Thoughts On Japan.

I have been asked many times what I think of Japan. My first answer is that it is more beautiful than I thought. For what ever reason, I thought of Japan as an endless flat land with wall to wall people. I cannot get over how wonderfully lush and green and mountainous Japan is. If I would have thought about it, of course it is mountainous, because it is volcanic land.
The fauna and flora is so variant. I did not expect to see Palm trees, large fern like plants and trees. There are pine trees along side of maple trees. Of course I have talked to death the beauty of the Cherry Blossom trees. Jackie has a blooming Magnolia tree in her front yard. It is all so wonderful.
Japan is clean. I mean squeaky clean. When I got off the plane and entered the airport, I couldn't believe how shiny the floors were. Yesterday, Jackie and I were on a train to Fukuyama. You could have seen your face in the polished shine of the train floor. I am not kidding.
As I mentioned before, they are into dividing their garbage into combustibles, etc. Leaving trash behind is never heard of. It is just not done.
Jackie was telling me about the school children. They have lunch. The pre-arranged list of children have to go down to get the soup pots and dishes and etc. They are also the ones that have to serve each child. Each child has the same thing and no one is allowed to not to finish their meal. Allergies are unheard of. After lunch, they then clean the school. There are no janitors. Each child has their turn at cleaning the desks, toilets etc. I understand how it would be in their best interest to keep things clean.
The Japanese toilets,as a matter of rule, do not have hot running water. Most sinks run cold water. They usually don't have soap or paper towels. Everyone has a small cloth, usually terry, in their purse or pocket and they dry their hands on them. These clothes seem to be another place of fashion expression. When you eat or have a coffee in a restaraunt, you are given either hot wet towels, or more likely individually wrapped desposable hand cleaners to use prior to eating.
I still have difficulty understanding why they wear masks. I am not sure if it is to protect us from their germs or is it to protect them from our germs. As a nurse, I know that masks are only 5% effective, but it must make them feel better. As an aside they can buy colorful face masks as well, but usually it is white.
Speaking of white, most of the drivers of bus or taxi wear white gloves. They also wear suits. It is very formal looking.
The Japanese people are always dressed very smartly. Usually business suits, both men and women. Women who are not in business wear, dress in very fashionable clothes with the best high heel shoes and matching purses. Even the children wear good clothes and if they wear jeans they are the designer jeans and lovely jackets and intricate blouses. The more mature women seem to wear dresses and skirts more often.
The school children wear uniforms. They girls wear black skirts, and white knee socks. The boys wear black suits. They are the same. Even their backpacks are the same. Their shoes are black. I wonder if dressing in a uniform all their formative life follows to their adult life as stylish dress wear.
Practically everyone has a cell phone. They are constantly in their hand. No one is speaking. They text message each other constantly. They rarely need to call someone and talk. I think that is an interesting concept that I can't wait to take hold in Canada. The cell phones here are technologically so far ahead. I had a hey day looking at all the cell phones that I will not be able to use back home. By the way the cell phones are always decked out in bling. Jackie says it is one way to express themselves.
The Japanese people are endlessly polite. It took me a long time to get use to everyone bowing. The cart lady on the train who brings refreshments will bow upon entering and leaving each car. It is a slight bow at the waist with the hands together in front of your body.
I have seen business men really bow and bow many times to each other. I wondered where the cut off is to bowing. Quite often as I walked the paths of Jackies home, I will run across some women and they always seem to bow which reflexively makes me bow back. I don't know it just happens.
The newscasters always bow at the beginning of each segment and as it goes to commercial. Respect is a huge here. Having said that I found it funny that entering a busy train, it is every person for themselves. No one gives up their seat. However they do cue up for the entrance to the train.
I like their language. It is almost musical in tone. It is most often soft, unless you are in a market where they are yelling for you to enter their store. The yelling is more musical and has pitches to it. When you enter a shop their is always, and I mean always someone their to greet you. I believe it is something equivelant to welcome to our store, or thank you for coming and sometimes a little bow. It makes you feel important.
When you pay for your goods, there seems to be this proceedure that I think I have figured out. They ring it up and then tell you the amount. You get your money and then put it in the tray. I think never directly into their hands. The change you get back is given to you in the paper money first. It is handed over to you with both of their hands like an presentation. I believe you are to recieve it with both hands. Then they hand you the change with both hands and again you accept it with both hands. They say arigota something something and give a head bow.
There are so many little details and traditions that I have enjoyed. I can only imagine the years of history behind them. It is a mystery to me, but it is not to the Japanese people.