JAPAN: Duck walkers, musical toilets, and other strange things

Above: Musical and heated Japanese toilet.

I start my New Year noticing these peculiarities of Japanese culture:

Duck walkers: Many women walk like ducks. They point their toes inwards and walk very slowly. My cousin’s wife thinks this comes from the fact that women had to point their feet inwards in order to be able to walk in a traditional kimono and wooden slippers. But, with the exception of the few women wearing kimonos for the New Years festivities (lasting a few days after New Years Day), most women wear pants or skirts that allow them to walk normally. Instead of foot binding or stiletto shoes, these women prefer to deform their bodies by voluntarily walking like ducks. Next time I meet some Japanese men who speak English, I will have to ask if crooked walking women are considered to be attractive mates. Maybe the men like the women to walk slower than them.

Heated toilet seats and toilet music: Not only were the subway seats heated, but so were the toilet seats. Some toilets even had music one could choose to mask the sound of one’s bathroom activities. People are shy and want to cover up their bodily functions.

Vending machines: My roommate Carla, who is half Japanese and half Brazilian, told me to check out the vending machines that sold both hot and cold drinks. They had warm canned coffee drinks with lots of sugar.

Not so pure: Since Japan is so homogeneous and known to be very proud of its ethnic heritage and purity, I am surprised to see blond women on Japanese Shiseido advertisements in Japanese department stores. Why do they have to show that a blond woman wears their cosmetics if they are selling to Japanese women who have a different skin tone? I guess they are not as purist as I had thought.