*Special* Peculiarities

So I’ve decided to dedicate an entire post for oddities and/or things I find a little out of the ordinary, starting with those already stated in a previous post.

1. Everyone drives white cars; 70-80 percent of the cars you’ll see in this area are white. My guess is that it’s because of the heat.
2. People apparently can’t seem to believe that Denmark actually have their own language. I’ve been asked quite a few times if English is the spoken language.
3. They don’t understand how I can walk around in a t-shirt; I think they’re hyper-sensitive to the sun. They ask me if the sun rays don’t hurt… uhm, no.
4. They sell everything and anything for their content of vitamins and minerals. Drink this; it’s filled with sugar and additives, but it has loads of XXX mineral/vitamin. Eat a banana and you’ll get the same. Oh, whatever…
5. People may think that Japanese are very tidy and modest people who keep their house clean and simple. Wrong! I know my mum sometimes complains about how messy, dusty and dirty her kitchen is, but she would go nuts from living here. It’s really not that it bothers me, and it seems to be the way everyone lives. I just found it a little… odd. There are things everywhere, seriously.
6. There is music in EVERYTHING. They have at least one clock that at certain times chime with some classical piece of music; I think Vivaldi’s 4 Seasons’ “Autumn” is played at 7AM, and some other piece at 2PM etc. I don’t know if it plays every hour, but it’s often. Something also plays Canon; maybe at 11AM? (Not that it really matters).
   Their washing machine also plays a piece of music when it’s done (I suppose). Visiting the Oka Jou (Oka castle), I even came across a toilet with some… unusual options.
    
   Allow me to explain what you here see.
   From the left: STOP; SPRAY; BIDET; FLUSHING SOUND;
   And now to the best: POWERFUL DEODORIZER. I was scared to even try it out…
   As I had entered and was about to put my bag away, I apparently got in reach of a sensor, and then the flushing sound went off! I was very surprised and thought to myself: “Why the … would you want to start a flushing sound?!” Seriously, I can’t think of a reason to starting a flushing sound, just for the sake of the sound… can you?
7. Sun tan is still considered a bad thing. I talked a little with obaa-chan today, who couldn’t believe I sought to sit in the sun. I asked why it was such a bad thing, and she said that you get wrinkles (well, that’s true enough…) but also that it made you look dirty. She really, really didn’t understand I wanted to tan…
8. In Denmark, it’s not considered very polite to burp at the table (or in general, really); you at least excuse yourself if you do it, and that’s even if it’s just casual. Here, everyone burps, and I have to admit that it disgusts me a little.
   Honestly, I thought the Japanese were very aware of such things, but burping and eating noisily is very, very common. Noodle slurping I can handle, but I get annoyed and again a little repulsed when people chew loudly!
9. Everyone has a clamshell(?) phone (klaptelefon) or a slide phone. I don’t think I’ve seen anyone with a candybar phone. I asked Michika why it is so, but she didn’t know. Besides, most other places it’s preferred to have a fairly small phone; here, it seems like the opposite! All phones are HUGE, and they often attach plushies and other thingies to them. I don’t get it!
10. Everything on TV is subbed, even the Japanese. I already knew about it, but I still think it’s… peculiar. I don’t know how it works other places though, but I don’t think it’s a thing used many other places than here.