You Know You’re in Tokyo when…

1 – You need an instruction manual to operate the toilet.

Toilet control panel

2 – Eating an ice cream cone on the street might create an international incident, while eating a bowl of noodles in one minute and 40 seconds while standing at a counter is perfectly normal.

Haneda noodle stand

3 – The entire staff of a restaurant yells at you, and instead of feeling abused you feel completely welcomed.

4 – A mobile phone is not complete without a charm hanging from it.

mobile phone with Anpanman

5 – People wear surgical masks in public, not because they’re afraid of H1N1 but because they’re afraid of making you sick with their own germs.

Masked

Image by bthomso via Flickr

6 – That building with the Statue of Liberty on top rents rooms by the hour.

7 – There’s no trash – and no trash cans – anywhere.

8 – You get a hot towel at mealtime but not a napkin.

CodazziOshibori1

Image via Wikipedia

9 – You overhear other Americans in conversation on the subway, and you want to tap them on the shoulder and whisper “Um, excuse me, do you realize you’re the only ones talking here?”

10 – You feel perpetually underdressed.

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