For nearly ten years, I have had a partnership with one of Japan’s most renowned manufacturers of premium dental materials. The company is Kuraray Noritake, which is actually part of a huge corporation primarily focused on the glass, plastics, and ceramics industries. Since modern dentistry relies heavily on ceramic and plastic-based materials, it is hardly surprising that the company is also a major player in the dental market. Healthcare represents only a small percentage of Kuraray’s overall business, but thanks to the research expertise and infrastructure developed in its other sectors, the company has become a technological leader in the dental materials market.
The Significance of Kuraray
Of course, the dental division can only be considered small when compared with sectors such as aerospace. (They work with aircraft wings — and yes, spacecraft too.) Within dentistry itself, however, the company holds a very prominent market position. Kuraray products are firmly in the premium category, and their prices reflect this. Numerous patents are associated with Kuraray, and many of the scientists who have played a defining role in modern dentistry come from Japan.
I have known and used their products for many years, and I have also given numerous lectures to fellow dentists on how to use these dental materials. We have “known” each other for a long time, yet few things could have been as unexpected and as great an honour as being invited, as a dentist from Debrecen, to a country like Japan.
As fate would have it, in October 2024 I had the opportunity to spend nearly ten days as a guest of Kuraray Noritake, mainly in Tokyo, Nagoya and Niigata.
The generosity of the invitation itself made it clear that something special was waiting for me. I was not disappointed. The experience meant so much to me that I decided to put what I had seen and experienced into writing.
This post will be somewhat longer than what is usually recommended for a blog article, but my aim is partly to preserve the memory of my journey and partly to convey the experience as vividly as possible. In this post, I would like to share my impressions of the country itself, its people, and the atmosphere I experienced there. I am also planning a second part, which will focus more specifically on the professional side of the trip.
I would also like to take this opportunity to express my enormous gratitude to Prodentál in Debrecen, with whom we have enjoyed both a professional partnership and a friendship for almost ten years. This decade-long relationship provides a stable foundation for our work together and continually inspires us to provide our patients with the highest possible quality of care. Professional relationships like this mean a great deal to me. Thank you, Attila and Gábor!
First Impressions
So many people, yet everything feels safe and orderly.
Order and Courtesy
When I arrived in Tokyo, the first thing I noticed at the airport was the discipline and organisation. Passport control went smoothly, despite everyone having their face scanned for facial recognition and their fingerprints taken. The entire process was characterised by precision and courtesy. There was no awkward confusion and no waiting in line for hours. In Japan, the well-being of the community and the maintenance of order clearly seem to be priorities, which felt completely different from what I am used to at home.
An entirely ordinary street during the day. Everything is spotless. The yellow tactile paving designed to assist visually impaired people runs throughout the city.
Problems with Payment
One of the first things that came as a shock was discovering that you cannot pay by phone everywhere. I have to admit, this surprised me in a country famous for its high-tech culture. In Europe, I am used to simply tapping my phone almost everywhere, but here that did not always work.
During the week, however, I realised that QR-code-based payment apps are actually widespread in Japan. The contactless mobile payments we commonly use can almost seem like “old” technology here. It was interesting to discover that technological advancement does not necessarily mean what you expect it to mean.
Honest Taxi Drivers
In Japan, dedicated staff were there to assist arriving passengers and help them with taxis. They even established the expected fare in advance so that tourists could not be overcharged. It may sound strange, but from that moment on, I trusted the locals.
Skyscrapers with Taste
The care and consideration shown towards foreigners clearly demonstrated that hospitality in Japan is not merely a service, but an important part of the country’s identity.
Incidentally, I was unable to pay the airport taxi fare because of the mobile payment issue mentioned above. I certainly did not want to bring shame on Hungary, but it still took me about two weeks after returning home to find a way to settle my debt with the taxi driver — who, naturally, did not speak a word of English. During my stay, we could not find an app that would allow us to resolve the situation.
The lesson for the future: if you visit Japan, definitely bring cash or a physical bank card with you!
What Felt Different from Europe
A symbiosis of the past and the future.
