Opus 2019-082: Firsts: Japanese Trains

When you travel by airplane local transportation is always an issue.  If you are going to a small English town and staying at a bed and breakfast with a lot of hiking trails around, all you need is a pair of good shoes.  In rural Japan where we will end up you need a car to get anywhere because of distances.  In Tokyo it seems that you follow the old, “When in Rome...” mantra because most people here get around on trains. 

In Tokyo there are trains everywhere and to everywhere.  They run on time.  The stations are clean with all kinds of maps and aids to reaching destinations.  It is a system that works if you like that kind of thing.  Tokyo is a big city in area as well as population.  In Boston, where I lived for three years, the population was not large but the area was small so mass transit worked well.  In Los Angeles you have an area larger than Tokyo with a large population but I can’t see mass transit working as it does in Japan.  The Japanese seem to thrive on the situation. 

In American subway systems you have masses of people crowding on the platforms.  When the train pulls in it is a winner takes all kind of attitude.  Not so in Tokyo.  When you come into the station you see people quietly lined up and waiting patiently.  They have arrows on the floor and labels for feet where the first person lines up.  Others patiently line up behind.  When the train pulls up they wait for people to get off and then file on without pushing or shoving.  The Japanese are a very orderly bunch, at least on the metro. 

Signs are usually in four languages: Japanese, Chinese, Korean and English.  On some lines they make announcements in English.  It is designed for large groups of foreign travelers.

You still have to do a lot of walking.  At the end of the day we are feeling it.  Or it could just be that I am getting old and am out of shape.  Or it could be both.

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Opus 2019-079: Dating Game

One of the strange things about traveling half way around the world is posting on one day and seeing it dated by Blogger the day before.  It is something that plays with your head.

I should have expected it.  When we would connect from Texas to Japan we had to get used to the idea that it might be a different day.  Generally I would ignore the day an just concentrate on the time.  If it was 5:00 P.M. in Texas then it was going to be somewhere in the 5:00 A.M. stretch in Japan.  If you cared it was the next day there but generally I did not pay that much attention to detail.

I am used to looking for certain things on certain days.  For instance Stilton’s Place posted on Monday, Wednesday, Friday.  In Japan it comes on different days.  Power Line has “The Week in Pictures” on Saturday morning.  Not on Saturday morning in Japan.

You learn to adjust.  When I get home I will need to unadjust.

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Opus 2019-077: Firsts: Anonymous

One of the adventures of travel is trying new foods.  In Japan there is usually an English subtitle or special menu for foreigners.  Sometimes you have to ask but it is there somewhere.  Of course part of the adventure is trying mystery foods.  Yesterday after coming back from a sushi restaurant we stopped at Family Mart. 

In Japan there are three large chains of stores for a quick bite: Seven-Eleven, Lawson Station and Family Mart.  They are all similar to a 7/11 in the states with different specialties.  For the 100 yen snack crowd it is Family Mart.  One reason I like it is the selection.  The other reason is that they have more frequent English sub titles.  You need to stay alert.  My son showed me one that I thought said cheese-somethings.  He told me to look again and it was cheese-fish-somethings.  I thought I had learned the lesson last time I was here when I went to Mr. Donut and picked out what looked like a cream filled pastry.  The first bite told me that the filling was creamed fish.  Surprise!  Surprise! 

Many of the things you buy only give you a cute picture.  We got what we thought was a lemon meringue cream puff.  All the label told us was “Happy Taste”.  It was not what we expected.  We are not sure what it was.  It was good, but a mystery. 

We went to the Cherry Blossom Festival.  The blooms were beautiful.  At night they had them lit up so the entire park glowed and the glow was often reflected in pools and moats.  The second attraction was the food stalls.  It was like going to the state fair and everyone with a rice cooker showed up.  We tried all kinds of things.  Some we really enjoyed.  Some were one bite wonders. 
If you are really bored you can find McDonald’s on occasion but don’t count on the menu being the same. 

I had a lot of firsts but I don’t know what they were.

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Opus 2019-073: Firsts: Bidet

One of the experiences of Japan that seems so strange is using their toilets.  Set aside what you have heard about squatting over a hole in the ground.  I am sure they exist but in two trips I have yet to see that variation.  What most of you would see is the opposite.  Their toilets are high tech.

