Find surprising differences between Hawaii and Japan.

Okay, so let's see what I found about police in Japan. I'm going to show you some pictures related to police in Japan. The picture that consists of car mixed white and black color is the most common police car in Japan. As I said, the car is only for police. No one can bring their own cars as police car in Japan.  Compared to Honolulu Police, I think police car in Hawaii is cooler. Although, it's hard to see the inside of the car in the picture, there is actually no cage for a suspect. But, once policer officer arrest someone, at least one police officer must sit next to the person to monitor him. The picture that consists of car with only black color is called Hukumen in Japanese, which is unmarked police car . I often see it on freeway in Japan. Although you may identify it as unmarked police car in Japan, once you get used to it, I think you will be able to identify which car is actually unmarked police car.  The model of the unmarke...

For last entry, I'll talk about police in Hawaii and Japan. There are also interesting differences between them, so let's take a look. Here are some pictures about Honolulu Police. What I want to talk about is broadly two things, numbers of police stations and numbers of the drivers . Do you know where police stations or offices are ? I actually know two places, which is on Waikiki Police Station showed in one of the pictures and on Paki Avenue. But, I'm not sure whether the police station on Paki Avenue is correct location. If you were born and raised in Hawaii, you would think it's just normal thing, but for me, this is very curious. In Japan, each train station has at least one small police station, and you would be able to see the station at least once wherever you go even if you don't use train station . I see only police cars here, not police station. That's also interesting. Here are differences between police car in Hawaii and in ...

Now, let's take a look at busses in Japan. As I said, because there are many bus companies, there are also many designs and colors of bus in Japan. (Read previous entry first if you don't read it.) Here are pictures below... These are examples of busses you can see in Japan. See?? These are really colorful . The fares of such busses are of course, different, so you might be confused if you use them for the first time. Unlike The Bus in Hawaii, the inside of the busses are not so cold. They don't bump up at all . These are good points. However, as you can see them in the pictures, t hese busses are really small compared to The Bus . This means the inside of the busses is also small. They can't carry a lot of people at once . For wheelchair users, The Bus can automatically get them to the inside, but in Japan, the drives need to help them to get on the busses . These are bad points I could come pup with in Japan Here is interesting point. When yo...

When you think about a bus in Hawaii, you probably think about The Bus . Actually, I just know The Bus here. Is there other buses?? Pictures of The Bus and famous icon are below... Compared to Hawaii, there are many various kinds of buses in Japan. What do you think about The Bus first when you hear it?? You may think " oh, The Bus is alway late ", " The Bus is always too cold ", or" The Bus is shaking all the time ". Sounds like The Bus is not good, but it's not true. There is also good point in The Bus. For example, you can go to where you want to go just paying $2.50 by The Bus, but in Japan, except for particular area, you need to pay money depending on where you stop. In other words, your fare depends on where you want to go, not the same fare . In long distance, you would need to pay over $5 when you use a bus in Japan. Also, if you buy Buy Pass in Hawaii, you can use The Bus anywhere. However, because there are many ...

Okay, so let's see a taxi in Japan. You will see the differences between a taxi in Hawaii and in Japan. Here are pictures of taxi in Japan below... See?? The cars in the pictures are really similar, are't they? Once you go to Japan or at least Tokyo, you will definitely see them there. Not only the shape of the cars is really similar, but also the colors are unique.  In Hawaii, the color is almost light white or gray, and as I mentioned, the drivers almost treat their own cars as taxis. However, in Japan, these cars in the pictures are only for taxis.  As you may know, you don't have to pay tip in Japan, so it's maybe better for a passenger. In Hawaii, fare of taxi starts just about $2.30 first, so if you move somewhere else in short distance, you just pay for that plus tip. That's it. In Japan, until about 1 kilo meter, fare of taxi is about 410 yen, which is about $3.70. Last year, the fare was about 710 yen until 2 kilo meters, which...

