As a card carrying Brit, I can say with utmost confidence that life in the UK has declined over the last 15 years. The current shared British experience is complaining about the freak weather, drinking tea, and understandably, going abroad while taking note of all the things that other countries are doing better than us - and then returning with depression.
I can only assume the latter is quite possibly a factor in why we have such a problematic history of rampant colonialism.
So of course, having returned from my second trip to Japan within 18 months, my mind is whirring with all sorts of questions about why this country is so fascinating and special to me, and why I - an infamous home bird and lover of my own backyard in the North East - have become so disillusioned with returning to my own homeland.
While I know that being a tourist allows you to enter situations with a rose tinted view, I am continuously in awe at how much more pleasant and relaxing life felt in Japan. Now, I’m no dummy. I know it has its own set of unique cultural, economic, and political problems. Yet from my perspective there was lots to be learned about the way Japanese people go about their daily lives that I wish could be exported to the UK with all my heart.
A work colleague once described a dishevelled coat rack at a Christmas party as a symbol of the human condition. Coats and bags, mixed up and trampled in the commotion of queuing, drinking, and dancing defeated the entire purpose of a club cloak room - and it felt like an absolute truth to accept that this as just how people are. *This* is why we can’t have nice things…
I have since realised that people DO in fact have the capacity to create a nicer (and cleaner) society, and this has opened my eyes to the crushing disappointment that most people in the UK simply choose not to.
‘Why can’t it work for us?!’ I find myself wondering. I can only conclude that our crumbling mongrel empire, which apparently prides itself on being compiled of frontiersmen from history’s most burgeoning civilisations (we have been conquered by Romans, Vikings - and the French, no less) has become more arrogant and entitled in its age. For all those who think we are the descendants of the people who built colosseum’s, and viaducts l, and created the English language it appears that we only want - and maybe have always just wanted - footy, and pints, and to gawp at fistfights in public.
Meanwhile, I’m sitting here feeling unreasonable for wanting to watch a movie at the cinema without people talking through it, or indulging my feminine urge to have a nice plant in my front yard without it being stolen (I’m still not over either of these things btw.)
‘This would never happen in Japan!’ I cry, mostly to my partner who largely spends his time wondering why the egg sandwiches here aren’t as soft.
My lament over returning from one island to another is not about what we have, but what we appear to have an absence of. So to drag you all down with me, these are the wonderful things I miss the most and that we should learn from Japan.
Creating beauty in mundane spaces
One of my favourite things about Japan was discovering the ‘Easter egg-like’ breadcrumbs of beauty you’d find going about your day-to-day. The Japanese are famed for their balance of practicality and aesthetic in their designs and they extend this to make even the most mundane daily objects and experiences a little more magical.
For example, manhole covers in each city are emblazoned with tailored designs that reflect the city they’re placed in, or the landmarks nearby - from Osaka castle, to cherry blossoms, to Fuji itself. Birdsong plays at every underground station, and each one has its own unique jingle to remind passengers where they are so they don‘t miss their stop. Temples, shrines, and information spots have their own cute mascots and great care is taken to finesse all of the little details; from street signs and crossings, to shop fronts, and the flowers that line the streets.
The extra consideration to make otherwise really boring things nicer is incredibly appealing to me - particularly as a details person. It really made me wonder why we in the UK are so hung up on favouring near-brutalist functionality over something that could bring a little more joy to a morning commute.
Innovating to make life a little easier
Japan’s reputation for innovation is not undeserved. Even the smallest inconveniences are carefully considered wherever you go. UX strategy is a big part of my working life so my appreciation for a positive and flawless user experience will always trickle into my interactions within the real world. Japan is one place that takes that concept and runs with it!
Specially designed cups, containers, and cutlery make it unbelievably cheap and easy to grab food on the go without spillages, burns, or having to eat a pie with your credit card (don’t ask). Feeling thirsty? There’s vending machines on almost every corner, dispensing both hot and cold drinks - not to mention a catalogue of other weird and wonderful things.
