Impressions from the land of the rising sun

Flying

Courtesy shows up here too — if someone handles your passport or boarding pass they take it in both hands and bow slightly. Domestic flight aircraft are equipped with an entertainment portal, which when you're only flying for an hour is genuinely surprising. The airport in Osaka (KIX) was interesting — it's an artificially constructed island. On departure our plane climbed in a circular pattern, giving passengers a very nice view over the Osaka–Kobe agglomeration.

Culture

Courtesy and order — those best describe the impression it made on me. Face masks are worn — not because you don't want to catch something — but because you don't want to infect others! Because it's a fairly densely populated place, people are genuinely used to walking on the correct side. Which they strictly follow. Transparent umbrellas are quite popular. And I mustn't forget the friendliness and helpfulness. Even if you're just handing someone an ordinary piece of paper they'll take it in both hands and give a slight bow.

Observations

Wherever you see an advertisement it has to feature a Japanese woman styled as some kind of manga character. And of course music! Nothing works without it either. On the subject of music — the bin collectors play it, I don't know why. And some also have an air freshener on their truck — it always smelled a certain way when I walked past.