The Big Question

"How's Japan?"

Well, it's different, obviously. I can't address every little difference, but for one, we use yen here instead of dollars, and because about 90 yen equals 1 dollar, you feel more wealthy than you actually are -- I currently have about 9,000 yen in my wallet. If that were dollars, I'd be golden.

One thing I'm impressed with about Japan is that it is surprisingly clean. For having almost half the population of the United States (127 million) crammed into an area the size of California, I would have thought litter and random garbage here to be comparable to that of the streets of New York (sorry New York). Not so. The streets, sidewalks and train stations here are incredibly spotless. The only real litter is cigarette butts, but even that is minimal. Here we see a bit of Japan's group mentality settling in; If one person makes a mess, it becomes a mess for others. Everyone carries their garbage with them, stuffing it into their pockets until they get home where it can be properly recycled. As a result, there are very few public garbage cans in Japan.

Virtually all of the Japanese that I've seen are thin. Very few obese people here, which may be a factor of the mostly fish, noodles and rice diet. Speaking of appearances, everyone is well-dressed. The Japanese women, in particular, have a bit of modesty concerning what they wear; no low-scooping v-necks, no spaghetti straps, no piercings. Skirts and tight shorts do make the occasional appearance, so seeing a bit of leg here and there is common, but for the most part the attire is tasteful.

There aren't many bugs. May just be the season, maybe it'll get worse as the summer progresses, but for these past two weeks, the only bugs I've seen have been ants and one dragonfly. Oh, and there was one really strange flying red bug that attacked me, 'bout the size of my eye. It may have been after my brains.

Water in Japan does not have fluoride in it. I can't taste the difference, but it's odd to think that it's not there -- like I'm missing out on something. Food is a discussion all in itself. It's hard to find the little things that we're used to in the states. For example, I spent half an hour searching for spaghetti sauce, until I finally asked someone and they told me that it comes in a bag -- I had been looking for a glass jar. Peanut butter was a little tricky, too, because they don't call it peanut butter. It's called peanut cream, and it resembles a thin paste rather than something thick and made of actual peanuts (tastes the same, though). The amount of food you get for a particular purchase is about half of what you'd get at some Wal-Mart or ShopKo, and it costs twice as much. At least the rice is cheap.

Above all, Japan feels safe. Despite its oddities, it has an overwhelming feeling of security, as if you could walk down any dark alley at any time of night and emerge on the opposite end unharmed, with a new friend or two met along the way. I get the sense that I could leave the front door to my apartment wide open for a month and not be robbed. Not sure if I'll give that a try just yet, but I'd stake money on a positive outcome.

Finally, there's TV. I got to watch some of Die Hard and Star Wars Episode One in Japanese, as well as the new Willy Wonka. That kind of programming is a bit rare, though. Most of the television shows I've seen typically involve a panel of about 5 to 10 people who all give reactions and comments about something happening on screen, which is kind of odd to watch -- it gives a slight feeling as if you're watching TV with someone else in the room. Some of the kids programming is a little wacky. Soap operas and dramas are mostly similar. And there's sumo! Sumo's fun to watch, but it ends quickly so you have to pay attention.

Some things have been a little challenging to adapt to, but on the whole I think the Japanese do a lot of things right. I like Japan! And that's just how it is.