Manners

Large cities can be overwhelming and confusing – and stress seems to have become part of everyone’s lifestyle in places like London or New York. Tokyo, on the other hand, has the ability to slow you down, to almost make you forget about time: No rushing for the next train, no pushing at the supermarket check out. People are happy to wait, accept that things can sometimes take longer.

The level of order and structure is astonishing and probably the biggest surprise in a city of that size. It doesn’t matter where you go or look: almost everything just seems to work. Streets are spotless (although trash cans are nowhere to be found), the public transportation system runs like a clockwork, and way finding is so thought-through that it’s not even a problem that one cannot read a single word.

And perfection doesn’t stop here: one of the most inspiring facets of Japanese culture is its devotion to hospitality. Be it in a small soba place, a tucked away Ryokan or in one of the many fashion flagship stores in Aoyama: You will always be welcomed and treated as if you were a long lost family member. And look back when leaving again and you may find the shop owner waving you goodbye until you’ve disappeared around the next corner.

Kyoto

Stockholm

Madeira