Tokyo: The Capital of Cleanliness
One of the most striking things about Tokyo is its cleanliness. I knew Japan would be orderly, but I genuinely did not expect it to work this well in practice. Let us not forget: we are talking about a metropolis of around ten million people.
Everywhere I went, everything was organised and immaculate, even in the busiest areas. What was even more surprising was that I hardly saw any rubbish bins. Despite this, there was not a single piece of litter on the streets. I even deliberately looked for signs of carelessness — a discarded piece of chewing gum, for example — but found nothing.
This was completely different from what I am used to in Budapest. At home, we often struggle with litter, and on almost every street corner you are likely to encounter a discarded cigarette butt or piece of chewing gum. In Tokyo, the streets almost seemed clean enough to eat from. Even the air felt different: that particular “smell” often associated with busy cities was missing. My Dutch, German, Norwegian and Swedish travelling companions noticed the same thing.
Where Does This Love of Order Come From?
Everyone waits calmly in line. Yes, even during rush hour.
I later learned that cleanliness is one of the cornerstones of Japanese culture. The lack of rubbish bins is not the result of neglect, but of something much more interesting. Rather than relying on public bins, people generally take their rubbish home with them.
This attitude reflects not only discipline but also a strong sense of community. Japanese people regard the cleanliness of public spaces as everyone’s responsibility, and they behave accordingly.
This way of thinking changed my own behaviour as well. In a city where cleanliness feels so natural, you automatically become more conscious of your own actions. Perhaps this is part of what makes Tokyo so special: cleanliness exists not only in the literal sense, but also in the mindset of ordinary people.
It All Starts with How Children Are Raised
In Japanese schools, students even clean the toilets themselves. This practice is part of an educational philosophy designed to instil responsibility, community spirit and respect for one’s surroundings in the next generation.
Students regularly take part in cleaning different areas of the school, including classrooms, corridors and toilets. Cleaning duties are performed in groups and rotated regularly so that everyone takes part, even in the least pleasant jobs.
This system helps students learn to appreciate a clean environment and understand what it actually takes to clean up after themselves — and after others.
The Absence of Luxury in Japan
Crowded, yet harmonious.
When it came to prices, I was surprised to find that most things cost roughly the same as they do in Debrecen or Budapest. Although many people think of Japan as an expensive country, the prices did not seem extreme to me. Food, public transport and even restaurants were generally around the same level I was used to at home.
Of course, prices were higher in some tourist areas, but overall I never felt that everyday life in Tokyo required spending a fortune.
Showing Off Is Embarrassing Here
Japanese society appears to be less inclined towards ostentation and luxury. While in Hungary and other Western countries it is common to see expensive cars and other status symbols, in Japan functionality and practicality seem to take priority.
This restraint is visible not only in cars but in many aspects of everyday life. My impression was that Japanese people are more impressed by what someone achieves through their work or creativity, and by the value they contribute as a person. Open displays of wealth seem more likely to provoke disapproval than admiration.
Conscious Choices Instead of a Leased German Premium Car
At government level, Japan also supports small cars because they produce fewer emissions, are more economical and occupy less space. Owners of small cars can benefit from various advantages, including lower taxes and parking-related costs.
This system encourages people to choose more sustainable solutions while also helping address environmental pollution.
What really caught my attention, however, was the relative absence of luxury goods. On the streets of Tokyo I saw surprisingly few Lexus models or other premium cars, despite the fact that in Europe we often associate these brands with the strength of the Japanese economy.
Instead, I saw huge numbers of small vehicles known as kei cars, which are both practical and economical.
Once again, this highlighted how sustainability and simplicity in Japan seem to be more than passing trends: they are part of everyday life. People do not merely follow rules; there appears to be a genuine belief that small choices — such as driving smaller cars or living more economically — can create meaningful change at a societal level.
Attitudes Towards Work
Complete Attention and Respect
During the week, I had the opportunity to meet many different people: receptionists, waiters, drivers, dentists, researchers and chefs. They represented different professions, occupied different social positions and worked under very different financial circumstances, yet I noticed one common characteristic among them: an internal desire to perform their work with the greatest possible care, thoroughness and dedication.
