That stage of the trip when the homeward journey starts to cast a damper on proceedings. How can the time have flown by so quickly ? Our abiding take aways are cleanliness, safety and affordability. Tokyo really is a modern marvel of a city. There's always a subway station with a three minute walk that can whisk you safely and cleanly where you want to go. I guess our surprise is that we thought the place would be bland but there's no other city that we've been to that matches Tokyo for urban design and a culture that is startlingly creative.
You can eat cheaply. A sausage curry costs £4.50. 'The Font' has insisted that we don't eat in restaurants with European cuisine. This has worked well although Angus has had some reservations about trying grey 'unknown' things with legs and the texture of liver pate.
Seems there is a down side. From our hotel window we can look across the street to the open plan offices of a large industrial company. The staff arrive early and stay much later than you'd expect in NY or London. This seems to be a replay of the old 1960's idea of management that says the more time you spend behind the desk the more work you'll get done. GLWT ! A friend who works here says that corporations hire youngsters straight out of college. This provides job security but it also means that promotion and pay are based on the length of time at the company. Smart youngsters can't rise quickly and new ideas are ignored. There's little incentive to work more efficiently than you have to as productivity isn't recognized. Job hopping, the natural remedy, is treated with suspicion.
I don't think we have ever walked as much as we have on this trip. That 10,000 paces a day has probably been closer to 25,000.
9 comments:
I am most intrigued by "women face shaving" in the barber's shop.
Some things changed in the thirty years we lived in Japan, but the couple things you mention hang on very stubbornly. It is considered bad form to leave the office before any of your superiors, so people just hang around, and it is generally taboo to have anyone older supervising anyone younger. Lifetime employment still exists at the big companies but it is a little bit of an illusion. When someone rises to the point where they won't rise any further, they are shifted to an affiliate company so make space for someone younger. (Technically they remain an employee of the main company, seconded to the affiliate.) The pyramid just keeps narrowing at the main company with the affiliate companies absorbing those who are shed. One other big problem - there is no concept of learning from your mistakes in Japan, mistakes are simply bad and to be avoided at all costs. Hence, a very risk-averse population.
Maybe for your long trip home, or after (if you haven't read it already), here's a very smart recent NYT article about Japan. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/29/world/asia/japan-economy-population-politics.html?unlocked_article_code=1.bU0.1KTG.qkI2W9hK536-&smid=url-share
Hari Om
So, in the end, a) was it worth the long flight required, and b) would you go again? Two important questions when assessing a destination. YAM xx
Walking around a new or even familiar city is my favorite way of getting around. The flexibility to stop when something catches your eye or take an unplanned turn makes the visit uniquely yours. I agree with The Font: eat the food that is unique to where you're visiting. It's all part of the experience. Bacon rolls await you on your first walk when you return home!
We have a young friend from Northern California who fell in love with Tokyo and has chosen to make it his home. Your posts have so well illustrated the city's many charms that he has shared with us.
The food looks interesting, I always to eat where the locals eat.
Wow!!! Exceeding all expectations.
I am now wishing your Japan visit were longer, if only to be able to read a post featuring 'Angus's trip to the Japanese barber'...
Cheers! Gail.
Post a Comment