As our Asian adventure rapidly comes to a close, Rachelle asked me today what I liked best in Japan. She meant a sightseeing site, but my answer was that what impressed me the most is the Japanese spirit. It’s the little things. It’s the taxi drivers who dress in full business suits complete with gloves and who drape their car seats with lacy white covers. It’s the schoolchildren in their uniforms with their regulation bookbags slung over their shoulders. It’s the exuberant embrace of all things high-tech – like bullet trains and pocket wifi and those toilet seats that could be right at home on the U.S.S. Enterprise. It’s manga and Maid Cafes, anime and pachinko and Hello Kitty. At the same time, it’s also the retention of those anachronisms from the past, such as young women gliding down the street in kimonos and getas, soaking in communal baths at onsens, and sleeping on futons on tatami mat floors. It’s high rises and centuries-old shrines side-by-side in busy cities. It’s exquisite attention to design and beauty, delighting in the natural world. Most of all, it’s the Japanese politeness and kindness. A raised voice is rare. Someone who will walk several blocks out of their way to make sure the Americans can find what they’re looking for is common.
We’ll miss you, Japan
