Some things are just different

There are some things that I've only seen in Japan.  Granted, I haven't been in very many countries besides the US and Japan, so I can't say that these are Japan-only things.

First up:  binders.  In the US, binders have 3 rings that double as body piercing tools.  There are ring binders in Japan as well.  It seems that they only have 2 rings, or 20 small rings.

(Not my picture)

Yamasa gave us all binders to hold our handouts, but I wanted something thinner, so I got this.

When I first saw one of these, it took a little bit to figure out how it works.

First move the sliders to the middle to free the straps.

Remove the top bit.

Add your papers, by putting the straps though the holes.

Put the top bit back.

Push the sliders back to the edges to hold the straps, fold the top over, and you're done!  You can add more material, but if you want to add it to the back, you have to take everything out.  Or you could put your papers in face down.

Item #2:  Books

I also bought a guide book for my trip to Kobe.  I don't want a dead phone battery to stand between me and the train station!

Here's what the book looked like when I picked it off the shelf:

Like many paperbacks in Japan, it has this extra sleeve on it.

After I checked out, the book looked like this.

Very often, paperback sized books are given covers by the bookstore.  These are paper covers.  Some stores just have one design, but I was asked to choose one from about a dozen designs.  I think the idea is that many people read in public -- on trains, for instance -- and it's nobody else's business what your reading.  It also provides a bit of protection for the book.

Item #3:  Grocery stores

Shoppers use a basket, or a basket in a cart to carry their choices around the store and to the cashiers.

At the cash register, you place your basket on the counter.  The cashier checks out your items, and puts them into another basket, often of a different color than the one you used.  When you pay, there's a tray to set your money in -- don't hand it directly to the cashier.  After you get your change and receipt, go to the counter ahead of you and bag your groceries.

Many Japanese have their own shopping bags.  Some stores will put bags into the basket for you, but all the grocery stores in Okazaki are "eco", so they don't give away bags.   You can buy medium size bags for 5 yen each, or bring your own bag.  I still have bags that fold up  compactly from my last trip to Japan, so I always have them in my purse or backpack, in case a grocery store should suck me in.  If I buy a bento, though, I'll get a pair of disposable chopsticks automatically.

This is what hopped into my basket this evening,  a nice salmon dinner for the equivalent of $2.62 plus tax ($2.83 with tax).  Food bought at the grocery store is taxed, unlike in Wisconsin.

The sticker assures me that it was made after 3:00 p.m. You can see potato salad, a bite of fried chicken, some veggies at the top, a piece of cooked salmon, and some rice with sesame seeds.

Underneath the salmon is another little salad and a bit of omelet.  A good Japanese meal has a wide variety of items, even if each is small, so that it includes a variety of flavors and nutrients.  This was as delicious as it was healthy.