I can sum up my two-day visit to Tokyo in two words -- like clockwork. Seems everything in Japan's largest city runs on time -- the buses, the airlines, even hotel room service. (Call for an extra towel at 4:47 p.m. and the front desk operator says one will be delivered to my room in five minutes. At 4:52 on the dot, there is a knock on the door.)
At first, it's reassuring -- service you can actually count on. Soon, though, it gets a little uncomfortable. For instance, the following day a business colleague and I were supposed to leave the Tokyo office at 3:30 p.m. in order to catch a return flight home to China. At 3:15, our Japanese host was asking if our briefcases were packed and ready to go. At 3:20, she offered to escort us to the front door. At 3:23, she nervously mentioned the driver was waiting. At 3:27, after I mentioned that I needed to visit the restroom before departing, she actually broke into a cold sweat.
I realize we can learn a lot from the Japanese. Their production systems, e.g. "The Toyota Way", are world-class. But do we really want to be THAT punctual? Are we ready to give up the option of sleeping in without putting it on our calendars?
Perhaps I'm being unfair. After all, I was there less than 48 hours. (47 hours, 13 minutes, and 9 seconds, to be exact.)
Besides business meetings, I did have a couple hours to walk around, snap a few photos (see album on the left menu), and have the most expensive dinner of my life. (Note to self: If a concierge at a five-star hotel your company is paying for recommends an authentic Japanese restaurant, think "second mortgage".) How was I to know a little raw fish, semi-cooked beef, assorted grilled veggies and a bowl of an oddly favored (yet yummy) potato soup would leave my co-worker and me $500 poorer. OK, we did split a bottle of French wine, too. But come on...$500? In the words of Ricky Ricardo, we had some "splaining" to do with our bosses.
I'm back in Beijing now and no longer burdened with order and timeliness. As all my American friends here are fond of saying: "Anything is possible in China, but nothing is easy."
It's good to be home.
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