After living in Germany for one year, I returned to Japan for a while. I did not expect to feel such a large cultural gap between the two countries. But so many things impressed me and sometimes even fascinated me in Japan, even though everything was "normal," before I left the country.

For example, in train stations, I was reminded of how well-regulated Japanese life is, forming long lines to wait for trains, avoiding using cell phones in public, and making sure the volume of your personal stereo is low — everything is standardized.

These "rules" do not exist in Germany, and this is one of the things I have missed living in Berlin. In my new home town, I often see young people listening to very loud music, sometimes without earphones. At coffee shops I have seen dogs dashing around under tables.

By contrast, a series of strange rules caught my eye in Japan. On one train a sign read "Women only — from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. from X station to Y station" though I noticed most people seemed to ignore this. Another strange notice in a new shopping mall: "Dogs are welcome, but carry them in your bag."

Convenience stores are another facet of Japanese life that now fascinates me; the stores are open 24 hours a day everywhere in Japan — in a big city like Tokyo you can see two or three on one street. They offer not only regular groceries but also tickets for concerts and sports events, and provide facilities similar to those of banks or post offices. I always told my friends in Germany how advanced these services are in Japan.

When I returned I was amazed that I did not have to worry about opening hours or days when stores might be closed. I could buy everyday items whenever I felt like it. The impact of 24-hours service really hit me because in Germany opening hours are far more limited than in Japan. Shops are often not allowed to open on Sundays except in train stations or airports. Even if you are thirsty, you cannot find vending machines in the street. That was why I was so amazed by 24-hour shops. I used them all the time and everywhere in Japan. They quickly became essential during my visit.

One day I went out into the suburbs to get through one of the items on my to-do-list — go to a hot spring. Although Germany is famous for its spas and health resorts, I always missed Japanese hot-spring breaks at ryokan. I was very excited about this small excursion, until I found out that the ryokan I had booked did not accept credit cards. At first I was a little confused by that, but I stayed there for the night and headed out to look for the nearest ATM the next morning.

After a while I discovered another strange facet of life in my home country. Japanese ATMs do not operate 24 hours a day. None of the nearby ATMs was working. It took a while to take in the bank machine's statement, "this ATM is closed." Living in Germany for a year, I had forgotten this.

I was informed that there was an ATM that may be working about 15 minutes away by bus — which ran only once every 90 minutes — and a kind lady advised me where I should get off. Unfortunately, the bus driver was not aware of the place but after I told him my problem he tried to work out where I wanted to go. He even asked other passengers where the ATM was and we finally found the place. He dropped me off at the ATM although there was no bus stop. But I was out of luck — this ATM was closed as well. In the end I had to go to the nearest train station, which was about 15 km away, and then back to the ryokan.

I always thought Japanese services were advanced, but Japanese banks often do not offer 24-hours services, even through convenience stores.

When I went back to Germany and I drew out cash at midnight on a Saturday without any additional charge, I had to think what the real "convenience" is — because I could not use the money until Monday morning.