Life in Tokyo moves fast - trains, people, and even the mornings seem to run on a tight schedule. Everyone's always on the go, yet somehow everything runs perfectly on time. The city never really sleeps either; shops and restaurants stay open late, and konbini (convenience stores) are everywhere, ready with anything you might need at any hour. Vending machines can be found on almost every corner, offering not just cold drinks but hot ones too - something I still find really interesting. I've fallen into my own little routine as well: grabbing an onigiri from 7-Eleven before work and watching the city wake up around me. It's a simple, affordable, and perfect little luxury for a student like me.
The nearest train station is only about five minutes from my apartment, and from there I can basically travel easily to the other side of Japan. One option is to hop on a Shinkansen and be in another region within a few hours. The train and metro system here is really something. Even when the stations are full of people, everything still feels calm and organized. People line up neatly while waiting for the train or metro, and no one pushes or rushes. Inside, it's quiet - no phone calls, no eating, just people resting or scrolling on their phones. It actually feels quite peaceful. Some trains have women-only cars during certain hours, which was new to me at first. Not every train has them, but they're pretty common in big cities like Tokyo.
Buses are another great and affordable way to travel. The last time I took one was with my coworkers when we went to DisneySea - it was such an amazing day! We had so much fun. Even though it was a weekday, there were still huge crowds. We probably waited in line for one to three hours for each attraction. I might have gotten lost without my coworkers, because the place was huge. They were the navigators, and I was more like the "passenger princess" - or that tourist who takes pictures of everything, even the not-so-important stuff. Okay, I'm just kidding - I wasn't completely useless, I swear!
The population difference between Japan and Finland is really noticeable - while Finland has around 5.5 million people, Japan has about twenty times more. Still, despite the huge population, people here are incredibly polite and considerate. Conflicts are avoided, and voices are kept calm. In public spaces, people rarely speak loudly, and there's this quiet sense of order and calm everywhere you go.
A while ago, my employer, her friend and I spent some time exploring Tokyo and had dinner at a buffet restaurant. We also visited the Japanese Marimekko agent, which was a really nice and useful experience for me. Later, we went to my employer's friend's apartment, and one of the most interesting things about the visit was that the apartment had a special room with tatami mats. There were no beds at all - instead, people sleep on futon mattresses placed directly on the tatami floor. I thought that was really fascinating.
In the living room, there was a small altar with a Buddha statue to honor deceased relatives. On it, there was a little wooden stick used to strike a bowl, which made a soft ringing sound before praying. The prayers are not about making wishes, but about showing gratitude.
Everyone was incredibly kind and friendly. We laughed, ate together, and looked at old family photos. From the pictures, I saw traditional Japanese wedding outfits - they were beautiful and so different from the ones in Finland. I had such a wonderful time and felt truly happy to experience it.
