日本

22 May 2015

It’s the end of the trip!

Everything has happened so quickly, but grad trip is truly over, as is uni life.

I remember having a few hesitations before I came to Japan. My understanding and imagination of Japan was all based on media portrayal, which could be very different from what reality was. What if I ended up hating Japan? What if Japan was an awful awful country and I never want to return? 

Thankfully, my fears were for naught. I loved Japan, and having visited it again, i love it even more. The people have been great, the systems are great, i love the efficiency and punctuality of not just the trains but also the people. everything is just spot on. It’s clean, people are considerate and leave you alone, service staff are incredibly attentive, sceneries are beautiful, museums are fun, it’s all great. 

In particular, punctuality is something i really appreciate here. If a museum or a shop says it will open at 9:30, it will open at 9:30 on the dot. Not a second earlier or later. Your plans won’t be screwed over just because a place opens 2 hours later than it promises. Case in point: there was once when I wanted to go to St Marc’s cafe in Marina Square to study. They were supposed to open at 10am according to their website, but at 12pm, they were still not opened. That is lying. And it is bad. People are so punctual as well. When I met Marin for dinner, we were supposed to meet at 7pm. People in Singapore, at 7pm, would still be ‘on the way’. She was there spot on. 7pm. I love it. I couldn’t ask for anything more.

It’s not a perfect country. Tokyo is not the perfect city. It’s really quite claustrophobic. On the way to the airport, I was (unfortunately) caught during the peak hour. The trains are so, so crowded. People are literally squished against each other. There’s no way you can fall on the train cos you just can’t move. Buildings are erected in close proximity to each other as well, to make the most efficient use of space. It can get really congested and uncomfortable. The wifi, surprisingly, is quite slow. Tele connectivity is not the best. In this particular aspect, Singapore is much better.

But I would work in Japan any day. It’s very practical, no frills, fuss-free. If you want a quick meal, you can get it nearly anywhere. If you want to sit down and have a long chat with a friend, there are plenty of options too. Different parts of the city also boast their own flavours. It’s charming. It’s colourful. It’s vibrant. I love it. And there’s no end to what you can see and do. Tired of Tokyo? Take a weekend trip to the countryside. You could probably even take a year off to explore the whole of Japan. Oh, how great would that be. 

Even smoking in Japan, that’s something bearable, because people are discouraged from walking when smoking, and there are plenty of demarcated smoking areas so you can just avoid them in general. Sorting the trash also instills in you a sense of responsibility for the environment, as seeing technological developments being made here for cleaner energy is inspiring. There is no end to the praise i have for this country. And i find, the more familiar i become with it, the more i fall in love with it. 

Thank you, Japan, for a gorgeous and beautiful experience, and for allowing me to meet wonderful people and create precious memories. i don’t know when i’ll next return, but Japan will always have a special place in my heart.

p/s YES I managed to finish all my Japan posts by the end of the year