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So there are a few things that have really made me want to visit Japan for a while now. For starters, it is a total culture shock. Its just not a place where people speak english with a different accent, and have a different name for things that we in America use on a regular basis. It’s also not a place that I think is often really talked about too often, or a place that I see a lot of photographs come out of, with the exception of the recent tsunami. Japan has a very strong economy, and has done a lot to rebuild their image since World War II. They have one of the largest and most impressive high-speed train systems. Hold a very high stake in the worlds fishing industry, and are responsible for a lot of the technology that we use here in the United States everyday. I didn’t really go to Japan with any sort of investigative agenda, but really just wanted to experience their way of life. I was curious on how a very successful country, with a large city such as Tokyo, compares to a large city that I am use to.

For starters, the Japanese seem to make extremely great use of their time. When they are on the streets, they are walking fast, paying attention to where they are going, not texting or loudly talking on their phones, and not stuffing their face full of food. When they are on the train, they are reading, texting, or sleeping. Nobody talks at all, except much later in the evening, and talking on your phone is not allowed while on the train, and people actually listen to this rule.

Again, in between classes, or on the way home for the day, if there is some reading to get done, during your evening commute is the time to do it.

Efficiency is key in Tokyo, with a population of nearly 12.8 million, you have to do whatever you can when it comes to parking cars. I have seen similar parking setups in New York City, but this brings it to a whole new level. This is basically a ferris wheel of cars. This model is fully exposed, but some are inside buildings, where you only see a single garage door, but inside houses dozens of vehicles.

Fashion is something that I honestly don’t really understand. The guy on the right in this photo does not even have lenses in his frames. I guess that is cool in some way, but I really don’t get it. I suppose it is the same way in which a person has 12 piercings in their face, and somebody thinks its impressive. The Japanese, like any culture have their things, and they seem to thrive off them.

These kids were hanging out in the Shinjuku area of Tokyo, which is known for its punk rock rebellious teenage crowd.

I first found out about the death of Steve Jobs while walking by the Apple Store location in Shibuya. I saw a bunch of flowers in front of the store along with a crowd. My first thought was that something bad had happened at that location. Once I got closer and was able to read the letters and see the photos attached, I learned about the loss. It was amazing to me to see how much of the world Mr. Jobs had affected.

I guess you see this no matter where you go……

I noticed this random scene while changing trains one evening. When it comes to advertisments and commercials, the Japanese seem to really like “Anime”, which is also known as Japanese-Animation, as well as commercials with a lot of loud noise, cheesy graphics, and funny mascots. This was an advertising campaign for a ramen noodle type meal.

I came across this older man just hanging out at a park in Yokohama. I really wonder what he was thinking. He just came to a stop, and took in some peace and quiet.

At that same park, I also came across this guy. The older generation seemed to be very quiet, and at peace. Most of them seemed very healthy and mobile. They also seemed very up with technology as many were listening to some sort of mp3 player, as well as texting on their phones.

I saw a very big difference in the way the police acted and carried themselves. They all seemed extremely focused, professional, and yet courteous. Don’t get me wrong, the men and women that protect us here at home in the US risk their lives for us everyday, and are there for us when we need them. But there are also quite a few of those ones that weigh about 300lbs, have a cup of coffee in their hands, working some overtime shift at a baseball game, and are chatting with the cute girl at the hot dog stand, and are simply standing around because they are getting paid to. Sure I was only in Japan for 5 days, but I did see a lot of police during my stay, and I can honestly say, it was an eye opening sight.

It was so great to walk around all day and not be hassled about my camera. The people there LOVE taking photos, and seeing someone waling around with an SLR was a very common occurrence. Often in the US, even at the zoo, there is some old man that comes up and has to start asking stupid questions about my camera. In Japan, this did not happen once. Everyone minds their own business and takes their own photos. It was great.

Again, they love their electronics. This couple appeared to be on a date/sightseeing type night out, and while one was taking a photo, the other was texting away. A very common occurrence.

