A Clean, Safe City...

Tokyo, Japan

January 31, 2008
N 35°40.360
E 139°46.600

Tokyo has been a great experience for us and we’re very happy we made the stop. We had a great time with Mr. and Mrs. Ito and their hospitality was far beyond our expectations. They became our friends, or tomodachis, and we enjoyed all of our time with them in Japan.

Our time in Japan was very quick, but we were able to soak in many of the sites over the last few days, eat sushi and visit with our new friends. We even had the opportunity to connect with a few of my old colleagues from Openwave who work in Japan.

Tokyo is by far the cleanest and safest city we have visited during our journey, especially since there are over 12 million people living in Tokyo proper.

It’s incredible, there aren’t any garbage cans on the streets, but no one would ever think of throwing a wrapper or piece of paper on the ground. Smoking is only allowed in designated areas on the streets and cigarette butts are always tossed into the designated receptacles. Little girls, with their book bags, ride the crowded subways alone, laughing, chattering and never worrying about their safety. Everyone seemingly works together, taking pride in the city; keeping it how they want it—safe and clean.

Now on to the best of the best… the toilets. The toilets in Japan are amongst the most sophisticated in the world. You practically need an owner’s manual to operate them. In some places the seats are heated, they play “etiquette” music to avoid others hearing bodily functions, and they have several different bidet options. Marc loves the warm water, warm air and comfy warm seat so much; he wants to install a Toto toilet at home. We’ll see…

And of course the people in Japan are incredibly polite. It’s against the rules to use your phone on the train, and when you’re sitting next to “priority” seats designated for the elderly your phone needs to be off all together. This cuts down on the noise on the train and allows people to relax on their way to or from work.

Overall, we had a great stop in Tokyo and it was a perfect last stop for us before we re-enter society.

Over the next week or so, look for a final wrap-up, more Top 5 lists and possibly a public picture viewing at Giordano Brothers for those interested.

Best Beaches

1. Koh Phi Phi Don, Thailand
2. Montanita, Ecuador
3. Sandfly Beach, New Zealand
4. Positano, Italy
5. Barcelona, Spain

Friendliest People

1. Cambodia
2. Thailand
3. New Zealand
4. Japan
5. Australia

Worst Traffic

1. Bangkok
2. Saigon
3. Rome
4. Mumbai
5. Delhi

Best Public Transportation System

1. Barcelona, Spain
2. Prague, Czech Republic
3. Tokyo, Japan
4. Berlin, Germany
5. Sydney, Australia