Alright, part 2 of this series! My previous post was about specific experiences that we had in Japan, and this post will be about general things I noticed and appreciate in this country :)
Trains
I can’t say I’m much of a roadtrip person, but I do enjoy the train life because you get all the benefits of seeing towns that we pass through, without having to drive, what’s not to love?! Aditya and I have taken a train from SF to Oregon (this was a great way to view the beauty of the Pacific Northwest btw!), so we were excited to do this again in Japan. Since Adi already wrote about how awesome the trains are in Japan, here are a few other things I thought were neat:
The bullet train, Shinkansen…honestly, what the heck is this crazy, fascinating, engineering marvel. I actually feel like I’m teleporting to another place by how fast it's going. If this was in California, SF to LA would take 2 hours!
When taking a local train through the smaller towns, we heard a recorded message of a boy (maybe in high school?) sharing facts about the town we’re going through, in the train speakers. Things like what crops are grown in the area, what festivals they have here, and what their seasons are like! What a sweet opportunity for a local student to share things about their town to visitors.
Tenji blocks for disabled folks: First thing I noticed in the train station was this bright yellow path of raised dots and bars, which is to help visually impaired people navigate the path (think "braille" for the feet!) - Seeing this path throughout Japan made me repeatedly appreciate Japan's thoughtfulness to inclusivity for all their citizens and visitors
No tipping culture
I would really love to have a non-tipping culture in the US, especially since it’s gotten to the point that we’re tipping a person for simply swiveling around an iPad. When I looked at why Japan doesn’t expect tips though, the reason wasn’t just that the restaurants pay their employees enough so tipping isn’t necessary. They believe that good service shouldn’t be given for any monetary gain, but rather, the very act of doing it will make the guest in the restaurant feel welcome and have a good experience with you. In Japan, the word omotenashi means hospitality, and to provide service with the whole heart through selfless giving. This approach is to ensure that any guest, tourist, or consumer experiences no stress or discomfort as you arrive in their space. So lovelyyy :)
Clean cities
Japan is one of the cleanest countries I’ve been to (didn't help that this stop was sandwiched between San Francisco and Delhi 😅). And when I mean clean, I mean I saw someone scrubbing down the inside of a public trash bin, clean. While there are volunteer groups who keep parts of the city pristine, most of it’s cleanliness actually comes from every single resident doing their part to keep their area free of trash and debris. When Adi and I would be walking around to find breakfast and coffee in the mornings, we saw many of the shopkeepers and residents were tending to their gardens and picking up the smallest pieces of trash around their space. Our tour guide mentioned that his kids' schools don't even have janitors - all the students take part in cleaning the school! Some of this is attributed to Buddhism, as cleaning in the mornings is sacred and is even considered a spiritual exercise, like meditating. And the Japanese believe that everyone doing their small part, is how the whole group (whether it’s a community, city, or country) will have success as a whole and a feeling or solidarity. We all know how the US would do in a group project, so it was awesome to witness group harmony, in a small way!
High quality products
For my first job after college, I worked in Regulatory for 6 years at a company that manufactures surgical devices. I spoke to not only the FDA, but to Regulatory agencies around the world, and it became clear quickly which countries had stricter regulations than others, as concern for protecting their citizens. Japan was easily one of the most strict regulators, asking us many, many follow-up questions about our product’s safety to be used on patients in surgery. While these questions left my team with more work to do, I really admired the Japan government’s diligence and concern (it was much more than the US). As a result of this diligence, Japan is able to confidently sell high quality and safe products to their consumers. When looking into why this is, I read that the Japanese have two words that underlie their consumer products: that the product is "anzen" (scientifically safe) and that it will give the user of the product, "anshin" (peace of mind). All their products require rigorous testing and so that’s why you can trust, that if a Japanese product says it will tighten your skin’s elasticity, then it actually can. If it says it will fade acne scars, then you can count that it will. And let me tell you… I had a lot of fun shopping for beauty products in Tokyo, because of this 😬
Women in Japan
If there’s one thing to know about me, it’s that I love female friendships 😂 seriously, I love having them, watching movies and shows about them, and reading about them - and I have recs for books and shows, if you also love this topic 😄
So because I’m already paying attention to this, I couldn’t help but notice how many groups of ladies, especially older women, were hanging out or traveling together at tea houses, landmarks, etc! One of the first nights we landed in Japan and we were eating dinner at the hotel, we saw a group of 4 senior citizen ladies, all in their matching spa outfits, post-onsen, drinking beer/sake and talking and laughing over a hot pot dinner. I mean, how adorable.
I couldn’t tell if this is a simple observation or if there’s anything rooted in Japan’s history or culture for this, but I did learn from a book that couples in Japan have what they call a “railroad marriage” in which married people live independent and distinct lives, with their own friendships, and their own work and social lives - yet still maintain the love, partnership, and shared responsibilities at home that keep a marriage together. Moreover, older women in Japan have said that they always feel young at heart, and don’t believe they are too old to do anything. In fact, once the children are grown, they see it as time finally freed up to take on hobbies - some become adventurous, try dance classes for the first time, or take time off to travel with friends. I read that it’s not unusual for older women to enroll in a graduate program simply because they enjoy learning or want to try a new job. This was all very impressive to me, and furthers the mindset that you’re only as old as you feel (and that I should stop complaining every birthday that I’m getting older )
To conclude...
Some common themes of these words or concepts, is to 1.) help and give to others, 2.) do what is in your control to not inconvenience or stress others, and 3.) exercise some self-development. It’s all geared towards improving yourselves, doing your part for group harmony, and taking care of your community - how beautiful! Arigatou gozaimas, Japan, for such an eye-opening time into your world.
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