10 observations about Tokyo

 1. A lot of people have big ceramic dogs outside their doors.

2. Speaking of dogs, when you see a leashed one take a pee, his owner will almost always pull out a water bottle from their satchel and dilute the puddle. I have seen this a dozen times.

3. Were I to live here, the dense, low-rise neighborhoods of east Tokyo would be my first choice to settle down. They more resemble a sedate village than a bustling metropolis. 

These shitamachi ("low city") neighborhoods are not car-dependent suburbs. And they don't conform to neat, spacious suburban grids. The layout of these areas is more like the frenetic maze of a Pac-Man game, inviting comparisons to third-world slums. Minor detail: They're not slummy!

Best yet, thanks to Japan's relaxed zoning rules, even quiet residential alleyways are sprinkled with mom-and-pop businesses.

Check out the twists and turns of this pocket neighborhood in Taito City. The sign at the beginning says something like "Don't even think about trying bring your car in here."

Bunkyo City (with its Sendagi and Nezu neighborhoods), some areas of northwestern Taito City, and Arakawa City (especially the Minowabashi and Higashinippori sectors) are splendid places to spend your vacation. You will get a good night's sleep and have a good chance of not hearing English spoken for weeks.

Case in study: Take a look at the pace of life in Minowabashi. This video was taken on an ordinary weekday around 1:30 p.m. The prodigious use of bicycles to conduct one's daily business, the little girl's "bye-bye" dance ― I don't know where to begin.

Sometimes in Tokyo I feel like Albert Brooks' character in the movie where he doesn't immediately realize he's in the afterlife.

4. It's a high-trust society: Seeing a 7-year old alone at night crossing a busy street in Tokyo, their face illuminated by a tiny smartphone, is the most normal thing in the world.

5. Hand-washing is a good idea at any time, but in Tokyo I really developed the habit. Spending 90 minutes a day on trains ― well, that's a lot of straps.

6. I can't believe I'm saying this, but Tokyo's overhead power lines have a kind of beautiful retro appeal.

7. Let's show a little grace. For Japanese, the English language is just as difficult to learn as Nihongo may be for you. The linguistic differences are vast. We are all doing our best.

8. Nobody wears sunglasses here. Even on the sunniest days. It is bizarre.

9. There is a fella, probably my age, in a blue T-shirt who meanders around this block all day with his hands clasped behind his back. He greets every dog he encounters. Whenever he sees me on the balcony, he says, "Hi!" He is the embodiment of the "eyes on the street" concept developed by urban thinker Jane Jacobs. In short, the more people in the streets, the safer the streets become.

10. I stopped carrying water on my daily walks because every 90 feet you can find a vending machine with delightfully unfamiliar beverages. This is one of small joys of being in Tokyo.

To my taste, it is Wilkinson for the win. It is not sweet. I have no idea how how it achieves its level of carbonation. The burps it produces are the most cleansing exhalations you will ever have. 

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