Japan 2026

IMPRESSIONS

After a two-week stay in Japan and visiting several cities (Tokyo, Gifu, Kyoto, Fukuyama, Osaka, Nagoya, Yokohama) and their surroundings, I notice the following:

Cleanliness

Everything is very clean. No trash or cigarette butts anywhere on the streets or in parks. The streets, restaurants we visited, public restrooms… everything is as clean as a pharmacy. I don’t notice trash bins anywhere. Everyone takes care of their own waste, carrying it with them until they find a place where it can be disposed of. There aren’t even birds on the streets (which usually leave their “marks,” especially pigeons).

Birds

This thing with the birds is very strange; during those two weeks of traveling through Japan, I saw only about 10 birds – in total. What’s the deal? I don’t know.

Beggars and homeless people

There are no beggars and homeless people on the streets. Something occurred to me: this is one of the few democratic countries where this is the case (unlike the ‘leading democracies’; the USA, Australia, England, France, Germany...)

Simplicity and practicality

The impression is that everything is somehow simple and practical; it occurred to me – sterile. From architecture to people's behavior; everything is precise and without unnecessary details. People's behavior is the same; they go about their business. Smiles and interactions with strangers are rare. They only do what they have to.

Traffic

The roads are excellent with plenty of overpasses, underpasses, metro and bullet train routes... Surprisingly, in a city with so many inhabitants (Tokyo has a total of 37 million in the metropolitan area), there is no traffic jam even at times when there are jams everywhere; 8 a.m. Probably most people use the metro or bullet train.

Relative congestion occurs only on Saturday mornings and Sunday afternoons. At that time, most people go on trips. Even then, although traffic is slowed, everything is under control and order is observed. To my surprise, there are few electric cars. There are some hybrids, but purely electric ones are very few. Mostly, gasoline cars up to 600cc are predominant (smaller engine capacity means lower taxes), which are marked with yellow license plates.

I notice some differences between the bullet trains (high-speed trains) in China and Japan.

While in China everything is automated and controlled from a central hub, in Japan the "human factor" still plays the main role. People operate on-site so that even the train dispatcher is present, which is a good thing; it cannot happen that a foreigner steps out of the train to take a photo and the doors close while the train leaves.

While in China train speeds are 305 km/h (and there are even ones at 670 km/h), here it is 280 km/h.

In China, railway stations look like airports (and the procedure is similar), here everything is simpler; practically like a subway.

In China, trains are probably intended for longer distances; there is a lot of space for luggage, whereas in Japan there is no space for luggage (at least I haven't noticed it). It feels more like a regular subway.

UTISCI

Posle dvonedeljnog boravka u Japanu i obilaska vise gradova (Tokio, Gifu, Kjoto, Fukujama, Osaka, Nagoja, Yokohama) sa okolinom, primecujem sledece:

Cistoca

Sve je veoma cisto. Nigde otpadaka i opusaka na ulicama i parkovima. Ulice, restorani u kojim smo bili, javni wc-i... sve je kao u apoteci. Ne primecujem korpe za otpatke nigde. Svi vode racuna o svom otpadu, nose sa sobom dok ne naidju na mesto gde se moze odlzoziti.

Cak nema ni ptica na ulicama (koje obicno ostavljaju svoje “tragove” (pogotovu golubovi).

Ptice

Ovo sa pticama je vrlo cudno; u te dve nedelje puta po Japanu videh samo oko 10 ptica – ukupno. U cemu je stvar? Ne znam.

Prosjaci i beskucnici

Na ulicama nema prosjaka i beskucnika. Pade mi na pamet nesto: ovo je jedna od retkih demokratskih zemalja gde je ovo slucaj (za razliku od ‘vodecih demokratija”; Amerike, Australije, Engleske, Francuske, Nemacke...)

Jednostavnost i prakticnost

Utisak je da je sve je nekako jednostavno i praktcno; pade mi na pamet – sterilno. Od arhitekture do ponasanja ljudi; sve je pod konac i bez suvisnih detalja. Ponasanje ljudi isto tako; idu i gledaju svoja posla. Retki su osmesi i interakcija sa strancima. Rade samo ono sto moraju.

Saobracaj

Saobracajnice su izvanredne sa mnostvom nadvoznjaka, podvoznjaka, metro i bullet train trasa... Zacudo, u gradu sa toliko stanovnika (Tokio 37 miliona ukupno u metropoli) da nema saobracajne guzve cak i u vreme kada svugde ima guzve; 8h jutro. Verovatno vecina koristi metro ili bullet train.

