Japan: reasons I love coming here

[9V-SIA]

I'm having a 9 day food fest in Japan at the moment.

1. Honesty

Moving from Kyoto to Osaka, I left my sling bag on the JR train.....

with passport & money inside.

Discovered my mistake when I was trying to check in at Swissotel around lunchtime.

During lunch, Swissotel concierge called me to tell me bag had been found and was at Lost & Found at Osaka JR station.

Everything was intact. In any other country....

2. Another is No Tipping policy... yet great service.

3. The food of course

4. So clean

5. Love the history. Good & bad

[CarbonMan]

I can't agree more, 9V-SIA. Though not necessarily in the same order. And I would add politeness as well.

Let me give you one personal story about the service I received. My wife's sister's and my family were staying in a simple 3* place called Hotel Monterey, on a quiet street in the Ginza district in Tokyo. The hotel was booked and pre-paid in Singapore through an agent with whom we selected a series of hotels for our entire Japanese vacation.

While at the hotel, my niece made a phone call to check out some info. When it was time to leave. my wife did the check-out (I'm always the designated porter), and asked for the bill at the front-desk. The middle-aged male receptionist proffered the bill to my wife, who promptly gave her credit card to him with nary a glance at the bill (my wife tends to do it alot!). The receptionist took the card, processed the payment, and after my wife signed it, and he patiently folded the invoice and receipt very carefully into an envelope and presented it to my wife, all the while thanking her.

All that, for a phone call that cost about 20 yen.

[milehighj]

Enjoy your food fest, and please post pics.

[B727]

2. Another is No Tipping policy... yet great service.

Korea is like that too.

Glad you enjoyed your autumn Japan culinary tour 9V-SIA

[phaleesy]

6. Politeness
As mentioned by CarbonMan.

7. Great sights
Nature, cityscapes

8. Helpfulness
People genuinely try to help when they know you're lost. I'm always lost and sometimes these strangers would walk along with me to show me to the destination when the communication of directions fail!

9. Generosity
They like to give 'gifts'. Some of these eating places/inns would give me chopsticks, calendars, some cloth (don't know what that is!) when I'm leaving. A couple caught me staring at them eating some sushi (I did not recognise the fish), so they bought some for me. The chef told me it was a gift from the couple!

[MSPeconomist]

10. The culture. I'm amazed by the sense of history and tradition. I love finding temples in surprising places, the ceremony of tea or a meal, seeing a kimono being worn on the street in Kyoto or in a hotel in Tokyo, the ritual of a bath and the wonderful deep tubs in many hotels, formal gardens including small stones that are carefully arranged,......

[inix]

9V-SIA, I lost my iPad in Taiwan around the same time when you lost your bag in Japan and I got it back as well. Must be the Jap influence...