malls, which reduces the temperature by maintaining a decent moisture in and around the place.
+ People can make use of such spots and keep them moist enough to fight the bright hot sun during peak summers.
3. Trash | Gomi Management
+ Trashes (Gomi | ごみ in Japanese) are managed really well across the country Japan.
+ Japanese people are maintaining different Gomi Bags for Different Types of Trashes.
+ Every Individual Building has their own Gomi Area, which usually have 5 basic types of Trash Bins.
- Burnable Garbage
- Un-Burnable Garbage - Cans, which also has different categories like plastic cans, tin cans, paper cans etc.
- Plastic Garbage
- Food and Drink Recyclables
- Cardboards - which can be availed by other people on-need basis.
+ Even people use to give away some of their working products like microwave, chairs etc and stick a paper over the product, mentioning that the product works well and free for give away.
+ If any of the products are not working, people use to mention the same in the stick paper with their Contact Details and also cut-off the connecting cable for identification of non-working item, so that when the Gomi Management Person arrives, the concern person has to pay some amount for disposal of the non-working item.
4. Second-hand Shopping (Sayonara Sale)
+ In Japan, used products | 2nd hand products are often practically good as new.
+ Japanese used goods are often too good as new bcoz of 3 reasons.
- Japanese People tend to take better care of the items they own.
- People of Japan are too discipline and honest enough, to believe and purchase the 2nd hand products.
- Second-hand shopping in Japan is as good as just a regular shopping as it is better for the planet and easier on my wallet !! 😉
5. Pasmo | Suica Payment For All (bus, train, convenience stores)
Purchasing a pre-paid cards like Pasmo | Suica is very common across Japan.
Some of the features and advantages of using such prepaid cards ;
Time-saver :
+ Practically, standing in queues and getting the travel tickets are slower than the Japanese train interval.
+ Changing train lines to make a connection can be stressful enough, and having to buy a new ticket in between, can be all it takes for you to miss your next train.
Money-saver :
+ Pasmo | Suica cards offer a marginal discount on every journey, from ¥1 to around ¥10 on a trip from Shinjuku to Asakusa, for example (depending on which route you take). It may not be much, but it adds up!
+ Especially, you also don't loose money accidentally, buying the wrong tickets.
Flexibility :
+ Pasmo | Suica cards can used in Public Transports like Buses for transit.
+ During Travel, bcoz you don’t specify a location when boarding a train or bus with a Pasmo | Suica card, you have more flexibility. Like in case, if you change your mind, or see something cool out of the window during your train or bus travel; in Japan, you can hop-off without worrying about having the the right ticket.
Shopping :
Pasmo | Suica smart cards can also be used for vending machines, coin lockers and in plenty of shops (especially convenience stores like 7-Eleven, Family Mart, Lawson), and even in some shopping malls.
Looking cool: Trying to impress? Shrugged off the giant backpack for a night out? Don’t be the one person in your new group of friends who has to go buy a ticket.
Money Management | Budgeting :
+ It’s much easier to know where you are with your money, when you have to top up in larger increments, rather than ¥140 here and ¥200 there.
+ With the support of Apple Pay, sync'ing the Pasmo | Suica smart cards with Apple Wallet, one can easily top-up the cards using Apple Pay in their iPhones and pay through NFC.
Long-term : If you’re staying in Japan for longer term, you can register your Pasmo | Suica cards and use it for a commuter pass, which can be re-assigned to a new card if the original is lost. (Registration can be done retroactively too). Registration also means you are more likely to get it back if lost, as your name will be printed on the front (so people won’t pocket it as quickly).
Bonus : You may have to put down a ¥500 deposit, but you get it back when you return the card, making it free!
6. Convenience Stores :
+ Basically when most of the countries has individual stores for
- Xerox | Printouts - Automated Machines,
- Breakfast-specific Restaurants - Hot and Warm Bakery Items,
- Lunch | Dinner specific Restaurants - Bento,
- Payment of Gas, Water, Electricity at their individual specific office locations (apart from online payment),
- Postal | Courier services at Post Office - Just handover the box with From and To address pasted,
- Coffee | Beverage Shops - Hot and Cold Beverages, Milkshakes,
- Liquor Shops,
- ATMs etc
+ In Japan, all these can be collectively done at stores, which are commonly called as Convenience Stores, which includes 7-Eleven, Family Mart, Lawson etc.
+ Notable, there is no any additional charges for availing their services on Bill Payments, Courier etc
+ One can even make use of automated juicer machines, microwave services. etc.
7. Postal Services - Reschedule Slip
+ Whenever there is a missed courier | post, the postal services person use to drop a reschedule slip, which contains information about the post, their date and time of visit in our absence at the address and reschedule date and time link, which can be used by the individual and reschedule the courier based on their near future (< 72 Hrs).
