Peculiarities of Tokyo and Japan
D o you know that feeling of abruptly getting into cold and soothing water during the hottest day of the year? Or, vice versa, that of finding fire to warm you during freezing days? That’s how Japanese society and infrastructure felt like to me having grown up in a chaotic post-communist society. I went to Tokyo as an intern in a venture studio to work and learn about innovation — which I did quite well — but, soon enough, it became apparent that I had much more to learn from the peculiarities of the Japanese daily life.
Though, I have to confess that I had left Albania, a small country in Southeastern Europe, three years ago to go to school in Indiana and then San Francisco in the USA. In contrast to Japan, the USA tends to be a fairly heterogeneous society. From my experience of living in San Francisco, I’d vouch for the all the great things about living in heterogeneous communities. However, Japan was a living example of something entirely different. That of how a homogeneous society such as Japan could foster a collectivist group conscience and culture that seemed to prevail in every interaction, design, and detail. Such culture is responsible for why (almost) everyone loves Japan but, at the same time, has a cost on its people. Below, I’ll break down what stood out the most from the Japanese culture in my short time there.
Everyone. Is. Respectful. To. Everyone.
Was the emphasis on that enough? The amount of respect that strangers will pay to you will be probably the first thing that you will notice when visiting Japan. From the constant bowing to the tireless warm (and sometimes automatic) greetings you receive at any 7-Eleven or FamilyMart convenience stores. It is even considered rude to take phone calls in the train as it might be bothering to other passengers. Moreover, in more than eight weeks that I spent in the Land of The Rising Sun, I did not once witness a Japanese person expressing anger or rage in public. The Japanese would never risk even slightly disturbing the public order and peace.
The advantages to such behavior are numerous (as also illustrated by the examples above), but at the same time, I did miss the public spontaneity, expressiveness, and carelessness from back home and San Francisco. Despite the aforementioned advantages, expressiveness seemed the price that the Japanese have to pay to cultivate such absolute respect for one another and uncompromisable conserving of public peace and order.
The Expectations coming with being being Japanese
Soon enough, I’d also learn about many similar traditions pertaining to the Japanese workplace — often used to respect hierarchy and seniority. Everything seems organic and natural (maybe it has become so at this point) but there are strict cultural norms such as having the newest employee give the order for the whole table at work dinners; how the boss is always the one to pay; the ritualistic exchange of business cards; or the rules of hierarchical seating in business meetings. But, as an obviously-foreign Caucasian, I was often exempt from abiding to such rules and expectations and could get away much easier than a Japanese in the same position. Thus, the Japanese seem to hold one another to a much higher standard of etiquette and behavior than they would with people who are not Japanese. Quite a lot of pressure, right? Consequently, it seemed that I could enjoy many of the Japanese culture’s perks without going through all the obligations the Japanese pay.
Tokyo: The Outlet of Expression
The expectations coming with Japanese culture might seem like a burden, but it does feel once you immerse in the culture. The Japanese have learned different ways on how to strike a balance with their culture and expression. In some sense, Tokyo was an outlet for achieving such balance. Donald Richie’s words below are a perfect description of Tokyo.
I sometimes wonder why the Japanese went to all the trouble of franchising a Disneyland in the suburbs when the capital itself is in many ways so superior a version.
After experiencing Tokyo, I was not surprised to hear that many Japanese do not strive to explore the world like many counterparts in other countries do — I could easily see how Tokyo could lure anybody’s interests. The prefecture (to my surprise as well, Tokyo is not a city!) of more than 13 million is home to 23 wards — one more unique than the other. From the crazy rich in diversity of products of Akihabara (also known as the “Electric City”), the best global fashion brands stores in Ginza, the craziness and parties of Shibuya, to the hidden hipster gems of Shimokitazawa, Tokyo can satisfy almost everybody’s taste. This richness of Tokyo came strongly intertwined with all the elements of Japanese culture mentioned above. This unrepeatable combination only added more to its magic.
