I thought it might be interesting to write up the things that have really stood out to us on this trip.
Things that have been wonderful:
- how welcoming, helpful, friendly and polite the Japanese are
- the design, attention to detail and ambience of the large gardens
- the serenity of the teahouses
- the overall cleanliness of everything, everywhere
- the flowering plants visible throughout both urban and rural areas, especially azaleas this time
- the cool kei cars
- the food has been delicious (especially the noodles) and having such a choice of snacks and full meals (which can be heated on-site) at any of the 7-Eleven, Lawson or Family Mart shops which are located every 200m or so - it makes finding food very easy
- vending machines also appear every 100m or so, dispensing a wide variety of hot and cold drinks and sometimes ice-blocks, all for very little cost
- learning more about Japanese history and culture and adding it to our growing knowledge and appreciation of cultures other than our own
Things that confound me:
- the baffling toilets with all the bells, whistles, chimes, air vents, variable pressure and volume systems, automatic lighting, seat raising/lowering/flushing and more. Most distressing is when you can't identify the flush button! The potential solution is to press everything and run ....
- Having to wait at pedestrian crossings for the green walk signal even though there is not a car in sight in either direction.
Things that I won't miss:
- Except for the odd one in a train station, there are no rubbish bins anywhere, including outside convenience stores. The expectation is that everyone takes their rubbish home. If you buy an ice-block or takeaway coffee, you will end up carrying the wrapper or cardboard cup all day until you get home. You can only eat it immediately outside the shop, i.e. standing within 1m under the building overhang, or eat it inside your vehicle. It is a big faux pas to eat or drink while walking.
- Changing from outdoor shoes into indoor slippers at the entrance to all accommodation, most public buildings and also at the entrance to changing rooms within shops. Also changing from indoor slippers to bathroom slippers at the entrance to the toilet and then back to indoor slippers upon exiting. The latter can be the distance of 0.3m (or less).
It's unfair of me to complain about any of the observations above though. They are designed for the orderly procession of life and, though foreign to us, have been entrenched in Japanese culture for a very long time.
And my thoughts...
I agree with all Karen's positives, but I'd move the electronic toilets to the positive list. I like the warm seats, and the fact that you end up properly clean. In fact I'm going to look at getting one in NZ!
I'm a bit sick of the shoe palaver too, but for me a big bugbear has been having to duck when moving from one space to another inside accommodation, castles and other historic buildings. In all the older places that means every doorway, and all the points in larger rooms where shoji screens can be used to divide it. And then in the middle of rooms they have hanging lights, also below my head height. I've only hit my head hard once, lightly a few times, and felt the lintels brush my hair countless times. It will take me a week or so to get back to standing up straight.
The futons I quite like, though some have been pretty solid. Not so keen on them being at ground level - it's easier to get in and out of an NZ-style bed.
Japan's a fascinating country. It's so different from the rest of Asia in so many ways - cleaner, quieter, more modern (in some things) yet the underlying philosophies are thoroughly Asian. Despite all the time we've spent here now, we still find surprises.
Overall Numbers:
- 18 days
- 32 trains
- 23 buses (mostly free on our JR train pass)
- 2 ferries
- 1 ropeway
- 212.3km walked (average 11.8km/day)
