A Man Walks Through Torii Gates
In what appears to be a hotel room, this guest clearly needs to stoop down fairly low in order to reach the basin to wash her face. The bathtub and toilet also seem to be much lower-down than one might usually expect, and the height of the sink is considerably lower than the guest’s waist- perhaps this guest felt like something of a giant in her room!
Girl Stoops to Reach Basin
Being an advanced country with a sophisticated rail network, trains are a convenient and often speedy way to get from point A to point B within Japan. This businessman appears to have been too tall to clear the doorway inside this train without stooping- it looks as if he would have been comfortably able to reach the luggage racks, but hopefully his height did not prevent him from seeing the no-smoking sign attached to the other side!
A Businessman Stands on one of Japan’s Trains
Reddit user MongooseDog85 spent some time living inside a traditional Japanese house. Traditional Japanese interiors tend to make a lot of use of exposed wooden beams, and, combined with low ceiling heights, it’s not hard to imagine that this could result in some painful experiences for those not used to such a layout. The image above is the result of two months´ worth of painful collisions with the interior features of the house.
Man with Marks on his Head
Yet another foreign traveller to Japan experiencing firsthand what it is like to be substantially taller than average there. The man pictured appears to be not only too tall for the doorway, but also possibly too broad to get through comfortably if he was to bend down. This picture may have been taken inside an older building, as this doorway looks especially small, and the Japanese population in the past tended to be shorter than they are now. At least his bag was small!
Man Standing in an Entrance
Here a man is depicted entering into a Ryokan, which is a Japanese inn intended for guests to relax and partake in hot springs and bathing. It appears he has had to crouch quite considerably when entering into the building; fortunately, the ceiling does not appear to be too low for him, so he at least would not have hit his head when bending back up.
Man Enters into a Ryokan, a Traditional Japanese Inn
Originally posted on Reddit, this picture was taken from the poster’s stepfather’s visit to Japan. Standing at 6’7”, the man pictured would be more than a foot tall than the average Japanese man, so it is certainly not hard to imagine that he would have had some bemusing experiences navigating the country, especially in buildings with especially low clearances such as the one in the picture.
A 6’7” Man, Much Too Tall for the Doorway he Stands Behind
This one is especially ironic- the man pictured seems, ironically, very likely to hit his head on the sign that reads ‘Mind your head.’ While well-intentioned, it perhaps would have been a better choice to place said sign higher up, so it could not be a potential safety hazard to those who would likely need to see it most!
A Man Standing Behind a Sign that Reads ‘Mind Your Head’
Buses are another convenient and common form of public transportation in Japan. If this picture is anything to go by, it would seem that some of them are not especially suited to taller people- the man in the picture above apparently had to spend the whole of his bus ride contorted into that awkward position, just to be able to get to his destination.
Man on Highway Bus
Taking a picture together with friends while on holiday is often a nice way to commemorate the memories you share together. This group of friends attempted to do so, and the resulting image was rather humorous- the man in the photo, apparently much taller than average by Japanese standards, has had half his face cropped out. One hopes he is not overly sentimental!
Cropped Out
You would be forgiven for thinking most of the problems associated with traveling to Japan as a tall person would be experienced in cities or, at the least, inside. This man managed to find what is presumably an ominous-looking sign, which is at the perfect height for him to concuss himself walking down the stairs. Perhaps it reads, ‘mind your head?’
Man by Green Warning Sign
Being that men tend to be taller than women, many of the pictures in this article have been of men’s experiences with being a little too tall in Japan. Clearly, however, this woman did not miss out on having that experience for herself during her trip to Japan, easily exceeding the height of the doorframe. The hallway also looks to be fairly narrow; this must have been quite a squeeze to navigate!
Tall Woman Standing Next to Door
Safety is something to be prioritized- this is something that is taken seriously in Japan. Safety exit lights are often an important part of helping people navigate out of emergencies when they happen inside buildings. Nonetheless, this man’s height apparently put him on a direct collision course with the emergency exit light in the hallway of his hotel. He is lucky the fire hydrant wasn’t hanging from the roof at that height instead!
Man Stands with Head Bumping Green Light
There is often nothing quite so relaxing after a long day as having a nice, warm shower. However, this experience might not be quite so comfy if you cannot stand upright in the bathroom without hitting your head! This man seems to have found that out firsthand, being taller than part of the ceiling and apparently clearing the railing for the shower curtain with ease. This would certainly not be a place where you would want to slip…
Man Stands in Hotel Bathroom
Japan’s metros are a convenient and efficient way to navigate through some of its biggest and busiest cities. They are often very crowded, however, especially during rush hour, and this can make them hectic to navigate. If, like this man, you are too tall to pass through the archways inside the metro, it’s not difficult to imagine that you would need to be very careful not to rush too much during the metro’s busiest times.