It was really difficult to find out anything about the Japanese Baseball League. I somehow figured out when and what town their was a game in, so I just headed that way and figured out the rest when I got there. For the most part, the game is exactly the same. However, the ball is a little smaller, they do allow ties, and there is a limit on innings. I learned the limit on the game length is to allow everyone to catch their train on the way home. One thing that really caught my eye was the chanting. They have their own collection of songs they sing. However, when the DJ guy played the tune that in america is followed by “CHARGE”, nobody said a word.

What is a baseball game without beer? The choices were not what I am use to, but beer none the less. And at 500YEN, it was pretty close to what we pay in the U.S.

So who would have thought that Yokohama Japan, had a Chinatown. Honestly, it looked just like most of Japan to me, but a few more dragons and Chinese lanterns.

A few business men stopped by this shrine on their way home for the evening. It would be sort of weird to see a Seven-Eleven convenient store on one side, and a Sushi restaurant on the other. Right in the middle was a shrine.

Tsukiji fish market was an amazing experience, even if it meant waking up at 4:00am to see all the action. Of course the highlight of the market was the daily tuna auction. A large group of men who represent seafood distributors around the world, as well as large restaurants were there bidding on the days catch. The fish were huge, and I can’t even imagine the price tag on some of them.

Each pallet of fish, also had a table near by with thinly sliced samples of the catch so that the potential bidder could examine the quality of the tuna.

A man from the makert looks over the specs on a pallet of Tuna before the bidding begins.

The bidding was intense. The auctioneer was very serious and had a rhythm to his technique. I suppose it could be compared to  that of a cattle auction in the U.S, as it is very high paced, and involved a lot of yelling, and hand gestures.

I wish I knew what this guy was thinking. I’m sure it was rather, “how the hell am I going to afford all this tuna I just purchased”, or “damn I’m good”.

As soon as they bring to fish back to the processing area, it is then cut up into smaller parts for transport to the final destination.

These guys are the best at what they do, and every useable piece of the fish gets used.

Quite a few of the items that make it to the market, are also for sale right then and there for some of the local Tokyo restaurants to come and purchase of their business.

The area is bumper to bumper traffic with trucks constantly hauling away items purchased at the market to nearby Tokyo, as well as the airport and seaport for export to other countries.

Every individual vendor at the market had a little both in the back where usually an older woman sat, and was very hard at work crunching numbers and counting cash.

In an effort to help control the chaos outside the market, a police officer on a stand directs people and vehicles.

By about 10:00am, the market begins to shut down, and the clean up process begins.

You know I just had to be included in at least one Japanese wedding…..

The nightly rush hour traffic as everyone makes their way home from work for the evening.

Even though it doesn’t seem necessary, there was at least one train attendant per track to announce arriving trains and do a safety check before each arrival.

Some of the more uniquely dressed people who make of Tokyo’s nightlife.

The scene on a bus, during the early morning commute in Kyoto.

When I planned on going to Kyoto, this is what in my mind I was expecting to see, and it was actually a common occurrence.

A couple women have a relgious moment at a temple in the hills of Kyoto.

Three ladies spending some quiet time at a temple that looked like something out of a relaxation video loop at a spa.

A monk who was pacing inside a nearby shrine.

Not sure what these people were waiting for, but they love their umbrellas. Both for the rain and the sun, umbrellas can be quite useful in Japan. Quite a few businesses had umbrella lockers outside of the door where you could store it while visiting.

I waited in one spot for about 10 minutes to get his shot.

Was never really expecting so see anything like this, but was quite a scene. Most people drive very small economical cars, so a sight like this was quite rare.

Tokyos’s Shibuya crossing is an intersection of about 6 or 7 streets which is located in the middle of a very modern high tech part of town. About every 5 minutes, the crossing floods with people, who all meet in the middle which creates a crazy pedestrian traffic jam.

Overall, I had an absolute amazing time. The people of Japan were simply amazing, and I did not have any bad experiences which were not at my own fault. I learned a lot about their way of life, and walked away with some lessons that I think will influence my way of thinking. I sort of kept this post kind of simple, but if you have any questions at all, please feel free to let me know. Would love to hear any and all feedback.