Common signs of Japanization include: Having a strange feeling of being suddenly taller, being awaken in the middle of the flight to eat some noodle soup in a Styrofoam cup and craving for some more noodle soup once you finally step on the solid ground.

First culture shock: Despite expecting to be a curiosity in this country with relatively few foreigners, nobody appears to be looking at you. You may eventually start missing the more frequent eye-contacts present in other cultures. When meeting other gaijinForeigner, don’t be shy, fulfill this need by looking in their eyes as long as you can! It must be a relief for them too. It is very important in the Japanese culture to avoid making others uncomfortable and therefore looking or staring at Japanese strangers should be avoided.