March 2, 2024

A different view of Tokyo…

First and foremost, the Japanese are obsessed, no fixated, on Anime. (an abbreviation of animation) Not stores, but entire districts of Tokyo are inundated with as far as you can walk malls, shopping centers and actual people dressed up as anime characters. What began over 40 years ago with Pokeman, has emerged into a cult following with epic storylines that often run for hundreds of episodes that demand great emotional involvement from the viewer. Anime has this way of making everything look fresh and new. Even simple stores have anime displays that take on shrine like significance.

Secondly, the Japanese are extremely organized. Almost military in nature. The bus drivers all wear military caps and many wear white gloves. It is as if the transit system is run by ex-marines. If by some rare chance a bus should arrive ahead of schedule, the bus driver will patiently wait and only resume at the exact designated scheduled time. No one in Japan gets home early.

Now I understand the appeal of organization. When I was a management consultant back in the 1980’s US business schools taught Japanese management techniques. Japanese terms, such as “Kaizen” (continuous improvement) were the rage. Elite trendy US high schools replaced Latin and French with “Nihongo”. (Japanese)

Does uniformity = creativity. I don’t think so. The Tokyo Stock Exchange only recently broke through it’s 1989 peak after a 34 year wait!

If I lived in Tokyo would I be less spontaneous and more conforming? I’m not sure but we do tend to adapt to our environments.

Now reliability is a surely a good thing. I, and three of our children drive Toyotas.

I wonder though if living in such a highly homogeneous culture creates a need for outside emotional involvement that makes everything look fresh and new.

Perhaps like Anime?

Just some food for thought.

Thanks for travelling with us…