Japan Impressions
As we reflect back on our roughly 10 days in Tokyo and Kyoto, here are some of our general impressions of Japan and the Japanese.
Support for tourists
This is the first thing to strike you as you deplane at Haneda. Once you emerge into the terminal after customs & immigration, there are signs everywhere to help you out. Straight ahead is the airport information desk. To your right is tourist information. Bus tickets on the left. ATMs on the right. Suica cards on the left further down. Luggage delivery to the right. English is spoken everywhere here. Instructions are printed on illustrated cards that show directions to various things.
This extends beyond the airport. Hotel officials speak good English. Subway and rail stations have staff on hand to help you navigate the system. As we approached the help desk at our local Tokyo subway, two women sprang to their feet - so incredibly eager to help.
It seems to us that the Japanese appreciate that their culture and the size of Tokyo may be overwhelming for visitors - and they've taken every step imaginable to make the transition as easy as possible for tourists. Their eagerness to engage with you is genuinely impressive and heartwarming.
To be honest, this impression is less appropriate in Kyoto. Here English is a little less commonly spoken, and when it is spoken, it is less fluent than we found in Tokyo. However, there are tourist information facilities at the Kyoto station and the guy we consulted twice was helpful, spoke good English, and was very obliging.
Efficiency
Almost as soon as you appreciate the tourist-friendly approach, you notice how smoothly everything is running. Beneath this impression is a vast attention to organizational detail. The airport flows easily and smoothly as everyone is looking for an efficient process. Our tourist information official advised us to take the bus to our neighbourhood (Shinjuku) since it would drop us closer to our hotel than either of the two subway stops in the vicinity. In addition, our bags were stored in the bus for us and we didn't have to navigate the subway with them. Excellent advice, and efficient for all concerned.
Related to this is the relative silence of Tokyo's streets. Traffic is minimal and it moves freely for the most part, at least near the city center. We did experience some delays on our bus tour as we made our way back to Shinjuku during rush hour, but compared to other cities we have visited, there is simply no traffic problem. There does not appear to be a problem with air pollution. And I suspect that there are strictly enforced noise abatement regulations that keep the Harleys from blasting out their engine noise.
Of course, all this depends on the efficient public transit infrastructure. The subway map for Tokyo is intimidating, but with Google Maps and a Suica card, you can get around very cheaply and efficiently. Google maps is amazing in that when you put in a point of origin and a destination, it will return the most efficient (and cheap) public transport options (along with walking and driving times), including showing the price and the car you should try to board to have the most efficient exit. It also, importantly, gives detailed exiting instructions - necessary because the stations are enormous.
Another instance of efficiency deals with the process of ordering food in a restaurant. When you are seated, you are directed either to a screen at your table with the menu, or you can scan a QR code. Regardless, you simply scroll through the menu and indicate which items you'd like to order (and how many). The order is submitted and your food appears. No hovering waiters. You can add to your order if you want more. You pay the total at the door as you leave. Amazing.
Respect, Integrity and Honesty
One of the most visceral impressions that came early was the commitment of those Japanese we interacted with to treating you with respect. It starts with the bow of greeting. And it ends with another bow as you retreat. But between these two bows, there is an obvious and explicit commitment to addressing your needs with integrity and honesty. Perhaps the best example of this came when Munroe paid for an ice cream with a 5,000 yen note and not the 500 yen note that was the actual price of the item. The operators of the stall could EASILY have pocketed a windfall as Munroe had no idea that he had used the wrong bill. However, they sought him out and returned the 5,000 yen to him, taking out only the 500 yen that was appropriate for the ice cream. Later, the incident at Kyoto with Munroe's backpack, that lay on the train station floor at a very busy spot, for at least 10 and possibly 15 minutes without anyone disturbing it.
It is a cliche, but this clearly is a highly regulated culture that is founded on principles that facilitate human cooperation and good will.
Crowds!
The cities are amazingly crowded. Residential density is high. Yet, with 14 million residents, Tokyo is sprawling. The Skytree Tower, the world's highest, cannot be seen from many points in the city. Think of not being able to see the CN Tower in Toronto! The scale of the urban scene is massive. Kyoto, with over 2 million residents, is much less densely populated - and the city sprawls like Toronto with many low-rise apartment buildings.
But crowds are everywhere - especially at rush hour! Our first encounter with these came in Shinjuku as we were out for dinner. The sidwalks were chock-a-block full with people moving intently towards their destinations. The same was true in the subways and train stations - a tide of humanity was sweeping in various directions.
Affordability
A particularly pleasant surprise was how affordable everything was. Years ago, we had heard horror stories of how expensive it was to visit Japan. However, thanks to a greatly weakened yen, and a strong US dollar, Japan is extremely affordable. Our hotels were just over $100 per night - and meals ran us between $30 and $50 dollares (with drinks). A half hour Uber ride from our hotel to the main Tokyo train station was about $40. Japan isn't Thailand, but it is an extremely affordable destination.
Challenge of Dining Out
We experienced some frustration when finding restaurants that we felt comfortable ordering a meal in. There are MANY of them - and some of them have menus with pictures (and some with English translations), but we felt that we were taking something of a leap of faith as we entered a restaurant. Our first dining experience in Shinjuku was a massive disappointment - terrible food and terrible service. But every other meal turned out positively from then on, though we were disappointed in a Chinese food dinner we had in Kyoto. We felt increasingly comfortable with this as we became more experienced - and I suspect that if we had more time in Japan we'd have cracked the code dining out.
Hotels
We decided to stay in hotels in Japan rather than rent AirBnbs, etc, and this was the right decision. The language, getting around, and generally figuring everything out on our own was just not realistic or efficient travel-wise. The hotels we stayed in were excellent - spotless, modern, comfortable beds (we checked reviews to make sure). Awesome breakfast buffets were included with both Japanese and "English" food. While often not speaking English and sometimes confused, staff were always friendly and ready with welcoming smiles.
As is well-known, the rooms were tiny. If you are traveling with 2 large cases and carry-ons, finding a spot for them is challenging. However, the bathrooms made up for this. Electronic toilets (beyond us), great showers, and (Deb speaking here) huge deep bathtubs that fill in minutes.