I’ve been back from Japan two weeks now.
I know what I experienced does not include the realities of living and working in Japan, but what I was exposed to for two weeks struck my pretty hard.
It’s the pride, it’s the way they host, how you always feel accommodated. How organized things are. How you learn not to inconvenience other people. Don’t play loud music in public spaces, turn your music down even if you’re using earphones. Don’t speak on the phone on the metro. Don’t walk around while looking at or using your phone.
These are common sense things, like what you’d expect of the golden rule as you are taught. But here in the states there’s a bit of selfishness people tend to exploit that somehow invades your personal space even if you’re not nearby.
When I landed in SFO I quickly noticed how much louder things were and how even small interactions felt rude to others.
KITTE Maranouchi, a shopping mall outside of Tokyo Station is something I keep describing to friends. It’s seven floors full of shops with an open core and you can barely hear anyone inside. When you walk by the stores there are plenty of patrons.
There’s much to talk about that inspired me in Japan, but I’ll leave this thought for now.
graveyard shiftin 