One thing I was disappointed in Japan was that I didn’t feel the vegetables and fruits I had tasted as good as before.  I used to be always looking forward to “eating” in Japan.  Vegetables and fruits were always so pleasing.  They were full of flavour, everything tasted stronger than what I eat in Canada.  Now, things have changed.  They all look beautiful, perfect shape, and big, but with less flavour and less taste. Am I the only one who feels that way?  Where are the tomatoes, peaches, and pears that I loved when I lived there 24 years ago?  When I came back to Vancouver, I really appreciated the fresh vegetables I picked from my backyard and the local organic vegetables and fruits I bought.  They didn’t look as pretty and perfect but tasted way better, I thought.  And, less expensive.  I don’t have to worry about my wallet as I enjoy.

However, there is one thing I am always impressed when I go to Japan.  That is the kindness of people.  People are so nice, sincerely kind, even in such a huge city like Tokyo, even to complete strangers.  This attitude is something fundamentally different from Canada.  Although there are occasionally few people in Japan who seem to be just reading a manual book, most people try very hard to do their best to help strangers.  And that tendency is  stronger as you go to countryside.  I just love this.

Tokyo is too big a city for me, but it might be nice to live in countryside of Japan, in some small town where there is abundant nature.

日本でがっかりしたことの一つは野菜や果物の味が落ちたこと。以前はいつも日本に行けばおいしい野菜や果物に感動したものだけど、今はすっかり変わったように思う。形ばかりきれいで大きくて美しい果物、でも口に入れれば味は今ひとつ。なんだか味が薄い、甘みも足りない、そんな気がしてしようがない。あの昔ながらのトマトは、桃は、梨はどこに行ったの？バンクーバーに帰って庭で採れた野菜やローカルのオーガニック野菜や果物をたらふく食べて「形は悪くてもこっちの方がずっとおいしい」と改めて思った。値段をあまり気にせず食べたいだけ食べれるのもいい。本当にありがたいことだと思う。

でも日本に行くと感心することは人が皆、誠心誠意、親切だってこと。東京のような大都会でも、見ず知らずの人々が何でも本当に親切に対応してくれる。接客の根本的な姿勢がカナダとは違っている。たまにマニュアルを読んでるかのような人にも出会うけど、大抵の人は「自分に出来る限りの親切をしよう」という態度で一人一人の人に接しているような気がする。田舎に行けば行くほどその傾向が強くなる。

東京は私には大都会すぎるけど、人の少ない自然の豊かな地方のの小さな町なら日本に住むのもいいなと思う今日この頃。