Its the small things, not anything massive.
For example, most toilet paper holders in Japan have this floating lid that sits on the toilet paper, which allows you to cleanly rip a sheet off every time, and prevent tearing a corner off.
The suica or iccoca cards (trains and subway cards) can be used to tap to pay near everywhere, including vending machines and such. Quite convienent.
You can pay many of your utility bills, in cash, at most main convienence stores. It allows for more methods of payment outside of everything tracked by credit card.
Many shower rooms ( Japanese bathrooms tend to have a full wet room for bathing) often have an advanced fan system, with a dehumidify option for drying clothes you hang in that room.
Many bathtubs have a water recirculate option, which reheats the same bathwater keeping it warm without needing to refill or add water to the tub.
Ah, one of my favorites is in many bedrooms there is a small square panel on an outside wall, and if you click it it vents to the outside, providing outside fresh air without needing to crack a full window. They often have filters built in as well.
Its becoming more common in the US now, but minisplit AC systems are ubiquitous in Japan. Its nice being able to control each bedroom separately.
I could go on. I lived there for a bit with my wife, in Osaka and in her hometown ( in Nagano).
These are all on my list of cool things I tell people about Japan. It really is a bunch of small stuff that I found great.
Another small one - most grocery stores have a packing area past payment and there’s usually a little bottle with a light temporary glue next to the plastic bags. So the line moves faster and you never fumble opening the thin plastic bags
Meat stickers that detect ammonia and block the barcode if the meat has spoiled.
The car garages. I never drove a car in Japan, but it looked like there was a system and some kind of futuristic hydraulic automation thingy to put your car in an available slot??
But in general, I got a lot of retrofuturism vibes in Japan.
Also, while not technology, it is worth mentioning that people there are incredibly polite and friendly - even in Tokyo rush hour.
They have this in Denmark if I understand correctly. Like you park in on of the robot lifts, there was 5 where I was, then the machine parks your car, and when you’re done it collects it back.
I wouldn’t say they are common but they definitely exist. The new harbour front parking in Aarhus is fully automated; you drive under the public library, which is raised on concrete pillars, and enter into any available “garage” - after you’re out of the car, you press a button to close the “garage” and the floor plate is lowered down for automated storage. An empty plate is then brought back up and the garage is opened again for the next person. It apparently increased capacity 40% to do it this way.
That’s where I was. I was incredibly confused 😂
Define “here”. This is an international community
We all know a yank asked this one. They always assume we are all from the US.
Well yea, you’re from Michigan.
The person you replied to is from Nevada.
I don’t see the problem here.
No we just assume that if you know the question’s directed at Americans you’ll be an adult about it
It gets tiring constantly seeing Americans treat the Internet like it’s for them whilst people from other countries have to change the way they type so that Americans can understand better
You’re perfectly welcome to make your own spaces, and assume they’re for you.
Americans don’t have to make a US variant of every community though regardless of if the person who created it was from the US or if the topic even relates to the US at all
I’m going to guess that he is American, only Americans think the world is flat and oddly shaped US
Weird, seems like a lot of flat-earthers are from the UK. Not sure what your point is.
Probably somewhere other than Japan.
Good public transit is #1! So much goes into making those trains awesome.
The second one that comes to mind is vacuum tubes. They still keep them in stock. You can just walk into Tokyo Radio Tower and there’s normally quite a good selection – in a brick-and-mortar store. It blows my mind that they are still so readily available!
When you go to a cloth shop you just place your bag in a box and pay. No scanning or anything. It takes less than a minute.
The employee had to help me because I was trying to figure out how to scan my stuff.
I’ve seen decathlon employ this in their stores as well. Think they’re primarily in Europe.
It’s definitely weird the first time you do it, but I’m assuming they’re using RFID technology, so each product has a little microchip in its price tag.
I was going to say the same. Decathlon is pioneering this I guess.
And, of course, Uniqlo does it too
Bidet toilet seats
Can’t help you mate without knowing where here is.
Gee gosh. I wonder if OP is in Angola? Or The Phillippines? Or maybe the USA?
There’s no way to know! He could be anywhere!
