I’m not an expert on Japan after only spending a few weeks there. I was able to determine by the end of my trip that I don’t want to move there though. Japan has a lot of really great parts to it, and a lot of cultural improvements that we have nothing on in the United States. It also has some low points though.
The Best
Transportation
There isn’t a single other transportation system that I have encountered so far that beats Japan’s system. It is fast, efficient, and highly utilized. Most people don’t have cars because you don’t need them. Between walking and the trains, you can get everywhere you need to go. This doesn’t even include the use of the Shinkansen, which can take you all over the country in a matter of hours.
Healthy, Affordable Food
The majority of people in Japan are skinny. Yes, a lot of this has to do with their culture and expectations, as well as lifestyle of walking everywhere, but it also is because the Japanese eat really well. You can get junk food and special treats, but they really take time to eat healthy, high quality food. The best part for us as tourists was that all the food was affordable. We are talking full meals for $7 or $8 (700-800 Yen).
Job well done
My very first experience in Japan was exchanging my USD for Yen. I was completely blown away. The speed and efficiency that the person in the exchange office worked with was amazing. My understanding is that in Japan, the expectation, the bare minimum, is excellent. They pay their employees well and expect them to work hard every day. It was clear to me that there was a level of mastery in most of the professions that I really don’t see here in the States.
No paper towels
You know my sustainable little self loves this one. When I say no paper towels, I mean no paper towels. Everyone in Japan travels around with a little hand towel in their pocket and they use that after washing their hands. There are no bins for paper towels in any bathrooms and they simply aren’t provided. I loved it, bought myself a little towel, and fully intend to convince everyone in the United States to switch to this method also.
The Worst
Plastic Bags
For such a conscientious society, my goodness they use a lot of plastic bags. I mean a LOT. A bag for every little item, plus a bag to put the bags in sometimes. Or one time, my friend bought some feminine hygiene products and they put them in a black bag inside of two regular bags so you couldn’t see what was bought. There was another time when it was rainy out and they put a plastic bag over my paper bag to keep it dry. Just the amount of plastic was a lot.
Crowds
Oh my goodness the people. People everywhere. There are so many people packed onto this little island. In our time there, we didn’t get far enough out into the country to get away from the crowds and it was rough. In fact, the number of people in Japan is the main reason I wouldn’t want to live there. I never felt like there was space. It was just hustle and bustle and crowds.
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