On June 17, 2026, a post titled "Things I learned for the first time after going to Japan" appeared on the Chinese SNS Xiaohongshu (RED), and many Chinese netizens shared their experiences.

The poster listed five things they learned for the first time after going to Japan. The first is that carrying a garbage bag is essential when going out in Japan. They described it by saying, "It's harder to find a place to throw away garbage in the city than to find a toilet," and explained that ultimately, all the garbage generated must be taken home.

The second is the independence of Japanese elementary school students. They said they were surprised by the common sight of children commuting to and from school with friends, which is rarely seen in China, describing it as "a level that Chinese parents would say 'this can't be imitated' if they saw it."

The third is a discovery about Japanese brand products. According to the poster, the children's clothing brand "Miki House" and the sports brand "Onitsuka Tiger" have highly-rated Japanese-made products sold in Japanese stores, and the poster felt a difference in quality and user experience compared to products sold in overseas stores.

The fourth is their impression of Japanese food packaging. They stated, "The photos on food packages are not just 'for illustration purposes'; the actual contents are almost exactly as pictured," showing their admiration for the small difference between the sample and the actual product.

The fifth is the products of the baby skincare brand "Mama&Kids". The poster stated, "'Mama&Kids' Japanese version is the easiest to use," introducing the high praise for products made for the Japanese domestic market.

And by calling for others to "please share if you learned anything else for the first time after going to Japan," many netizens shared their own discoveries, with comments such as, "I really felt that Japanese society is orderly and civilized," and "I only realized it after going to Japan, but there was no atmosphere of a bad economy at all; the whole town was vibrant."

Additionally, comments were received such as, "In convenience stores, you line up along the footprints on the floor. When I first went, I stood directly behind someone checking out, with a Chinese mindset, and almost seemed like I was cutting in," and "What left the biggest impression on me was that the prices at convenience stores were almost all the same. There was almost no difference in price whether in a service area or a residential neighborhood."

Other comments highlighted the charm of rural areas, such as, "People in the countryside are very kind. I think the real charm of traveling in Japan is actually in the local regions," and "The Japanese countryside is more interesting. It's clean, quiet, and has many beautiful gardens." (Translation/Editing: Iwata)