Japan. I finally got a chance to visit. It may have taken me almost four years and despite having only a few days, I made the best of the experience. I don’t know why it took me so long to go, but I do know that I want to return soon.
The first thing that stood out about Tokyo was how pristine the city is kept. They must have an army of sanitation workers sweep through the streets every night because I scarcely saw a single piece of litter. Maybe they have some draconian law chopping off hands of people who toss their trash or maybe the population is just naturally conscientious of tossing their crap in a bin. Either way it’s a lovely to see clean tidy streets.
The second thing that grabbed my attention was the sleek nature of Tokyo. The city seems so polished it gleams. I don’t believe its the city planning but more likely just the seamless way it’s maintained. Smooth streets and spotless buildings and neon blazing in the night.
The city felt cosmopolitan. Walking the streets I spotted folks of different nationalities with different styles all going about their business anonymously without anyone giving anyone else a second glance. Though at some points the crowds did prove somewhat overwhelming. Seeing a tide of people flow in and out of the subways just made me want to turn around and find a cafe.
The third aspect of Tokyo I noticed was it’s convenience and efficiency. It’s an automated wonderland. Walk into a restaurant, check out the menu machine, pop in your yen and press a button for your order. Give them the ticket and your order will be whipped up likety split. Don’t know what to order? Not to worry they’re usually plastic replicas of the dishes or menus with pictures. Then there’s the overwhelming number of vending machines on every corner. You can get most anything from soda and snacks to cigarettes, ramen, and coffee.
Unfortunately my few days in Tokyo didn’t include a weekend, but the glimpse I saw definitely made a return trip in the near future an inevitable occurrence.