They did not look for shortcuts or try to get away with doing less. For them, quality did not appear to be some exceptional goal — it was simply the basic standard.
This attitude is very close to my own, particularly in dentistry. I believe that professional dedication, attention to detail and a commitment to quality have genuine value. And I do not mean financial value, because this has very little to do with money.
My time in Japan reinforced my belief that this kind of inner discipline is something we should preserve throughout our lives.
I should add that Japan is certainly not a perfect world, and life there has its difficulties too. Nevertheless, the people I met did not appear to be motivated primarily by financial recognition. Everyone I encountered seemed genuinely committed to doing honest, conscientious work because they expected it of themselves.
Japanese Society – What Are the People Like?
Japanese culture is famous around the world for its politeness and precision, and these qualities are clearly visible in everyday life. Here are some of the aspects I experienced personally.
A Culture of Courtesy
Our first sushi dinner with my colleagues. According to a friend of mine, you could tell I was Hungarian because I was the only one with a shot glass in front of me. :) The truth is, it was the first sake of my life.
In Japan, politeness is not merely a custom; it is a way of life. People are consistently considerate and helpful and make an effort not to inconvenience others. Even in an ordinary shop, customers receive attentive service: everyone greets you and bows.
Ninety people can simply form a single orderly line in front of an escalator.
An overflowing glass is a sign of hospitality.
The Art of Bowing
Bowing — or ojigi in Japanese — is one of the most important ways of expressing courtesy. Different angles of bowing have different meanings: a short, slight bow may serve as a greeting, while a deeper bow can express respect or an apology.
For a foreigner this can initially feel unusual, but in Japan it is a fundamental part of communication. I recognised its importance relatively quickly, so I enthusiastically bowed wherever I went.
I also confidently used basic Japanese greetings, which pleasantly surprised all my new Japanese friends.
Strict Protocols and Rules
Japanese society is extremely rule-oriented, and protocols are taken seriously. From dining etiquette to social interaction, almost every situation has its own established procedure.
Exchanging business cards during a meeting, for example, is a small ceremony in itself and is treated seriously. These details ensure that everyone understands their role within the system and help maintain social harmony.
I had the opportunity to experience the business-card protocol at least ten times. Many of my travelling companions were unfamiliar with this important custom, and because I was paying close attention to the locals, I could see that mistakes occasionally created genuinely awkward moments.
Silence and Calm in Everyday Life
Mount Fuji.
Loud behaviour is remarkably absent from public life in Japan. People remain quiet on trains and buses, and you almost never hear someone speaking loudly on the phone.
Once, while I was in a shop, I called my wife on FaceTime and soon noticed that people were giving me rather disapproving looks. Even the hotel lifts displayed signs suggesting that talking there was not really appropriate.
The Role of Elderly People
Japan’s ageing society faces numerous challenges, but efforts are clearly being made to address them.
At Nagoya Castle, for example, our guide was an elderly woman. During a short conversation, I learned that older people are often recruited as tour guides in Japan, partly to give them meaningful activities and help prevent social isolation.
It was heart-warming to see her enthusiasm and the sparkle in her eyes as she told us about the history of the castle. It was wonderful to see someone sharing her knowledge and local history with visitors with such passion.
Our lovely tour guide and Ivan, one of Kuraray’s managers. In accordance with local expectations, I had shaved completely clean. It was not a good idea!
Japanese Gastronomy
A Culinary Shock: Japan’s Revolution in Healthy Food
If there was one thing that impressed me from the very beginning in Japan, it was the food. It felt light-years away from what I was used to at home, particularly when it came to healthy eating.
In Hungary, I often struggle to eat enough vegetables. Japan was a completely different experience: even the simplest vegetables were prepared so brilliantly that they constantly surprised me.
A Celebration of Vegetables
In Japan, vegetables are not merely side dishes or secondary elements of a meal. They are given such intense and interesting flavours that they often become the centrepiece of the plate.
One day, for example, I ate a salad in which seaweed, cucumber and some kind of sesame-oil dressing created a perfect harmony. At no point did I feel as though I were eating flavourless pieces of paper. It was fresh and light, yet full of flavour.
