Jeremy HildrethI got back Monday from Tokyo and Kyoto. I discovered the Japanese are not quite, as AA Gill hypothesized, “the people that aliens might be if they’d learnt Human by correspondence course and wanted to slip in unnoticed.” But they’re unusual in strange and wonderful and puzzling ways, with their devotion to niceties and their veritable germophobia.
After 10 days there, I still had no idea what they were doing — but it was very clear that they did; you just don’t achieve a well-oiled, peaceful and prosperous society like that by accident. Other than the jet lag, I loved every minute of it. Heaps of thanks to Rie for hosting me, and to Kaoru, too, for showing me around.
