As someone living in Japan, I’ve gotten used to many things that seem totally normal here—but when I talk to friends from overseas, I often hear stories that remind me just how unique this country can be. Let me share two stories I recently heard from foreign visitors, both of whom were left wide-eyed by the simplest parts of everyday life here.
Index
🚖 Story C: The Surprising Taxi Door
Told by Nathan, from Canada
Kenji, I almost fell over the first time I tried to get in a taxi in Tokyo,
Why?
Because the door opened by itself. I didn’t touch a thing. I just stood there, and suddenly—whoosh!—the door swung open.
Nathan had landed in Japan just two days before. Jet-lagged and dragging a suitcase, he decided to take a taxi to his hotel. As he approached the vehicle, he instinctively reached for the handle—something you’d do anywhere else in the world. But before he could touch it, the door opened automatically.
I thought the driver was using some kind of remote control, like a magician.
In fact, that’s kind of true. Many Japanese taxi drivers use a mechanical lever system located beside the driver’s seat. With a simple hand movement, they can open and close the passenger-side rear door—without stepping out of the vehicle.
🎌 A Cultural Design, Not Just a Gadget
What really fascinated Nathan wasn’t just the door—it was why it existed.
In Japan, the role of a taxi driver includes an element of hospitality, or “omotenashi.” Opening the door for passengers is a small but symbolic way of offering service. It’s not about showing off technology—it’s about making passengers feel welcome.
In Canada, you’d be lucky if the driver doesn’t yell at you for slamming the door,
Here, the driver greets you, opens the door, and thanks you. It’s like getting into a polite robot.
😅 The Awkward Mistake
Later during his stay, Nathan made a classic foreigner mistake.
When the taxi stopped at his destination, he tried to open the door manually from inside.
The driver looked startled. Apparently, you’re not supposed to touch it yourself.
That’s true. In Japan, passengers are expected to wait until the door opens and closes automatically.
It’s just one of those little etiquette details that visitors often overlook—until they learn the hard “but harmless” way.
🗑️ Story D: “Why Are There No Trash Cans?”
Told by Lina, from Sweden
Lina had been walking around central Tokyo for a few hours, enjoying the sights and snapping photos. She finished a bottled drink and looked for a trash can.
I walked three blocks, and didn’t see a single one. Where do you guys throw your trash?
It’s a common question. In Japan, public trash bins are few and far between—especially on the streets.
What’s amazing is that despite the lack of bins, Japanese cities remain incredibly clean.
If this were Europe, there’d be garbage on every corner. But here, the sidewalks are spotless. How do you do that?
Carry Your Trash With You
The answer is simple, but very cultural: Japanese people take their trash home.
Whether it’s a wrapper, a drink bottle, or even food waste, it’s common to carry a small plastic bag in your purse or backpack for this purpose.
This behavior goes back to values learned from childhood, especially the idea of “持ち帰る” “mochikaeru“—taking your garbage home.
So you mean… you just carry trash in your bag all day?
If you have to, yeah. Or find a convenience store, train station, or vending machine area with a bin.
💡 Why Are There So Few Bins?
This practice intensified after the 1995 Tokyo subway sarin attack. Trash bins, especially in train stations, were seen as potential security risks. Many were removed—and surprisingly, the streets didn’t get dirtier.
People were already in the habit of being responsible for their own waste.
🌏 A Lesson in Social Responsibility
What struck Lina wasn’t just the lack of bins—it was the lack of litter.
Everyone just… follows the rules? Even when no one’s watching?
That’s right. There’s a strong cultural emphasis on not being a nuisance to others, known as “meiwaku o kakenai.”
Throwing trash in public? That’s meiwaku.
Eating while walking? Also meiwaku in many places.
Making loud phone calls on a train? You guessed it—meiwaku again.
🎒 Lina’s “Japan Bag”
Before she left Japan, Lina had bought a small reusable pouch.
It’s my ‘Japan bag,’ For trash, receipts, wrappers… even used tissues. I never thought I’d do this, but it feels totally normal here.
🧳 Quick Tips for Visitors
- Taxi Tips: Don’t try to open or close the taxi door yourself. Just wait—it will open automatically. It might surprise you the first time, but you’ll love it by the third ride.
- Trash Tips: Keep a small bag for your trash, especially if you plan to walk around all day. You can throw it away at your hotel, or at the nearest convenience store (but check signs!).
✈️ Conclusion
These simple experiences—getting into a taxi or holding onto trash—might seem small.
But to visitors like Nathan and Lina, they represent something deeper: a society built on respect, responsibility, and unspoken cooperation.
And that, perhaps, is what makes Japan so quietly amazing.
P.S.
There used to be garbage here and there in Japan, but we rarely see it anymore because of the incidents mentioned in the article….
But don’t worry, you can still find them in theme parks XD.
またね(Matane)!
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