This weekend, I experienced (more like witnessed) one of the largest typhoons ever. But at the same time, I did not experience it at the same time. I guess I lucked out along with all the other international students when the typhoon skipped around our area. It was shocking to hear about the people dying in other areas of Japan, and I was saddened to hear about it happening so close to where I was. I am glad to live to see more of Japan, but the news about people who lost their lives reminded me about the reality of natural disasters in Japan.
One funny thing that I found out about Japanese people’s shopping habits before a typhoon was how they purchased all of the bread from the stores. This was something that I found funny since I never expected to ever see a section of the convenience store completely emptied out. From my perspective, I guess they are just preparing for the worst so it is in a way not too strange for them to worry like that (although I feel like this would rarely ever happen in America).
One strange thing I never realized about the stores here until now was how they have a tray for money. At first, I did not think much of its cultural significance until I Google searched about it this past weekend. Supposedly, it is a breach of manners and considered rude to directly hand the clerk money. After I learned this, I remembered about my first week here when I handed the clerk my money. Although I stopped doing that after that one time, this whole breach of Japanese customs must have been why the clerk stared at me like I was doing something strange.
I guess this past week was quite a whirlwind of events and I hope to continue learning more about Japan, even if it is about the seemingly insignificant things like the change/money trays in stores and restaurants. Let’s meet again next time!
Studying In Japan 