Machines that store and dry your umbrellas whenever you head inside after a downpour are at your regular convenience. Don’t want to drag your heavy luggage around while travelling in between cities? A service that sends your bags ahead of you to your next hotel is the answer, sparing you the kind of unique and hellish turmoil reserved for the 5pm London to Newcastle journey on the LNER.
Everywhere I looked, I was faced with the aftermath of what I can only assume was a series of incredibly productive brainstorms; where genuine problems were addressed with empathetic solutions by people who really wanted to make life more pleasant for others
User experience the UK is currently defined by waiting 40 mins on hold to speak to a rude receptionist so you can book a GP appointment - regardless as to whether your arm is hanging off - so the very concept that someone has thought of people’s individual and collective frustrations is quite the novelty.
Taking care in the community
The jury is still out on whether collectivism or individualism is the better concept for a perfect society… Yet the strong sense of responsibility that Japanese people appear to feel for nature, their surroundings, and the common needs of their fellow citizens is something we rarely experience in the UK. Well, save for exceptional situations like pandemics or when something big and/or shit is happening. It’s a precious thing and strangely inspiring. I want more of it!
Walking around Japan you’ll see that the majority of the streets are spotless. This becomes even more astonishing when you realise there are no bins anywhere. There is a darker reason for this (and it’s nothing to do with cleanliness) but for the solution to be ‘take your rubbish home with you’ and uphold keeping the community clean is something I simply can’t imagine ever working in the UK in 2024, or anytime soon.
A day without a bin collection in Britain quickly descends into chaos.
And that’s not all! Every morning we’d see shop and cafe owners hosing down pavements and cleaning their own shop fronts. There were stringent rules about talking on your phone in public, and about keeping natural spaces and animals protected. There are also initiatives for locals-only bars, events, and areas. I presume this is so that actual Japanese people don’t have all the enjoyment of their own home robbed and pillaged by over-tourism.
Some of it may be extreme (I’m sure by now you’ve heard about the wall they’ve built in Fujikawaguchiko to block the view of Mt. Fuji from a famous Lawson’s branch, or a street in Kyoto shutting itself off completely from tourists) but it all appears to be in the interest of preserving the standards of their community, while retaining a collective pride in it.
Much of this is taught to Japanese children at primary school age, with lots of emphasis on these being the things that make you a good citizen.
Peaceful living
There’s a cliche that Japanese people are more inclined to favour order and rules, and less likely to be confrontational with their feelings, or create discord. I’ve read numerous articles about why young people in Japan get frustrated with what is viewed as conformity culture, but as a foreigner in Japan, it’s hard not to note some of the pluses when comparing it to my own home turf.
The main bonus was that, due to Japan having relatively low crime rates, I felt safe and at ease in almost all of the places we visited on our trip. I remember reading ahead of our travels that if you leave a bag behind, you could return hours later to find it in the exact same place - untouched, with nothing taken. Unspoken rules of fairness and maintaining a peaceful, non-disruptive environment means that you can comfortably walk around busy areas without having to clutch your belongings close to you. You can leave your MacBook on a coffee shop counter while you pop to the bathroom, and wander narrow streets alone at night without the overbearing fear of being mugged.
Obviously none of these things are a given, but they are commonplace, and again, a novelty.
And let me tell you, nothing makes you realise just how much of your energy and mental capacity is taken up by worries about this kind of stuff, until it’s completely removed. Throw in the trains running perfectly on time, and it really highlights just how much of day-to-day life in UK cities can create anxiety. Imagine how much you could free up your time and brain for other things if things were just more reliable and stable. Or at the very least, less tense and chaotic.
As I mentioned, much of this is cultural and initiatives like women-only train carriages, street patrollers (to manage drinkers), and even the rigid cleanliness policies in public bathrooms facilitate a lot of it. But it’s hard not to wonder what we’re doing so wrong over here. I would love to entertain the idea that it’s possible to get closer to this level of utopia without it becoming stifling.
