I like living in Japan, really I do, but there are some frustrations a poor gaijin must endure. Things you have to do without, like a real selection of types of bread or cheese, which are nearly always rather boring. Having low ceilings and cars that remind you of the last time you flew in a cramped airplane, or slippers that only come in Ewok sizes. Or everyday inconveniences, like Japan still lacking 24-hour automatic cash machines or banks that can easily interface with international banking systems, despite Japan’s famous image as a high-tech superpower. Another is waiting for things you want to be released, which is never fun. Folks in the States can go see the new Batman movie anytime, but it won’t start in Japan for another couple of weeks, and often movies take months to make it to Japanese theaters. Amazingly, it took the Japanese publishers of the Harry Potter books a whole year to translate the final book, which is just now being released in Japanese bookstores, to the great joy of Japanese fans who are lined up to buy Harry Potter and the Secret Treasure of Death (the Japanese title) this weekend.
