Here they are, the top 4 reasons why I love living in Japan. It was a tough decision but these are the boys that made the cut. enjoy:
4. Heated Toilette Seats– The country of squat toilets also has the most advanced places to rest your bum. An option for these space age loo’s is heat. At first I didn’t really take to the idea. 1- It was summer when I came, the last thing I wanted was more heat in my life. 2-It felt more like a fat sweaty man just rocked the toilet before I came in. Then in the winter when central heat was a commodity I found relief on the toilet in more ways that one.
3. Bakeries / Pastries: Japan may not have invented baked goods, and bread may not be the base of the Japanese diet, but they do baking and sweets so so well. I’m not talking about unfamiliar Japanese pastries, the same eclairs, croissants, and cakes I already know, just better. The best part is these treats aren’t hard to find. my tiny town has 4 fantastic patisseries (yes I’ve tried them all), they are everywhere. I may or may not have developed a cream puff addiction within the last 8 months.
extra bonus, they're organic
2. Daiso / 100 yen Store: Its safe to say that 78.6% of the items in my apartment were purchased for about a dollar. I have Daiso, Japan’s 100yen / Dollar store, to thank for all the money that I have saved. The 100yen shops here are clean places of wonderment. Unlike the dollar stores of America that I visited where I was semi positive that I would be involved in some sort of drug bust or contract hepatitis from the items purchased there. Not Daiso, every time I walk in I get an overwhelming sense of joy and possibility. You never know what you are gonna find for 100 yen. All the dishes and utensils in my kitchen, sunglasses, cleaning supplies, santa costumes, a cooler, fishing pole, piggy bank, small tools, towels, and thousands of stickers were purchased for about a buck.
where all the magic
1. かわいい (cute) Signage: Japan is the land of かわいい. What else would you expect from the birthland of Hello Kitty? They even maged to make the “monsters” of Pokemon adorable. The cute doesn’t stop with plush toys and school supplies, its everywhere. From advertisements, packaging, warning signs, public service announcements, to entire trains- there’s always a little cute something smiling back at you.
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