First thought? – this place is cleaner than my grandma’s house before guests arrive 🙂
Japan is a whole different world -organized, quiet and full of high-tech surprises.
Our cultural adventure began with the Art of standing in line 🙂
In Japan, people love order. They stand in perfect lines, wait patiently and never push. Meanwhile, we Balkans have our own system, more of a “whoever gets there first, wins” strategy. Seeing a long line, one could think is this a line or a protest? 🙂
The toilet technology
Japan’s toilets are next level. Heated seats, music, and buttons that do mystery things. Many people in the Balkans to save energy don’t even use heating in the bathroom , to not talk about having heated toilet 🙂
The silent trains
Public transport in Japan is amazing. The trains arrive exactly on time and inside, it’s completely silent. No loud phone calls, no deep political discussions between strangers. The seats in the train are heated and super clean. In the Balkans you should be lucky to arrive from point A to point B without the bus brokes! in winter inside is like the North pole in summer like Sahara desert, clean, what kind of word is that? 🙂
Payment culture
We buy something and place our money in a tray. The cashier takes it without counting it three times, without asking if we have smaller bills, and without sighing. This feels unnatural, because in our balkan shops there is always some comment to add 🙂
The silent restaurants
We sit down in a cozy sushi bar, but something is off. No loud music. No one is shouting orders. No waiter casually chatting about his cousin who just opened a new café. Just… silence.
The shopping experience
You enter a store and every employee greets you with enthusiastic “Irasshaimase!”, and they keep singing irasshaimaseeeee. We don’t know what to do, so we awkwardly nod. Every few seconds, someone bows. Do we bow back? How many bows is too many? Suddenly, we’re all stuck in a never-ending cycle of polite nodding. Enter a store in the Balkans, they kill you gently with a look and a word, because it’s not their day 🙂
Trash Bins
Japan is spotless, but finding a trash bin? Impossible. You take home your garbage!
Take it home? In the Balkans, even if we have bins everywhere, many people leave trash next to them.
Drivers in Japan vs. drivers in the Balkans
Japan: The light turns red, and everyone stops immediately. No exceptions. No last-second speed-ups. Pure discipline.
Balkans: The light turns red, but one last car always speeds through. Maybe two. Actually, three. Let’s be real, stopping is optional if you’re “just a little late.”
Honking culture
Japan: Honking is rude. It’s almost a personal attack. Drivers communicate through patience and eye contact.
Balkans: Honking is a language. Short honk = “Move, bro” Long honk = “What are you doing ?!” Multiple honks = Balkan opera.
Pedestrian Crossings
Japan: The moment you step on a crosswalk, all cars instantly stop. Drivers probably even apologize for existing.
Balkans: You step on a crosswalk? Good luck. Eye contact with the driver means “Run for your life.”
Drivers’ fashion: Japan vs. the Balkans
Japan: Neat, clean, uniform and white gloves.
Balkans: Tracksuits, a t-shirt from the last political elections, sometimes slippers. Bonus points if they have a cigarette in one hand and a strong opinion on politics.
Let’s make a conclusion, Japan amazed us with its order, politeness and high-tech wonders. The Balkans, on the other hand, are full of energy, spontaneity and that special warmth you can’t find anywhere else.
Yes, we could learn a lot from Japan—patience, organization and maybe even how to use a fancy toilet. But Japan could also learn from us—the art of improvisation, deep friendships and how to enjoy more life.
In the end, both places have their magic. And no matter where we are, one thing is certain, we’ll always find a way to laugh, connect and create unforgettable experiences.
Arigato gozaimasu Japan
Till next time