Quality of Life

Shortly after our return from Okinawa, I went to JUSCO (a department/grocery store) with a fat wallet still overflowing with ichiman yen ($100) bills. Getting straight to the point, I absentmindedly left it in the bathroom. Without a concern in the world I left JUSCO and spent the day kayaking and spearfishing. That night as I was getting ready to go out for dinner with some friends a frantic search for my wallet ensued. It was only then that it dawned on me that I had placed it on the counter in the bathroom at JUSCO. A slow sick feeling started to form in the depths of my body. How could I be so stupid!! All of our ID, credit cards etc. were in that wallet!Rik and our friend Misako went ahead to the restaurant and I proceeded to go to JUSCO. Immediately I rushed to the bathroom. Of course the wallet wasn’t there. Now I was really feeling seriously ill. As I walked to the service counter I felt like I was about to vomit. At the service counter an attractive women in a smart fitting uniform greeted me with a warm greeting. When I asked her about my wallet she proceeded to look around in various drawers. NOTHING. Then she pulled out a binder, next she was on the phone. Her expression frozen in a permanent pleasant smile never changed. There was no hint as to whether they had my wallet. Inside I was dying, time ticked by slowly, I started feeling dizzy. Before I knew it a man came out of nowhere carrying my old green wallet on a tray. Upon inspection I found that EVERYTHING was there. Nothing had been removed.
Honesty and respect still prevails in Japan; being able to leave our house without a strong fear of a robbery, leaving our fully loaded kayaks at a harbor while we wander around the town, biking home alone at night after work.

That night over dinner, I could relax together with our friends and reconfirm to myself that I appreciated living in an honest society.