Do Japanese bargain in Japan?

No. They don't have the custom of bargaining with small merchants and shopkeepers that you find in other countries in Asia. The prices in japanese shops are firm. The clerk or storekeeper would be smewhat offended if a customer tried to haggle. Japanese in general don't like to argue about prices, especially in public.

There are some reward for a good customer. It's called omake. This is the custom of a small shopkeeper giving something extra to the customer. But the important thing is that they never ask for it. It's up to the shopkeeper to decide when and for whom to do it.

Well, omake might be a bit more of whatever the customer is buying. For example, if you're buying fruit, the clerk might throw in a few extra pieces. Or you might be given a tiny discount, or a small gift of something else that's sold there.

Do Japanese smoke a lot??

Yes and no. Japanese smoke more than Americans do, but less than they used to. The no-smoking movement began later in Japan than it did in the States. But Japanese are trying to catch up. They're designating more no-smoking areas in public places, and their cigarette packages carry the health-hazard warning.

Japanese are becoing sensitive to the issue. On the whole, they are trying to be more sensitive to others. Before lighting a cigarette, they might ask if anyone minds. In the past, this would have been rare. And the health concerns are there, many japanese have stopped smoking.

Non-smokers are not militant like in the States. Few Japanese would ask someone in a public place to put out a cigarette, and people aren't suing the tobacco companies.

Rush Hours in Japan

Rush hours in japan are very crowded. Trains begin to fill shortly after seven AM, and the peak is between eight and nine AM. Major train stations and their platforms are full of people. The trains are so crowded that the expression "packed like sardines" isn't an ex-aggeration. At some platforms, station personnel routinely help the passeengers board the trains safely by pushing them through the doors from behind. The evening rush hour is between five and six thirty, and conditions are much better than in the morning.

Yes, it's really that crowded. Foreigners living in Japan are amazed at their rush hour commuter trains. Once you're on the train, you're packed in so tightly that you dont even need to hold onto anything. There's no danger of falling.

Roads are very crowded too. Traffic is especially bad between eight and nice thirty. But even after that, heavy traffic continues all day in big cities like Tokyo. There are just too many cars for limited streets and highways. If you absolutely must be on time for something, you either start very early or go by train or subway instead of by car or cab.

Subways in Japan

Japanese have subway systems in the major cities like Tokyo, Yokohama, Osaka, Kyoto, Nagoya, Kobe, Fukuoka, and Sapporo. The existing systems are being expanded all the time. And new ones are being built too. Japan's subways are the primary means of urban commuter transportation. They're expecially convenient because they link up with commuter railroads. And they're fast, clean, and efficient.

Most people think they are easy to use. There are detailed maps of the various systems at the station entrances. Many foreigners learn their way around very quickly. Stations have signs in Roman letters, or romaji, which helps.

And yes, they're really clean and safe. Japanese don't have much vandalism on the subways. And there's little crime in Japan in general. So you can ride the subways quite safely, even late at night. And they're relatively comfortable, except maybe during rush hour.

Japanese Cab Drivers

The cab drivers do not usually speak English. Few japanese cab drivers speak English. But there's no problem. Just tell the desk clerk at your hotel where you want to go. Ask him or her to write it in Japanese on a piece of paper. Then give the paper to the cab driver to read.

How can we pay if the drivers don't speak english?

That's easy. All cabs must have meters. You can just read the meter to see how much you owe.

Are the cab drivers used to foreigners?

Many of them are. But you should remember two things when you take a cab. Don't open or close the door yourself - the driver does it automatically. And you might not be taken right to your destination. You might have to walk a block or two from a main road after you're let off.

Nursery Schools in Japan

There are many nursery schools in Japan. But they don't have as many as in some western countries. That's probably because they have fewer working mothers. Japanese mothers have traditionally stayed home to take care of their young children themselves. But this has been changing. Many people now send their children to nursery schools as soon as they're old enough.

Most of the nursery schools are private. But there are also some public sponsored nursery schools. And some of the nursery schools will keep the children all day for the convenience of working mothers.

Is it easy to find a good nursery schools?
That depends on where you live and what's available in your neighborhood. It's true that some nursery schools are much better than others. And these days some nursery schools are really prep schools to help children get into good kindergartens.

Transportation in Japan

The average family usually have one car. Two-car families are relatively rare in Japanese cities. One reason is the expense. Another is space. Most japanese cities are crowded, and there's not much space for parking cars. The main streets have heavy traffic, and the residential streets are often narrow and winding. In order to own a car, you have to prove that you have an off-street parking space.

This really does limit car ownership. Even if you do have a place to keep one car, finding a second space is very difficult. It is posible to rent a parking space, of couse. But that could cost hundreds of dollars a month. In rural areas, where space is available, two-car families are more common.

Public transportation is good - very good. Having just one car or even no car at all isn't usually a problem in Japan. Public transportation is fast and convenient. Japanese have good buses, subways, and commuter trains. And many taxis are available.