What did we like and dislike in Japan

We liked:

• Public transportation: the trains, subways and buses are punctual and clean. All street and station signs are at least bi-lingual (Japanese and English). Bus stop signs in Kyoto are quad-lingual (Japanese, English, Chinese and Korean). All electronic signs and automated announcements in trains, subways, and buses are in Japanese and English. An English speaker can find his/her way around with little problem without help.
• Shrines and temples: Japan has an abundance of well-maintained old shrines and temples. A priest in Kamigamo Shrine in Kyoto told me that his shrine is renovated every 21 years, and they collect donations for the periodic maintenance.
• Gardens: Japanese gardens are beautiful. Many of them contain ponds, streams, bridges, waterfalls, islands, old trees, and well-maintained paths.
• Food: Japanese eat a lot of fresh fish. The sushi is fabulous, including the one you buy in convenience stores. The portions are small, but then you realize that the portions in the USA are too big. Many pastries in convenience stores have a delicious filling, like bean paste. We especially liked the soft rice cakes with bean paste filling (mochi).
• Ubiquitous vending machines and convenient convenience stores: There are vending machines for drinks in almost every other building in big cities. If you are thirsty, there is usually a vending machine in sight. Note that some of the drinks have a weird taste, like Pocari Sweat. There is a convenience store (7-Eleven, Lawson, Family Mart, etc.) in every block in big cities. There are several convenience stores in every train station. You also have kiosks on the platforms of bullet trains (Shinkansen).
• Tokyo never sleeps: When we went to the Tsukiji fish market at 5am, the roads had considerable traffic and the subway was full (not congested). Same as at 11pm. When do the Tokyoites sleep?
• Courtesy and helpfulness: Japanese are courteous and helpful. We were much impressed by the taxi driver who took us from the hotel to the Kyoto First Red Cross Hospital. The concierge person told the driver something when we boarded the taxi, and the taxi driver got out of the taxi and explained our problem to the reception person at the hospital, who in turn led us through the hospitals bureaucracy.
• High-quality and cheap health care: Rena was treated in the outpatient clinic of the Kyoto First Red Cross Hospital. We had to wait more than an hour in a busy waiting room for the pediatrician. The pediatrician used the latest technology (a portable ultrasound machine) and took a urine sample to the lab. The total hospital bill was ¥7,450 (about $75), and the medicines cost ¥5,250 (about $52). This is about the same as our co-payment in the USA for a similar hospital visit.
• A heaven for bicycle riders: There are many bicycle drivers in Tokyo and Kyoto. People ride their bike to the local supermarket and carry the food in front and back mounted baskets. Kyoto has parking lots for bikes near subway stations. You pay to get your bike locked in the parking place.
• No theft: people leave their bikes on the street without locking them.
• Traditions: Japanese keep many old traditions, like the Japan-style date (the year from the coronation of the current emperor). All official documents (like Taxi licenses and JR free passes) contain the Japanese date. Other documents (like receipts and expiration dates) are Gregorian (civil) dates.

We did not like:

• The heat and humidity. Worse than New Jersey in the summer. People who are prone to headaches suffer a lot.
• Smoking in restaurants and public places. Most restaurants allow smoking, and trains have smoking cars. We often had to leave a restaurant because of the smoke.
• Lack of English menus. Most restaurants had no English menus. It is almost impossible to keep Kosher if you do not know what are the ingredients of a dish.
• No towels in most public bathrooms. Most Japanese carry a small towel with the size of a handkerchief. I suppose this is how they dry their hands.
• Large amount of (recyclable) waste. Since there are vending machines at every corner, I have not seen any Japanese who drank from a reusable container. On the positive side, there was a recycling bin near almost every vending machine.

• No bicycle helmets. No bike rider had a helmet. Don't they know it is dangerous?