3 things I have come to enjoy in Malaysia as a Japanese
As a Japanese person who has lived in Malaysia for three years, I have come to enjoy certain things that I did not do in Japan.
Food, beautiful buildings, and cats.
There are many fun things to do in Malaysia and I enjoy them very much.
1. Food and its mixture
One of the fun things about Malaysia is that you can enjoy a mix of Asian and Western-style menus in the same restaurant.
Other restaurants that sell pasta, eggs benedict, etc. often offer Malaysian dishes such as nasi lemak and curry mee.
I was surprised at first because, in Japan, Italian restaurants often have a set menu for Italian dishes and Japanese dishes for Japanese dishes.
Even if my friends and I have different food cravings, going to a restaurant like this where you can enjoy both options is a great way to broaden your choices.
I went to a restaurant in Kuala Lumpur where you can enjoy cakes and Chinese desserts.
At first, I wanted to eat cake and looked at the cakes displayed in the showcase, but when I went to the counter to order, I found that they also sold Chinese desserts.
There was shaved ice with Soybean flour, tofu desserts, and other foods that you might find in Japan.
I went with friends, two ordered Chinese desserts and one ordered a cake to share in the same restaurant.
2. Beautiful buildings with multi-nationality
In Malaysia, where there is a large Muslim population, there is an Islamic Art Museum in the city.
It is one of the tourist attractions in Kuala Lumpur city, and people of various races can enter and enjoy it regardless of religion.
In addition to enjoying the paintings, architectural models, and other exhibits, visitors can learn about the history of Islam by looking at maps and chronological records.
I learned that Islam was introduced not only to the Middle East and Europe, but also to China, Malaysia, and other Asian countries and that it has greatly influenced the history of the region.
It was impressive to see that some of the Qur’an (holy books) on display were written in characters so small that they had to be magnified with a loupe.
There was also a section where models of mosques from around the world were displayed.
The ceiling area was circular and decorated like a mosque, and visitors could enjoy taking pictures.
In the souvenir store, miscellaneous goods and paintings of Islamic art are sold, some of which can be easily purchased.
In Malaysia, there are also Chinese and Indian.
I enjoyed visiting Chinese temples during the Chinese New Year season and wrote about that in this article.
Cultural differences in celebrating the new year in Japan and Malaysia
3. Cats in Malaysia
Since coming to Malaysia, I have had more chances to see stray cats in the streets than in Japan.
There are many scenes of people feeding stray cats, and the cats themselves are accustomed to people.
Stray cats can be found around buildings lined with restaurants, on the hoods of cars between houses, or relaxing in the middle of the sidewalk.
Like the locals, many of the cats may have a laid-back, friendly disposition.
Recently, I was impressed by a cat I saw in front of a convenience store in a train station that was meowing and begging for food from passersby.
As I approached and looked at it, a local Malaysian woman who nearby also spoke to me, saying, “She’s so cute,” and together we cared for the cat.
I got the impression that many people have cats at home or feed stray cats and love them.
I also visited a cat cafe in Cheras, a city next to Kuala Lumpur.
I found a post on Instagram about a cat cafe that seemed to be very popular with lots of cats, so I invited a Japanese friend who likes cats to go.
Malaysia is a cat-friendly country and there are many cafes where you can interact with cats and dogs.
In some cat cafes, the cats may not be very friendly depending on the store, but cats in this cafe were quite friendly.
There were many types of cats, some sleeping and relaxing, some playing with other kittens, and some coming up to people and asking to be held.
Cats are a familiar animal in Malaysian life, and you will see many people keeping them.
