Getting gas and shopping in Japan

8:00 o'clock! Just now we woke up! Since we went to bed late yesterday, not even our jet lag was able to get us out of bed. As we have now noticed, our laundry was still slightly damp. So we looked for a laundromat near a Lawsons convenience store. We put the laundry in the dryer and got ourselves a coffee. When we came back, the laundry was nice and dry.

We quickly checked our route and set off. But after a short while, we discovered signs for two temples. We didn't want to miss this opportunity, so we spontaneously decided to turn off. We drove towards the temples.

And here we noticed another characteristic of the Japanese. They are really considerate and drive very defensively. They keep a good distance and don't get too close. That's very pleasant. So we were standing on a country road and had to turn. We waited until the oncoming traffic had passed. Of course, the oncoming traffic had the right of way. But still, the drivers who we properly yielded to thanked us with a friendly nod. It's really enjoyable to yield the right of way.

Getting gas in Japan is also a highlight! As soon as you drive into a gas station, several gas attendants immediately jump to assist you. Alongside filling up with gas, they also clean your car with freshly washed towels. This is especially pleasing to our hygiene officer. And the toilets at the gas stations also make Heike's heart skip a beat. They too have fresh towels. And the toilets are spotlessly clean. At some gas stations, the toilet paper is even wrapped in doilies. When we then leave the gas station with a full tank, a gas attendant stops traffic so that we can leave comfortably. This whole procedure, of course, doesn't happen without continuous bowing.

There are also self-service gas stations. The fuel is usually cheaper there. However, there are still plenty of employees there who don't fill up the tank, but instead wave their arms wildly to direct you towards the fuel pump.

Since our navigation system sometimes has its own quirks and sometimes shows us the direction very late, it often happens that we are in the wrong lane at the traffic light. We have the green light and hold up all the traffic because we need to be in the other turning lane, which is still red. When it then turns green, we have never experienced not being allowed to switch lanes. No one honks behind us either. While we cannot see into the souls of the drivers behind us, to whom we have blocked the green phase, we believe they are really calm. I don't even want to imagine what would happen in this situation in Chile.

So we finally arrived at one of the two temples. It was beautifully located in a small grove. The Japanese really know how to create beautiful temples in the midst of nature. The little walk through the forest to reach the temple was really relaxing and gave us a lot of energy. Especially for Heike, who couldn't resist running through the temple against the prescribed direction. After that, she felt lively and cheerful. Unfortunately, the other temple was still closed.

On the further journey, we stopped at red traffic lights several times. Here, we repeatedly noticed that there was a monitor installed in the center console, where German cars usually have the radio or navigation system. On it, the TV program or a movie was playing, which means that the Japanese sometimes like to watch TV while driving. Now we understand why the speed limit is often 40 km/h in the city and on country roads.

The speed limit is usually not so bad, because that way we don't miss any Lawsons or supermarkets. We really love Japanese supermarkets. Especially after coming from America, the prices seemed very reasonable to us. There are also so many delicious ready-made meals that we can put in the microwave to try immediately. We also love the wide selection of sushi. The sweet potatoes that you can eat right away are also delicious. If you're lucky, there are also small stands in front of the supermarkets that sell very tasty food for very little money. We always try something there.

There are countless different supermarkets in Japan. Interestingly, they differ greatly in their prices. Therefore, it's worth comparing prices. The cheapest for soups, we find, are the drugstores. When you enter one, you can't help but wish for sunglasses, because you're being illuminated by countless neon lights. They are not at all subtle, like at DM.

Often, our favorite store, called Daiso, is also located near the big supermarkets. The items there cost about 0.70€. No matter how many times we go in, we always find something. The store was especially convenient for buying birthday decorations for the kids.

Today, we only stopped at a Michi no Eki rest area and let the evening come to an end.