It’s a very strange feeling. While I was in Japan for two weeks, I grew weary of the foreign land. How I longed to go back to the States, where I can communicate people who spoke English. After getting back, I grow restless and agitated by the slightest annoyance. The cultural exposure in Japan made me a lot more aware of the American way of thinking. There are pros and cons of both, but how great would it be if I can find somewhere in the world where a unique blend of both could co-exist?
Japan – Pros:
1. Superior customer service – There is absolutely no contest when it comes to customer service between these two countries. Japanese service reps were always courteous, smiling, and always professional. Even McDonald’s employees were outstanding. Compare this with the awful attitude you face with waiters and baristas, it’s not even close. I went to many postal offices in Japan, and also in the States. The clerks behind the counter in the states have terrible attitude, they don’t greet you, they look like they hate their jobs, and they work like turtles. Is it too much to ask of you to smile? You’re being paid a salary are you not?
2. No Tipping – Tipping is such a lame concept in the States. My concept of tipping is that, if customer service is satisfactory, then you give a bonus for the service, AKA a tip. However, in America, this concept has been twisted so far from this definition, it’s almost always added to the bill in restaurants. The rational for tipping in America is because service employees are underpaid with minimum wage and thus “require” additional income in the form of tips. In Japan, tips are never given out. Service employees are paid with respectable wages and thus the customer does not need to tip. In fact, if a tip is given, it is often considered an insult because it would mean their service wasn’t good enough. Compare this way of thinking to the American way, where terrible service is still rewarded with 15-20% on top of the bill. The benefit of society is often neglected for the sake of profit maximization. Restaurant owners are reaping the rewards while the customers have to bail out the minimum wage workers.
3. Cleanliness – Japan is by far the cleanest place I’ve ever been to. China ranks behind the US in terms of cleanliness, but Japan makes the US look like a third world country. The benefit of society is a reoccurring theme in Japan. There is respect for both public space and themselves that causes the Japanese to not litter. It amazes me how we walk for many blocks and never see a trashcan yet there is not a trace of a bottle or litter anywhere. Don’t you hate it when you are a victim of fresh gum on the floor? Do you see black patches on the concrete ground everywhere you go in NYC? You don’t see nor encounter the same thing in Japan. Their public space is clean, well kept, and makes you feel happy. Graffiti is a very rare phenomenon in Japan that you have to practically seek it out in order to find any. Whereas in New York, every train station, public wall, even cars are vandalized. Just compare a train station in NY to any station in Japan and there is no contest. Public restrooms are everywhere in Japan. The most amazing part? The toilets are crisp clean. You don’t have to look into fifty stalls before finding one that is clean because they’re clean. Their toilets not only have multipurpose buttons, but they are 99% automated. It makes the restrooms in the US look like a complete joke. Going to the restroom in public space in the US is a nightmare. In Japan, public toilets are as clean as your home toilet. You just can’t beat that.
4. Safety – safety is the biggest concern for any potential traveler and I could not be happier with the smooth sailing of this trip. If you’re going to China, you have to be wary of con-artists, thieves, and robberies. In Japan, things like that rarely happen and safety was not at all a concern. In fact, while traveling outside during nighttime, I still felt safe and not as tense as I would be back in Brooklyn. Sure, there were the occasional fishy looking guy in the middle of the street in a suit, probably a Yakuza member, but they didn’t bother you and you just keep walking. What I felt was, if you didn’t go look for trouble, you wouldn’t be in any. Japan is such a great place in a sense of community, mutual respect, and that leads to safety. Heck, even the homeless people are well kept. In the US, you would probably be on your highest guard and never dare to walk the back allies. The biggest difference is the youth group. Teens in the US have a habit of causing civil unrest while Japanese teens are the tamest kids I’ve ever seen. It’s no wonder bikes are left on the streets everywhere unlocked while in the US your bike wheels would be removed even with a paddle lock on the frame. It is a complete joke here in NY.
5. Homogeneity – Before I start writing about why homogeneity is so great, I would like to say I’m all for diversity. In fact, I’m the biggest advocate of interracial couples. Being in Japan had a zen like effect on me. I was in a peaceful place. Not only was it peaceful, I blended in. I was not an Asian man, I was just a man. The very state of not being judged based on your skin color was a relief. I love other cultures and other races, but the feeling is definitely not mutual. In NY, the so called great melting pot of the world, is where racism is most apparent. Racial profiling, stereotyping, racial inequality, and racial hostility is a very common theme in NY. People are just so hostile and I think race has a lot to do with it. I wish one day we can all coexist without malice toward each other, but it won’t happen. Hopefully one day, my children can be judged by their strength of character, not by the color of their skin.
