Good Habits

I just returned from my recent trip and adopted many new good habits.

#1 Take your shoes off! As a former offender, this habit is great! My excuse: big dog on wood floors creates splinters. In fact, this habit is such a part of Japanese culture that it has even impacted Japanese architecture. In a Japanese home, the area to remove and keep shoes is called the genkan. Keep it clean – especially in a big city.

2# Don’t eat and run! So much of world culture is based on the concept of fast food. Culture is often introduced through food trucks common in the USA. But eating and moving is simply not done in Japan. I’m sure the practice is good for digestion and encourages thoughtfulness. It must be absolutely necessary in urban places where folks move fast.

#3 Follow the rules! There are rules and the more urbanized the more rules there are to observe. Rules are needed in confined spaces containing many humans. I’ve read that in Japan the default is move on the left. Folks certainly drive on the left but as to where to walk that depends on the rule for that location. Pay attention!