1. Convenience stores and supermarkets carry a lot of processed food; fresh fruit and vegetables are extremely expensive; especially grapes ($0.30 each seedless grape!)
2. Finding somewhere to buy/enjoy hot green tea is a challenge; if they serve tea at all, coffee shops and other places seem to only serve English breakfast.
3. Food in one form or another is for sale everywhere; temptation to eat is great. Sweets, fried food, and meat are prevalent.
4. Difficult to avoid cigarette smoke (like Korea).
5. People with tattoos are forbidden in swimming pools.
6. Real Greek yogurt can't be found.
7. Trash cans are few and far between and very small yet packaging of items one buys (like food) seems excessive; except for bottles, recycling doesn't seem common; where does all the trash go?
8. It is against the rules to break up a bunch of bananas. Typically bananas are sold in bunches wrapped in plastic so one has to buy the package. On the rare occasion when a store sells bunches that are not wrapped in plastic, the bunches are large (8 or more bananas) and you are not allowed to break off and buy 1 or 2 bananas; I tried and was scolded when I got to the cashier and not allowed to buy the 2 bananas I'd broken from the bunch:)
9. Temples everywhere, especially Kyoto, but difficult to find one that will allow foreigners to stay and practice.
Photo of a rare trash can (aka dust box).
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