One of the first things that I experienced in Japan was the customer service, our first restaurant outing was the first time I saw this first hand. I had heard KJ talk about how polite everyone was and how they bowed at 90 degrees. Everyone knows that bowing is a sign of respect in Japanese culture, but I didn’t to know to what extent they performed this act. At first it was very strange to see a person bow as you left a restaurant or even McDonalds, but soon it became very natural. I felt like when I returned a bow I was responding with respect. It seems that America has lost its emphasis on customer service in certain industries, such as food service. Fast food in Japan has much of this customer service that has been lost in America, it was very strange the first time someone bussed by tray in a McDonalds. This experience was difficult at first because I thought to myself “I can bus my own tray,” but then I thought about how this is something that has been lost in America. It seems that we have become accustomed to the poor customer service and occasional attitude we encounter when dining. It seems that in America we see fast food as a quick meal, where we can fulfill our hunger quickly, but in Japan they focus on service and providing “good food quickly.”
Before arriving in Japan I had heard of Anime, but had never really been interested in it. I had heard of animes such as Final Fantasy Advent Children or Ghost in the Shell, but I had never watched them. I knew that anime was a very popular in Japan, but I had no idea to what extent this media permeated the culture. Manga books are available in many convenience stores sitting on the same shelves as news magazines. Purchasing a manga in the morning is as natural in Japan as buying a newspaper is to us. People of all ages and genders read anime on the train during their morning commute; this showed how diverse the manga audience is in Japan. While anime and manga fans are a small population in America and most people cannot distinguish them from a cartoon in Japan many people enjoy this art form. Anime hasn’t become extremely popular in America, but with the success of Advent Children and Ghost in the Shell it could depending on the popularity of the property.
