Avend I. Agram (get it? haha)

The following is a list of the differences, more often little than big, that I have come across between Japan and America, but it is not nearly comprehensive. I am also not going to include the more obvious ones (such as they speak Japanese and drive on the left side of the road). While I realize this is kind of the point of this blog in general, this will be just a more concise list.

It will be constantly added to as I come across more nuances in the next three years so check back frequently for updates.

These are not necessarily good or bad things, just things.
When appropriate or possible, I will try to include pictures.

•  All traffic lights are on a timer. So no matter the time of day, the weight of your vehicle, or if you press the crosswalk button you still have to wait the same amount of time.
• While they do have some Western style gas stations, many gas pumps hang from the ceiling, like this:

• Every car is installed with the annoying "beep beep" back-up sound usual only found in semis and golf carts. This may be because their preferred parking position is the 90* back-in.
• Japanese can be written horizontally and is read left to right (same) but it can also be written vertically and then it is read right to left (opposite).
• Folders open with the fold on the right. You can't always tell unless one side is the cover. For example, when we got our folder full of information on living out in town, the Japanese worker had taped a paper cover sheet on what we would call the back of the folder but to them it's the cover. (It's like opposite land over here!) This actually makes sense since most of their books are bound on the right.
• The most accepted and used method for buying stuff is in cash. A few accept credit cards and I have yet to see anyone write a check.
• To deposit/withdraw money in the bank, you not only need your deposit slip but also your "bank book" so they can mark the transaction in it. The bank book is just this wimpy paperback thing but you are expected to hang on to it and bring it with every time you go to the bank.
• The majority of people are still using clotheslines for drying their clothes. On any given day, you will see clothes hanging from lines at almost every house. And since most houses don't have yards (since they are so close together) they are hanging on the porch/patio/balcony or even in a closet.
• To turn on a lot of faucets in Japan you push the handle down, instead of pulling it up like you do in America.
• The toilets. More often than not you will find "Japanese toilets" aka the female urinal instead of your standard western style toilet. This will be best illustrated with a photo (to come).
• Instead of having central heating and air conditioning, every room has its own heater/air conditioner unit.
• Our water heater is not constantly on. When you want to take a shower or wash the dishes, you turn on the water heater and only then does it start heating up your water. Luckily, it heats up pretty quickly. Then you are done using it, if you forget to turn it off again, it intermittently beeps at you to remind you to turn it off.
• The sewage system. (See previous this or this post).