That's Japan! (Issue 3)

Folks, it's time once again to revisit the whacky, astonishing, beautiful and sometimes not so beautiful world of Japan. In this weeks installment- we will talk about the convenience of bank machines, Policemen in a box, traditional festivals for every city, do it yourself restaurants and we'll introduce one of the most famous Japanese-style hamburger fast food joints. It's a big issue, so let's get started!

1. The ATM

Got big plans for the weekend? Your friends call you up late at night on a Friday to go out to the nightclub? Taking your family on an exciting trip to Ise jingu? You'd better plan ahead! The ATM's run at only set times most bank's ATM's closing at 7 pm or earlier (not to mention the banks themselves close at 3pm!) and don't open at all on Sundays. The times seem to be getting better lately, you can hit the ATM at the local 7-11 and pay an additional fee of 150 to 300 yen, but you just learn to bank during normal hours. Sheesh, it's not like they have to pay the machines overtime for working late or anything. Guess sometimes we take the 24 hour convenience for granted in Canada... Oh, and of note, if you are visiting here from another country, come prepared as Japanese ATM's aren't on the Plus system so you can't use your Debit or Visa card at a machine.
2. Koban

There are big police stations here, but a good idea to spread the police force out amongst the communities to improve accessibility is the koban, or police boxes spread out everywhere. The boxes can be simply a small room or like a mini-office if they are covering a larger area. Sometimes you will find the koban empty if they are out patrolling, but you know eventually they will turn up! I think this is a fantastic idea, and immerses specific police officers in a community so may make the police seem more a part of your neighborhood.


3.Matsuri

In Japan virtually every city, actually every ward has their own matsuri or festival. I have never figured out when the local Shinpara matsuri is, but throughout summer, almost ever week a different community is having a small celebration. Usually they set up little food kiosks called yomise and will cart around large beautiful floats called yatai (or dashi or mikoshi - my main source my wife wasn't sure what I was talking about) as pictured above. In Hamamatsu, the main matsuri is held in late April/early May and is predominantly a kite festival, where people congregate at Nakatajima Dunes and competitively fly their large kites. I have yet to see it though!
4. D-I-Y restaurants

One of the bigger chuckles I got out of the movie Lost in Translation was when the two main characters go to a shabu shabu restaurant and are handed a big plate of raw meat to cook for themselves. I think this is one big thing that people won't get back home- some of the most popular restaurants involve cooking the food yourself. It's actually quite fun, but most of us have the idea that we go to a restaurant to be served food- but if we go to a Yakiniku, okonomiyaki or shabu shabu restaurant, you better be ready to cook the food yourself. The hot freshly cooked food is just delicious and it come highly recommended!

5. Featured- Japan's answer to McDonald's Mos burger

Of course in Japan, you can very easily go to Mc Donald's or in the bigger cities, Wendy's but the biggest burger shop in Japan is MOS burger.The initials of MOS burger represent Mountain, Ocean and Sun- I guess it gives the place an earthly feel. The MOS burgers are actually quite delicious and kick McD's butt,but as a gaijin the big complaint about the place is that the burgers are actually quite small and the price is higher than other places! Anyway, if you have a hankering for a delicious teriyaki burger, or their main item, the MOS burger which is coated in onions (which means of course that I can't eat it- since I hate onions) give it a whir!

Wacky? Unbelievable? Exhilarating? That's Japan!