Scenes from Japan (Part I)

There's a lot going on (moving, wedding to plan, Ph.D. to prepare for, teaching, etc.) and yet there's not a lot that's newsworthy, so I'll write a bit about what stands out here as different from the U.S. and other places I've lived...

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I think the word of the day is ubiquitous.

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First, people themselves are ubiquitous. Just about anywhere at anytime there will be lots and lots of people. It rarely fails to amaze me. I guess it shouldn't surprise me since I live in one of the biggest conurbinations in the world. It is estimated that the population of greater Tokyo area is 35,000,000! Yes, 35 million. Hard to imagine.

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All those people have to get around somehow, so bicycles and mopeds are also everywhere. Any train station has streets nearby lined with hundreds and hundreds of two-wheeled transport. On the one hand, my environmentalist side loves these low carbon and carbon-free ways of getting around but on the other hand, I hate walking on the very narrow sidewalks and having to avoid getting hit on a regular basis by all of the speed-demons on their bikes.

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All of those people also must eat and drink which is probably why there are so many vending machines and convenience stores. They are everywhere. Quite literally every corner in many places. 7 Eleven, SunKus, Mini-Stop, Circle K, Daily Yamazaki, Family Mart, Lawsons, AM PM... As far as the vending machines go, it surprises me that for as many as there are (you can't walk 100 meters (er, yards) down a street without passing some), very few sell anything aside from drinks. I try not to calculate the amount of energy that these vending machines are using. All that energy saved by those cyclists must be used for vending machines (and neon signs).

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When not buying things from vending machines or convenience stores, the next stop is a 100 Yen shop (around $1). Unlike the U.S. where dollar stores are generally for the lower class or an occasional stop, here 100 Yen shops are for everyone and the range and quality of things you can get is pretty surprising. It's kind of fun.

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When all those people need some diversions, the most common ones seem to be golf driving ranges and pachinko parlors (Japanese pinball gambling) based on my walks around town. I think there are at least 3 driving ranges within a 10-minute walk of my apartment! Unfortunately, due to the premium for land (for the 35 million people), the driving ranges are on the small side and surrounded by ugly netting. For as many driving ranges as there are, there are even more pachinko parlors. As you walk by one and the doors open, smoke and really loud slot machine-type noise bursts forth. I'm quite curious and would like to check one out some time, but Yumi's not very inclined, so I'll have to go on my own or do some convincing.

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Well that's a short snapshot of some of what has caught my eyes and ears in my first 6 months here.