With Japan opening up its borders to tourists, I thought I’d cover a few things that might be helpful to know when you’re visiting.
Today, I want to talk about losing things here.
My experiences losing things here
I still remember one time I was at a summer festival (loong before the pandemic when summer festivals were still a thing) and I don’t even know how but I dropped my wallet. I didn’t realize it was missing until I tried to pay for some snacks and realized my bag didn’t have my wallet in it anymore.
I went to the little information counter all festivals seem to have, and the people there seemed visibly relieved to see my face (they had looked inside the wallet and found my driver’s license inside) as they handed back the wallet to me.
Another time I had left a coin purse (Japan is still more a cash-based society than cards) at a drugstore without even noticing. An hour later I got a phone call from the drugstore, and they seemed apologetic for their sleuthing skills:
“We noticed you had a coupon for our drugstore in the coin purse, so we traced the ID on the coupon to your point card, and that’s how we got your number. You left the coin purse here, though, and we’ll keep it for you behind the counter until you can come and get it.”
Just yesterday the rain cover on my bike had blown off in the wind as I had been bike riding, and I hadn’t even noticed until today. In a panic, I retraced my steps and found the cover neatly folded up and resting on a bush along the path I’d used.
Social code
I know that in America, anyway, most people assume something has been stolen and gone forever if you lose an object somewhere, like an umbrella, a bike or (God-forbid) your wallet.
While I have experienced exceptions here, for the most part, if you lose something here, assume someone is trying to get it back to you.
For example, just walking around my neighborhood here any given day, I’ll see random lost objects put up on trees or along fences–hats, a kid’s shoe or toy, a train pass–to make it stand out more to people passing by.
There is an unspoken but strict social code here that you do not ever simply assume a lost object is up for grabs; only the owner can come back and get it. Your social duty is to make it easier for the person who lost it to find it again, hence stringing it up on trees at eye level.
Finding it again
If the object is highly valuable (rings, wallets etc), then most people will go to their nearest Koban (police station) and turn it in. Thus, if you happen to have the misfortune of losing something of great value, start off at the local Koban and be prepared to fill out a lot of paperwork.
If you happen to lose your item on the train, most people will grab it and turn it into the nearest station official whenever they get off the train, so go to the ticketing gates and talk to the people manning the gates there. Different companies own different lines so if you skipped from Tokyo Metro to the JR Lines, for example, then it’d be a good idea to visit a station belonging to each company and reporting the lost object to them.
If you lose an object near shops, definitely ask people working at the shops.
In short, losing something in Japan usually doesn’t mean you have to forever say good-bye to it, so don’t give up looking for it too easily.
I am not a die-hard Star Wars fan, but I do love the film series. I have no problem finding the good points to the prequels, and given enough time, I think I could even take a crack at defending the The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker.
I was particularly excited about Obi-Wan Kenobi, however, because Ewan McGregor was coming back. Apart from being in love with how that actor looks, I’m madly in love with his acting skills, and I think he did a great job in the prequels.
The first episode, however, was a bit of a disappointment for me. I thought it dragged, though I did appreciate seeing an entirely defeated Obi-Wan.
I like how we, the audience, know how he was in the prequel movies and how he will be in A New Hope. In those prequel movies, Obi-Wan strikes me as someone entirely confident, and in A New Hope, at peace.
As the Obi-Wan series has continued (up to episode IV is out right now), I’ve come to understand this series is about bringing a defeated and traumatized Obi-Wan to being at peace within.
Without this series, we the audience are left to imagine the Obi-Wan who left Anakin to die simply becomes a wise old man in A New Hope who gently guides Luke from afar before quietly nudging him into a war with Vader.
I appreciate that we see one of Star Wars’ great heroes struggling while overwhelmed with loss, grief, self-doubt and self-loathing. I appreciate that this isn’t a quick fix or something he just “snaps” himself out of. The series starts ten years after Obi-Wan leaves Anakin for dead, and Obi-Wan is still completely lost in himself.
Grief doesn’t just disappear in real life, and I love how this series seems to acknowledge that. I love Obi-Wan so much more thanks to this series.
As a side-note, I have to say I also love how they portrayed Darth Vader in episode III.
