Cultural Differences

I have been living in Kyoto, Japan for over two weeks now, and I am absolutely loving this new life change. I have completely embraced the cultural differences and drastic changes in my life and have used them to improve myself and my perspective. Sure, I find myself missing my regular cable t.v. shows or being able to check in with the world on my smartphone, however this might have been a blessing in disguise. I find that I am able to devote more time to my marriage and to exploration without these distractions. Having been here two weeks, I have gained experience that can only be obtained through immersing yourself into a completely different environment.  I have observed and noted numerous cultural differences in Japanese culture verses American culture, and they are often times improvements. Joel had always told me about many differences that he saw while spending time here, however witnessing them for yourself makes them more concrete. The differences I have found so far are as follows:

1. Appearance. People take pride in their appearance here in Japan. I'm not sure if it's because we are in a bigger city and there are more fashionable options, however most everyone looks very well put together. I have not seen anyone, I mean anyone, at the supermarket or the mall in their p.j. pants and I have only seen one person in sweat pants and he was actually working out! Everyone takes pride in themselves, they're called pajama pants for a reason. 
2. Skincare. We're winding down towards the end of summer, but here in Kyoto it is pretty warm. Everywhere I look there are women using umbrellas to shield themselves from the sun and arm sleeves to protect their skin. SPF is a must here and fair skin is beautiful healthy skin. In the USA people line up around the block to throw themselves into a small bed and actually bake their skin! How disturbing! People here take pride in healthy bright skin and embrace it. 
3. Transportation. Sometimes I miss the freedom of having a car, however I see the wonderful benefits of public transportation. There is less pollution, less congestion on the road, and it provides a cheap means of transportation for all. Kyoto's public transportation system is fabulous. For example I wouldn't feel safe riding the subway in the US in the evenings by myself, and subways in the states are often portrayed as sketchy places to be. However, here it is incredibly safe, clean, and reliable  They even provide a car just for women in peak hours for their comfort. Nothing sketchy about these subways or buses! 
4. Food Portions. I have seen a lot of blogs and articles online that joke that westerners coming to Japan often times feel hungry for the first few months. Well I haven't felt hungry, however I can see how much people in the states over eat! I have been satisfied with the smaller portions here and have implemented this new way of eating into my household as well. The fact is that you just don't need a quarter pounder with cheese or a 14 ounce steak from the roadhouse. It's just not necessary, unless maybe you are Michael Phelps. 
5. Environment. I am completely amazed at how clean and environmentally friendly this country is. You have to recycle here, it's not an option. It does take some getting used to, after all my first few days Joel went behind me and made sure I put things into the right receptacles. You don't see any trash or litter on the ground, what so ever. Even people who smoke put their ashes in a small container and empty it later. People care about the environment here.
6. Customer Service. It doesn't matter where you go, whether it be the high end fashion mall Takashimaya or the Circle K, you are greeted with wonderful customer service and a friendly attitude. I think customer service and what that entails has fallen by the wayside in the states. You often times find people who are either extremely unhappy with their jobs, thinking they are above the job they are doing, or just plain don't have people skills. It's completely different here, no upset fast food or retail workers here. Just folks wanting to do the job they've been given and do it well. 
7. Consideration. You might find yourself in an extremely crowded bus during busy hours where people are squeezing themselves in trying to find even another square inch of space. You won't find hostile or bothered people here, they act extremely considerate and kindly let you through when it's your time to get off the bus. You find this everywhere, not just on the bus. You find considerate, accommodating  and polite people no matter where you go. I like to return the favor! 

This new way of living has opened my eyes to how wonderful the Japanese culture is and how we could learn a thing or two from their people and their everyday lifestyle. These are things I have embraced and have taken in as changes to my everyday life.