this is it.

Spent the last week and a half in Japan.

I really liked it there. Culturally, it is so different. There’s so much politeness (with the profuse thanking every time you entered/left/bought anything at a store) and order and efficiency (lining up for trains, trains that come every few minutes). The fact that huge 4WD’s haven’t proliferated the market, and instead miniature vans and cars and concrete mixers that are almost toy-like are everywhere, and have the same horsepower as some large motorcycles. I feel like that says something.

Vending machines with hot drinks (so useful in the cold!). Shrines and temples in the middle of cities and waking up at 3:30am to see some men buy some fish. Huge multi-level consumer electronics/home appliances/toys shops with an amazing camera floor - every camera you can imagine all on display for you to play with. Stationery shops with so many different pens and pencils and notebooks we’ve never even seen here. Finding cashmere scarves in nice shops on sale for something like $40. Tasty tasty udon noodles for $5.

I now understand why people want to go back.