Random Thoughts About Japan

We just arrived in Osaka after a couple days in Kyoto.

There is a larger Kyoto/Osaka post coming in a couple days when we leave Osaka for Bangkok, Thailand.

We've been in Japan for about a week now and here are some

Random Thoughts:

We learned that remnants of Samurai culture are still prevalent but in different ways for the Japanese people. For example, Harakiri/Seppuku, the ritualistic act of suicide using a katana (Samurai sword) by disembowelment. It is seen as an honorable death after doing something that may be dishonorable. The idea is still around in the workplace but without the swords or violence (haha, don't worry), where someone might be late to a meeting or borrow a stapler and then lose it or mess up a presentation, they would have to suffer a punishment of humiliation in some way to gain their honor or trust back

It both feels like we've been here for a long time and at the same time seems like we just got here. Feels very strange that it has only and already been a week.

There are no trash cans anywhere outside. If you buy a drink from the 7/11 or Family Mart, you're going to hold onto the trash. There is no trash in the streets so far in Tokyo or Kyoto. There is also no smoking anywhere outside. There are small designated shacks for smoking outside, we saw every now and then.

Learning 10-20 phrases in Japanese before arriving helped on day one when we got lost and I had to ask for directions in Japanese. We use "Hi", "Sorry/excuse me", and "Thank you" the most every day. Many people speak English, too.

Besides Japanese restaurants, there are lots of Italian restaurants, some Indian, some Chinese, rarely Mexican, and lots of 7/11s

Eating and drinking while walking around is highly frowned upon, probably due to the trash thing. You can stop and drink/eat, but shouldn't do so while walking.

We noticed that Japan is cheaper than we thought it would be. Water bottles and Gatorade equivalents are less than $1. Groceries and snacks are all half of what they are in the US. Coffee is slightly less too. We get lattes with oat milk daily and they are about $2.50-$4. Most draft beer at restaurants is about $3-$4. A bowl of Ramen or Udon noodles is going to be around $8; compared to $12-$14 in California, that's a deal.

In Kyoto, Kobe and Wagyu meat is everywhere and less than half the cost in the US (which is usually $200-$500/lb for Kobe and $50-$150 for Wagyu). Kobe is considered a delicacy in many countries. It is renowned for its tenderness, marbling, and flavor.

Tokyo and Kyoto have felt very safe. In Tokyo we stayed in the heart of one of the major city centers, and in Kyoto we stayed out in the suburbs and felt like we could walk around any time of night and be okay. The people here are very polite.

Despite taking the bus and subway as much as possible we are still walking 20,000+ steps everyday. We've noticed the dogs start growling at 8,000 steps, barking at 15,000, and howling at 20,000. We are hoping we will adjust quickly, but this isn't a surprise- we just came from a life where we got 5,000-8,000 steps a day, maybe, to 20,000 steps every day. There was always going to an adjustment period. I just hope it gets better soon.

Most public restrooms are immaculately clean and most toilets have heated seats with bidets that hit from multiple angles. This was a new experience for me. Still getting used to it. Abby is loving the heated seats. We want to bring that one back with us.

Every restaurant has wet napkins instead of dozens of paper napkins. The focus on reducing waste is always welcome with us.

A lot of the food is moist: the fried chicken, noodles, takoyaki (Octopus balls), grilled chicken, Japanese curry. The meat is more on the moist side which is very tender and something I like. Abby likes foods that seem more cooked through. We are both fans of the ramen.

Most of the cars resemble Kia Souls or Mini Coopers and I don't think I'd fit in either. The cars are visibly smaller than in the USA. They are so narrow and the tires are sizably smaller.

We've been riding public transportation everywhere we go. The busses go everywhere and the public transit cards called SUICA Cards or IC Cards are easy to order. All the machines have English options. Everyone talked about getting the Japan Rail Pass to us, but since earlier this year, the price doubled. It made more sense financially to get the local card. You can use it busses and subway trains. Highly recommend. Each use is less than $2 and beats the cost of the local ride share and taxis.

Only 1-2% of Japanese are Christian though many Japanese celebrate Christmas and Easter as a secular holiday. In Japan, a Christmas tradition is KFC chicken. We have ham, they have KFC. Might need to bring this tradition back to the states.

We are in Osaka now, where in 1985 after their baseball team won, fans picked up the KFC Colonel statue and tossed it over a bridge downtown into the canal, an event that many believe brought on an 18 year losing streak known as the Curse of Colonel.

Several birds sound like crying babies or screaming, which is funny and unsettling sometimes, but then most of the other birds sound like nice birds.
Today we go to our first Onsen (public bath). No tattoos allowed or they will think you are Yakuza (Japanese gangsters).

The weather has been overcast, cool (low 50s-mid 60s), light rain each day. It might be because I'm an Emergency Manager, but I'm of the mind that there is no bad weather; only inappropriate clothing. Very few days of clear skies but it's felt great. Especially in light of the weather we are headed to in a couple days. Weather.com tells us it will feel like 115F in Thailand. The rain has been great to sleep to.

We would love to come back to Japan for a longer trip. I hope you are well and having an enjoyable day.