Most of the time when people consider a trip to Japan, they think of crowding. Western media is very fond of showing Tokyo in all its splendor. This could include credit streets crowded stores, and always the overcrowded trains. In truth the concept of crowding is most common in the largest cities not unlike the US. If you get a chance to get out beyond the big cities and visit with a family one will find the true Japan a beautiful place with elegance and style.

The Japanese are much more polite in their social relationship with one another. Politeness is a strong social norm and keeps a highly populated island calm and running smoothly. When two people meet they bow politely, with the elder acquaintance given the greater respect. In fact, respect for the elderly is so formalized that their seating is reserved even on crowded trains.

In the US, bread is a common daily addition to meals. With our hamburgers, sandwiches and loads of bread with the main course, bread is ubiquitous. In Japan nearly every traditional meal includes rice. Because of that the most common products in a Japanese kitchen are rice cookers. These devices come in a wide variety of sizes from 1 to 2 cups all the way to 15 cups for home use. Industrial sizes for restaurants can cook upwards of 40 cups of rice at a time.

Because cooking rice in the equivalent of the bread making machine is so much easier than cooking rice in a pot on the stove devices becoming available, even popular here in the United States. But here there is usually one size in one type if the store carries them. In Japan there is an enormous selection with one of the more popular types being the Zojirushi rice cooker.

If you visit Japanese home, make sure you are wearing good socks without holes. That is because you will be required to remove your shoes before entering the home. The Japanese feel very strongly that one should not track dirt from outside into the house. Most foreigners interested in your brief time with this cultural difference adopted it for their own home.

Partly because the homes in Japan at the time event, which are particularly difficult to clean thoroughly, should mud get tracked in or liquid be spilled on them. In general, handheld vacuums are the preferred device to clean the floors. If a tatami mat becomes stained. It will have to be removed and replaced a task that is much simpler than removing and replacing wood flooring or carpeting.

A trip to Japan is a joy that will be remembered for a lifetime. Their appreciation for nature is woven into their daily lives. Their appreciation for the preservation of historical structures and stories reflects the respect they have for their history and people. At the same time, they embrace change and technology, which makes it a fascinating place where history meets the future.

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