Perhaps The Best Way To Explain Living In Today's Modern Japan (James Santagata)
One of the most frequent questions I get about Japan, from friends, family and even business associates and clients, is related to what living in modern Japan is really like.
And by this I mean, not what's experienced during the initial honeymoon period of a few months or even a few years but what's experienced as a long-term, integrated resident.
There are just so many myths, memes, misunderstandings and misconceptions that it's hard to cut through or address all of them.
And by this I mean, not what's experienced during the initial honeymoon period of a few months or even a few years but what's experienced as a long-term, integrated resident.
There are just so many myths, memes, misunderstandings and misconceptions that it's hard to cut through or address all of them.
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Well, if you must know, living in modern Japan today is like living in 1950's America with all the good parts but without the apartheid.
It's like living in 1920's Paris but without the poodle poop everywhere and high-nosed attitudes.
Four, five and six year-olds regularly walk or take the train to school and arrive safely in one of the biggest cities in the world, Tokyo. In fact, the most surprising thing to foreign newcomers is that no one in Tokyo, let alone Japan as a country, considers what these young children do as anything unusual.
What else?
Well, lost wallets are regularly if not religiously turned into the Lost and Found at train stations or police stations -- and if no one claims it after 30 days or so, guess what?
It's yours.
The police and station attendants don't steal the money.
This is evidently much different from the many news reports about and security videos capturing TSA employees actively stealing money from traveler's suitcases or in the case of the US Postal Service stealing money from envelopes or just stealing an entire package.
Another direct comparison that yields some interesting differences is that of the US McDonald's and Japan's. The McDonald's food in Japan is different because it's often cooked when you order it and one quickly finds that the staff are always friendly.
However if you ever find the need to make a complaint at McDonald's you may be pleasantly surprised. I once made a complaint about my take-out misorder -- I was given the wrong order, after double checking (verbally) and being assured it was correct. Obviously, it would have been smart of me to simply verify it by opening the bag but as I was in a rush, pressed for time and assured it was my order, I just let it go..
Anyway, after arriving home with my food I realized the error and made a complaint during the lunch hour rush by telephone. And Lo and behold who shows up at my door about 2 hours later but the McDonald's Manager of that store. And he's wearing a suit and tie, bowing and profusely apologizing about my order and the mistake.
That was enough for me.
But he wasn't done yet! Nope. He then pulled out an envelope which contained the actual original receipt of my order and carefully reviewed it with me, line item by line item until we got to the total expenses incurred.
He then pulled out another envelope which contained a complete refund in exact change of my order (and mind you, I was starving so I had already eaten the misorder they gave me!).
I was very pleased and ready to thank him, close the door and just call it a day.
But no, this guy wasn't done yet! He then pulls out another envelope which held about 10 coupons for free French Fries, which as an added bonus had no expiration date.
Wow.
Oh, did I mention that valuables found on the streets in Tokyo are very often left in place for weeks or simply gingerly hung over a guard rail or stair case rail in the hopes that the owner will perhaps retrace their foot steps and be reunited with their lost articles?
Would it be interesting for you to know that people routinely use a smartphone, a $1,000 USD designer bag or even their valued laptop as an item to HOLD their Starbucks, Tully's or Excelsior Cafe table while they walk 30 feet away, out of eyesight of their table to order and then return again only to find everything all nicely in its place, unmolested and accounted for while the other customers all around are busy pecking away on their own smart phones or reading the paper as though they (the person who went to the counter to order) never left their valuables at their table unattended.
Now that's civilization.
You'll even find that the staff in the busiest convenience stores, including 7/11 (7i), will treat you like you'd be treated at a very nice gourmet restaurant -- and they're educated on top of that.
You may find it hard to believe that they can actually figure out, in their heads, exactly how much change is due to you.
Amazing.
Now many detractors will say that Japan is a nation of sheep or robots, But whenever I return to the US, I actually find that I often have trouble telling apart all the dudes wearing the same ball caps which are all tilted in the same positions while these guys all seem to sport the same boring tribal tats while throwing the same poses for the camera and the ladies.
In Japan, however, the variety of food, both domestic and foreign cuisine, is simply unrivaled. And Japan also has the most multi-star Michelin-rated restaurants in the world.
Specialty cuisines, even French and Italian cuisines, rival that of the very best you'll find in those respective countries. However, the twist is that service found in Japan is higher, sometimes an order of magnitude higher.
