trust is a key

i'm not usually one for broad sweeping statements about a country or place. from most of my experiences i've found that contrast can be found anywhere. the diamond in the rough, or the turd in the golden flames. however, i have found the japanese among the most trusting and trustworthy people i've ever met. they are very beautiful people, in a very beautiful country.

the public face i saw wandering the streets, or serving me in restaurants can be seen as slightly expressionless, or distant, perhaps even un-engaged. i never saw anyone yelling, getting mad, crying, being obnoxious or getting upset. but instead of feeling like a pressure cooker of repressed emotions, there is a calmness and stillness to it, even right in the middle of tokyo. furthermore, once you scratch the surface, there is generosity, joy and openness like i never imagined.

the amount of pride and care that is taken to look after themselves, and others is wonderful. in the throngs of tokyo, it wasn't quite so obvious, but in hindsight it was still there. once i made it to hokkaido, it was very present. our hosts in the various guest houses and hotels treated us like family, preparing the most incredible food for hours, and then sitting and sharing a drink with us after, and at one point even sharing their birthday celebrations with us. i never really even got lost, as the moment i looked mildly confused about where i was going, someone who spoke english would cross the street and ask if i needed any help.

and so my last night in japan was spent in the most traditional and appropriate way possible - getting drunk in a karaoke bar with a bunch of japanese people we didn't know. they sang songs in japanese that we didn't know, and couldn't sing so we just clapped along. then we got up and sang anything from frank sinatra to madonna and even eye of the tiger.

of course, they all got up on stage with us and joined in.