Two years in Japan

Two years in Japan yesterday, I believe. Truth is, I don't know what to say. I suppose just the fact that our planet revolved around the sun twice doesn't automatically mean that anything significant can or has to be said.

The way I see it that this is a rather nice place to live, judging the here and now. It is by no means the best place in the world to live (simply because there is no such thing), neither completely horrible and a never-ending struggle. It is just the place I have chosen to spend my life for the time being. I am not a Japan enthusiast, which is certainly something I wouldn't want to be anyway. It is getting a bit odd when people have this extrordinary liking for certain places, especially with this popularity of things Japanese at the moment. There is nothing cool about declaring the natural way people live as the nonplusultra. At the end of the day the world is a big place, with many great places and people. There is little point in glorifying one over the other. I would like to think that I enjoy to be where I am at a given moment, that the advantages outweigh (hopefully by far) the disadvantages. As for Japan and me, this is the case - for now. Time, place, people.

Image does little

Do not feed the stereotypes

A lady dressed in a kimono is shopping in the Apple Store in Ginza.

And why, dear readers, shouldn't she be allowed to splash out for an iMac before tea ceremony?

Has the time come?

Electronic books have been announced time and time again. Nothing has ever taken off. Now there is an offering coming up from Sony and Philips, 13mm thick and a weight of just 190g. With a screen resolution of 170dpi not quite matching print, but a lot clearer than current LCD displays. Also this time users can put in their own content, without having to sell their soul to a publisher of sorts.

The reason why I mention this is that up to now I too have dismissed eBooks, but with my commuting having changed to a lot denser environment, I may actually be interested after all. Sometimes it even too crowded to read a conventional book, not to mention magazines or newspapers. So it is probably not a cooincidence that the Sony-Philips LIBRIe is scheduled for first release in Japan, for an estimated price of around ¥40.000.

Not much feeling in it

No doubt

Ameyoko is fantastic. Don't know why I haven't been here "properly", maybe because it was never on my way.

Well, now it is. I am walking towards Ueno station, my new gateway to the quiet home in the countryside.

I really feel not living in Tokyo anymore. Get off the train and walking towards home with only a few. It's Friday and the train is not crowded yet, maybe just the "odd" salarymen who haven't been asked to go for a drink by their colleagues are here.