city impressions

Some (admittedly superficial) first impressions of Tokyo after a couple weeks...

People line up for everything. On the escalators everyone stands to the left and walks to the right. People even line up to get on subway trains or to cross a busy street.

Everyone waits patiently at street corners for the light to change; no one J-walks. This has been one of the hardest things to get used to. I have to stop myself every time from walking out into the middle of the street to wait for a break in traffic. If you so much as step off the curb it elicits strange looks.

There are almost no public trashcans, and yet, hardly any litter.

It takes forever to get anywhere. I spend on average around 3 hours a day commuting. Seems most people have fairly long commutes to get to work or school. Lots of people spend the commute playing games or texting on their cell phones. Yes, there is cell reception on the subway but few people make phone calls, and when they do, they usually cover their mouths and speak quietly.

One apple costs around 300yen at the local supermarket. That's about $2.50.

There are these places called "Pachinko and Slot" everywhere whose primary costumers seem to be salarymen and little old ladies. However, gambling is illegal in Japan so apparently the way these places work is through a system of "prizes" which can be exchanged for money at nearby shops.

Train and subway stations have convenient electronic signs telling you what time the next train will be there and they are usually on time, if not early.

People wear masks covering their nose and mouth in public if they are sick.