An Autumn in Tokyo

August 2011. My weary destiny takes me to Tokyo. Japan and Far East has never really  been on my radar and yet, here I am. After stepping out of the Haneda Airport, we board the airport bus to the city. The bus handlers bow reverently every time the bus leaves the terminus. That's my first impression of the famed Japanese work ethic. The trip to the city gives us a feel of the country. The countryside is lush and beautiful. There is a light rain as we enter the high speed freeway. The ride is as smooth as silk. The hotel in Kudanshita is cub-sized. There are no cupboards and clothes are hung on the wall. It's very neat and comfortable though.

Flyover over water

In the night, I quickly Google up the history of Japan. Japan was a developed nation as early as the 18th Century. This is one country which has never been subjugated in its hundreds of years of history (except in World War II). It's a proud race who clearly sees and conducts itself as second to none. The history is filled with warlords and shogunate and the stories of the samurai makes fascinating reading. For a couple of hundred years, the Japanese quarantined themselves from the rest of the world till the Americans forced them to open up to the world with a naval blockade.

Tokyo is a lovely city. Space is a premium here and one does not see the normally sprawling campuses of corporations. Parking space is very expensive and most citizens prefer travelling by public transport. The city has superb infrastructure. There is a network of flyovers which just go and on over the city. These seamlessly melt into individual roads below. I am suitably impressed. There is also a maze of underground metro. The space is so well optimized that one can easily miss a metro station. This is also one of the safest cities in the world and crime is virtually non existent. Moreover, the people on the streets are polite and quiet and one feels comfortable strolling around at all hours. This is also probably one of the cleanest places on the planet.

Looks real :)

The number of food joints in Tokyo are unbelievable. The menu along with an exact plastic replica of all dishes are displayed outside on the street. Language is problem here and we can't understand either the menu card or the waitress. We finally figure out by dragging the waitress outside and pointing to the plastic replicas outside. As for the local populace, I don't recall seeing so many pretty girls in a single city anywhere. The skin is flawless and the dress sense exquisite. The guys are tall and everyone seems to wear white shirts and black trousers. The weather is too warm for suits. It's amazing how slim the Japanese are. It must be a combination of genes and noodles I guess.

While the average Japanese on the street is very polite, working with them is a different ballgame altogether. The velvet gloves come off revealing an iron fist. The focus on planning is extraordinary. The Japanese go into the minutest of details. No wonder these guys come up with the most reliable products the world has seen. There is also a clear work place hierarchy here. Decision making is group activity and never an instant process. The culture also appears to force people into long hours. A Japanese I met remarks wryly "It doesn't seem to matter what you deliver, but how long hours you keep". It's a culture of conformation. A homogeneous race and work ethics entrenched from the womb is what helps Japan work as a team and maintain supreme levels of efficiency.

Outside the Imperial Palace

Our hotel is quite close to the Imperial Palace, which must be at least 1000 years old. The palace is a picture of serenity and surrounded by a lake. There is a paved track along the periphery which must be at least 5 kilometers in diameter. The walkway is paved with lush green trees which makes it one of the most beautiful walking tracks I have ever seen. There are scores of joggers pounding away. Whatever little time we get, we go for long walks.

Two weeks later we are on our way back home bidding Sayonara to Tokyo and with a brand new set of memories. This was one helluva trip. Another city traversed...A thousand still remain.