Really, I can't count how many times I've
heard that Japan is a unique country, different from the rest of the world. It got me wondering, and one day I just couldn’t
take it - I started my own research, and - spoiler alert! - It was earth-shattering. Kinda like Godzilla. Wanna have Pringles soup when in Japan? Here you go. In the mood for dinner with a huge plush Moomin
in a Japanese cafe? Not a problem at all. And let me tell you - that's just the beginning! 1. Most people know that a sure sign they CAN
cross the road is the little, lit-up green man, right? Well, not in Japan! There, you should wait for a green rabbit
called Miffy. This bunny is a creation of Dick Bruna, a
Dutch author of children's books. How did this rabbit make it to Japan? The answer is simple - it looks very much
like the "Hello Kitty" the Japanese are in love with! 2. Ever tried those amazing head massagers that
are said to reduce stress and rid you of headaches? Cool, huh? But in Japan, you can get a "lazy" (and much
more creative) alternative to this device. It's electric and looks like a big multicolored
octopus! Wow, gimme two! 3. You're probably used to sitting on a chair
when visiting a bar or a cafe, right? You might ask me, "What are you talking about? What else am I supposed to sit on?" Well, in Japanese cafes, chairs look more
like low, comfortable armchairs, and if you try hard enough, you can even lie on one of
them! Such pieces of furniture are called Izakaya,
which is also the name of the informal Japanese pubs where you can find them. 4. In Japan, they grow square watermelons. Nope, it's not a slip of the tongue. (That would have been “ssssqqaare watermelons”.) In Kagawa prefecture, they produce a couple
hundred square watermelons a year. These watermelons aren't genetically modified
or anything like that. It's just that such a shape makes it easier
to deliver the fruit to retailers. Unfortunately, most square watermelons get
harvested before they’re ripe, and therefore, they’re not meant for eating right away. But if you decide to get one, its cost will
be impressive, about $15 to $20. 5. Pringles have been incredibly popular all
over the world for decades. However, when you buy Pringles in Japan, you
don't get a tube of potato chips; you get noodles! Yep, Pringles is a noodle brand, and the Japanese
eat this ramen very often. 6. Usually, a coffee machine is a simple thing:
several buttons for choosing a drink to your liking and standard paper cups. In Japan, however, a coffee machine is so
much more! First, there’s a service that lets you order
your coffee in a special app and pick it up in the most conveniently located store at
a particular time. But on top of that, you get your drink not
in a plastic or paper cup, but in a bottle that can be customized with the help of multicolored
tags. Really. 7. What would be more natural for us westerners
than to visit the nearest cafe, order a coffee and a sandwich, and enjoy our lunch break,
sitting alone at the table? But in Japan, if you come to a cafe alone,
you get a massive plush Moomin as your lunch companion so that you don't feel sad! I’m not sad really, I just want to be left
alone. 8. Animal-shaped cookies are always fun to eat,
aren't they? Oh, that feeling of anticipation when you
put your hand in the bag and try to guess which critter you're going to eat next! You carnivore! In Japan, you can play the same guessing game,
but there, your "catch" will be Pokemon-shaped cookies. 9. Every single time I eat sushi, rice falls
off the pieces of fish as soon as I pick them up with my chopsticks. In Japan, though, people don't have this problem:
they mix the rice with a special sauce that consists of salt, sugar, and rice vinegar. This sauce keeps the rice together and allows
you to bring sushi up to your mouth in one piece! Sign me up. 10. A Holiday meal means tons of tasty food and,
of course, a big roast turkey! But if you ever celebrate the Holidays while
in Japan, don't get surprised to be treated with KFC instead of more traditional food. The thing is that in this country, eating
food from KFC for the Holidays is a widely practiced tradition. 11. In the Ginza district of Tokyo, there’s
an unusual stationery store which rises 12 floors! The store sells high-quality stationery, and
each of its levels has a different concept. For example, on the second floor, you'll find
the SHARE space where there are things necessary for sending your thoughts to other people,
like envelopes, letter paper, and postcards. You can write a letter right then and there
