First Week in Osaka! (Part 2)

So going off on my first post for this week, I wanted to talk more about cultural nuances of Japan that make it interesting and unique in many situations :)

Let's talk about passenger trains! Well obviously America doesn't do well in this category as most people just drive around in cars, which gets really old after awhile since I HATE driving =/ In Japan, you can take the train and get ANYWHERE. And the train fare isn't too bad either, plus there are ticket discounts and the like as well. Trains are an important part for Japanese commuters and workers. The interesting thing though is that Japanese trains are well known for being VEWY VEWY quiet inside; it can be considered rude to talk loud inside a train. However, Osaka might be an exception to that rule as people still chat a lot inside the train, and other people don't really seem to mind all that much (at least I think, I can't read minds).

So next, the crime rate in Japan is like reaalllllly low, and honestly, I feel pretty safe here in Japan. Even walking alone at night feels incredibly safe, which is a rarity in the rather ghetto city of Columbia. I was thinking about why this is, and I've boiled it down to three things:

1. There is no Second Amendment. I fucking hate the Second Amendment in the US, and I think it leads to more problems honestly. Sure without guns, people could find other ways to be violent, but I don't know if it's really so easy to say that.

2.  Collectivist society. I think because of how collectivist Japan is as a country, there are so many pressures put on the individual. If one were to steal in Japan, not only would that affect the individual, it REALLY affects family. It would be a full blown scandal.

3. Okay call me what you want, but I think the fact that Japan is such a homogenous society is a contributing factor. I'm not saying it's a good thing to be a homogenous society, it's more of a double edged sword in my opinion, but I do think because there's no (if any it would be very rare) race drama like in the US.

I'm not saying crime doesn't exist in Japan, but the rate is quite lower. As I type this, I notice my USC email with crime alert emails *sigh* I don't want to go back to USC....


Now to talk about FOOD. First, I want to dispel some myths about Japanese food:

1. It is all expensive. FALSE! While there are definitely a larger number of places that are pretty expensive, it is actually not as bad as you might think, at least in Osaka. Grocery stores are pretty much the same as the ones I go to in the US in terms of price. Also, as always conbini food will never let you down and it's always really cheap. Or if you like McDonalds, there are cheap options on the menu there ;P

2. All they eat is seafood. FALSE! You can find plenty of choices other than seafood. If anyone tells you otherwise, well they're dumb ;)

3. There are only Japanese restaurants. TOTALLY FALSE! There are plenty of international choices. The most common places I see other than Japanese food are French pastry shops, burger joints, and Chinese restaurants.


So all in all restaurants in Japan are all really good; I haven't had a bad meal yet. The presentation has been really stellar in a lot of places, and the food is always well prepared. When you go to a place that serves REAL ramen, you won't want to buy Maruchan shit ever again ;)


Well, that's all for this post. I'm getting more into the groove of things, so I will be posting on a more regular basis! :D