Japan Post - Reschedule Slip Template
8. Tissue Paper For Free For Advertising
+ Tissue Paper marketing is a type of marketing that attaches advertisements with portable facial tissue papers, as this will be very much useful for people in their every day life and also will move advertising copies directly into consumer's hands.
+ This habit started in late 1960s in Japan, as a replacement for free promotional matchboxes, which were falling out of favour, due to rise of disposable lighters.
+ By the mid-2000s, it was estimated that four billion free packets of tissues were distributed in Japan with sales in the range of ¥75 billion annually.
9. Public Transportation Available Everywhere
Wherever you go in Japan, you can find a way to reach your destination and Tokyo Metro Line is a sample for it !
+ The Tokyo Metro and Toei networks together carry a combined average of over 8 million passengers daily.
+ Subways even have Women-Only Cars available till morning hours 09:00AM and later evening 06:00PM.
+ Despite being ranked second overall in worldwide subway usage (after the Shanghai Metro, China), subways also make up a small fraction of heavy rail rapid transit in Tokyo alone - 286 out of 938 railway stations, as of 2020.
+ The Tokyo subway at 8.7 million daily passengers, represents 22% of Tokyo's 40 million daily rail passengers.
+ Other urban commuter rail systems include ;
10. 24 Hours Super Market
+ Japan, not only makes the accessibility of daily life easy, but also available 24 x 7 x 365, even during the time of Golden Week Period (which is a Chain of Japanese Festival Holidays, usually comes during 1st Week of May Month, Every Year).
+ In every Chome | Area, you may find a minimum of 1 Super Market which will be kept open for 24 x 7 x 365.
11. 100 Yen Shops
+ 100 yen shops are a type of low cost shops, that sell a wide varieties of products for 100 yen + consumption tax (10% of the product cost).
+ You can find almost every household items at a range of 100 - 500 (100 x 1|2|3|4|5) Yen, including some food products, winter accessories etc.
+ Some of the top selling products in Japan's 100 Yen shop at.a discounted price are Japanese Bowls, Plates, Chopsticks, Ladies Cosmetics, Electronic | Mobile Accessories, Stationaries For Students, Accessories for Sofa Bed, Curtains, Kitchen etc.
+ Such 100 Yen shops are widely available across Japan and thus, making its worth very useful for not only residents of Japan, but also for the travellers who can't spend much on basic needs during their visit.
12. Safety :
+ Japan is amongst the safest countries in the world, with an extremely low crime rate, which is something the Japanese are, understandably, quite proud of.
+ Japanese people often leave their doors unlocked even during night time, children are perfectly safe traveling on the subway by themselves, and temporary travellers | visitors are able to walk around the cities at night without having to worry.
+ Japan’s low crime rate is partly due to the cultural belief in Japan, where they always prioritise the common good above their own needs.
+ Japan is so safe, you can fall asleep on the train in Tokyo, the world’s biggest city, and wake up with your wallet and phone still in your pocket.
+ Even on the street, you might see some salaryman passed out after 1 or 2 drinks too many but they won’t be robbed of their valuables.
+ When you do forget something in a restaurant or on the train, always try to go back, it is highly likely that someone kept it for you or brought it to the police!
13. Clean :
+ Even after a typhoon passing over the Tokyo City at night, you can't find a piece of fallen leaves or any kind-off trashes on the public roads | places in the next day morning.
+ Japanese flood management system is also one of the world's best bcoz of their natural support from the type of soil, and considering Japan is an Island.
+ You might be surprised to find out that Japan has a solid cleaning culture. Many road pavements are scrubbed every night using an acid solution which removes all kinds of stains and dirt on the surface.
+ You may be surprised by this, but Tokyo is home to the world’s largest garbage incinerating plant with an impressive daily capacity of 4,000 tons!
+ There is a robust culture of “self-discipline” in Japan, taking the stairs instead of the elevator, standing on the left side of an escalator so that on the right, people shall pass through, not talking in trains and stations or cinemas, etc.
+ Japan is clean with lower level of littering and people use fewer plastic bags than others, leading Japan on top of the cleanest country list.
+ Japanese people will not litter or leave a mess behind after a meal.
+ One of the main reasons Tokyo is so clean is that it has many people who use public transportation instead of personal ones. So this means that they don’t produce as much trash as those individuals who use their cars.
+ Japan has more public bathrooms than any other country in the world. There are almost 10 million toilets available all over the country, which is why they can receive more than 150 million visitors in just one year.
+ In Japan, the students are actually expected to clean their own schools! This is a very unique tradition that exists in Japanese culture.
