We noticed a lot of interesting things about Japan during our recent trip in April.
They sell cute little terry cloth type hand wipes at all the stores for you to carry.
Men probably carry handkerchiefs or something like that. Then again, they may not need it as much as women do?
At first it was an inconvenience, but the Japanese don't worry about it or complain. They accept it and work around it.
If you think about it, they don't have to worry about having to dispose of so many paper towels. Think how much paper we use for paper towels. I've seen some people take as many as 4 sheets to wipe their hands and throw them in the garbage bin without a thought.
Think about the expense of having to provide so many paper towels. Think about the trees that have to be cut down to make those paper towels. It starts to make a lot of sense. I always use the electric hand dryers wherever they provide them. But then again, that uses a lot of energy.
Then again, my nephew just made a laughing comment. He said people might then not wash their hands.
Hmmm... I'm thinking about this.
- Everyone was so polite, kind and friendly. If you needed help, they went out of their way to help you. I've talked to other people and they've said the same thing. It makes traveling to Japan such a pleasure.
- The super efficient trains are on time to the minute!
- We saw few garbage cans, but nobody threw things on the ground and most places were as clean as Disneyland.
- Japanese people wear masks to prevent catching/passing on germs when they are sick. They also wear them if they have hay fever.
- Many places have slippers to wear in the house and special toilet slippers to wear when you go to the bathrooms.
- Very few graffiti.
- Crosswalks and traffic lights are designed to help the blind.
- Most people drink tea rather than sweetened soft drinks.
- No paper towels in the bathrooms
They sell cute little terry cloth type hand wipes at all the stores for you to carry.
Men probably carry handkerchiefs or something like that. Then again, they may not need it as much as women do?
At first it was an inconvenience, but the Japanese don't worry about it or complain. They accept it and work around it.
If you think about it, they don't have to worry about having to dispose of so many paper towels. Think how much paper we use for paper towels. I've seen some people take as many as 4 sheets to wipe their hands and throw them in the garbage bin without a thought.
Think about the expense of having to provide so many paper towels. Think about the trees that have to be cut down to make those paper towels. It starts to make a lot of sense. I always use the electric hand dryers wherever they provide them. But then again, that uses a lot of energy.
Then again, my nephew just made a laughing comment. He said people might then not wash their hands.
Hmmm... I'm thinking about this.
you made such a good point, all those trees!!!!
ReplyDeleteEven though I live in the North surrounded by forests I still watch our paper use. I will admit, when we had our Japanese friend live with us I quickly adopted her habit of always carrying a handkerchief, she called it something else.I bought the large colorful ones men use as bandanas and I still to this day keep it in my bag to dry my hands or its amazing the needs you will find for it.Just lay on a table to put your food on in the park or to bundle up things, indispensable.
That is such a good idea. I also have tried to cut down on paper towel use and if available, which is almost all the time, use the hot air dryers, but carrying around your own cloth makes a lot of good sense.
ReplyDeleteJapan sounds like paradise. I can live without paper towels. If you plan to go touring in Israel, don't leave home without some toilet paper. The public WCs often run out of it.
ReplyDeleteit's certainly good for the environment and makes sense! We're spoiled by paper towels and unlimited toilet paper!
ReplyDeleteI noticed that about Japan also. But they did give out free tissue at the train stations for personal use.
ReplyDeleteOh yes! They still do and I have a bunch of those in my backpack still.
DeleteI carry a cloth hankie in my pocket and use it for drying my hands if I need to. Using up all that paper is indeed very energy intensive, and then needing to dispose of it all. Japan is greener for it.
ReplyDeleteWell, its a fact that men do not wash their hands as much as women.
ReplyDeleteThe British do not have wash cloths in their various accommodations, so we had to buy them and carry them with us. Also, they are big on baths and bathtubs and showers are few and far between unless you stay in an American hotel. I noticed no trash receptacles in public places such as train stations owing to fear of terrorist bombs (IRA in the old days). Very strange these foreign habits. I suppose they think we are litter bugs. Dianne
Ugh! I prefer to use paper towels even at home. We use them in the kitchen as well as the bathroom. When we were in Tokyo in 2008, I don't remember the restrooms being without paper towels. Hmmm.
ReplyDeleteMy daughter was in Costa Rica, where you put the TP in a waste basket because the plumbing can't handle paper.
ReplyDeleteI'm becoming more anti such waste and expense and carry a couple inexpensive wash cloths in a baggie when I travel.
ReplyDeleteMy first thought was that your nephew was probably right. Then again, I thought of my daughter-in-law who uses almost no paper towels. She tears standard paper towels into four pieces and keeps a stack by the paper towel roll. She's also very clean with everything she does and very particular about some things. Use a regular terry washcloth to wash the baby's butt and you're in big trouble. Apparently even the washing machine can't save that washcloth.
ReplyDeleteI visited Japan in 1968. I forgot some paintings and packages at a temple I was visting. I had walked a fair difference when a man came running up as fast as he could to return my purchases to me. He seemed breathless and anxious to return my things to me. He definitely had gone way out of his way. Very impressive. Also, I left some money on my bureau top as I would have done at home, and it was untouched and unstolen. The degree of honesty was very impressive in Japan.
ReplyDeleteOften times I leave a public restroom with hands being wet, no paper towels or dryer. It doesn't really bother me and I think what's the harm. Lately I've been thinking green a lot too. Younger people are actually more into green ("zero waste") than us older generation.
ReplyDeleteL. from W.
I don't think most places use paper towels as much as we do in the U.S. I found that in Europe they rarely had paper towels either. Those little hand towels to carry are cute, but I can't help but think that sanitation is not the best with folks carrying in their own towel from purses that must have many germs in them. I like the air hand dryers.
ReplyDeleteRetired English Teacher is right. Constantly carrying one's own hankie or towel is asking for germ collecting. I've seen men use the same handkerchief for days and wonder why they keep being readmitted to the hospital....DrumMajor
ReplyDeleteI really don't think they carry the same towel for days. Like my mother, they would throw it in the wash in the evening and take out another one. My mom does laundry everyday. The Japanese are real sticklers for cleanliness. They wouldn't use the same towel every day.
DeleteI didn't notice that when we went to Japan. Although I did notice that just about every where we went to use the restroom, if the toilets were "non-western," the last stall would always have a western toilet, as many in travel forums indicated.
ReplyDeleteYes, everyone in Japan carries a hand towel to dry their hands after washing and also dry sweat in the summer.
ReplyDeleteIt's also used your jacket, bag, etc when coming in from the rain.
People also carry pocket-tissue packs.
And yes...everyone washes the towel at the end of the day and use a new one the next day.