First Impressions of Tokyo

I’m three weeks into my tour in Tokyo, over the jet lag, and am starting to settle into life here.  The flight over was the longest I’ve ever been on: 14 hours direct from Dulles in Virginia.  It wasn’t quite as bad as I expected, but the food service came three times (and with it the lights) making it hard to get any real sleep. 

I live within walking distance of the embassy in an upscale neighborhood, much like our previous tours.  I live on a gated compound with a pool, tennis courts, gym, and a variety of other amenities.  Life is very comfortable here, and it’s easy to tell why Tokyo has the reputation it does. I have yet to experience real culture shock, but here’s what has struck me so far:

1. The convenience store hype is real.  Called “konbini’s” in Japanese, Family Mart, Lawson, and 7/11 are always packed.  I haven’t gotten into the fountain drinks yet, but the snacks are top notch.  The egg sandwiches, which I’d never in a thousand years buy in the US, are fresh, a bit stinky, and delicious.  The candies, bento boxes, beer selection, and other snacks I’ve had are all quite tasty, too.  People seem to have favorite shops, but they sell similar items, and everything seems to be $1-2.
2. The metro system, which is daunting the first time, is very easy to figure out.  Each line has a color, and each stop has a number.  The confusing part to me is the entrances, as stops sometimes have half a dozen or more different entrances that can be quite far from each other.  You think you’re entering a station but then you walk through an underground strip mall for half a mile before actually tapping your card to enter.  Google maps does give you the recommended entrance number, though.
3. On the trains themselves, some of the etiquette faux pas’ people talk about online are a little overblown.  Everyone says you nobody talks on the subway, but that’s really not the case.  People are quieter during busier times and in the morning, but that doesn’t mean they don’t talk.  However, people do wear backpacks on the front to make space, and they are jam-packed during rush hour. 
4. During my rides I’ve also noticed that 75% of people are on their phones. It’s a very tech-friendly city, and that goes beyond just cell phones.  There are 3-D billboards that have sound effects, motion-activated museum displays, and registers that seem to scan items just by passing them over a square on the counter (although I only saw this at Uniqlo).
5. Bangs are very popular.
6. I can’t wrap my head around left-side driving.  Not only do I always look the wrong way when crossing the street, but the way some of the roads and lanes are organized is extremely confusing.  I’m glad I’m not planning on driving here.
7. For a country that is very clean and into recycling, they sure use a lot of plastic. Everything from bananas to small pieces of candy are wrapped individually inside more packaging, which I suppose helps with freshness but also seems contradictory to their eco-friendly attitude.
8. Restaurants are everywhere, and even the 3-star ratings on Google are great.  Everything is super fresh and delicious, and it’s easy to find value spots for anything you’re in the mood for.  That includes cuisines from around the world, too.
9. The city is gigantic.  I went to an American military base here to stock up on some things and was on the road for over an hour.  The traffic wasn’t even that bad, yet we never left Tokyo. 

My first weekend here I did a walking tour of a few major tourist sites, while my second weekend featured a trip to the Tokyo National Museum.  Those trips will be the topic of my next blog.  I’m also planning on making my first trip out of Tokyo soon.  There’s so much to see here!