I'm not the first say it, but Japan is a pretty remarkable place. The architecture, history, and way of living are incredibly unique. During my second visit to the country a few summers back, I visited Osaka Castle, an impressive fortress built over 350 years ago. I saw countless shrines. (Japan loves its shrines!) And perhaps most importantly, I connected with a dear friend one afternoon in Tokyo. My trip taught me that living simpler is often the path to a richer and more fulfilling life.
Strangely, many of my lessons about Japan came from a 600 square foot building known as Family Mart. Family Mart is essentially an improved version of 7-Eleven, but
with three noteworthy differences. First, it has amazing snacks that are presumably healthier than
those found in the aisles of say an AM/PM.
Second, you can buy just about anything
you need to live comfortably for the rest of your life. (Any place where I can buy a stapler, an
umbrella, and a sandwich is okay by me.)
But what really stood out was the service. Regardless of the time of day (open 24 hours
of course), the crowd, or weather, the employees of Family Mart were always
extremely polite and professional. They
greeted each customer with deliberate intention and energy. Patience was always practiced and as a
foreigner I never felt self-conscious about my inability to speak the
language.
I learned no matter what we do in life we ought to value it. When we do others are more likely to as well. I also took away the importance of being deliberate about our actions - to never "phone it in," no matter how tempting.
Finally, there was a perpetual sense of flow in every exchange. Everyone worked hard, but seamlessly. Rather than muscling their way through each action each employee embodied a sense of ease with their interactions and work ethic. As a result, there seemed to be a sense of community, however transient, among all that came and went.
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