Wine -- well, that's something they need to work on. But in terms of sake, yeah, obviously they are the boss in that area.
As for whiskey or scotch.....well, even the Scots know and the distilled spirits industry knows that Japanese "kaizen" (continuous improvement) has, over a 150 year period, enabled Japan to make perhaps some of the best in the world -- but it's no secret, it's not news to to the top distillers, distributors and aficionados.
Nope.
It's only news to the general public.
It's like living in 1920's Paris but without the poodle poop everywhere and high-nosed attitudes.
Four, five and six year-olds regularly walk or take the train to school and arrive safely in one of the biggest cities in the world, Tokyo. In fact, the most surprising thing to foreign newcomers is that no one in Tokyo, let alone Japan as a country, considers what these young children do as anything unusual.
What else?
Well, lost wallets are regularly if not religiously turned into the Lost and Found at train stations or police stations -- and if no one claims it after 30 days or so, guess what?
It's yours.
The police and station attendants don't steal the money.
This is evidently much different from the many news reports about and security videos capturing TSA employees actively stealing money from traveler's suitcases or in the case of the US Postal Service stealing money from envelopes or just stealing an entire package.
Another direct comparison that yields some interesting differences is that of the US McDonald's and Japan's. The McDonald's food in Japan is different because it's often cooked when you order it and one quickly finds that the staff are always friendly.
However if you ever find the need to make a complaint at McDonald's you may be pleasantly surprised. I once made a complaint about my take-out misorder -- I was given the wrong order, after double checking (verbally) and being assured it was correct. Obviously, it would have been smart of me to simply verify it by opening the bag but as I was in a rush, pressed for time and assured it was my order, I just let it go..
Anyway, after arriving home with my food I realized the error and made a complaint during the lunch hour rush by telephone. And Lo and behold who shows up at my door about 2 hours later but the McDonald's Manager of that store. And he's wearing a suit and tie, bowing and profusely apologizing about my order and the mistake.
That was enough for me.
But he wasn't done yet! Nope. He then pulled out an envelope which contained the actual original receipt of my order and carefully reviewed it with me, line item by line item until we got to the total expenses incurred.
He then pulled out another envelope which contained a complete refund in exact change of my order (and mind you, I was starving so I had already eaten the misorder they gave me!).
I was very pleased and ready to thank him, close the door and just call it a day.
But no, this guy wasn't done yet! He then pulls out another envelope which held about 10 coupons for free French Fries, which as an added bonus had no expiration date.
Wow.
Oh, did I mention that valuables found on the streets in Tokyo are very often left in place for weeks or simply gingerly hung over a guard rail or stair case rail in the hopes that the owner will perhaps retrace their foot steps and be reunited with their lost articles?
Would it be interesting for you to know that people routinely use a smartphone, a $1,000 USD designer bag or even their valued laptop as an item to HOLD their Starbucks, Tully's or Excelsior Cafe table while they walk 30 feet away, out of eyesight of their table to order and then return again only to find everything all nicely in its place, unmolested and accounted for while the other customers all around are busy pecking away on their own smart phones or reading the paper as though they (the person who went to the counter to order) never left their valuables at their table unattended.
Now that's civilization.
You'll even find that the staff in the busiest convenience stores, including 7/11 (7i), will treat you like you'd be treated at a very nice gourmet restaurant -- and they're educated on top of that.
You may find it hard to believe that they can actually figure out, in their heads, exactly how much change is due to you.
Amazing.
Now many detractors will say that Japan is a nation of sheep or robots, But whenever I return to the US, I actually find that I often have trouble telling apart all the dudes wearing the same ball caps which are all tilted in the same positions while these guys all seem to sport the same boring tribal tats while throwing the same poses for the camera and the ladies.
In Japan, however, the variety of food, both domestic and foreign cuisine, is simply unrivaled. And Japan also has the most multi-star Michelin-rated restaurants in the world.
Specialty cuisines, even French and Italian cuisines, rival that of the very best you'll find in those respective countries. However, the twist is that service found in Japan is higher, sometimes an order of magnitude higher.
Wine -- well, that's something they need to work on. But in terms of sake, yeah, obviously they are the boss in that area.
As for whiskey or scotch.....well, even the Scots know and the distilled spirits industry knows that Japanese "kaizen" (continuous improvement) has, over a 150 year period, enabled Japan to make perhaps some of the best in the world -- but it's no secret, it's not news to to the top distillers, distributors and aficionados.
Nope.
It's only news to the general public.
