I’ve been living in Japan for over a year now, and like any other foreigner living overseas for an extended amount of time, it’s only natural to pick up some of the local habits. I do not by any means think that I’m remotely Japanese, or anything like them, but I have found myself doing what the locals do the majority of the time.
Just surface-level stuff. Nothing major, because I primarily interact with foreigners and my Japanese teachers on a daily basis. I suppose it’s going to stay that way for quite awhile too. (I’m still pretty wary of going out unless I absolutely have to. Yeah, despite the full-time return to school.)
In any case, I’m getting off topic. Here’re a couple of habits that I’ve developed during my stay here–some of which I need to knock out of myself once out of Japan.
Running to catch the train
I admit, like most Malaysians, I used to be quite lax with time. 10-20 minutes late to meet friends? Not great, but not horrible. This kind of mindset is so common amongst Malaysians that it has become (possibly) our most famous trait. Thus, when I saw Japanese people literally sprinting down the pavement upon my first visit to Japan, I thought that they were crazy. Everyone walks quickly in Tokyo, and some, keen to be on time, run. This deeply contrasts with Malaysians, who take on an almost painfully slow pace.
Barely a month or two into living in Japan, though, I too started running just to be in time. Just like the locals. Breaking a sweat is nothing compared to being late.
Wearing makeup
While makeup is nice, I never particularly cared for it pre-Japan. I have tried to get into it, but to no avail; I almost always went out bare-faced in Malaysia, much like any other Malaysian woman. I did on occasion wear on makeup whenever I had time or felt like dressing up a little, but it was never really important.
This changed in Japan. I’m still not into makeup, but I feel obliged to wear it every time I go out (pre-Covid). This is because just about everyone cares about how they look here. The women are especially polished and well-groomed, and rarely ever seen without makeup. I know it sounds ridiculous, it just almost feels rude to go out bare-faced.
Masks
Disregard the fact that thanks to Covid-19, masks are now part of daily life. Even prior to that, masks have been part of Japanese culture. Thus, it didn’t take long for me to pick it up. The first time I did, it was because I had a cough. I knew that it is frowned upon not to wear a whilst sick, so I wore one. Soon enough, I started wearing it every time I got sick.
Then, my use of it extended to wearing it for hay fever reasons, being too lazy to wear makeup and to keep my face warm during the colder months, especially winter. Now, masks have become a part of my daily attire and will continue to be so, thanks to a certain ongoing global pandemic.
Blow-drying my hair
I never blow-dried my hair in Malaysia. Such a thing was pretty much an occasion saved for visits to the salon. It isn’t exactly uncommon for other Malaysian women to do the same either; seeing people with a wet head of hair is just like every other day in Malaysia.
This isn’t, however, a thing in Japan. At all. Throughout all my time here, I’ve only seen a wet head of hair in public once. Going out with wet hair is a faux paus here, and it’s something I automatically picked up. Heck no am I going to stand out while everyone else has dry, perfectly styled hair.
Plus, it makes sense to blow-dry my hair every single time after a wash here. The weather can get cold, so the last thing I want to do is walk out with wet hair. It’s freezing!
Caring about my wardrobe
It is rare to see Japanese people in laid-back, casual wear like t-shirts and jeans. Clothes that are essentially synonymous with Malaysians, aside from baju kurungs and hijabs. You can only see Japanese people in more relaxed clothes during the summer–when there are more youngsters out and about due to the holidays, and the weather calls for less confining clothes. And even then they try to look as stylish as possible. I’m not saying that Malaysians are not stylish (we can slay it if we want to), it’s just that we generally care about it a lot less.
And the result of being in such an environment? I too start caring more about my wardrobe. More skirts and dresses. My beloved jeans are now rarely worn. I’ve even started wearing pantyhose, which I never did in Malaysia. Heck, I don’t even want to go grocery shopping looking sloppy.
Walk around by myself at night
Or walk around by myself, period. I never really did such a thing in Malaysia. Certainly, I have gone out by myself back home, but I always did so at malls. Never out in the open, at least not for long. It’s just common sense not to do so, especially since I’m a woman–which was why my mom sometimes made my brother accompany me on my outings.
In Japan, it’s the exact opposite. I can walk around freely, and I do not feel like I need to be on hyper alert at all times. Of course, I still carry some of my Malaysian wariness with me, but to a much lesser degree. I’ve never really felt unsafe here, even at night. After experiencing so much freedom here, I daresay that this is the thing I’ll miss the most once I’m back in Malaysia.
Japan definitely has its issues, but it is for the most part safe.
