It's five o'clock somewhere

What I miss most about Japan

I’m coming up on a year of not being in Japan. I used to go home at minimum twice a year, but after graduating uni, I’ve come to find that life is not as forgiving as when we had summer and winter school holidays. I miss Japan a lot, especially since moving to a place like Berlin, that is in many ways very different to Tokyo.

I mean, to be honest, everywhere is different when compared to Tokyo. I haven’t traveled to every corner of the globe, but I’ve got some milage to stand by my statement. Tokyo is a city that is incomparable to any other city in the world.

As a youngster, I used to tell people that I was a city girl, given that I grew up in one of the biggest in the world, but I quickly realised that I’m not a city girl, I’m a a Tokyo girl. Other cities like New York and London frustrate me because I can’t help but think about how things could be better.

Growing up in Japan was both a blessing and a curse — the blessing being the infinite gifts from growing up in a soil so rich with culture, meaning, and purpose behind each facet. The curse being that I am infinitely disappointed by things done better in Japan: timely public transit, warm drinks in vending machines, pleasant sounds, forgiving weather, rubbish-free streets. Don’t get me wrong, Japan, like all countries, does not do without it’s own share of misses. This is by no means an argument stating that Japan is a utopia — no one is perfect.

What I will say though, is that things in Japan just work. Why? Because the Japanese are thoughtful. Things do not happen without the consideration of their outcomes. Omotenashi is the Japanese word describing the anticipation of one’s needs — a waitress passing you a toothpick after finishing your meal, an onigiri (rice ball) packaged with clear opening instructions, the subtle arrangement of shoes to face outwards for an easy exit.

toilet slippers, hot vending machine drinks, air quality machines in taxis...

Omotenashi is the cornerstone of Japanese hospitality and the generosity one exudes towards others (and the topic of my college essay). Sure, the Japanese may not ask you about your day, but there is a sense of unspoken respect weaving the society together that I have yet to feel elsewhere.

It goes without saying that I miss the food. Like a fish needs water, I need Japanese food. I can’t go more than four days without eating rice (day five isn’t pretty), but hey, now I’m quite apt at cooking Japanese cuisine — not out of passion, but out of sheer necessity.

There is, however, something I miss from home that is far less primitive. A mysterious occurrence that sings through the sky at the same time every day: the five o’clock bell.

The other day i heard it whilst on facetime with my dad. Every day, at five pm, a melody dances through the dawn of dusk. The tune is captivating yet charming, and I found myself humming along, thinking back to the young girl who would walk home to it’s beat (probably with a snack in hand). This bell was my first conception of a god — a higher power watching and protecting over us humans.

I find the five o’clock bell to be truly spectacular. It happens not only in Tokyo, but all across the country. The jingle may change depending on where you are, but rest assured it will still be pleasant to the ear.

<3

The assumption is often that the melody rings to remind kids to make their way home, but the primary reason is for the government and persons to confirm that everything is in order. Apparently they tried something similar in France, but instead of a sweet melody, they used sirens… maybe not as pleasant.

Reflecting on the Japanese jingle, the bell from the church around the corner of my flat began to boogie, as it does with every passing hour. Here in Berlin, the chime is much more classic — and frequent. This bell rings every hour from eight in the morning, whereas in Japan it’s only one ring: at five o’clock in the evening.

Is this another instance of Japanese thoughtfulness?

Instead of a bell every hour of the morning, the latter may be more inclusive because even night shift workers and late night partiers are awake at five pm. I’m on a regular circadian schedule, and even I’ve been annoyed at the constant alarms telling me to get up and start my day when all I want to do is sleep in.

Also, it’s worth noting that being in flow — an extremely productive state where a lost sense of time tells us that we’re in it — may be compromised by an hourly bell…. just some food for thought.

I’ve got nothing personal against the church. In fact, I take the church chimes as a nice reminder of this European repris I’m going through right now — like the crust of a schnitzel isn’t something I wouldn’t care about anywhere else, but I do because I’m in Germany.

I only complain because, well… I’m from Japan.

---

If you haven’t been to Japan, please go. When you’re there, do me a favor and take out your headphones. Japan is a place that aims to delights the senses, and boy, do they deliver.

things to look forward to