Japan Reflections

Japan is one of the most clean and honest societies I have ever visited.  I always felt safe and frankly never worried about petty theft.  It took me a couple of days to internally let my guard down because there were no bands of gypsy children roaming the streets trying to rob me blind.  I still never went to the ATM at night but the cleanliness of Japan also gives it an air of safety.  

The tourist infrastructure in Japan is a blessing to travelers.  There are several TI's at major tourist sights and neighborhoods and in the major train stations too.  The big maps outside of stations, temples, and buildings were always helpful in directing people to their destination.  Transportation was always easy, fast, and efficient.  Nobody does mass transit like the Japanese!

The Japanese people are extremely polite and always willing to help.   Even if they didn't know the answer, a Japanese person never said, "I don't know."  They sometimes stood there politely in silence, sometimes bowing and often getting someone who maybe could help.  The further away I ventured off the beaten path, the less English people spoke.  To me, that makes travel much more exciting.  I know I just grazed the surface by visiting Tokyo, Nikko and Kyoto, but I certainly got a nice flavor for Japanese society, philosophy, and religion.

As advised by friends and guidebooks 7-11's and Family Marts (Famima's) became stomping grounds for cheap eats, phone cards, and ATM's that take Non-Japanese cards.  It was insight like this that made me feel more like a local than a traveler.