My first days in Japan

I wake up and I realize I am in Japan. I breathe Japanese air. And I also had the first opportunities to try out my scarce Japanese language knowledge on real Japanese people. To the stewardess on the way to Fukuoka I said “pen onegai shimasu”. I said “arigatou gozaimasu” to the taxi driver who brought us to the hostel. Making the payment for my room I asked “ ‘I would like to make the payment for my room’ wa nihongo de nan desuka?”. And the people understood and answered me! I was so proud, haha!
I have to admit that Japan does not fascinate me as much as Taipei. Taipei was so much more exotic. Japan is very modern and reminds me of Germany in many ways. I don’t know how to describe it exactly to you but Japan feels so “normal”. Of course, there are huge cultural differences. But I am spoiled from Taipei and I still compare everything to it. I know I should not do it but I cannot help it… So I will try to concentrate on the differences between Germany and Japan.
Fukuoka is hot. We have 30 degrees, but the humidity is not as bad as in Taipei.
Entering Japan is like entering model world. All the Japanese girls are so skinny and they are styled from head to toe: clothes make up, hair, nails, and accessories. If you have no complexes about your looks yet, here is the place to develop them. In Germany it is normal that women’s magazines depict models that do not represent the average German woman. But in Japan the women on the street look exactly like the models in the magazines! The looks range from elegant, cute, romantic, business chic to slutty. Some women like to sport the Lolita look to the extreme or the gothic look. But most of the girls and women just look like high fashion models. Welcome to hell! :D
I did some thinking and came up with this.
How to look like a Japanese woman
1. Emphasize your (skinny and long) legs. Wear high heels and short skirts.
2. Wear bangs.
3. Wear fake lashes.
4. Buy clothes made of shiny or silky material.


Lolita look or something like that


Model world

Although Japan is a more developed and modern country than Taipei, I have the feeling that the Taiwanese can speak better English than the Japanese. When we were talking in English to people on the street, in the shops or behind the train station desks, they hardly uttered any English words.
Today, we went to the Asian Art Museum, where we learned that the stamps in public places can be collected.
The Tenjin shopping place is a shopping paradise.





There you can find many and huge department stores (like Mutsukashi) and many restaurants. Our Japan Lonely Planet guide mentioned a Ramen place called Ichiran. Curiously, we entered the “restaurant” and were immediately sent outside again. We had to buy a ticket at a vending machine first. We had to buy a Ramen ticket with optional extras. Then we could go inside again and every one was shown his own small booth with a whole in front of him, where the ramen was served. It was being in an establishment where you can watch a peep show. When your ramen is served the curtain is closed so that you can eat in private.