Do you have extra money and don't know how to spend it? Then you should definitely visit Japan. You will be interested in reading 10 little-known facts about Japan, a country of great opportunities and unusual ideas.
10. Visit a cafe for cats
There are two types of people in the world: those who hate cats and those who adore them. Fortunately for cats, the Japanese are very fond of them. They enjoy spending time with four-legged pets. But there is one very serious problem: not every Japanese can afford to keep a pet in a rented apartment with small children or, for example, having an allergy. Homeowners in Japan are very strict and do not allow cats in the apartment.
So what's a young animal lover to do? Visit the cat cafe, of course! While the first cafés did not appear in Taiwan until the late 90s, these cat establishments in Japan were being taken by storm. Today, there are about 150 cat cafes throughout Japan. An ideal place where people can relax with their beloved animals.
Cat cafes can accommodate 12 to 24 cats. In addition to purebred cats, you can also find mixed breed cats here. Customers spend their time sipping coffee (typically around $ 1.97), lounging on sofas, and waiting for their pets to be brought in. Some visitors may even take pictures of cats, only using flash is strictly prohibited. Cat cafes attract people from all walks of life. Tourists, employees, businessmen - all stop to relax with the kittens. Although most spend about an hour and a half in a cafe, some stay until six hours, while others take a full day off from work to visit the cafe, hoping to escape from the hard everyday life.
Obviously, this can get expensive. In the cafe "Neko no mise"cost - $ 1.50 for every 10 minutes. Calico customers pay $ 9 for the first hour and about $ 2 for every 15 minutes thereafter. However, if you love cats but can't keep a pet at home all the time, the cat cafe is well worth the money. Check out the article 10 of the cutest pets.
9. Buy a clone
Ever wondered if you want a mini version of yourself? If you visit Tokyo's Clone Factory, a dream can come true. Of course, your new self can be small and inanimate. Unfortunately, the factory did not reveal the secret of creating a full clone, but they came up with the following thing. If you are willing to spend $ 1,300 - 1,750, techno masters can make a doll that will be an exact replica. The process includes the use of digital cameras and a 3D printer. Don't bother reading the article 10 cheap and affordable 3D printers on the market.
After the client sits on a chair, they are filmed with cameras from different angles. After the photo session is over, the technician makes a digital map of the client's head, prints it out and transforms it into a smiling doll head. The creations of the Clone Factory are very popular with brides who want to immortalize their wedding day in 3D. Optionally, you can wear an anime style doll or Stormtrooper armor. Then you can take the doll home and show your friends a 50cm version of yourself.
8. Send your pet toy on vacation
In 2001, in the French film "Amelie"The eponymous heroine beats her father's garden gnome hard and sends him on a trip around the world. A personal stewardess photographs the little guy in front of famous landmarks. In Japan, Sono Azuma does the same for a small fee, only with toy animals.
Azuma runs a crazy but lovable travel agency known as Unagi Travel... For $ 45, she accompanies teddy bears, cute sheep, and teddy dogs around Tokyo, photographing them in front of attractions such as the Tokyo TV Tower and Sensoji Temple in Asakusa. For $ 55, she gives the toys a VIP tour of Japanese hot springs. Dolls do not spend much time in water, although there is such a possibility. Azuma even offers services to people outside of Japan.
She runs an English-language website for clients in America and Europe where clients can explore and purchase tours of Kyoto ($ 95), Kumano Kodo ($ 55) and Mystery Trip ($ 35). During the trip, she informs customers about the whereabouts of toys via Facebookand when the trip is over, she mails the toys and photos back home for free.
While Azuma's business seems a little quirky, it is actually a source of comfort for many people. For example, tours have helped people grieving the loss of family members. Observing the dolls traveling around Japan improved their mood and helped them cope with grief. Azuma also inspired many people to appreciate each day and enjoy new experiences. She told a story about a woman who was paralyzed. At first she was too depressed to undergo therapy, but after seeing pictures of her toys driving through Tokyo, she decided to visit those interesting places and got back on her feet. In the end, Unagi Travel is entertainment and inspiration for people who cannot travel on their own.
