Going Back to the Motherland

I feel like an idiot.
Standing there on the platform of Narita train station. As soon as I got off I realized that this was probably not the stop (Narita Airport) that I wanted but the train was already pulling away. Yuki and I had been a little nervous too since we thought the 1:43 pm arrival would be tight for what we thought was my flight. But upon checking my flight details, we were relieved at finding out it was a 3:50 pm departure. However, now that I have to wait 1 hr for the next Narita Rapid Express train, I am back to the same point. I can only hope that my check-in procedures go smoothly and I get to the gate/boarding on time!

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My last full day in Tokyo was spent in the old and new part of Tokyo. I visited the area of Asakusa where I saw some pretty awesome shrines. I then tried to find some lens and filter for my camera at Akihabara, the Mecca of Electronics, but I was still undecided. I then went to the man made island of Odaiba where the architecture was ultra futuristic. I visited the Fuji TV complex which was confusing and highly entertaining. I then got a panoramic view of Tokyo from the observatory of the World Trade Center. It was a gorgeous view and I was the only one there at the time!

Finished off the day by walking around the wild and seedy part of Tokyo in north eastern Shinjuku. Yuki and I then had an amazing sushi dinner at a restaurant in Meguro. Since it was my last full day in Tokyo, we went to a chain pub nearby for drinks and some snacks (including friend chicken tendons, grilled meats!) The mango callpis was a great drink and I'll be looking for the ingredients back in Canada. As I wait for my next train, I'll try to summarize some thoughts about Japan.

Food: Heavenly. There are diverse options ranging from cheap $3-5 Bento lunches, quick chains that do great cheap combos of rice/noodles, meats, miso soup. There are also sushi bars ranging from cheap to exquisite. Yuki and I went to the Wall Street of Sushi, Tsukiji fish market, and had the freshest sushi possible. There were also various snacks like melon pan, grilled rice crackers and grape ice box to keep your taste buds exploring.

People: Incredibly polite, courteous, proper and civilized. In any other country, the massive amount of people in Tokyo would cause riots and higher levels of insanity. However, for Tokyo, it's just another day. People actually don't jaywalk, they're very respectful to elders and very helpful in any service.

Society/Culture: The work ethic/collectivist attitude of Japan is legendary. Their service is top notch. However, I believe the higher levels of emotional labour required also takes its toll. The high number of hours spent commuting can also be draining. Combined with the constant obsession with work, perhaps this can cause disillusionment to certain people. I believe that perhaps that's why anime, slot machines and adult material sold in many places are so prevalent. They are a form of escapism and desensitizers that stimulate a kind of need to feel. Perhaps that's why so many Japanese people travel, to escape the stability and monotony of their lives, or they just like to travel.

Being in Japan has been an amazing experience. To see how a society manages to cram 30M people in the Tokyo area and not have everyone go insane is an achievement only the Japanese could accomplish. While it may seem like a technological utopia, it isn't perfect. But it may be humanity's closest attempt.

I would definitely love to revisit this country in the future and maybe live/work here for a period of time. Who knows?
I want to thank Yuki A LOT for all the help and hospitality. It would have been much harder for me to do it on my own (and a lot more expensive!) It was also really good to see an old friend from a place I miss so much and talk about old times.

That's all from the Land of the Rising Sun!