TOYOHASHI, JAPAN—On this trip I fell into the trap where I expected a new place to be more exotic than it really was. One day I won’t, hopefully.
As it turns out, Japan isn’t as busy as Times Square everywhere you go. As it turns out, there aren’t anime or Sanrio characters in every storefront. As it turns out, not everything is a web-enabled smart device. As it turns out, most people don’t work for the Japanese companies we know in the States.
There are important differences, however, that I didn’t expect. I didn’t understand the degree to which social norms regulate day-to-day life. I didn’t understand that so much here is thought through and designed with a purpose in mind. I didn’t understand the ways in which global culture have infused with traditional Japan. Humorously, I didn’t understand how friendly and fascinated with strangers (especially women) would be with Bo. And there are many more important differences.
But Tokyo is similar enough to any large, global city, it’s just Japanese. The food here is not so different as to be alien, it’s just Japanese. There are still shopkeepers, woodworkers, nurses, hotel clerks, train conductors, and business people here, they’re just Japanese. People here go on about their lives - with work, friends, family, and community - just like in any other place, just in a way that’s Japanese.
As it turns out, Japan is more common and “normal” than the stories lead me to believe. I fell into the trap of believing the story (at least a little) before I actually got here. I would be wise to keep this lesson in mind when hearing stories about people and places back at home, too.
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