Shopping In Tokyo

• why are people in my home town so rude?
• why are things so slow?
• why is everything disorganized?
• why is it so noisy now?
• why is it… ugly?
• what happened while I was gone?

Japan IS beautiful almost everywhere

If you permit yourself, you may find that you feel quite integrated with life in Japan before too long.  This does not occur with everyone, but it can happen, and when it does, it is most profoundly noted when you return home.

Reverse culture shock is very real.

The disparities between East and West are actually quite enormous.  But some visitors to Japan may not even realize that they have “come home” to Japan and feel far more at ease there.  You will quickly adapt to the culture and the ways of living in Japan.  You may be Gaijin, but you understand and you do your best to respect the Japanese.

Then, when you return home, you suddenly realize how different the two cultures are.  It may hit you like ice water in the face.  It’s a frightening realization and you have my sympathy and understanding.

The first day after my return from my first trip to Tokyo I had to go to the grocery store.  I was pleased that I remembered how to drive… on the right side of the road no less.  After ten minutes of shopping I had to leave the grocery store.  I just couldn’t take it.  I bought what I had, raced back to my car, and actually wept behind the steering wheel.  All I could think of was how bloody rude, nasty, noisy, slow, disorganized and unclean we were.  It did hit me like a tonne of bricks.  I wanted to drive to the airport, get on the next flight to Japan and never return.  However, reality kept me rooted and I slowly adapted to my current situation.

People ask me about the culture shock of coming from North America and visiting Japan.  I cannot relate.  I cannot help them.  I tell them that I have never experienced culture shock in Japan; that for me it’s like coming home.  But I sure feel it keenly when I come back.

Addendum: I would like to add that Japan is not perfect.  It is not beautiful everywhere.  It is not without its problems.  HOWEVER, my point is that average daily activities and behaviours between our two cultures are quite different, and this is what I speak of.  I did not wish to give the impression that Japan is a Utopian society — far from it; but some of us do feel more comfortable with the Japanese culture than we do with our Western culture.