Japan is unlike any other country we have been to so far. First it is cold - bloody frezzing when we arrived in Tokyo it was 8 degrees from 40 degrees in Bangkok. Also the people are soooo different they have completely different mannerisms and social expectations.
Language - This is the first country where hardly anyone speaks any English.
Eating - I am finally manging to get the hang of chop stick as some places struggle to find cutlery. Slurping and burping is socially acceptable and so eating in a Japenese restaraunt is a noisy affair and a bit gross.
Food - I have to admit on not being fond of Japense food. It is completely different from most food I have experienced even in the rest of Asia, that with the complete lack of English and English menus we did stuggle a bit even eating MacDonalds for a couple of meals. We did however try sushi definately not my favourite, vinegar rice with tiny bits of raw fish. Have tried it before and kinda liked it, but the 'real' stuff is very different from the prepackaged stuff you get in England.
Mannerisms - To say the Japenese are curt is an understatment of the century. Also pushing and shoving is acceptable if someone is in your way you push them out of it, very unEnglish and very odd when little old ladies barely 4 feet tall are pushing and shoving you, definately not so nice when it is full grown men. Have to admit on at least one occasion being almost pushed over. Also spitting and weeing on the streets is acceptable and done by all which is really werid as you can only smoke in designated areas and not allowed to put your cigerette stubs on the floor as littering is not allowed in any form, except of course spit and wee.
