Beguiling Tokyo
Christine and I have shared a love affair with Tokyo since visiting for the first time in 2012. I also studied Japanese law and the economy during graduate school. Growing up in suburban environs, we must be attracted to the hyper urbanity of Tokyo. While in downtown Chicago it is not uncommon to find a vacant lot (or many), in Tokyo you will find no space wasted. Sometimes, the cramped confines of homes and service establishments seem almost indulgent -- why not just make it a little bigger, man? But this urban space is therefore packed with maximum human life.
Some cities may be denser -- Mumbai comes to mind -- but these cities are often in the developing world and lack the order and service offerings of middle class Tokyo. Tokyo has very little crime, the streets are clean, the food is good, transportation is reliable (just stay off the subway during rush hour), the people are unfailingly nice and polite, the food and drink are good, even the shopping is good. I don't even particularly like to shop, but the city is so dense with stores offering neat and unique items, even those of us lacking the instinct are intrigued. Perhaps most importantly, the city is stacked with restaurants one on top of the other; outlets tend to be very small. To you it may sound cramped; to me it sounds like a lot of options. (Of note: Paris is also very dense and in fact similar to Tokyo in a number of ways listed herein; it is also among the favorite cities of Christine and me, both of us having "studied" in Paris as undergraduates.)
I am ashamed to admit I am addicted to food and beverage; this also draws us to Tokyo. In Tokyo they are offered in unlimited variety and are uniformly crafted with studious care. There is a Japanese tradition of craftsmanship whereby a craftsman always strives for excellence, always seeks improvement, never content to settle for a mediocre level of achievement. If you watch Jiro Dreams of Sushi, you will understand what I mean (see quote at bottom).
Additionally intriguing: there is also a tradition of appropriating foreign concepts, applying indigenous treatment, and creating something excellent. Did you know tempura comes from the Portuguese, the writing system originates from Chinese, and much of the laws come from Europe and the U.S.? Italian food in Japan is also excellent.
I should hesitate to make comment on the nature of the Japanese because the culture is not easily understood in full by outsiders. This also charms. I have been told that nobody can really understand Japanese culture except for the Japanese who grew up there. Social relations in particular include much tacit understandings and communication. I would guess that Japan is able to remain a singular culture because it developed so long in relative isolation. Even today, Japan has some insulation from the global consumer culture because the domestic market is so large it is possible to produce goods and services that are produced, purchased, and sold only in Japan. Imports and exports are not required -- although many items are imported when they suit local tastes, and many items are exported when foreigners decide they like what the Japanese made for themselves (see, compact cameras, fuel-efficient cars and motorcycles, sushi, ramen, et cetera). This leads to some charming results and some annoying results (from my stilted American viewpoint). Among the annoyances are the general preference for cash as opposed to credit cards and the routine inability to speak English. If Japan wasn't so challenging, and if there wasn't so much care given to all details, then maybe it wouldn't be such an attractive and beguiling place.
Christine and I didn't bring Bobby to Tokyo because we think he would love the food and beverage options. Hopefully someday he will see our photographs and be intrigued by what he saw and did when he was too young to remember. Hopefully we are instilling in him a love of travel so that he can travel with us when he is of a remembering age. We are prepared that bringing him along will be challenging, but as seasoned travelers we are up for the challenge. Also, there is no direct flight between Singapore and Chicago; a long stopover in Tokyo breaks up two consecutive long plane rides into two more manageable plane rides. Even still, it is 7 hours from Singapore to Tokyo and 12 hours from Tokyo to Chicago.
Postscript
To explain why someone becomes so good at his or her trade, from Jiro, as quoted in Jiro Dreams of Sushi, said in such a Japanese manner:
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| random Tokyo street at night |
Some cities may be denser -- Mumbai comes to mind -- but these cities are often in the developing world and lack the order and service offerings of middle class Tokyo. Tokyo has very little crime, the streets are clean, the food is good, transportation is reliable (just stay off the subway during rush hour), the people are unfailingly nice and polite, the food and drink are good, even the shopping is good. I don't even particularly like to shop, but the city is so dense with stores offering neat and unique items, even those of us lacking the instinct are intrigued. Perhaps most importantly, the city is stacked with restaurants one on top of the other; outlets tend to be very small. To you it may sound cramped; to me it sounds like a lot of options. (Of note: Paris is also very dense and in fact similar to Tokyo in a number of ways listed herein; it is also among the favorite cities of Christine and me, both of us having "studied" in Paris as undergraduates.)
I am ashamed to admit I am addicted to food and beverage; this also draws us to Tokyo. In Tokyo they are offered in unlimited variety and are uniformly crafted with studious care. There is a Japanese tradition of craftsmanship whereby a craftsman always strives for excellence, always seeks improvement, never content to settle for a mediocre level of achievement. If you watch Jiro Dreams of Sushi, you will understand what I mean (see quote at bottom).
Additionally intriguing: there is also a tradition of appropriating foreign concepts, applying indigenous treatment, and creating something excellent. Did you know tempura comes from the Portuguese, the writing system originates from Chinese, and much of the laws come from Europe and the U.S.? Italian food in Japan is also excellent.
I should hesitate to make comment on the nature of the Japanese because the culture is not easily understood in full by outsiders. This also charms. I have been told that nobody can really understand Japanese culture except for the Japanese who grew up there. Social relations in particular include much tacit understandings and communication. I would guess that Japan is able to remain a singular culture because it developed so long in relative isolation. Even today, Japan has some insulation from the global consumer culture because the domestic market is so large it is possible to produce goods and services that are produced, purchased, and sold only in Japan. Imports and exports are not required -- although many items are imported when they suit local tastes, and many items are exported when foreigners decide they like what the Japanese made for themselves (see, compact cameras, fuel-efficient cars and motorcycles, sushi, ramen, et cetera). This leads to some charming results and some annoying results (from my stilted American viewpoint). Among the annoyances are the general preference for cash as opposed to credit cards and the routine inability to speak English. If Japan wasn't so challenging, and if there wasn't so much care given to all details, then maybe it wouldn't be such an attractive and beguiling place.
Christine and I didn't bring Bobby to Tokyo because we think he would love the food and beverage options. Hopefully someday he will see our photographs and be intrigued by what he saw and did when he was too young to remember. Hopefully we are instilling in him a love of travel so that he can travel with us when he is of a remembering age. We are prepared that bringing him along will be challenging, but as seasoned travelers we are up for the challenge. Also, there is no direct flight between Singapore and Chicago; a long stopover in Tokyo breaks up two consecutive long plane rides into two more manageable plane rides. Even still, it is 7 hours from Singapore to Tokyo and 12 hours from Tokyo to Chicago.
Postscript
To explain why someone becomes so good at his or her trade, from Jiro, as quoted in Jiro Dreams of Sushi, said in such a Japanese manner:
Once you decide on your occupation... you must immerse yourself in your work. You have to fall in love with your work. Never complain about your job. You must dedicate your life to mastering your skill. That's the secret of success... and is the key to being regarded honorably.
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