Japan is an amazing and mysterious country where modernity and technology are closely intertwined with tradition. It is the only state in the world that has retained the status of an empire. There are special rules that may seem very strange to a European person. What are some unusual facts about Japan?
In Japan, for people, work and self-development come first, and then family. For this reason, it is not uncommon for relatives - even the closest ones - to keep in touch with each other. The average age for marriage among Japanese people is 30 years.
On the territory of this country, it is not customary to openly show your tender and romantic feelings. In addition, many Japanese are distinguished by their special upbringing and heightened shyness, because of this, declarations of love in Japan are heard quite rarely. But the smile familiar to Europeans is perceived not as a sign of support or approval, but as a signal that a person is very nervous and worried.
In Japan, there is no literal concept of “retired”. Typically, corporations and firms enter into life contracts with their employees. Therefore, people work here as long as their physical condition allows them. The state practically does not provide for people who have retired on a conditional pension.
Tokyo is considered a very safe city. However, going down here in the metro is very risky. According to statistics, most of all rapes, assaults, thefts and deaths happen in the subway. This, in particular, is due to the fact that a huge number of people use such transport in Japan, which causes a strong crush at rush hour. To reduce the number of police reports from women, there are separate female carriages in the Tokyo subway.
In this country, men are treated in a special way. Men are the first to be served in shops and restaurants, they are the first to be admitted to transport and premises. In addition, it is considered quite normal if a man does not give up his seat on the subway or bus to a woman or an elderly person. When going on a date with a Japanese man, you need to have money with you, as the young man is unlikely to pay for anything. And it's worth bringing an umbrella with you in case of bad weather. If it starts to rain, the man will not share his umbrella with his companion, and this is also normal.
A special attitude in Japan and towards children. Up to 5 years of age, a child in the family is literally idolized: everything is allowed to him, parents fulfill all the whims, punishments - especially physical ones - are prohibited. But as soon as the child turns 5 years old, the attitude changes dramatically. Including because it is at this age that children begin to attend school.
The average working day in Japan lasts 15 hours. It is not customary here to ask for a vacation or take a weekend at your own expense. The Japanese are those people who are ready to come to their favorite job, even on Saturday or Sunday. At the same time, in Japan, it is considered bad form to appear at the workplace strictly at the right time and go home as soon as the working day ends. It is necessary to come to the office or production facility at least half an hour before the start of work. Because of this attitude towards profession and work, Japan has the highest death rates from workaholism.
In Japan, there is a fairly high percentage of suicides, especially among high school students and graduates of educational institutions. The fact is that in Japan they are very jealous and strict about getting an education and a profession. Therefore, if a child fails his final, transfer or entrance exams, he may become an outcast. Japanese adolescents experience such moments very hard, because of the strong tension - children in the country study almost all day long - they often fail to cope with their emotions.
In many cities located in the northern regions of the country, frost and snow occur in winter. However, there are no snow drifts in them, there are almost no snowdrifts and ice cover is not found. Why? Because in Japan it is customary to lay heated asphalt on the street.
