It´s been 12 years since I stopped living in Japan and every time I go home, the change is quite noticeable.

Once I went to a small franchise coffeeshop and ordered a hot chocolate. The guy who attended me said "huh?" then "We don´t have a hot chocolate" in a very plain voice. First I didn´t understand what he said because I ordered it as I was seeing a picture above his head. I asked him politely, "You don´t have a hot chocolate… " "No, we don´t" he answered me before finishing my question. I continued, "Then what is in the photo?" The guy without even looking at the photo said, "That is cocoa". 

Wow. What I understood was he knew what I was meaning to but since I didn´t say it correctly, he didn´t take my order. Maybe people call it cocoa instead of hot chocolate in Japan. I didn´t and don´t remember but in any cases, I understand that they are more or less the same thing. Perhaps in the States they call it Cocoa? 

These things happen to me. One day the manager was called in a Starbucks in Roppongi to explain to me how to order a cuppccino correctly. It was quite embarrassing, specially she was talking to me in English and I was responding in Japanese. 

Anyway, Japan is changing in both a good way and a bad way. 

This time I´ve noticed there are gates like this at many metro stations. Unfortunate for train manias not being able to take photos of trains coming in to the platform anymore. But considering the high rate of suicide, I guess this is the best option for the metro companies to prevent the accidents.

Other thing was couples on the streets. More couples are holding hands or hugging each other when they walk. 

10 years ago, it was still not so good things to do and a couple could get told off by harassing sexually the public. Kissing on the street? Forget about it.

Still now, I didn´t see any people kissing on the street but definitely people were more relaxed about couple doing icha icha (いちゃいちゃ /showing affection).

Sometimes I see Japanese mature couples who come overseas for a holiday and they are holding hands, a little embarrassed specially the men but in a way they look happy. Of course, they are not in Japan and no one complains or tells them off just being a couple. Perhaps for elder couples it´s more difficult to change but I think it´s good that younger couples show a little more affection to each other in public. Although Spanish people may have a different opinion about this theme. For Japanese, Spain is a country of passion, kissing is a normal thing on the street, that´s what we think. But in Spain, some couples are so excited and can´t stop, go farther. One of the first phrase people taught me in Spanish was "Look for a hotel!!" because people are tired of seeing those heated couple in public. What a different. Comparing to this, Japanese couples try to wrap the arms around their partners waist is just so innocent, isn´t it?

This is just a beginning. Japan is changing.