Take the standard issue in the airport.  The first thing you notice is that there are a lot of controls for such a simple process.  Fortunately there are instructions in four languages and as long as you don’t just start pushing buttons you will be fine.  If you insist on going American then you do your business, find the button marked flush and you are good to go.  Of course there is not way I know of to avoid the heated toilet seat but once you get over the surprise it is a great idea.  If you want the full cultural experience, read the labels.

Every Japanese toilet I have seen comes with a bidet.  If you don’t know what that is then you need to get out more.  It is a spray that cleans your bottom for you.  There is even a button for a different spray for women.  You can control the pressure and stop it when you are ready.  Don’t worry the water is warm.  I finally worked up the courage to try it.  For further descriptions you will need to try it yourself.

Life is full of so many things to experience.  I have now added the bidet to my list.

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Opus 2019-072: On the Street: People Everywhere

I was commenting on how much diversity there was in the Japanese people we were seeing and my son gave me the classic line, “Hollywood lied to us.”

I have been experiencing rush hour on Japanese trains.  You know the video you always see of people stationed on the platform to push people on because they were so crowded.  We have not seen it that bad but I have gotten friendly with a lot of people I didn’t know.  I have ridden subways in Boston at rush hour though and must say it isn’t much different in crowding, just cleanliness.

It gives you a lot of time to look at people.  Being the only Anglo in sight gives you only Japanese to examine.  The differences are total.  Some have the look of Aztec princes.  Some look like Mongol warriors or Olmec stone heads.  Long noses sit next to squashed noses.  Although they tend to be thinner than Americans there are still a fair number of chunky locals.  Skin color has a lot of variation.  About the only thing that is consistent is the black hair.

The stereotypes from Hollywood don’t much exist.  School children are different from Anmerica because they wear uniforms and have a general courtesy we don’t see much but they still squirm, race, goof and contemplate like children anywhere.

Travel helps you understand the similarities of human cultures as well as experience the differences.  People are people.

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Opus 2019-071: Firsts: Traveling Light

For the first time in my memory I have been able to travel light.  I am sure I have done it before but at my age it is farther back than I can recall.  It is an easy way to travel.

I don’t mean travel by myself.  I have done that a bit.  My wife does let me out of the house once in awhile, without supervision even.  I mean travel without anyone sending massive amounts of objects with me.  No one made me their personal Fed-Ex driver on this trip.  For instance, on my return trip I have been informed that my daughter will be packing a few large suitcases for me to bring, since I am traveling light.  Get the idea?

I could have been one of those people who brings on a small soft-sided bag and their regular carry-on.  You know the ones, they either take up all the overhead space when they get on early or try to move your stuff around so they can cram what should have been checked in the overhead compartments.  I decided to check my larger one for convenience.  I didn’t want to have to lug it around in the stop-over airport.  That left me with the rolling bag and a small carry-on.  Both fit easily in the overhead.  Both are easy to pull.

When I travel with my wife she somehow manages to make sure that four large suitcases are crammed full and often pays the charge for overweight.  In addition to that she talks her way on board with one more carry-on that is allowed.  Guess who is expected to move all this stuff?

So it has been a breeze so far.  I don’t have to worry until I start back with the extra bags.  I am getting too old for this.

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Opus 2018-144: Japan: Expressions of Polite, Part 11 of ?

In Japan it is considered unacceptable to blow your nose in public.  For all I know it might be unacceptable in private also.

A lot of people wear those surgical masks in Japan.  At first I thought it was people who were germophobes but I was told it was really the people who were sick.  They were wearing the mask out of consideration for the people around them.

A polite people, the Japanese.

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Opus 2018-139: Japan: Paying the Bill, Part 10 of ?

In Japan you do not hand anyone money directly.  You always lay it on the counter for them to pick up.  Everywhere you go they have these little trays like you get in fancy restaurants.  You put your money on the tray.  They carefully count out your change.  They bow.  All is good in the world.

I understand that it is considered an insult to hand them the money directly.  It has something to do with prostitution.  It seems strange to us but that is the way they do it.  Some accommodations are not a burden, just hard to remember. 

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Opus 2018-122: Japan: Star Trek Bathrooms, Part 9 of ?

Public rest rooms in Japan almost make the trip worthwhile.  They really get into their sanitation.  Relieving yourself becomes a major event.

The have heated toilet seats.  Maybe your Lexus has heated seats but have you ever considered one for the bathroom and of course they are padded.

