We had our frustrations in Japan,
sure, but overall, I am enamored with the country. I’d go as far as to
name it in my top 10 favorite places visited, if not top five. Here are
some of the quirky attributes that gave it such a high ranking in my
mind.
1. The culture of cute.
Sure, Japan is known for Hello Kitty and anime, but adorable animated
creatures adorn every sign, train, advertisement and billboard.
2. The 98 flavors of Kit-Kats. Did you know that every region has its own flavor? Of Kit-Kats?
(I know! That blew my mind, too!) They’re often only available in
super-touristy areas like train stations, and we spent some time trying
to find as many as we could. We managed to track down green tea, white
tea, biscuit and strawberry cheesecake, but when I found out (after the
fact) that pumpkin cheesecake Kit-Kats were available in Tokyo, I felt
like I had failed. Some of the more interesting flavors available
include wasabi, soy sauce, apple vinegar, Sapporo, sweet corn,
watermelon and salt, red beak soup, pineapple, and milk and red bean.
3. The ridiculously nice, helpful and friendly people.
I just have to drive this point home: It didn’t matter if they spoke
not a word of English, not a single Japanese person I encountered was
anything less than awesome when I stopped to ask for help (in English).
Some went as far as to walk us to the destination we sought.
4. THE FOOD. Why did I
live on the fringe of Japantown in San Francisco for the past two years
and never go to a Japanese restaurant? WHY? From gyoza to ramen, sashimi
to udon, I devoured every last dish we sampled in Japan.
5. The train system. Despite our snafus with the Shinkansen—which
many of you tell me must have been a fluke—we were blown away by the
quality, reliability and cleanliness of every train we took in the
country.
6. The bakeries. I
don’t know how the Japanese are so dang skinny, because everywhere we
went, the aroma of freshly-baked pastries followed us, wafting up into
our every pore and ensuring that, by God, we went into that pastry shop
and emerged with a full-on bounty. (And there was one on every corner,
without fail.) That’s subliminal advertising at its best.
6. The miniature. Everything
is smaller in Japan. It made me realize just how excessive and wasteful
we are in the United States. Plus, it fits well with their whole
“cutesy” approach to everything.
7. Harajuku. Need I say more? I could have sat in this crazy little pocket of Tokyo for hours and just people-watched.
8. The order in the chaos.
Despite the 13 million people in the Tokyo area, they don’t run you
over, they don’t shove, they step out of your way, they keep order—even
at Shibuya Crossing, the world’s busiest intersection. (Now, if only the residents of San Francisco’s Chinatown could follow suit.)
9. The buskers. We wandered over to Yoyogi Park and were in for a treat: a band of Japanese performers doing Grease!
10. Dogs in costumes. I
have never seen such fashionable canines anywhere in the world. Small
breeds were the dogs of choice in Japan, and each one had its own
designer wear or elaborate costume.
11. The loos. I’ve seen Japanese toilets
start to permeate bigger cities like San Francisco, but I still can’t
figure out which button flushes. Often, I think I’m flushing, when a
poof of air or a stream of water sprays my butt instead. And why you
need a “flushing sound” that doesn’t actually do the job is beyond me!
12. They look after the disabled. There were raised tracks throughout every public transportation system to lead the blind. How cool (and thoughtful) is that?
13. Sweet potatoes in everything.
There’s little I love more in my food than sweet potato (or pumpkin or
butternut squash), but I was hesitant to sample it in ice cream form.
The verdict? Two frozen thumbs up!
post are taken from here
kbyee ♥♥
