さようなら東京

I not sure that I fell in love with Tokyo, but I did fall in love with the Japanese people. I don’t think that I’ve been anywhere else where it is the people that dominate, not the place. 

The Japanese have a quiet level of sophistication and a refreshing amount of uniformity that makes the place run like clockwork without any wasted energy or stress. It is on the metro that this reveals itself most strongly. There are two lanes going everywhere and people quietly stay in their lane. Platforms, trains and stations are so clearly marked, numbered and colour coded making everything so easy, and on top of that every announcement is made in impeccable English. The ultimate reveal though is the orderly queues that form at the bottom of escalators and two queues either side of train doors. No pushing, shoving, no,’ I’m in a bigger hurry than you’ or, ‘I’m more important than you’. I simply love these people.

I also love that as a country, and a people, they have a style all of their own. Clothes are smart, neat, shoes polished, outfits colour coordinated and they carry smart handbags and computer cases. As I say, really sophisticated. At the same time there are the mad young girls that dress like school children, short skirts, long socks and high platforms. Mad, but so much fun. They add a rare sparkle to the calm uniformity and yet seemingly ignored. No scorn or mocking, just ignored..

Now on a Shinkensen, Bullet Train heading south to Nagoya. The train will cover the 215 miles in 1.5 hours going at a top speed 225 miles/hour. A trip that, when a new straight track is built with 70 percent of the track underground, the Maglev train on the line will, at 361 miles/ hour cover the same distance in 40 minutes. Nor is this Maglev train a newby. Now in service since 2003. These people leave us for dead, really ! They have a drive, determination and knowledge that is so advanced. What a brilliant nation and a reminder for me that collective working can achieve more remarkable things.

さようなら東京

東京に恋をしたかどうかはわかりませんが、日本人には恋をしました。 私は私がその場所ではなく、支配している人々がいる他のどこかに行ったとは思わない。

日本人は静かなレベルの洗練さとさわやかな均一性を持っており、無駄なエネルギーやストレスを感じずに時計仕掛けのように場所を走らせます。 これが最も強く現れるのは地下鉄の上にある。 どこにでも2つの車線があり、人々は静かに車線に固執します。 プラットフォーム、列車、駅は非常に明確にマークされ、番号が付けられ、色分けされているため、すべてが簡単であり、その上、すべてのアナウンスは完璧な英語で行われます。 しかし、最終的な暴露は、エスカレーターの底に形成される整然とした列と、列車のドアの両側に2つの列です。 押したり押したり、いいえ、私はあなたよりも急いでいます」または「私はあなたよりも重要です」。 私はこれらの人々を愛しています。