Then there are the bidets on demand.  In addition you can have a rectal shower with controls for how strong the flow would be.  I must confess that I don’t have any idea the difference between a bidet and the shower feature.  I was not even close to trying them.

They also have what you might call Music to Fart By.  This is more in the lady’s room than the men’s.  The idea is that the music will drown out any offensive noises that you might make while doing your thing.  The stalls are also often totally confined rooms so you have to live with what you make.

Then there are what are called “Squatty potties” by some.  These are holes in the floor that meet all your needs.

To top it all off there are no paper towels.  I always found an electric dryer but I have heard that some places do not even offer that.  People carry their own little towels to use when needed.

If you feel you have done everything that America has to offer you might want to take a trip to Japan just for the experience of their bathrooms.

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Opus 2018-115: Japan: The Price of Polite, part 8 of ?

Japan is a polite society.  They are bowing all the time.  It is a part of their culture. 

On the return flight you see it.  The people at the desk bow to you as you come and as you go.  The gate attendant would stop and bow to the entire room before he preceded to open the door to the ramp.  When they began to give the safety lecture before take off the attendants would bow several times to the passengers. 

The ultimate was after we boarded the airplane and it started backing away from the gate.  If you looked out the window at the right time you could see the entire ground crew lined up.  They would bow to the plane and then wave as you began your journey.  Nice touch.  That of course stopped once we were on the return flight and the Americans took over.

On their cross country trains you are considered very rude if anyone can hear you talking.  It is considered the ultimate in vulgarity to blow your nose in public.  They have little access to napkins.  You are expected to bring your own.  As an extension of this they have no public trash cans and yet there is no litter. 

There are no Politeness Police that I noticed.  They don’t need them.  The social pressure is enough to keep everyone in line.  They are polite and seem to be happy as a people.  At the same time the suicide rates in school age children are out of site.  While they are hard working, punctual and trustworthy, Japanese are not known for being creative or original in their thinking.

Is there a cost for all the rigid traditions?  I think so.  Much of the price they pay is something they are willing to accept.  They have an orderly life but they live in very small houses, drive tiny cars and have fewer options.  Those are not evil but they are things that most Americans would not settle for.

To be continued...

homo unius libri

Opus 2018-109: Japan: Great Service, No Tipping

It was surprising how hard it was for me to get used to the idea of not tipping.  In Japan, tipping is not done.  I am not sure why but you don’t do it in most places. 

The problem is that the service is usually so good you want to leave a little something.  While in Japan the kids took us to a number of different types of restaurants.  The staff was attentive and polite.  Even though there were language difficulties they worked at it.  On our way home we had a stopover in Tokyo.  We decided to try one of the local places in the airport.  While I was waiting I dropped a straw and immediately there was this guy who was there to pick it up and get me another one.  Then when he saw me looking for my wife he told me where she was.  Then when I started to take our drinks over to her he insisted on taking them for me.  Later he brought us napkins and finger wipes.  All of this in a public airport where you don’t tip. 

I could get used to it.

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Opus 2018-108: Japan: In a Time Machine

It is tomorrow in Japan.  It is really strange living a day ahead of the world I come from.  I see it in the posts I make.  I see it in the blogs I read.  It isn’t just the hour shift.  When I look at the date and time app I see that today hasn’t even arrived yet back home.  It requires planning to know when to make phone calls.  I have found that calling someone in the afternoon and finding them sound asleep is not good for relationships.

Japan also has some aspects of America in the past.  There is an honesty here that we used to have in the States.  I have been watching a bike that some kid left on the curb.  Three weeks later it is still there.  No one has stolen it.  When you go to the airports you find that the baggage carts are free. 

Some aspects of Japan are like America’s future.  Socialism is part of life.  Regulations are omnipresent.  That causes the price of everything to be very high and wages to be very low.  It is part of the reason that Japanese homes are smaller and cars are tiny.  They are not hungry but they also are limited in expectations.  It is like Boston in the People’s Republik of Massachusetts, it is a great place to visit but I would not want to live here.

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Opus 2018-101: Japan: Stupid Questions, Part 5 of ?

As I shared earlier, our first grandchild has arrived and we were able to be in Japan for the event.  I got a picture from my daughter this morning of the new family leaving the hospital after a doctor visit.  It is a good way to start off the morning.

Which brings me to The Ultimate Stupid Question which was asked the day after she was born, “Do you want to hold her?”  I had waited decades for this moment.  The real question was, “Are you willing to let me hold her?”

