My first full week in Tokyo was quite the week, starting with a bout of food poisoning that put me behind the 8 ball for the entire week (Thank-you for offering me 20% off my next flight un-named Canadian airline). It also meant that I did not get out and about.
That being said, it was my first introduction to the culture and island; an adventure begins……
One of the things I love doing in new countries is read a local paper. A few headlines that caught my eye from the Japan Times:
The government worked out a fresh anticancer program Friday that calls for reducing the rate of smoking among adults to 12 percent by fiscal 2022, down from 19.5 percent in 2010, officials say…. It sets a target to reduce the rate of those exposed to smoke every day at homes to 3 percent in fiscal 2022 from 10.7 percent in 2010 and also to make sure work sites are free from passive exposure by calendar 2020.
NOTE: I personally did not find the smoking invasive, although it did remind me of England as we moved there just as they started banning it from restaurants. At the restaurant we were at, we received a notice that they would allow smoking at a certain time. What I didn’t realize is that Japan’s smoking rate isn’t that far off Canada’s – which is 17% (2010). Our rigorous laws are not having as big an impact as I would have thought.
- Anti-aging tips for the elderly – don’t let the society age you: A few tips on how to stay young in Japan. I am not sure if the article was meant to be a bit tongue-in-cheek, but it read that way. To illustrate: Don’t loiter near garbage heaps:
Whether it be your neighbourhood toban garbage duty or picking over the big gomi left out on the curb for Big Garbage Day, a fondness of garbage is a sure sign of the aged. Just being in the proximity of amassed garbage will age you by 20 years. If you find yourself attracted to garbage, saying things like “But that’s a perfectly good vacuum cleaner!” and taking it back home, then add another five years. Only old people see the value in these things. Young people buy new, crappy stuff that breaks down in a week.
Tokyo has officially become the world’s most expensive city for expatriates, overtaking the Angolan capital of Luana, while Osaka has moved up to third place. … while a cup of coffee including service averages $8.15 (Y650), the survey showed. (Thank-goodness for my new Jura)
- The FT had an article on Hiroshi Mikitani who is classified as a “rebel” entrepreneur in Japan. It was explained to me that there are two cultures evolving in Japan, the new business culture which is more western in style and often prevalent in companies that are foreign owned (e.g. no ties, less formal) and the traditional Japanese company which is buttoned up. The article is a worthwhile read as it profiles both.
So much to enjoy and learn.
Michael Weening: a few pictures 