I am feeling quite sad to say goodbye to Japan tomorrow. The last 3.5 weeks have been so wonderful! Japanese people have been unbelievably kind and helpful. Case in point: everything is handed to you with two hands! So much care and attention to detail. It was not uncommon when I left places for people to walk me out, waving goodbye with a bow. I felt very cared for. The country is incredibly safe and clean. Apparently there are no janitors in schools--rather, the kids spend the first 40 minutes of every school day cleaning!!! I've often thought about how awful it is that my students make a mess and then don't fully clean up, leaving the work for an underpaid janitor. As a lover of communal living, I generally believe in cleaning up your own mess and love that Japan has this institutionalized in the educational system! The food has been a yummy novelty. In many restaurants, the chefs greet you and say goodbye! Machines/transportation work so well. There are so many fun cultural quirks and so much fascinating history (eg I can now explain the difference between the emperor, shogun, samurai and daimyo)!
People I met here summarized their favorite and least favorite things as follows:
+ Lots of festivals: I didn't get to experience this, but apparently there are!
+ Extremely convenient: eg convenience stores with good/decent, cheap food everywhere
+ Each region of the country has a distinctive identity that is fun to learn about/experience
+ Emphasis on the good of the community from childhood (this is a classic "East" vs "West" cultural difference)
+ Very large middle class (not a lot of inequality compared to the US)
-Hot summers: Apparently it's always very hot during the summer! It was hot and humid well into September this year.
-Overly bureaucratic: People still have to do things in person that you could do online in the US; there are many codes of conduct that prioritize old systems over what would actually be most convenient for people. The lack of encouragement for individual thought can stifle innovation and improvement.
? Homogeneous population: The sense I got is that Japan has come a long way in the past 20+ years with regard to its international tourism appeal and investment in teaching English in schools and interest in connecting with the non-Asian world, but I heard there exists racism towards non-Japanese people who live here. Personally, I found it fascinating to be in a place besides Lowell High School where nearly everyone looked Asian 😜
Other random notes: Biking is very popular here! Way more bikers than in the US (though definitely not at the level of the Netherlands!). It's sad to see how many young people are smoking/vaping. It's way more common than I expected.
I'll leave it there for now. It's off to Seoul, South Korea tomorrow. I'm sure I'll be back in Japan, but until then, Japan is much more a part of me than it was before, which I am forever grateful for.
Arigatōgozaimasu Nahon! ありがとう日本! Thank you Japan!
| Miyajima (Itsukushima) shrine is in an intertidal zone--so cool! |
| Miyajima from the ferry |
| Japanese culture can be hilarious! You can buy weird sh$% like banana bird keychains... |
| ...and cat hats |
| ...and tempura families?! Gotta love it! |
| Japan has signs for everything. Including how to use the bathroom. In case you forget, "please sit down to use the toilet" ^_^ |
| It really is an island nation! So much green, even at the end of summer! |
| Typical city street with lots of lights, unlocked bicycles, businessmen hanging out after work--not necessarily by choice--they often "have to" until 9 or 10pm :( The country is very safe with vibrant cities at night! |
| Umbrellas are ubiquitous here--rain or shine! |
| Fukuoka is lovely at night under a full moon! |
| The toilets are from a thousand years in the future and ALWAYS clean. It's insane. |
| Elegant Japanese dresses are very common. |
| Japan has a lot of castles! I didn't know that before! |
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