Unfortunately, something like this is difficult to imagine at home — although with food like this, I could easily make peace with eating more vegetables.
Health and Flavour Go Hand in Hand
Japanese cuisine does not merely make healthy ingredients “acceptable”; it makes them desirable.
The food is not only delicious but full of vitamins, fibre and all sorts of nutrients that we often try to replace at home with supplements, powders and shakes. And it achieves this while you barely even notice how healthily you are eating.
This was particularly striking compared with what I am used to in Hungary, where supposedly healthy food can often be difficult to enjoy on its own.
The Connection Between Cuisine and Life Expectancy
It is no coincidence that Japan has one of the highest life expectancies in the world. Its food culture includes many habits associated with healthy eating, from portion sizes and fresh ingredients to a preference for lighter dishes rather than heavy, fatty meals.
The food does not weigh you down; it gives you energy.
I did not see many overweight people either.
Every Vegetable Deserves Individual Attention
Inspiration to Take Home
The experience made me look at vegetables and healthy eating differently.
It is not that Hungary lacks excellent ingredients, but we are often not particularly creative in how we prepare them. Perhaps the key is to experiment more boldly with spices, cooking techniques and flavour combinations.
Of course, I am only a dentist who particularly dislikes cooking. :)
What I did experience first-hand, however, is that healthy eating does not have to be boring or feel like an obligation.
As part of the programme, we attended an authentic Japanese dinner. It must have been a fine-dining restaurant because we were served around ten courses. Everything was divine and unlike anything I had tasted before.
Pop Culture: It Belongs to Everyone in Japan
Things that might seem unusual or even ridiculous at home are completely normal parts of life in Japan.
In Hungary, if someone enjoys anime or collects related figures, people may look at them strangely. They may be labelled “childish” or simply laughed at.
I am only superficially familiar with the major elements of this culture myself, but since I was already there, I wanted to visit the district associated with it — which, incidentally, is also one of Tokyo’s tourist attractions.
Akihabara: Paradise for Anime and Manga Fans
Located in the heart of Tokyo, Akihabara is one of the best-known destinations for fans of Japanese pop culture.
This vibrant district is packed with anime and manga shops, video-game stores and iconic maid cafés. At weekends, Akihabara’s main streets are often closed to traffic to make room for the enormous crowds of pedestrians.
I am not exaggerating: there are hundreds of shops where five or ten entire floors are filled with strange dolls, books, figures and collectibles.
Akihabara is not simply a shopping district but a cultural centre that perfectly reflects Japan’s creativity and passion. Seeing it in person was completely surreal. In a district that can seem rather strange through European eyes, there was barely enough room to move through the crowds.
In one ten-storey figure shop I visited, one of the most interesting moments came when I noticed a well-dressed man in his fifties, wearing a suit and casually browsing through action figures.
He was far from alone. Plenty of similarly aged, serious-looking people crowded around the shelves, enthusiastically examining the merchandise.
They clearly did not feel there was anything embarrassing about it. For them, this was simply another form of recreation and passion, no different from enjoying a good book or following a sport.
Pop Culture Belongs to Everyone
Seeing this made me realise that anime and its related products are not exclusively the “hobbies” of young people in Japan.
Here, the culture belongs to everyone, and people do not seem to feel that they will be judged for enjoying it. This attitude reflects a degree of openness and tolerance that is difficult to imagine at home.
The Lesson: Passion Has No Age Limit
In Japan, anime culture can be more than a hobby; it can become part of someone’s identity regardless of age or profession.
I think this was one of the most important lessons I brought home with me. Passion — whatever “childish” or “strange” form it may take — is nothing to be ashamed of.
It is something to enjoy, something anyone should be free to connect with without worrying about the judgement of others.
The Darker Side
Living in Japan can be fascinating from an outsider’s perspective, but it can also be demanding, particularly if you are accustomed to a more relaxed and spontaneous lifestyle.
Behind the country’s extraordinary discipline and organisation lies a highly regulated everyday working life in which there seems to be very little room for improvisation or simply taking things easy.
Travelling at more than 300 km/h on the Shinkansen.
