Tokyo Reflections

Toilet options

I suppose everyone knows about the toilets in Japan, but they took me by surprise.  This one provided front washing, back washing with options for water pressure, and drying.  Many have music options or flushing sounds to cover your embarassment.  Almost all have heated seats!  There's a button to call for help.  And everywhere, even the public toilets in stations, was spotless. And there are loos everywhere.

Streets are clean and people use the pavements in an orderly fashion, mainly walking on the left.   There is strict discipline at crossing with no-one making a move until the green man shows. Parks were also clean. 

Cars stop for anyone on an uncontrolled pedestrian crossing.  The metro is well signposted in English and there is information in English inside the carriages announcing the next stop. Platforms are well signposted with maps indicating exits.  Again, no litter.   They have the equivalent of the Oyster card called Pasmo.  No one gave up their seat to us on the metro despite our white hair.

Shops are awash with assistants, particularly department stores.  You are bowed at and greeted at every turn.  I thought of John Lewis where it takes a long time to track down an assitant these days.

People in shops and restaurants are polite and friendly.  Many do their best to speak English or go and fetch someone who can.

There's a huge variety of types of Japanese cooking, but not always easy to tell which restaurants are doing what.   Many don't have menus on display in English or plastic replicas.  English versions of the menu tend to show less than what's actually on offer - you don't find out what the specials are for example.    Japanese restaurants don't provide napkins.  Sometimes there are wrapped wet wipes for cleaning up before the meal, which can be used at the end.

On the two days it rained we noticed the huge number of umbrellas moving in tides up and down the streets.  Outside shops and restaurants were stands with plastic bags (long for standard brollies and smaller and squarer for folding umbrellas) and you got a very dusty reception if you failed to wrap your umbrellas before taking it in with you or leaving it on the rack.  Outside museums were large umbrella 'lockers'...rows of holders into which you locked your umbrella, taking the key inside with you.

POSTSCRIPT

KLM postcard

When we boarded the KLM flight from Narita Airport to return to Amsterdam we found a post card on the seat addressed to us both.  This was followed by effusive greetings from 2 of the cabin staff, two glasses of champagne, our meals served before other people's and a posh bag of travel items presented by the Chief Purser!   We were mystified!  Turns out the KLM system said it was my birthday!