Sometimes, you need a taxi in your daily life, right? Actually, in just short distance, the fare of a taxi is not so expensive in Hawaii. By the way, how many taxi companies do you know in Hawaii?? Maybe you would come up with 2 or 3 taxi companies. I just came up with 3 taxi companies, which are The CAB, Pony Taxi, and Hana Taxi. Here are the pictures of the 3 companies below... Have you seen them?? Maybe, I think we can see them at least once in a day somewhere. The cars in the pictures... They are just normal taxis. But, when I saw a taxi in Hawaii for the first time, I just thought that "Hey, is it a taxi? Why does every model of the car differ ?" Sounds like strange? I guess you think so, but for me, I was surprised at that time. The reason is taxis in Japan (at least Tokyo) are almost the same model of a car and they have their own specific color depending on taxi company.  I'm really not sure other p...

In previous entry, I showed some damaged roads in Hawaii, so how about ones in Japan?? (If you don't read previous one, read it first. ) First, it is just my opinion, but  I'm going to say this. " On average, roads in Japan are clean and sturdy because the government spends money for them so much that people in Japan complain about that ." Okay, now, let's see what I found.. These pictures were taken in Tokyo in Japan. As you can see, there are no noticeable bumps or holes in the pictures. I'm also from Tokyo, and I've not seen holes and bumps on roads in Japan so much in my whole life. Some of you may think  " Oh, because it's Tokyo, not other countryside!! There should be some holes and bumps in countryside!! " Yeah, you are right. Let's see ones in countryside... I found some of damaged roads in countryside, but it's not so huge damage unlike the pictures in Hawaii, is it?? (Of course, it d...

I never cared about bumps and holes on roads in Japan so much, and I think there are not so many of them in Japan. But, here, wherever I go, I can see many of them. Some of you from Hawaii may think it is just a normal thing, but for me, I was really surprised when I noticed  that there were so many bumps and holes on roads.    Here are some pictures of bumps and holes below that I found near KCC and at Waikiki (you also can see them easily). How is it??  You have seen such holes and bumps like the pictures, right?? When you get on the bus, the bus often jumps over and over. I think the cause is mostly such bumps and holes on roads. What I want to say is not such roads must be fixed. I mean it's better there are no such things on roads. However, it must cast to fix them so much, and I think the government wants to use money for other things, such as.... improvement of tourism? Maybe? Some of you may think it's just normal thing that such bu...

As I said, there may be differences between those grocery stores. (If you don't read previous entry, read it first.) This time, I went to see the customers at those stores, Walmart at Ala moana, Don Quijote at Kaheka, Costco at Hawaii kai, Nijiya Market at Ala moana, Foodland at Ala moana, Marukai Market Place at Ward, Food Pantry at Waikiki, and Whole Foods at Kahara. And, I'm going to review how many parents put their children in a shopping cart with store characteristic. For those who don't know how the stores look like... Which stores do you think parents put their children in a shopping cart the most? Here is the ranking below...  (examined on 6/10 and6/11 in daytime) 1st Costco                                   Over 10 parents  2nd Walmart                    ...

Many of you have seen that kids are in a shopping cart at a grocery store.  Yeah, right. Actually, there is a space for them to sit, and many parents would be able to shop there looking at their little children. But, in Hawaii... They aren't little children, are they!? (Just image of what I said) I've never seen that such not little children are in a chopping cart in Japan. If you put your children there like this picture in Japan, you will definitely warned by a staff at a grocery store . The space where the children in the picture are sitting is for items of a store, right? I don't want parents to make their children do that. What do you think about this?? No one cares about that here?  Okay, if you say so, I'll consider other things. Needless to say, the children walk around and may step on soil or trash outside. The space must be dirty after they are sitting there without any doubt. Think about other people... Now, I'm going to ...

Hi, I'm Hiro from Tokyo in Japan. It's already been about over 2 years since I moved to Hawaii as a student. Time goes so fast!! Since I've stayed for 2 years here, Hawaii, I can find something good, bad, even curious between Hawaii and Japan in my daily life. Some of you may do so, but you may not really check it out, right? So, I'm going to find such things as a difference in Hawaii and compare Hawaii and Japan picking up some good points and not good points. Okay, now just wait for the first entry...