October 2025
One gets distracted by the talk of bullet trains, temples, history and the courtesy of Japan. Found within this mix is an assortment of oddities that may only be found among the Japanese. These make me like the country all the more.
Hello Kitty. Not only cute but brilliant advertising.
Around since 1974, the Kitty icon first appeared on a coin purse. Since, it has become a global sensation and appears on everything from clothing to airplanes. Created by a woman who named her after a fictional cat: the Kitty from Lewis Carroll’s Through the Looking-Glass.
Who wouldn’t love a country that produces an assortment of Kit Kat flavors?
While creating many seasonal varieties, Japan also offers flavors of saké, wasabi, and pumpkin. Regional specialties include Shinshu Apple and Tokyo Banana. Kit Kats are often given as gifts as each bar comes in flashy pop art packaging. Traditional chocolate offers the unique option of Otona No Amass (sweetness for adults).
Most visitors rave about Japanese food.
It is very hard to find a bad meal. However, the snacks found along the streets are not to be missed. My favorite became Takoyaki Balls, a round and savory battered-dumpling which is crispy outside with a delicious filling inside – usually octopus. I could also find them in a bag like chips but the hot street version is superior. Drizzle bonito flakes to the top and I have my meal. Grilled oysters were a close second. Add an Asahi Super Dry for perfection.
And food preparation is an art.
Who sits around and chops, dices, and ties the bows around your seagrass roll? I read that over 73% of Japan’s workforce is in the service industry.
Food presentation occurs with great fanfare and tradition. It always looks beautiful in spite of how some items may taste.
Vending machines are as ubiquitous in Japan as McDonalds in the US.
Even more so. I began to imagine if it can’t be found in a vending machine, it can’t be found. I could purchase everything from umbrellas and electronics to fresh flowers, a hot meal of ramen and beer. My favorite sighting was one which sold Cake in a Can. Someone told me about a Mog Bug machine for crickets and scorpion snacks. Some machines allow purchase with a Suica Card and even Apple Pay.
Shopping is an art!
On almost every corner in Japan, rural or city, there is either a 7-11, Family Mart or Lawson’s. Purchase beer, wine, sakè, cup of noodles, a full meal – this is the place. Want to go bigger, go to a store like DMC where they sell absolutely everything – food, fresh veggies, flowers, bicycles, hardware, toilets, kittens.
Speaking of cats, none ever spotted
Lots of dogs in prams and baskets. However, I never saw a cat. I’m told they exist here but I never saw one until I walked around the DCM store in Osaka. When I noted the sales price, I can understand why. My guide assured me that was the price. Whether it is purchase price or lifetime investment in Sylvester, ticket price out the door is shocking.
For a country so spick and span…
there is a dearth of public trash cans. One holds onto trash until one finds a can. Then, be sure to deposit in the correct receptacle. I carried a separate plastic bag just for my trash. First county I ever felt guilty about leaving something behind in my hotel room. And, in three weeks, I never saw a cigarette butt on the ground. For that matter, I could count the smokers on one hand. And I never saw a dirty car.
In Japan, cleanliness rests next to Godliness, and everyone seems to take the duty of scrubbing, sorting, and sanitizing as seriously as a temple ceremony.
How about transparent glass-paneled public toilets?
One hesitates to enter a toilet open to the world. However, they are spotlessly maintained and one can be assured no-one is sitting inside.
Thankfully, when one enters and locks the door, the glass turns opaque. Still made me nervous
Brilliant are the walkways that generate electricity via footsteps.
Piezoelectric tiles convert the kinetic energy from pedestrians into electricity which is then used to power lights and neon. Tiles are found in busy areas like metro and train stations; the most famous location for these tiles is Shibuya Crossing. It is estimated that possibly 2.4 million people cross Shibuya every day; some 3,000 cross each time the traffic light changes. That, in the end, creates more than enough energy to light some bulbs.
3D & neon, no one does it better than Japan.