+ Even in stadiums where baseball and other kind-off sports use to take place, after completion of the sport, visiting people use to stay, clean and collect the garbage produced during the match time. This is not a rule, but comes as a discipline. RESPECT !!
14. No Power-cuts
+ The number of power outages per household in Japan does not even reach one time per year, with this low level of power outages being rather outstanding when compared to that of other countries.
+ Japan has a maximum electric power usage of approximately 160 million kW.
+ Japan relied on oil imports to meet about 84 percent of its energy needs in 2010. Japan was also the first coal importer in 2010, with 187 Mt (about 20% of total world coal import), and the first natural gas importer with 99 bcm (12.1% of world total gas import).
+ As of 2019, 88% of Japan's power was produced by fossil fuels. On 22 October 2021, Japan declared its intention to reduce carbon emissions to 50% of that in 2013 by 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.
+ Japan produced 1004.8 TWh of electricity in 2021, close to 4% of the electricity generated in the world and 8% of that in Asia-Pacific (3rd largest behind China and India). Japan consumed 17.03 EJ, 3% of the world's consumption and 7% of Asia-Pacific's consumption (3rd largest behind China and India).
+ Japan ranked as the world's largest importer of liquefied natural gas.
+ As of 2019, a third of the electricity in Japan was generated from coal and is the third-largest importer of coal behind China and India in 2019.
+ While Japan had previously relied on nuclear power to meet about 30% of its electricity needs, after the 2011 Fukushima Daichi nuclear disaster due to earthquake, all nuclear reactors were progressively shut down for safety concerns.
+ As of January 2022 there are 33 operable nuclear reactors in Japan, of which 10 reactors are currently operating.
15. Onsen & Sento
+ When asked about their favourite thing in Japan, many people will (including me) answer onsen.
+ Taking an onsen, a hot spring filled with mineral-rich spring water heated by geothermal forces that contains several minerals beneficial to the body, is a must-try activity for tourists as it is completely different from taking a bath in other countries around the world.
+ It is also a big part of the Japanese culture and the ultimate activity to relax after a day filled with discovering the nature and culture of Japan.
+ There are several written and unwritten rules to respect, when taking an onsen, a ritual that dates back to at least the 8th century.
+ Famous onsen destinations are Kusatsu Onsen, Hakone Onsen and Beppu Onsen.
+ Sento are communal bath houses where people pay for their entrance.
+ Today, the number of sento is decreasing as the number of houses with bathing facilities is increasing.
16. Japanese Political Campaign
+ No Unexpected Traffic Bcoz of Political Parties - Politics in Japan are much more in disciplined manner that you can't fine ay politician blocking the roads or causing any kind-off disturbances to the public people.
+ One can't find any political banners | stickers in public places.
+ Even during election time, the particular party leader who is standing in that circle will stand alone with 5-10 supporters, distributing some of their advertising papers asking for support and that's it.
+ Even top Govt. Officials use to travel in public transport and surprisingly people won't be disturbing them as well, minding their own business and not requesting for selfies etc. They are just another co-passenger.
17. Children Support From Japanese Govt.
+ Japanese Government supports children not only born in Japan, but also children of Non-Residents in multiple ways.
+ Japan Govt. takes care of all the medical expenses of the children residing in Japan upto age 13.
+ Japan Govt. also takes care of all the education expenses of the children residing in Japan and pursuing in Japanese Schools.
+ Even during 1st wave of COVID, Japan Govt. supported the people of Japan (including Non-Residents), financially with 1 Lakh Yen for every individual.
18. Govt. Office of Japan
+ The staff's behaviour at Japanese Govt. offices were found to be much obedient and they treat the visitors really well.
+ Every Govt. Offices have some support to guide the visitors, even in English Language.
+ I personally had a great experience at the ward office during my residence card related process and the support I received is literally equal to a paid support at a 5-Star Hotel.
19. Japanese Meal Time
+ While there are no strict meal times in Japan, most Japanese people will consume their
- Breakfast : 06:00-07:00
- Lunch : 11:00-12:00
- Dinner : 18:00-19:00
+ Japanese usually have at least 1 salad in every meal, making their meal protein-rich and healthier.
20. Wash-let | Bidet Toilet System
+ Japanese Toilets have a vast variety of functionalities, that aim to make your trips a little bit easier.
+ The Japanese toilet has water and air drying setting that can be adjusted to suit the user’s preferred temperatures.
+ Temperature preferences can be saved ready for your next visit to the bathroom.
+ For those of you who are unsure about the Japanese toilet functionalities, here are some of the toilets main features :
- Spray wash - The spray wash function makes sure you feel clean after going to the toilet.
