Summary

A family's initial culture shock in Japan, particularly over bowing and high-tech toilets, turns into admiration as they experience the country's unique innovations, such as the exceptional quality of Japanese toast and the practicality of condiment packets.

Abstract

Upon arriving in Japan, a family encounters cultural differences that initially unsettle them, such as the custom of bowing and the complexity of Japanese toilets. The children, especially the ten-year-old, react with confusion and resistance. However, as they explore and taste the local offerings, starting with the simple pleasure of perfectly crafted toast with innovative toppings, their perspective shifts. They come to appreciate the Japanese attention to detail and the way the country elevates everyday experiences, leading to a deeper appreciation of Japanese culture and innovations.

Opinions

The ten-year-old initially rejects Japanese customs like bowing and advanced toilet features, finding them unnecessary and perplexing.
The younger children are intrigued by the novelty of the high-tech toilets, which contrasts with their sister's skepticism.
The family's opinion of Japan improves significantly once they discover the delight of Japanese toast, highlighting the country's ability to perfect even the simplest things.
The author expresses bewilderment over why certain Japanese innovations, such as heated toilet seats and dual condiment packets, haven't become standard worldwide.
The author praises Japanese ingenuity for solving problems that others haven't recognized, citing examples like the toast and condiment packets.
The act of bowing is reevaluated in the context of a pandemic, suggesting it's a more hygienic form of greeting that could be adopted more widely.
The author concludes that travel's greatest reward is the opportunity to learn from and appreciate the creativity and problem-solving of other cultures.

Toast and Toilets: It’s the Little Things in Japan

A ten-year-old makes a snap judgment then changes her mind

Of all the amazing and fascinating aspects of life in Japan, it’s the little things that get you the most.

“Why are they bowing to us? They shouldn’t be bowing. Make them stop bowing. I don’t like it.” We had just pulled up at our hotel in Japan and the quintet of uniformed bellhops who rushed out to the car bowing to greet us and eager to help with our bags was too much for our eldest child to handle.

After an epic road trip from Boston to LA, a twelve-hour flight over the Pacific ocean, and a two-hour van ride across Tokyo from Narita International airport to the hotel at Haneda airport we were all exhausted and more than a little overwhelmed. And the trip was far from over as we need to catch a short morning flight to our final destination.

The only surprise was our ten-year-old cracking first. And that it was bowing which pushed her over the edge.

Things didn’t improve once we got up to our room. “What is wrong with this toilet? There are way too many buttons to push. Why is the seat warm? I don’t want water squirted on my bottom. What kind of country does this sort of thing? What is wrong with these people?”

Her younger siblings, on the other hand, were delighted by the water feature in the bathroom. “Japan is so cool,” declared the eight-year-old. Any of you who have ever been a child with a sibling yourself know that those were fighting words. Sides were being declared. Lines were being drawn.

Was or was not this an excellent country?

Jet lag had us all up way too early. A quick peek at the hotel breakfast buffet which prominently featured fish, rice, pickled vegetables, and a lack of anything our children were likely to eat made us decide to head straight to the terminal and hope for the best.

Sleep had not improved the ten-year old’s opinion of Japan and frankly the wonder of toilets with heated seats, sound effects to disguise bathroom noises, and buttons to aim water at your butt in a variety of angles and pressure levels, was starting to wear off on the now hungry younger children as well.

“That person is eating toast,” our youngest said as we passed a crowded restaurant. Sure enough, in amongst all the fish and seaweed salad diners, there was definitely someone eating toast. This was all the encouragement we needed.

All five of us ordered toast for breakfast.

The Japanese have an incredible knack for taking something simple and elevating it to absolute perfection. Their toast is no exception. Made with a very thick slice of soft white bread called shokupan, our toast arrived with a perfectly browned lightly crunchy exterior giving way to a delightfully fluffy interior.

Not only was the toast perfection but the toppings were a delight of Japanese ingenuity as well. Each slice of toast was served with a small packet of jam and butter that could be squeezed on to the toast one-handed in whatever pattern you wished. Breakfast and edible art project in one! Genius!

We kept ordering and eating toast until it was time to catch our flight.

“I really like Japan,” our eldest said. “This country is awesome.”

Toilets and toast are only two examples of basic everyday things where the rest of the world stopped at good enough but the Japanese kept seeking perfection.

Why haven’t Japanese style toilets taken off in the rest of the world? I understand that American bathrooms aren’t plumbed and wired for easy installation of a toilet that needs electricity and an extra water source, but at the very least heated toilet seats should have caught on by now.

Heated toilet seats, especially if you live in a cold climate, are one of those things you think you don’t need until you’ve had it for a while. Take it away and you will long for it the rest of your life. Trust me. The pain is real.

And the toast. I am not a skilled enough writer to even begin to do justice to the toast. We discovered that the thick slices were perfect for camping. Instead of roasting marshmallows over a fire, we put slices of bread on our stick, toasted it to perfection then topped it with the squeeze packets of butter and jam. No dishes, pure deliciousness.

Why hasn’t the dual condiment squeeze packets caught on in the West? The basic squeeze idea is American but the Japanese came up with the two pocket system that lets you dispense commonly used items together: butter and jam, peanut butter and jam, ketchup and mustard, honey and butter, dark and white chocolate.

Clearly, this system is so much better than the American standard of little packs of jam that you struggle to dig out with a knife along with cold pats of butter you have to unwrap and then try to spread.

The Japanese have a way of solving issues the rest of us haven’t even identified as problems yet. Each day of exploring brings another exclamation of, “This is genius. Why doesn’t everyone do it this way?’

In an age of Covid, even bowing as a form of greeting takes on a new brilliance. Why don’t we all do it this way?

Which is of course the ultimate joy and value of travel in any country. My way may not be your way and we can all learn from and delight in the creativity and ingenuity of others.

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