Anime, computer-generated animation, originated here and is a world-wide phenomenon. (The film Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle opened to a 70$ million box-office-weekend in North America!) I am sure Shibuya and Shinjuku can be seen from the ISS. I love the 3D billboards, especially the Shinjuku Calico Cat. At Shibuya Crossing there is a wonderful 3D Butterfly and a Panda. The 3D featuring a giant Akita dog resembles the beloved Hachiko, faithful dog who sat outside the Shibuya Station awaiting his owner’s return for 9 years.
And, as hard as it is to believe, Osaka out performs Tokyo when it comes to lights, camera, action.
First faster than a speeding bullet – then even faster.
Japan has had the Shinkansen Bullet Train since 1964. With current speeds up to 200 mph, one can be whisked from Tokyo south to Osaka in about 2 hours and 30 minutes.
Hardly enough time to watch the latest anime movie. In the works, the next generation of Shinkansen trains will be even faster than the current speeding bullet.
Reaching speeds of 310 mph, I wonder how it avoids experiencing lift-off. Even more amazing, and reassuring, is its network of seismic sensors to detect early warning waves which are precursors to earthquakes. These sensors automatically cut power and applies emergency brakes, slowing the train in seconds. That’s a good thing in a country that experiences several measurable earthquakes a month.
There exists a plethora of site-appropriate shoes.
Learn your shoes! Wearing the wrong ones in the wrong place is a huge no-no. There are slippers in every room. Always one more pair waiting to be worn for five steps and abandoned at a door. Ultimately, you will take your shoes on and off more times than a centipede at a sock fitting.
It appears more a county of “No” than anything else.
There are ever-present signs telling one what NOT to do. The exception is the train stations which are clearly marked, though much is beneath a hoard of racing feet.
One finds unusual things wherever one travels, but I think Japan somewhat takes the prize. This is also what makes the country endearing and memorable. Among the historic temples, gardens and palaces, the oddities make Japan one of the most interesting countries in the world.
Japanese girls know how to dress.
The Japanese young girls know how to dress—each outfit a bold statement of creativity and confidence.
It’s as if early Madonna’s “Material Girl” era collided with the platform-shoed glam of KISS, resulting in layers of lace, neon, sparkle, and sky-high boots that defy gravity.
They strut through the streets like walking art pieces, mixing sweetness and rebellion with effortless flair, turning every corner into a fashion runway that only Japan could inspire.
And I love a country that honors those who made them famous.
You better love matcha, tea and fish.
Not a day or meal passes without copious amounts of all three. Matcha is that bright green powder that looks suspiciously like lawn clippings and smells something like a barn. Matcha tea, matcha ice cream, matcha everything. By the end of a trip, you start to wonder if the national color is actually green and if your bloodstream now runs on finely whisked powdered tea.
A bear walked into a supermarket…
A bear walked into a supermarket and asked the fishmonger, “Do you have any sushi?” The fishmonger said, “Plenty—why?” The bear replied, “I’m tired of catching my meals raw and unrolled.”
Actually happened this week. Not funny for the two injured in the incident. So far this year, bears have killed 7 people. When you see a warning sign, take it seriously
Japanese line up for Labubu and five-toed socks
First it was Hello Kitty then came Stitch. Now, the rage of Japan, heart of all things anime and “in” is Labubu.
Labubu is a line of collectible plush toys featuring zoomorphic (part human part animal features) elves with exaggerated facial expressions, of which the central figure is Labubu, a monster with sharp teeth, large ears and a scruffy appearance. Now, Labubu is all sorts of cute.
Requires registration at online lottery just to get into the store.
There is a plethora of split-toed socks called tabi, originally created for wearing with traditional Japanese thonged sandals. For me, it is the five-toed stockings. Inexpensive, fun and a real eye catcher.
Not just a flush.
Anyone who has visited any toilet anywhere in Japan knows the Toto toilet. One can easily be spoiled for anything less. It even will play music.
Unexpected Japan: Delightfully Offbeat
Exploring Japan’s offbeat corners—from cat cafés and robot hotels to vending machines selling everything from umbrellas to beer—feels like stepping into a world fueled by imagination and whimsy. I can’t help but wonder what the locals would think if they visited America, where convenience stores mostly sell chips, soda, and the occasional frozen burrito. They might be baffled or amused, but certainly convinced that some everyday Japanese magic is missing.
What Japanese quirk makes you smile every time?
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