I think Darth Vader has become a kind of pop culture icon, and he has legions of fans across the world.
I think having a scene where Vader just casually walks through a town and either tortures or kills people to try and draw Obi-Wan out brings home, at least for me, the fact Vader isn’t exactly a role model. He turned good at the end, but not before earning that hatred Princess Leia shows him in A New Hope. It was a nice reminder he is nothing less than a villain.
Thus, I thought I’d spend a few posts here offering some tips on how to be a good tourist here that I’ve learned through my own experiences.
Today, I’m going to focus on public baths.
What are public baths in Japan?
They’re places usually found all over the place where you pay money, enter one part of the bath that is meant for either men or women (choose wisely), strip down naked and enjoy some hot-water baths.
Sentou vs. onsen
You’ll likely find lots of signs declaring the bath is a sentou or onsen. It’s good to know the difference.
A sentou is just regular water that’s been heated up. People still like to go to them because a lot of sentous try to make up for the lack of hot-spring water by putting special scents into the water or, I’m not making this up, running weak electrical currents through the water to “stimulate the body.”
An onsen, on the other hand, is hot spring water. This is water from the earth that is naturally heated and contains minerals and other things that people here swear will heal whatever ails you. I have no idea if it actually does or not.
Using a public bath
Whether your plan is to use the local sentou (usually found in crowded cities for people who live in such cheap apartments, they don’t even have their own shower room) or visit a luxurious onsen spa resort, the steps to follow are basically the same:
Take your shoes off at the entrance.
Find the shoe locker area and stuff your shoes into an empty one.
Take your shoe-locker key to reception and buy tickets for the baths.
After payment (some have you pay at the end, like a hotel), reception will give you a bracelet that contains a key. The number on the key bracelet is your locker number in the public bath area.
Go the men or women’s bath area
Find your locker according to the number on your bracelet.
Strip completely naked and stuff all of your clothing into the locker.
Find the shower area.
Scrub yourself like you’ve never scrubbed before. People here expect you to be sparkling clean before you put one toe into the baths.
For those of you with long hair, put it in a high bun on top of your head whether you washed it or not.
Sometimes you can find a tiny pool of water at the entrance of the main area, accompanied with a ladle or a tiny bucket. Some people enjoy, for some reason, splashing themselves with the hot water before stepping into the baths. This is an optional step, in my opinion.
Some people also like to carry little towels with them into the baths. I honestly don’t know why. Maybe someone will explain this one to me someday.
Take your time enjoying all the baths that are available. Feel free to move around and experience them all.
When you’re done, rinse yourself off at one of the standing showers that are available.
Go to your locker, dry yourself off with a towel. The women’s rooms (no idea about the men’s) usually have a little vanity mirror area with hair dryers and sometimes complimentary skin care products.
Many people here, and I, recommend drinking an ice cold milk from a little glass bottle vending machine usually available near the front entrance of the public baths. I have no idea what it is, but nothing quite hits the spot like cold milk after all those hot baths.
Go back to reception and hand back your bracelet. They will hand you back the key to the shoe locker so you can get your shoes.
Do’s and don’t’s at a public bath
Do not splash. This is a place of relaxation, and only little kids can get away with stuff like that. I think it’s something you could conceivably get away with if absolutely no one else is in the public bath, but it’s highly frowned upon.
Do not run. Just like you wouldn’t around a pool, the floors at public baths are always slippery.
Do not put your head underwater. This is a big no-no because I think people just don’t like the idea of your hair touching the water. I’ve seen people on TV shows go underwater at a public bath (they wear towels or a bathing suit when on TV), but I’ve never seen this happen in real life.
Wear your hair up. I just wanted to repeat that one since I’ve been personally scolded for forgetting to wear my hair up after I’d just washed it. This means sopping-wet hair tied at the top of your head.
Do not stare at anyone there. While some people might completely forget their manners and stare at you for being foreign, it is universally considered creepy to stare at naked people. That is why most public baths, especially ones with open-air options, will put decorations around for you to look at, instead.
Bring your own towel. You can rent one, but that’s just wasted money, in my opinion.
