First-Timer's Japan: The Things That Surprise You

Trains that apologise for being twenty seconds late, taxi doors that open themselves, toilets from the future, and streets with no bins yet no litter. Our guides to the small everyday wonders that astonish almost every first-time visitor to Japan.

Why Japan's Bullet Trains Are Almost Never Late
Japanese Travel

Why Japan's Bullet Trains Are Almost Never Late

3 min read
 Why Japanese Taxi Doors Open by Themselves
Japanese Travel

Why Japanese Taxi Doors Open by Themselves

3 min read
 Why Japanese Toilets Feel Like the Future
Japanese Lifestyle

Why Japanese Toilets Feel Like the Future

3 min read
 Why Japan's Convenience Stores Amaze First-Time Visitors
Japanese Lifestyle

Why Japan's Convenience Stores Amaze First-Time Visitors

3 min read
 Why Japan Has So Many Vending Machines
Japanese Lifestyle

Why Japan Has So Many Vending Machines

3 min read
 Why Japan Is So Clean — Despite Having Almost No Public Bins
Japanese Lifestyle

Why Japan Is So Clean — Despite Having Almost No Public Bins

3 min read
 What a Capsule Hotel Is Really Like — and Where It Came From
Japanese Travel

What a Capsule Hotel Is Really Like — and Where It Came From

3 min read
 Why Pouring a Glass of Water in Japan Means Something More: The Story Behind Safe Tap Water
Japanese Lifestyle

Why Pouring a Glass of Water in Japan Means Something More: The Story Behind Safe Tap Water

3 min read
 Why Tokyo Street Night Neon Glows Safe: The Cultural Roots of Japan's Peaceful Cities
Japanese Lifestyle

Why Tokyo Street Night Neon Glows Safe: The Cultural Roots of Japan's Peaceful Cities

3 min read
 Why Japanese People Queue So Neatly
Japanese Etiquette

Why Japanese People Queue So Neatly

3 min read
 Why There's No Tipping in Japan — and What to Do Instead
Japanese Etiquette

Why There's No Tipping in Japan — and What to Do Instead

3 min read
 Why Japanese Homes Use Slippers on Wooden Floors — And Special Ones for the Toilet
Japanese Etiquette

Why Japanese Homes Use Slippers on Wooden Floors — And Special Ones for the Toilet

3 min read
 Why Japanese Sento Bathhouse Culture Endures in the Modern Age
Japanese Travel

Why Japanese Sento Bathhouse Culture Endures in the Modern Age

3 min read