The Top Ten Things I Miss About Tokyo

Let me preface this post by saying that I did not write on Tuesday because I did not have my computer.  The reason has, in part, to do with what I miss about Tokyo and bits and pieces of what I miss about Tokyo that CAN be found in the U.S.

In case you didn’t know, I’m in the U.S. this week visiting with my family.  It is my grandmother’s birthday (she will be 88 next week) and my grandfather is not doing well.  I had a frequent flyer ticket and using it to visit just now seemed like a prudent thing to do.

When flying into Hartsfield Airport in Atlanta last week I had several adventures.  First of all, my plane from Tokyo was late. And secondly, when passengers come into Atlanta from outside the U.S., they have to clear security again AFTER leaving immigration and the customs hall – and therefore check and retrieve luggage one extra time.  It’s a nightmare and nearly caused me to miss my plane out of Atlanta to Florida where my family lives.

Because I was taking a different airline to Florida than I had taken to Atlanta, I had to retrieve the bag and then get a new boarding pass on another airline and re-check the bag, which they could not guarantee would make the plane, but it did in the end.  Then I had to go through security again.  Well, due to the time constraints, I left my computer – my new little netbook – at the C Gate security checkpoint in Atlanta.  I simply leaned down to put on my shoe and tie it, and left the computer on the table where I had laid it.

However, after filing the proper form on the Internet with the department of security lost and found on Thursday evening, I got a call on Friday morning from the airport that this nice lady had found my computer and it would be waiting for me in Atlanta when I passed through there again.  I retrieved it today.

People in the U.S. don’t often have faith in each other, but I have faith.  My belongings were returned and everything is safe and sound.  People can be inherently good.

So though the security of Tokyo is one of the things I miss about it when I’m not there, I do feel good about the security of my home country right now.

So here are the top ten things I miss about Tokyo:

10. The food (especially the fresher than fresh sushi)

9. The mild weather (though it is quite hot in the summer, winter is very mild in comparison to the northeast part of the U.S. where I have spent most of my life.)

8. The safety (my ten-year-old goes to the park on his own with no issues and no fears – and no fear from his mother, either.)

7. The quiet (no honking horns on the streets!)

6. The cleanliness (there is no trash on the streets – and conversely no trash cans either. People in Japan carry their trash until it can be disposed of properly.)

5. The food (noodle bowls – ramen and udon and soba, oh my!)

4. The posh cars I see (it’s a very slow day if I don’t spot a Ferrari or a Maserati)

3. The walking (I rarely use my car – I walk to do almost all of my errands and most of the kids’ activities are within walking distance of the house. If I don’t walk I take the train – except to the American Club – to which I take the car. It figures, right?)

2. The people (everyone, without fail, is polite and deferential – even when it is not expected.)

1. The food (French food, Indian food, Italian food, Chinese food, Singaporean food – I could go on and on and on….)

This list is by no means exhaustive, but rather a taste of some of the things I love about my adopted city.  Rest assured, however; when I’m in Tokyo there are many things I miss about the United States.  Stay tuned for a post about that particular topic next week.

This article is a submission for the Japan Blog Matsuri hosted by Muza-chan’s Gate to Japan.