What Japan taught me about treading a little lighter.

I’m a bit of an over-thinker.

There, I said it.

So when I travel, or do anything for that matter, I tend to overanalyse and overcomment and over-soak-up the experience. Or, as my family members like to say of me, “there is never an unpublished thought”.

So while other people go to Japan and come back discussing the quality of the snow, or the shopping, I came back discussing what I had learnt from the culture. And how I hoped to impart it on my life a little better. At least I gave you a precursor to the neuroticness of this post, you see?

I learnt how to tread a little lighter – live a little less heavily in my own world. What do I mean?

When you are a Westerner, thudding around Tokyo, you quickly realise how big our lives are in comparison to theirs. We are already physically bigger than the Japanese. They are nearly all thin and healthy.

But, it’s so, so much more than that.

We also take larger luggage, and more of it (they take cardboard-thin briefcases everywhere). We pack more ‘things’ for short trips. We consume more food, and therefore always need to dispose of more rubbish. We are fatter. We require, and demand, more space. We talk louder. We drink more booze. We want bigger houses, bigger furniture.

We like to order all of our food at once at restaurants, anticipating our exaggerated appetites. The Japanese order dishes as they need them, and taste their food well. We like to eat while we walk around – this doesn’t happen often over there. If at all. Less litter - hardly rocket science.

The Japanese have mastered the art of living compactly. And quite simply, living better and healthier. Treading a little lighter than we do.

Anyone who has ever had a glass of wine and a bowl of seasoned wedges with me knows I am not a purist, but it is hard not to change your lifestyle a little when someone has a big mirror in front of your face, and you see an over-consuming, over-wasteful, and indulgent brat in the reflection.

“Possibly the best review of a country ever written,” – Global Traveller.

“Great post. I’m going to recycle more and eat less after reading this,” – Jean. 
"My cat's name is Pippy," - Jean again.