Eco-friendly country


Rocky
USA

There are so many things about Japan that I like. I like that everything is so cute here. For example, small cars with effective fuel consumption, small capsule hotels, and internet café which are situated in small spaces and small houses. The garbage are also separated into many categories for recycling purpose - all aspects of living here are very eco-friendly. This is like the "good Hobbits" that are in Lord of the Rings. Japanese people are shy and it takes time to get them to open up but if you start talking to them, they will be very friendly with you.

Actually, before I live here, I didn't really know about Japanese people. It had been one year since I started living in Tokyo with my Japanese wife. I had a big misconception about Japanese people in general when I just came here. There were only impressions about extreme development in technology and economy. As I could not speak Japanese at all I only had superficial communication.

There are many foreigners who live in Japan but cannot speak Japanese. In fact that it seems like they intentionally don't try to speak Japanese. Since this is a very convenient country, you will get by but it is still ashame. As my Japanese improves, I come to interact deeply with more people and I think I have learned to have Japanese good mentality. For example, when I went back to Japan, I am respectful with other people. "Thank you" became something I naturally say. I am now able to say "Excuse me" without having ego, so there are less arguments.