Bring toiletries you need. They won’t have hairbrushes, for example, except ones you can buy for an outrageous price. At the very least, try to find a nearby 100-yen store and buy one there. Most public baths will have shampoo, conditioner and body soap, but you can bring your own little bottles of stuff if you want.
Don’t be loud. Again, this is not a public pool – it’s a place people go to for relaxation and to unwind. It’d be like going to a spa and treating it like a house party.
Scrub yourself clean. Another repeat, but people here like ridiculously clean people to use the baths. I still personally think the baths have to still be less-than-clean, but I guess it makes people here feel better if they see you really taking your time to make sure every inch of you is squeaky clean before you step into the baths.
Going to public baths with little kids
Some public baths are cool with kids who aren’t potty trained, others are not so much, so I would check ahead on their website or ask reception before spending money there. Some of the bigger public bath facilities actually have baths that specifically will say “Kids who aren’t potty trained can use this one”, which is helpful.
If you have a baby, most public baths will have a plastic tub (I’m not sure if there’s one in the men’s public bath area) for you to scoop up some water (where you put the baby while you do this is beyond me) from the baths and put them in there.
Some public baths cater to babies and really young kids, and a lot of hotels also have “baby vacation packages” where they will fill your hotel room with baby stuff you need and generally have a public bath available that’s easier to use when you have small kids in tow.
I also highly, HIGHLY, recommend something called a “kashi kiri onsen” (kahsh keeree ohnsen), which is a tiny onsen you can rent out just for yourself and your family. That way the whole family can just go into the same onsen and you don’t have to worry about your kids annoying everyone. Many hotels have this option, so I recommend taking a look around online.
General rule: Most public baths are ok with your kids being with you in the public bath as long as they’re below roughly the age of 8 (check the public bath you’re visiting as the rule varies). That means dads with daughters can still take them into the men’s public bath and moms with sons can take them into the women’s public bath. After the age of 8, again the rule varies, the kids have to go into the public bath society says matches their assigned gender.
Public baths for those who don’t identify with their assigned gender
Japan is super not interested in catering to people who don’t identify with their assigned gender when it comes to public baths.
That being said, you still have a couple of options.
First, is the “kashi kiri onsen” I mentioned above. Anyone can use it for however long you can rent it.
Second, are public baths that have “mixed public baths.” These are baths for men and women to use, and bathing suits are required.
What to do if you have a tattoo
You may have heard about this one, but Japan does NOT like tattoos.
Tattoos are associated with organized crime here. Rather than banning people with certain tattoos from public baths, however, Japan went nuclear and banned anyone with tattoos from almost all public baths in the nation.
There are a few things you can do to work around this.
First, try to find a public bath that is cool with tattoos. Before the pandemic, quite a few public baths in Tokyo understood that foreigners have tattoos and are not, in fact, in organized crime, so they will have signs up by the main doors, usually in English, that say “Tattoos are ok here.”
Second, if that fails or your friends are insisting on a public bath that hates tattoos, try to cover your tattoo up with a waterproof bandage. If it’s too large to cover up, you might have to just sit and wait in the lobby for your friends.
A while back, Netflix started airing a show from Japan that’s called “Hajimete no otsukai” (My first errand) that’s been renamed “Old Enough!”
Apparently, and I’m not in America anymore so I’m not 100 percent sure, this show has stirred up controversy. People abroad seem to be under the impression the kids are left totally on their own during filming, which I think is surprising considering someone is obviously there filming.
So, to anyone who seems to somehow think these kids are on their own and that Japan does this sort of thing all the time, I give you these lists to explain the ways in which neither of these ways of thinking are accurate.
The kids are not on their own. At all.
The film crew is there not only to film, but to keep an eye on the kids. As viewers of the Netflix show even shows, they immediately act when the child is in any sort of danger. One episode, for example, has a kid drop an apple down a hill, which rolls into a road. The camera crew wasted no time chasing that apple down before the kid could even think about stepping into the road.
The people in the entire area where the kids are running errands are told well in advance that the errand-running is going to happen. While they are told to try to act casual, of course there are going to be people out on the streets more than usual waving at the kids more than they usually would.
As one episode noted, the police also get involved to make sure the route mapped out for the kids is safe. One episode had a special, temporary road-crossing sign that was created, with approval from the local police, just for the kid running the errands.
