Japan--A Land of Raw Fish, Cleanliness, Safety

Japan, the land of Mt. Fuji, hot baths, raw fish, bullet trains and Kabuki dancers, is also the land of cleanliness, health and safety.

In Japan, there are no unusual communicable diseases or tropical illnesses. Tap water and milk are safe to drink. Sanitation is generally on a par with North America and Northern Europe. People with colds wear face masks in the street to prevent the spread of their germs, and blowing one’s nose in public is considered impolite. In fact, when Japanese visit America, some find our sanitary conditions not quite up to their standards.

In Japan, you can experience a totally different culture while enjoying Western technology and comforts. But those differences in cultures can get you into hot water. (Hot water is precisely one of those problems. More about that later.)

A Few Timely Tips

Here are some tips for staying healthy, safe and comfortable.

Jet lag: Japan is practically on the other side of the globe from the continental United States and, therefore, there is an almost complete reversal of day and night. Most flights from America land in Japan in the afternoon which is early morning back home.

You can minimize jet lag by napping two or three hours when you reach your hotel. Then have a light dinner, go out and look around. Go to sleep at your customary time.

Most likely you will wake up very early the next morning, probably at 4 or 5 a.m. Get up. Visit the fabulous fish market in downtown Tokyo. Then eat breakfast at your usual time. Take an afternoon nap. Plan afternoon and evening activities. The next morning you will be almost adjusted to Japanese time.

Minimize liquor the first few nights. Alcohol delays recovery from jet lag. One drink of sake is all right. It is a wine, not a whiskey, and servings are generally small.

Check That Medication

Note: If you take medication which must be taken precisely every 24 hours, check with your physician before leaving home. The time difference of 10 to 12 hours may require your taking an extra half dose on your arrival in Japan.

Food: The more authentic your Japanese meal, the more it will consist of an infinite variety of beautifully arranged and gracefully served seaweed, raw fish and raw seafood. Gastronomically, make up your own mind. Most Americans like it.

Healthwise, in many parts of the world, raw fish and seafood are no longer safe to eat. They can cause hepatitis and travelers’ diarrhea. However, Japanese health officials claim that strict controls assure that all fish and seafood come from unpolluted waters and are properly refrigerated at all times.

There is one exception: a prized delicacy, fugu. It can kill you, and does so to about two dozen diners each year. The number is down sharply from the year before. The problem: Fugu is the meat of a blowfish and many parts of the fish--the liver, for example--contain a deadly toxin. The Japanese government requires chefs who prepare it to have special licenses.

For less adventurous eaters, there is good Western-type food available everywhere.

Traffic Is the Danger

Street safety: Be alert on the streets. Not for crime. There is virtually none. But for traffic. It moves on the left as in England. Cross only at crosswalks and obey the lights. And unless you are very daring, leave the driving to others.

One minor hazard: taxi doors. Passengers doors are opened automatically by the driver. Stand clear to avoid getting hit.

Helpful telephone numbers: There are two telephone numbers for visitors in need of assistance. Operators speak English.

The Japanese Travel Phone operates from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. The number in Tokyo is 502-1461 and in Kyoto 377-5649.

Tell-A-Phone, the Tokyo English Life Line, is a service for anyone in distress or needing a listener or counselor. The number in Tokyo is 264-4347.

English-Speaking Doctors

Medical Care: Should you need medical attention, get the name of a physician from a large Western-style hotel. These physicians are always on call, speak English, are associated with Western-style hospitals and are accustomed to the ways of Westerners.

Japanese physicians not accustomed to Westerners find foreign visitors a burden, says Robert S. Hillman MD, author of the book, “Traveling Healthy.” Japanese patients are less demanding. They are stoical, do not complain, ask few questions, are willing to wait hours for a visit that lasts minutes, do not expect the physician to discuss the diagnosis and do not expect to participate in decision making concerning their treatment.

The reason for a Western-style hospital is that other hospitals are very crowded, few people speak English, the food is strictly Japanese and much of the nursing care is provided by the family of the patient.

Pre-existing Medical Problems: If you have a medical condition which may require emergency treatment, diabetes or a convulsive disorder, for example, wear a bracelet and carry a wallet card that describes your condition in Japanese. Obtain these items before you leave home. The Japanese Government Tourist Offices in this country can help you.

The bracelet will alert emergency personnel to look for further information in your wallet. Says Dr. Hillman, otherwise, it would be impolite to search your possessions even in case of emergency.

A Traditional Inn

Japanese Inns: Treat yourself to at least one night in a traditional inn, a ryokan. Tatami mats. Shoji screens. A small veranda overlooking a Japanese garden. Dinner served in your room on a low table while you sit on a pillow on the tatami mat. (Stretch your legs under the table and wriggle your toes to avoid cramps.) Comfortable beds made up on mattresses on the floor. (The beds are especially suited for sore backs.) All the comforts of a deluxe hotel. And to boot, you’ll remember the ryokan long after all the international hotels you have stayed in fade into one indistinguishable blur.

Part of a ryokan experience is a hot bath. You can bathe in a wooden tub in your room or in a public bath, usually the size of a small swimming pool. Nowadays, at most ryokans, there are separate baths for men and women.

In Japan bathing is for enjoyment, relaxation and reflection, not for washing. You clean yourself thoroughly before entering the bath.

The baths are generally very hot. The Japanese are accustomed to water temperatures that Westerners may find uncomfortable, sometimes hazardous.

Don’t jump in. Enter slowly. If you do get into the water, stay only briefly to avoid an uncomfortable tingling sensation on your skin and, sometimes, heat prostration. Japanese bathing is not recommended for travelers who have heart and lung problems, are elderly, or for pregnant women.