It's Time For Some Constructive Criticism

So term has ended and, before long, I'll be heading back to England. I'm definitely looking forward to seeing my dog after what feels like forever, as well as his new little brother whom I can't wait meet, but I'm somewhat less excited about starting my third and final year at uni. When did that even happen? So, in true denial style, I've decided to do a little pros and cons comparison of England and Japan by listing what I think each country could learn from each other. Let me just say here and now that I love both England and Japan very much, and these are just little things that I think could make each country even better.

What England could learn from Japan:

1. Separate bag-packing areas at the checkout - I'm certainly not the only one who finds the process of packing your bags after you've paid at the checkout intensely stressful. You're trying to pack your bags properly whilst also taking the change and receipt from the checkout person whilst also being acutely aware that the person behind you in the queue is waiting for you to finish this palava so that they can get on with buying their items. In Japan this stress is completely eliminated in the most simple of ways. When you present your items at the checkout, the person will scan them and then place them in another shopping basket. Then, once you've paid, you just take your change and then carry everything over to the bag-packing area where you can pack your bags at your own pace with no worry that you might be holding up the line.
2. Respect - Now don't get me wrong, there are plenty of very kind and respectful people in England, but in Japan it's just part of the culture. And it's not just respect towards other people, it's also respect towards their entire surroundings. A Japanese person wouldn't even think of littering (even though there are rarely, if ever, public bins in Japan), let alone dumping a trolley in the local river! Even at the canteen at my university, if someone makes a mess when they're eating lunch, they clean it up before they leave, something that is not always guaranteed in the canteen at back in England.
3. No forced contact - In England, we have the handshake. In Japan, they have the bow. As someone who is not always comfortable with physical contact, it's nice knowing that I don't have to hug or shake hands with every person I meet. It's probably a bit more hygienic too, you don't know where those hands have been! Or, more accurately, you do but you don't know when they were last washed.

What Japan could learn from England:

1. More physical intimacy - Ok so I don't really care what people get up to behind closed doors, but I'm talking about the more platonic, everyday physical intimacy that occurs between friends and coworkers. Whilst, as I said before, I do like that there is no forced touching when first meeting something, I do feel as though Japan could have more physical contact in general. It has been widely proven that something as simple as a hug can improve both a person's mood and immune system, as well as creating stronger bonds between those two people. In the four and a bit months that I've been here, I've received a grand total of four hugs, and three of them were from English people. Now, as I've said before, I'm not big on touching, but even I think that the country could do with a few more hugs. And as a side note, how is someone supposed to know you're flirting with them if you don't do the accidentally-on-purpose-arm-brush?!
2. What good cheese is - Unsurprisingly, due to America's influence on Japan combined with their limited arable land, Japan has little to no cheese, and the cheese they do have...well it's just not cheese. As a massive cheddarphile, I think Japan could do with importing some of that stuff. For the sake of the people!
3. Travel - I think for many people growing up in England, travelling abroad is very common, even if you didn't go abroad with your family as a child, you probably know of someone who did. I was fortunate enough to go on many family holidays, both abroad and in England, so I caught the travel bug early on and now I spend nearly all of my savings on trips abroad (Japan - case and point) but in Japan it's just not really a thing. Every Japanese person I have met since I've been here has either never left the country or can count the amount of times they have on one hand. I kind of understand why, though. Japan has everything; beaches, small islands, metropolitan cities, historical sites, spas, mountains, countryside, basically every kind of holiday you could want. So why would a Japanese person want to leave the incredibly safe Japan where everyone speaks their language and go to another country? They wouldn't! But I am a firm believer that travelling and learning about different cultures makes people more open minded and accepting of others, something that the world is in dire need of if you take a look at literally any newspaper. Plus, travelling is fun!

Anyway, that's my opinion, I'd love to hear what you think!