In the digital Global Village we live in, there's more access to information and images of Japan than ever before. But much of this accentuates the projection of stereotypes. Just witness recent Hollywood blockbusters like 'Memoirs of a Geisha', 'Kill Bill' and 'The Last Samurai' to get a taste of this! But what is daily life really like for a typical Japanese person?

During a number of recent ethnographic studies that JMI has conducted for clients visiting from overseas, we have observed a high level of surprise among our guest researchers when they are confronted with the real living situation of Japanese respondents.

It is therefore with this in mind that we have put together this short guide to daily life in Japan. Welcome to the real Japan!

Living Space

First off Japanese tend to live in very small dwellings by international standards, despite enjoying a GDP per capital that is higher than most of its economic rivals. The reason for this is a lack of habitable land. Contrary to perceptions, Japan is a country of mountains, where only 16% of the land mass can be built upon. Typically this land is located in the coastal plains and has been used to construct densely populated cities.

So apartments are small and expensive! And life is often a battle for maximizing the use of the available space. For instance, in Japan it quite typical to use rooms for both living and sleeping. The futons are rolled out at night �Eboth for the parents and the kids �Eand stored away again in cupboards in the morning.

Moving apartment

So you might feel like upgrading to something slightly larger? Well moving in Japan is a notoriously expensive process. People often face costs of up to USD $10,000 to move into an average 2 bedroom apartment and this doesn't even include the first month's rent!

Making a move becomes a very big decision and this helps explain why many younger Japanese are happy to live at home with the family. To break it down, the biggest cost one faces when leasing a property is key money, a gift to the landlord which is payable upon the signing of the contract. This usually amounts to three months rent! On top of that there is the agent's fee of two months rent, then a deposit of two months rent and of course don't forget ... the first month's rent!

So you have saved up eight months rent and you are ready to move into a new place right? Well don't pack your bags just yet. To move into an apartment one has to go through a rigorous screening process with the landlord. This screening often includes answering questions like: What type of job do you have? What is your marital status? And what is your nationality? The latter makes the process a hair-pulling experience for shift workers and foreigners.

Cars

So how about getting away from this urban stress? Maybe a take drive to the beautifully mountainous countryside? Well owning a car is quite a luxury in Japan!

In Japan you need to have a parking space before you can purchase a car and this often equates to the cost of a small apartment in the West. Add to that crippling registration costs and it is no wonder the typical urban and suburban choice in Japan is not what type of car one should buy, but rather, should one even buy a car? And once a car has been owned for 10 years this expense goes up considerably. Next time you make a trip to Japan, try and spot a car that is more than 10 years old and you'll be surprised how few there actually are. And who really needs a car when the trains are so efficient. All aboard!

Train Etiquette

For anybody planning a visit to Japan, it may be useful to know a few things about etiquette when catching the train. First, don't speak on mobile phones. Speaking on mobile phones on the train is considered to be somewhat rude, so unless absolutely necessary, it is not recommended. Secondly be sure to line up when waiting for the train.

This is essential and anyone who dares to queue jump will be swiftly reprimanded. Finally, getting crushed on a train is part of everyday life here so don't take it personally - having your ribs gouged or face pressed against the window is also the norm and so commuters rarely complain. In fact, many Japanese can be found sleeping even while standing while being jostled about the carriage during their morning commute.