- Air drying - After the spray wash has completed the Toilet will then move onto the air dryer function. Again, the air dryer allows you to choose the perfect temperature.
- Stop operation - The stop operation function comes in handy for those days when you’re in a rush. You can use the stop operation button to stop the washing and air-drying functions, by tapping the stop button.
- Deodorising - The deodoriser will make sure your toilet and bathroom is always smelling fresh. The deodoriser will release a beautiful fragrance for 1 minute after use – giving you a toilet that’s always guest ready.
- Self clean - Japanese Toilets have automated cleaning assistance. If the toilet is not used for more than 72 hours, the tank will clean itself.
- Night light - You can use the Japanese Toilet night light to guide you in the dark night time. This is a great way to spare your eyes, rather than burning your retina by turning on your main light, use the night light functionality. Not only does this look pretty special once lit up, but the night light will adjust its light/darkness levels depending on its environment.
- Energy saving - The Japanese Toilet wouldn’t be complete without an energy-saving aspect. When not in use, you can keep your smart toilet on standby.
21. Vending Machines
+ One of the things that undoubtedly attracts the attention of foreigners the first time they arrive in Japan, is the large number of vending machines everywhere.
+ Japan, the country with more than 6 million vending machines (which more than 3 million are vending machines for selling drinks), i. e for every 20 people in Japan, there is 1 Vending Machine.
+ I also remember very well my surprise the first time I went on a trip to Mt Mitake and I climbed up to the highest point of Mt Mitake, there inside the Musashi Mitake Shrine, I found a vending machine. After that, I got used to seeing vending machines everywhere out there (hiking in the mountains, and in almost uninhabited areas, etc).
+ Another thing I discovered once winter arrived is that the vending machines here also sell hot drinks. Not only coffee, but also soups, which can also be drunk hot in winter!
+ I would say that after drinks, the second most sold thing through vending machine is FOOD, especially ice cream or snacks, frozen ramen and even fruit vending machines which sells bananas, sachets of pineapple or chopped apples.
+ And of course, we should not forget the tobacco vending machines. Yes! In Japan, the percentage of smokers is very high. Therefore it’s also very common to see this type of machines.
+ It isn’t new that in Japan, working hours are very long. Many people tend to rush to work with almost no time to stop. At peak hours (office entrance or noon break, etc) the convenience stores usually have quite a long queue of people waiting, and some workers don’t have that time. So it’s much easier and faster to just stop for a second at a beverage machine and buy your coffee or snack and resume your work.
+ Some office buildings even have a vending machine at the entrance of the building, at their lunch area, which makes it perfect for those workers who are running short on time.
+ In the last couple of year, Japanese people have quickly switched to electronic payments, such as Pay Pay, LINE Pay or Rakuten Pay, and vending machine manufacturers have also adapted and incorporated these new payment methods in some of their machines. This makes shopping at one of these machines even easier and more tempting, as one only need to bring your mobile phone or Suica card or Parmo card close to the machine for NFC scanning.
+ Usually next to the vending machines, there’s a container | gomi boxes for trash cans and bottles.
22. Umbrella Culture in Japan
+ Thankfully, many stores and restaurants are showing more umbrella tolerance by generously allowing them inside, if accompanied by an owner, and providing that they are fitted with easy-to-apply umbrella condoms, to avoid rainwater dripping all over the show. Simply slide your umbrella into the dispenser and you’re ready to enter(!!). The dispensed long, slender plastic sheath will catch all the drops and ensure almost all unwanted accidents.
+ Large public buildings and office blocks may have a V-shaped shake and spin-dry pad. Simply insert a folded umbrella and shake it hitting both the sides of the V board, allowing centrifugal force to splash rain into the water catcher. Job done!
+ For repetitive tasks such as serving in restaurants, hotel receptionist etc, Japanese Robots does the job perfectly and yes, attains cost-effectiveness as well.
+ Tokyo's Robot Restaurant, located in the Kabukicho area of Shinjuku, attracts over 200,000 guests annually, with most of them being non-Japanese guests from English-speaking countries.
+ Henn na Hotel is a robot-staffed hotel in Tokyo, that gives you a taste of Japan's cutting-edge robot technology. After opening in 2016, Henn na Hotel was registered in the Guinness Book of World Records as The first robot-staffed hotel.
+ At the reception counter, you can find two human-like robots.
+ Currently there are 12 Henn na Hotels throughout Japan (as of January 2019). In Tokyo, you can find Henn na Hotel at Nishi-Kasai, Ginza, Hamamatsucho, Akasaka, Asakusabashi and Haneda. Henn na Hotel Ginza locates near Tsukiji Market and Kabukiza Theater, and is great for those planning to visit the two places.
