Off and Running in Tokyo

                                   
(Original posting date 6/12/2017)

On coming to Japan, one of the greatest aspects I was looking forward too was not having to plan everything myself.  Whenever I visit a new place I like to at least have a rough idea sketched out of what I want to see and when before I even get there.  However, once in a foreign country, simple tasks that we often take for granted become significantly more difficult.  Simply getting somewhere becomes a challenge in itself and requires patience, resourcefulness, research, and quite often just looking hopelessly lost and asking a local for help.  It's part of the fun of traveling but it can also be exhausting and after stressing about due dates and deadlines at school, I was ready for a change of pace.  This trip to Japan is exactly that and requires only minimal effort as everything has been planned right down to the minute

Today was our first full day and we became very aware of the precise nature of Japanese society.  After meeting at 9:00 am sharp, our group was wisked away to begin our orientation for the rest of the trip.  At the conference room we were instructed to kill time for ten minutes even though everyone was present and ready.  It was 9:50, but the schedule had us starting at 10:00.  The welcome package we received included every piece of information we could ever hope to need and then some.  It covered everything from Japanese temple etiquette to earthquake preparedness and personal bathing instructions.  It was a lot to take in but the excitement was palpable and everyone seemed to just go along with it.

Following our orientation was a visit to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where we had a presentation and discussion with an official from the department's North America branch.  It was a very informative talk covering Japan's history as well as its role in the modern world.  Since the 20 of us are all MA students in international affairs it was obviously specially designed and there was no shortage of interesting points made and questions asked.

Later in the afternoon we took a visit to the Imperial Meiji Shrine with its expansive gardens that are more like an urban forest.  It really is an oasis of calm and nature in the heart of the urban sprawl that is Tokyo.  With over 40 million people living in the metropolitan area I'm sure it can get a little hectic at times, but with green space like this you'd hardly even know you were in a major city.

We also visited the Honda interpretive centre which featured a demonstration of Asimo, the hi-tech robot featuring the ability to talk, walk, run, balance, and even use sign language.  While seeing a piece of technology perform human tasks even better than humans are able to was a little disconcerting, I have to admit that it really was an impressive advancement.

Overall the first day and a bit have been full of surprises.  The food has been amazing, both in terms of its deliciousness as well as its shock value.  The cooked sacks of melted sticky rice with a gum-like consistency stand out in that last category.  Also catching me off guard has been some of the relatively minor cultural differences.  I found out that "air conditioning" doesn't necessarily mean cold air by waking up in the middle of the night in sweltering heat.  It was so hot in the hotel room that the heated electric toilet felt cool and refreshing by comparison.

I've also been surprised by the order that characterizes this city.  Despite its size it is entirely free of traffic jams, garbage, and the usual problems such as homelessness and crime.

After just one day Japan seems to confirm some stereotypes and completely up-end others.  I can't wait to see what else surprises me in the days ahead.