I just got back from a trip to Tokyo. It was my first time in Japan and it was quite an experience. The people, the language, the food. All very memorable. But this post is about some of the other things I noticed:
- They don't have any trash cans on the streets. We looked and couldn't find any. And yet they streets are spotless!
- All of the toilets, even the ones in public restrooms, are Toto brand and have all sorts of buttons that do I-dunno-what. There was one that had all of its buttons in Japanese. It was intimidating.
- Tipping is not customary and yet the service is excellent. No sense of entitlement, but rather a sense of duty and pride for how they do things. Goes to show that cultural norms can be stronger than economic incentives.
- Tokyo is an expensive city but the item that is probably most expensive on a relative basis is taxis. The meter pull starts you off at 660 Yen, or $6.
- There aren't that many men's clothing stores. We were shopping in Kamakura and there were but a few men's stores tucked away on the side streets.
- The mobile phones tend to be boxy-looking. We expected the phones to be sleek and curvy. I'm not sure if that's the fashion or it's because of technological reasons.
- English is not as prevalent as you might think. In some ways, it was easier to get around in Morocco or Tanzania. One night we had dinner at a small restaurant just off the main drag in Roppongi (the Times Square of Tokyo) and the staff barely knew any English. Don't get me wrong - I like language barriers when traveling -- but it was (pleasantly) surprising that the staff at a restaurant in such a tourist area would still not speak much English.
- There isn't a lot of color in Tokyo -- most of the men wear neutral colors. Not a lot of garish dandy outfits, unless you're in Harajuku.
- The view of Tokyo from the bar at the Park Hyatt (where they filmed Lost in Translation) is breathtaking. Think Blade Runner.
- We heard one car horn the entire time we were there. It's strange to be in such a big city with the streets so quiet!
- On the down-side, smoking is still allowed in public places.
Fascinating stuff.
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