This is Japan
Explore everyday life in Japan
I think one thing that surprises many people when they come to Japan is the variety of sounds that are a part of everyday life here. Every appliance seems to have its own unique chime to let you know when things are finished. The rice cookers have a chime to let you know when the rice is finished. The water pots have a chime to let you know when the water has boiled. The bathtubs have a chime to let you know when they are full. The washing machines have a chime to let you know when the laundry is finished. The crosswalks have different chimes to let you know when it is okay to cross the street. And as you can see in the video above, even the garbage trucks play a song to let you know when they are getting near your house.
Another thing that surprises people about Japan is the way that politicians run for office--literally on the street corner, in all kinds of weather, with a microphone in hand, making all kinds of promises to people walking, riding, and driving by. Often too, these people who are running for office, or their supporters, can be heard giving speeches through large megaphones that are attached to vans while being driven through towns and cities.
Another surprise about Japan is the way background music is often played in arcades and shopping areas. If you watch the above video, the jazz that you hear in the background is being played through speakers that run for about two kilometers down this street.
This is an ongoing series that will explore various aspects of daily life in Japan. My hope is that this series will not only reveal to its followers, image by image, what Japan looks like, but that it will also inform its followers about unique Japanese items and various cultural and societal practices. If you are interested in getting regular updates about life in Japan, please consider following me at @boxcarblue. If you have any questions about life in Japan, please don’t hesitate to ask. I will do my best to answer all of your questions.