7. Hire a friend for the day
Feeling lonely? Many people in Japan are prone to blues. In fact, over a million citizens suffer from heightened loneliness when they lock themselves in bedrooms and end all relationships with family and friends. While most Japanese people are not so lonely, many have a hard time meeting new people. This is where a friend for hire can come in handy. Companies like Hageiashi Tai hire actors to fill any role, from boyfriend to best man. For example, fake friends meet at weddings and pretend to be friends of the bride or groom.
One unmarried lady hired a guy to accompany her on a sports day at the child's school, posing as an uncle, and another woman rented a fake admirer to make her lover jealous. Company Ossan Rental fills translates as “Rent of older men”And rents out two men: founder and fashion expert Tekenobu Nishimoto (46) and former baseball player Mikio Sandou (65). For $ 10 an hour, these older gentlemen will escort customers to stores, play games and spend time. Although the rent Ossan it may seem strange, their services are purely platonic, and nothing else, they help single people meet and make a real relationship.
6. Take a dip in the pool filled with wine
Hakone Kowakien Yunessun Is a hot spring located outside of Tokyo. Yunessun Spa Resort - open only twelve days a year and it certainly attracts a crowd. In addition to themed spas such as the ancient Roman baths, the resort also offers quirky pools filled with liquids, most of which we perceive as regular drinks. For example, one pool is filled with green tea, which is believed to be good for the skin. Customers looking for something a little stronger could dive into the spa coffee and relax in the world's largest Joe's cup (employees actually brew potted coffee and roll it into the pool in kegs).
Of course, if you are into alcoholic beverages, there are spa treatments that supposedly help get rid of wrinkles. Oddly enough, there is a bathtub that contains a lot of pepper and pork broth. The most popular pool, however, is the red wine spa poured from a giant Merlot bottle. And if you ever decide to visit Yunnessun, stop by Valentine's Day when the resort offers a sticky chocolate bath. Check out our 10 Best Spa Resorts and Spa Hotels in the World.
5. Hire a fake priest
Christianity is not very popular in Japan. While 77% of Americans and almost 60% of Britons are determined to believe, only 1% of Japanese people believe in Jesus Christ. And that's what makes Japanese weddings so weird. Almost 90% of weddings are carried out in the traditional Christian way: with white dresses, “Ave Maria”And, most importantly, a fake priest. The Western wedding craze began in the 1980s, when millions of Japanese citizens watched on TV as celebrities such as Princess Diana and singer Momo Yamegachi swear their vows. Since then, the number of Christian weddings has increased. Only most of the priests who perform the ceremonies are white guys from the USA and Europe. Of course, there are real Japanese priests, but for three reasons they do not control most of the ceremonies.
- First, there are not enough pastors to attend every event.
- Secondly, most priests are not crazy, since these weddings do not actually include Christianity - couples are more concerned about external image than Scripture. Thus, religious themes are embellished.
- Third, most people do not want Japanese priests because many feel they are not "real."
Feeling a great way to make money easily, wedding organizations began renting out native English speakers to serve as ministers, none of whom had a religious education. In fact, many of them are not even Christians. All that matters is that they know Japanese, can read several religious texts and have a ceremony in less than twenty minutes. During this time, fake priests can earn $ 120 (according to the 2006 article).
Of course, Japanese couples don't just pay for preachers. They also pay for the churches. Many hotels in Japan have Christian-style chapels. You can even find them in supermarkets. It's a fad, no doubt, but the couple gets their dream wedding, and "a priest"Earns a few dollars. All go home happy.
4. Buy a fake finger
The manufacture of artificial fingers is designed for a specific clientele - members of the Japanese mafia, also known as the Yakuza. Why do gangsters need artificial fingers, you ask? This refers to the bloody underworld ritual known as yubitsume. If the bandit insults the boss, there is only one way of atonement: he must chop off the last joint of the little finger, usually on the left hand. If he breaks the charter again, he will cut off the finger at the next joint. The origin of the custom goes back to the time of the samurai, when an amputated finger meant that a warrior would not be able to hold a sword tightly, but only use it for protection.
Today it is a sign of criminal activity. If the gangster leaves the gang, it will be difficult for him to get a job because of the cut fingers. This is what people like Shintaro Hayashi and Yukako Fokushima do. They make prosthetic body parts, usually for breast cancer patients or accident victims. However, as the government cracks down on criminal gangs, businesses like Hayashi and Fokushima thrive. They receive more and more orders from criminals in Japan.
