Early Impressions of Japan

Efficient by Rochelle R.

The very first thing that comes to my mind when I think of Japan is how the entire country is so very efficient. From the trains to even the disposal of trash, the Japanese have everything set in order. If one misses the train, then one only has to wait no more than 15 minutes for the next one to get to one’s destination. I have gone into a bit of culture shock when coming to Japan. Where I come from, the Los Angeles area in the U.S., nothing is on time and one can be stuck waiting for a train for what seems to be an eternity. I feel that this efficiency will be nice to get used to, but a hindrance when I go back to the states. I feel I just might get a bit of reverse culture-shock when I go back, and feel home-sick for Japan.

Rich by Rochelle R.

The second thing that comes to my mind when thinking about Japan is how the country is so culturally rich. The Japanese seem to really care about their past, and keep old structures around as a sort of statement that they are proud of the background. This picture here was taken in Nara. The building is apart of the temple that holds the great Daibutsu. The upkeep of such a place amazes me; there is not a single weed in sight. The preservation of such places represents meticulous detail that goes into everything that is done. I wonder if I will find anywhere else that is like Japan.

Thus far, my earliest impressions of Japan is that it is efficient and culturally-rich. I hope to get past the surface and really get into the underbelly of what really is Japan.