After I returned from my trip, I saw a video talking about Japan’s culture for pregnant people and new parents; specifically covering the areas they dedicate in public spaces for feeding and nappy changing. It’s crazy to me that something as common and widespread as parenting could be made an infinitely more positive experience if dirty changing tables in a piss-soaked McDonald’s bathroom weren’t the norm.
Basically, if all the more bog standard needs of people were actually met, imagine what else is possible?!
Ikagai - a reason to live
Much like the Scandinavian concept of hygge, ikagai had a bit of a ‘moment’ in the Western pop culture sphere - likely with good intentions, but admittedly with some very patronising sentiments. But truthfully, it’s not the eye-roll it unfairly conjures. The idea of ‘living a life filled with purpose and joy’, though very Japanese in its conception, is actually a pretty wholesome rule to live by.
In Japan, many people find a passion or a profession early in life and they get really, REALLY good at it. A sushi chef will train for years at practicing and perfecting their craft, and that will be their main, if not sole focus.
I imagine this has numerous downsides (the obvious being how limiting it can be for changing careers) but it does pose interesting questions about what and how we can contribute to society as individuals - and what work ethic can look like if we’re not being pulled in so many different directions.
It goes without saying that everything - and I mean absolutely EVERYTHING - in Japan is done to the highest possible standard.
People at every level take their jobs very seriously, and from the outside looking in, it does appear that there’s a job for everyone. I won’t get into the challenges with Japan’s work culture, as this post isn’t about that, but this harks back to the idea that everyone is collaborating and contributing to a smooth running society where all efforts are respected and valued.
And also, that everyone really is trying their best. The hospitality in Japan is world-class, not to mention the food, transport, infrastructure, technology - you name it! Perhaps having purpose is something we’re sorely missing? Many people in the UK just don’t seem to care, and think that important public service roles like healthcare, cleaning, or waste management are not lucrative or somehow beneath them (apart from the fleeting moments of ‘clapping for key workers’ during Covid 🥴). There may be some truth in that they are under-appreciated and largely go unrewarded, but from my experiences this does not appear to be the attitude in Japan at all.
Call me a starry-eyed Leftist, but I would love to see more value placed on the people who keep things ticking over, and less on the people bullshitting in some boardroom.
It’s ruining my life
Touching down back in the UK obviously makes me long for my untroubled tourist life in Japan. I am well aware that this version I describe is highly idealised, likely a Westerners fantasy, and of course, not an exhaustive account of experiencing what it really is to grow up and live there.
With that said, it’s stirred up a lot of disappointment and dissatisfaction with current life in the UK. If you’re a non-Brit or somehow untouched by the pitfalls, you won’t have to read too much news or social media to understand why. As someone in my 30s, a decade into my career, and - in the eyes of the tax man - a useful contributor of our society, I feel like I should be thriving. But everything here currently feels like it has hard, pointy edges. Even with a weak yen and a troubled economy, Japan still appears to have an infrastructure that we can only dream of.
It’s difficult to not envy what lies beyond the shores of this hellish little island and I’m hearing more people talk about how decayed the U.K. looks by comparison to other places.
Of course there will always be many things I love about my home, (it is my home after all, and we do have the best jokes) but the official plan to retire and move abroad is becoming increasingly appealing…
Have you been to Japan? What have you noticed about other cultures, countries, and cities that you would love to see adopted in your own backyard? Join me next time for my top things to do in Japan. There is absolutely no reason you should read mine over the thousands of other similar articles online, but this is my hyper-fixation and you’re the ones who subscribed to this nonsense…
This sounds divine! I go rage litterpicking a few times a week and it just baffles me that people drop litter. Why don't they care?! The "every man for themselves" attitude that started decades ago created a rotten core and we're all feeling the impact of it now.
Wonderful piece. I was recommended by my daughter Ellen (Conversations by the Sea). I recently visited Japan with her brother and had exactly the same feelings about both Japanese life and the declining state of our existence on these shores. Fortunately, I live in Brittany now. Not as special as Osaka, Tokyo or Kyoto, but is a few hours from "home".
I look forward to reading more of your thoughts.