+ These receptionist robots are multilingual, and can guide guests in Japanese, English, Chinese and Korean. They will check you in and out.
+ Throughout your stay, you can find other robots such as a window-cleaning robot, air purifying robot and more.
24. Capsule Hotels
+ A Capsule Hotel is ultimately a convenient way to get a good night’s sleep at an affordable price.
+ Capsule Hotels can now be found around the world, from the US to Singapore and Vietnam, but they originated here in Japan.
+ A capsule hotel, also known as a pod hotel, is a unique type of basic, affordable accommodation.
+ Each guest occupies a capsule, essentially a bed-sized pod, that you can close either with a door or a curtain (the door will not lock, as per Japanese law).
+ These capsules are arranged in rows, double-stacked.
+ It is typical, but not guaranteed, that your capsule will have an air-conditioning unit as well as power outlets for charging your devices. Belongings are usually stored in a locker provided by the hotel.
+ Common Bath | Wash Rooms with Body Wash, Tooth Brush, paste, towels will be provided.
+ The first capsule hotel opened in Osaka in 1979. Today you find them all across Japan and beyond.
25. Manholes Cover Art
+ Japan is a country full of amazing art. Some of it is housed within museums and galleries while others are right underneath our feet.
+ It has been 43 years since Designed Manholes | Manhole Covers came to Japan.
+ Originally, these manhole covers had geometric patterns. But in 1978, these covers featured fish pictorial designs and were embedded on the roads of Okinawa for the first time. Adorned with tourist spots, these covers gradually increased and were featured in municipalities as the pride of its people.
+ There are 15 million manhole covers embedded on the roads throughout the country, with over 12,000 variations as of August 2017. Manhole covers last for around 30 years, and 100 thousand covers are replaced every year.
+ Some of the manholes aren't only be designed, but also contains the route map for near-by attractions.
26. Blind People Support
+ A yellow stripe runs down the middle of all the platforms in Japan.
+ Slightly elevated from the surrounding surfaces, the line of yellow tiles marks a safe path for blind and visually impaired pedestrians walking the streets.
+ Straight bars in the tiles tell when you are walking in a clear area with no obstructions and where forward motion should be safe.
+ Beaded surfaces warns for an intersection, obstruction, door, steps or train platform edge, for example.
+ While the yellow colour is helpful for the partially-blind, other colours are sometimes substituted for aesthetic reasons, such as near the entrances of fashionable hotels etc. In these cases the tiles may be metallic in colour to provide the needed contrast for the blind.
+ Other countries including Korea, England, Singapore, Sweden and Norway have also started to use such implementations to help the visually-impaired.
+ In addition to the tactile tiles, Japan uses music at intersections and braille signage, to help the blind and partially-blind more safety travel independently.
+ Even Trains in Japan has Blind people language embedded at every doors to make the visually challenged understand where | in which compartment | car they are !!
+ The Braille Mainichi, a weekly newspaper in braille that was first published in 1922, marked its 100th anniversary on May 11, 2022, which is said to be Japan's only newspaper for the blind and World's first as well.
27. Students Cleaning Their Schools
+ In Japan, this practice where students clean schools is called OSOUJI JIKAN [お掃除時間] which literally means cleaning time.
+ During the 1st year of school, students eat their meals in the classroom and clean them together.
+ This tradition of teaching students to clean schools is so common that Japanese people find it strange to find that in schools in the West, students do not clean.
+ At school, the student does not only study the subjects, but also learns to take care of what is public and to be a more conscious citizen!
+ Students are usually organised into groups and rotations so that everyone can do different tasks and no one is left with the same task. In high school, students are often assigned to take care of a particular part of the school.
+ They clean practically everything at school, take care of the room, bathrooms, swimming pool, sports court, etc. In addition, they take care of the garden, crops and pets that exist in schools. Students support schools in Japan!
+ Three times a year students organise to clean up the neighbourhood called the chiiki seiso, where the students go out, sweep and pick up the garbage in the neighbourhood and around the school.
+ The class is divided into han (small groups), where each one is responsible for cleaning a certain area.
+ Every semester there is a general cleaning called osoji (big cleaning). The whole school got together to carry out a general cleaning to the accompaniment of a song.
+ Even older students are sometimes asked to help children clean the room.
+ Sometimes only a group of school students is responsible for cleaning the entire bathroom.
+ Parents are invited to participate with their children in events such as cleaning the surroundings of the school, especially before high school. Teachers have always been supportive on most of these occasions.
+ From an early age, children are educated to clean. This is something so normal and beneficial that even wealthy families in Japan, do not pay maids.
