Small, bite-size… simple… quiet (despite the masses) … clean and elegant was my impression after traveling to Japan with my daughter last week. I loved being immersed in the local culture so different from ours here in the States.
On the subways, despite all the travelers, it was silent except a few quiet conversations. There was a strict rule, no audible cell phone talking or phones ringing. You have to put your cell phone on vibrate or quiet mode. This information was posted with the next stop information on the flashing panel, in Japanese and English, on most trains.
It was humorous to watch these quiet, respectful people texting, yes, but the bigger event was watching them play games on their phones. Games were certainly the popular choice on many neon-colored, large homogeneous-looking big screen phones. There was still a large collection of people on our subway rides, which were many, quietly sitting or “napping” and with only a few quiet conversations. Who knows what they were saying since my daughter and I don’t speak Japanese. Only once during the entire week did we hear anyone raise their voice anywhere we traveled.
Even at temples, stores, markets, subways, and down streets crowded with people, it was much quieter than you would expect. During the entire trip, it continued to amaze me, despite the close quarters and hundreds and hundreds of people, how quiet it was. I also enjoyed the spotlessly clean streets, bathrooms, and subways. (Just a side note, not everywhere was quiet. When we were in one of many arcades that Japan features it was definitely NOT quiet.)
The Japanese people radiated a sense of peace with their respect to others and quiet. They were always saying thank you and many times bowing to you with a smile. (I now know the word thank you in Japanese.) That’s how they treat everyone. I know we drew attention with our blond hair, light skin and odd-looking clothing and shoes. Japan is country with few Europeans or Americans. We laughed as, a few times, very young children pointed us out to their mothers. However, we were always treated with respect and kindness.
The Japanese seem to know how to take those quiet moments despite small, very crowded spaces and a very busy environment. In our Japanese business hotel each morning a breakfast area would magically appear in the lobby. While eating rice cakes and unidentified vegetables (I couldn’t eat the soup at 7 AM) I noticed again how quiet the crowded room was as we ate. Once again, there were a few conversation but they were soft and quiet. It was rather amazing. I know a few years ago I found some articles that reported some Japanese companies were creating “quiet rooms” (with pillows and couches) and play rooms to give their employees a “stress break.”
3 Simple Tips Japanese style for inner calm and peace
- Remember to say thank you from your heart and bow (inside) to every person you interact with each day. (Watch what happens!)
- Create quiet spaces for yourself during the day. Turn off your radio, ipod and just be quiet wherever you are.
- Be respectful using your cell phone, both ringing and talking. (Does everyone want to hear your side of the story?)
ahhhh, how i would love this idea to come to the states. to be able to go into a restaurant and enjoy a peaceful, quiet meal….ohhhh how awesome that would be. to not hear another person’s cell phone conversation in a store….bliss. unless i have a cd i really want to listen to, i’ve stopped listening to anything while i’m driving back and forth to work and school. this is my quiet time and i so relish it. how about this article makes it into all of the news media everywhere! : ) thank you for sharing. it’s nice to know the peace and quiet and respect is possible and happening – somewhere.