Camera crew people also dress up like locals to further blend in and be at hand in case the kids need help.
I don’t think Netflix has any, but I remember seeing some episodes where the kids just didn’t want to go, and they ended up not going. I think the Netflix show just wanted to show kids who actually do end up running the errands on their own.
This is not common practice in Japan, either
While Japan seems way more casual about letting kids be independent, I don’t personally know many families who would be willing to let their pre-elementary-school-age kids go out on errands like the show depicts. I’ve talked to a few of my friends here about this, and a few said, “Well, maybe I would let them go to the store right next to our apartment alone, but I’d follow right behind them anyway.”
I think if any little kid went up to a cashier at a store and asked to buy things, the first thing the cashier would say is, “Where are your parents?” No one would think, “Ah, a little kid running errands alone” as far as I’ve ever seen here. It’s just not common practice here.
That being said, elementary-school-age kids are expected to get to their elementary school on their own. If they live out in the countryside, then they’re expected to walk as a group with kids who live nearby. The school kind of pounds into the kids’ heads basic safety rules like, “Don’t just run across the road” and then most of Japanese society expects people nearby to help out if an elementary school kid looks like they’re in trouble or about to do something dangerous.
I think the show is meant to tell parents “Hey, your kids can do more things than you think” and to tell their kids the same thing. I think kids seeing the show might gain more confidence in thinking they can do things on their own, which I think is a good thing.
The show is just to see how kids would react if they thought they were alone running the errands. They are in no way, shape or form actually out on their own. I love watching this show just to see how kids act when they think they’re on their own like that, though, and I’m usually deeply impressed by their fortitude and strength.
If you’d like to read more about how the show is made, please visit here.
Life got in the way, and I’m only now just starting to watch this series on Disney+.
I also kind of put it off because I’ve never heard of Moon Knight, the superhero, and I didn’t know how interested I could be in a comic series I’ve never even heard of. Out of a love for the MCU, I finally decided to start watching it.
I. Love. It. I’m only three episodes in at the moment, unfortunately, but I love what I’m seeing so far. Oscar Isaac’s performance is spectacular, especially in episode 3 when the god Khonshu possesses him. His acting in this makes me want to go back through his filmography and see more works he’s done (I’ve seen quite a few, but it makes me want to see even more).
Ethan Hawke is also brilliant as a man who at times lulls you into thinking “Maybe he’s not that evil.” I saw an interview with him for this series, and he said something along the lines of “I think you can’t play a villain thinking they’re a villain.” I love that kind of mindset.
Seeing the two of them simply acting in this series has been enough to make me love it. The storyline hasn’t been fully fleshed out yet (it being only halfway through) so I’m excited to see what happens. I feel like I’m watching a six-hour movie.
I’m already hoping there’s a season 2, and I saw online (so who knows how true it is) that Moon Knight might somehow feature in the upcoming Thor movie. Maybe the ending of Moon Knight will change my mind, but I really hope not. I’ve been trying like crazy to avoid any spoilers online (so much of Multiverse of Madness has been spoiled already just in the headlines of entertainment news sites).
As a side-note: I’m a huge Marvel movie fan, but I can’t say I’m really interested in that many of the comics. I think it has to do with my preference for Japanese manga-style comics rather than the American style. Maybe someday I’ll try reading some, though.
State of Matter just published a short story of mine called “The Bucket Fountain.” About a college kid coming to terms with his own death, I had intended it to be a fantasy story with a mixture of horror in it, but maybe I’m just not cut out to write horror because it comes across more as fantasy and a bit goofy than anything else.
I’ve also noticed the tendency for horror stories to end in despair and tragedy, at best, so maybe the fact “The Bucket Fountain” gives some sort of closure makes it more fantasy than horror.
The story is actually a companion piece for “The Guide,” which I had published last December.
I wrote “The Bucket Fountain” first and then “The Guide”, which is why “The Guide” kind of brushes over the events of “The Bucket Fountain” and then talks about what happens next. If you have a minute, I’d personally love it if you read “The Bucket Fountain” first and then “The Guide,” but obviously it’s up to you.
I’m a huge, huge fan of crossover stories, which is why I tried my hand at making a few. It’s probably why I love the MCU so much.
