When going to the U.S. from Japan, there are little things you notice. First, being able to pay for something by writing a personal check is convenient, yet something that’s totally unknown in Japan, where people usually use cash for purchases, and the concept of checks doesn’t exist at all. Garbage disposals are another thing — it’s so easy to get rid of uneaten food and other nama gomi (lit. “raw garbage”) with one, but they aren’t allowed in Japan because of all the rice people eat, which would clog the pipes. In Japan bread only lasts a couple of days before it goes stale, yet bread in the U.S. seems to last for two weeks or more, presumably due to higher levels of preservatives. And tissue in the U.S. is markedly different from Japan. Not only is it more expensive — you can get a five-pack of large boxes of tissue for $3.00 at Japanese stores, which seems ridiculously cheap to me — but the sheets are thick and luxurious, almost too much so, and I get the impression that it’s made that thick so they can give you fewer sheets in each box. And what’s up with rose scent? Every time I sneeze I feel like someone has put perfume inside my nose.
Tissues in the U.S. are different from Japan is subtle ways.
