One aspect of Japanese travel is, well, the locals tend to be nice. Nicer than people back home. Nicer than in a lot of other countries. That isn’t to say there aren’t people who aren’t nice — they’re here. They’re everywhere.
But, on average, an interaction in Japan with a stranger tends to follow a semi-formal, polite, and overly convivial pattern.
When they say “welcome,” you feel like they mean it.
Except for the one guy in the pharmacy I stopped at, who was quick to tell me “I speak English” — with the unspoken part being “idiot.”
Yeah, but I like speaking Japanese. Even if I’m not all that good at it.
Michael's Musings 