ABSTRACT
Tokyo is a bustling city, a mixture of modernity and ancient traditions. Efficiency in planning and design are observed in all aspects of life here. Space is at a premium, so the apartments, garages, packaged consumer goods, and roads and footpaths are designed to be just big enough to carry out their purpose, but to the American, the sense of space seems miniaturized. In this urbaneven Western, if you will-metropolis, one cannot help but notice the time-honored oriental demeanor of the Japanese men, women, and children who march quickly with a mission. Yet they are deferential, respectful to all, especially the aged and frail. They are serenely silent even in the subways. The latter in Tokyo are amazingly immaculate, constantly being washed by scores of workers, and so timely that you can set your watch by the arrival of the trains at each station. The air in summer is forever moving with strong aquatic breezes, mixed with heat and humidity. Yet for a city, the air is not offensively polluted, again a tribute to the Japanese penchant for cleanliness. This is true for most locations, unless one walks into the fog of cigarette smoke-highlighting a habit which is excessively popular in this country. The language is lyrical, gentle, and replete with words that convey humility, gratitude, and grand acknowledgment to the one being addressed.