28. Food Advertising will match the Reality
+ Restaurants in Japan strictly follow the rule of honesty that the Food Advertising will actually be the product you receive.
+ It is against the law and there are many case files even in popular restaurants like McD etc for selling the product which is not meeting their actual advertisements.
29. Car / Bike Rentals Available Everywhere
+ Taking a Japanese Driving Licence is difficult here as the individual has to pass both written and practical test, which is strictly followed with hard rules and regulations for the safety of people travelling on roads and over the streets (pedestrians).
+ But once getting the Driving License in Japan, one can make use of widely available Car Rentals across the country.
+ Every Chome | Area has a minimum of 2-3 Car | Bike Rental services and avail the vehicle, which eventually reduces the purchase and use Individual Vehicle at every house.
+ Japan has High Parking Fees and high Insurance Fees, which will also help the country to safeguard the environment with less pollution.
+ One can use the Rental Services and on frequent usage/avail of services, there might be some discounts offered to the individuals as well, which also urges people in Japan for not even thinking about purchasing a individual vehicle and make use of such widely available Car | Bike Rental Services across the country.
30. Walking With Your Dog
+ In Japan, it is the owner’s responsibility to dispose their dogs poop.
+ When going for a walk, People of Japan use to carry a bag to put the poop in.
+ Japan is famous for its cleanliness, so if People of Japan won't leave their dog’s poop un-attended every time they go for a walk, as they could be in big trouble.
+ Also, if a dog pees, they'll be sure to flush it out with the water they brought with them.
+ For those who are interested in owning a dog in Japan, here are some popular dog breeds in Japan
- Toy Poodle
- Chihuahua
- Mixed breed dog
- Shiba Inu
- Miniature Dachshund
- Pomeranian
- Miniature Schnauzer
- French Bulldog
- Yorkshire Terrier
- Shih Tzu
31. Japan Signals Rules
- Drivers and cyclists must keep to the left, while pedestrians should keep to the right side of the road.
- Drivers must yield to pedestrians.
- You must not drive under the influence of alcohol.
- You must not exceed the allowed number of passengers or load.
- While driving a vehicle, you must not use a cell phone or be distracted by the car navigation system.
- When you drive a vehicle, you must wear a seatbelt. All passengers in the vehicle must also wear seat belts.
- When you drive with an infant younger than six years old, you must place the infant securely in a child seat.
- Maximum speed limits for vehicles are shown on traffic signs and road markings. You must drive safely within the specified speed limits. When there are no signs or markings indicating the speed limit, drivers of regular-sized automobiles must obey the speed limits of 60 km/h on ordinary roads, and 100 km/h on expressways.
- Some areas have no service stations for long stretches. Refuel in advance.
- Last but not the least, when there is a road crossing / a junction without a signal system, pedestrians has the 1st priority, while the cyclists are the 2nd. Therefore, people travelling in their vehicle have to watch-out closely in every direction and move forward with their vehicle. Even fines for any accidents or even an attempt, are huge in this country. One have to take care of the victim for his complete recovery including his hospital bills and also provide some lakhs and lakhs of amount for near future support as well.
32. Free Wi-Fi Everywhere
+ Wherever you go in Japan, you can find Free Wi-Fi Network provided by almost all restaurants, stores, malls, buses, trains, and stations.
+ Therefore, people no need to worry for their communication | network, when they're out of their home.
+ Even you can find every network service providers have their FREE WI-FI HOTSPOT provided in many lively areas and once can find and make use of it by just downloading the Japan Wi-Fi Mobile App from iOS App Store or Google Play Store.
33. Train | Bus Drivers Job is not only driving the Vehicle
+ Train | Bus Drivers Job is not only driving the Vehicle. Usually, the Metro pilot will announce through the mike (where each compartment has multiple speakers connected with), when there is a need of sudden break in the mid of travel or rapid start, after a pause in the mid of travel.
+ Bus Drivers use to walk down the bus, help the differently abled person with the wheelchair, along with a bridge board, which acts as a bridge between platform and the bus, help the person get-in the bus, scan and get their ticket, and resume driving.
34. Do It In Right Way
+ Japan is a brand. The branding is not from not having or allowing any kind-off illicit activities, but allowing them in a right, controlled way.
+ Whenever a guy purchases any kind-off alcohol, cigarette from any combini, the cashier always will be asking for identity card of the person if he feels doubtful on his age based on his appearance. i.e; Only 18+ years of age people is allowed to take such illicit substances.
+ Japan has more public toilets than any other country in the world. There are almost 10 million toilets available all over the country.
+ Every Malls and Stations will surely be accompanied with baby room as well.
+ Japan also has Transparent Toilets in multiple places in and around major cities like Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto etc.