Man Stands Next to Metro Archway
These two friends travelled together to Japan, and were apparently able to share the experience of being, at times, dangerously tall in the country. Fortunately, they seem to have been sleeping on futons, which would have kept them as far away as possible from the low ceiling, but it appears they would have needed to have been pretty careful when leaving the room. A problem shared is a problem halved, at least.
Two Men Stand by Doorway
Another example of two very tall friends traveling to Japan together- here, this pair of friends visited the 2018 Tokyo Thai Festival together, and the results were amusing when they decided to take a picture together with one of the picture frames at the Festival. It seems they enjoyed themselves nonetheless- at least they were still able to fit their thumbs-up into the frame, and get their message across.
Two Men Stand by Picture Frame
Something that many tourists appreciate about traveling to Japan is shopping- especially for products that have a fairly distinct Japanese quality to them compared to those from other countries, like stationary and stuffed toys. This man visited a stationary shop in Japan, and appears to have been perfect height for this mysterious sea creature to begin devouring him- not necessarily something you want on your holiday abroad, but at least it appears not to have any pointy teeth.
Man with Head in Shark Toy
The woman pictured in this group appears to tower above the others in the picture, and has opted to stoop down in order to be able to fit into the frame. Nevertheless, she has still been largely cropped out- this is in spite of the fact that the women in traditional costume in the picture appear to be wearing sandals with a heel, so the height difference must have been quite pronounced. A for effort, at least.
Woman Stoops with Women in Traditional Dress
It is often helpful to ensure one is presentable when possible. Mirrors are useful for this… if you can actually see your face in them! This traveller to japan was 6’3”, and his head completely cleared the mirror in this room, which sort of defeats the purpose of having a mirror in the first place… Hopefully he didn’t end up with something caught in his teeth. At least he was still able to see his outfit!
Too Tall For Mirror
The same man, perhaps in the same hotel, was able to acquaint himself very closely with their lighting. This does not seem like an especially comfortable way to be, but it seems quite unlikely that he would have had to have worried about it getting too dark for him. Perhaps he could consider a career as a handyman in Japan; it would be quite efficient to be able to repair things without even needing a ladder to reach them.
Man Stands with Head Near Lighting
This man goes by the name of ‘Tall Rob,’ because he is, well, pretty tall. If you’re already a fairly tall person, it follows that in Japan this effect would be even more pronounced. It appears that this was the case for Tall Rob on his visit to Kagoshima, where he more than earned his nickname- not only did he fill most of the width of the hallway, but his head grazed the ceiling of the hotel simply when standing upright.
Tall Rob Touching the Ceiling
The 6’3” man is back again, this time being too tall to comfortably use the toilet cubicles he found in Japan. His head appears to almost have touched the ceiling in the toilet, and comfortably cleared the height of the cubicles themselves as well. Toilets are not necessarily the most sanitary places, so it was probably not all that pleasant for him to have had his head touching the ceiling, but Japan is fortunately known for its cleanliness.
Man standing Next to Toilet Cubicles
Torii gates are a traditional Japanese archway, with a distinctive appearance that lends them well to being photographed. They tend to be favorites of tourists in the country, but this is perhaps not the case for those travelers who risk bumping their head on every single one! Generally located in Shinto shrines, they appear not to have been made to accommodate especially tall people, as this man found out on his visit to a shrine.
Man at Traditional Japanese Archway
Another case of a room being a little too bright for comfort- this picture is from a man’s hostel stay in Japan, and he bumped his head on the light 8 times in a single night. This is without mentioning the size of the room, which he also appears to dwarf just standing in there. Fortunately, the light appears not to be very big, and was hopefully not too painful to walk into repeatedly, but the man’s expression says otherwise…
Man Standing Next to Light
Shrines and temples are another popular tourist destination in Japan, with their distinctive architecture and significance to the country, culturally and spiritually. It seems, however, that some may be slightly hard to enter for those who are on the taller side, especially those that are especially old or historic and therefore built to accommodate a smaller population on average than Japan has now. This man found that out firsthand, being too tall to clear the temple gates comfortably- hopefully he had a pleasant visit once he made it inside.
Man Standing at Temple Entrance
Most people go on holiday to relax and enjoy themselves, as a way to take some time from the stressors of their day-to-day lives. However, it might be somewhat difficult to relax in a hotel room where you are not even able to stand upright! This man’s head is flush with the ceiling of his hotel room, and he is about a head taller than the door of the room, too. One hopes that at least the bed in the hotel room was big enough for him.
