Top 10 Characteristics of Japanese People which I love...

1. Punctual- Tour guide arrived 30 minutes earlier than the call time. Train schedules are accurate. If departure time is 7:02, there's no delay. They respect each other's time.

2. Polite - They bow to greet. They always respond with respect. They always say thank you - Arigato Gozaimasu.

3. Helpful - There's a language barrier. They barely speak English. Even if they can't give clear answers to questions or give directions about where you are going they would usually just accompany you instead and show you the way.

4. Grateful - They usually ask where tourists are from and you hear a genuine and heartfelt response of ”Thank you for visiting our country.”

5. Accountable - You don't see a lot of trash cans in public places. Why? You are supposed to bring your garbage with you. Own it. Dispose it when you get home.

6. Independent - You see 4 year old pre-schoolers riding the train on their own. Talk about training them early. At the same time, I see a lot of seniors still working so they can continue to provide for themselves without asking help from family. This is the characteristic of people from first world countries. They don't depend too much on each other so that they can survive without causing inconvenience to others.

7. Clean - The air you breathe is clean. The surroundings are clean. The public restrooms are clean. Even junk yards have scrap materials neatly packed. Plus, if our street sweepers here have walis tingting they use portable vacuum cleaners in the morning to clean the streets and other public areas.

8. Professional - You ride the train and almost everyone is wearing suits and very professional looking clothes. They ensure that they exemplify dignity.

9. Artistic - So much creativity put into preparing meals, bento boxes - (food presentation will make you go wow), furniture (ex. the bench in the parks are designed like bears), art work and sculptures are found everywhere.

10. Nature Lovers - No matter how progressive they are, they don't forget about taking care of the environment. They continue to plant trees and take care of their forests. Amidst the skyscrapers are canopies of trees which shield them from pollution and provide crisp clean air.The ponds and rivers have crystal clear water. You see people getting a fresh catch from these bodies of water.

#ilovejapan