東京での最初の経験 - Madi

We arrived in Japan around 6 days ago and I’m going to talk about the first things I’ve noticed about Japanese city life. So the first parts of my research will be in the field looking at different places in the city of Tokyo and how people act and live their lives. The first full day we were in Japan we went on a bus tour of Tokyo with the stops being the Mori Tower at Roppongi Hills, Asakusa, and The Hilton on Tokyo Bay. We passed by the Rainbow Bridge among other landmarks. It was an amazing way to drive through the city and be able to see lots of different sights. I can’t imagine what seeing all of Tokyo is like, since seeing just this bit was incredible to me. The city seems to have a lot of structure which is needed since so many populate the city. With the amount of people it was surprising that it didn’t feel crowded or uncomfortable. Sometimes the trains and stations are a bit messy but everyone knows where they need to go and how the walking should flow so even as a foreigner it was easy to fall into place. The city is built in such a way that every space seems to have a purpose. I’ve seen rooftop gardens and different styles of building made to fit in between gaps of others. It’s a new concept to me to see all the space being used as it isn’t seen a lot in Calgary where I’m from.

For Tokyo at least the newer city is mixed with the old city seamlessly and it’s unique to be able to go and experience a historical place like shrines right in the heart of such a busy and modern city. Being able to go somewhere like Asakusa or the Meiji Shrine so easily was mind-blowing in a way to me. The people who live here can go places like that almost anytime and we saw a lot of locals while we were there as well. It’s interesting I was able to see that people took time out of their busy schedule to go to these places and either remember their ancestors or gods or ask for help from them. Where I’m from I don’t think people would do that or even think of doing something like that, so it’s really nice to see something so different here.

So far the Japanese city life seems to be very busy but in a organized way and also there are opportunities for people to relax and go back to their roots. It may be fast paced and exhausting lifestyle here but they make sure that everyone has a place and there are ways to escape from it from time to time. The city seems to be well thought out in a way people can live comfortably.

I will continue to explore and experience the city while also beginning to do research online on Japanese city life in other cities among other things.
Madi

(●≧ω≦)9 - マディ