How like life that characters cross into each other’s stories all the time, and I love the kind of mental puzzle it entails to have everything still somehow work out on a kind of timeline. While I know the MCU isn’t perfect in this regard, I still marvel (no pun intended) at how they can keep an overarching story going and make it so much fun to watch play out on screen. I think it must help to have such a treasure trove of comics to choose from.
I hope to write more crossover stories since they’re so much fun to write, and I’ll be sure to let you know what short stories connect with what.
I know I’m extremely late to the party, but after waiting for the rental fee to lower on Amazon Prime, I finally watched this movie last night.
I’m a huge fan of almost all movies Marvel has made through the years, but I don’t think this movie was as amazing as the reviews made it out to be. It was a good movie, I think, but it didn’t hit me the way some of the other works have. I think it followed a superhero movie formula a bit too much.
I think maybe I’m in the minority when it comes to Marvel movie preferences, though – I loved the Eternals while knowing full well that this was definitely not your formulaic action superhero movie. I loved that about it. I also loved every Marvel TV series that has come out on Disney Plus. I think I’m the same as the majority in loving WandaVision the best, though. What a great series.
Maybe my problem with No Way Home is there weren’t as many plot twists as I had wanted. Peter Parker wanted to “fix” all the villains, and he did. The multiverse almost came crashing down, but one spell seemed to fix absolutely everything (Side-note: Does that mean everyone across the multiverse has forgotten every Spider-Man’s identity?). From the Doctor Strange 2 trailers (I haven’t seen it yet), it seems like it wasn’t quite the quick fix the end of No Way Home makes it out to be, but the ending still kind of irked me.
Also, nitpicking here but how is Peter Parker able to get by when his legal guardian is dead and Happy has no idea who he is? I would’ve loved some sort of brief explanation about how Parker’s been surviving and how he has any money for an apartment.
What I loved most about this movie is how it really helped further along the character developments of the other two Spider-Mans. There was even a brief note about how horrible Spider-Man 3 was. I liked having the superheroes have time to just talk about how they’re dealing with things and how they feel about situations rather than the plot just focusing on them punching people and saving the day. Most of these action movies force the actors to convey depths of emotion on their face for a split-second before the next action sequence. I liked that this movie gave them some downtime to just talk.
I would love to see the three of them have a movie together again, and I hope I’m not alone in that.
I thought I’d give a small tour of some of my garden.
The promise of blueberries.
Blueberry bushes
I’ve been growing blueberry bushes for years now, and I have yet to see “the Great Harvest” a friend of mine who has blueberry bushes keeps boasting about. The first year was maybe four blueberries, then the bush was neglected for a week while I was away in the summer, and it died. Cue a new bush, more disappointment and now, this year, finally we have what might possibly be the beginnings of glory. I have no idea, but as I adore blueberries, I’m never going to give up trying to grow my own. Japan charges you about 600 yen for a little pack of blueberries, and I just can’t bring myself to pay that much.
The promise of tea
A tea tree
This is my first year trying my hand at growing a tea tree. Apparently green tea leaves and my beloved oolong tea all come from these leaves, and I thought it’d be fun to try growing my own. Apparently you need to leave it alone for two years, pruning it back in the winter and getting new growth (the new growth is what you harvest for tea). I’m patient; I can wait.
Too many cantaloupe plants
Cantaloupe vines
Cantaloupe is another fruit that costs a fortune to buy here. You can pay as much as 4,000 yen (about 40USD) for a particularly nice one. Tiny cantaloupe, however, go for about 500 yen. Thus, I have resorted to growing my own. I tried last year, too, but I started too late in the season and watched my vines thrive, then die as the air got too cold. Now I’m starting at what I hope is the right time, but this time I put too many seeds in the same pot. I’m going to wait for them to grow a bit more before thinning them out a lot. I think if I can get even two cantaloupe out of this adventure, it’ll have been worth it.
Many people in Japan choose to buy a condo for a variety of reasons. While it means sharing walls, floors and ceilings with neighbors, condos nowadays are trying their hardest to give you a reason to choose them over a house.