Relativne guzve su samo subotom pre podne i nedeljom popodne. U to vreme vecina ide na izlete. Pa i tada, mada je saobracaj usporen, sve je pod kontrolom i postuje se red.

Na moje iznenadjenje malo ima elektricnih automobila. Ima nesto hibrida ali cisto elektricnih - vrlo malo. Uglavnom su zastupljeni benzinci do 600ccm (na manju kubikazu je manji porez) koji su obelezeni zutim registarskim tablicama.

Primecujem neke razlike izmedju bullet train (brzog voza) u Kini I Japanu.

Dok je u Kini sve automatizovano i diriguje se iz jednog centra, u Japanu jos uvek “ljudski faktor” vodi glavnu rec. Ljudi upravljaju na licu mesta tako da je cak i otpravnik vozova prisutan sto je i dobro; ne moze se desiti da stranac izadje iz voza da napravi snimak a vrata se u medjuvremenu zatvore i voz ode.

Dok je u Kini brzina vozova 305km (a ima ih i od 670km/h), ovde je 280km/h)

U Kini zeleznicke stanice izgledaju kao aerodromi (a, i procedura je ista) ovde je sve jednostavnije; prakticno kao da se radi o metrou.

U Kini su vozovi verovatno predvidjeni za vece distance; ima dosta mesta za prtljag do u japanu mesto za prtljag i ne postoji (bar ja nisam primetio). Vise deluje kao obican metro.

Stairs on the main facade

It is noticeable that most high-rise buildings have stairs on the main facade, i.e., the facade facing the street (unlike in other countries where the stairs are recessed inside, and only fire escape stairs are placed on the facade, usually on the courtyard or back side). There are several explanations:

Many buildings have restaurants, bars, or small businesses on different floors. Exterior stairs allow direct access without a large common hall. This saves interior space.
Structurally, they are simpler and easier to monitor (easier and cheaper to maintain) in case of damage due to an earthquake.
On many buildings, they even serve as a decorative element.

Stepenice na glavnoj fasadi

Pada u oci da vecina visespratnica imaju stepenice na glavnoj fasadi, tj fasadi prema ulici (za razliku od drugih zemalja gde se stepenice povlace unutra a samo se pozarne stepenice izbacuju na fasadu i to prema dvorisnoj ili zadnjoh strani). Objasnjenja ima vise:

Mnoge zgrade imaju restorane, barove ili male firme na različitim spratovima. Spoljašnje stepenice omogućavaju direktan ulaz bez velikog zajedničkog hola. Tu je usteda u unutrasnjem prostoru.
Konstruktivno su jednostavnije i lakse ih je kontrolisati (lakse i jeftinije odrzavanje) ako dodje do ostecenja usled zemljotresa.
Na mnogim zgradama cak sluze i kao dekorativni element.

Toilets with a remote control

Toilets, including public ones, are very clean. What catches the eye and (for most new users) creates problems is the “remote control” and the inability to find the flush button immediately. The controls are either built into the toilet, attached to the wall, or as a separate remote control.

I often remember the actor Will Smith, who expressed his admiration for toilets in Japan while talking to Kimmel. For him, it left the strongest impression after visiting the country, to the point that he had to order one of these toilet seats from Japan upon his return to America.

The toilet is connected not only to water but also to electricity. The seat is heated, the water cleans the buttocks (temperature and spray strength are controlled), and it can also serve as a bidet. There are models with automatic water release, motion sensors, and deodorizer. There are even "musical" models that make the experience in the toilet more pleasant with options like the sound of water, soft ambient music, the sound of a stream, or nature, etc.

WC-i sa daljinskim upravljacem

WC-i, ukljucujuci i javne, su vrlo cisti. Ono sto pada u oci i (vecini novih korisnika) stvara probleme je “daljinski upraljac” i nemogucnost nalazenja dugmeta za praznjenje kazanceta u prvom trenuku. Komande su ili deo WC solje, pricvrscene za zid ili kao odvojeni daljinski upravljac.

Cesto se setim glumca Vil Smita (Will Smith) koji je u razgovoru sa Kimelom izrazavao odusevljenje WC-ima u Japanu. To je za njega ostavilo najsnazniji utisak posle posete toj zemlji da je morao, po povratku u Ameriku, da naruci iz Japana jednu takvu WC solju.

O cemu se radi; WC je sem na vodu povezan i na struju. Daska se greje, voda ispira zadnjicu (kontrolise se temperatura vode i jacina mlaza), moze da sluzi i kao bide. Ima modela sa automatskim pustanjem vode, senzorima pokreta i sa dezodoransom. Ima i “muzikalnih” modela koji cine boravak u WC-u prijatnijim sa varijantama: zvuk vode, tihom ambijentalnom muzikom, sum reke ili prirode itd.

