5 things to know before your trip to Japan

Why did “Disneyland” add “Tokyo” to its name if it’s not in Tokyo?

Located in Urayasu city, Chiba prefecture, the main reason why Tokyo Disneyland was not built in Tokyo is that there wasn’t enough space in Tokyo to build it at the time. On top of that, in 1974, the company “Oriental Land Co. Ltd.” pitched the current location to the Walt Disney Company, as Urayasu is relatively close to Tokyo and it isn’t popular as a residential area. Unlike the popular city, it doesn’t rain so much in Uryasu as compared with other areas – which is crucial for a lot of theme parks as many of the rides do not operate when it’s raining.

Fancy some ice cream? Well, you’ll be glad to know that Japan not only has some of the best soft serves, but they also have some of the most interesting flavours to choose from. Some of the more interesting toppings and flavours that you can expect to try at the ice cream parlours here include Wasabi, Shoyu (soy sauce), Wakame (seaweed), Beer (non-alcoholic), and Deep Fried Oysters. Yes, you read that right. Of course, they do have other sweeter and traditional options, but if you’re adventurous enough to try something out of the ordinary, then Japan is where you need to be.

In Singapore, it’s customary to stand on the left side of the escalator, leaving space on the right side for people to walk by. The same rules apply when you’re in Tokyo. However, in Osaka, the rules are reversed, and most people stand on the right side instead.

We know, it might cause all sorts of confusion, but you can really see this when you watch the arrival of a flight from Tokyo to one of the Osaka area airports. While it may not be a big issue, it is still important to be mindful of others, especially the locals. Additionally, if you are in Kyoto, there are many people from all over Japan so this rule doesn’t apply.

Unlike Singapore, it is legal to drink anywhere you go in Japan.

You can drink alcohol on the train, in a park, or in the streets. What’s more, you can also buy alcoholic beverages from vending machines.

Also, contrary to most parts of the world, smoking is still allowed in many closed places. These include some restaurants, cafes and hotels. However, these restrictions are increasing and more places are implementing a ban on smoking, so it’s important to check before you light one.

In Japanese society, most of them call each other by their family names. For example, Suzuki-san, Honda-san, Miyazaki-san, etc. And this usually applies in public places including workplaces. However, there are many variations in the Kanji (Chinese characters) used for names that are spelt the same in Roman letters – which can be confusing. This is also one of the reasons why many of them still use personal stamps/chop instead of signatures for many official functions.

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