Things I Learned While In Japan

Japan 2024

My son Luke, who has served as a T-Rex Cookie Brand Ambassador for the better part of his life was going to study in Japan for 5 months and my husband and I were going to help move him into his new school.   I was super hesitant to go because for the first time ever, I left my T-Rex Cookie for over 3 weeks, albeit in the very capbable hands of my team.   It was not only a test for me, but for them as well…more for me; since I’ve always had an abundance of trust issues.   These are just a few things I learned about Japan.

1. Honor Thy Fruit

In Japan, the giving of gifts takes is next level.   You don’t just swing by the store and grab something off the shelf, throw it into a gift bag and call it good.    Especially if the recipient is someone of great honor and respect or your in-laws,  you make your way to the basement level of high end department stores and buy fruit.   My family found ourselves perusing the fruit selection looking for breakfast and ran across the most beautiful melons I’ve ever seen (that’s what he said).  I did the yen to dollar conversion…$100 for a melon!   Along with these melons, strawberries, mangos…all so carefully packaged with the most perfect color.   After returning back to the states and seeing the Costco produce section…I just can’t even.

2. Organized Chaos

One of the most iconic pedestrian crossing is called the Shibuya Scramble Crossing.  It basically is a massive crosswalk where cars go every which way and then all stop to allow the pedestrians to cross every which way.   It’s a site to see.    There are even places where tourists can view the mass of humanity following the rules of the road.   Stop when the sign says stop and go when it’s green.     Everyone follows the rules, which allows for that moment of chaos that eventually turns out perfectly.   If only running a business was that simple.

3. Be On Time…All The Time

The Shinkansen aka The Bullet Train was our mode of transportation from Tokyo to Kyoto.   Bascially the same distance between Minneapolis and Chicago, a 6 hour drive.   Buy a ticket for this train and you can get there in 2 hours with a max speed of 200 miles per hour, it smooth, efficient and painfully on time.   As you approach a station, the announcement is made that people need to be ready to hop off the train when it stops.   They essentially have to have their luggage and all their trash (there are no trash cans on board) and get ready to get off when the train stops, keeping them on schedule.