Japanese people are smart.

I've meant to talk about this for a while. But Japanese people are very efficient.

Since all trash has to be organized (crazily increases amount of recycling and decreases trash amount), you really get an urge to create less trash. And when you do have trash, you're lead to organize it before you even throw it away because you'll have to sort it later and you want to make that process as easy as possible.

Grocery stores are more efficient, too. No need to waste money on bag boys etc. When you check out, you get bags to bag your own stuff and there are stations set up at the end of the store for you to organize it how you wish. Also makes for a much faster check-out line.

When you walk into places after it's been raining, there are either one of two choices. Some places have umbrella stands outside (stealing doesn't really occur much) and at some places you put your umbrella in and pull out a key so no one else can take your umbrella. In bigger places, there are just a bunch of plastic umbrella bags you pull right over it so you don't soak the floor and you just put it back when you're done.

C'mon America. Get w/ the program.


Tim Soo