Wait, modern and culture? Although this may seem like an oxymoron, Japan is a country that not only values the old, but also accepts and develops the new. Both age-old traditions and unique Japanese creations are equally valid forms of the Japanese culture, and should definitely be appreciated as such. So if you want to experience modern Japanese cultural phenomenons, these are the things you should definitely put in your bucket list.

Maid Cafes

Maid cafes are a type of cosplay restaurants found and created in Japan. This is a newer cultural phenomenon that is mostly only found in major cities. In these cafes, waitresses dress in costumes inspired by French maid outfits and treat customers as masters and mistresses. This concept was first introduced by Cure Maid Café, but most other maid cafes today have evolved to heavily play up the cuteness factor.

This stems from the surge in popularity of concept of moe, which is a character trope in media which describes innocent-looking and cute female characters. Many cafes will have maids perform ‘rituals’ on the food to make it more delicious. They will also sometimes play games with customers and take cute photographs with them, even writing personalised messages, though these services may cost extra.

@home cafe and Maidreamin, both in Akihabara, Tokyo, are the most well known maid cafes, and hence are more foreigner friendly than smaller establishments.

Karaoke

This is a big one. Most of you may already be familiar with the concept of Karaoke, but for those who are unaware- Karaoke is an entertainment facility where you sing along to recorded music using a microphone. The songs are usually instrumental versions and lyrics are displayed on a video screen. Some karaoke places will serve complementary drinks, and snacks and alcohol can also be bought.

Karaoke establishments usually open from 11:00 to 03:00 the next day, with even longer hours on Fridays and Saturdays. It’s become the perfect past time for the Japanese and a fun way to spend an evening for tourists. Karaoke is sure to make even the most shy person in your group open up, and can be found all across Japan.

The karaoke machine was invented by Japanese musician named Daisuke Inoue in Kobe in 1971. For his contributions to humanity, he was awarded the tongue-in-cheek Ig Nobel Peace Prize, “thereby providing an entirely new way for people to learn to tolerate each other.”

Game Arcades & Pachinko

Arcades have been dwindling all around the world with the rise of mobile phones and online gaming. Although not unaffected by this decline, Japan still has a general love for arcades, with nostalgia and the unique feeling of playing in an arcade often being sited as reasons why. Some hugely popular games, including claw machines, are also nearly impossible to replicate at home. Hugely popular games include the Final Fantasy franchise and the Tekken franchise.

If you’re someone who sorely misses the heyday of arcade gaming, you should definitely check out Super Potato in Akihabara, Tokyo. This arcade and store is specially geared towards iconic and classic retro games. It’s absolutely perfect for those of you who know the Mario theme song by heart. 

Pachinko parlours, which are literally found all over Japan, are more akin to casinos, but this comparison falls short. Gambling for money is actually illegal in Japan (there are exceptions though) and hence Pachinko parlour offer attractive prizes or tokens instead. Tokens can be exchanged for cash at designated exchange centres. The game itself is a mix between slot machines and pin ball and, as the Japanese will tell you, is pretty addictive. 

Manga cafes

Any budget traveller who has been to Japan knows of this gem, which can either help you save a lot, or be your best back up plan if you accidentally miss the last train back to where you’re staying. Manga cafes or Internet cafes give you a cubicle with a sofa or reclining chair, a computer and access to shower rooms, snacks and drinks. Staying overnight can cost as low as 2000 yen.

Prices for food are fairly reasonable and most will let you use the shower room for free for the first 15 minutes (this varies from place to place). While you’re there, you can grab a book or Manga (English options are limited), play a video game, use the internet or just sleep.

Most places will require identification such as your passport, so make sure you have that with you. If you don’t want to spend the night, you can also just book an hour or two during the day. If you’re a woman, some places even give you discounts as they want to attract more female customers.

Purikura

Purikura are glamour photo booths that are commonly found in arcades, but are also found everywhere else from theme parks to local malls. It is extremely popular among female students, who add colourful backgrounds and cute stickers to the photos. The booth also helps you exaggerate your well liked features (by making your eyes larger, for example) and downplay what you may consider your flaws (by smoothening out your skin texture, for example).

Some places even allow you to rent out cosplay costumes so that you can match the different themes of the purikura. Speaking of themes, some purikura will have cute mascots or anime type themes. If you go to J world in Ikebukuro, for example, you can find shounen anime themed purikura like Haikyuu.

Though in Japan purikura is more popular among girls, in my experience, my male friends sometimes seemed to have even more fun than us girls, mocking each other and purposely making extra cute or funny faces. The point is, everyone can have fun with purikura, and it’s a definite must try considering it doesn’t cost much either.

[Adapted from my now missing odigo page]