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Takeaways from an admittedly limited sample size (one week in Tokyo and Kyoto) by someone’s first trip to Asia:

Climate: more akin to southeast than northwest (humid, 40+ inches of rain/year)
Cost: comparable to USA, decent hotel $100ish/night, eating out was about $12/person, metros were $1.50/trip.
Safety: remarkably safe, would have no worries about a high schooler traveling alone here. 
Vagrancy: saw three tents and one beggar. Makes some American cities look like 3rd world countries (looking at you downtown Spokane).
Courtesy: Everyone acts as if they are on their best behavior in public. Hardly any jaywalking (painfully at times)/loud talking/generally annoying people.
Aging Population: not super noticeable, a lot of government workers looked in their 20s-30s. Some strollers on subways/groups of school aged children.
Smoking: saw hardly any of it, appears to be a push to get it out of sight (tented “smoke zones”).
Health: shockingly thin population, maybe  20 (?) obese Japanese people. 
Ease of travel: high, digital card that you can load on phone makes all trains/buses easy to pay for. 
Modernization: bullet trains live to the hype. Streets in good condition. WiFi everywhere (and free). New construction sky scrapers.

Quirks:
Harder to find a waste bin (recycle bins everywhere) than a public bathroom.
Drive on the right hand side of road.
Would 10/10 trust gas station sushi. Also,  7-11s have excellent fruit smoothies and egg sandwiches.

Probably understand people’s desire for diversity more, although this was exacerbated by my likely inability to differentiate Asian races. Definitely a monolithic culture to me. However, it appears to be a highly functioning culture with a lot of shared values (something that seems to be sacrificed with, diversity by definition?).

Will be interesting to see how Japan adapts to their demographic problem as it will be an example for most western countries.

Lastly, I’m sure I’m seeing this through a travelers “rose colored glasses.”

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Travis Fisher

Japan Musings 🤔

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The Gulag 📕

Die Hard 🎅

Knothead to St George

To Ace the long way 🎄

🌅

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