Here are the top ten amenities people in Japan want from a condo nowadays, according to a free Suumo (a real-estate agency here) magazine I picked up:
Being able to throw out trash any time.
Many new condos have set up dedicated trash rooms where you can throw out your trash, recycling and other stuff anytime you want. Otherwise, you have to follow the strict schedule given to you usually by your apartment or the city for when you can bring things outside to be thrown out or recycled.
Package storage
For anyone who works outside of the home, it can be really annoying to get a slip in the mail announcing you missed someone delivering a package to you. You usually have to arrange for another pickup and hope you don’t forget to be at home then.
Be annoyed no more, for many new condo complexes have postal boxes just for packages. Some condos are even wired so there’s a notice inside your condo for when there’s a package for you waiting in one of the boxes.
Having someone pick up your trash for you
Some people’s condos are quite far from either the place outside where you’re supposed to leave your trash or from the dedicated trash room, and that’s where this service comes in. There’s a little box in the hallway or near your front door where you stick your trash in, and someone comes and gets it for you.
A bicycle port
Many people here use bikes quite a lot, so having a nice space to park your bike that includes a roof over the bikes and security cameras so no one steals your bike is quite revered here.
Having a concierge
They can help you reserve shared spaces in the condo, lend you tools to fix something in your condo and help you figure out any problems you might be having.
Supplies for a natural disaster event
Considering how often natural disasters like earthquakes and typhoons seem to strike here, you’d think this would be higher on the list, but I think people here just get used to having to deal with it as it comes. Still, I think the condo having supplies on top of the supplies I’ve personally prepared is a bit of extra security I can appreciate.
A newspaper delivery service
Many here still subscribe to an actual newspaper, and it can be annoying going all the way to the mail room every morning to get the paper. This service means your paper will be at your front door every morning, much like America up to about the 1990s.
A nice playground nearby, or one just for your condo
As you are basically expected to lock into a 30-year-loan, many people who buy condos are young families. Young families mean little kids with lots of energy who need to run around, so it’s nice having a park right outside for you to use.
Having a dedicated space for shopping carts
It might be nice living near a store, but who loves hauling back heavy bags of groceries and other stuff? Some condos have solved this dilemma by creating a space where you can drop off a shopping cart right outside your condo.
Having rental bikes or bike-sharing programs
Sometimes you want to have a bike, but parking one at a condo often means paying a monthly fee. I can see how having a rental bike service or a bike-sharing service might be handy for people who only use bikes on occasion.
I’ve never bought a house in Japan, so I can’t give you all the details you’d need to actually buy one, but I can share with you what I’ve learned from friends who have bought houses here.
First, houses here don’t really go up in price. They’re like cars in that usually they depreciate as time goes by. Reasons for this include people wanting the latest in their homes so they usually buy an old home and then just tear it down to build a new one. Some people are starting to warm to renovating, but I think it’s still more common to tear down and start over on the land.
Houses are also usually shoved right next to each other. That means you might be able to stick your hand out the window and literally touch your neighbor’s house.
The current trend is also to limit outdoor space to sometimes just a driveway. The closer to a city you get, the more this proves to be the case, especially for new builds.
Why, then does anyone even buy a house here?
I think the main driving forces are two factors.
Eventually you will be able to pay off the mortgage, usually around retirement, and then you can feel more secure knowing you’ll have a roof over your head in retirement.
Rental apartments here are known for having thin walls. Condos also have their own set of rules they expect you to follow. This can all be suffocating as societal rules here are pretty strict all on their own, and living in a rental or in a condo means those rules follow you home. Living in a house means you don’t have to worry about bothering your neighbors when your kids jump and run around inside or about playing music too loudly and whatnot. You can also design your house however you want (depending on what you can afford).
If you want a bigger house with more outdoor space that won’t set you back millions, I recommend the countryside. One of the major drawbacks is being far from the comforts of a city, not the least of which being medical facilities. Something to keep in mind.
Another option is buying an abandoned house. With the fallen birth rate and declining population, Japan has a huge problem with “akiya” (literally “empty house”), and you can usually get a really good deal on one. Akiya come with their own set of problems, however. I think if you want to look into getting one, I would recommend watching videos like this one to learn more:
I loved watching this guy renovate his own akiya on his videos.
