Live from Japan!

After reflecting on her time in Japan, my mom decided to write a short blog entry about her time here. Enjoy!

After the initial day or two of total culture shock I started to notice something about the Japanese people. They are polite. They respect your personal space. They respect and conserve the spaces they live in and the resources that they are blessed with. It is a polite society. Signs on the train, subway and busses ask that you turn your cell phone ringer off. When they are sick and have to go out, they wear a mask so they don’t spread germs.

Despite what appears to be a rat race at all facets of the mass transit system, daily living seems much less complicated. People work hard. It seems that they take much more pride in what they do. They also know how to slow down and enjoy some of the simple things in life.

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Hi everyone. Aaron’s mom here doing the promised guest blog. We just returned to frigid, white covered Minnesota from warm Japan and am posting advice for those considering a trip to Japan.

Do it. Japan is a wonderful, alluring piece of the Eastern world with a well-embedded sense of the Western mind. Unlike China, which I found difficult to maneuver around or learn the language, Japan is inviting and easy to navigate. Although the kanji dominates, English translations of major towns or headlines are usually posted. Japanese people are very helpful and will ask if you need help or start a conversation in English. If you don’t speak a word, pointing and nodding work well. Here are things to know when visiting:

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