Awesome moments are worth flying around the world for.

To be continued...

homo unius libri

Opus 2018-098: Japan: National Anthem, part 4 of ?

We are visiting family stationed at a military base in Japan.  My last extended exposure to a military base was during the Vietnam war.  It is much more pleasant being a civilian than a draftee. 

Yesterday we went out the door, got in the car, backed out and started down the street.  Suddenly we stopped in the middle of the road.  It was 5:00 P.M.  At five o’clock they play the national anthems of Japan and the United States.   What that means is that everything stops, even cars on the road.  If you are walking you are supposed to face the music and either salute or put your hand over your heart.  Even the children on the playground stop moving.  That was our clue that the music had started.  When they moved again we knew it was over.

I wonder how we would respond if that were tried here?

To be continued...

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Opus 2018-097: Japan: Island Driving, Part 3 of ?

In Japan they drive on the wrong side of the road.  To them we drive on the wrong side but obviously that cannot be true.  I think all island nations drive on the left.

At first you don’t think it is any big deal.  You just drive on a different side of the road, right?  No.  Think of all the things you do naturally.  When you turn right you follow the curb.  Do that in Japan and you are soon in a head-on collusion.  You find yourself in a constant panic because you think people are driving toward you in your lane.  The turn indicator is on the opposite side of the steering wheel.  After a week I was still glad I didn’t need to drive here.  I am still trying to get in the right hand seat even though I am not driving.

And it isn’t just the driving.  It makes walking dangerous.  You must learn to look right instead of left as you cross a street.  Think about your natural habits.  When you step off a curb the first direction you look is left.  That will get you killed in Japan.

Just a little thing with big consequences.

homo unius libri

Opus 2018-095: Japan: Jet Lag, Part 2 of ?

For the second time in a month we are experiencing what is called “jet lag”.  I thought I knew what it was all about.  We have done a bit of flying.  We used to go to Hawaii on a regular basis and when we were on the left coast and our kids on the east, we flew across country a lot.  There is a fatigue that hits you when the clock changes a few hours.

It is nothing like flying half way around the world. 

The flight from Los Angels to Tokyo took about twelve hours.  The flight back only took nine because of the tail winds.  Add to that the flight from Texas to LA and the flight from Tokyo north.  Add to that the wait time in different airports.  It adds up to a long day.

It didn’t really hit me until I could finally relax and stop worrying about the next connection.  For several days I was waking up at 3:00 A.M. and not able to get back to sleep.  It took over a week to adjust to sleeping when the sun was down.  Now that I am home I am going through the same ritual.  If I keep moving I do all right.  If I sit down I make no promises.

After four nights at home I am still waking up frequently at night.  This morning I gave up and got up to turn on the coffee at 4:30.  Then I will be sleepy all day.  It will go away in time.

You need to ask yourself if it is worth it.  Going to Japan to see the Cherry Blossom Festival, maybe not.  Going to see your first grandchild, definitely.

To be continued...

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Opus 2018-093: Japan: The Ultimate First, Part 1 of ?

We have just returned from a three week trip to Japan.  The reason for our trip was not to dispose of all that extra income we have accumulated over the years, although at times it seemed to be working that way.  We were invited to share the birth of our first grandchild.  Some firsts only come once.  So we went.

I guess you could call this an official announcement.  Some of you are grandparents many times over.  You smile indulgently and want to pat me on the head.  I have met people who were grandfathered in at 44 years of age.  I am afraid I had to wait a bit longer than that.  I had almost given up as some of you have done.  I did my part although I fell short of the 2.1 children needed for replacement.  I could never figure how to get the .1.  I take comfort in the fact that I have brothers who have gone above and beyond. 

It is a grand experience holding the next generation.  It is also encouraging to know that your children want you around to share the moment.  How many children are there who don’t want anything to do with their parents?  I hope it says something about us as parents as much as it says about our children.  To be honest, it was more about a girl needing her mother for support rather than having dad around, but I got to tag along. 

It was also a chance to get to know our son-in-law better.  We are still pleased with the man God brought our daughter.  She had to wait long enough.  We thought it was because she was too picky but it seems that God had to get the boy ready and that took some time.

I am going to be sharing some observations about Japan.  I jotted down things I noticed as they came to me.  I will be writing some as if I were still in Japan and others as reflections. 

To be continued...

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