and send it immediately from where you are! And on the fourth floor in the MEETING space,
you can create an original notebook with the cover and paper of your choice and your name
engraved on it! 12. There are more than 50 million vending machines
in Japan, and that means they’re literally everywhere! Besides, they’re incredibly diverse: you
can buy almost anything there, from hot dishes, ice cream, and candies, to books, umbrellas,
and newspapers. Rumor has it, these vending machines make
around $50 billion a year! 13. If you're in Japan and wondering what souvenirs
you can get for your family and friends, try Japan-limited Kit-Kats! They come in loads of different interesting
kinds, like green tea, for example. So it might turn into an exciting quest to
collect them all! 14. It's a common thing in Japan to see people
handing out free tissues on the streets. What's the catch? It's simple: companies put their advertisements
on or inside tissue packages, and people who take them learn about their services or products. It must be working, since more than 4 billion
free tissue packages get distributed in Japan every year! That’s a lot of runny noses… 15. Suffering from the cold in the winter? How about some tissues for that runny nose? No wait that was #14! Just get yourself one of these one-use pocket-heaters
that are so popular in Japan! It's called kairo, and nowadays, you just
need to open it for the chemical reaction to begin. Besides warming your hands, you can also stick
these warmers insides your clothes! What a gem of an idea for a freezing winter! 16. Photo booths are nothing new to anyone these
days. But in Japan, these machines, called purikura,
are a whole different level. See for yourself: there, you can not only
take your photo, but also add a design or writing, adjust the size of your facial features,
or even send the received photos to your mobile device! However, there's some bad news for men. They aren't allowed to enter most purikura
establishments on their own! They must have an escort! 17. Do you love unusual forms of art? Then how about rice paddy art? It was born in the village of Inakadate in
the Aomori prefecture in 1993, to attract attention to the place. Apparently, the attempt was a success, because
now, rice paddy fields have already appeared in more than 100 other locations. So, what exactly is rice paddy art? People plant rice of different colors and
types to create breathtaking images in paddy fields. Looking at these fields from above, you can
see your favorite anime characters or legendary beings. 18. Imagine returning home after a long and crazy
day at work. The only thing you can think of is lying down
on your bed and closing your eyes... but you still have a long and tiresome subway commute! Well, the Japanese have found a solution for
this problem - and that's a subway chin rest! It may look bizarre at first sight, but this
way, even if you nod off while standing shoulder to shoulder with other passengers, you won't
tip over. You might even have a good pre-dinner nap! 19. So, you arrive in Japan, order a taxi, and
here it is. Nothing new. But then you almost jump out of your skin
when the car's door opens automatically right under your nose! These doors were first introduced by large
taxi companies in 1964, for the Tokyo Olympic Games. The Japanese believed that such hospitality
would allow passengers to have an even more enjoyable ride. 20. Unlike other Japanese railway lines, the Yamagata
Shinkansen, which is the name of a high-speed train in Japan, is a mini-shinkansen route. That means that the trains' speed on this
route doesn't reach more than 80 miles per hour. But that's not the most curious thing about
this line. Connecting Fukushima and Shinjo, trains on
this route have sightseeing cars with... footbaths! They’re positioned in such a way that you
can watch breathtaking views pass by while soaking your feet. On top of that, some cars are furnished with
tatami flooring for tourists to enjoy every single minute of their ride. Oh yeah…. What about you? Do you know any other unusual and exciting
things about Japan? Let me know down in the comments! If you learned something new today, then give
this video a like and share it with a friend. But – hey! – don't go all “Sushi Sally”
on me just yet! (Hey even I don’t know what that means. ) But I’m here to tell you that we have
over 2,000 cool videos for you to check out. All you have to do is pick the left or right
video, click on it, and enjoy! Simple huh? Hey -- stay on the Bright Side of life!
