Asakusabashi Eki

Here's a non-exhaustive list of all the reasons we loved Nihon 🇯🇵

1. Friendly, respectful people.
We left phones and headphones in various places, yet locals went out of their way to return them to us. Traffic is respectful of pedestrians and cyclists. Everyone lines up in an orderly fashion and without complaint. Staff remove stickers, tags and hangers from purchases, wrap them carefully in cellophane and hand them over ceremoniously with two hands, a smile, gratitude and a bow.

There's an overall feeling of togetherness and kindness. We felt safe and cared for by strangers and staff alike. I'm going to miss this the most.

2. Next level clean
It's up there with Singapore. Public spaces with heavy foot traffic and back streets are all clean and tidy. Hotel rooms require you to remove your shoes with slippers provided for each room (even toilet slippers, labelled like this!). Everything is wrapped in plastic; consumables and money are handled on trays; masks and gloves are used by most staff, and air purifiers are the norm in hotels and taxis. Moist towelettes accompany your chopsticks with every meal, and you're actively engaged to sanitise your hands on entry to new places. There are even baskets for your bags so they don't sit on the ground. So thoughtful. So Japan. :)

3. So Much Plastic!
You can't help but get your environmental hat on. Everything single-use is wrapped in plastic! Even buildings under construction, the latter, I assume, to reduce dust and debris affecting other residents, which is very Japanese 😊 In saying all this, two points:

A) Recycling is strongly encouraged with clearly labelled bins for cans, bottles, paper etc, which makes sense given the number of vending machines there are; and

B) The number of public bins is very, very limited. Yes, limited, due to a terrorist attack at an event years ago. So we have this insanely tidy city, with vending machines and plastic everywhere but no bins. It's an oxymoron, but it works. We just got used to carrying our rubbish in our backpacks until we found a bin, which was often a cause for celebration.

4. Capable, healthy populace
We saw maybe a handful of overweight people the entire time, and the bent-over, elderly locals that trotted up and down the steep castle stairs in Matsumoto were waiting on me, not the other way around. There are elderly sweeping the streets, taking the train and independently crossing busy intersections. It's super impressive to see a Blue Zone lifestyle in action.

5. Work hard, rest hard
Japan is definitely a low-blood pressure-friendly place! From priority seating on trains that are actually vacated for older adults, seats in elevators, and bathrooms set up to shower seated, I was loving it given my hidden disabilities.

The downside is the rock-hard beds, which may be a product of our hotel price range; however, I suspect the Japanese have evolved from sleeping on Ryokan futons, so hard is the go. Don't get me started on the weird rice-filled pillows. It's like bedding is undervalued, overlooked or just preferred that way. It as a bit of a disappointment for us; the lack of padding was definitely felt, but we were often too tired to care!

6. Transport
Public transport was well-signposted and intuitive to navigate once you got the hang of it. There were nearly half as many bikes as cars (cool electric ones with two kiddy seats). No one wore helmets, but there's little need with attentive and thoughtful drivers. Bikes were parked everywhere unsecured. Cars were mostly these boxy, unsexy Hondas. Taxi doors open automatically, and you pay via an interactive screen in the back seat. Fancy!

7. Paying
In Seven7 and other convenience stores, you pay similarly via an interactive screen, throwing your cash into a receptacle or paying with a card. All money otherwise is via small trays and mostly gloved hands.

8. Vending machines
Vending machines were a lifesaver, although the beverages were often misleading or just a plain mystery, adding to the "what-the-hell-is-this this?" lottery. The weirdest was the meat machines, which we weren't brave enough to try! Interestingly, there are alcohol vending machines plus alcohol in all supermarkets and convenience stores! At payment, you need to click a button on the screen to say you are over 18 years old. Trust and integrity at it again in Japan 🏪

9. Onsens and public bathing 😬🫣😁👍
Awkward, cathartic and liberating. I think it enjoyed it more than Paul!

10. The food.
The seafood was so fresh and the chicken was perfectly cooked. Attention to presentation was next level, and I frothed on various condiments and side dishes. Delicious, fricken delicious. Just don't order the steak🥢🍶☺️Read more