Gaijin Perspective

I managed to stumble upon a writer for The Japan Times, Thomas Dillon. He is a gaijin living in Japan. Well, not really Japan, in Tokyo. His views are a little jaded and his love for Japan is not as passionate as mine, but we have a lot of common ground. His articles have reminded me of a lot of feelings I have about Japan, many of which I have forgotten about.
Its strange how easy and how quickly it is to get used to something when its in your face ever day. Things such as the smells of Japan, or how ridiculous it is to buy souvenirs for everyone you know has already been moved to the back of my mind. I only notice the smells of Japan after being away for a long time, and I AM one of those idiots that follows the omiyage code of conduct.
Allow me to explain. When it comes to shopping and ritualistic obligation, Japan takes the gold for both. So when someone goes on a vacation, no matter the occassion, it is no surprise that they are expected to buy omiyage (souvenirs) for everyone and anyone they know or plan on knowing. A concept that, on the surfaces, sounds wasteful and expensive...which it is. However, I found myself taking part in before I even knew I was ４万円 poorer on both my trip to Korea and Hiroshima. By the way, ４万円 buys you quite a bit of momijimanju and crap to hang from your phone...
As for the smells, Japan just smells like Japan to me. It is a unique and wonderful smell that I have learned to associate with drunken good times. I wish they bottled that smell. I've been trying to pick apart the exact smell but it always eludes me. I'm sure that fish and soy sauce are a major part of it, but that sounds a tad racist...Rest assured, if I ever put my finger on it, I will share it with the world.

Here are the two articles that jogged my memory. They are worth a read.
An Odor by Any Other Name
A Journey on the Road More Traveled