Some prosthetics manufacturers, like Fokushima, provide artificial fingers to ex-gangsters who want to improve. Others, like Hayashi, are less choosy and receive double income from mobsters who want to hide incognito at public events. The cost of fake fingers ranges from $ 1,400 to $ 3,000. Made of silicone, the fingers look 100% lifelike. They are custom made and each finger is specially treated to look like a natural part of the hand. They are flexible like real fingers. Some gangsters even buy several types to match the seasons (lighter tan in winter, darker in summer) and often return to repaint dentures, especially when the color starts to fade. This is a lucrative business and the only way for gangsters to get a new finger without objection.
3. Dine on Mud
Japan is home to many quirky restaurants like Alcatraz ER (hellish prison hospital) and Alice's Wizarding World. They are different from other restaurants thanks to the chef (former boxer) Toshiro Tanabe. The French deli Tanabe not only works well with his hands, but also has a talent for preparing French dishes. He is looking for ways to turn a cooked meal into art. For $ 110 per person Ne Quittez Paz offers dishes with a special ingredient - mud. While the idea of using soil doesn't sound appetizing, rest assured that Tanabe only uses the best.
Land is brought from the company Protoleaf, an organization that travels to countries like Sri Lanka and India and digs ten meters of soil to get first-class soil. They then heat it up, killing all the bacteria, and then send it to Japan, where Tanabe uses it in the kitchen for cooking. If you order special mud from Tanabe, you will first taste the soup with potatoes and salad sprinkled with mud. Your main course would be earthy risotto and sea bass, and for dessert, ice cream with mud in bread crumbs. Undoubtedly, Ne Quittez Paz Is a unique restaurant and the only place in the world that literally takes “wave and mud».
2. Visit a salon to clean your ears
If you feel that your ears are a little dirty, you can use a cotton swab. But in Japan, things are a little different. For a small fee, young girls will clean their ears. Ear care is very important in Japanese society. It is believed to help the ear canal, and it also improves skin condition and helps you lose weight. Since the Japanese authorities decided that ear cleaning was a medical profession but did not require a license, hundreds of salons across the country began offering the service. The vast majority of clients are men who come to relax and free their minds from tense thoughts. They recall how they put their heads on their mothers lap for hygiene procedures.
If you decided to visit a salon to clean your ears, you would first get into a room in a traditional Japanese style. The client is met by a girl in a kimono, she serves tea, entertains with conversations, then puts her head on her knees, covers her face with a handkerchief and starts with the help of different sticks (called “mimikaki») Gently scrape out the earwax while massaging the ears. Everything ends, again, with a tea party. The service usually lasts 30-70 minutes and costs from $ 32 to $ 100. In addition to ear cleaning, some salons offer ear massage and ear prediction.
It should come as no surprise that most of the clients of these salons are men. Many argue that visiting salons reminds them of childhood. Unfortunately, sometimes things get out of hand, like in 2009, when a woman was stabbed to death while fighting off a client's courtship. Fortunately, these incidents are rare and ear cleaning salons continue to exist.
1. Buy crooked teeth
Crooked teeth are the latest fashion in the Land of the Rising Sun, where girls with crooked teeth are considered very cute. Indeed, crooked teeth are considered so attractive that many deliberately spoil their smiles for the sake of beauty. This style of teeth (known as feline) has become fashionable thanks to celebrities such as pop singer Tomomi Itano, whose natural crooked teeth drove a lot of guys crazy.Inspired by the idol, trendy teenagers began to visit special clinics where dentists put curved bridges. Check out article 9 Supermodels with Crooked Teeth.
For $ 400, dentists glue ivory artificial teeth onto real ones, giving the impression that the molars are bulging forward. If a girl is not confident in a new style, she may simply acquire temporary teeth. However, many decide to distort the real ones. Obviously, this fashion is so popular that there is even a group of girls in which all the members are with “cat smile". Guys claim these smiles make girls more approachable. Their flaws help guys start a conversation. On top of that, crooked teeth are often referred to as “mischievous”And make the smile more sincere, which is conducive to acquaintance. Though "cat smile"It may seem strange to Western countries, but no stranger than Botox injections or fake tanning. Remember, beauty is in the eyes, or in this case, in the mouth.
