One noteworthy observation—there is almost NO litter in Japan. It was so rare that I was tempted to photograph the little bit I saw.
Besides the noticeable cleanliness and the computerized restaurant meal ordering, the “no-touch” payment option for cash was impressive. Likewise, the cleanliness of the trains and public areas highlighted their high standards. Though restaurant meal prices were pretty similar to the USA, the fruit prices were shockingly high. The houses are nice, but the lot sizes are quite small and every house I can recall had spaces for more than one auto, mostly covered.
I was impressed that there were few fat Japanese. I saw only one obese person who appeared to be Japanese in 2 weeks. The food seems generally highly nutritious, but everything seemed to have much less sugar. Even the ice cream seemed more creamy and less sugary.
The neighborhood organization is taken seriously and is quite complex. Not volunteering for helping with the community operation and celebrations is a serious faux pas. Everyone in the neighborhood knows everyone else, except those who don’t volunteer are shunned.
Now, I am biased, but in truth David’s two daughters, ages 9 and 6, are terrific. They play extremely well with each other, they are quiet, and obedient. In two weeks, I only heard David raise his voice to them about three times and never heard Rie call them down. The youngest loves to cook and can cook eggs and pancakes at age 6!
I noted above that my Fitbit recorded less than 4 hours sleep the first night back. BUT, the second night back (night of 9 August) I set a personal record I think with almost 14 hours in bed and 12 hours 42 min of actual sleep!
Most noteworthy were the many prayers offered up for us. This trip went extremely smooth from start to finish. As I write this I am unsure of our recovery from jet lag. In retrospect, our jet lag in Japan was hardly noticeable. Thanks be to G^d for his mercy and grace, and thanks to Him for a great trip, and thanks to you for your prayers.
Thanks.