35. Japan's Push Button Signal Swap Technology
+ From 18:00 - 06:00 everyday, some of the signals (except the major signals) in Japan use to stay longer duration for vehicles to pass through.
+ During this time, if a pedestrian feels like he/she is standing and waiting for the pedestrian signal for long time, then they can make use of the switch button, which on pressing will scan for any vehicle movement for 100meters on the road and changes the signal green for the pedestrian to cross the road.
+ Such findings will be detected with the help of sensors with IoT (Internet of Things) Technology.
36. ETC Toll - Fastest, Automatic And Efficient
+ The ETC (Electronic Toll Collection) system is fast, automatic, and ideal for those taking frequent toll road journeys in Japan.
+ Cars that are equipped with an ETC device and registered ETC card can head toward the purple signs with ETC written on them and pass through quickly and easily.
+ Drivers can approach the toll at a max of 60km/h which scans the ETC card over the frond windshield of the car.
37. Neighbour Notification on Baby Birth
+ People of Japan are so calm and composed. In Japan, people use to share sweets | chocolates to neighbour houses for making them noticing that that recently got blessed with a new born baby.
+ This act is not only for celebrating the occasion, but also for notifying the neighbours that for next few months of time, there will be some unexpected noise and please understand the same.
38. Earthquake Resistance of Buildings in Japan
+ To make all structures as earthquake-resistant as possible, the Building Standard Act has been strictly reviewed, to ensure that buildings can withstand earthquakes every time the country experiences it.
+ Earthquake-resistance strength is strictly demanded for all buildings, and you cannot obtain building permission unless you can meet a strict requirement of the earthquake-resistance standards stipulated by law.
+ For that reason, compared to other countries and being the world's most earthquake prone country, the collapse ratio of buildings due to a powerful earthquake is said to be extremely low in Japan.
39. Automatic Lights In Public
+ Anything in Japan, Japanese always use to save and utilise it conveniently. Whether it is space in house, time, or anything.
+ Likewise; streetlights, lights in toilets etc will turn-off automatically when no of is using. Such findings will be detected with the help of sensors with IoT (Internet of Things) Technology.
40. Baby Strollers Accessibility
+ Japan has accessibility for Baby Strollers almost everywhere, which can be taken to anywhere like underground train stations, upper deck / over the bridge stations, airports, buildings, malls etc.
+ Every buildings has either a lift elevator or a sliding floor parallel to the steps for trollers accessibility, making the parents job easier in handling and managing their children with their strollers.
41. Highway Maintenance Workers
+ When there is a repair work to be done like street lamp replacement, sign boards replacement or other kind-off highway related repair works etc, the primary vehicle with the human resource, ladders and other equipments will be paused at the specific area of location, sandwiched between 2 supporting mini-trucks at a distance of 20 meters from the primary vehicle in front and back resp.
+ These 2 supporting vehicles will firstly light a cracker type-off flashing light, which burns with red-yellow mini-fire during night time and blue-green in day time, and throw | keep at the corners (20m front and back from the repairing area).
+ This will indicate other passing vehicles that there is some repair work going on and eventually have to slow-down and look carefully while passing the specific area with reduction in driving speed.
42. Automated Vehicle Parking System
+ Many Japanese people own automobiles. An automated multilevel parking garage accommodates parking for many cars even in limited space, and many of these facilities have been established to secure parking.
+ Automated multi-story parking facilities, which have machines | robots automatically carrying cars to parking spaces based on availability, are quite a common sight in Japan.
+ In other countries, this type of parking system seems to be rare. People around the world are opening their eyes to the automated parking technology in Japan.
+ In Japan, these automated parking facilities entered practical use in 1960. It was four years before the Olympic Games were held in Tokyo in 1964, people enjoyed wealthy lives and leisure was booming. More people were using cars and, consequently, roads experienced major traffic jams. The incidents of illegal on-street parking also increased sharply at the time. So, the number of automated facilities grew as a parking solution for cars in a country where land is scarce.
43. Driverless Mono Trains
+ The World’s First Automated Driverless Railway Opened in Kobe, Osaka, Japan in 1981
+ In Japan, where the railway network covers the whole country, automated driverless railways have become an everyday life experience for regular office going public.
+ For example, 4 year ago, a self-driving railway vehicle was tested on the Yamanote Line which connects major stations in Tokyo such as Tokyo Station, Shibuya Station, and Shinjuku Station, and drew much attention.
+ Currently, there are several lines other than the Port Liner which have un-manned automated driving.
