Anywho, I thought I'd leave with my first impressions of Japan (specifically Tokyo).
Ichi - This place has a lot of people. Everywhere. All. The. Time. Now I'm a city boy, we all know this. I can handle a crowd now and then. But always? No thank you. It's really starting to wear me down...especially when you're trying to see the sights. Say you're checking out an area with lots of pretty lights and want to stop to take a picture. It's kind of like trying to take a picture of someone on the shore while you're caught in the rapids of a river. And that's how it always is. I find myself constantly looking for "safe spots" where I can escape the crowd for a second, get my bearings, snap a pic. And those safe spots are a perfect place for some outside observation. What you see is a stream of people going in every possible direction. And like a stream, the flow is constant. It's truly mystifying. Where is everyone going?
Here are two pictures of what I've been told is the busiest intersection in the world. To me, it's what walking in Tokyo always seems to be like.
Ni - No parkettes, no benches, no garbage bins (but also no garbage!), no green space. These are things that as a tourist you really notice. Want to take a breather from your long day? Find a tree to sit under, some grass to crash on? Forget about it. Also, I have no idea how this place is so clean, considering the complete lack of garbage bins in public spaces. I've heard that people carry their garbage with them, or consume whatever it is that produces the garbage near where they bought it, as they always have garbages there. This seems to be the norm, as it is considered rude to walk and eat/drink/smoke. No joke, I actually saw a sign that asked people to take their dog's crap home with them. What, do they put it in their purse on a hot day? Take it with them on the packed train home?! I really don't understand. Speaking of garbage, this place seems to produce a lot of it. Everything is disposable and wrapped in 10 layers of plastic wrap. At every store they have single-use plastic bags for your wet umbrellas so you don't drip on the floor! Good idea, but what a waste...oh, and they burn most of their garbage.
Despite this rant, I have come across a couple really nice parks. Found a fairly large one that actually absorbed all the people well and had everyone using the space for practicing instruments, dance routines and plays. I have a feeling this has to do with the general lack of space in this city. Also found this lovely park on a lake 5 minutes from my room:
San - I love the trains. Seriously. So cool. Multiple private companies run the system but it's all integrated seamlessly, super high-tech (all sorts of information on every train, often bilingual), and just generally totally badass. Only problem is that it all shuts down before 12:30am. 12:30!!! And cabs are ridic expensive, so it's either an early night or an all-nighter (5am start time). Many people often go for the all-nighters, although I have yet to attempt one.
Yon - People here drink till they drop. Again, from what I've been told and from what I can tell, they work hard (many of the international people in this exchange program start at 9, work till 7 or later, and are always the last ones in and the first ones out) and use alcohol as a form of escapism. Without fail, every time I've come home late, I've seen someone REALLY drunk. And usually fairly well dressed, including a man in khakis hugging someone's rock garden (not on purpose, he just couldn't stand) and a businessman being supported by his friends. And this is all before midnight!
Go - Before I call it, I figure I should clear something up. A lot of this seems sort of negative and I really hope you don't take it that way. Things here are just DIFFERENT. The culture shock really isn't immediate, it's a gradual feeling as all the little things you notice start to add up. To be fair, I'm sure a Japanese person would walk through the streets of Toronto and be blown away by all the homelessness and filth and the ancient transit system.
This is the safest metropolitan area I've ever been to. To reserve a seat in a food court at a mall, people leave their purchases! It's just that safe. It's clean. It's high-tech. The locals have so far been extremely friendly and helpful. The food has been mind-blowing. And it's all extremely fascinating. Go time, see you in a week!
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