Attitude Towards Foreign Tourists

The English would call it an Unfriendly Tourist Country.

a. Hotel Rooms

I have visited 40-50 countries and stayed in a few hundred hotels. Nowhere have I seen smaller rooms in this category of hotels (4 stars). Hotel standards in Japan differ from standards in Europe and Australia. Foreign tourists come with suitcases. There is no space to even open smaller suitcases. In most hotels, there is no wardrobe for storing clothes. Two people have trouble moving past each other in the room. Everything is miniature and basic.

This also applies to the size of the mini fridge in the room. These fridges are usually not large, but those in Japan surpass all; they look like all the others, but when opened, you can see that the depth is only about 10 cm, i.e., enough to fit a pack of 6 beer cans.

Slippers are usually disinfected after guests use them, wrapped in a bag, and wait for new guests. This is not the case here; they are given without disinfection, which surprised me unpleasantly; I haven’t experienced that even in African countries.

b. Restaurants in hotels

They are mostly open only for breakfast. Everything is somewhat reduced to a minimum. They often remind me of student cafeterias; both the food and the (self) service.

c. Carrying luggage

Hotels are mostly in central and busy parts of the city. In the morning, a bus can reach (near) the entrance of most hotels, but in the afternoon it cannot (due to “regulations”), so suitcases have to be dragged for several hundred meters, which is difficult for older tourists (who are the majority). There is no hotel staff to help.

d. Knowledge of English

Japanese generally do not speak English, which is a problem in restaurants, shops, and sometimes even in hotels.

e. Souvenirs

Surprisingly, for a country with a rich culture and tradition, there is a lack of souvenirs specific to Japan and its history. Mostly, it all comes down to magnets, fans, and toys. We found such items in only 2-3 shops (counting all the cities we visited). The price is surprisingly high compared to the same quality wooden, marble, or metal figures, for example, in China, India, Vietnam, Cambodia, South Africa... They are roughly 10 times more expensive than the same items in the mentioned countries.

Odnos prema stranim turistima

Englezi bi rekli Unfriendly tourist country.

Hotelske sobe

Obisao sam 40-50 zemalja i spavao u par stotina hotela. Nigde nisam video manje sobe u ovoj kategoriji hotela (4 zvezdice). Standardi hotela u Japanu se razlikuju od standarda u Evropi i Australiji. Strani turisti dolaze sa kuferima. Nema mesta za otvaranje cak i manjih kufera. U vecini hotela nema plakara za odlaganje garderobe. Dve osobe imaju problem za mimoilazenje u sobi. Sve je minijaturno i bazicno.

Tu se uklapa i velicina bar frizidera u sobi. Ti frizideri obicno nisu veliki ali ovi, u Japanu, nadmasuju sve; izgledaju kao i svi drugi ali kada se otvore, vidi se da je dubina svega negde oko 10cm tj dovoljno da se stavi pakovanje od 6 konzervi piva.

Obicno se papuce posle upotrebe jednih gostiju dezinfikuju i umotaju u kesu i tako cekaju nove goste. To ovde nije slucaj; daju se nedezinfikovane sto me je neprijatno iznenadilo; to nisam doziveo ni u Africkim zemljama.

Restorani u hotelima

Uglavnom su otvoreni samo za dorucak. Sve je nakako svedeno na minimum. Cesto me podsecaju na studenske restorane; kako hrana tako i (self) servis.

Nosenje prtljaga

Hoteli su mahom u centralnim i prometnim delovima grada. Do vecine autobus pre podne moze stici do (blizu) ulaza ali po podne ne moze (zbog “propisa”) tako da se kuferi moraju tegliti i po nekoliko stotina metara sto starijim turistima (kojih je vecina) pada tesko. Nema osoblja hotela koje bi pomoglo.

Znanje engleskog

Japanci uglavnom ne govore engleski sto je problem u restoranima, radnjama pa, ponekad, i u hotelima.

Suveniri

Iznenadjujuce za zemlju sa botatom kulturom i tradicijom nedostatak suvenira specificnih za Japan i njegovu istoriju. Uglavnom se sve svodi na magnete, lepeze I – igracke. Da kazem "prave" suvenire smo pronasli samo u 2-3 radnje (racunajuci sve gradove koje smo obisli). Cena je iznenadjuce visoka u poredjenju sa istim kvalitetom drvenih, mermernih ili metalnih figura recimo u Kini, Indiji, Vijetnamu, Kamodzi, Juznoj africi... Skuplji su otprile 10x u odnosu na iste stvari u pomenutim zemljama.