Differences (Japan August 14th 2008)

Sorry this should have been loaded on 14th of August but I obviously started it and didn't finish and I've just found it so thought I'd put it up anyway. sorry about the lack of photos but they're all on a disk somewhere packed away so I'll have to add them later.

Some differences we noted between Japan and China during our travels last summer:

- on the buses most of the passengers were older women and generally
- they were small, neatly and smartly dressed, wearing quite a bit of make up and often with a gash of red lipstick in white pale faces. (Rarely see that in China)
- Younger women, especially the school girls, tended to be hefty. Big faces, big legs, big bodies, well covered and tall. Unlike their Chinese counterparts who tend to be smaller and slimmer.
- We saw many women smoking in Japan even in public and on the street too. Definitely you never see that in China where women appear very concerned about health.
- Men of course smoke a lot and I felt there was more smoking in Japan.
- Less English signage in Japan and
- fewer Western models in the advertisements but
- many many ads all over everything and to me they looked messy as not a space was left unfilled - so much information
- Longer lanterns rather than the ball shaped ones in China and
- mostly women's bikes parked everywhere. It was strange as we saw them parked but rarely saw people riding them. These bikes are called 'Mama' bikes and are ridden by men,as well as women, who may be wearing a Yakata or their business uniform (dark dress pants and a light or white shirt). They dislike getting their clothes 'disordered' so use these ladies bikes to ride to the train or bus station or to work. If they ride a man's bike with the crossbar then they tend to wear a cycling outfit too including a helmet, cycling gloves, cycling pants etc. They really look the part!

- There was little evidence of any garbage around but also
- no garbage cans and
- very few, if any, street cleaners. I suspect that garbage was collected at night but certainly you had to take it back home with you if you unwrapped anything en route.
- Cell phones are everywhere but in Japan they were politer when using them. A call in the train would see the receiver moving to the connecting section of the carriages for the conversation but generally cell phones were not used in the subway or buses for calls, just for watching movies and playing games ....such a change from Europe, North America and China where cell phone conversations are loud and frequent.
- Bus drivers seemed really helpful to everyone in their smart uniforms. They would get out of their seats to rearrange the bus seats for a wheelchair or person with a disability, they were courteous to the elderly and patient with children and foreigners like us. They have headphones and a microphone attached to their caps and they give out information at each stop in a quiet way not the loud metallic tapes they use on the Chinese buses.