🇯🇵 50 Little Things That Make Japan Weirdly Satisfying

[00:00:00][music] [music] >> Some countries impress you with famous landmarks and inspiring historical contributions to society.

[00:00:22]Japan certainly has those.

[00:00:26]But what often keeps many people talking about Japan long after they leave isn't Mount Fuji or ancient temples.

[00:00:34]It's the simple, tiny moments.

[00:00:37]The little details you never expected.

[00:00:40]The things that make you stop for just a second and think, laugh, or wonder what [music] just happened.

[00:00:47]That was oddly satisfying or maybe a little strange. Or at least kind of cool.

[00:00:56]None of these are world-changing inventions. Most aren't even tourist attractions. They're simply some small things that quietly make everyday life feel a little smoother, a little more enjoyable, or at least weirdly strange for outsiders.

[00:01:14]>> [music] >> In no particular order, here are 50 little things that I think make Japan weirdly satisfying. Or at least as I mentioned previously, kind of cool.

[00:01:25]>> [music] >> One.

[00:01:28]Hearing that gentle melody that announces your train is arrived.

[00:01:36]>> [music] >> Two.

[00:01:43]Watching the seaweed wrap perfectly around a convenience store rice ball as you pull the plastic tabs.

[00:01:50]Well, most of the time anyways.

[00:01:55]Three.

[00:01:56]Informal rules for lining up that everyone actually follows.

[00:02:04]Four.

[00:02:06]Watching department store workers bow as the store opens.

[00:02:13]Five. Opening a taxi door without even touching it.

[00:02:18]>> [music] >> Six.

[00:02:26]A vending machine waiting exactly where you hoped one would be.

[00:02:31]And buying a hot drink from it.

[00:02:33]>> [music] >> Seven.

[00:02:37]Children being bused to school.

[00:02:42]>> [music] >> Eight.

[00:02:45]Japanese toilets.

[00:02:47]>> [music] >> Need I say more?

[00:02:51]Nine.

[00:02:53]And along that line, finding usually clean public [clears throat] restrooms almost everywhere.

[00:03:02]10.

[00:03:03]The sounds and vibes of outdoor hot springs.

[00:03:10]11.

[00:03:12]Japanese bicycle parking.

[00:03:16]>> [music] >> 12.

[00:03:19]Watching hundreds of people cross Shibuya Crossing without anyone bumping into each other.

[00:03:25]Well, at least not on purpose, usually.

[00:03:30]>> [music] >> 13. Seeing construction workers taking special care not to inconvenience the public.

[00:03:37]>> [music] >> 14. The satisfaction of a train arriving exactly where the platform markings say it will.

[00:03:50]15.

[00:03:51]>> [music] >> Umbrella stands outside stores that everyone somehow trusts.

[00:03:57]Well, mine's been stolen a couple of times, but for the most part.

[00:04:02]>> [music] >> 16 restaurant displays that look exactly like the food you'll receive.

[00:04:10]>> [music] >> 17 The strangeness of mascots in Japan.

[00:04:16]>> [music] >> 18 Tiny wet towels handed to you before a meal.

[00:04:25]>> [music] >> 19 The consistent proximity to both mountains and the ocean.

[00:04:35]>> [music] >> 20 Japanese gift wrapping and packaging that looks like art.

[00:04:43]>> [music] >> 21 The contradiction between traditional and modern food menus at restaurants.

[00:04:57]22 >> [music] >> Cashiers placing money on a tray instead of putting it on or tossing it across the counter.

[00:05:05]>> [music] >> 23 The sea of new and exciting things that you have no idea what they are when you enter a traditional good shop.

[00:05:19]24 Convenience store food that is usually a first for foreign tourists and always good.

[00:05:29]25 Self-serve beer machines.

[00:05:34]>> [music] >> 26 Toilet paper that actually teaches you things.

[00:05:46]>> [music] >> 27, fruit displayed like jewelry and sometimes costing just as much.

[00:05:55]>> [music] >> 28, seasonal drinks that disappear before you can buy them again.

[00:06:05]29, the sounds played at passenger crossings.

[00:06:19]30, all you can drink and all you can eat options at restaurants for a very affordable price.

[00:06:30]>> [music] >> 31, quiet train rides even when packed where everyone somehow knows the unwritten rules.

[00:06:38]>> [music] >> 32, the realization that you can't find a garbage bin even though the streets are immaculate until you finally do.

[00:06:55]33, shoes lined up perfectly outside temples, schools, and homes.

[00:07:04]34, [music] convenience stores that are safe and clean at 2:00 a.m.

[00:07:12]>> [music] >> 35, neighborhood police boxes on street corners.

[00:07:22]36, coin lockers exactly where you need them.

[00:07:30]37, innovative can and bottle options for drinks.

[00:07:37]>> [music] >> 38, multi-use heaters on a cold winter's day.

[00:07:44]>> [music] >> 39, electronic highway toll booths.

[00:07:52]>> [music] >> 40, sitting on a bench in the summer heat listening to the sounds of Japanese summer.

[00:08:05]>> [music] >> 41, the intensity of Japanese festivals.

[00:08:15]42, train stations that somehow manage to move hundreds of thousands of people every day without feeling chaotic.

[00:08:26]43, watching people peacefully sleep on a train, even if only for a few stops, and still able to wake up and get off in time.

[00:08:39]>> [music] >> 44, watching commuters patiently wait for everyone to get off the train before boarding.

[00:08:47]>> [music] >> 45, interactions with friendly animals.

[00:08:55]>> [music] >> Or not.

[00:09:04]46, regional manhole covers that turn ordinary streets into public art galleries.

[00:09:13]47, really funny and creative use of English, sometimes.

[00:09:20]>> [music] >> 48, the availability of the freshest seafood everywhere.

[00:09:31]49, innovative ways to keep cool in the blazing summer heat.

[00:09:40]50.

[00:09:41]Leaving Japan and suddenly noticing all the little things you had stopped thinking about while you were there.

[00:09:52]Now, none of these moments are especially important or life-altering on their own, and in fact, most last only a few seconds.

[00:10:00]But maybe that's exactly the point. With globalization, many things in Japan are probably becoming similar to things in your own home country.

[00:10:10]But many things aren't. [music] Japan isn't satisfying because of just one spectacular thing, though I might put my vote in for the toilets.

[00:10:21]It's satisfying because hundreds of tiny details quietly work together to make everyday life feel smoother, calmer, and more thoughtful.

[00:10:31]Most visitors probably aren't conscious of these moments while they're happening and only notice them after they get home. When they instinctively wait for a train that isn't on time.

[00:10:45]So, of course, I could probably go on with at least 50 more things to add to this list, but I'm interested in what do you think?

[00:10:53]What stood out the most for you on your trip to Japan?

[00:10:57]What do you miss the most?

[00:10:58]>> [music] >> Let me know in the comments section, and as always, if you like this video, please like, subscribe, and share it and the channel with anyone that you think might enjoy it.

[00:11:10]Thanks again, and see you next