Tokyo

Ted. After just three nights, we are about to leave our very nice hotel in Tokyo so it is time to jot down some thoughts on the brief glimpse we have had of one of the world’s great cities. 

Judy and I covered a lot of ground in the two full days we had here but barely scratched the surface. We explored a Buddhist temple, a Shinto shrine and a national garden. We saw the vastness of the city from the top of one of it’s tallest buildings (by day and by night) and watched pedestrians navigate a huge intersection. We even figured out how to use the metro and regional trains and order at little restaurants. 

Senso-ji

Judy got a good fortune from the shaker

I got good snacks from this shop

The "married" camphor trees at Meiji Jingu

Taiwan Pavilion at Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden

Shibuya Crossing - organized and quiet!

First impressions? Paper walls! The traditional houses here were very small and had paper walls so folks lived in close proximity and could hear everything their neighbors said. The culture today reflects that fact. The Japanese people are obsessed with politeness and respect for each other, especially older people. They stand patiently at stoplights until the “walk” light comes on. Cars always yield to pedestrians. Nobody speaks above a quiet conversational tone. Everyone bows to each other and says thank you - all the time. That extends to the environment as well. There is no need for public trash cans because everyone packs their own trash home. Tokyo's metro population is over 37 million but, because of these cultural differences, it feels more like a cluster of thousands of small villages.

For me, the highpoint here was the time we spent with a very nice Servas day host named Wakaba. Referred to us by Joy Seng (with whom we visited in Singapore) she was able to meet up with us twice. We also met her son, and 91 year old mother. 

Wakaba has lived in the US and speaks excellent English. Enjoying tea in her home and eating out on two occasions, she taught us a lot about the lives of typical Japanese. We will never forget her generosity. 

As usual, the best way to experience a place is by meeting people. Thank you, Wakaba!