3 cities, 10 days, ∞ impressions: Pit Stop 1 ~ Tokyo

Prologue:

Towards the end of 2018, I had the unique opportunity to travel with work to 3 contemporary, yet distinct metropolis, all within a span of 10 days; thought it was only befitting to start the new year with a post about the quirky impressions each of these capitals left behind - overwhelming at first, the reflections in hind-sight have been personally insightful.

The work learning's were immense of course, but this post goes beyond those to the cultural, anecdotal pickings that go into weaving the fabric of the larger society that they form part of; intuitive impressions that seem innate and most importantly sticky on first viewing, captured here from the lens of the art-form that these cultures have stood for and come to own over the years.

The section-starter (gif) images below are representative of the ‘Anime’ art-form, a Japanese term for animation, which means all forms of animated media. Outside Japan, anime refers specifically to animation from Japan or as a Japanese-disseminated animation style; often characterized by colorful graphics, vibrant characters and fantastical themes.

The welcoming lifts in the Tokyo hotel/ office had a larger ‘OPEN’ button vs. the ‘CLOSE’ button, unlike most other places. The ‘Quiet Please’ sign on the doors indicative of ‘giving’ you your own private space, even in a public area, only reflective of the warmth and politeness of the people.







The kindness of commute stretched beyond lifts and onto the streets, with parking meters installed even on otherwise crowded main roads, speaking volumes for the willingness to accommodate; a characteristic most hi-population/ hi-traffic metropolitan cities do not feature.

The carefully curated, inviting plastic models of dishes on display outside most Japanese restaurants were an acknowledgement of the meticulous planners the Japanese are when it comes to food; the food not only topped it on the taste front, but also had a hip, trendy and fashionable, almost artsy-look so easily blended in, which indicated their creative sides.

For the hurried ones though, the significant line-up of vending machines offered the comfort of on-the-go, ready-to-eat affordable meals, much required in a hi-transit time city, but more importantly, driving home the point that machine-hours were more economical than man-hours, like in most advanced economies.

Despite the overall advancement, it was interesting to note that the decreasing salary trends had most Japanese youth foresee a not-so-bright future; dampening their aspirations for the future and driving complacency with the present.

The same complacency even reflective in their behavior towards trying to attract the opposite sex with > 2/3^rd of the 20-30 year-old population happy to continue being single, despite the growing popularity of online social networks.

Warm and kind, showcasing its inherent creative side externally whilst being content even to the extent of being complacent with itself, was how Tokyo had marked its first impression.

------xx Pit Stop 1~Tokyo concludes here, Pit Stop 2~Seoul in K-pop style to be shared 5 days from now xx-------