I am head over heels in love with Japan. I don’t know why this happened now rather than the first time I visited this most excellent country four years ago. But I am now irrevocably smitten.
I cannot stop saying how wonderful Japan is. I have been in a perpetual state of admiration ever since I set foot in Tokyo a couple of weeks ago. My adoration just won’t go away.
No, I am not drunk, but intoxicated by the beauty and sensibleness and integrity and honesty and respect I found there.
Fact is, I am starting to sound like a broken record because I just can’t help thinking about all the wonderful, impressive, extraordinary things that made me gasp with admiration.
Today, I am flying home to Vancouver. I am sitting here in Osaka airport on my way back and thinking of the many things I will miss most about Japan.
Terrific Taxis.
The taxis here are clean and smell wonderful and are totally free of rubbish. They sparkle from having been washed and polished. The drivers wear white gloves and are dressed immaculately with a coat and tie and often wear a hat.
The seats are clean and have white head-protectors over the back. When you indicate that you want to take a taxi, the driver immediately presses a button that automatically opens the back door, so you can get in. It is a courtesy I have come to adore.
And then, of course, there is the important job of transporting you to your destination. Japanese taxi drivers are excellent and know where they are going and never overcharge and – this is an important point – never ask or expect a tip. I have sometimes allowed the driver to keep the difference in change but they don’t expect it or want it and some are even a little unhappy if you suggest it.
I never hear drivers in Japan honking and I have never seen a taxi driver honking impatiently. In fact, you hear no honking in Japan. It is the opposite of Dehli where the honking never stops.
In fact, we sat patiently and calmly behind another taxi unloading a passenger and my driver never pressed the driver in front to move or showed even the slightest impatience. It was impressive. I know that the moment I arrive back in Vancouver, I will be taking a taxi . . . and I will be disappointed.
The cab will probably be damaged and undoubtedly dirty and the driver may not know where he is going. It is always a little disappointing when you compare it to the immaculate service you get in Japan.
Politeness and civility.
There is no menace on Japanese streets. No feeling of threat. No risk of your pocket being picked. If you put your bag down in a restaurant, you know it will still be there if you step away for a minute.
The Japanese are extremely polite people, always wishing to show respect and consideration and doing it with humility and graciousness.
This is especially true in the service industry – restaurants, shops, hotels, cafes, wherever – the people are always extremely polite. How I have come to love being served with a smile.
I also love the way my credit card is accepted with two hands and a respectful bow and then delivered back to me with a smile and a thank you and another bow of gratitude. It is massively impressive and done without a trace of insincerity.
In elevators, people press the close-doors button before exiting in order to shorten your time waiting. So considerate.
No loud talking on cellphones.
No one uses their cellphone in public, especially on trains or in the street, especially to have a loud conversation.
Tourists are the ones with cell phones out, taking photos, but you never have to endure someone speaking loudly in your ear as they chat on inanely on their cell phone.
On trains, they make an announcement saying if you need to speak on the phone, go in the area in between cars.
In the streets, even when there is a crush of people, there is a politeness and consideration that is very impressive.
It is an attitude that all the Japanese cultivate as part of their society. They just do it because it simply makes life more pleasant and enjoyable.
Litter free streets.
I was surprised on my first morning in Tokyo to find there were no garbage cans. I wanted to throw some rubbish away.
When I asked about this, I was told that everyone is responsible for taking their own rubbish with them and disposing of it later.
Streets are not littered and are a delight to walk in. Why? Because no one drops litter. Everyone carries their litter home with them.
The streets are also clean and and well maintained. You can look and look but you won’t see any litter. And this was not just in Tokyo but all the cities I visited – Takayama, Kanazawa, Hiroshima, Kyoto – fantastically clean and well kept.
Spic and span.
I am continually appalled that here in BC it is not unusual for people to simply dump rubbish – coffee cups, fast food wrappers – out of the window of their car or truck as if the street is an acceptable dumping ground.
The Japanese are hugely conscientious about keeping places spic and span. This fastidious nature extends to shops, washrooms, restaurants, homes and hotels, you name it. Every place is kept superbly clean and polished.
Men’s washrooms in Canada are disgusting places and it is a rare thing to find a urinal that does not have a messy pool in front of it. In Japan, I have yet to see a men’s washroom that is not immaculately clean.
Wonderful convenience stores.
7-Eleven stores are fabulous in Japan. They have quality sandwiches and other foods – sushi and salads as well as and wine and beer and all sorts of other quality items.
There is no shame in shopping for your evening meal in 7-Eleven. Just consult Anthony Bourdain who was a fan of the sandwiches at these wonderfully stocked convenience stores. I will miss them. The ones in Canada are a very poor relation.
Fast, efficient trains.
How wonderful it was to travel in a train that arrived on time, departed on time and was fast and clean and a pleasure to travel on.
No tipping.
We are so used to tipping – adding 15 to 18 per cent to pretty much every time we pay a food or liquor bill – but in Japan, tipping not expected or encouraged. You often pay for your meal before you get it by buying a ticket at a machine on entering the restaurant and when you are done, you just up and leave. Brilliant.
Restaurant courtesy.
Love the way in a restaurant they bring a little basket for you to put your coat or bags in while you dine instead of putting them on the back of chairs or cluttering up the floor around your feet.
And I never got tired of being given a jug of ice cold fresh lemon or cucumber water in even the most ordinary restaurant.
Exquisite gardens.
My main reason for going to Japan has always been to see beautiful gardens. The gardens are fabulous all year round, especially in spring with cherry blossoms and fall when the maples change colour.
I have seen them in spring and fall and I must say I am inclined to think the fall gardens are just as exciting if not better. I have an appetite now to see some Zen gardens in the snow in the middle of winter. I have seen photos and they look amazing.
But the level of maintenance in gardens in Japan is phenomenal with gardeners brushing moss to clean away debris and even sweeping streams to keep them clear and pristine. It is a standard of care and appreciation that is impossible to ignore. This attitude of placing a high value of worth on gardens and making every effort looking after them to a high level is nothing short of fantastic.
Package wrapping.
It doesn’t matter what you buy in Japan, you know it will be beautifully wrapped. No item is too small not to be wrapped in a very respectful and treasured way. It is an act that communicates a high degree of respect for customers and their purchases. You will also always be thanked sincerely and even given a little bow of thanks along with a smile and a farewell greeting. It is wonderful.
Helpers and guides.
Japan employs many people to make sure you are guided properly – at train stations, in stores, at busy tourist sites. These are people whose job it is simply to direct you and make your life easy by taking away any confusion. If you are lined up to pay your bill at the hotel checkout, for instance, there will be a person employed just to direct you to the first agent free to deal with you. If you are crossing a busy intersection at night, you often find wardens dressed in tunics with flashing lights and with Star Wars-like lightsabers to stop traffic and see you safely across the road
Electronic toilets.
At first, the hi-tech Japanese toilet with its heated seat and assortment of specialty actions may seem over-complicated and unnecessary but it is amazing how quickly you can get to like this luxury with its automatic flush systems.
It all stems from the desire to be discrete and considerate of others as much as providing comfort and convenience to the user.
I can’t find fault with it and, as I say, in a short time, you start to expect it and appreciate it and, well, enjoy the benefits from this well-placed technology.
swhysall@hotmail.com
