Wednesday, September 07, 2011

Of Thoughts of Japan

When I consider the possibility of eventually leaving Japan, I think of those things that I will miss a great deal and of those I won’t.

I will miss:

  • Living in a 24-7 metropolis of 8 million people
    • The activity, the pulse, the endless possibilities, the sheer amount/scale of infrastructure.
    • The juxtaposition of this infrastructure with stunning natural spaces.
  • A super convenient public transportation system that gets me anywhere I want to go (inside and between cities).
    • I am NOT looking forward to having to drive again.
  • The general convenience and accessibility of most things, regardless of any language barrier.
  • The beauty of Japanese culture in terms of its history, aesthetics and positive values.
  • The generally positive, helpful, and polite disposition of the Japanese people.
  • Onsen (hot spring fuelled public baths).
  • Food such as ramen, gyoza, gudon, shabu shabu, yakitori, etc.
  • Short shorts/skirts and women’s fashion in general.
  • Unlimited bandwidth.

I will not miss:

  • The more negative elements of Japanese culture and perspective, largely linked to the subconscious adherence to kata/social conditioning.
  • The general inability for the Japanese to thoughtfully respond to most questions beginning with “why.”
  • A general attitude of isolationism and/or superiority either consciously or not.
  • The weather
    • Much like Canada, the Japanese spring and fall are beautiful. Summer starts with the rainy season and then becomes mercilessly humid. The warm winter is nice but again the humidity causes problems, such as getting sick much more often.
  • The persistent promotion of the “cute” image in most forms of Japanese marketing and advertising.
  • The blurry lines that make up public perceptions of sexuality (the role of transgendered media personalities, the inescapable schoolgirl fetish, etc.)
  • The severely limited supply of fruit and other foods I enjoy.
  • The rampart materialism and corresponding lack of spirituality.
  • The healthcare system.
    • It’s not just that I miss my universal healthcare, and I’m not complaining about the quality of the Japanese healthcare system in general, just the different practices, like being given 6 different medications to treat a cold, et al.

With Hope,
Joseph

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