Go-chui kudasai, go-chui kudasai

On Saturday night I went out for okonomiyaki. We went to this really traditional shitamachi-style restaurant. The decor was really old-fashioned, and inside they had posters of old Japanese shows, and they were selling candy that some of our students remembered from their childhood. The restaurant itself had old wooden tables with hot plates set into their surface so you could cook, or heat, your food before eating.

And what music were they playing in this bastion of traditional Japanese culture? Some kouta or nagauta with shamisen accompaniment, perhaps? No, instead we had Triple M's Greatest Hits. The Boomtown Rats and David Bowie! Later, this was followed by 'Celebrate'. I was just thinking that the music could not get any less appropriate when 'YMCA' came on. Hmmm.......

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One thing you will notice about Japan is how extremely wasteful it is. As you might expect from the world's most high-tech, gadget-loving and convenient country, there is a phenomenal amount of useless power consumption.

First, you've got the millions of vending machines (they say there is one machine for every 23 people), each one keeping cold drinks cold and hot drinks hot. If that's not enough, some vending machines even have flashing lights, and/or videos playing, even if it's 3am and there's nobody around for miles.

Then the noise. Anyone who lives in the world's biggest metropolis knows how to use an escalator. You don't really need a speaker on loop telling people to 'go-chui kudasai' (take care please). Every street with shops has muzak music playing over outdoor speakers. Sometimes different sections of supermarkets and other stores will have prerecorded announcements playing. Some of these are of limited use (think: the 100 yen store 'irrashaimase! irrashaimase! One price shop!' Like we don't hear irrashaimase enough times from real people!).

And everything must flash. If you have roadworks, it's not enough to just put some orange cones or reflectors on the road. No, you need a sign with flashing lights. (And, optionally, a man whose job it is to wave pedestrians onto the footpath.) Fairy light displays will often be left on all day, though they're barely visible.

The toilets I have mentioned (numerous times) before. Toilets that flush *themselves* multiple times, toilets with built-in sensors and flashing lights, toilets with fake, electronic flushing noises, toilets with warmed seats, toilets that speak. Today I went to the bathroom and there was a speaker near the door saying 'here are the toilets...'

Like, duh.