Man Standing Behind Hotel Door
Having an image of such beautiful scenery next to a staircase that is so close to the ceiling for some people may not be the wisest idea, as it could prove a dangerous distraction for people as tall as the man pictured. This does not look like the kind of place where you would simply want to go up and down the stairs without paying attention to your surroundings, as the results could potentially be concussive.
Man Walking Downstairs
Boats are apparently another part of Japan that can have fairly low ceilings, as this local posted on reddit. It would perhaps have been more comfortable for him to have stood outside, but this would not be a wise idea if the sea was choppy or the weather stormy. It would not be fun being so close to the ceiling if things got rough- let’s hope this man had his sea legs!
A Man Standing Inside Boat
Here is another example of a tourist too tall for the entrance of a temple, this one apparently being a Shinto place of worship. Gates for Japanese temples, which are often serene and austere places, are generally intended to mark a transition between the everyday world and a place that is sacred; it might be hard to fully appreciate this significance when you are worried about hitting your head along the way.
Man Standing at Temple Entrance
While hitting one’s head on a light from a ceiling would not be too fun, it certainly seems preferable to walking straight into a concrete overpass, which the man in the picture was dangerously close to doing. Located on the grounds of a temple, you would certainly want to have your wits about you if you were tall and walking around here, especially if you wanted to avoid some type of brain injury.
Man Standing Next to Concrete Bridge
This Reddit user posted about his trip to Japan, saying he did not appreciate until he went just how much taller he was than the average Japanese. He certainly would have stood out in the country, being considerably taller than everyone else in this crowded photo, which appears to be at a market. Such places in Japan tend to be trafficked, so it would likely be quite helpful for his traveling companion to be able to spot him so easily due to his height.
A Man Stands with a Woman in a Crowd
This man really does stand out against everyone else in the picture. On this very busy Japanese street, he appears to be almost twice the size of everyone else pictured, and would surely be tall by almost any nation’s standards. Nevertheless, the contrast is especially pronounced in Japan, but, as above, this could be practical, as it would help someone looking for him to be able to spot him exceptionally easily.
A Man in a Crowd in Japan
As mentioned above, traditionally built Japanese buildings tend to feature even lower ceilings and doorways than their modern counterparts. This woman got to experience this firsthand, being comfortably (or uncomfortably) taller than the doorway to her bedroom in the traditional house that she stayed in. Fortunately, she at least does not appear to be so tall as to be touching the ceiling with her head, but one would need to be mindful of this all the time when coming and going from the bedroom in order to avoid disaster!
A Woman Standing Next to a Traditional Japanese Doorway
There’s tall, and then there’s tall. It’s hard to tell whether this man is especially tall, the building is tiny, or both, but it’s even harder to imagine him managing to enter into the building through the doorway! The roof itself is below the height of his head, and his elbows almost reach the top of the door. It’s not hard to imagine that he would likely have some trouble finding clothes in his size in Japan, as well.
A Man Stands Next to a Doorway
This man was fortunate enough to have a very close encounter with the ceiling of his hotel bathroom. Luckily, it appears to have been very clean, as he was not far from touching the ceiling with his head! Many hotels in Japan are designed to conserve space where possible, although in this case it may have been possible to make the bathroom just a tiny bit bigger. The sink is also considerably lower down, and much of his face would not be seen in the mirror without him stooping considerably. At least reaching the towels would have been easy for him.
A Man Touches the Ceiling of his Hotel Bathroom
Many shops in Japan sell traditional or culturally unique wares, which can be an interesting experience for travelers to have. They are also a popular place to find souvenirs to take back home. Unfortunately, in the case of this man, the entrance to the shop was a little on the smaller side. Maybe this is not an entirely bad thing- it would have been very easy for him to see the what was for sale on the top shelves, without even asking for help from staff.
A Man Standing at a Shop Entrance
Rush hour in the metro is probably not a very pleasant experience when you are tall enough to reach the ceiling in parts of it. Japanese metro trains also tend to have advertisements hanging from the ceiling, which this man almost certainly would have run into many times while using the service. At least it makes for an impressive picture!
A Man Standing with his Head Brushing the Ceiling in the Metro
Cooking and cuisine can be a great way to experience the culture of a country, as traditional foods tend to vary so much by place to place. Self-catering is also a good way to save some money while on holiday, but it looks as if this man would not have had the most comfortable time cooking in his Japanese apartment. With his head well inside the range hood and his hands dwarfing the pan, it may have been best to have just gone to a restaurant instead…
A Man Stands Cooking at a Stove
This man almost certainly would have felt like a giant in this apartment. The chair behind him looks absolutely tiny, and he would have had to have remembered to bend down any time he was getting up the table, or risk hitting his head on the lowered part of the ceiling. It’s not hard to imagine that he may have come away from his time in this building with great reflexes and a very flexible neck!
A Man Stands Stooped Under his Ceiling