- Osaka Metro’s New Tram,
- The Yurikamome - which runs along Tokyo’s waterfront area,
- The Nippori-Toneri Line - which is operated by Tokyo Metropolis,
- The Seaside Line - which runs in the southern part of Yokohama City, and
- The Disney Resort Line - which links the facilities at Tokyo Disney Resort.
+ It might seem that automated driving is more easily achieved along a railway track than it is with a car. However, because of presence of railway crossings, and people or objects are liable to enter onto the tracks, automated controls to avoid danger are difficult. Moreover, on lines such as the Yamanote Line a higher level of safety is required.
+ Among the JR Group, An Unmanned Automated Driving System that Runs at 500 km/h - The Chuo Shinkansen of Central Japan Railway Company (JR Central) which is scheduled to open in 2027, which will be the world’s fastest railway with an unmanned automated driving system.
44. Vending Machine Robot
+ In Japan, even though one can find at least one vending machine on every side they look, there are also vending machine robots which sells KFC Dishes (Asakusa), Coca-Cola (Shibuya) etc., which are managed by the individual companies.
45. Shaped Fruits
+ These square watermelons, pentagon oranges in Japan are grown in boxes to shape them while on the vine for convenient stacking, shipping, and refrigerator storage.
46. Bus Drivers Strike
+ Bus Drivers in Japan when on strike, continuing to drive their routes | bus, while refusing to take fares from passengers. So keeping Japan on time, but costing the bus companies gas on top of lost revenue.
47. Koi Fish Swim In Drainage Channels of Japan
+ Colourful Koi Fish swim through the streets drainage canals in some of the Japanese Cities.
+ In the city of Shimabara on Japan’s Kyushu island, the street’s gutters are so clean that they are home for 100's of koi carp.
48. Airport Luggage Sorting
+ Airport Staffs sort the luggages of passengers who arrive to Japan based on colour and size, so that it'll be easy and time saving for them to find and pick-up their owned one.
49. Elevator Seat To A Toilet Seat
+ Japan has about 620,000 elevators in public or commercial buildings, about 20% of which are in Tokyo.
+ It also sits at the junction of four tectonic plates and is regularly hit by powerful earthquakes.
+ The government estimates that the next big one – a huge quake is almost certain to hit the capital over the coming decades (2019 - 2029) – may leave up to 17,000 people stranded in elevators.
+ Therefore, after the 2019 earthquake and leaning from that, Japan Govt made a rule to turn | support the elevators seat into a toilet.
+ The seat box also contains a warm bag, tissue paper, drinking water bottle etc as additional accessories.
50. Umbrella, Can Holders Everywhere
+ As you may know, Japan use to witness rains almost everyday.
+ Even during peak summer, there may be a sign of rain for every 3-4 days.
+ Therefore, umbrellas are a must-to-carry item in every office goers bag.
+ Therefore, you may find umbrella holder for assistance support almost everywhere in toilets, ATM Machines, Billing Place etc.
+ Similarly, one can also find a bottle | can holder for support.
Apart from these, I've came across some of additional unique things in Japan, which are..
51. Crystal Cola
+ As Japanese People use to prefer drinking colourless drinks, even top brands like coca-cola have changed their business strategies and adopted in such a way by started selling colourless cola.
+ Even many other popular mock-tail brands have introduced colourless drinks in Japan.
52. Relaxation Drink
+ While other parts of the world have just started selling or even just have introduced about the Energy Drink like Red Bull, Monster Drink etc., Japan, a way ahead, is proving once again by selling Relaxation Drink, The Opposite of an Energy Drink.
53. Japanese Bubble Gums
+ The Gum I bought in Japan comes with a stack of paper, for easy disposal.
54. Famous Sink Hole Repair
+ The sinkhole, which was caused by nearby underground construction, and was 98 feet wide and 49 feet deep, opened at 05:00AM in Nov 2016.
+ Although it caused power outages in the area, no one was injured.
+ A team of construction workers not only filled the sinkhole and repaved the street in record time, but also repaired a sewage pipe and replaced utility poles and traffic lights.
55. Tree Relocation
+ Tree in Japan being relocated to make way for a new road.
CONCLUSION :
+ Having such unique features in both science and technology, Japan stands tall in the list of developed countries.
+ But to be the tallest is something to achieve and Japan is way ahead among other countries not just bcoz of leading in research of science and technology, but bcoz of following life basics by the People of Japan.
+ People following life rules, staying down to earth, following queues, their 100% discipline, treating a public place as their home in maintaining the cleanliness, treating | helping the common people like their families and friends, no public nuisance, mobile phones in silent always, no smoking or harassments in public places, following age restrictions strictly, greeting the passing people with Konnichiwa, Arigato, Sumimasen etc. etc. made the country, Japan, a way ahead in this world !!
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