Overloaded Everyday Lives
Japanese people are famous for their work ethic, but this can often lead to overwork.
They work long hours — sometimes voluntarily — to meet social expectations, the expectations of their employers and their own high standards. This inevitably leaves less time for family and friends.
A work-centred lifestyle is deeply rooted in the culture. Although it can look admirable from the outside, the lack of balance can demand a very high price. It is perhaps not surprising that relatively few people choose to have children, when many barely have enough time to meet potential partners in the first place.
On one occasion, I asked a local dentist why he did not visit Europe. Given his profession and experience, I thought he would surely find European dentistry interesting as well.
He replied that in Japan it is uncommon for someone to take an entire uninterrupted week of holiday.
Suppressing Emotions — or Controlling Them?
Emotional expression is much more restrained in Japanese culture than in Europe.
The Japanese may interpret this as self-control, and public displays of emotion can often be considered inappropriate. From a European perspective, however, this emotional restraint can sometimes appear distant or cold.
For example, married couples may rarely say “I love you” to each other.
Strange.
Planning and Protocol Instead of Improvisation
Spontaneous decisions, last-minute changes or simply spending free time without a plan do not seem particularly characteristic of life in Japan.
Strict adherence to rules and protocols can leave little room for improvisation, which can be frustrating for someone accustomed to a European way of thinking.
This approach creates safety and order, but in my opinion it can also take something away from the experience of life itself.
Personally, an “out-of-the-box” mindset has helped me enormously throughout my life, as has recognising flaws in rules and finding ways around them. I find that kind of thinking difficult to imagine here.
Sake brewery. Basically Hungary’s Szépasszony Valley. :)
From a European Perspective
The European approach to life, with its greater emphasis on personal freedom, emotional expression and spontaneity, can be difficult to reconcile with the strictness of everyday Japanese life.
Discipline, organisation and self-control are undoubtedly valuable qualities, but in my opinion the balance can sometimes go too far.
Living in Japan therefore requires not only adaptation but, at times, significant personal compromise.
Nobody Speaks English
I was relatively surprised to find that English proficiency seemed more widespread in Debrecen than in Tokyo.
At first, this was both frustrating and unexpected in a country famous for its technological sophistication and globally connected economy.
Hotel staff could generally communicate in English, but as soon as I stepped outside these “safe zones,” reality became clear: in shops, restaurants and even taxis, I could communicate with almost no one in English.
How many of these bicycles would still be here the next morning in Hungary?
Western Arrogance
At first, I did not understand why this was the case.
In Europe and North America, English is so widespread that we tend to assume it is equally important everywhere else. In Japan, that assumption quickly falls apart.
Why Don’t They Need English?
As the days passed, I realised there were several reasons:
Japan is an island nation and geographically quite distant from English-speaking countries.
For a native English speaker, Japan is not necessarily an easily accessible destination, either geographically or financially.
A large proportion of Japan’s foreign visitors come from elsewhere in Asia, where English is also not universally spoken.
As a result, Japanese people simply have less practical pressure to learn or regularly use English.
This realisation made me think. What we Europeans consider fundamental can be almost irrelevant in Asia — particularly in Japan.
And yes: Japan’s economic and cultural influence is significant enough that, in many situations, the rest of the world adapts to Japan rather than the other way around.
Summary
Japan is a unique and fascinating world, full of lessons, but it can be difficult terrain for people who value relaxation, spontaneity and emotional freedom.
The discipline and perseverance of the people who live there deserve respect, although I also think that living this way over the long term may sometimes be difficult.
The precision of their transport system, the functioning of their social structures and their education system are enviable — especially when viewed from Hungary. Unfortunately, I cannot make excuses for us here. In many respects, they simply do things better than we do.
Despite all of this, after a while I still found myself missing Hungary a little.
Japan has a certain magic, though, and I can easily imagine that spending a few years there would be a defining experience.
Thank you to Peter Schouten for allowing me to complement my own photographs with his!
The materials discussed in this account also play a part in biomimetic fillings and ceramic veneers at our practice.
For the clinical background to our everyday work, read a comparison of dental filling materials and our approach to cosmetic dentistry .